Chapter 108: Chapter 95: Annihilating the Demon People_2
Suddenly, he crouched down, concealed himself, and with a shake, transformed into a Flower Fox Mink, clutching his clothes and weapons before swiftly leaving the spot. He could smell that there were only three people left in the courtyard: two severely injured, and another with an aura similar to the one who had come to kill.
When Su Liu arrived at the small hillside, there was no sign of anyone. Unexpectedly, inside the ruins of the residential building, Yang Xiaoshu, who was rummaging through the debris, suddenly felt a gust of wind in the air and instinctively rolled on the ground. When he turned his head back, he saw a door hurtling towards him, covering his face and obstructing his view.
It turned out that Chen Ku had lured the tiger away from the mountain. After transforming into a Flower Fox Mink, he arrived there unnoticed and kicked the door, sending it flying towards Yang Xiaoshu.
Yang Xiaoshu's expression shifted slightly, and he immediately pulled out a Talisman Paper, tossing it forward. It landed on the wooden door and exploded on impact. BOOM! Wood shavings filled the air!
However, behind the cloud of wooden debris, a staff, carrying the force of a tornado, swept up all the dust and shavings and smashed down on his forehead!
No! I'm going to die! Yang Xiaoshu's mind went blank as he felt the terrifying power behind the staff, knowing it was not something he could withstand, especially since he wasn't carrying any weapons. He could only twist his face in a fierce howl, "Peace to the world!"
In an instant, light shone from seven or eight spots on his body. These were the Talisman Papers stuck to him, which he activated with his Qi Power as a last resort.
[Demon Person Yang Xiaoshu has explosive talisman techniques, intending harm to the master...]
Accompanied by this warning, Yang Xiaoshu's body emitted a fiery light, about to explode.
"Want to explode? Die first, then explode!" Chen Ku smacked down with his staff. The air currents in the ten-zhang expanse above slightly collapsed, instantly causing the Talisman Papers on Yang Xiaoshu's body to shatter, followed by... BOOM! A staff smashed Yang Xiaoshu's body, sending his corpse flying far away and exploding against a wall, leaving only a head behind.
"Leader Yang!" The two severely injured Demon People of the Force Transformation Realm let out a startled and horrified howl, "Peace to the world!" Then they too emitted light.
"Still exploding?" But they were met with a cold glance from Chen Ku, who flew up and swept his staff across, exploding their bodies and leaving their heads behind.
[Diagram Master killed Peak of Inner Qi Demon Person Yang Xiaoshu...obtained a stream of Evil Qi]
[Diagram Master killed peak Force Transformation Demon Person...obtained two streams of Evil Qi]
After eradicating these three, Chen Ku glanced at the staff in his hand and his palm. Indeed, under the power of the Mountain-Lifting Palm Force and the great achievement Skyward Strike, combined with his Root Bone Qi Power, a sneak attack could kill even a Peak of Inner Qi expert... It's just that the explosive power of the Talisman Paper was a bit difficult to defend against.
Meanwhile, Su Liu, who had taken two Inner Qi experts in pursuit, also heard the explosion from the courtyard behind him, and his face changed drastically. "Bad, he has an accomplice! This is a diversion! Quick, go back and help Old Yang!"
However, just as they headed back, they saw a figure running out of the courtyard from a distance. From the looks of it, the figure did not seem to move quickly, almost as if they were just an ordinary person.
"I'll chase after that person to find out exactly who they are. You go help Old Yang!" Su Liu took off after the figure again.
The remaining two Inner Qi experts cautiously approached the courtyard. From a distance, they saw a mess of blood and flesh on the ground with three heads lying there... It seemed the murderer had already left.
"Leader Yang, Thin Snake... Grey Pig... Whoever it is, we will kill him! We will kill him!" With eyes glaring furiously, the two rushed towards the three heads. But just as they entered the courtyard, a staff struck from behind the broken earthen wall straight at them! Skyward Strike! BANG! A staff blasted one Inner Qi expert! At the same time, the Flower Fox Mink, after that one strike, bit the other to death.
「Elsewhere,」
as Su Liu continued the chase, he found that the person had disappeared midway. He then realized he seemed to have been played again! Illusion Technique? In fact, that was just an Incarnation of Du Xiaodao created by Chen Ku, merely at the Strength Training Realm, designed to attract attention and disperse the strength of this group of people. His heart was immediately shocked. He hastily turned back.
By the time Su Liu returned to the ruins of the civilian houses, he saw five human heads, laid out together. In the yard, a figure wearing a Conical Hat, with arms crossed and holding a staff, stood quietly waiting for him.
"You! It's you! How is this possible! Just now you were on the hillside! Could you possibly know a Cloning Technique?!" Su Liu took a slight step back in shock. Yet he saw the other party lower their Conical Hat slightly with a raised hand, grasped the staff, and without a word, stepped forward with a sweeping strike!
"Ah! Kill!" Su Liu felt the power of the strike, his mind trembled, but some kind of fervent faith allowed him to fight without fear of death. Wielding the Peach Wood Sword, he charged at Chen Ku. CLANG! The staff clashed with the sword. His Peach Wood Sword, reinforced with a Divine Talisman, was actually cracked by the blow.
Chen Ku sneered in his heart, You have an enchantment, I have one too. While he was waiting, he dismantled the third Transformation Diagram, removed Du Xiaodao, and replaced it with Demon Talisman Transformation, fortifying his weapon. At the same time, he swapped the Golden-eyed White Feathered Sculpture for the Blood Blade. Tonight, he had dismantled three Transformation Diagrams consecutively. Each entered a cooldown period, but this was the strongest combat transformation combination Chen Ku could form at the moment.
BOOM! The figures of the two intertwined, the staff and sword clashing repeatedly. Each collision felt to Su Liu as though he was being hit by a mountain... After three moves! His sword shattered, his strength was spent, and a shadow of the staff dominated his vision. "Peace to the world!"
[Diagram Master kills Su Liu, a Demon Person at the Peak of Inner Qi...]
This one was stronger than the one before. I went all out; the strongest transformation combination, Four Elephants Root Bone, weapon enchantment, plus the Blood Blade just in case... and he was still able to withstand three moves before dying. Chen Ku lowered his Conical Hat, reflecting on the fight, and arrived at a conclusion: Direct confrontation is inferior to ambush.
He turned back into the ruins, making sure there were no survivors, before starting to clean up the battlefield and collect his spoils.
In the end, Chen Ku used the Fine Dog Sense of the Flower Fox Mink to successfully find the items with the strongest scent of Demon People Gate from a pile of rubble... Aside from clothes and miscellaneous items, it was a pair of large chests.
One of the chests contained roughly over a thousand pieces of that "Talisman Paper" used to treat Hu Zi's illness. The other large chest held eight or nine Peach Wood Swords, each also affixed with "Demon Talisman Paper," made of the same material as the one Ling had. There was also a small booklet, one thousand taels of silver notes, and plenty of small change of silver.
This more than one thousand taels of silver was probably the operating funds of these few people. Indeed, it's more than enough for activities in such a small town. Chen Ku casually opened the booklet, and with the first line that caught his eye, he knew what it was: "Yellow Heaven nurtures the bountiful earth, the Wise Master descends upon heaven and earth, bestows blessings upon all the world's people, peace to protect our homeland..."
This was clearly the doctrine for preaching of Peace Path. Inside, it mentioned they revered an existence called the "God of the Yellow Heaven," described through the "Great Way of the Heavenly Scripture." "At that time, the God of the Yellow Heaven, in the Great Luo Realm, was expounding the true scripture to all the immortals and great saints. Beneath the Miro Tree, the Jade Emperor kowtowed, his right knee on the ground, palms pressed together respectfully, and asked our God: 'How can one achieve the Mixed Yuan Fruit Position...'"
Chen Ku was speechless. How does this look anything but a haphazardly concocted fiction? If your Peace Path is so powerful, why bother preaching in the countryside?
However, Chen Ku briefly scanned the booklet and found at least one truth in it: the existence of the so-called recipient of the "Heavenly Mandate Talisman," the Peace Path Leader, who was also revered in the Peace Path as "Son of the Yellow Heaven," and "The Most Sacred and Wise Teacher."
A toad aspiring to eat swan flesh... still 'The Most Sacred and Wise Teacher'... Chen Ku did not want to look at this nonsensical fantasy any longer. He simply packed up the silver notes, Talisman Paper, bagged the heads, and left.
Taking advantage of the night, he returned to Baojiao County, changed his appearance, and entered the Grey Clothes Tower. "Six Peace Path Demon People, heads here. Two at Inner Qi Perfection, two at Inner Qi, Initial Period, two at the Peak of Force Transformation... if the verification turns out to be true, let's settle accounts."
Chapter 109: Chapter 96: The Evolution Pill Prescription
Chen Ku estimated that these six heads were worth at least five or six thousand taels of Silver. He could buy sixty stalks of Treasure Herb with that, which would be enough to cover the consumption of Vital Energy needed to reach Inner Qi Perfection.
At the counter, the person touched the foreheads of the heads, nodded, and said, "Indeed, Demon People of Peace Path cultivate with Talisman Paper and Strange Techniques. After using Talisman Paper, a certain part of the brain becomes more active than others. Inside the brain, there is a special area, which is the signature."
Chen Ku thought to himself, Grey Clothes Tower knows quite a lot, but I wonder how the Sorcery of Peace Path... cultivates the Spirit?
"Please report your code name."
"Er Lang."
「Meanwhile...」
"Lord County Magistrate, we've received intelligence from Grey Clothes Tower. A Blade-Handler known by the code name Er Lang delivered the heads of six Demon People of Peace Path today. Among them, there were two at the Peak of Internal Qi..."
「Inside the county government office.」
The County Magistrate, Ma Tianlin, wore a blue official robe embroidered with flying birds that shimmered slightly under the sunlight. He stood under the eaves with his hands clasped behind his back, basking in the winter sun and enjoying its warmth. He asked lightly, "Quite a force to be reckoned with. In your opinion, what rank could he claim on the 'Blade-Handler List'?"
"To kill two at the Peak of Internal Qi, two in the Inner Qi Realm, and two at the Peak of Force Transformation in one go... If it was really the work of just one person, even if he used other means, this capability in pursuit and assassination..."
Standing behind him was the number one on the Blade-Handler List and also one of the top ten experts in the county, the 'Sharp Blade,' known as Blade King Wang Yixian.
After musing for a moment, he said, "He could be ranked among the top thirty-five on the Blade-Handler List."
"Blade-Handler List top thirty-five... Er Lang."
Silently, without a trace, the Blade-Handler's code name, Er Lang, suddenly appeared on the Blade-Handler List viewed by Grey Clothes Tower and certain factions throughout the county.
"Er Lang?"
In the ruins of Snake Fish Town, Incense Master Yao Wensu looked at the newly emerged code name on her copy of the Blade-Handler List. Considering the strength and Realm ranking, she quickly deduced.
It's him! He's the one who wiped out my small Peace Path stronghold! she fumed. "Remember this code name! Put him on the kill list!"
After a busy night, Chen Ku returned to his small courtyard in the outer city to rest for about half a day, then began to examine his gains from the previous night.
[Diagram Master has met one of the conditions for cultivating the fourth Transformation Diagram]
He had sacrificed Su Liu's Evil Qi to the Transformation Diagram, fulfilling one of the conditions needed to unlock the fourth diagram. He decided to save the remaining Evil Qi for later.
Chen Ku primarily studied the Talisman Paper on those eight Peach Wood Swords. After testing them one by one, as expected... they were all Demon Talismans! Made with the blood of a Taisui Demon!
Chen Ku touched one and felt the Evil Qi. So, he prepared a fire and burned them all to ash.
[Diagram Master has destroyed eight Demon Talismans... gaining eight strands of Evil Qi from Demon Talismans]
[Demon Talisman Fiend ×8 (First Realm Demonic Being Level)]
With these eight strands of First Realm Demonic Being Level Evil Qi, plus the four from the Inner Qi Realm cultivators, he now had a total of twelve strands of First Realm Evil Qi.
Chen Ku looked towards the Blood Blade Transformation. He needed just eight more strands of First Realm Demon Evil Qi to reach the Transformation Level. Then, he could directly Shape-Shift into a humanoid weapon, or use it for the refining shape of the Flower Fox Mink—either would be a good outcome.
[Burn the eight strands of Demon Talisman Fiend, infusing them into the Blood Blade Transformation!]
Within the Transformation Diagram, the eight Demon Talisman Fiends resembled eight shooting stars, fiercely crashing into the Blood Blade Transformation.
[Blood Blade Transformation Shape-Shifted]
...
「Inside the room.」
Chen Ku's body suddenly vanished. On the bed, a long, narrow, blood-stained Treasure Blade appeared, stuck at an angle in a pile of clothes.
Damn... this feeling... It's like being sealed inside the blade...
Chen Ku tried with all his might, but his body, now transformed into the Blood Blade, merely quivered ceaselessly on the bed.
As expected, I was overthinking it. I actually believed that after turning into the Blood Blade, I'd be like a flying sword, capable of taking heads from a thousand miles away. What a daydream. The original Blood Blade can't even fly; how could I fly after transforming... unless...
Chen Ku's blade-body trembled. Give the Blood Blade wings?
But it seems... to fully manifest the wings of a Golden-eyed White Feathered Sculpture, I would also need nine strands of Demonic Being Level Evil Qi.
Chen Ku shook the blade lightly and transformed back into his human form.
First, let's see what kind of abilities I've gained now that I can completely turn into the Blood Blade...
[Blood Blade Transformation Shape-Shifted]
[Power of the Blood Blade: Blood Blade Tip (Sharp Enough to Pierce Stone), Blood Blade Edge (Cut Gold and Break Stone), Back of the Blood Blade (Ancient and Edgeless), Blood Blade Body (Like a Vajra), Blood Blade Hilt (Smooth Wood), Blood Blade Guard (Steel Reinforcement)... Blood of the Blood Blade (Become a Demon by Drinking Blood)]
Chen Ku opened his eyes. He glanced at his right arm, flicking it lightly, feeling as if his entire arm possessed the quality of Vajra Indestructible.
He looked around for something to test it on. With a glint in his eyes, he chopped at his own arm with a kitchen knife.
CLANG!
The kitchen knife was actually deeply notched from the impact with his arm.
Impervious to Swords and Spears. Even Bu Jingyun's Qilin Arm is probably nothing compared to this, he thought.
But Chen Ku's eyes were fixed on the most important entry: Blood of the Blood Blade.
He looked down at the bait mouse in the courtyard and tentatively poked a finger at it.
SQUELCH!
Though it was a bait mouse worth over four hundred taels of Silver, Chen Ku's aim was to see if his arm could indeed absorb the Strange Beast's Bloodline...
To his astonishment, his finger pierced the bait mouse's body! And then... his arm actually began to absorb the bait mouse's blood.
Before long, it had sucked the bait mouse dry.
At the same time, he could feel that after absorbing the bait mouse's blood, his arm—now like a blade—seemed even harder and sharper.
Yes, yes, yes! It must be merged with the Flower Fox Mink!
Chen Ku immediately initiated Fetus Transformation Refining Shape.
[Calculations underway... merging the form of the Flower Fox Mink with the form of the Blood Blade...]
[Due to the Blood Blade's Transformation Level, halting at Shape-Shifted]
[This Fetus Transformation Shape Shifting success rate is 70%]
[Additionally requires one strand of a Peak Demon of the First Realm's Evil Qi as kindling...]
Chen Ku hesitated. Seventy percent? Only a seventy percent chance? And I only have one Blood Blade.
He suddenly asked the system, "What will happen if Fetus Transformation Refining Shape fails?"
[The kindling Evil Qi will dissipate, irrecoverable. Both Transformations will revert to their original state, unchanged.]
Chen Ku sighed in relief. If it only consumes the kindling without affecting the refining materials, then... seventy percent is a fairly high probability. Let's give it a try. Even if it fails, it would just be a waste of one strand of Yang Xiaoshu's Evil Qi. Not a big deal. I can just go out and kill some more another day.
"Start the Fetus Transformation Refining Shape for me!"
Before starting the refining shape, Chen Ku removed the third Transformation Diagram, the Ling Transformation. The Ling Transformation only involved Shape Shifting, and including it would merely affect the success probability. He left only the Blood Blade and the Flower Fox Mink.
[Fetus Transformation Refining Shape in progress...]
Chen Ku was filled with anticipation. Not only would Fetus Transformation Refining Shape save a slot in the Transformation Diagram, but from his previous experience, he knew the process might even synthesize a new ability during refining shape. He recalled gaining the ability to change his body size last time. His anticipation grew.
As the two Transformation Diagrams began to spin, Yang Xiaoshu's Evil Qi constructed a new Fetal Form, and the images on the Transformation Diagrams started to fade...
Finally, five blood-red blades burst forth from the Fetal Form.
[??Flower Fox Mink (Peak First Realm Demon Realm)]
[Abilities...]
Chen Ku saw that its previous abilities were all still there, unchanged, and three new entries had appeared.
[Right Arm as Steel]
[Blood Claws Become Blades]
[Become a Demon by Drinking Blood]
Then, Chen Ku observed the Flower Fox Mink. Its fur color remained unchanged, but from the talons of its five front claws, it could now freely extend five sharp Blood Blade Claws, retracting them at will.
Chen Ku let it out into the courtyard for the Flower Fox Mink to test its new claws.
The Flower Fox Mink pounced towards a training stone lock in the courtyard. Five blood-red streaks flashed through the air as its claws passed. The stone lock, weighing over a thousand pounds, was instantly sliced into five pieces, as if struck by the Blood Blade five times, scattering across the ground.
Chen Ku watched as the Flower Fox Mink turned, settled on the ground, and examined its five Blood Claws. They were like five blades, extending and retracting freely under the control of its Demonic Qi.
This... Is it Vajra Wolf? Mei Chaofeng? Or Inuyasha? Chen Ku wondered.
A thought struck Chen Ku. Thankfully, they extend from the nails. If they grew from the knuckles and couldn't self-heal, wouldn't it have to injure itself every time...?
This was the result of the Blood Blade's Transformation merging with the Flower Fox Mink.
So, 'Become a Demon by Drinking Blood' means, needless to say, the more blood it absorbs, the denser its Demonic Qi will become. Eventually, it could thoroughly transform into a Demon Blade, perhaps even a blade-shaped Demon...
Chen Ku then said to the Flower Fox Mink, "Previously, around Two Realms Mountain, you always tried to avoid other Demons. But now, with such powerful attacks and the combined abilities of devouring, blood-drinking, digestion, and evolution, the Demons in Two Realms Mountain are like Treasure Herbs to you. Go! Feed on Demons! You are me; your strength is my strength!"
A glint of human-like intelligence flashed in the Flower Fox Mink's eyes, and it nodded. Then, it transformed into a white shadow and darted out of the courtyard.
Ah, I forgot to tell it, if it finds any good Treasure Herbs, it should bring them back for me. If it eats Treasure Herbs without a Cultivation Technique, it can't digest them properly...
Chen Ku touched his forehead. He looked at his own fingernails; they could also extend and retract, becoming as sharp as the Blood Blade. He also retained the [Right Arm as Steel] ability, which made him Impervious to Swords and Spears.
Excellent, another evolution! If this keeps up, one day I might... grow three heads and six arms... become Vajra Indestructible... pluck a single hair and produce tens of thousands of clones... Chen Ku mused internally.
Then, he headed towards the Medicine King Hall.
Although a Disciple's treatment has improved, and I'm spared from miscellaneous chores, it doesn't mean I have nothing to do but cultivate. There's one thing that is very important. And that is...
"Disciple pays his respects to Master." Chen Ku stood respectfully outside Butcher Court and bowed.
Shang Yunfang came out, the bandages on his neck and hands now removed. He addressed Chen Ku kindly, "Apprentice, it has been over half a month since you became my Disciple. During this time, I've been teaching you bladework and footwork... But actually, as my Disciple, if you wish to take over Butcher Court in the future, the most crucial thing you need to master is something else."
Chen Ku's heart stirred with excitement. It's coming! The foundational craft of Medicine King Hall! The Pill Prescription worth Ten Thousand Gold!
Indeed, he saw Shang Yunfang take out a box from behind him and say, "This box contains a Pill Prescription used in Butcher Court for refining pills from a hundred types of beasts and Demons. Today, you will stay here and try your hand at refining one. Let's see if you have the Talent for Alchemy."
Chapter 110: Chapter 97 Alchemy
The cold wind swept the fallen yellow leaves, leaving the tree branches bare and stark.
Although Shang Yunfang was a Martial Practitioner, his injuries had not yet fully healed, and he was still convalescing. Thus, he wore a fur-lined jacket to stay warm, yet his movements were not cumbersome.
Handing the box to Chen Ku, he said, "In Medicine King Hall, we have a variety of pill prescriptions and medicine prescriptions, totaling one hundred and twenty-four. The most precious is called the 'Five Elements Great Rejuvenation Pill,' a sixth-grade Pill Prescription, corresponding to warriors of the Sixth Realm..."
Chen Ku nodded. "Disciple has heard of it. It is said that this Five Elements Great Rejuvenation Pill not only can bring the dead back to life, but also heals all internal and external injuries and increases Skill, granting thirty years of Qi Power in one pill..."
"Bringing the dead back to life is an exaggeration. Life and death are decreed by fate, and longevity is determined by heaven. To break free from life and death, one must go against the heavens and enter the realm of legends. No single pill can achieve this." Shang Yunfang first denied the most exaggerated claim of 'bringing the dead back to life,' then added, "However, healing most internal and external injuries and increasing thirty years of Qi Power is true. Unfortunately, since the establishment of Medicine King Hall more than one hundred and fifty years ago, only the founder, our first Pill Master, successfully refined it—nine pills in one formation. In our entire Medicine King Hall, even the Store Manager, in his entire lifetime, can only consume one pill. Outsiders should not even dream of obtaining it, much less buying it."
"Even the Pill-Refining Master doesn't qualify to get one?" Chen Ku asked curiously.
Shang Yunfang shook his head. "If it were fifty years earlier, perhaps. But nowadays, the number of Five Elements Great Rejuvenation Pills most likely does not exceed two, and it's possible that only one remains..."
Chen Ku understood.
The chill wind brushed against his face as Chen Ku listened to the teachings in the courtyard.
Shang Yunfang slowly said, "The reason I am telling you this story is simple. Among the generations in Medicine King Hall, while many have managed to refine fifth-grade pills, none could refine the sixth-grade pill of our ancestor. It is a sorrowful tale of each generation being inferior to the last... Therefore, I needed to find a disciple whose Talent and Root Bone surpass my own."
Chen Ku looked at the box in his hands and cautiously asked, "What is the Pill Prescription in this box?"
He wasn't vain or bold enough to think that the box contained the sixth-grade Pill Prescription.
"In Butcher Court, we have twenty-four Hundred Beasts Pill Recipes. Although fewer in number compared to the other courts, they are by no means of lesser quality..."
Shang Yunfang pointed to the box in Chen Ku's arms and said, "This is a first-grade Seven-Blood Pill prescription. It requires three types of demon blood and four types of potent beast blood, totaling seven bloods, supplemented with seven marrows and seven bones, making up twenty-one types of beast medicine altogether."
Chen Ku opened the Pill Prescription and saw:
Seven-Blood Pill.
Within the pill, take six taels, three money, two fen, and five li of Black Spirit Pigeon Blood; eight taels, seven money, six fen, and one li of Iron Horn Deer Blood; five taels of Blue Feathered Eagle blood... ten jin of tiger blood, ten jin of Leopard Blood...
Tiger Marrow, Ox Marrow, Deer Marrow, Ox Marrow...
Pangolin bone, Elephant Bone, Leopard Bone...
Chen Ku noted down this formula.
"In pill refining and medicine making, the most important aspect is the proportioning," Shang Yunfang told Chen Ku. "A little too much or too little affects the efficacy. Failure to form a pill is a minor issue. Some ingredients conflict with one another, and it's all about achieving the right balance. Once that balance is broken, instead of forming a pill, it becomes poison."
"I have prepared twenty-one large portions of the twenty-one materials required for this Seven-Blood Pill for you. Now, come inside with me. You'll grind, powder, and mix these yourself. Then, prepare the materials for ten pills. I will see how many mistakes you make. If you can perfectly control the amount for any one item, we might try making the pill today."
"Alright, I'll start mixing the medicine," Chen Ku replied.
Once Chen Ku became a Disciple, the medicine-making room was no longer off-limits to him. He had often observed Pharmacists making medicines over the past half month...
However, he had never seen a Pill Master refine pills.
Clearly, the identity of a Pill Master in Medicine King Hall was almost always a guarded secret, not readily disclosed to the outside world, with individuals often using assumed names. Even now, Chen Ku didn't know who the specific Pill Masters refining for Medicine King Hall were, only that they definitely existed. Generally, they were ordinary masters, perhaps even those who wielded the ladle in the kitchen. Their identities were kept secret. This was not only for their own safety but also to ensure the confidentiality of Medicine King Hall's Pill Prescriptions, protecting them from being targeted, kidnapped, and their secrets leaked.
Thus, matters related to pill refining were never handled by fetching ingredients from the pharmacy; materials were secretly conferred. The Pill-Refining Pavilion area was guarded day and night by half of the warriors from Guardian Hall.
He entered Shang Yunfang's room. On the floor were fourteen jars and seven large bags, the bags containing materials like Tiger Bone and Leopard Bones. The jars contained either processed Blood Powder or fresh blood. There was also a small scale nearby, along with some grinding tools.
Shang Yunfang watched as Chen Ku squatted on the ground, while he himself sat in the Taishi Chair, poured himself a cup of tea, and settled in to wait.
Chen Ku began sorting, processing, and grinding on the floor, carefully weighing each component according to the Pill Prescription. Because he didn't have a pre-made Seven-Blood Pill for reference, he could only activate the Ling Transformation to enhance his concentration, ensuring he made no mistakes.
With enhanced spiritual power, Chen Ku switched to Golden-eyed Falcon vision. Relying on his freely adjustable eyesight, he could differentiate the exact amounts of blood, marrow, and bones necessary, even in the most minute details.
Shang Yunfang gave Chen Ku an entire day. As he sat drinking tea, he also watched Chen Ku, wondering if the timeframe was a bit tight. After all, achieving the exact proportions in a pill is a meticulous task requiring slow and careful work... And it was for a total of ten batches. Even when he himself first attempted to make this pill, it took him three full days and nights just to get one batch right without any mistakes. Yet, he also hoped that Chen Ku could outperform him.
It wasn't long before Shang Yunfang noticed something was amiss with Chen Ku.
Wait... what is he doing...
He was momentarily distracted, and when he looked again, Chen Ku had already crushed the bones into powder and begun preparing the medicine. That earnest concentration, the unwavering steadiness of his fingers and the medicine spoon, stable as Mount Tai, was eerily reminiscent, almost making Shang Yunfang feel as if he were seeing his deceased Pill-Refining Master at work...
His master, a deceased Fifth Grade Pill Master from Medicine King Hall, had successfully refined three Fifth Grade pills and mastered sixty Pill Prescriptions of Medicine King Hall, truly a living treasure of the hall. But the old man had already passed on to the Yellow Springs thirty years ago.
For a moment, he was dazed. Shang Yunfang felt as if he were seeing his old master mixing the medicine here again—such steady hands, such earnest concentration, as if his whole being were absorbed in the task of medication preparation. It made him unconsciously drift into reverie, recalling the days when he was a young Apprentice preparing medicine in the pharmacy.
Old men often ponder the past; memories fade to yellow.
Suddenly, Chen Ku's voice awakened Shang Yunfang, who didn't know how long he had been lost in his memories.
"Master, I've finished preparing them. Ten portions. Please take a look. It seems there are no mistakes; all ten can be used."
Shang Yunfang, still slightly dazed, murmured, "Oh, you've finished..."
He then slightly rose from his seat. Suddenly, he looked up, as if mishearing, and stared at Chen Ku. "What did you just say? Ten portions? No mistakes?"
Shang Yunfang was incredulous, feeling as if his own ears were failing him. But Chen Ku slightly stepped aside, revealing the table behind him. Indeed, ten large jars sat on the table, each containing the materials for the Seven-Blood Pill.
In fact, Shang Yunfang had already smelled a faint scent of the blood pills, but he immediately went to inspect the ten large jars one by one. In each of the ten large jars was a basin of medicinal slurry, its blood-red color topped with a faint golden layer.
This... they are all in the golden ratio...
Shang Yunfang couldn't believe it. This was exactly the golden ratio that could only be achieved when the Seven-Blood Pill was perfectly proportioned, ensuring the refined pills were not blood-red but a pale gold-red color. Only then could it truly be called a "Pill."
"How did you do this?" Shang Yunfang's voice trembled with excitement.
Chen Ku modestly said, "Just by focusing a bit more, observing more carefully, and handling things a bit more gently, I managed to separate them correctly..."
Who would have expected him to have the eyes of a falcon, the nose of a dog, and the spiritual power of an extra person?
Is it really that simple? Shang Yunfang murmured to himself. Just that simple?
At this moment, looking at Chen Ku again... All these skills of mine! If the disciple is not as skilled as the master, what reason is there to hold anything back? If the disciple is more skilled than the master, what reason is there to hold anything back?
This year, he was eighty and had finally taken Chen Ku as his disciple, his heart set on passing on all his knowledge to him. If the disciple was incompetent and couldn't learn, what would become of his experiences and legacy? They could only follow him to the grave. But if the disciple was better than him, then why would he hold anything back? He practically wanted to chase him down and force-feed him everything he knew!
"Let's go! We're going to refine pills now!"
Shang Yunfang felt the blood throughout his body surge with heat. To prepare medicine for the first time and achieve the golden ratio for all ten portions—this was the mark of a born Pharmacist.
If he could now take these golden-ratio preparations, place them into the Pill Furnace to refine impurities, concentrate the essence, capture Fire Essence Qi, and converge it all into a single pill... Wouldn't Medicine King Hall then have a new Alchemist, only seventeen years old?!
Shang Yunfang eagerly led Chen Ku, carrying the ten jars of raw medicine, to Medicine King Hall's most secret Pill-Refining Pavilion, where six large Pill Furnaces stood.
Igniting the smallest Pill Furnace, Shang Yunfang said with anticipation, "The most crucial part of alchemy is the fire. The fire under this Pill Furnace isn't ordinary charcoal or coal; it comes from Fire Essence stones found within volcanoes. When lit, they can burn for up to ten days, providing steady heat. Refining the Seven-Blood Pill requires alternating between Literature Fire and Martial Fire seven times. This is written in the Pill Prescription, which specifies the exact timings for each. You try it."
"Pour the raw medicine through these ten openings. Inside the Pill Furnace, it will twist and turn countless times. Whether or not the pill forms by tomorrow morning remains to be seen."
Chen Ku did as instructed. Then, he spent that night inside the Pill-Refining Room. Shang Yunfang stayed with Chen Ku, advising him on the Pill Prescription, and when to fan the flames to achieve Martial Fire and when to reduce them for Literature Fire.
「The next day.」
The rooster crowed at dawn.
"Alright, let's open the furnace and see."
Chapter 111: Chapter 98 Spirit Monsters
The sun had just risen. After a busy night, the heat from the Alchemy Furnace made Chen Ku feel dehydrated, despite the winter air. But he had been tending the Pill Furnace all night and was finally about to open it and see the results, so his mood was still quite good.
Shang Yunfang looked expectantly at Chen Ku. "Open the furnace. Let's see how many pills you managed to form this time?"
Chen Ku nodded. Shang Yunfang also stood up.
The two of them ascended the steps on either side of the enormous Pill Furnace. Chen Ku, wearing gloves, lifted the lid, which was the size of a manhole cover. They peered down at the same time.
Inside the Pill Dew's intricate mechanism, with its many twists and turns, lay a series of grooves. Within one of these, a blood-red pill was rolling...
CLANG.
It finally fell into the pill tray in the middle of the furnace. Looking at the tray, besides that one, all that remained was charred ash.
Chen Ku looked at Shang Yunfang. "One pill? Only one... Master, is this good or bad?"
Shang Yunfang fell silent for a moment. Without speaking, she first used a tool to remove the pill tray, then picked up the freshly made Seven-Blood Pill and sniffed it. After pondering for a moment, she said, "The quality is mediocre. However, considering this is your first time performing Alchemy, producing a pill of this quality is already quite good."
Chen Ku shook his head. "Master, please don't try to find excuses for me. A single Seven-Blood Pill sells for over one hundred taels of silver. The ten sets of ingredients alone cost that much, not to mention the Fire Essence consumed during refining... For my Alchemy this time to yield only one pill... it's clearly a losing business."
Shang Yunfang looked at Chen Ku. Without refuting him, she asked, "Do you know where the problem lies?"
Chen Ku pondered. The proportions weren't the issue. He had specifically utilized the Golden-eyed Falcon's sight, Ling's spiritual focus, and the Flower Fox Mink's Fine Dog Sense... Even Master Shang had called it a golden ratio. His skill was already at the level of a seasoned Pharmacist. Yet, only one pill of mediocre quality was formed, with the rest turning to ash. It was clear the fire had been too strong.
"The fire. I didn't control the heat properly," Chen Ku sighed.
"Yes, it's an issue of heat control," Shang Yunfang said, seeing Chen Ku's dejection. "The Pill Prescription was fine, but the person controls the heat. Even with me, your master, guiding you, when it comes to Alchemy... a slight difference in heat can lead to vastly different outcomes inside the Pill Furnace. It's like this for a first attempt at Alchemy. Both I and you had high hopes for your first try, especially given your astonishing performance in other areas. I instinctively expected you to possess the same extraordinary talent in Alchemy.
"Now, it seems you do have a talent for Alchemy. Producing a pill on your very first attempt already surpasses more than half of the Pharmacists aspiring to become Pill Masters. Next, it's simply a matter of more practice..."
Shang Yunfang said earnestly, "Experience with heat control is gained through practice. Do you understand?"
Chen Ku nodded. To be honest, upon reflection, he felt he had set his expectations too high. After all, he wasn't some genius. Achieving the golden ratio in concocting was also due to enhancements from his other abilities. But when it came to heat control, he had no special talent to augment it. To produce even one mediocre Seven-Blood Pill was already considered lucky; at least he hadn't wasted those ten sets of golden-ratio ingredients.
"Heat control... heat control..." Chen Ku murmured.
Seeing this, Shang Yunfang also said slowly, "Fire is the root of the pill. In fact, there's a legend in our hall... It's suspected that the founding ancestor was able to refine the Sixth Grade Five Elements Great Rejuvenation Pill because he had cultivated a martial art enabling Fire Control. However, this is merely speculation and rumor from a century later. Whether it's true... and whether such a fire-controlling martial art truly exists in the Martial Arts World, I, at least, have yet to hear of it."
Fire Control, huh? Chen Ku mused.
"Alright, you've been busy all night. Go back and rest first. You just need more practice." Shang Yunfang was also a bit tired.
However, Chen Ku could clearly detect a hint of disappointment in Master Shang's tone. "Disciple takes his leave."
After Chen Ku departed, Shang Yunfang turned to look at the Pill Furnace, sighing helplessly. Indeed, how can anything in this world be perfect? That child possesses such excellent Root Bone and Martial Arts Talent; that's already enough. As for Alchemy... it's fine if he's a bit lacking. We can't expect him to carry every burden in the future.
「 」
Chen Ku returned to his home and continued to contemplate.
Alchemy! I must find a way to increase my Pill Formation rate! Otherwise, for every Treasure Herb I refine, how much money would I lose? A single Treasure Herb can yield at least ten pills. The same cost, yet ten times the profit. How could I not master Alchemy?
"Fire... fire..." Chen Ku murmured. Is there no such thing as Alien Fire in this world? On second thought... if such a thing truly existed, what level of Evil Qi would I need to suppress it? I'd probably be burned to ashes before I could even manage that. Then... are there any fire-related Demons?
When it came to all sorts of strange and bizarre abilities, the countless races in the untamed wilderness were most likely to give rise to Demons possessing them. After all, even in his previous life, ordinary animals like the 'electric eel' could generate electricity. In this world, it was even more plausible for fire-related Demons to exist.
There should be. Lying in bed, the fatigue from a sleepless night washed over him. He decided to sleep first and think about it after waking.
He slept until late afternoon. Chen Ku ate a meal at home.
Chapter 112: Chapter 98 Spirit Monsters_2
He also started looking for more viability for the idea before going to bed. He slowly recalled, Senior Brother Jiang's family has a profound scholarly background. The Tongwen House, known for its collection of tens of thousands of books, has many texts and dictionaries, as well as knowledge of calligraphy and painting. Perhaps I should ask him if he has any knowledge about demons.
Jiang Shaoyou had already broken through his Inner Qi, so he left the Medicine King Hall. This was something his family had privately agreed with the Medicine King Hall beforehand. Once Inner Qi had been cultivated using the basic martial arts of the Medicine King Hall, that was sufficient. It wasn't very likely the Hall would continue to teach anything more advanced.
When he left the Medicine King Hall, there was no furnace outside. The weather was cold, and pedestrians on the winter streets hunched their necks against the biting wind, looking like large quails.
Luckily, Chen Ku still possessed the Fur Cold Resistance ability inherited from Skinny Dog. Especially after transforming into the Flower Fox Mink, his ability to resist cold was even stronger.
A quarter of an hour later, Chen Ku arrived at the street of artifacts, calligraphy, and paintings for the first time, making his way to the Tongwen House to explain his intentions.
Soon, an attendant from the Tongwen House brought him hot tea. Then, Jiang Shaoyou, wearing mink-fur ear protectors and a scarf, walked over excitedly. "Junior Brother? What brings you to see me?"
"I've actually come to trouble you with a matter, Senior Brother," Chen Ku said, half-truthfully. "Recently, I've been learning alchemy from Master using Demon Blood and Flesh, but there are many demons I'm not familiar with. So, I thought of consulting you. Do you have any books or illustrated albums about demons? I'd like to learn more about their habits and lay some groundwork in pharmacology."
"You've been taught the Pill Prescriptions?" Jiang Shaoyou was taken aback at first, then understanding dawned on him. "Makes sense!" he exclaimed. "Who else would Master pass the Pill Prescriptions to, if not you? However, if you want to learn more about demons, you've definitely come to the right place. Here in Tongwen House, we happen to have a 'Treasure Flood Dragon Demon Illustrated Book' published the year before last, and a 'Qiu Dragon Demon List.' They even include some demons from Yuan Country. The Demons Manual—that's the Treasure Flood Dragon Demon Illustrated Book—is a collaboration between people from our county's Fish and Dragon Association's Hunter's Forest and our Tongwen House. The Strange Beast List is from Qiu Dragon Mansion, and it ranks powerful Demon and Monster Strange Beasts within their territory. We have them right here in the shop. Wait here, I'll get them for you."
Jiang Shaoyou said this, then rose to his feet and retrieved two books from a row of large bookshelves in the Tongwen House.
Oh? There are two of them?
Chen Ku, curious, first opened the "Treasure Flood Dragon Demon Illustrated Book". Upon opening it, he saw that, although the illustrations were not as vivid as the colored paintings in his previous life, the ink outlines were nonetheless lifelike.
After a quick flip through, he found the demons he had slaughtered as well as the original forms of the demon materials in the Medicine King Hall, such as the Golden-eyed White Jade Sculpture, the Iron Horn Deer, and the Blue Feathered Eagle...
Then, he flipped through the Qiu Dragon Demon List and was even more amazed. This book was even clearer than the Demons Manual. It ranked various Demon and Monster Strange Beasts across different categories, listing the top one hundred in each.
Such as:
The Great Demon List, the Exotic Beast List, the Spirit Monster List...
Among them, the Great Demon List ranked the one hundred most powerful demons in the Qiu Dragon Mansion region. These were basically all Great Demons of the Fifth or Sixth Realms and above. They had all been encountered by human experts who had failed to defeat them, which is why they were on the list.
The Exotic Beast List, on the other hand, cataloged demons and wild beasts with strange abilities, such as the bait mouse and the Fur Bear, whose stomach pouch could be used as a Storage Bag.
These strange creatures might not all possess powerful demonic power, but their special abilities were often exceedingly rare, being Innate gifts they were born with.
For example, Chen Ku casually flipped through and saw the creature ranked one hundredth on the Exotic Beast List, a bird called the Spirit Rhinoceros.
The Spirit Rhinoceros, resembling a parrot, could speak human language and was naturally born in pairs. When separated, even if they were miles apart, whatever the male bird said could be completely repeated by the female.
The number one rank on the Strange Beast List was a creature called the Nine-Colored Butterfly, said to pull people into its dreams where they could see the future if encountered.
Seeing the future... Could a butterfly really be that miraculous?
However, Chen Ku noticed from the description that this Nine-Colored Butterfly, ranked first on the Strange Beast List, apparently hadn't been seen by anyone for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. It existed only in books and legends.
Chen Ku then flipped through the Spirit Monster List, which completely astonished him. It didn't list animals or wild beasts, but all sorts of odd things: tables, chair legs, copper kettles, bells, stones, paintings, writing brushes, lanterns, and even silver. Their names were equally strange: House Spirit, Silver Spirit, Tree God, Flower God, Shi Gangdang, Mud Ghost, Ginseng Doll, and Willow Spirit.
Chen Ku noticed an annotation next to this list: "The abnormal in objects, when they cultivate into spirits, are called Spirit Monsters."
Looking at this ranking, Chen Ku couldn't help but ask Jiang Shaoyou, "Is this world really this fascinating? Why have I never heard of these Spirit Monsters before?"
"Never mind you; even I haven't encountered them," Jiang Shaoyou said. "I've only ever met demons." He continued, "When I was young, I treated these as mere stories. But my family elders said that Spirit Monsters are far rarer than demons. What does 'spirit' mean? It implies being refined, clever, intelligent—almost like humans in possessing wisdom. That's what qualifies them as Spirit Monsters."
Chen Ku nodded. To possess intelligence like humans, how rare would that be? After all, even Great Demons of the Fifth, Sixth, or Seventh Realms, unless they're from special races, don't possess much intelligence. They're just larger versions of demonic beasts, not comparable to humans. In reality, he was very interested in these Spirit Monsters because the abilities and skills listed on the Spirit Monster List were too intriguing.
Since this demon list came from Qiu Dragon Mansion, perhaps after I leave Baojiao County and reach the wider lands of Qiu Dragon Mansion, where there's more human activity, I might encounter them?
Afterward, Chen Ku chatted briefly with Jiang Shaoyou. Jiang Shaoyou gave him the two books directly, no payment needed; there was no need for such formalities between them.
After Chen Ku returned home, he spent the entire day flipping through the two books. Finally, he found several fire-related Strange Beasts, Spirit Monsters, and demons within their pages.
The Strange Beast was one from the Strange Beast List called the Fire-Averse Monkey, which could eat charcoal and breathe fire, treating red-hot coals as food.
There were two Spirit Monsters. One was called the Wick Spirit; somehow, the wick in an oil lamp had become sentient. The other was called Earth Fire, which was purely a conscious mass of magma.
Finally, Chen Ku found three fire-related demons, two of which were within the borders of Ji Country.
One was called the Fire Horse. It had flaming manes on its head, tail, and limbs and was a naturally powerful demon. Its hooves were as hard as iron, capable of crushing pig iron with a single stomp. Even a young Fire Horse possessed the strength of a Fourth Realm demon.
Another was called the Fire Bomb Mouse. These creatures had explosive compounds in their bodies. Though naturally timid, Fire Bomb Mice would fearlessly rush out when their community was threatened. They would charge at invaders and detonate themselves, sacrificing their lives to protect their kin.
The last kind was a demon that lurked near Fire Beak Mountain in Ximu Mansion, on the borders of Yuan Country. It resembled a crow and lived in volcanic caves, typically residing just one or two zhang above the magma. It absorbed the Flame Qi from the magma and could spew fire from its mouth. This demon was called the Volcanic Crow. It was about the size of an ordinary hawk, and its most significant characteristic was its preference for cooked food.
Ximu Mansion's Fire Beak Mountain... Volcanic Crow...
Chen Ku pondered that hunting such a demon should allow him to improve his control over fire temperatures. However, this demon was in Yuan Country.
Just at that moment, the Flower Fox Mink flashed back into the courtyard like a white shadow, a Treasure Herb in its mouth. Its body seemed larger, and its fur was glossier. It appeared to have had a grand feast in Yuan Country the previous day.