Elder Gu Chen's arrival was like a powerful catalyst injected into Starfall Peak. This once rigid elder of Pill Cauldron Peak has completely transformed into Starfall Peak's most fervent "gardener" and "scientific research worker."
His fervor for those thirteen Starry Spirit Gathering Bonsai far exceeded Lin Yuan's expectations. Every day before dawn, he would squat beside the spirit gathering array, meticulously recording the changes in the star patterns on the leaves and the rate of star power absorption in his "Starry Divine Tree Observation Notes," which Lin Yuan had casually drawn. He even tried to "soothe" the plants with a weak wood-attribute spiritual power (although the effect was minimal). Under his "careful nurturing" and the nourishment of the rich star power in the core area of the Starry Spirit Gathering Array, the thirteen bonsai grew vigorously at a visible speed, their branches and leaves becoming increasingly lush, starlight flowing, and full of vitality.
Finally, after Elder Gu Chen's three daily "deep gazes" and the eager anticipation of all the miscellaneous disciples, glistening specks began to hang on the branches!
Each berry, fuller and more vibrant than before, with a deeper, more subtle starlight, as if it were a miniature nebula, adorns the silvery-white branches like star gems! A rich, sweet aroma mingles with the pure scent of stars, filling the air and enveloping the entire summit in a breathtaking atmosphere.
"It's ripe! It's finally ripe!" Xiao Cui was the first to cheer, her round eyes sparkling.
"So many! So beautiful!"
"This fragrance...it feels like even a single breath can boost my cultivation!" The handyman disciples were incredibly excited.
Lin Yuan grinned from ear to ear as he looked at the branches laden with at least forty or fifty "Starry Little Berries." He waved his hand dismissively: "Pick them! Pick them all! Tonight, we're hosting a 'Berry Feast' at Starfall Peak! Plenty to go!"
"Long live the Peak Master!" The cheers were deafening.
Picking fruit, washing, arranging the stone platform… the disciples worked with great enthusiasm, their faces beaming with pure joy. Even Feng Qinghuang was infected by the atmosphere; her cool and aloof expression softened, and she proactively used her star power to condense an ice plate to hold the berries, preserving their optimal freshness. Gu Chen carefully used a jade knife to slice several of the best-looking berries, placing them in a specially made jade dish. While observing the flow of starlight within them, he muttered incantations as if performing a sacred scientific ritual.
As night fell, starlight cascaded down like a waterfall. Several bonfires were lit in the center of the stone platform (purely for the sake of atmosphere; the disciples, with their cultivation levels, weren't afraid of the cold), and several large pots were set up, cooking fragrant spirit rice and simple spirit vegetable soup—the ingredients being the basic spirit rice and spirit vegetables delivered daily by the General Affairs Hall.
Lin Yuan sat in the main seat (a stone bench covered with animal hide), with the largest plate of berries in front of him. He picked up the largest one and held it high: "Today, Starfall Peak has reaped its first bountiful harvest! This is a gift from the stars, and also the fruit of the unity of all our peak members! Come, let us all share! May Starfall Peak, like these star-studded berries, be vibrant and have a bright future! Let the feast begin!"
"Homage to Peak Master! Homage to Starfall Peak!" The crowd responded in unison, and the atmosphere reached its peak of excitement.
The berries melted in their mouths, sweet and cool, their nourishing comfort spreading throughout their bodies, making the disciples squint with bliss. The aroma of spirit rice mingled with the fragrance of the berries, filling the air under the starlight, and laughter echoed across the solitary peak. Gu Chen carefully savored the sliced berries while frantically scribbling in his notebook: "Melting in the mouth, gentle star energy, its nourishing efficiency for the soul is 0.3% higher than yesterday's estimate, seemingly positively correlated with the plant's maturity... Wonderful! Wonderful indeed!"
Looking at this harmonious and lively scene, Lin Yuan felt a great sense of accomplishment. He happily chewed on the berries, enjoying the continuous "AFK chain repair" sensation within his body. He felt that he had never felt so comfortable and at ease since his transmigration.
"Peak Master, the spirit rice is ready. Shall I serve you a bowl?" Xiao Cui carried a steaming bowl filled with glistening, plump spirit rice brimming with spiritual energy.
"Okay! Give me more!" Lin Yuan was feeling that eating only berries was a bit too sweet, so he took the bowl and shoveled a big mouthful of fragrant spirit rice into his mouth. Hmm, although the spirit rice from the General Affairs Hall was of ordinary quality, it was fresh and had a soft and sticky texture.
However, at the height of this joy—
"Ugh—!"
A piercing, painful scream tore through the joyful atmosphere like a sharp knife!
A young disciple named Zhang Shan, who was sitting on the outer edge, suddenly clutched his throat tightly with both hands. His face instantly turned from red to green, and then to a terrifying purplish-black! His body convulsed violently, his eyes bulged, and he made strange "hoarse" noises. Wisps of eerie black energy emerged from his seven orifices! Even more terrifying, the spiritual energy fluctuations of his mid-stage Qi Refining Realm were violently churning and dissipating like boiling water, and his aura weakened at a visible speed!
"Zhang Shan! What's wrong with you?!" The servant disciple next to him was terrified.
The change happened too fast! Immediately afterwards, three or four more handymen disciples who had eaten the spirit rice showed the same symptoms! They collapsed to the ground in pain, rolling and howling, black mist spreading, and their spiritual power dissipating!
"Poison! There's poison in the food!" someone screamed in terror!
The joyous feast instantly turned into hell on earth! Panic spread like wildfire!
"Don't move! Don't touch the rice!" Feng Qinghuang's cold voice, like ice, instantly quelled the commotion. She moved swiftly, appearing beside Zhang Shan, the first to fall, her jade-like finger flashing as she touched his brow!
Buzz!
The icy blue star power surged into Zhang Shan's body instantly! Feng Qinghuang's expression instantly became extremely solemn! She clearly "saw" that an extremely insidious, maggot-like black energy was frantically eroding Zhang Shan's meridians and destroying his spiritual foundation. Even more terrifying, this power was like a living thing, actually trying to pollute and disintegrate his fragile Dao foundation!
"Spirit-Eating Powder?!" Elder Gu Chen rushed over at that moment. He grabbed a few grains of spirit rice scattered on the ground, brought them to his nose, and smelled them. Then he tasted a little of the black blood oozing from Zhang Shan's mouth and nose. His expression changed drastically, and he exclaimed in shock, "It's the Spirit-Eating Poison! It's colorless and odorless, extremely difficult to detect when mixed with spiritual objects! It specifically erodes the foundation of spiritual power and destroys a person's Dao foundation! It's incredibly vicious!"
Soul-Eroding Powder! Destroys the foundation of one's cultivation!
These four words struck like a thunderbolt, sending chills down everyone's spines! For the struggling lowly disciples, their Dao Foundation was their only hope for the future! Destroying their Dao Foundation was tantamount to severing their path to immortality, a fate worse than death!
"Zhao Hao! It must be that beast Zhao Hao!" Lin Yuan's eyes were bloodshot as he instantly thought of the only possibility! He suddenly looked at the large pots of rice being cooked, as well as the servant disciples around him who hadn't had time to eat or had only eaten berries and survived. A chilling killing intent rushed to his head!
"Master! This poison is potent; it must be suppressed immediately!" Feng Qinghuang's voice was more urgent than ever before. Although she could temporarily suppress the spread of the poison in Zhang Shan and the others' bodies with her pure star power, the Soul-Eating Powder was like a bone-deep infection, extremely difficult to deal with, and there were quite a few people poisoned. She alone could not sustain it for long! What was even more troublesome was that her own Dao was basically shattered, and exerting all her star power to suppress this strange poison was a huge burden on her!
"Gu Chen! The antidote! Is there an antidote?!" Lin Yuan suddenly grabbed Gu Chen's arm as if grasping at a lifeline.
Gu Chen's face was extremely grim, and he spoke rapidly: "The Spirit-Eating Powder is a forbidden drug circulating in the Southern Wilderness black market! The antidote is extremely rare! The main ingredients, 'Nine-Leaf Pure Heart Lotus' and 'Earth Vein Purple Spirit Mushroom,' are both rare spiritual herbs! Even if they existed, it would take at least three hours to prepare the antidote! But they..." He looked at Zhang Shan and the others on the ground, convulsing in pain and growing weaker, "...at most, they can only last an hour! Once the poison completely erodes their nascent Dao foundation, even a god couldn't save them!"
One hour?! Lin Yuan's heart sank to the bottom! A rare and precious medicine? Three hours? That's simply not enough time!
"System! System, help me!" Lin Yuan screamed frantically in his mind!
"Ding! Sudden crisis detected: Corrosive Spirit Poison outbreak!"
"Urgent Mission Issued: Rescue the Poisoned Disciple!"
"Mission Requirements: Eliminate or suppress the Corrosive Toxin within one hour to prevent the collapse of the Dao Foundation!"
"Mission Rewards: 5000 Dao Points! [Star Purification Technique] (Beginner)! [Herbal Compendium - Star Chapter] Unlocked!"
"Failure Penalty: The Dao foundations of all poisoned disciples have collapsed, the Starfall Peak has lost all popular support, and the host's luck value has decreased by 50%!"
One hour! 50 million Dao Points! Star Purification Technique! A glimmer of hope shone in Lin Yuan's eyes!
"Gu Chen! Tell me the toxic mechanism of the Soul-Eroding Powder and the approximate ingredients of the required antidote! Quickly!" Lin Yuan almost shouted.
Although Gu Chen didn't understand, seeing Lin Yuan's resolute expression, he quickly said, "The Spirit-Eating Powder is mainly composed of 'Bone-Eating Grass' and 'Spirit-Rotting Flower,' supplemented with 'Yin Marrow Sand.' Its toxicity is insidious, eroding the source of spiritual power and disrupting the balance of life! The antidote requires 'Nine-Leaf Heart-Clearing Lotus' to purify the toxins, 'Earth Vein Purple Ganoderma' to stabilize the Dao foundation and life force, 'Blazing Sun Fruit' to neutralize the Yin poison, and then supplemented with..."
Lin Yuan didn't even hear the rest. His consciousness had already sunk into the system space, locking onto the newly unlocked [Starry Sky Pill Explanation - Beginner's Guide], frantically searching for pill formulas and theories related to "purification," "detoxification," "neutralizing yin toxins," and "stabilizing life force"!
The power of the stars... pure and clean... containing life force... capable of warding off evil spirits...
Got it!
[Starlight Spirit Tempering Powder]! The pure stellar life force it contains has a slight effect of nourishing the soul and purifying spiritual power! Although its main function is to temper and refine spiritual power, perhaps... there are ways to modify it?
[Star Dew Essence Pill]! A low-grade pill made primarily from morning star dew, supplemented with mild wood-attribute spiritual herbs. Its effects include refreshing the mind and mildly purifying the body's impurities. Its gentle nature is perfectly suited to...
An extremely bold, almost insane idea instantly took shape in Lin Yuan's mind!
"Gu Chen! Feng Qinghuang! Listen to my command!" Lin Yuan's voice carried an undeniable decisiveness, instantly quelling the panic in the arena. "Feng Qinghuang, stop the suppression! Use your star power to protect their heart meridians and dantian, slowing down the rate of poison erosion! Hold on for as long as you can!"
Although Feng Qinghuang was puzzled, she had an inexplicable trust in the aura that Lin Yuan was currently unleashing. She immediately changed her strategy, and her icy blue star power transformed into a protective cocoon of light to protect the vital points of the poisoned disciple.
"Gu Chen! Prepare immediately! Wash the largest pot thoroughly! Juice all the uneaten 'Starry Little Berries'! Leave not a drop! Also, bring all the oldest 'Spirit-Nourishing Grass' and 'Tranquilizing Flower' (both basic spiritual herbs) from the storeroom! Quickly!"
Juicing? Although Gu Chen was full of questions, Lin Yuan's "Starry Sky Pill Dao" aura was too powerful, so he instinctively chose to believe him and immediately shouted, "Did you hear me! Quick! Juice! Get the spirit herbs!" He personally rushed to the corner where the spirit herbs were stored.
The disciples, as if waking from a dream, immediately sprang into action. Some squeezed juice, others moved spirit herbs, their efficiency unprecedented!
Lin Yuan rushed to the largest iron pot (one of the pots used for cooking rice, which had been quickly cleaned). He took a deep breath and rapidly integrated, deduced, and modified the refining method of the [Star Dew Condensation Pill] and the energy guiding principle of the [Star Radiance Tempering Powder] from the [Star Pill Explanation] in his mind!
"Ignite it!" Lin Yuan roared.
The campfire was immediately lit and placed under the pot.
Lin Yuan first threw all the "Spirit-Nourishing Grass" and "Tranquilizing Flower" that Gu Chen had brought into the large iron pot! These basic spiritual herbs are mild in nature and contain a weak vitality and the power to stabilize the soul, making them excellent "medicinal guides" and "solvents"!
"Pour in the juice!"
The viscous, emerald-green juice, shimmering with starlight, was poured into the pot like a waterfall, instantly mixing with the spiritual herbs!
"Feng Qinghuang! Borrow the power of the stars! Maximum power, inject it into the bottom of the pot! Not flames! Pure stellar power! Like when refining pills!" Lin Yuan shouted to Feng Qinghuang.
Without hesitation, Feng Qinghuang waved her jade hand, and a pure and powerful torrent of icy blue star power poured into the bottom of the iron pot like a galaxy flowing backward!
boom!
Under the impact of the violent stellar power, the mixture of fruit juice and spiritual herbs in the pot instantly boiled, churned, and purified! Impurities were directly annihilated by the stellar power, and the pure stellar life force and gentle wood-attribute medicinal power were forcibly fused and extracted!
"Gu Chen! Something with the blazing sun attribute! Quick! What do you have with the blazing sun attribute? Just a little bit will do!" Lin Yuan shouted urgently.
Fiery Sun Attribute? Neutralize Yin Poison? Gu Chen was sweating profusely with anxiety, and suddenly slapped his storage bag: "There! There's a small piece of 'Fire Crystal Stone' scrap!" He took out a red crystal about the size of a fingernail, emitting a faint heat.
"Throw it in!" Lin Yuan said without even looking at it.
The fire crystal was thrown into the boiling blue-green liquid and was instantly torn apart and melted by the violent star power! A faint trace of the blazing sun's energy was forcibly incorporated, which not only did not disrupt the overall balance, but also acted as a catalyst, stimulating the purifying properties contained in the star's life force!
Sizzle—!
The liquid in the pot rapidly changed color, transforming from blue-green to a clearer, more translucent pale gold! A fragrant aroma, even richer and purer than that of "Starlight Spirit Tempering Powder," burst forth, carrying a powerful purifying and life-giving aura! Instantly dispelling the foul, black aura brought by the Spirit-Eroding Powder!
"It's done! Quick! Distribute it! One bowl for each person! Thrust it down!" Lin Yuan roared hoarsely as he looked at the pale golden "medicinal soup" in the pot, which resembled liquid starlight.
Gu Chen and the other disciples immediately scooped up the scalding hot medicine into bowls and, ignoring the heat, forced it into the mouths of the poisoned disciples!
After the medicinal soup was ingested, a miraculous thing happened!
The black aura emanating from Zhang Shan and the others vanished rapidly, like melting snow! The pained and contorted expressions on their faces instantly eased! The dissipating spiritual energy stopped dissipating and, instead, under the nourishment of the pale golden medicinal power, began to slowly and laboriously recombine! The insidious power that had been eroding their Dao foundations was as if it had met its nemesis, being enveloped and dissolved by the pure stellar purifying power!
Although a complete cure is still some distance away, the deadly crisis has been forcibly contained! Life is saved! Dao foundation is temporarily safe!
"It works! It really works!" Gu Chen, watching Zhang Shan and the others' breathing gradually stabilize and their complexion return, was so excited that tears streamed down his face. His gaze towards Lin Yuan was filled with fervent, extreme worship! "Peak Master! You...you have pioneered the use of medicinal cuisine for detoxification! No! This is a miraculous transformation! I...I am completely convinced! I prostrate myself in admiration!"
The servant disciples looked at Lin Yuan as if he were a god. Overjoyed at surviving such a calamity, and deeply grateful to their peak master, someone led the way, and they all knelt down in unison, their voices choked with emotion yet incredibly loud: "Thank you, Peak Master, for saving our lives!"
Feng Qinghuang slowly withdrew her star power, her face somewhat pale. The full-force output she had just exerted had taken a toll on her. Looking at her Qi Refining Realm master in front of the iron pot, who was covered in sweat but had bright eyes, the taut string in her heart finally relaxed, and an indescribable warm current quietly flowed across her cold heart.
Lin Yuan wiped his sweat, looked at the disciples on the ground who were in stable condition, and was about to breathe a sigh of relief when a system notification sounded:
"Ding! Emergency mission complete! Successfully suppressed the Corrosive Spirit Toxin in all poisoned individuals!"
"Rewards: 5000 Teacher's Points! [Star Purification Technique] (Beginner)! [Herbal Compendium - Star Chapter] Unlocked!"
"Your first disciple, Feng Qinghuang, exerted all her strength to help you save people, expending a great deal of energy. The cracks in her Dao foundation have slightly worsened. Intimacy +10!"
Intimacy +10! Lin Yuan was overjoyed, but upon hearing that Feng Qinghuang's Dao Foundation cracks had worsened, he immediately turned to look.
Feng Qinghuang's face was as pale as paper, and her delicate body swayed slightly. A very fine crack with a dark red aura flashed between her brows! She groaned and forced herself to steady herself, but her aura was noticeably weaker than before!
"Disciple!" Lin Yuan's heart tightened.
"It's alright... I overexerted myself, and the old injuries... have recurred somewhat." Feng Qinghuang's voice carried a barely perceptible weakness. She waved her hand, indicating to Lin Yuan not to worry, but a trace of solemnity flashed deep within her clear, cold eyes. Although the poison of the Soul-Eating Powder had been neutralized, her forceful