Immortals of the End Times

Chapter 113: Medicine Gu Pill Talisman, Cold Moon Unafraid
As midnight approached and the frost thickened, the moonlight, like water, poured down onto the ancient and simple cinnabar cauldron.

As Zhao Wuji stared intently, the mottled medicinal residue at the bottom of the cauldron began to glow with a faint blue light, which, after merging with the moonlight, gradually condensed into beads.

Seven drops of crystal-clear dew rolled in the cauldron, like celestial nectar left behind by the moon palace.

"Millennial medicinal residue can actually restore the body to its original state?"

He flicked his sword finger, and a drop of dew rose into the air.

Under the moonlight, wisps of impurities could be seen suspended in the dew.

Zhao Wuji made a hand seal with his left hand, and a pale green spiritual light enveloped Qinglu like a veil. As he activated his medical skills, the impurities that had accumulated for thousands of years were slowly peeled away.

Mix it slightly before taking a bite.

"Gudong-"

The moment the dew touched my throat, it felt as if I had swallowed an icy river!
A bone-chilling coldness exploded from his dantian, instantly coursing through his eight extraordinary meridians. A thin frost even formed on his skin, and his breath carried a chilling white aura.

"Such a potent poison!"

Zhao Wuji's expression changed slightly. Even after being purified by medical techniques, the green dew transformed from the Taiyi Golden Liquid was still extremely domineering.

But soon, he returned to normal, his mastery of the ingestion technique already running at lightning speed.

Each stinging sensation in the meridians transforms into pure spiritual energy that flows into the dantian.

The icy medicinal power was quickly suppressed, but a burst of intense energy suddenly erupted from his dantian.

Under the dormant medicinal power of the dew, the essence of the sunflower finally awakens, sweeping through the body's meridians like the rising sun.

Zhao Wuji felt the spiritual energy in his dantian boiling, with strands of golden threads weaving through the vortex of his dantian, vaguely recreating the wondrous scene of "Taiyi Golden Liquid transforming spiritual energy" recorded in ancient books.

"boom--"

The speed of the illusory core increased dramatically, and the newly generated spiritual energy flowed in like gold dust, causing the cultivation level to visibly rise.

[Cultivation Level: Qi Refining Stage 5 (82/300)]

"A drop of green dew, eighteen strands of spiritual power?! That's more than twice the amount of a Golden Jade Pill!"

Zhao Wuji's pupils trembled slightly.

This effect far surpasses that of the Golden Jade Pill.

It is known that only a dreg of medicine the size of a fingernail can be used to refine four Golden Jade Pills, while the five drops of green dew in the cauldron before us are roughly equivalent to the amount of three pieces of dregs.
"Three pieces of medicinal residue, if handled properly, can be refined into twelve Golden Jade Pills, one of which can enhance eight spiritual powers."

Twelve of them can increase spiritual power by 96.

"If one consumes the Azure Dew directly, these seven drops of True Dew can increase one's spiritual power by 126. Moreover, it's simple and easy, requiring no further collection of medicinal herbs for alchemy, thus saving effort."

Zhao Wuji had a plan in mind and felt excited.

His gaze finally settled on the ancient, simple alchemy cauldron in front of him.

Judging from my intuition, this cauldron must be extraordinary, after all, it was the magic tool used by Li Shaojun, the most outstanding alchemist by Emperor Wu of Han's side, for refining elixirs.

That was an era of flourishing spiritual energy, not the end of the Dharma era. At the very least, Li Shaojun was a cultivator at the Condensation Realm.

Therefore, this alchemy cauldron is at least a magic artifact for concentrating the mind.

Even though it's now just a pile of broken copper and scrap iron, with all the spiritual materials inside decayed, if he can learn the Spray Transformation Technique or Finger Transformation Technique in the future, he might be able to change the properties of matter and perhaps even rebuild the universe.

For now, we can only put it aside and wait for a better opportunity in the future.

After Zhao Wuji finished his meditation, he took out a crimson fruit from his sleeve. He had only taken a bite when he noticed something unusual while activating his ingestion technique.

This legendary spiritual fruit, which supposedly saved cultivators three months of arduous training, only produced four strands of spiritual power.

"One fruit contains approximately twenty strands of spiritual energy?"

Zhao Wuji suddenly chuckled, the vermilion fruit in his hand reflecting the morning light, and then he realized with a start:
"I am spared the arduous cultivation of ordinary cultivators. It turns out that I am no longer 'ordinary'."

The guiding technique circulates energy throughout the body, the ingestion technique transforms medicine into spiritual energy, and there is also the benefit of a hangover-relieving stone.

His cultivation speed is probably several times faster than that of so-called "prodigies".

This vermilion fruit, a treasure to others, was nothing but a burden to him.

For ordinary gray-robed disciples, if they can cultivate five strands of spiritual power in a month, that would be considered an extremely good result.

Therefore, it's not unreasonable that a thirty-year-old Vermilion Fruit can save an ordinary disciple three months of arduous cultivation.

Zhao Wuji smiled and shook his head. He finished the Vermilion Fruit in a few bites. After quickly refining it, his cultivation level rose to the fifth level of Qi Induction (102/300).

For the next two days, Zhao Wuji stayed at home and rarely went out. At night, while cultivating in his cave, he secretly guided the energy within Xiaoyue's body to help her cultivate.

During the day, he would delve into array formations and medicinal poisons at Cold Moon Peak.

He specially obtained some spirit-eating insects from the mining area and used the medicine technique of Gu poison to raise Gu.

Dozens of spirit-eating insects were gnawing on fragments of spirit ore inside the black iron box, occasionally making a soft 'rustling' sound.

A wisp of pale green light lingered around his fingertips, the very essence of the medicinal art of Gu poison, carefully guiding the habits of these ferocious insects.

"If we could tame them all," he thought, his eyes gleaming even brighter as he recalled the horrific sight of the mines, where everything had been gnawed away and left only empty shells.

However, Zhao Wuji's main goal was to cultivate medicinal Gu, which could be used for diagnosis and treatment in the future.

For example, right now
With a flick of his finger, Zhao Wuji sent three newly tamed spirit-eating insects fluttering their wings and landing on a piece of rotten pork on the ground.

As soon as the insect's legs touched the rotting flesh, black mist was drawn into the insect's abdomen like wisps of silk. In just three breaths, fresh flesh and blood were revealed from the ulcerated area.

Even more remarkably, the insect then secretes a pale golden mucus, like refined spiritual silk, which stitches the shattered flesh back together. New flesh begins to heal at a visible speed, but ultimately it is still inanimate and cannot regenerate.

"The art of using poisonous insects has some initial effects!"

Zhao Wuji was quite satisfied.

On the third day of this practice, there had been no significant progress in medicine and formation techniques.

He broke through the pill-manipulation technique first, officially entering a level of proficiency, and comprehended a new pill-manipulation technique—using the pill to cast spells.

Inside the cave dwelling's alchemy chamber, spiritual light flowed from Zhao Wuji's fingertips.

A dark red pill slowly rotated in the palm of the hand.

Suddenly, fine silver lines, as thin as hair, appeared on the surface of the pill, and it began to absorb and release the surrounding spiritual energy on its own.

"Using the elixir to cast a spell"

He gazed at the miniature talisman gradually taking shape on the pill, a slight smile playing on his lips.

This newly acquired skill is truly profound: what the person taking the elixir ingests is not only the medicinal power, but also a hidden technique.

Even more astonishing is that after the corresponding spirit-gathering incantation is inscribed on the pill, it can "cultivate on its own" like a living thing, absorbing spiritual energy day and night to improve itself and advance in the pill's grade.

"The art of talismans was an unexpected bonus."

Zhao Wuji stared at the talisman and pondered, "The talisman is the form, the incantation is the spirit."

If one can understand the key points, one may be able to unlock the secrets of the talisman water technique.

At that time, combined with the life force of alchemy and medicine, the art of pill manipulation might truly lead to the supreme medical art of bringing the dead back to life and restoring flesh and bones.

This breakthrough unexpectedly pointed him to a new direction in his cultivation.

The following day, at the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), six bells suddenly rang out from the Hall of Merit at the mountain gate.

In the distance, sword light pierced the morning mist, and several figures gracefully flew towards the Hall of Merit.

Having just finished instructing Xiaoyue inside the cave, Zhao Wuji suddenly realized that the counterattack had ended and the day for the Hall of Merit to reward those who had contributed had arrived.

Soon, the True Inheritance Token at his waist also sent a notification.

He immediately absorbed his spiritual power into the Yin-Yang Pearl, displaying the aura of a fourth-level Qi-attracting expert.

At this moment, Hua Qingshuang's clear, cold voice also came from outside the cave.

"Wu Ji. Go to the Hall of Merit."

Zhao Wuji was startled and quickly straightened his clothes before stepping out of the cave. He then saw Hua Qingshuang and Dai Zhiyun's figures in mid-air not far away.

Hua Qingshuang's wide sleeves flowed like clouds, while Dai Zhiyun smiled and bowed respectfully.

"Welcome our Commander Zhao to collect his reward storage bag for his first merit!"

Her eyes suddenly widened. "Wait... Junior Brother, you've broken through to the fourth level of Qi Refining?"

Dai Zhiyun parted her lips slightly, her jade fingers covering her mouth: "From now on, does this mean I have to call you Senior Brother?"

"Senior Sister is joking." Zhao Wuji laughed loudly, made a hand seal and soared into the air. "You and I are both from Hanyue Peak, unlike other fellow disciples who don't talk about strength, but only about who came first."

You're the senior, so you're the senior sister. But if you want to be the junior sister, I'm happy to be the senior brother, haha.

"That won't do!" Dai Zhiyun playfully stuck out her tongue. "When we used to fight, I always had to put you, my junior brother, in front of me. It was already embarrassing enough for me, your senior sister."

Now that your cultivation has surpassed mine, it's perfectly justified for you to call me "Senior Brother."

A barely perceptible smile flickered across Hua Qingshuang's lips as she swept away in a streak of light towards the Hall of Merit with a gentle flick of her wide sleeves.

A cool, clear voice rang in Zhao Wuji's ear:

"Your Uncle-Master Hou of Guyun Peak has personally come to the Hall of Merit today, surely to support Ji Mobai. He usually lives a secluded life, but this time he has made an exception."

He paused slightly, then said, "Remember this: never yield an inch when it's your turn to fight. Cold Moon Peak fears no one."

Zhao Wuji felt a surge of warmth in his heart and looked up.

In the morning light, the figure riding a sword through the air had his robes fluttering, his white robes rustling in the strong wind. As his robes fluttered, his back was straight, like the icicles on the summit of Cold Moon Peak that never melt, proud and unshakable.

A smile unconsciously crept onto his lips as he replied telepathically.

"Yes! I will not tarnish the reputation of the Peak Master!"

(End of this chapter)