I've already reached the Nascent Soul stage, and you're saying I didn't time travel?

Chapter 153: The Mysterious Azure Beast Chapter

As Qi Xuan headed to the institute's laboratory, netizens began discussing it in the live stream:
"Through the battle just now, I discovered a pattern."

"Coincidentally, I've also discovered a pattern."

"Does everyone discover the same pattern?"

"I thought I was the only one who could see that Qi Shen could manipulate clones."

"Is it about manipulating clones? That's clearly a problem for a terrestrial deity!"

"Indeed, if you observe carefully, you'll find that all the monsters Qi Shen is currently encountering, those that can emit mist from their pants, are all terrestrial immortals!"

"This also means that a major characteristic of the transformation of terrestrial immortals after death is that they emit mist."

"The Zhang family and the Nangong family have different illnesses, but the terrestrial immortals of both families have the same characteristics after death. This means that different illnesses may have the same root cause. So-called bone spurs or lizardification are just different manifestations of the characteristics of different families."

"So, the spiritual objects of all the major families can only treat the symptoms, not the root cause, which is why they can't cure the disease. From the very beginning, they failed to target the root cause of the disease."

"The reason why the Soul-Stabilizing Pill of the Heaven-Seizing Sect can suppress all diseases is because it can target the source of the disease!"

"I understand now. This Mind-Stabilizing Pill is actually a broad-spectrum insecticide. If you get one, you can cure all diseases. There's no need to prepare any of those miscellaneous spiritual items."

"Wait! Don't forget, the Mind-Stabilizing Pill can't cure the disease either; it can only delay it. This means that although the Heaven-Seizing Sect has discovered the root cause of the disease, they still can't address it."

"It seems that only by going to the Heaven-Seizing Sect can we find a way to completely cure the disease."

"But the Duotian Sect is too dangerous. The major families alone have so many terrestrial immortal-level combatants. As the superior sect of the major families, the Duotian Sect must have even more powerful experts. Once they die, they will also be mutated. Qi Shen will most likely not be able to stop them."

"Let's settle for second best and explore the ruins of the major families first, find out their research data on the disease, search for information related to the Duotian Sect, and ideally find a complete Ding Shen Pill, so that at least it will have some reference value."

"This is indeed a mature and prudent approach, and Qi Shen is indeed following this method. Once we have explored the Zhang family, we should be able to gather enough information."

"We hope that the institute's laboratory can have what we need."

……

Amidst the chatter of netizens, Qi Xuan had already entered the dark and gloomy underground laboratory.

Unlike the previous two, this laboratory is relatively well preserved, possibly because the stone door was sealed immediately after the attack.

Even if the stone gate was sealed, the Foundation Establishment cultivator inside might have already been seriously injured beforehand, which is why they turned into a monster that roams here after death.

But now that everything has been resolved, let's take a look at what good things are preserved underground.

Qi Xuan immediately began investigating in the laboratory.

Time has passed, and the medicinal powders stored in various places have almost all become ineffective. There was even [Soul-Burning Liquid] in them, but unfortunately, it had long since expired.

Of course, even if it hasn't expired, you might not know what to use it for.

Many of the instruments and equipment hanging on the wall were rusted, but a long, gleaming silver knife remained as good as new and was perfectly preserved.

Well, this knife is a magical artifact. It was probably specially made to make dissecting the corpses of Foundation Establishment cultivators easier. There are no special spiritual patterns engraved on it, nor are there any signs of refinement. It was simply forged from top-quality raw materials.

That makes sense, though. If it's just for dissecting corpses, there's absolutely no need to make the longsword so fancy.

For other Foundation Establishment cultivators, this longsword has very little practical value due to its lack of various special abilities and properties; at most, it can only be used in the laboratory. But for him, it is truly amazing.

No matter how well the algorithm is crafted or how many special abilities it is equipped with, at his current level, he simply cannot drive it, or even lift it. He can only rely on the properties of the material itself to fight. The better the material, the less likely it is to be damaged, and the more practical it is for him.

Although he already possessed the broken blade of a magical artifact, which had considerable destructive power, there was one major problem: its attack range was too short, basically limited to the area his hand could reach.

Having this knife now undoubtedly expands his killing range significantly, giving him more power to defend against enemies and providing him with more reaction time.

Just acquiring this longsword alone makes the trip worthwhile.

Qi Xuan happily put away his longsword.

Then they put the huge platform away.

This platform, like the experimental platforms outside, is used to hold various corpses and even experimental subjects.

But unlike other platforms, this one is made of a better material – a single piece of Froststone.

The Froststone is a second-grade refining material, used to forge magical artifacts. Its grade is the same as the Crimson Flame Stone he once drew, but this one is much larger.

Fortunately, his personal space continued to expand as he advanced, otherwise he might not have been able to accept it.

After taking the Froststone, Qi Xuan continued to plunder the scene.

At the end of the platform was a whole stone wall, engraved with many array patterns and even spirit patterns. Although most of them had become ineffective over time, the remaining small part still made Qi Xuan dare not underestimate them.

He glanced at the keyhole in the center of the stone wall, thought for a moment, took out the brass key, and inserted it.

It went in very easily.

Turn again.

It turned very easily.

Qi Xuan quickly flew back to the stone steps, ready to dash out at the slightest sign of trouble, perhaps even managing to close the stone door above.

Under his intense gaze, the spiritual patterns on the stone wall surface shimmered with light, and then a small section of the wall with the key inserted suddenly popped open.

"Is this... a safe?"

Seeing that narrow, rectangular space, barely the size of a human head, both Qi Xuan and the audience in front of the camera were momentarily bewildered.

But soon, the audience realized what was going on.

Before they could urge him, Qi Xuan had already flown to the safe.

The safe didn't contain much; besides a deep red bead, a few jade slips, and four sealed celadon glass bottles, there was nothing else.

The greatest use of the jade glass bottle is to isolate the inside from the outside, provide spiritual energy, and ensure that the rare spiritual liquid does not lose its medicinal properties over time.

The first jade bottle contained bluish-gray seeds, which, if I'm not mistaken, should be seeds of the Yin-Yang Sunflower.

The second jade bottle contained a dark, viscous liquid resembling petroleum. Based on the information he had previously collected, this should be the [Soul-Burning Liquid].

The third jade bottle contained a pale purple liquid that shimmered with a faint light.

Qi Xuan was overjoyed upon seeing it. This was the Ninghua Dew provided by the Yuchi family. He hadn't expected that a portion of it would still be preserved here.

The fourth jade bottle contained a tiny amount of blue powder, about the size of a fingernail.

"This is... the powder of a mind-stabilizing pill?"

To be honest, he was a little unsure.

But then I felt I must have guessed correctly.

Just by looking at the four items in the bottle, he could already guess the head of the department's research project—

Optimization and cultivation of Yin Yang Sunflower.

Strengthening and adjusting the Soul-Burning Liquid.

The Replicas of Condensed Dew and the Mind-Stabilizing Pill. The projects handled by the Northern Academy were far more numerous than he had imagined, not just dealing with sick clansmen.

Based on the intelligence gathered so far, the most progress has been made in the Soul Burning Liquid, followed by the optimization and cultivation of the Yin-Yang Sunflower. As for the Condensing Dew and the Mind-Stabilizing Pill, there has been no progress.

In any case, there should be some relevant data from the experiment here, which may enrich his database.

Qi Xuan immediately opened a jade slip that was placed next to him.

This jade slip contains a lot of experimental data on Yin Yang Kui, including summaries and optimization processes of related experiments.

They tried to cultivate various types of superior varieties, such as those with strong vitality, more potent medicinal effects, greater resistance to diseases and pests, and even those that could release a certain toxin to kill root-eating insects.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of these cultivation projects ended in failure, not because they were not careful or diligent enough, but because of the problems in the overall environment.

The Shenqiu Domain is located in the Southern Wilderness, where spiritual energy is scarce, the environment is harsh, and there are many poisonous insects and ferocious beasts. Many spiritual plants are extremely unsuited to such an environment, and their selective cultivation often fails due to various accidents.

Over the course of more than a hundred years, only this batch of improved seeds in the bottle has survived. They are extremely resilient and can adapt to a variety of environments. All other attempts at cultivation have failed.

The research on Condensation Dew and Tranquilizing Pill was similarly wasted, ultimately leading to premature termination due to the excessive amount of medicine and manpower wasted.

The only exception was the Soul-Burning Liquid. An accidental experiment revealed that it actually improved over time. When given to mad lizards, it not only reduced their frenzy but also granted them the characteristic of Soul-Burning Burst.

According to research, this should be related to the disease itself. Burning the soul greatly stimulates the disease, instantly burning all potential and flesh and blood in exchange for powerful strength.

What's even more remarkable is that the Soul-Burning Liquid is also effective on normal people. It not only restores their composure but also allows them to unleash tremendous power in a short period of time. Although they can't achieve the same level of Qi Refining as the Foundation Establishment stage and gain a moment of glory like the lizard monster, they won't have to pay the price with their lives.

According to the experimental data, the Soul-Burning Liquid is much more effective than the Blood-Exploding Pill. If he were to take it, it would be enough to instantly raise his cultivation level by two minor realms. The price would be that he would be weak for a day afterward, and his physical body would become deficient, requiring him to eat a lot or take precious medicines to make up for it.

To be honest, Qi Xuan felt he could tolerate the side effects, but the fact that this medicine was originally intended for patients with the "lizard disease" made him feel uneasy about using it on him.

However, he also knew that if he encountered a fatal crisis, he would have no choice but to fight the enemy to the death. He didn't care about any side effects. Even if it was a drug that would kill him in five minutes, he would swallow it on the spot. No matter what, he had to kill the enemy first.

After examining several jade slips, Qi Xuan felt he had gained a great deal. When he reached the last one, he discovered it wasn't an experimental record of a particular project, but rather some notes and reflections from the head of the academy himself.
"...In the first batch of beast taming experiments, only Zhang Ruoke succeeded out of ten people, while the other nine all failed. The reason for the failure was basically that their physical bodies collapsed prematurely. According to the summary on site, this should be related to the duration of their illness. The longer they were ill, the higher the failure rate."

"...After summarizing this period of time, the success rate of the experiment of young people practicing Qi is four times that of the elderly practicing Qi. However, those who are willing to participate in the experiment are still mainly elderly people practicing Qi, while most young people are very resistant to practicing Qi."

I can completely understand their thinking. The elderly have reached a dead end in their cultivation of Qi and are in utter despair, so they see beast taming experiments as their last resort.

On the contrary, the young people who practice Qi cultivation still have illusions about their illness, believing that it may be cured in the future and that there is no need to fall into eternal damnation in advance.

Naive, so incredibly naive!

But since they like it, let them be. I'll wait for the day they kneel down and beg me for mercy.

"...Zhang Feihua is dead. She is the fourth Foundation Establishment cultivator to die in the Beast Taming experiment. The clan leader warned me that the pressure from all sides was too great and that the Foundation Establishment experiment should be suspended."

Hmph, a bunch of pedantic fools. Turning into lizards is clearly the best way for them to contribute to the family. I can even dispose of them on the experimental table to prevent them from mutating after death and harming others.

I will write down the names of all these opponents.

"...Although the Condensing Dew is effective, I don't think it can compare to the Mind-Stabilizing Pill. It's more likely to be an inferior imitation. How could the Yuchi family, a declining family that doesn't even have a single Golden Core cultivator, possibly refine a precious medicine of the Mind-Stabilizing Pill level? There must be something wrong with it."

Although the clan leader knew there was a problem, he still decided to cooperate with the Yuchi family.

I naturally understood his thoughts. Joining the Yuchi family would allow him to obtain more Condensed Dew, relieving the pressure on the Yin-Yang Sunflower. Secondly, once Yuchi Wujing advanced to the Golden Core stage, the disease spreading throughout the Zhang family might be alleviated.

I just don't quite believe the Yuchi family would treat our Zhang family so well.

"...Using the Dragon Flower Pearl produced from the Xuancang Tomb, we unexpectedly obtained a precious medicine during experiments on lizard patients. Based on its violent properties, we named it [Soul Burning Liquid]. With [Soul Burning Liquid], the success rate of beast taming experiments should be much higher."

"...We tried to further enhance the effects of the Soul Burning Liquid, but progress was slow, which made me yearn for the 'Mysterious Azure Beast Manual'."

Xuan Cang, a powerful master of the Duotian Sect, built eight large tombs for himself before his death, each containing one of the eight great inheritances. After his disappearance, countless people searched for him, and three of the tombs were eventually discovered.

We also discovered one in Shenqiu Domain, which attracted the four major families to fight over it. The Dragon Flower Pearl fell into our Zhang family's hands, and the "Xuan Cang Medicine Beast Chapter" was split into two. The Han family sacrificed a generation of geniuses to successfully obtain the first half, but the second half was stolen by a mysterious person.

"Now that our Han and Zhang families are on good terms, perhaps we could borrow the first part from them for further study?"

"...The Han family did not refuse, but they asked us to pay fifty portions of Condensed Dew. The patriarch reluctantly agreed. We went to the Han family to see the tombstone. Sure enough, the 'Xuan Cang Medicine Beast Chapter' was recorded on the tombstone. During the struggle, the tombstone was broken in two, and the Han family took the upper half."

When we arrived at the Han family, we realized we had been tricked. The first part alone was not enough to train the medicinal beast; we also needed the second part's preparation method. However, even with the second part's preparation method, without the first part's mental cultivation method, we still couldn't train the medicinal beast.

No wonder the Han family is so generous; after seizing the upper half of the tombstone for so many years, they haven't figured out anything at all.

While I was annoyed, I also felt a bit strange. Why didn't the mysterious person who seized the lower half of the tombstone come out and cooperate? Having only the lower half of the tombstone was clearly useless to them.

"...Although the 'Xuan Cang Medicine Beast Chapter' was not available, I still managed to enhance the [Soul Burning Liquid] and greatly improve its efficacy through my amazing ingenuity."

Unfortunately, at the same time, we also discovered resistance to the Condensation Dew. Long-term use of this stuff will gradually reduce its effectiveness. The Yuchi family deceived us, but it's too late for regrets now. The clan leader has even led people to attend the advancement ceremony.”

"...After returning from the poisoning at the Sun family, the clan leader's team was ambushed and severely damaged by the Han family. Even the clan leader himself perished on the spot. All clan affairs were handed over to Zhang Youcai. Although I don't have high hopes for Zhang Youcai's abilities, there's nothing I can do. I can't overturn the decision of the clan elders' council."

The first order Zhang Youcai gave after taking office was to liberate the lizards and make them part of the family's fighting force. Although I understood that he wanted to use the lizards to replenish the family's severely depleted fighting force in order to prevent attacks from other families, the lizards themselves were not stable.

Even with the Beast Taming Ring and the Soul Burning Liquid, I don't believe they are completely under my control and need to be treated with more caution. They are not wild beasts, but they are not human either.

The clan elders rejected my protest.

"...The production of Yin Yang Sunflower is decreasing, and the number of patients is increasing. In order to ensure the continuation of the family, the clan elders passed the Sleep Plan. The first batch of children who took the Hundred-Year Dream have all entered the protected area to sleep."

Five years later, there will be a second batch, five years later a third batch, and five years later a fourth batch. When the fourth batch falls asleep, the first batch will wake up, ensuring that there are always people in the family and that they are not unaware of being attacked.

The plan is perfect, but I'm not sure how many people will be left in my family a hundred years from now.

"...The second batch of clansmen has fallen into a deep sleep. There are hardly any young people in the clan. In addition, patients around are dying from the disease from time to time. The huge courtyard has become empty. Sometimes I encounter more lizards than people, which makes me feel scared."

But after living with the lizards for so long without any problems, if I voice my concerns, people around me will just think I'm overreacting. Maybe I'm just worrying too much?

"...The third batch has also begun to sleep. Seeing more and more lizards around me, I felt even more uneasy. Were there really so many lizards in the yard? Their calm rather than crazy eyes made me feel even more creepy. I made a decision to slaughter all the lizards, even if it was just my paranoia. I was willing to pay any price for it."

The record ends here.

After reading it, Qi Xuan couldn't help but let out a deep breath.

Judging from the results, the academy director's suspicions were correct; the lizard monsters were not truly brought under control.

Unfortunately, he acted too late and over-enhanced the lizards, ultimately leading to their defeat and the complete annihilation of the once-powerful Zhang family.

Shaking his head to clear his mind of those chaotic thoughts, Qi Xuan's gaze fell on the deep red bead.

The Dragon Flower Pearl, a treasure left behind by the powerful Xuancang.

This is a truly valuable item, extremely useful for alchemy and pill refining. The jade slip also mentions many wonderful applications, but with his current strength, he simply cannot utilize them.

Some of the effects require the cooperation of the "Xuan Cang Medicine Beast Chapter", but the Han family only has the first half, which seems to be completely unnecessary.

Feeling slightly regretful, Qi Xuan put away the Dragon Flower Pearl and then gave a brief report on the results of the exploration to the viewers in the live stream.

……

Joint camp.

As Qi Xuan explained things in the live broadcast room, one observer grew increasingly confused. Finally, he operated his computer, enlarged a picture taken by a drone on the screen, and said to a middle-aged official next to him:
"Boss, do you think the half of the tombstone in this picture is the one Qi Xuan was talking about?"

The middle-aged official looked closely, then his eyes widened suddenly.

(End of this chapter)