Primordial Era: Elixir of Qi Transforms into Form, Controlling the Pharmacology of the World

"Young master, you are unaware of this. In the primordial world, a top-grade spiritual root must undergo a great tribulation to transform into human form. Only those who survive the tribulation and are not dead are qualified to transform. I was like that, accumulating enough foundation to transform. Unfortunately, I encountered the Dragon-Phoenix Tribulation and was caught in the crossfire of the great battle, ultimately damaging my origin and making it difficult to recover."

If it weren't for the dissipation of my original essence to give birth to seven gourds, I would have perished long ago. However, giving birth to the gourds can only sustain my life temporarily; it can never truly restore me. In particular, once the seven gourds are harvested, it will also signify my end.

At this moment, the young master saved me, and with the help of the Water of Creation and the Green Lotus Seed of Creation, I recovered. Ultimately, I was able to re-evolve my original nature, overcome the great calamity, and gain the opportunity to take human form. I once swore that whoever could help me overcome this calamity, I would be loyal to them. Therefore, once I take human form, I will definitely repay the young master.

The gourd vine was very serious and excited.

Ling Dan's expression changed slightly, showing surprise: "We'll talk about that after you've completed your transformation. By the way, will all top-grade spiritual roots in the primordial world suffer the same great calamity?"

"Yes, all the top-grade spiritual roots in the primordial world will encounter this life-or-death calamity of the collapse of their origin in various ways. Only those who survive can obtain the opportunity to transform into human form. Those who fail will perish completely and become spiritual roots without intelligence." The gourd vine's voice was filled with despair.

"Will your aptitude decrease after you transform into human form?" Ling Dan asked again.

"Yes, if I were at my peak and unharmed, my aptitude after transforming would be comparable to that of Master Taiqing and the others. Now that I've gone through the cycle of life and death, my aptitude has dropped a level. However, even with a drop of a level, I can still transform and have a future. So there are gains and losses." The gourd vine also showed a hint of surprise.

"That's a pity. However, being able to take human form means an endless future." Ling Dan spoke to the gourd vine with a slight smile.

It has to be said that the fact that this gourd vine could transform into a human was a pleasant surprise for Ling Dan.

After years of conversations with the gourd vine, he gained considerable knowledge about spiritual roots, which deepened his understanding of the Dao of Medicine.

……

Ling Dan returned to her cultivation grounds, feeling rather bored.

Pick up Tiger Girl and wake her up.

Tiger Girl struggled and howled, "Young master, what are you doing? I was sleeping soundly, and you woke me up."

Ling Dan smiled and said, "I was just bored. Right now, I've just entered the Great Luo Realm and need time to stabilize. As for body tempering, it's hard to see any results in a short time."

"Weren't you supposed to be compiling the 'Compendium of Materia Medica'? It seems you haven't finished it yet?" Tiger Girl said irritably, knowing her little master was always causing trouble.

Ling Dan's eyes sparkled: "That's right, I can go and refine writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones."

"Isn't this supposed to be compiling the 'Compendium of Materia Medica'? How did it turn into writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones?" Tiger Girl couldn't quite keep up with her little master's way of thinking.

Ling Dan smiled and said, "Before I started compiling the 'Compendium of Materia Medica,' I thought about refining writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones. I would use paper to write and record spiritual herbs, which would eventually evolve into the 'Compendium of Materia Medica.' However, I was in the Demon Realm before and didn't have time to refine them. Now I do have the time."

As Ling Dan said this, she didn't hesitate and took out the Four Symbols Cauldron and took out a lot of refining materials.

Tiger Girl looked at Ling Dan, who had produced the materials so quickly, and was quite annoyed: "Young Master, you really do things on a whim."

Ling Dan smiled and then looked at Hu Niu: "Don't be upset. Give me some tiger hair later to make the tip of a calligraphy brush."

"No, I'm a tigress. If you cut my fur, I won't look good."

Tiger Girl struggled, clearly unwilling.

Using Tiger Girl's fur to make calligraphy brushes was something Ling Dan had planned long ago.

Since transmigrating to the prehistoric world, Ling Dan has been recalling countless novels from her previous life.

In many fantasy novels, there is a story about refining writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, ultimately gaining a lot of merit.

Ling Dan was naturally envious as well.

However, the series of events left Ling Dan with no time to deal with these things.

Now that I have the time, I'm trying to refine it.

Ling Dan took out a lot of refining materials, which were given to her by many rogue cultivators when they exchanged pills during the Demon Extermination War.

Ling Dan took out the dragon skin first from among the many materials.

This is a piece of wooden dragon skin, which is a rare type among dragons.

Ling Dan pounded and crushed it, then stirred it with the Water of Creation, and then turned it into paper, which she then dried.

The whole process was smooth and effortless, without a trace of inexperience.

Ling Dan prepared to connect the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone to represent the four elements: earth, fire, wind, and water, and the four divine beasts. Therefore, the dragon race, such as the Wood Dragon, was chosen to represent the Azure Dragon of Wood, one of the four elements.

Today, the paper produced bears dragon patterns and shimmers with the aura of creation.

"This paper shall be called: Azure Dragon Paper!" Ling Dan murmured, then waited for something.

After waiting a while, Ling Dan couldn't help but wonder, "Huh, why isn't any merit descending? Many records say that merit will descend after the item is refined, right?"

Ling Dan was puzzled, but didn't think much of it and continued refining.

At this moment, Ling Dan took out a phoenix feather and bones, preparing to refine them into an inkstone.

The fiery red inkstone represents the Vermilion Bird of Fire. The scorching bones gradually melt as the Ling Dan evolves and burns with flames.

Soon, Ling Dan finished refining the inkstone.

However, even after the fiery red inkstone was crafted, no merit was bestowed upon it.

"Strange? Could it be that one must master the writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone before one can gain merit?" Ling Dan pondered.

Even having come this far, Ling Dan did not stop, and continued to refine the remaining ink.

As for "Ink," Ling Dan used a tortoise shell to refine it, representing the Black Tortoise of Water. This tortoise shell was also carefully selected, and it is rumored to be related to the Black Tortoise.

As for the "pen," Ling Dan used the bones of a white tiger to make it, and even used the tiger girl's fur as the pen tip.

……

In just a few decades, Ling Dan successfully refined the "brush, ink, paper and inkstone".

However, despite the successful refining, Ling Dan did not receive any of the merit she had been looking forward to.

Ling Dan was slightly embarrassed: "How come there's no merit in this?"

"What do you mean by 'no merit'? My disciple, what are your thoughts now?" Lao Tzu's Daoist voice echoed as he walked in from outside.

Upon seeing Laozi, Ling Dan immediately said obediently, "Master... have you finished your seclusion?"

"My cultivation has made a breakthrough, so I've emerged from seclusion. But what about you? What are you making brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones for? Using the Four Symbols to refine them and evolve earth, fire, wind, and water is quite an idea. However, the quality is rather low, only inferior grade!" Laozi stroked his beard and said.

"Master...you know these are writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones? Could it be that the merits of these writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones have already been obtained by someone else?" Ling Dan asked in confusion.

"Merit?" Laozi hesitated slightly, then shook his head and chuckled, "Disciple... you refine writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones to earn merit for spreading the Dao."

Upon hearing this, Ling Dan immediately nodded: "Master...didn't you say that one can gain merit by contributing to the Primordial World? The writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones I refine can carry culture, write texts, and spread ideas, which can also be considered as educating sentient beings. Why can't I gain merit?"

"Sigh...you child, always thinking about doing good deeds."

Lao Tzu sighed, then smiled and said, "My disciple... Spreading ideas and enlightening sentient beings will naturally bring merit. But to gain the merit of enlightenment, one must first enlighten. For example, sorting out the primordial earth veins can bring merit. You know that this can bring merit, but if you don't sort out the earth veins, how can you possibly gain merit?"

"While writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones can carry words, educate sentient beings, and earn merit, one must first rely on them to write words before using them to educate sentient beings to earn merit. Merit cannot be obtained simply by crafting writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones."

Lao Tzu, when teaching, would simply smile; even when dealing with his own disciples, he felt they lacked common sense…

Ling Dan looked enlightened.

In short, those who only talk the talk but don't walk the walk will not be rewarded by Heaven.

Ling Dan was frustrated. Looking at the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone she had carefully crafted, she finally put them away.

It's a shame to throw it away since I made it myself.

……

In the blink of an eye, decades have passed.

During this time, Yuanshi Tianzun left, seemingly to do something secret.

Tongtian also left to travel to the primordial wilderness.

Ling Dan stayed behind to receive Lao Tzu's teachings.

"Master... how does one cultivate to the Great Luo Realm? Although the Great Luo Scroll you taught me uses the primordial spirit as a divine material to refine a divine pill, I've already succeeded. My entire primordial spirit is now enveloped by the pill, so it seems I have no more primordial spirit to improve," Ling Dan said awkwardly.

Lao Tzu stroked his beard and said kindly, "My disciple... the Great Luo Realm tempers the primordial spirit, and the tempering of the primordial spirit involves enlightenment..."

For thousands of years, Ling Dan has been cultivating.

Most of the time, he cultivated himself diligently, comprehending the great Dao, while a small portion of his time was spent listening to Lao Tzu speak of the Great Dao.

Even so, Ling Dan still experienced the bitterness and difficulty of cultivation.

"Sigh... This cultivation speed is even slower than my cultivation of the Nine Revolutions Profound Technique. At least when I cultivate the Nine Revolutions Profound Technique, I can feel myself improving little by little. But when it comes to comprehending the Great Dao River, a lot of time is wasted."

"It seems that I can only cultivate the 'Method of Transformation' passed down by my master. Unfortunately, there are too few innate objects containing the Great Dao of Pills, especially top-grade spiritual treasures and top-grade spiritual roots, which are simply impossible to find."

Ling Dan had a headache.

Fortunately, he simply postponed his cultivation until he had chosen the right innate materials to comprehend the Great Dao and then resumed it.

Over the years, Ling Dan has never forgotten to compile the "Compendium of Herbs" and has been refining spiritual herbs to understand their medicinal properties.

From the great war against demons to the present day, Ling Dan has identified countless spiritual herbs, numbering at least hundreds of billions.

Now, all the spiritual herbs Ling Dan had harvested had been refined. Since the rest were duplicates, Ling Dan prepared to begin compiling the "Compendium of Materia Medica."

How to write it is also a technical skill.

Ling Dan thought for a moment and decided to rely on pen, ink, paper and inkstone to write.

I took out my brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, and began to write from memory.

It is worth mentioning that the script Ling Dan wrote was Daoist script.

This Dao script is also the script of the Great Dao, a script circulating in the primordial world today. It seems to have evolved from the Great Dao of Script, and there are also rumors that the Great Dao of Script possesses the ability to imprint, transforming the Great Dao into characters and symbols.

In this vast and ancient world, all that is circulating are these kinds of Daoist texts.

Ling Dan described the medicinal properties and their changes in written form. In addition, she also drew pictures of the medicinal herbs.

A piece of paper, a magic elixir.

In addition, Ling Dan also divided them into different categories and created a catalog for easy reference.

Arranging the medicinal properties of over 900 million kinds of spiritual herbs bit by bit would be a long process. Fortunately, Ling Dan is at the Great Luo Realm, with a powerful soul, and can multitask easily.