Poison Cultivation

Selling prescription formulas?

Chen Luo smiled faintly and shook his head.

The formula for the Blood-Activating and Body-Tempering Pill was his exclusive business, a stable and easy profit that wouldn't attract the envy and covetousness of large pharmacies.

Such a stable business with a long-term source of wealth—would anyone with a clear mind easily give it up?

"Fellow Daoist, please forgive me. This is an ancient formula passed down through my family for generations. It is intended to be passed down to my descendants, so it is truly inconvenient to sell it."

He politely declined, but the burly man chuckled, his voice carrying a hint of menace:

"Since you have family and descendants, you should give me the prescription even more."

With the beast tide approaching, people are filled with fear and anxiety. Many independent cultivators in the market have already formed an alliance to defend themselves and rely on each other.

I happen to have a team of elite cultivators under my command, with ample combat strength.

If the city falls and war breaks out in the future, my troops will be able to protect your family and friends.

On one side lies the ancestral alchemical formula, on the other, the lives of your entire family. Which is more important, fellow Daoist? You must carefully consider this.

Weigh it?

Upon hearing this, Chen Luo's smile vanished instantly, and his brows furrowed.

"Are you trying to blackmail me?"

The burly man waved his hand, his tone seemingly frank: "It's not a threat."

The beast tide of yesteryear destroyed Qingxia Workshop, and the past events are still vivid in my mind. Countless cultivators died or were injured back then, and the mortals in the workshop were also implicated, their remains restless.

Having learned from this example, we secretly formed an alliance to protect ourselves. You can inquire about this matter in the neighborhood; it is no exaggeration.

Chen Luo's gaze was calm as he pondered silently.

He was not yet born when the last beast tide raged, and knew very little about the dangers involved.

However, such old stories are easy to verify, and the other party would not dare to fabricate them out of thin air.

However, even though the beast tide is extremely dangerous, it is ultimately wishful thinking for them to covet his most treasured pill formula.

"I have my own way of dealing with the approaching beast tide."

The recipe for the elixir is absolutely not to be given away.

Seeing that his mind was made up, the burly man finally sighed, raised his hands in a cupped-hand salute, and said:

"In that case, I will not try to persuade you any further."

I only hope that you will one day realize your mistake and be willing to open your mouth, then come to me again.

My name is Wu Ce, and I reside on Yingchun Street in the North District of Fangshi. You may meet me upon visiting my door.

Seeing that he was no longer pressing him, Chen Luo's expression softened slightly, but the lingering resentment from their earlier verbal sparring was still hard to dispel, and his tone remained cold and distant:

"When I am truly at my wit's end, I will personally come to ask Fellow Daoist Wu for help."

Wu Ce nodded and then strode away.

Watching his figure disappear into the crowd, Chen Luo shook his head slightly.

I thought the profit margin of the "Blood Activating and Body Tempering Pill" was small and wouldn't attract the covetous eyes of large shops, but I didn't expect that there were so many ill-intentioned people among the independent cultivators.

"Wu Ce..." he murmured to himself, "I hope you know what's good for you, otherwise..."

A fleeting murderous intent crossed Chen Luo's mind, but he didn't linger. Instead, he headed towards Shan'antang Pharmacy.

He wanted to buy another batch of medicinal herbs and also inquire about the destruction of the market town.

Previously, I thought that with the Three Gorges Sect guarding the area, the beast tide should be nothing to fear.

But judging from the way the independent cultivators are now acting as if facing a formidable enemy, huddling together for warmth, they are clearly not as simple as they seem.

"If it were really that dangerous, I should have made plans sooner."

With a series of thoughts flashing through his mind, Chen Luo quickened his pace.

Upon arriving at Shan'an Hall, the same old man was still sitting in the hall taking pulses, but today the shop was bustling with people, mostly cultivators, making it several times more lively than usual.

Instead of seeking medical advice, the crowd lined up in a long queue to register in front of a man who appeared to be in charge, each with a solemn expression.

Chen Luo found it quite novel, but not wanting to ask questions rashly, he used the pretext of getting medicine to slowly walk to the old man's table, cupped his hands, and smiled, saying:

"Old sir, do you still recognize me?"

The old man looked up and saw that it was the young man whose meridians had been severed but miraculously restored that day, and he couldn't help but remember him vividly.

He smiled slightly and pointed to the stools and chairs beside him:

"Fellow Daoist, you've come to get medicine again? Please have a seat."

Chen Luo nodded his thanks, sat down, and handed over a prescription:

"It's the same prescription as last time. I'd like to trouble you to prepare twenty portions for me, sir."

"Twenty doses?" The old man paused slightly, took the prescription, glanced at it, and a look of surprise appeared on his face.

"Are you trying to eat this?"

As he spoke, he casually handed the prescription to the pharmacist standing to the side.

Chen Luo smiled faintly:

"I am a novice alchemist, and my skills are still developing. I have failed repeatedly and wasted a lot of medicinal herbs. There is nothing I can do about it."

He didn't want to say more about the matter, so he looked at the long dragon outside the hall and asked:

"With so many like-minded people gathered here, I wonder what grand event Shan'an Hall is hosting today?"

Upon hearing this, the old man's smile faded slightly, and he sighed softly:

"It wasn't a grand event, it was definitely a matter of escaping for our lives."

He looked at the long line of people and slowly said:

"With the beast tide approaching, my Li family is actively recruiting worshippers to protect the cultivators in this region."

Once the market falls, everyone can retreat to the inner courtyard of my Li family and rely on the clan's protective formation to defend themselves.

These people are all here to sign up for the job.

Chen Luo's heart stirred, but he feigned ignorance and asked indirectly:

"Is it really this dangerous? A mere beast tide necessitates such a state of emergency?"

"It's more than just dangerous!" the old man sighed. "The last time Qingxia Manor was hit by a beast tide was forty-four years ago."

At that time, the Sanxia Sect dispatched all its disciples to fight back and repelled several waves of demonic beasts, thus securing a temporary peace.

Unexpectedly, a hurricane suddenly arose, landed on the shore and destroyed the city, and even the third-tier array in the neighborhood could not withstand it.

In an instant, the remaining cultivators were killed or wounded, and tens of thousands of ordinary people perished.

The memory of that horrific scene still sends shivers down my spine.

Chen Luo frowned as he listened. If that's the case, Wu Ce's words were true, and the danger of the beast tide was no exaggeration.

People were forced to seek powerful backers and form gangs.

His heart tightened immediately, and he hurriedly asked:

"May I ask, sir, how can one become a retainer of the Li family? And why don't these fellow practitioners simply go and join the Three Clouds Sect?"

Upon hearing this, the old man shook his head slightly, "I am Li Chongyun, you may call me Elder Yun."

Then, he slowly explained:

"The Sanxia Sect must stand on the front line and face the fierce beast tide head-on."

My Li family also belongs to the Sanxia faction, but we are located in the second line. We only need to assist in the defense of the inner courtyard and rely on the great formation to protect ourselves.

It's human nature to seek good fortune and avoid misfortune, so naturally they flock to me.

Chen Luo suddenly realized that people's hearts are ever-changing and different; not everyone is willing to face the raging tide of monsters.

Moreover, this incident served as a reminder to him: the Li family possessed "Blood-Boiling Longan Fruit," which was exactly what he needed.

If I become a retainer of the Li family, perhaps I will have a chance to acquire it.

He then clasped his hands in a fist and said:

"In that case, what conditions are required to become a retainer of the Li family?"

Li Chongyun stroked his long beard and pondered for a moment before saying:

"One must have at least the fifth level of Qi Refining cultivation and possess a special skill in order to be included in the register."

Upon hearing this, Chen Luo was overjoyed and blurted out:

"That would be perfect! I'm just the right fit!"

He is now at the sixth level of Qi Refining and is skilled in alchemy and poison making, making him a perfect fit for the requirements.

Li Chongyun said, "If you meet the requirements, you can register and apply. After a temporary examination, you can settle down in the inner courtyard."

After saying that, he casually picked up a registration form and handed it to Chen Luo.

Chen Luo took the pen and began to write. When he got to the "Special Skills" section, he hesitated for a moment and wrote "Detoxification".

He originally wanted to write it as "a mid-grade first-level alchemist", but in the cultivation world, to become a "mid-grade first-level alchemist", one must master and refine no less than eight types of mid-grade first-level pills.

He was only proficient in one kind of elixir formula, just like a car mechanic who only knows how to patch a tire; he was completely a charlatan.

As for "poisoning," that could be considered a special skill, but once it's written down, who would dare hire him?

After much thought, I could only fill in the word "detoxification".

That is, at the moment Chen Luo registered, thousands of miles away in the sea outside Qingxia Fang.

Thick, inky clouds covered the sky and the earth, and a torrential downpour of wind and rain shrouded everything in gloom and darkness.

Giant waves surged and towered in the sea, with sea monsters breaking through the raging waves one after another, roaring fiercely and their voices shaking the vast ocean.