Film and Television: Starting with Using AI to Solve the Rare Chess Puzzle

Chapter 61

Outside Gengxin City, deep within the Iron Ridge Mountains.

Lu Ming found an abandoned mine as a temporary place for seclusion. Deep in the mine, he sat cross-legged on a blue stone that he had smoothed with his inkstone, with three immortal herbs placed in front of him in order: the Primordial Immortal Herb, the Extraordinary Chrysanthemum, and the Starry Spirit Pearl.

The Primordial Immortal Herb is entirely of a chaotic color, and its leaves... It bore neither flowers nor fruit, appearing ordinary, yet it exuded a primordial aura that encompassed all things. The Qirong Tongtian Chrysanthemum shimmered with golden light, its petals layered upon each other, each one as if crafted from pure gold, while golden mist emanated from its stamen. The Xingluo Spirit Pearl, on the other hand, was a fist-sized, completely transparent bead, within which a river of stars flowed, as if sealing an entire night sky.

"Three immortal herbs, three kinds of destiny." Lu Ming muttered to himself, his gaze lingering on the Primordial Immortal Herb for a moment.

His current cultivation level is Soul Saint, level 74. He has successively consumed Fiery Apricot Pepper Dew, Eight-Cornered Mystic Ice Grass, and Autumn Water Dew of the River of Oblivion, resulting in a qualitative leap in both his physical body and spiritual power. However, the effects of these three immortal herbs are different—the Primordial Chaos Immortal Grass consolidates his foundation and tempers his soul power; the Myriad Treasures Sky-Piercing Chrysanthemum creates an indestructible body; and the Star Luo Spirit Pearl grants him the ability to absorb the power of stars.

Each one of these plants, taken individually, is a treasure that could make even a titled Douluo fight tooth and nail. Taking all three together carries a risk of adverse effects, no less than that of combining the Fiery Apricot Pepper with the Eight-Starred Mystic Ice Grass.

But he has a Tai Chi diagram.

When Yin and Yang are in harmony and the Five Elements are in their proper places, all laws cannot invade.

"Take the Primordial Immortal Herb first."

Lu Ming put the chaotic-colored immortal herb into his mouth, chewed it a few times, and swallowed it. The medicinal power of the Primordial Immortal Herb was not as violent as the Fiery Apricot Pepper Grass, nor as sharp as the Eight-Cornered Mysterious Ice Grass, but rather an extremely heavy "pressure".

It was as if an invisible mountain had descended from the sky, pressing down on his dantian, slowing down the circulation of his Northern Darkness True Qi by thirty percent. But this pressure was not destructive; rather, it was like a blacksmith forging iron, hammering away, breaking down, and expelling the impurities in his True Qi.

Lu Ming's forehead veins bulged slightly, but he didn't utter a sound. The Tai Chi diagram flew out from the Baihui acupoint, hovering above his head and slowly rotating. The Yin and Yang energies circulated in his meridians like swimming fish, repeatedly refining each strand of true energy in conjunction with the medicinal power of the Hunyuan Immortal Herb.

Within his dantian, the color of the Northern Darkness True Qi grew increasingly pure. The impure aura remaining from absorbing the soul ring was gradually squeezed out, transforming into gray mist that was expelled from his pores. The True Qi became increasingly condensed, as if it had transformed from cotton into iron filings, each strand three times heavier than before.

Three hours later, the medicinal power of the Primordial Immortal Herb completely merged into his dantian. His soul power level did not increase, but the quality of his true qi underwent a tremendous change. If his true qi was a sharpened steel knife before, then it was now a hundred-times-forged steel—the same volume, but at least 30% more powerful.

Lu Ming stretched his limbs and felt an unprecedented sense of solidity in his true energy. He nodded in satisfaction, "The difference in the quality of true energy cannot be made up for by quantity."

He didn't rest for long before turning his attention to the second miraculous herb—the Qirong Tongtian Chrysanthemum.

This immortal herb is said to grant one an indestructible body when consumed. Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan was able to secure a place among the Super Douluo precisely because of his Qirong Tongtian Chrysanthemum martial soul. However, he lacked the method to open his eight extraordinary meridians, preventing him from fully unleashing the true power of the Qirong Tongtian Chrysanthemum.

And Lu Ming just happened to have it.

He broke off the golden chrysanthemum petals one by one and put them in his mouth. The petals melted in his mouth.

It transformed into a scorching golden torrent that surged down his throat and into his limbs and bones.

pain.

It is even more intense than the blazing fire of apricot and pepper.

The Fiery Pepper Soup is the pain of being burned alive, while the Extraordinary Chrysanthemum is the pain of being forged through countless trials. The golden medicinal power, like an invisible forging hammer, began to strike every inch of his bones from head to toe. With each strike, the bones creaked and groaned, as if they might shatter at any moment, but the next second, nourished by the medicinal power, they would heal again, becoming denser and harder.

A faint golden light appeared on Lu Ming's body. The golden light appeared and disappeared under his skin, like golden snakes swimming inside his body. He could feel that the medicinal power of the Qirong Tongtian Chrysanthemum was opening up the most subtle meridians in his body—those branch meridians and extremities that even the Beiming Divine Art had not touched.

one day one Night.

As the last wisp of the medicinal power of the Qirong Tongtian Chrysanthemum was absorbed, the golden light on Lu Ming's body slowly faded, and he returned to his original appearance of fair skin and well-proportioned muscles. But beneath this seemingly ordinary exterior, his bones, meridians, and flesh had reached a completely new level.

In terms of pure physical defense, even if he stood still and let an ordinary Soul Saint attack him, they might not be able to break through his skin.

"There's one last one—the Star Luo Spirit Pearl."

Lu Ming picked up the immortal herb with the transparent bead and aimed it at a sliver of moonlight filtering through the mine ceiling. Within the bead, a galaxy swirled, countless tiny starlight shimmering within. This immortal herb was completely different from the previous three—it didn't directly enhance cultivation or strengthen the physical body, but instead granted the user the ability to absorb the power of the stars.

The soul power in Douluo Continent essentially originates from the primordial energy of heaven and earth. The power of stars is also a type of primordial energy, but ordinary people simply don't know how to absorb it.

He put the Starry Sky Pearl into his mouth. The moment the pearl touched his saliva, it turned into a cool liquid and slid into his stomach. There was no pain, no shock, only a starry sky slowly unfolding within his dantian.

He could "see" it: in the center of his dantian, the Star Luo Spirit Pearl had transformed into a swirling nebula, hovering right in the center of his dantian. The light of the nebula was not intense, but it had a timeless, immortal quality, clearly distinct from the surrounding Northern Darkness True Qi, yet subtly resonating with it.

Lu Ming tried to circulate his true energy to touch the nebula. The moment he touched it, an energy several times purer than ordinary天地元气 (heaven and earth energy) surged out from the nebula, merging into his true energy and propelling it to circulate at an even faster speed.

"It has increased by at least 50%." A hint of surprise flashed in Lu Ming's eyes. "Moreover... the nebula itself is absorbing the power of the stars. Although the speed is very slow, it is increasing every moment."

This means that his cultivation speed will be permanently increased by 50%, and this increase will also grow as the nebula grows.

All three immortal herbs have been refined.

He clenched his fist, feeling the surging, almost explosive power coursing through his body. The Primordial Immortal Herb purified his true energy, the Extraordinary Chrysanthemum forged his body, and the Starry Spirit Pearl granted him the ability to devour the power of stars. Combined with the previously consumed Fiery Apricot Pepper, Eight-Cornered Mysterious Ice Grass, and Forgetful River Autumn Water Dew—which tempered his body with ice and fire, amplified his spirit, solidified his foundation, made his physical body indestructible, and granted him the power of stars—the effects of the six immortal herbs formed a perfect closed loop within his body.