"Excellent, this many medicinal ingredients should be enough." In the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, Zhu Ziyang looked at the medicinal ingredients he had painstakingly gathered with satisfaction, muttering to himself happily.
At the same time, on the other side of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, Huo Yuhao had already obtained the contingency left by Sea God Tang San from the Qiluo Youxiang Immortal Plant—a book titled "Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record."
"Senior Brother!" Huo Yuhao walked to Zhu Ziyang's side with a hint of disdain on his face, handing the book in his hand to Zhu Ziyang. Clearly, he didn't want this book; he thought Zhu Ziyang needed it, so he unhesitatingly offered to give it to him.
Zhu Ziyang was startled and subconsciously took the "Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record." He immediately sensed a trace of divine force attached to the book, originating from the same source as the divine force on the jade token Mu En had given him—clearly, it was Sea God's divine force. A cold smile appeared on his face. Sure enough, it was impossible for Sea God to leave a book in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well for no reason; his divine force was the key.
In Sea God's foresight, Huo Yuhao would inevitably enter the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well due to certain events, and then he would obtain this book from the Qiluo Youxiang Immortal Plant. The content of the book was not the key; the crucial part was the trace of divine force attached to the book, which was highly likely to influence Huo Yuhao's mind!
This was not alarmist talk but a fact, because Zhu Zi Yang sensed that the divine force attached to the "Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record" was not ordinary divine force, but a special divine force containing a 'Word Spirit.' A Word Spirit is the feedback given by a deity to believers after receiving the power of faith, a kind of psychological suggestion, proving that the deity is always watching you.
Normally, a Word Spirit has no effect on non-believers, but its trouble lies in being a subtle psychological suggestion. It's like having a voice constantly whispering something in your ear; it might not have an immediate effect, but over time, even just five years, you will unconsciously accept it.
Generally, this kind of Word Spirit works best on emotionally unstable people, especially those who have experienced sudden drastic changes and despair in life. Such a Word Spirit can quickly turn them into loyal followers of a god.
Considering Huo Yuhao's experiences, Zhu Ziyang had reason to believe that this was a well-planned scheme by Sea God Tang San. If not for his intervention, Huo Yuhao might have already fallen into the trap Sea God had designed. Suddenly, Zhu Ziyang understood why Sea God wanted to kill him.
It must be said that Sea God truly paid a great price for Huo Yuhao. His act of secretly casting a Word Spirit on non-believers, if discovered, could lead to the deprivation of his right to collect the power of faith from the Douluo Continent!
"Aren't you curious about the contents of this book?" Zhu Ziyang thought a lot, but his hands didn't stop. He directly took the "Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record" and then asked Huo Yuhao.
"Curious," Huo Yuhao nodded honestly, a hint of disgust on his face. He said, "But as soon as I think that this book was left by Sea God, my heart fills with anger. I wish I could tear it to shreds!"
"Uh! Alright!" Zhu Ziyang hadn't expected Huo Yuhao to think this way; he was a bit surprised but also understood. So he said with a smile, "Alright then, I'll keep it for now. When we return to the academy, you and Tang Ya can discuss what to do with this book. After all, it's still something from your Tang Sect!"
"Alright!" Huo Yuhao heard this and nodded somewhat reluctantly, saying.
"Okay, go pick some Spirit herbs for Tang Ya and the others, and then we can return to the academy," Zhu Ziyang said with a smile.
"Mm-hmm!" Huo Yuhao finally smiled upon hearing this. He had just absorbed an Immortal Herb called the 'Autumn Water Dew of Penetrating Gaze' and gained a lot. Now, hearing Zhu Ziyang's words, he was naturally very happy.
Huo Yuhao turned to select Immortal Herbs, while Zhu Ziyang put the "Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record" into the Saint Law Demiplane, entrusting it to Electrolux for safekeeping, just like the jade token. Afterward, he walked towards the Qiluo Youxiang Immortal Plant.
"W-what do you want to do?" The Qiluo Youxiang Immortal Plant saw Zhu Ziyang approaching and immediately recoiled in fear. However, being a plant, even with all its effort, it could only move within a small area around its roots, unable to hide far away.
"Hmph hmph!" Zhu Ziyang's face showed a cold smile as he said, "I'll give you two choices: either you come with me willingly, and I won't harm your roots, or I will directly uproot you!"
"No, no! You can't do this to me!" The Qiluo Youxiang Immortal Plant immediately shrieked in protest.
"Hmph!" Zhu Ziyang snorted coldly, and his terrifying aura instantly silenced the Qiluo Youxiang Immortal Plant, leaving it speechless. "You have no other choice! Hurry up, my patience is limited!"
"I, I, I'll go with you!" The Qiluo Youxiang Immortal Plant finally made its choice. Compared to being uprooted and losing all possibility of rebirth, its own life and death were insignificant. It clearly understood what was more important.
"Very good, you made the right choice!" Zhu Ziyang smiled and said, "Don't worry, I won't actually kill you. I'm just moving you to a different place."
With that, Zhu Ziyang took out a pre-prepared jade box, opened it, and placed it in front of the Qiluo Youxiang Immortal Plant, gesturing for it to enter.
"I imagine that as a 100,000-Year Soul Beast, your vitality should be enough to ensure your survival for a period after leaving your roots, right?" Zhu Ziyang asked.
"Half a year at most!" The Qiluo Youxiang Immortal Plant, having obediently detached from its roots and settled into the jade box, said with a lifeless tone, "I hope you keep your promise and find me a new place soon."
"Don't worry, I will," Zhu Ziyang said indifferently, then directly closed the jade box and put it into his star flame ring.
Moments later, Huo Yuhao had also selected seven Immortal Herbs. Zhu Ziyang was surprised because he thought that among the seven Immortal Herbs Huo Yuhao chose, there would be one for Wang Dong'er. However, Huo Yuhao himself told Zhu Ziyang who each Immortal Herb was for, and regrettably, there was none for Wang Dong'er.
Clearly, although Huo Yuhao hadn't explicitly said it, his feelings for Wang Dong could no longer return to how they were before due to Xiao Xiao's situation. It was just unclear whether their Spirit fusion skill could still be performed.
The two left the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well and returned to the academy.
When they returned to the academy, they coincidentally met Wang Dong'er at the academy gate. It seemed she had just returned from outside as well.
"Yu Hao, Senior Brother!" Wang Dong'er saw Zhu Ziyang and Huo Yuhao, a pleasant surprise appearing on her face, and immediately walked towards them.
"Dong'er." A smile appeared on Huo Yuhao's face, though it was somewhat forced. In fact, Huo Yuhao knew that Xiao Xiao's situation had little to do with Wang Dong'er, but for some reason, he could never forget the scene of Wang Dong'er appearing before him carrying Xiao Xiao. Perhaps he shouldn't have been so indecisive.
"Dong'er, did you just come back from home?" Zhu Ziyang asked with a smile.
"Mm." Wang Dong'er nodded, the smile on her pretty face unwavering, though there was an added plea in her eyes as she looked at Huo Yuhao. She said, "I saw Yu Hao protecting Xiao Xiao with ice. Coincidentally, I have a Profound Ice Bed at home, which should be beneficial for Xiao Xiao, so I brought it. Yu Hao, here, for you."
Wang Dong'er handed Huo Yuhao a spirit tool ring. Even through the spirit tool, Zhu Ziyang could feel the chill emanating from it, clearly indicating that the Profound Ice Bed Wang Dong'er mentioned was definitely a rare treasure.
"This…" Huo Yuhao's face showed a hint of struggle upon hearing this. He instinctively wanted to refuse Wang Dong'er, as he didn't want to be overly entangled with her; it was better for them to be ordinary friends. But when he heard that the Profound Ice Bed would be beneficial for Xiao Xiao, and saw the hint of pleading and entreaty in Wang Dong'er's eyes, his heart still ached, and he said, "Alright, thank you, Dong'er."
Huo Yuhao took Wang Dong'er's spirit tool ring, his movements cautious, as if he was very reluctant to touch Wang Dong'er's hand. Then he bid farewell to the two and left directly.
Watching Huo Yuhao's retreating figure, Wang Dong'er's face showed a tragic, bitter smile. She now hated Qiankun Questioning Valley to death. She hadn't even minded sharing Yu Hao with Xiao Xiao; she, Huo Yuhao, and Xiao Xiao had gotten along very well before. But because of that meddling Qiankun Questioning Valley, everything she had hoped for was shattered!
Now, she probably could never enter Huo Yuhao's heart again. Thinking of this, Wang Dong'er's heart twisted in pain, because ever since coming out of Qiankun Questioning Valley, the Haodong power she and Huo Yuhao had been so proud of had disappeared. The connection between her and Huo Yuhao's Spirits had also been severed. She knew this was because Huo Yuhao's heart had closed off to her.
She really hated it so much!
"Senior Brother, do you think Yu Hao and I can never go back to how we were?" Wang Dong's voice was filled with dead silence and despair as she asked.
"Actually, not necessarily." Zhu Ziyang sighed in his heart upon hearing Wang Dong'er's words. Speaking of which, his junior sister was also a pitiful person, after all, she was also an innocent person who was schemed against. He began to advise her, "The tragedy between you two was not caused by you, but by the god who toys with human emotions. If you want to reconcile with Yu Hao, then work hard on your cultivation, and strive to be able to lend him a hand when he faces the gods!"
"Really?" A glimmer of light appeared in Wang Dong'er's eyes, like someone grasping a lifeline. She stared intently at Zhu Ziyang, her voice trembling as she asked.
"Really!" Zhu Ziyang nodded with utmost seriousness, saying.
"I understand!" Wang Dong'er, having received Zhu Ziyang's affirmation, felt a spark of life ignite in her somewhat desolate heart. She immediately became full of drive, exclaiming, "I will definitely cultivate diligently!"
With that, Wang Dong'er also ran towards the academy, leaving Zhu Ziyang standing in place, a look of inexplicable regret on his face. How to put it, his junior sister might be a bit too obsessed with romance. Despite the many questionable points in his words just now, she didn't even question them and simply believed him. This felt a bit absurd.
"Sigh, never mind. How far they can go depends on fate; it has nothing to do with me." Zhu Ziyang sighed, and with a flicker of his figure, he instantly disappeared.
When Zhu Ziyang reappeared, he was already back in Tian Yuan Pavilion. After a brief preparation, he took out all the medicinal ingredients he had gathered from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, sorted them, and arranged them before him. Finally, he took out a large cauldron.
What Zhu Ziyang intended to do was already very clear. That's right, he was preparing to start refining pills. Ever since entering the Inner Courtyard, he had rarely refined pills because Old Zhuang was there, making it unnecessary for him to act. However, this didn't mean his pill refining skills had stagnated; on the contrary, he hadn't stopped his theoretical research on pill refining over the years.
Theoretically, his pill refining skills had already surpassed Old Zhuang's, but in practice, he hadn't tried it yet, so he couldn't be 100% sure. However, he imagined it shouldn't be weaker than his theoretical knowledge.
He confidently patted the pill furnace in front of him. This cauldron was a ninth-grade spirit tool, borrowed from Old Zhuang. Old Zhuang had no plans to refine pills recently, so he lent the cauldron to Zhu Ziyang. He wasn't worried about Zhu Ziyang damaging his cauldron, after all, as the Pavilion Master of Tian Yuan Pavilion, Zhu Ziyang wouldn't damage a subordinate's item without compensation, would he?
After preheating the pill furnace, Zhu Ziyang began to inspect the medicinal ingredients in front of him.
The elixir that could make him go to such great lengths was naturally not an ordinary one. In fact, this was a peerless treasure elixir called the Source Golden Pill, which Zhu Ziyang had found after scouring ancient texts in the library. It was said to be an elixir that could only be refined by combining eighty-one Spirit herbs and Immortal Herbs, possessing powerful effects such as bringing the dead back to life, regrowing flesh on white bones, transforming mortal marrow, and creating a divine physique.
Zhu Ziyang expressed skepticism about the book's description of the elixir's effects, but based on the refining method and required medicinal ingredients for the Source Golden Pill, he felt it was worth a try. If it failed, there was nothing to say, merely a waste of some medicinal ingredients. But if it succeeded, then it would be a huge profit.
No sooner said than done. With the pill furnace ready, Zhu Ziyang began refining according to the steps and techniques in the elixir formula.
The most difficult and complex step in refining the Source Golden Pill was the purification of the medicinal ingredients. The Source Golden Pill required eighty-one types of medicinal ingredients, each needing to be purified into an essential medicinal liquid. Generally, the higher the quality of the medicinal ingredient, the greater the difficulty of purification. The eighty-one medicinal ingredients for the Source Golden Pill were at least high-grade Spirit herbs, so the difficulty of purification was imaginable.
Zhu Ziyang spent three days, off and on, to purify all the medicinal ingredients into essences.
After all the medicinal ingredients were purified into essential liquids, the second step, fusion, could begin. This step involved very intricate techniques, as the order in which each essence was added was fixed, allowing no room for carelessness or oversight. Therefore, throughout this step, Zhu Ziyang's mind remained taut, without the slightest relaxation.
After approximately one day and one night, the fusion of the eighty-one medicinal essences was complete. A rich pill aroma had already permeated the entire Tian Yuan Pavilion. If not for the excellent isolation effect of Tian Yuan Pavilion, this pill aroma would probably have attracted many people.
Zhu Ziyang had no thought of relaxing. Instead, he pressed on, preparing to complete the third step, condensation, in one go.
His expression was incredibly serious. By changing the amount of spirit power injected into the pill furnace, he controlled the temperature of the furnace flame. After careful experimentation, he finally found the most suitable temperature for condensation. Maintaining this flame, he slowly controlled a small mass of medicinal liquid, gradually compressing it with the flame. Time passed quietly.
Approximately two days later, a muffled sound came from within the pill furnace, followed by a surge of white mist from the top of the furnace. The dense pill aroma had become visible to the naked eye. With every breath Zhu Ziyang took, he inhaled the elemental energy of heaven and earth, which had gathered in this place due to the refining of the Source Golden Pill, now so concentrated it was almost liquid.
"It's done!" A look of joy appeared on Zhu Ziyang's face, and his weary mind finally had a chance to relax. So, he didn't immediately open the furnace to inspect the pills. Instead, he directly sat cross-legged and entered a state of meditation.
He was too tired. For nearly a week, his mental state had been tense. Now he needed to rest and recover. Moreover, the entire room full of pill aroma and elemental energy of heaven and earth couldn't be wasted. It was better for him to absorb it naturally, which could even increase his cultivation by a few threads.
For Zhu Ziyang now, any opportunity to increase his cultivation was absolutely not to be wasted.