Druid Immortal Clan

Elder Zhao looked at the radiant pill in the jade bottle, brought it to his nose for a light sniff, and felt an overwhelming surge of life energy wash over him, bringing immense comfort.

"What an excellent pill! Using poison to counter poison, breaking down to rebuild! Then using seven pure yang spirit materials to consolidate the foundation and restore vitality! Brilliant!"

The look he gave Li Mengze could no longer be described as mere appreciation.

"Come! Follow me!"

Elder Zhao could no longer contain himself. He grabbed Li Mengze's hand and hurriedly rushed toward the prince's residence.

..........

Prince Yong's Residence.

Once so majestic and imposing, it was now shrouded in an inescapable aura of death.

The maids and servants inside all wore sorrowful expressions, walking on tiptoe for fear of disturbing the old prince lying ill in bed.

The steward was a pale, beardless old eunuch. Seeing Elder Zhao, he quickly bowed in greeting and led the two through multiple corridors, finally stopping before a secluded bedchamber. "Elder Zhao, as you know, His Highness... his temper isn't good, especially in recent years, it's become... ah."

The old eunuch sighed, hesitating to speak further. "The attendants inside get replaced three times a day. Please... bear with him."

Elder Zhao nodded, signaling him to say no more, then turned to Li Mengze. "Go in. Remember, no matter the outcome, just do your best. If anything happens, I'll take responsibility for you."

Li Mengze felt warmth in his heart. He respectfully bowed to his master, took a deep breath, and followed Zhao Wuji through the heavy chamber doors.

Inside the residence, the medicinal smell was so thick it almost felt tangible.

The light was dim, windows covered with heavy curtains, the air thick with a decaying scent.

On the small sandalwood bed in the center lay an emaciated figure. If not for the faint rise and fall of his chest, one might mistake him for a corpse.

That was Li Mengze, the man who had expanded the territories of the Great Yu Dynasty and achieved glorious military exploits.

"Your Highness, Zhao Wuji from the Alchemy Pavilion is here with my newly accepted disciple to see you." An old steward bowed, his voice barely audible.

"No need."

Li Mengze didn't even lift his eyelids, his voice hoarse. "Pills? Just a bunch of braggarts and useless fools. Over the years, I've consumed more pills than they've seen medicinal herbs, but what good has it done? Still watching helplessly as my divine soul is slowly devoured by this damned poison miasma? Tell them to get lost, don't bother me."

He had long been worn down by the endless suffering, his heart turned cold and hopeless.

From initial hope to later disappointment, and now complete despair.

He had seen too many self-proclaimed "Alchemy Grandmasters" who made bold promises before him, only to end up shaking their heads and sighing before slinking away in shame.

This newcomer was probably just another young upstart trying to make a name for himself by treating me.

The old steward looked troubled and was about to withdraw when Zhao Wuji had already strode in boldly, his face showing some displeasure. "Old Prince, your temper is still as stubborn as when you were young! You won't even give me, Zhao Wuji, face?"

Li Mengze slowly opened his turbid eyes, glanced at Zhao Wuji, then looked at the youth behind him, his lips curling into a mocking smile.

"Oh? It's you, old fellow. What, brought some greenhorn here to try his luck? I advise you to save your effort, don't let your chief disciple's reputation get ruined here on the first day."

"Hmph, whether it's luck or not, we'll know after trying!" Zhao Wuji was full of confidence in his disciple.

Li Mengze calmly spoke. "The poison in Your Highness's body is called the 'Seven Absolute Corrupting Divine Miasma'. This poison doesn't reside in flesh and blood, nor in meridians, but directly invades the divine soul. It clings like maggots to bone, constantly consuming your vitality and soul power. Therefore, ordinary detoxification methods are like trying to stop boiling water by scooping it out, utterly useless."

For the first time, a ripple appeared in the old prince's well-like eyes.

This kid actually identified the root of this poison with one glance!

This wasn't something those old fools from the Alchemy Pavilion who only knew book learning could discern.

"Oh?" His voice carried a hint of scrutiny. "Continue."

"Your Highness," Li Mengze continued, "this junior's pill is not for detoxification either."

He opened the jade bottle, and a vast, overwhelming life energy instantly filled the entire bedchamber, even the dim air seeming to become fresher.

The pill flowing with seven-colored light lay quietly in the bottle, like a newborn sun, emitting a comforting warmth.

"This pill is called the 'Seven Treasures Soul-Firming Pill'," Li Mengze introduced. "It cannot cure the strange poison in your body, but it can consolidate your foundation. Using seven spirit materials containing heaven and earth's life energy, it repairs your damaged divine soul and stabilizes your dissipating vitality. Poison is like floodwaters, vitality like a dam. If the dam isn't solid, how can we release the flood? After Your Highness's divine soul is stabilized, this junior will slowly remove the poison roots for you, at least stabilizing your collapsing divine soul and extending your life by several years."

He didn't make extravagant claims, his tone sincere and confident.

"Oh? Quite the bold statement."

A trace of surprise flashed in Prince Yong's turbid eyes. This kid was certainly more composed than those previous fellows.

Using poison to counter poison, consolidating the foundation...

He had heard this principle countless times, but no one had ever explained it as thoroughly and directly to the heart as this young man before him.

More importantly, the pure life force emanating from that pill actually stirred a long-lost craving in his numb divine soul.

Perhaps... it's worth a try?

After all, I'm already a dying man, could it get any worse?

He hesitated for a moment, ultimately moved by those words "extending your life by several years."

He wasn't afraid of death.

But he couldn't let go of this vast family enterprise, couldn't let go of those incompetent descendants at his knees.

"Fine then, today I'll risk my life to accompany a gentleman, serving as your test subject once." He extended his hand. "Bring the pill."

Li Mengze complied and handed over the pill.

Prince Yong looked at the seven-colored glowing pill in his palm, a flash of amazement in his eyes. Without further hesitation, he swallowed the pill in one gulp.

The pill didn't transform into a warm current as he expected upon entering his throat. Instead, it felt like magma mixed with ice and fire, exploding violently within his dantian!

"Ugh!"

Prince Yong's withered body trembled violently, veins bulging on his face as he convulsed severely, as if enduring the pain of being sliced by a thousand knives.

A black-purple poisonous gas actually surged madly from all the pores throughout his body, corroding the surrounding wooden furniture with sizzling sounds.

"Protect His Highness!"

The old eunuch cried out in alarm. A group of guards instantly rushed in, weapons drawn, glaring angrily at Li Mengze and the other.

"All of you, stand down!" Fresh chapters posted on novᴇlfire.net

Zhao Wuji shouted sternly. "This is the medicinal power attacking the poison miasma, it's a good sign!"

Li Mengze said with a solemn expression, "Your Highness, concentrate your spirit and guard your essence. This is breaking down to rebuild. If you cannot maintain your core consciousness, not even gods can save you."

Prince Yong currently felt as if his divine soul was placed in a giant millstone, being repeatedly crushed and torn.

He recalled scenes from his youth on the battlefield, when he continued fighting desperately despite being hit by multiple arrows.

"I, who wasn't afraid of thousands of troops, should fear this mere pill?"

A fierce courage born from a soldier's iron will exploded from the depths of his heart!

Enduring the inhuman agony, he desperately guarded the last trace of clarity in his spiritual platform, allowing that domineering medicinal power to rampage through his body.

His originally turbid eyes gradually cleared, his pale paper-like complexion regained some color. His weak breathing became steady and powerful.

He slowly raised his hand, looking at his still thin but no longer trembling palm, feeling that long-lost sensation of strength within his body. For a moment, he was actually dazed.

"My poison..."

"It's cured?!"

Prince Yong abruptly stood up from his chair. His movement was so swift, there was no trace of a dying old man about him.

He stretched his limbs, feeling an unprecedented comfort throughout his body, as if a thousand-pound burden had been lifted.

"Hahaha! Cured! It's really cured!"

He laughed heartily, his loud laughter causing the windows in the entire study to vibrate.

The dignity and authority of a high-ranking official had returned to him.

"Good! Good! Excellent kid!"

He suddenly turned, grabbing Li Mengze's shoulders, his tiger-like eyes filled with excitement. "Your name is Li Mengze, right? From today onward, you are my life-saving benefactor! The most honored guest of my Prince Yong Residence! From now on, in this capital, anyone who dares touch a single hair on your head is making an enemy of me!"

With that, he untied a token from his waist made entirely of purple gold, carved with a fierce tiger totem, and shoved it into Li Mengze's hand.

"Carry this token, it represents my personal presence! Anywhere within the capital, even forbidden areas of the capital, you may go! Officials in the residence, you may mobilize!"

Zhao Wuji watched this scene, superficially just calmly stroking his beard with a "basic operation, no need to panic" calm demeanor, but inwardly he was already overjoyed.

............

The news that the royal clan's old prince had taken a pill and his condition greatly improved exploded throughout the capital overnight.

This time, no one dared question his ability anymore, no one dared gossip behind his back.

Inside the Alchemy Pavilion, those elders who had originally maintained a wait-and-see attitude toward Li Mengze completely lost their composure.

"Ah, I told you, Zhao Wuji's judgment couldn't possibly be wrong!"

"Yes, yes, this youth is so young yet has such alchemy accomplishments, truly the younger generation is to be feared, the younger generation is to be feared!"

"Come, come, let's go see him. Such an alchemy prodigy, we must properly befriend him!"

For a time, Li Mengze's alchemy chamber became bustling with visitors, gifts piling up like a mountain, forming a sharp contrast to the previous days when his door was deserted.

Meanwhile, the instigator Wei Linger, upon receiving the news, once again smashed her boudoir to pieces.

"Impossible! This is absolutely impossible!"

Her pretty face twisted, eyes filled with jealous flames. "He must have gotten lucky! Yes! That must be it!"

In Zhao Wuji's courtyard, he was leisurely sipping tea, listening to the various praises coming from outside, his face still wearing that ancient, unrippled calm expression.

But his slightly upturned lips and fingers lightly tapping the table betrayed his extremely pleased mood at this moment.

Hmph, a bunch of fair-weather old fellows. He thought proudly to himself.

Don't they see whose disciple this is! My chief disciple, could he be ordinary? What's a nine-pattern divine pill? What's curing an old prince? This is just the beginning! Just wait and see what's next!'

At the center of the storm, Li Mengze had quietly left the Alchemy Pavilion and come to the capital's largest library.

The old prince's appreciation had earned him privileges far exceeding his current status. Using this newly acquired network, he began cautiously investigating the matters his father had tasked him with.

"Blood Maple Forest"...

When he entered this place name, the jade slip he consulted displayed only a few brief words.

[Blood Maple Forest, forbidden area at the border of the Great Qian Dynasty, filled with soaring resentment, extremely ominous and dangerous, ordinary people should not enter.]

"It seems this information truly belongs to the royal family's top secrets, more sensitive than I imagined."

Li Mengze sat at the desk, looking at the fragmented clues he had compiled, his brow furrowed tightly.

He used Prince Yong's connections to indirectly inquire with some old-timers from the Alchemy Pavilion, but received only cryptic warnings.

"Mengze, some things are better unknown than known. Focus on refining your pills, don't touch things you shouldn't."

Li Mengze's brow tightened slightly. It seemed that to complete his father's task, relying solely on the title of Alchemy Pavilion's chief disciple was far from enough.

He needed to attain a higher status to gain access to this dynasty's most core secrets.

Time flew by, several months passed.

News exploded in the capital like summer thunder.

To celebrate the great victory at the border and display national prestige, the Great Yu Dynasty decided to hold in advance the once-every-few-years "Alchemy Grand Competition"!

Not only would all alchemy talents within the dynasty participate, but even several neighboring vassal states would send envoys to observe.

The ultimate winner of the competition would not only gain supreme glory and unimaginably vast resources but also receive a reward that drove all cultivators wild—entry into the royal family's deepest "Royal Secret Vault" to freely select three treasures and consult materials for three days!

Li Mengze looked at the announcement. This was the opportunity he had been searching for.