Chapter 109 - 108: Intermediate Mortal Alchemist
In Princess Fushou’s eyes, she had done nothing wrong. Yet Xia Wuyang and Yan Jiuge had used a minor issue as a pretext to put her in her place several times. It was a clear attempt to suppress her, so how could she not retaliate?
After Xia Wuyang was deposed, she thought her chance for vengeance had finally arrived. Over the years, she had caused no small amount of trouble for the Eastern Palace.
She remembered the Guard from the Eastern Palace, the one so loyal to his master, whom she had framed and left to die a miserable death in prison. She remembered the old Palace Maid who always protected Xia Wuyang; she hadn’t committed suicide, but had been pushed into a well on Fushou’s orders. There were also officials loyal to the Eastern Palace whom she had forced out of the Imperial Court...
Even so, her hatred was not sated. What did it matter if she paid them back several times over? As long as Xia Wuyang and Yan Jiuge were still alive, she would never let them go.
"What right do they have to be so lovey-dovey..." Princess Fushou seethed, grinding her teeth. "A deposed Crown Prince and a bitch. Still playing at true love at a time like this. That old bastard is on death’s door anyway; dealing with him would be too much trouble. Besides, living is more painful than dying for him right now, so we might as well let him live for now. But that bitch Yan Jiuge is a different story. If I let her leave the Imperial City alive, how could I ever show my face again?"
A vicious plan began to form in her mind, growing clearer and clearer.
Soon, she summoned a trusted Guard. "Go. Contact the Blood Tower. I want Yan Jiuge’s head."
"Yes, Your Highness." The Guard bowed.
Princess Fushou produced a blood-red Token. "Remember, I want it done cleanly. This is the Blood Tower’s signet. Go in person, and don’t tell anyone."
"Yes, Your Highness," the Guard nodded.
After a moment’s hesitation, Princess Fushou added in a cold voice, "Tell the Blood Tower that if possible, I want that bitch to be tortured to death. Don’t let her have a quick and easy end. For that, I’m willing to pay extra."
"Yes, Your Highness," the Guard nodded again.
After the Guard left, Princess Fushou stood before a mirror, staring at the face contorted by jealousy and hatred reflected within. Her eyes were filled with killing intent.
’Damned old bastard, damned bitch,’ she thought. ’I’d like to see just how deep your love runs. Once that bitch Yan Jiuge is dead, let’s see if you, you old bastard, can keep up this act.’
Moonlight streamed through the window lattice, stretching her shadow long across the floor. Within the Deep Palace, her decision tonight was about to unleash a new storm of blood. But as for who would fall in this storm, that remained to be seen.
At this moment, Xia Wuyang was completely unaware of this, as was Yan Jiuge. She had no idea that Princess Fushou was so vicious, cruel, and petty that she would still choose this moment to make a move against her.
Time always flew by when one was immersed in Cultivation. Before he knew it, another ten days had passed. Tonight, his Spiritual Power would increase again, reaching one hundred seventy points.
It had been nearly six months since he had awakened his Supreme Talent Seven-Aperture Exquisite. In just over five months, his Cultivation Realm had risen to its current level, he had mastered Alchemy, and he had even taught a lesson to quite a few of his enemies. Xia Wuyang was quite satisfied with his progress.
He wondered what level he could reach in a few more months. However, some people were already growing suspicious. They had originally thought the elder Crown Prince had only a few months left to live, but now, more than five months had passed, and he was still alive. He didn’t look like he was dying anytime soon.
Fortunately, when Princess Xiang Yun left, she had given him some Monkey Wine, which had life-extending properties. This gift served as a plausible explanation, preventing the outside world from becoming too suspicious.
But if he was still like this in about a year, he feared someone would be unable to resist taking action.
The time he had left was dwindling, and he could not afford to waste a single moment.
That was why, even for a skill as crucial as Alchemy, he didn’t dare spend too much time and energy on it. After all, what use was Alchemy if he was dead? Right now, his Cultivation and raw power were the priority.
After these past few days of consolidation and adaptation, his Cultivation Foundation had nearly stabilized, and he had mostly grown accustomed to his newfound power. It wouldn’t be long before he could consume the Vermilion Fruit, allowing his Cultivation Realm to soar once more.
This time, reaching the First Grade was a real possibility!
Late at night, in the Practice Room of Wenhua Hall, Xia Wuyang was organizing the insights he had gained about Alchemy during this time.
After days of steady consolidation and practice, he could now refine all sorts of basic elixirs and Low Level Mortal Pills. His skills as a Low Level Mortal Alchemist had stabilized.
’The hierarchy of herbs, the switch between Martial and Mild Fire...’ He summarized the key points of Alchemy. ’Medical principles and the Alchemy Dao complement one another, advancing hand in hand.’
Just as he was immersed in his contemplation of Alchemy, a new day dawned.
Spirit +1!
His Spiritual Power reached one hundred seventy points, breaking through another small bottleneck. A wave of clarity washed over his Sea of Consciousness.
Xia Wuyang entered that mysterious state once more. This time, his epiphany was still focused on the Alchemy Dao.
The hierarchical combinations of ingredients for different elixirs... the characteristics and uses of various Pill Furnaces... the subtle changes in fire control... grasping the timing of Pill Formation... judging Elixir Quality... the connections within the body of alchemical knowledge... practical application and techniques...
At that moment, all the essentials of the Middle-Low Level Mortal Alchemist realm from the Herbal Tomb unfolded before him like a scroll, every detail crystal clear.
A sudden inspiration struck Xia Wuyang. He took out more rare medicinal herbs. In his perception, it was as if these herbs now had lives of their own.
’A centennial ginseng, a Qi Replenishing Holy Medicine. Its ’dry’ nature needs to be restrained...’
’A snow mountain reishi, excellent for nourishing Yin, but it needs to be paired with something that warms Yang...’
’Dragon’s blood is potent for dispelling stasis, so it must be assisted by the gentle Danggui...’
At this moment, he could not only follow a fixed Pill Formula but could also make simple improvements and adjustments based on the properties of the herbs and the physical condition of the person taking the elixir. Such was the power of an epiphany.
An unknown amount of time passed. When he felt his grasp of both medical arts and Alchemy had reached the level of an Intermediate Mortal Alchemist, he began to put it into practice.
This time, he was going to refine a Middle Level Mortal Pill: the Body Tempering Pill. It was one of the elixirs frequently consumed by Martial Artists of the Middle Three Grades, capable of tempering and enhancing their Qi Blood. Its refining difficulty was several times that of the Blood Replenishing Pill.
He took out his Pill Furnace, processed the various medicinal herbs, lit the furnace fire, and began the official refining process.
’The Iron-skinned Stone Tentacle is the monarch herb; its properties must be activated with Martial Fire...’
’Ox bezoar is the minister herb and must be melted slowly with Mild Fire...’
’Sanqi is the assistant herb and must be added at the critical moment...’
...
Under the influence of his epiphany and incredibly high Spiritual Power, and assisted by his Companion Talent, the Mental Force Field, Xia Wuyang’s technique was masterful. Every step was executed with flawless precision, with almost no errors.
Under his control, the medicinal ingredients inside the Pill Furnace fused together smoothly, releasing a rich, fragrant aroma.
Soon, with a humming sound from within the Pill Furnace, this refining session came to a close.