Chapter 216: 199 Drugs, Part 1

Return to the cave dwelling.

Chui Xi had already left, and Zhang Rongfang closed the door alone, looking at the various arrangements inside the cave dwelling.

The massive pill furnace still retained the residual warmth from the earlier demonstration of alchemy.

The air also held a faint, choking alchemical smoke.

He placed the herb packet he was holding under the wooden rack and took out the freshly copied pill recipe.

Recalling the words he had heard just now.

’Yunwu Manor… The Eastern Sect is ultimately on the decline….’

Initially, when he witnessed the Celestial Maiden rampantly running through Tan Yang City with him, he felt such dominance wouldn’t last.

He just hadn’t expected that in such a short time, everything would change.

Outside the cave dwelling, the sound of Daoists passing by with their disciples was audible from time to time.

The footsteps and the sound of moving heavy ore startled him out of his reverie.

Looking at the pill recipe in his hand, Zhang Rongfang sighed.

’Never mind, let’s proceed with alchemy. It seems that the future will only reveal itself step by step.’

He quickly took the herbs out, organizing and processing them one by one.

Many herbs required immediate use; they needed to be prepared in advance.

After a busy spell, the sky outside gradually darkened.

Nearing ten o’clock at night, Zhang Rongfang finally finished processing all the herbs.

This was only possible because some of the herbs had been prepared in advance.

For instance, a herb called Yu Mountain needed to be washed, dried, and wind-dried for a month.

If it hadn’t been prepared beforehand, he wouldn’t have been able to use it right now.

These needed to be handled by the pharmacy staff in advance.

Zhang Rongfang looked at the two pill recipes in his hand, one for Unyielding Powder and the other for Guanyang Pill.

He first chose Unyielding Powder, as this powder-form medicine is generally easier to absorb and appears simpler in terms of alchemical methods.

’But before that….’

Stopping, Zhang Rongfang closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and silently opened the attribute panel.

’Zhang Rongfang — Life 48-48.

Martial Skills:

Rejuvenation Purification Talisman Manual – Sixth Grade.

Leg Technique – Third Grade.

Fist, Palm, Claw: First Grade.

Limit-Breaking Skill: Shrinking Step, Heavy Mountain, Songyun.

Extreme State: Critical.

Cultivation of Literature:

Supreme Bright Void Skill (Fifth Realm – Nascent Soul Mid-Stage).

Alchemy (Basic).

Available Attributes: 1.’

“Begin…”

Without hesitation, he directly allocated the newly acquired attribute point to alchemy.

Hiss.

The alchemy row quickly blurred, disappeared, and the bracketed word ’Basic’ flashed, reappearing with new words.

’Alchemy (Mastery)’.

In an instant, numerous common alchemy knowledge, universal experiences, and standard alchemical methods flooded into Zhang Rongfang’s mind.

In his mind, all the alchemical knowledge he had learned rapidly became proficient, mastered.

In his memory, the feeling of desperately practicing alchemy for three years day and night emerged.

Various pill recipes, techniques, pill collection methods, fire-handling techniques that ordinary alchemists must master were all, in this moment, from unfamiliarity to proficiency, to complete mastery.

After several minutes.

Zhang Rongfang slowly opened his eyes and sighed.

’Indeed…. The essence of this attribute panel actually should be considered a sort of extreme short-term experience increase.’

’Its essence is still based on all the memories in my mind.

It only directly enhances projection when I know the direction I will take in the future and have a general direction.

Before that, if there is any wrong direction in the future, or if the path is altogether untenable, it could likely result in being unable to add points.’

He was gradually understanding the function of attributes.

’Enough thinking, let’s begin directly!’

At once, he swiftly lit the fire and threw the various ores into the pill furnace.

The timing and sequence for adding herbs must be carefully managed.

Even slight deviation could lead to alchemy failure.

In the process, some herbs required purification, some needed to be crushed into powder, and others required boiling into decoctions, which must be done step by step.

Thus, crafting a genuine pill takes quite a while.

“Luckily, Unyielding Powder doesn’t have many troublesome handling steps. Only the crushing into fine powder requires some effort and time.”

Zhang Rongfang placed several herbs needing crushing into the medicine jar and picked up the hard pestle.

“But that’s okay, I can’t speed up other processes, except this one….”

Since Master Chongxuan already knew his true strength, he didn’t bother hiding deliberately.

At once.

Bang bang bang bang!!

Instantly, Zhang Rongfang’s arm vibrated like a grinder, exceeding Ninth Grade speed, almost creating afterimages.

Under continuous and steady pressure, the herbs in the medicine jar swiftly turned into fine powder.

A minute later, Zhang Rongfang stopped his motion, satisfied with the evenly fine powder-like herbs inside.

Then he began to increase the fire and added a large amount of coal blocks.

*

*

*

Outside Great Capital, within a certain stretch of mountain range.

No one knew that the headquarters of the Golden Wing Pavilion was located deep within this unknown mountain range.

Not on the mountain peaks, not underground, but inside the mountain body.

In the dead of night, figures clothed in white moved elegantly, swiftly through the mountains.

Before long, these individuals arrived at the mouth of a dark cave and stopped.

The leader was a woman with a graceful figure, long hair falling to her waist, holding a black weapon resembling a trident.

“Wait here, I’ll be back soon,”

She said to the many subordinates behind her.

“Yes,”

The rest of the white-clad individuals responded one after another.

The woman lifted her head, revealing a fair, soft face.

Under the moonlight, the black coral antler hair accessory on her head reflected a crystal-clear luster.

This person was none other than Chongming who had just left the city and returned here.

She glanced at the black cave before her.

The cave entrance was more than ten meters high, and standing at the entrance, one could feel the cold breeze blowing from inside.

At that moment, she tapped her toes, floating like a bird, landing inside the cave.

In the darkness, the cave walls were lined with large patches of faint blue fluorescent moss, serving as the only source of light.

After delving deeper for about a few minutes, Chongming slowly decelerated, arriving in front of a rock wall, and banged her hand upon it repeatedly.

Buzz….

After a slight tremor, the rock wall moved to the left, revealing a brightly lit stone hall with fire basins burning inside.

She stepped in without hesitation, and the rock wall automatically closed behind her.

The stone hall was remarkably simple, besides a few fire basins and sets of tables and chairs, a large amount of grain, oil, firewood, and coal were piled in the corner.

The entire stone hall was square and quite spacious.

As soon as Chongming entered, she saw that someone was already inside.

However, that person stood in the shadows, avoiding the firelight to illuminate his body.

“Did you arrive first?” Chongming asked softly.

“Hmm…I went late for matters at Yunwu Manor…” The person in the shadows responded in a deep voice.

“Actually, even if we had gone, nothing would have changed…” Chongming was silent for a moment before speaking out.

“There were too many adversaries going there….And also….”

“Next, we should prepare as well. The Great Brightness Temple has already quietly scattered its top leaders and sent them out of the Great Capital.

The situation is set now, the trend is over.” The shadowed figure sighed.

“Prepare…Even if one leaves this world, where could we go?” Chongming sighed.

“There are still many people naive and uninformed, I cannot abandon them.”

“You intend to arrange for them to leave together?”

“Yes. The death squads at Yunwu Manor are almost wiped out, if the Spirit Envoy encounters an incident…. There might not even be a chance for a comeback in the future.” Chongming replied.

Her eyes lowered, for a moment she seemed to recall something.

“Enough, you called me here, was it for this? What are your plans?”

“My plans…” The person in the shadows slowly stepped out, revealing a majestic square-faced appearance.

It was none other than Cheng Hui, the Chief of the Golden Wing Pavilion, known for being the Golden Roc!

“I plan to find Zen Master Wuxin. Even if His Majesty is ruthless, he wouldn’t go as far as to act against his own teacher completely.

Ultimately, he will leave some dignity. Therefore, the Great Brightness Temple will not undergo major changes.” Cheng Hui stated earnestly.

“Thinking back to those years, the whole Great Capital was designed and constructed under the personal command of the Sect Leader, now…

Perhaps the Sect Leader never imagined that the metropolis would become our tomb…”

Cheng Hui looked downcast, taking a letter from his sleeve and throwing it forward.

“What’s this?” Chongming reached out to catch the letter. She asked doubtfully.

“A letter left to us by the Princess.” Cheng Hui replied.

Chongming was silent, tearing open the envelope and withdrawing the letter inside.

To her surprise, the paper was blank, without a single word.

“How is there not a word?” She seemed to smell a faint aroma as she was startled.

“No! This is…Thousand Pine Bewilderment!! You!!” Chongming immediately held her breath, but it was too late.

She never dreamed that she would be poisoned by her own pavilion’s toxic trap inside the headquarters of the Golden Wing Pavilion.

“What’s happening? Chongming?” Cheng Hui was also stunned upon seeing this, seemingly completely unaware of what was happening.

He saw Chongming falter, swaying unsteadily and almost unable to stand.

He then quickly approached, reaching out to assist her.

“Don’t come over, the letter has….”

Chongming urgently reminded, but….

Hiss!!

In an instant, a piercing sound like an eagle’s screech broke through the air.

An incredibly sturdy iron claw viciously seized her white neck.

Crack!

Cheng Hui lowered his head, avoiding looking at the other’s face.

He exerted his force, and the power belonging to the Golden Roc Secret Record and Profound Shadow Iron Hand Skill exploded instantly with a terrifying grip.

“I’m sorry….”

Cheng Hui said softly.

“I don’t want to either…..But….this is how the world is.”

He could feel a lot of blood, thick and warm, pouring from between his fingers, sliding down the edge of his palm.

The smell of blood mixed with the fragrance from Chongming transformed into a bizarre, strange scent.

And two soft hands, feebly clasping onto his, tried to break free from the fingers’ intrusion.

But to no avail.

The poison and difference in strength rendered Chongming helpless, desperately staring at Cheng Hui who stood before her.

Whoosh!!

In an instant, Cheng Hui released his grip, and a flash of a curved blade.

The stone hall’s firelight flickered, and in the shadows of the stone wall, a vague form rose in the air, then gurgled to the ground.

Chongming’s remaining body fell to the ground powerless, lying down, losing all signs of life.

*

*

*

A sleepless night.

Zhang Rongfang sat upright in front of the pill furnace, his body sweat dried several times, already forming salt particles.

But his gaze was incredibly relieved.

“Finally…it’s done!”

The alchemy skill elevated to mastery stage progressed unexpectedly swiftly, successfully refining the One Disperse Powder.

Looking at the gray powder freshly out of the furnace.

This was what was called One Disperse Powder.

He extended his finger, touched some, and tasted it.

A sour, bitter taste entered his mouth.

“Exactly as recorded in the pill formula! Color, scent, taste, texture, all identical! Seems like it was a success!”

Right then, without any hesitation, he followed the pill formula’s instructions, using a wooden spoon to take a dose for ingestion with water.

“Three times a day, each portion the size of an egg, continuous intake for a month must be followed by a week’s pause. This should be enough for a month.”

He calculated the quantity, carefully stored the One Disperse Powder.

Next came cleaning up the pill furnace cave dwelling.

Despite staying up all night, with his current physical qualities, it hardly mattered. Still, he remained full of energy.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep