Refining the Mystic Water Pill (First Update)

Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

"This pill can cure the snake venom in my body?"

Dugu Bo held a bottle of pills in his hand and looked up at Huo Yuhao.

"No." Huo Yuhao gave a definite answer.

Dugu Bo:???

"Your snake venom stems from a flaw in your own martial soul. If you want to cure it at its root, you'll need to discard all your poison cultivation," Huo Yuhao said.

"So you're screwing with me?!" A cold gleam flashed in Dugu Bo's eyes as he prepared to tear up the agreement at any moment.

If he gave up his poison cultivation, less than one-tenth of his strength would remain. How could he possibly accept that?

"Although this pill can't directly solve the snake venom in your body, it can ease the pain when it flares up and reduce the frequency of the attacks. If you think I'm fooling you, then give the pill back." Huo Yuhao held out his palm.

But Dugu Bo had no intention of returning it.

"So, if I want to completely cure my granddaughter's snake venom, she'll need to give up her poison cultivation too?" Dugu Bo's eyes flickered as he calculated inwardly.

If she could no longer become a soul master, then the price would indeed be brutal.

Still, if it could save her life and free her from the snake venom in the future, it was worth considering.

"Her condition is even worse than yours. She was steeped in poisoned blood before she was even born; it has long since penetrated her bones and marrow. Forcing her to abandon her poison cultivation would be the same as taking her life," Huo Yuhao said calmly.

"What do you mean?!" A terrifying killing intent radiated from Dugu Bo.

First, he had said he could cure the snake venom afflicting both grandfather and granddaughter, which was why Dugu Bo had agreed to his conditions.

And now he was saying that curing it required abandoning their cultivation, possibly even at the cost of their lives?

"I know you're anxious, but don't be anxious yet." Huo Yuhao remained composed. "I told you already, this snake venom comes from the flaw in your martial soul. Even if you solve the snake venom plaguing your generation, won't your descendants still suffer from it?"

"Do you have a solution?" Dugu Bo hurriedly asked.

"Bring her here, and I'll have my own way of dealing with it. As for the snake venom in your body, this pill is enough to let you live out your old age in peace," Huo Yuhao said evenly.

Dugu Bo fell into deep thought.

Huo Yuhao turned and left, beginning to prepare the materials needed to refine the Mystic Water Pill.

Over the following days.

Huo Yuhao busied himself at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, preparing to refine the Mystic Water Pill.

Dugu Bo would constantly pass by from time to time, stealing all sorts of "casual" glances as he observed in secret.

He discovered that many of the herbs the kid used were things he neither recognized nor dared to use.

Earlier, he had noticed that some of the special herbs he had been keeping an eye on had disappeared from the medicinal garden.

For example, that tulip, the gold-thread Chrysanthemum, and the two poisonous plants at the center of the Ice and Fire springs.

Am I really that terrible when it comes to poison?

He could not help but fall into self-doubt.

Naturally, Dugu Bo's little movements over the past few days could not escape Huo Yuhao's notice.

Huo Yuhao made no effort to hide anything while gathering herbs and refining pills.

Go ahead and watch. If you manage to figure it out, I lose.

Late at night, beneath the cover of moonlight.

Dugu Bo quietly slipped out of his cave. After confirming that Huo Yuhao was sound asleep, he immediately gathered identical herbs from the medicinal garden.

Among the herbs he collected, he recognized only a small portion. Some were tonics, while others were highly poisonous plants.

Since that kid had dared to use poisonous herbs, he guessed that some of the herbs could neutralize the toxicity of the others.

With a trial-and-error mindset, he set up a cauldron in the cave, added fire to heat it, and added the herbs in the same order.

In the end, he successfully refined a batch of pills, their medicinal fragrance spreading through the air.

He picked up one of the round pills and studied it carefully before sniffing it, somewhat hesitant.

After hesitating for quite a while, Dugu Bo first prepared an antidote pill, then began testing the medicine on himself.

After swallowing it, he immediately followed it with an antidote pill.

Soon afterward, Dugu Bo felt unbearable spasms in his stomach and intestines. His entire body was wracked with stabbing pain as though he were being tortured. He collapsed on the spot, foam spilling from his mouth as he lost consciousness.

A long, narrow shadow appeared outside the cave.

Huo Yuhao was leaning against the entrance of the cave, watching Dugu Bo lie on the ground with foam at his mouth. He could not help but shake his head with a soft laugh.

Ah, still too young in the end.

Serves you right. You don't understand medicinal principles, yet you dared to play at copying?

Copying the pill formula and ingredients would have been bad enough, but you even dared to test it on yourself? You really don't know the meaning of death.

Huo Yuhao walked over, raised his hand, and patted Dugu Bo's face. He took out the antidote he had prepared earlier from his sleeve and stuffed it into Dugu Bo's mouth before turning to leave.

What? What if he chokes to death?

Then let him choke to death.

The next morning.

When Dugu Bo woke again, he found that his face was burning hot and swollen like a pig's head.

He did not know whether it was a side effect of testing the medicine or whether someone had beaten him.

Secretly copying someone else's pill refining had been his own doing, so now he could only grit his teeth and accept it.

When he left the cave, he deliberately wrapped a silk scarf around his neck, conveniently covering the lower half of his face.

The moment he got up, he saw Huo Yuhao brewing medicine again.

"Why are you wrapped up in that thing? Are you cold?" Huo Yuhao glanced at him, then turned his attention back to the pill cauldron.

Dugu Bo coughed a few times.

"I'm leaving for a few days. Don't you dare ruin my medicinal garden," Dugu Bo said.

He planned to bring his granddaughter here and see whether this kid truly had a way to resolve the flaw in her martial soul.

"Hey, let's be clear. This medicinal garden has already become mine," Huo Yuhao corrected.

"Have you helped me solve my snake venom?" Dugu Bo asked in return.

"That depends mainly on you. If you're willing, I can help you right now." Huo Yuhao did not even look up as he answered calmly.

Dugu Bo was so angered by him that he could not be bothered to respond. He immediately summoned his martial soul, the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor, and rode its phantom manifestation through the air, leaving the place.

Huo Yuhao watched him go. Once he confirmed that Dugu Bo had left, he immediately cleared the poisonous pills from the cauldron and replaced them with the true ingredients for the Mystic Water Pill.

That was right. He had been waiting for Dugu Bo to leave.

This pill formula was priceless, so naturally he could not let Dugu Bo freeload off it.

The refinement of the Mystic Water Pill consumed a vast amount of spirit herbs, and Huo Yuhao had nearly stripped the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well clean.

Three days later.

Huo Yuhao opened the cauldron with eager anticipation and ultimately obtained three crystalline, deep-blue pills.

Fine, unusual patterns surfaced on the pills' surfaces as they gave off faint colors and released a rich, fragrant medicinal scent.

Huo Yuhao let out a long breath, a satisfied smile appearing on his face.

Mystic Water Pills.

He had finally succeeded.

Huo Yuhao placed the three Mystic Water Pills into separate Jade Bottles, dividing them into three portions.

Now he had a way to make money.

Whenever he was short on funds, he could simply toss these pills into an auction house, and people would naturally scramble to pay him.

Still, where was Dugu Bo? Why had he not returned yet?

Did it really take this long to fetch his granddaughter?

Speak of the devil.

Dugu Bo was currently riding the manifested form of the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor as it broke through the clouds above the valley and descended toward it.

Huo Yuhao looked up and discovered a young girl with long, dark green wavy hair behind Dugu Bo, looking down at him from above.

Dugu Bo descended with his granddaughter and walked straight toward Huo Yuhao.

Dugu Yan followed behind him, her dark green diamond-shaped vertical pupils fixed on the plainly dressed youth ahead.

So he's the one?