Xu Tianran: Alchemy, Medicine Refining Grounds

"Alchemy? After discovering and studying the alchemy techniques of ancient ruins, I realized that I am still considered a low-level alchemist within that ancient system, yet I can already refine pills that increase soul power without any side effects."

"In this era, these are already top-tier pills, comparable to the level of a Mystic Water Pill."

"But the problem is, if I still call myself a low-level alchemist, then just how formidable must the alchemists of the ancient era have been, and how advanced was their level of expertise?"

"Could they perhaps even refine something to heal... (to heal the disabled parts of my body? If that were the case, then shouldn't I inquire and see if I can...)"

"Your Highness, the Crown Prince."

A woman approached at this moment. These two were Xu Tianran and Ju Zi; one was crippled and unable to father children, while the other would eventually secretly bear a child with Huo Yuhao, placing a massive green hat upon the head of the Sun Moon Empire's royal family.

"Ju Zi, I have a question for you. Can this man named Zhong Kui be trusted? Although I feel he should be trustworthy and he has even shown some sincerity, the problem is I cannot be certain if he is truly reliable. I would prefer to bring him into my fold, after all..."

Xu Tianran did not speak explicitly, but Ju Zi understood. She was one of the few who knew that Xu Tianran was incapable of fathering children.

Ju Zi knew this because she was one of the few confidants Xu Tianran truly trusted.

Yet, precisely because of Ju Zi, Xu Tianran would never know until the day he died that she had placed a massive green hat upon the Sun Moon Empire's royal family.

"I cannot be certain of that either, but I believe we should make contact first. It would be best to go through other families to understand his character as much as possible. I recall that Jing Hongchen, the head of the Red Dust Family, has a very good relationship with Mr. Zhong Kui."

"Old Kong from the Offering Hall, Kong Deming, also has a friendship with him. The fact that both of them were able to become Level 95 Super Douluo seems to be related to the pills Zhong Kui refined. Therefore, they must have a deep connection with him, and we can use them to approach Zhong Kui."

Ju Zi offered a plan, a form of indirect contact to see if friendly cooperation was possible.

"I think your idea is quite good; we can give it a try. However, I am more interested in seeing if he can help me..."

Xu Tianran truly hoped to recover and become a normal man, not a eunuch. If he could fully recover, he could father his own children. Then, Ju Zi could bear children for him, and there would be no need for her to seek out other members of the Sun Moon Empire's royal family to conceive.

The thought of needing to borrow seed from other members of the Sun Moon Empire's royal family was something Xu Tianran found truly unacceptable, as he knew such an act was equivalent to wearing a green hat himself.

Ju Zi was his woman, and yet, because he was impotent and needed to ensure the continuation of the royal bloodline, he had to force her to cede to other family members! Any normal person would find such a situation unacceptable, and the fact that it was his own family members putting the green hat on him only added to the misery!

Xu Tianran: I don't have a fetish for being cuckolded!

"Your Highness, in reality, I believe that if one wishes to... to regain one's virility, it would require a high-level alchemist capable of refining such a pill."

"According to Zhong Kui's own claims, based on the classification system he discovered in the ancient ruins, he is still only a low-level alchemist. I fear he may not be able to help you..."

Ju Zi spoke very tactfully, implying that an alchemist capable of restoring his manhood would at least need to be a high-level practitioner.

Since Zhong Kui claimed to be only a low-level alchemist, the chances of him restoring Xu Tianran's manhood remained slim.

"Then, are there any pills or the like that might have an effect? Or perhaps we could find those ruins. If Zhong Kui is willing to provide the location of the ruins, I can offer him some compensation; I will not treat him poorly."

This was where Xu Tianran's charm lay; he possessed leadership skills and understood the balance of the carrot and the stick. As long as you were obedient, he would give you the carrot; if you were disobedient, he would use the stick. It would be up to you to choose.

Furthermore, no one could deny that Xu Tianran was truly capable, exceptionally talented, and possessed a handsome appearance.

The fact that he could become a Title Douluo and a Level 9 Soul Master despite being crippled showed he was truly gifted. Had it not been for the accident, he might have been an outstanding individual.

Truth be told, if not for the fact that Xu Tianran could not father children in the original timeline, perhaps Ju Zi would have truly been willing to bear his children.

Perhaps she would not have had to seek out Huo Yuhao to borrow seed.

"Then I shall go and ask. I will make contact with Mr. Zhong Kui first to see if he is willing to accept our goodwill or some form of compensation. At the very least, we must set the right tone. But before that, I will need to trouble Your Highness to persuade Old Kong or Mr. Jing Hongchen to..."

"Understood." Xu Tianran understood what Ju Zi meant.

He agreed before she could even finish her sentence.

On the other side, during this time, Zhong Kui was not only diligently studying soul master knowledge in the Sun Moon Empire but also learning about Soul Tools. After all, the Sun Moon Empire was the most advanced nation in terms of Soul Tool technology, so he naturally had to learn some of it.

Zhong Kui could be said to be under immense pressure every day, having to teach a group of people the art of alchemy as well.

"You have this part wrong. The flame must be directed at the correct position of the Alchemy Cauldron and held steady."

"You are still a novice; you must learn to ensure your own safety. Otherwise, if the Alchemy Cauldron explodes, you will be the one injured."

Zhong Kui had once suffered the bitterness of learning and had also been a victim of discrimination.

Although his grades in the past were not bad and he had never failed, he was never favored by his teachers, so none of them had ever treated him well during his school days.

Sometimes, his scores were docked simply because he had argued with a teacher.

Because of this, now that Zhong Kui was a teacher, he was patient with his students and would not act like those teachers of his past—after all, he had plenty of negative examples to learn from.

He possessed great patience while teaching them alchemy, though it was somewhat comical that he, still a student in age, had to teach others. But there was no helping it; he was, after all, the best alchemist in the entire Sun Moon Empire.