At that moment, inside the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, Ban Shu sat cross-legged in front of a large bronze cauldron, repeatedly experimenting with something.
"Hmm..."
Ban Shu raised his brows as he looked at the medicinal herbs before him. "What exactly should I do?"
To be honest, in his previous life he hadn't known the first thing about medicinal herbs. Though he had learned some pharmacology by now, he was still inexperienced, and it was difficult for him to invent anything himself.
"Why not try this?"
Ban Shu eyed the two bamboo baskets before him, grabbed a handful of herbs from each, and tossed them into the cauldron.
"Hemostasis Grass and Soul Returning Leaf. Both can treat external injuries. I'll use more of the former and less of the latter. Let's see what happens."
Watching the bronze cauldron bubble away, Ban Shu suddenly had a bad feeling.
"Damn!"
Ban Shu hurriedly thrust out a hand. Soul Power gathered into a shield around the bronze cauldron, lest it explode and scatter pieces everywhere.
But to Ban Shu's surprise, once he poured in Soul Power, the bronze cauldron gradually settled down and stopped acting up.
"So that's how it works?"
Ban Shu was a little surprised. Then he focused his mind and controlled his Soul Power, feeding it into the cauldron.
Before long, the medicine had nearly finished simmering. Ban Shu cautiously leaned in and saw that it had turned into a thick liquid, giving off a delicate fragrance that left him feeling refreshed with just one sniff.
"This feels like something good."
Just as Ban Shu was about to test what it did, Dugu Bo emerged from the wooden house nearby and came over to him.
"Xiao Ban, what are you doing out here so early in the morning?"
They had built the wooden house together for convenience. Ban Shu had decided to stay here for a while, cultivating as he refined the medicinal power within his body.
Though he had already begun absorbing the medicinal power of the two Immortal Herbs some time ago, it would still take several months to refine them completely.
Besides, he needed to get used to the two Soul Bones he carried. He still didn't know what skills they had.
"Senior, you came at just the right time."
Ban Shu pulled him down without a hint of ceremony, then asked him to hold out an arm. With a light swipe, he made a small cut.
Ban Shu quickly dabbed on some of the ointment.
"What are you doing?"
Dugu Bo stared at Ban Shu, utterly baffled as he tested the ointment on him. He had no idea what the boy was up to.
"Running an experiment."
Ban Shu answered as he rubbed on the ointment. "I just made this. It should stop bleeding, so I'm testing it on you."
"Hey!"
Dugu Bo gave him a speechless look. "Then why not test it on yourself?"
"Obviously, because it wouldn't hurt me."
"Wouldn't it hurt me?" Dugu Bo rolled his eyes in exasperation.
After spending the past few days together, Dugu Bo could tell that Ban Shu was an interesting kid, and he didn't mind getting along with them.
Ban Shu raised a hand to stop him. "Don't complain yet. How does it feel?"
"Hmm..."
Dugu Bo waved his arm, looking surprised. "It seems like it doesn't hurt anymore? Huh? The cut's gone, too."
"Then it looks like it worked."
Ban Shu was clearly pleased with the ointment's effect.
"Want to test it again?"
Seeing the way Ban Shu was eyeing him, Dugu Bo didn't hesitate. He cut another gash in his arm, and blood immediately welled up.
He wanted to find out what the ointment could really do, too.
Ban Shu hurriedly picked up the ointment and spread it over the wound. He hadn't expected it to work so well. In just a few seconds, the bleeding had stopped.
"This stuff is amazing."
Dugu Bo stared at his arm in astonishment. It had stopped bleeding so quickly. The ointment was incredible.
Ban Shu looked excitedly at the ointment in the bronze cauldron. "This stuff is precious. We need to put it away."
Taking out some jade boxes, Ban Shu packed up the ointment and handed Dugu Bo several boxes. "Don't say I didn't share. Take these. They might save your life someday."
"Thanks, kid."
Dugu Bo accepted them without hesitation. He'd sacrificed himself to help with the experiment, so he had every right to take them.
The experiment had succeeded, and Ban Shu was delighted. He had also learned a trick: on Douluo Continent, Soul Power could help certain items turn out successfully.
"By the way, kid, when is that Yue Guan you mentioned supposed to arrive?"
"Why are you in such a hurry? It's only been a few days. He should be here soon."
Ban Shu calculated the time. At their pace, they should reach the Heaven Dou Empire in another day or two.
"What a lovely fragrance. It seems to be coming from medicinal herbs."
By then, Golden Crocodile and Yue Guan had arrived outside the basin. Yue Guan's unusually sensitive nose for herbs immediately caught the lingering scent from Ban Shu's medicinal preparations.
"There really is a fragrance."
Golden Crocodile Douluo nodded. "Come on. This should be the place."
At that moment, Qian Daoliu, who had been meditating with his eyes closed in the wooden house, suddenly opened them. In the next instant, he vanished.
A moment later, Qian Daoliu appeared outside the basin, in front of Golden Crocodile and Yue Guan.
"Big brother!"
When Golden Crocodile saw Qian Daoliu, he hurried over with a smile to greet him.
Yue Guan bowed respectfully beside him. "Yue Guan pays his respects, sir."
"Mm."
Qian Daoliu nodded. His gaze lingered on Yue Guan briefly before he turned around. "Follow me."
"Whew..."
Yue Guan let out a quiet breath, then followed with a mix of excitement and unease.
All along the way, Yue Guan had been intensely curious about the mission. He had asked Golden Crocodile about it, but every time, Golden Crocodile had merely given him a stern look and said nothing, telling him he'd find out when they arrived.
That only made Yue Guan more curious about what kind of place this was, that so many powerful figures had come here.
Qian Daoliu led the three of them through the poisonous miasma and into the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well.
When Yue Guan got a clear look at the scene inside, his breathing quickened involuntarily, and his body began to tremble.
"This, this! This!"
Yue Guan stepped forward without thinking, bent down, and tremblingly brushed his hand over the plants at his feet.
"A Ginseng King of ten-thousand-year quality!"
Yue Guan raised his head and looked around again.
"And this! Nine-Leaf Purple Ganoderma! An Immortal Herb! Phoenix-Tail Cockscomb Sunflower! Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew!"
Yue Guan could barely speak. The sheer number of Immortal Herbs and rare medicinal plants here had left him reeling. He could hardly stand, and nearly fell to the ground.
"Is it really that incredible?"
Seeing Yue Guan lose his composure, Golden Crocodile Douluo couldn't help asking Qian Daoliu in a low voice. Though Qian Xunji had told him this place was full of treasures, he hadn't seen it with his own eyes and still found it hard to believe.
"It's incredible."
Qian Daoliu calmly surveyed their surroundings. "Any one of the Immortal Herbs here could nurture an unparalleled genius. Tell me, shouldn't he be excited?"
"Every single one?"
Golden Crocodile Douluo looked at the medicinal plants around them and made a rough estimate. There had to be dozens. Did that mean dozens of unparalleled geniuses?
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