Refining the Void Insight Pill, Seeking Red Tickets

Zhang He smiled. "Actually, not being in the Martial Child Academy gives me more freedom. To me, that's a good thing." As he spoke, Zhang He opened the box, and a strange, medicinal fragrance suddenly wafted out. Wang Pengyu leaned in, and upon seeing the contents, a look of envy flashed across his eyes. "This is your Iron-Rank Pharmacist identity badge. To become an Iron-Rank Pharmacist at such a young age—it's truly enough to make one green with envy."

"Haha, it was only by a stroke of luck and the help of two noble benefactors, you and Master Lu, that I could receive such an honor," Zhang He said modestly. He picked up the black badge from the box; the Iron-Rank Pharmacist badge was indeed made of iron, cold and heavy in his hand. However, his gaze was soon drawn to an exquisite booklet inside the box. Opening it, he discovered it contained the privileges of an Iron-Rank Pharmacist within the Pharmacist Association, along with several important notices. Zhang He scanned it quickly, finding some content that piqued his interest, and thought to himself that he should study it carefully once he returned.

Master Lu was certainly thoughtful to leave him such a manual.

"I've received the items. If there's an opportunity, I really should thank Master Lu," Zhang He said as he put the things away.

"Ha, once you finish your Martial Child Assessment, you can go to Luowang Prefecture and thank him in person. The girls in Luowang Prefecture are all hot and sexy; you'll have plenty to feast your eyes on once you're there." Wang Pengyu winked, and Zhang He couldn't help but chuckle. Wang Pengyu then had someone bring over the account books; this time, the profits had reached over eight thousand gold coins. Adding everything up, Zhang He's total assets had now reached ten thousand gold coins—a bona fide nouveau riche. With such substantial wealth, he could already be considered a wealthy man in Mengyin City.

"By the way, you have extensive connections in Mengyin City. Could you help me find a nice estate? Money is no object; the key is that it must be quiet and comfortable." Zhang He suddenly remembered this matter. Now that he had plenty of money, he should let his mother and younger sister live a better life.

"That's no problem at all. I'll handle it for you perfectly," Wang Pengyu promised with a solemn vow.

Zhang He thanked him and took his leave. Wang Pengyu hurried to see him out, but Zhang He refused. When he arrived, he had seen with his own eyes how the people outside were enthusiastically gossiping about the mysterious pharmacist. If they saw Wang Pengyu seeing him off, those people would inevitably take notice of him. At this moment, Zhang He preferred to keep a low profile.

After leaving the Wang Family Pharmacy, Zhang He headed toward the courtyard where he practiced.

The materials for refining the Void Insight Pill have all been gathered, so I can start the refining process now. There's still half a month until the Martial Child Assessment; refining the Void Insight Pill will be enough to help me break through! Zhang He thought to himself. With the Void Insight Pill, his confidence in breaking through to the True Martial Realm would be even greater. And besides—

Zhang He touched the two Universe Bags in his robes. The faint, cold aura within them made him feel elated; they still contained two Cold Flood Dragon Poison Pills. These were the poison pills of a Level 4 demonic beast. As long as he refined the demonic poison of the Cold Flood Dragon, Zhang He believed his cultivation would surely skyrocket!

Back at the courtyard, Fatty Tang and Wang Dachui were sparring. The two of them no longer stuck to rigid forms when they fought, moving with much greater agility. Of course, their fighting style had the air of street thugs; they used every dirty trick in the book, from kicking the groin to gouging eyes and poking nostrils—such moves were second nature to them.

Zhang He felt embarrassed just watching them. Could this really be their true nature?

"Ahem." Zhang He coughed, and only then did the two notice his return. They immediately stopped and came over, grinning.

Zhang He noticed their auras immediately; they were different from before. He scrutinized them carefully and asked in astonishment, "What have you two been doing these past few days?"

"Just training according to your list," Fatty Tang and Wang Dachui exchanged a glance, confused by Zhang He's question.

"Do you feel a sense of fullness in your bodies?" Zhang He asked, looking at them seriously.

"Uh, what's wrong? Is something not right? Damn, don't tell me we practiced wrong and messed up our Qi?" Fatty Tang exclaimed. At his alarm, Wang Dachui's expression also shifted.

Zhang He couldn't help but laugh and cry at the same time. He said helplessly, "Congratulations, you two should be able to condense your True Qi seeds very soon." A feeling of fullness in the body meant that the accumulation of Qi sensation had reached a certain level; once it reached that point, one could condense a True Qi seed.

What? Fatty Tang and Wang Dachui were stunned, looking at Zhang He in disbelief. Zhang He smiled slightly, reaching out to pat their shoulders. "Don't be nervous. Under my brilliant leadership, cultivating a True Qi seed is a piece of cake. However, don't get cocky; condensing the seed isn't an easy task. Keep practicing hard, and in a while, I will help you condense your True Qi seeds."

To successfully condense the True Qi seeds, they would naturally need the help of the True Qi Condensing Liquid. Preparing the liquid wasn't difficult, and having a rich accumulation of Qi sensation before condensing the seed would make the process much easier. Thus, Zhang He wasn't in a rush to brew it.

"Don't get carried away. Accumulate your strength and wait for the right moment; if you want to condense your True Qi seeds successfully, you must keep working hard. I have to attend to something first, and once I'm done, I'll come out to help you," Zhang He instructed.

In the back courtyard's main hall, the door was tightly shut. The floor was covered with alchemy equipment obtained from Wu Xuan's Universe Bag, so Zhang He couldn't let outsiders see him using it.

"As expected of a disciple from Medicine King Valley, even the charcoal for the furnace is extraordinary." Zhang He picked up a piece of coal; its pitch-black color emitted a metallic luster. This type of coal was specially processed, producing a very stable flame, which meant he didn't have to worry about uneven heating in the furnace leading to an explosion.

This set of alchemy equipment was incredibly exquisite and finely crafted.

Zhang He took out the necessary materials and processed them with a mortar.

"The most important part of refining the Void Insight Pill is the balance between the attributes of the two main ingredients. It's like Yin and Yang; it relies on the path of balance. Only by achieving this balance can the corresponding effects be unleashed." The prescriptions from the Tang Sect's Myriad Poison True Scripture all used poisonous ingredients; if handled incorrectly, the resulting medicine wouldn't save lives—it would take them.

From the Five Poison Beads to the True Qi Condensing Liquid, to the Berserk Pill, and now the Void Insight Pill—they were all applications of poison.

In this world, nothing was absolute. Take water, for instance: it could irrigate fields and bring a bountiful harvest, but in excess, it became a flood that could destroy homes. People turned pale at the mention of poison because it could harm them. People always maintained a cautious, distant attitude toward things that could easily hurt them. They failed to realize that if used correctly, these poisons could produce effects comparable to miraculous elixirs.

Just like the common 'Blood-Coagulating Mushroom' found in the mountains; if a person mistook it for an ordinary wild mushroom and ate it, their blood would clot, blocking their vessels, and they would surely die. However, if one combined the 'Blood-Coagulating Mushroom' with another poisonous herb, 'Heartbreak Grass', and utilized their diametrically opposed medicinal properties while mixing in other ingredients, it could become a super-grade wound medicine. Even if an arm were severed by a blade, applying this medicine would quickly stop the bleeding and save a life.

The so-called 'fighting poison with poison' meant exactly this.

Zhang He first placed the Blood-Draining Vine into the furnace, and immediately, the liquid inside turned as crimson as blood. A strange fragrance wafted out. This scent was also poisonous; if inhaled, it would cause hallucinations, though it no longer affected Zhang He. Once the liquid turned blood-red, Zhang He began to add the auxiliary herbs in an orderly fashion.

The role of the auxiliary herbs was to balance the medicinal properties of the two main ingredients, allowing their toxic forces to slowly blend and check one another. The toxicities of the Blood-Draining Vine and the Ghost Thunder Needle Grass were diametrically opposed; mixing them alone would only cause them to destroy each other rather than produce the desired reaction.

As the auxiliary herbs were added, the color of the liquid gradually changed.

Zhang He watched the changes in the liquid calmly; he already knew every step of refining the Void Insight Pill by heart. All he had to do now was keep his hands steady and avoid mistakes.

After watching the color of the liquid change three times, Zhang He calmly tossed in the Ghost Thunder Needle Grass.

Whoosh!

A cluster of ghostly blue mist suddenly erupted from the liquid, like a silent, blue flame that refused to dissipate. Zhang He's expression grew slightly solemn; this was the moment to increase the heat. If the heat didn't keep up and the toxicity of the Ghost Thunder Needle Grass wasn't released in time, it would be suppressed by the toxicity of the Blood-Draining Vine, and the entire batch would be ruined!

He opened the air vent under the furnace, and air rushed in, causing the temperature to soar instantly. The flames below roared, and the bottom of the furnace turned red-hot, as if it were about to melt. Under such high heat, the liquid in the furnace didn't boil; the only change was that the cluster of ghostly blue mist grew more intense, gradually drifting out of the furnace in thin wisps, like the silk ribbons of a beautiful woman dancing. This gorgeously colored mist drifted and swirled, giving off a strange sensation.

Zhang He flared his nostrils and fanned his hand, slowly drawing a wisp of the scent into his nose. Immediately, a slightly spicy, stinging sensation spread throughout his body. It was like mustard; Zhang He felt his pores opening, and the True Qi in his body even surged with agitation.

A look of joy appeared on Zhang He's face. He immediately placed the custom-made lid onto the furnace, which he had filled with cold water drawn from the well. Cool the liquid!

The blue mist touched the lid and, shocked by the icy well water, immediately condensed into a layer of powder that clung to the surface. Soon, the entire bottom of the lid turned blue. After the blue powder coated the bottom, the blue mist continued to drift upward.

Seeing this, Zhang He's expression shifted slightly; the lid wasn't cold enough to cool the mist anymore.

"Refining a Void Insight Pill is typically done in winter, as ice is available then, and the temperature is sufficient to cool the medicinal liquid. Using well water to cool it now simply isn't enough!" Zhang He realized where the problem lay; if things continued this way, much of the medicinal liquid's vapor would be wasted.

No ice! Was he really to just watch this medicinal liquid go to waste?

Zhang He scratched his head in frustration, then suddenly froze. Ice? He pulled his Universe Bag from his robes, and two Cold Flood Dragon Poison Pills appeared before his eyes, emitting a white, frigid mist.

"How could I have forgotten? I still have these!" Zhang He placed the two Cold Flood Dragon Poison Pills into the lid. The moment they touched the well water inside, a thin layer of ice instantly formed on the surface. Within moments, the entire pool of well water in the lid had frozen solid.

As the blue vapor rose from the medicine furnace below, it condensed entirely onto the bottom of the lid, no longer drifting upward to be wasted in vain.

"Thank goodness for these Cold Flood Dragon Poison Pills, otherwise at least sixty percent would have been lost." Watching all the blue mist condense, Zhang He let out a sigh of relief, only then noticing that his back was soaked through with sweat.