The Strange Yao Chen

"Xiao Yi Xian, do you want to become a poison master?" Xiao Yan asked Xiao Yi Xian, who was holding the Seven-Colored Poison Manual.

"Who would want to become a poison master? It's the most despised profession on the Battle Qi Continent." Xiao Yi Xian lowered her eyes, staring at the tips of her shoes as she gripped the scroll tightly.

"But I was born to be a poison master."

Huo Yuhao put away the remaining two scrolls, then took a medicine cauldron from his Storage Ring and asked Xiao Yi Xian,

"Are you interested in alchemy?"

"But my affinity..."

"It doesn't matter. Try this medicine cauldron."

Following his instructions, Xiao Yi Xian walked over to the cauldron, looking somewhat puzzled.

"It seems different from ordinary medicine cauldrons?"

"Inject Dou Qi from here, use your spiritual power to connect with the formation at the top, and control the flames." Huo Yuhao demonstrated.

"Looks like I've really become a teacher! Taking in three disciples at once..." The corner of Yao Chen's eye twitched. "Xiao Yi Xian, with this cauldron, you can refine pills. Though a Calamity Poison Body refining pills... perhaps it's actually quite suitable. Whether they turn out well or poorly, nothing goes to waste—you can produce and consume them yourself."

"Yes, Teacher!" Xiao Yi Xian put away the Seven-Colored Poison Manual and beamed brightly.

"Then from now on, you should call me Senior Brother, and call Yuhao Second Senior Brother... Ow!" Before Xiao Yan could finish, Yao Chen gave him a hard knock on the head.

"Enough nonsense. Time to go."

"Okay."

Seeing that Yao Chen seemed to be in a poor mood, Xiao Yan had no idea why and could only quiet down.

After demonstrating the medicine cauldron, Huo Yuhao stopped paying attention to Xiao Yan and the others. Instead, he collected all the treasure from the ground with extreme care, not leaving behind even a single gold coin. Then he began closely examining the floor of the cave dwelling.

"Yuhao, what are you doing? Don't tell me you want to rip up the floor too? We're not that broke, are we?"

"You're right. I do want to take it back and sell it for money." Huo Yuhao joked.

After Huo Yuhao put away the gold coins, Yao Chen also caught on. Once his gaze swept over the patterns across the floor, a faint smile appeared on his face.

"This is an array that muddles soul perception. It's a method commonly used by alchemists."

Then Yao Chen grew excited. "This place is just a decoy. The real cave dwelling is below. Open it quickly and see what other good things he hid!"

"Brother Yuhao, how did you discover it?"

Huo Yuhao cut open the floor, lifted it up, and stored it in his ring, answering their questions at the same time.

"Simple. There was no Storage Ring."

After putting away the floor, Huo Yuhao's spiritual power penetrated the cave floor and found a second mechanism. Amid a series of creaks, a staircase leading downward appeared.

"Let's go. I'll lead, and Xiao Yan will cover the rear."

After a stretch of darkness, an even more spacious and brightly lit stone chamber came into view. Looking around, they saw large numbers of Moonlight Stones embedded in the walls. A skeleton lay on the ground, a ring set around its index finger. Beside it stood a medicine cauldron. Other than that, there was nothing else.

Though the skeleton appeared humanoid, both the shape and number of its bones differed from those of a human skeleton. The bones near its heart had all been shattered; that was probably what had killed it.

Huo Yuhao's spiritual power carefully swept through the stone chamber, the skeleton on the floor, and the medicine cauldron. Only after confirming there were no mechanisms or venomous insects did he lead the others inside and remove the Storage Ring from the skeleton's hand, letting his spiritual power probe slightly into it.

"The soul imprint is already gone."

Yao Chen took it and inspected it as well.

"This is a high-grade Storage Ring. The medicinal herbs inside can still be used. Take a look for yourselves first." With that, Yao Chen tossed the Storage Ring back and flashed back into the Ancient Flame Ring.

"What's wrong with Master?" Xiao Yan felt that Yao Chen had seemed particularly troubled today.

Feeling the regret radiating from Yao Chen just now, Huo Yuhao frowned and carefully examined the collection within the Storage Ring.

"Cultivation methods, Dou Techniques, magical beast corpses, Magic Cores, medicinal herbs... There's nothing special here?"

After the three of them separately examined the contents of the Storage Ring, they were all thoroughly confused.

"Let's head out first." Huo Yuhao put away the medicine cauldron and Moonlight Stones, and the group left the cave, returning to the cliff.

"Oh, right. What are the names of those medicinal herbs inside? Master's herb compendium didn't mention them."

"They're not especially rare, are they?" Xiao Yi Xian began introducing the herbs. "Starry Grass, Starry-Sky Grass... and Tigerflame Grass."

After leaving the cave, Huo Yuhao found a secluded valley nearby. Once he confirmed that no powerful magical beasts roamed the area, he sent Xiao Yan to drive out the magical beasts in the valley. The group set up camp there to sort through the gains from their expedition.

"As for medicinal herbs, we've gathered all the ingredients for the Blood Lotus Pill. What about the Spirit-Restoring Pill?"

"The herbs I collected before are enough to stabilize the Spiritual Sea, nourish the soul, and replenish spiritual energy." Huo Yuhao recalled the revised Spirit-Restoring Pill formula. "After Teacher modified it, he added herbs that preserve mental clarity and repair the Spiritual Sea. For the first part, we can use the Spirit-Concentrating Flower and Stardust Grass we just found. We'll still need to search for the latter part."

Huo Yuhao paused before continuing, "We have the Magic Core too, so we won't need to risk killing a sixth-tier magical beast again."

"Yuhao, your previous formula didn't have ingredients to repair the Spiritual Sea?"

"...Stabilizing it a little was enough." His voice was so soft that it was difficult to hear.

Xiao Yan sorted out the medicinal herbs, then took out cultivation methods and Dou Techniques from the cave dwelling owner's Storage Ring.

"Hehe, a powerhouse capable of killing a sixth-tier magical beast must have collected plenty of powerful Dou Techniques! Let me see..."

Before long, Xiao Yan lost interest. He tossed the scrolls to Huo Yuhao, his face drooping.

"What the heck? Not a single one can be practiced."

Huo Yuhao took them and opened them one by one.

"A poison-affinity cultivation method; we can ask Xiao Yi Xian whether she wants to switch to it. A high-level Black Grade Dou Technique, Frenzied Poison Claw. Low-level Earth Grade Dou Techniques, Ice Phoenix Bell, Ice Phoenix Feathers, and Ice Phoenix Sword. They're ice-affinity and form a set of inherited Dou Techniques, but they require a bloodline... The other Dou Techniques all require venomous insects to cooperate. There really isn't anything useful."

After putting those scrolls away, Huo Yuhao took out the two scrolls they had obtained from the stone box. "Don't be disappointed. You can practice these two Dou Techniques."

"Let me see." Xiao Yan perked up. "A sound-wave Dou Technique. Not interested. This is— a flying Dou Technique? It's actually a flying Dou Technique!"

"We can give Mad Lion's Roar to Father when we return. It suits the cultivation method he practices, Mad Lion Fury, quite well. As for this flying Dou Technique, let me study it first before you practice it."

"You're not interested in a flying Dou Technique, Yuhao? It lets you fly! Did you hit your head while prying up the floor just now?"

"Didn't I say I'd study it first? Why would I study it if I weren't interested?"

Huo Yuhao took the scroll back from Xiao Yan. "We'll study the magical beast corpses after Teacher calms down."

"Ah, haha!" Xiao Yan's laugh was somewhat dry as he looked around, trying to find a new topic.

"Oh, right. Xiao Yi Xian has been in the tent for a while, hasn't she? We've already sorted all the spoils, but she still hasn't come out. Nothing happened to her, did it?"

"She should be studying the Seven-Colored Poison Manual." Hearing Xiao Yan's words, Huo Yuhao also became slightly worried. He called out to Xiao Yi Xian and rose to walk toward her tent, his spiritual power instinctively probing inside.

The moment his senses entered, Huo Yuhao withdrew them. He coughed a few times, a flush passing over his face, but his expression turned grave.

"Xiao Yi Xian, what's wrong?"

"Ah, nothing! Don't come in yet!"