Medicine Clan Researches the Marrow-Washing Pill

At this moment, in a secret room within the Medicine Clan mansion.

A group of elderly men with gray hair were intently studying the Marrow-Washing Pill they had won at the auction.

There were two and a half pills in total. The other half of the Spirit-Gathering Pill, which had been split in half, was in the hands of the Alchemy Clan.

Each old man stared wide-eyed at the few Marrow-Washing Pill, his eyes filled with fanaticism.

At this moment, the oldest man was holding the half of the Marrow-Washing Pill in his palm, his eyes almost touching the Marrow-Washing Pill. He became more and more excited as he looked at it, his face flushed, and in the end, his whole body trembled.

These old guys at the Gu King level actually didn't go to the auction; instead, they hid here researching low-grade elixirs.

The Medicine Clan family patriarch glanced at these research fanatics and gave a wry smile. Seeing their concentration, he couldn't help but interrupt, "Elders, the Gu King Special Auction already begun. Shall we go and join the fun?"

"The pill business is extremely profitable. We've made a fortune just by selling Breakthrough King-Breaking Pill that increase the breakthrough rate of Gu King. Our Lineage is one of the wealthiest in the entire Western Land, and we definitely have the strength to bid for that Living Wood."

The elderly men were still engrossed in studying the few Marrow-Washing Pill, and didn't even turn their heads to look at him.

The eldest elder stared intently at the half-eaten Marrow-Washing Pill for a long time before finally saying, "No need. Even if you bid with Spirit Stone, it might not be yours. It's too risky to try and get your hands on it."

"If very few people know about that Living Wood, we could try our luck."

"But now the whole city is in an uproar, everyone in the world knows, how could I dare to take this hot potato?"

The head of the Medicine Clan family frowned and hurriedly said, "But Ancestor, your lifespan is already running out. Living Wood is enough to extend your lifespan by at least five hundred years."

Yao Chen finally looked at him and said seriously, "For my own benefit, you've dragged the Lineage into the vortex of war. Do you want me to become a sinner against the Lineage?"

"To gamble with the fate of your Lineage for the sake of living another five hundred years—I, Yao Chen, am not that kind of selfish person. Don't say such things again. I would rather give up the chance to live a long life than let my Lineage be absolutely safe and sound."

"What's the point of living another five hundred years? Since we can't pursue the ultimate path, dying sooner or later makes no difference."

Upon hearing this, everyone in the room looked at him with admiration, deeply moved.

Faced with a life-or-death decision, who would choose death over life? But Yao Chen did just that.

He was the strongest member of the Medicine Clan, and whether or not to compete for that Living Wood was entirely up to him. Yet, he gave up the opportunity without hesitation, earning everyone's sincere admiration and their gazes towards him were full of respect.

"Hmph! No matter who wins the bid for that Living Wood, it will eventually trigger a chaotic battle. Gu King nearing the end of their lifespan are irrational; they're capable of anything. It would be strange if they didn't fight over it. Let those people fight it out."

"I'd rather use this time to properly study this half of the Marrow-Washing Pill. In my eyes, this half of the Marrow-Washing Pill is far more valuable than that Living Wood."

As soon as Yao Chen finished speaking, everyone's attention was diverted to the half-eaten Marrow-Washing Pill in his hand.

"Has our ancestor discovered something? Could this Marrow-Washing Pill truly have great value and be useful to our clan?"

The patriarch was astonished. Yao Chen's statement that it was more valuable than Living Wood truly shocked him. This evaluation was far too high. Could the value of half a pill really exceed that of a Living Wood? Or was the patriarch exaggerating?

Seeing everyone's skeptical expressions, Yao Chen smiled and said, "It certainly has reference value, but whether it can be used by our clan is another matter; it's quite difficult."

"You should know that even with the same Pill Formula, the effects of the same pill will be completely different when refined by different people."

"For example, take Blood-Stopping Pill. Even if the ingredients are exactly the same, some people can make Blood-Stopping Pill with stronger effects, while others can make Blood-Stopping Pill with very poor effects. They are all Blood-Stopping Pill, but the difference in their medicinal power can be huge."

"The differences that exist between the same type of elixir were called 'Fusion Degree' in ancient times; this is a term belonging to the Medicine Realm."

"However, during the Age of Gods, a dark period occurred in which Myriad Laws Severance, and the vast majority of traditions were lost, including most of the Alchemy."

"Therefore, the term 'Fusion Degree' is rarely used nowadays, and most people don't even know what 'Fusion Degree' means."

"The Fusion Degree is the classification of the same type of pill into grades, ranging from one to ten."

"The higher the Fusion Degree, the stronger the medicinal effect of the pill; the lower the Fusion Degree, the weaker the medicinal effect."

"The degree of Fusion Degree is often reflected in proficiency and alchemy skills."

This explains why the pills refined by beginners are far inferior to those refined by advanced Alchemist.

"However, the Fusion Degree depends 30% on proficiency and 70% on alchemy skills."

"Alchemy techniques and methods are closely guarded secrets; they cannot be improved by an Alchemist at will."

"Even as the number one Alchemist in the Western Land, refining a 70% Fusion Degree elixir is already my limit, and I would need extremely high luck to succeed."

"And without exception, the Fusion Degree of these three Marrow Marrow-Washing Pill was an astonishing 100%."

"Do you know what a perfect 100% Fusion Degree means? Only when every step of alchemy is done perfectly, without the slightest flaw, is it possible to produce a pill with a perfect 100% Fusion Degree."

"This is something no normal person could easily do."

"The fact that this person could do it so easily is enough to show that this Alchemist has mastered alchemy techniques far superior to mine. The alchemy techniques he has mastered can greatly improve the Fusion Degree of pills."

"However, it's incredibly difficult to decipher such a technique solely from the pills themselves. I really want to visit this alchemy prodigy."

Yao Chen's eyes burned with admiration, revealing a look of complete submission. Suddenly, he turned to the head of the Medicine Clan family and hurriedly asked, "How's it going with the question I asked you to ask? Did you find out the background of that alchemy prodigy?"

The patriarch smiled wryly, "How could I possibly find out? The Qian Clan Merchant Association is the most trustworthy chamber of commerce in the world; they would never reveal any information about the seller."

"Their emphasis on integrity is simply absurd. This piece of Living Wood is an incredibly valuable treasure, yet they have it in their hands and don't even take a single bark off it."

"You should know that many of the patriarchs of the Qian Clan Merchant Association at the Gu King level are nearing the end of their lives and urgently need the bark of Living Wood to prolong their existence."

"Even under such circumstances, they would never steal from their own ancestor, and even if they watched their Gu King- level ancestor die, they would never touch that Living Wood in the slightest."

"In their eyes, the value of integrity actually surpasses that of several patriarchs at the Gu King level in their Lineage. Their adherence to integrity to this extent is simply terrifying; I am truly in awe of them."

"How could I possibly obtain information about that alchemy prodigy from such a trustworthy chamber of commerce?"

"Moreover, the Qian Clan Merchant Association of Commerce genuinely didn't know the identity of that alchemy prodigy."

"According to Qian Duoduo, that alchemy prodigy only ever showed his eyes when trading with the Qian Clan Merchant Association. They had no idea who he was. As you know, the merchants of the Qian Clan Merchant Association would never lie."

At this moment, on the tallest spire of the Long Family Estate, Long Xuan looked at the person who suddenly appeared behind him with a surprised expression.

"Master, what brings you here?"

Indeed, the person who came was none other than Old Long. After the Spatial House was placed in a main hall of the Western Land Long Family, people from the Far West Long Family could climb over from this Spatial House at any time. It was not surprising that Long Ao could suddenly appear here.

"Ziyan hasn't been home for a long time. I've come to see my daughter. Is that not allowed?" Old Long walked over and said with a stern face.

Upon hearing this, for some reason, he suddenly felt a pang of guilt. He probably hadn't yet discovered the truth about his relationship with Long Ziyan, had he?

But what I feared most came true. Old Long's face darkened considerably. "Ziyan has already told me everything. Well done, kid. Ziyan clearly swore she would never again indulge in romantic love in this life. How could your charm be so great that she would break her own vow?"

"What happened to not eating the grass near your own nest? It's all my fault, you pig, that I, this tender cabbage, got eaten by you. I shouldn't have let the wolf into the house. And I shouldn't have let you ask your teacher for help whenever you didn't understand something, thus creating an opportunity for you."

Upon hearing this, Long Xuan shrank back, feeling even more uneasy. Why did Long Ziyan tell him everything? Wouldn't it have been better to keep this a secret? Now it's so awkward.

"Um... we are mutually attracted, we are in love, and I will definitely treat her well..." Long Xuan didn't know what to say, so he just said whatever came to mind.

Old Long nodded, sat down next to him, looked up at the starry sky, and suddenly sighed.

"I don't object to her dating. She's found her own happiness, and I should be happy for her."

"But! Did you know that she possesses the Nine-Yin Severing Physique, which means her lifespan is shorter than others by nature?" Old Long's tone suddenly changed, and he looked at him with an extremely serious gaze.

Long Xuan was taken aback; he truly had no idea she possessed the Nine-Yin Severing Physique Technique.

Rumor has it that those who possess the Nine-Yin Severing Physique must race against time. Each possessor of the Nine-Yin Severing Physique possesses the most terrifying cold energy in the world, the Nine-Yin Cold Qi, which amplifies all ice-attribute abilities more than tenfold.

The Nine-Yin Severing Physique boasts an extremely powerful combat ability. It is one of the Ten Extraordinary Bodies, on par with the Ten Extremity Physique, and is also known as invincible among its peers.

However, while people with this constitution gain invincible combat power, they do so at the cost of a short lifespan.

Because of their short lifespans, those who possess the Nine-Yin Severing Physique find it difficult to break through to the final realm within their limited lifespan. Every Nine-Yin Severing Physique user spends their entire life racing against time, but throughout history, very few have been able to outrun time.

It is said that the owner of the Nine-Yin Severing Physique will be invincible once he achieves longevity. Once Long Ziyan learns the Scripture of Longevity, it will be a perfect match for him. Once the Nine-Yin Severing Physique's heaven-defying combat power is no longer bound by lifespan, its future will be unstoppable, and it will soar to the heavens.

He hadn't expected that Long Ziyan, who already possessed Sword Bone, would also have the Nine-Yin Severing Physique. No wonder her lifespan seemed short in terms of progress.

Although he didn't know that Long Ziyan possessed the Nine-Yin Severing Physique Technique, he did know that she had a short lifespan, but he didn't take it to heart.

In his view, what's the big deal about having a short lifespan? There are so many things in this world that can extend one's lifespan.

Putting everything else aside, the bark of that Living Wood alone can add five hundred years to one's lifespan; there are simply too many similar treasures that can extend one's lifespan.

If lifespan is insufficient, then replenish it; it's that simple. Long Xuan truly didn't take Long Ziyan's short lifespan to heart.

He was speaking from a position of privilege, completely unaware of the difficulties involved. There are indeed many treasures that can extend lifespan, but which of them can a normal person easily obtain?

Even for Peak Gu King, finding a treasure to extend lifespan is extremely difficult, let alone for those at lower levels.

If extending one's lifespan were truly that easy, wouldn't all the emperors of this world have incredibly long lifespans? That's clearly impossible.

This single Living Wood is enough to make countless Gu King fight tooth and nail for it, and who knows how many Gu King will perish because of it. How easy is it to increase one's lifespan by five hundred years?

If you're tempted by those five hundred years of lifespan, be prepared to risk your life. It's not as easy as Long Xuan makes it out to be.