Jade Phosphorous Five Absolutes Powder

"Spirit Hall has vast holdings and deep pockets. We can spare a Soul Bone."

Qian Renxue could not help thinking more highly of Tang San, though she then spoke with a show of indifference.

Spirit Hall was indeed wealthy and had profound reserves, but this was a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone.

The second greatest dream of every Soul Master!

Still, remembering that she already possessed a full set of Soul Bones, and that a transformed Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast was bouncing around right beside her, Qian Renxue felt considerably more at ease.

Everyone in the Golden Squad knew Xiao Wu's true identity.

Most had rejected her at first, but as they spent time together, they gradually grew more comfortable with her.

Although Xiao Wu was foolish, she was also innocent, cute, and loyal to her friends.

With the Pope's orders, and after risking their lives together on numerous missions against powerful enemies, Hu Liena and the others had grown close to Xiao Wu.

"You truly are exceptional, Sister Qian Renxue, but it would still be best to take it back. That Soul Bone is full of sinister energy, after all. If someone fated to possess it obtains it someday, it might bring unfortunate consequences."

"All right, I'll go look for Virus's laboratory first."

Tang San assigned himself a task and took his leave.

"I'll bury these two and soothe the resentment lingering here."

Not to be outdone, Qian Renxue found herself something to do as well.

She used her sacred power to purify the remains of the human and the beast. A Soul Bone emerged from the ashes. After some thought, Qian Renxue decided Tang San had a point and put it into her Storage Soul Tool.

It was a skull bone only forty percent complete. Perhaps because it had been grown by pulling up the seedlings to help them grow, its quality was poor.

It was green throughout and radiated an eerie aura. Looking at it for too long could even draw away one's mind.

"It really is sinister," Qian Renxue remarked.

Then holy light blazed forth, clearing the resentment from the cave to prevent anything foul from taking root.

"Captain!"

Having finished clearing out the Wolf Bandits, Hu Liena and the others entered the cave and reported to Qian Renxue.

"Perfect timing. The Evil Soul Master Virus has been brought to justice. Go clean up over there."

"Yes!"

"Captain, where's Tang San?" Xie Yue asked.

"He's exploring the cave. That's his assignment."

Qian Renxue's unspoken message was to leave Tang San alone.

Nor did she reveal everything she had just learned. An official account would settle the matter later.

These people were not yet ready to be exposed to the specifics of such matters, with the exception of Hu Liena.

She was the designated candidate to become the next Pope.

Qian Renxue had no interest in that seemingly enticing position.

As for why, one look at her grandfather, who spent every day roaming around full of life after stepping down, and another at her mother, the Pope, who had to spend time every day wearing a bitter, careworn frown, made the choice clear to Qian Renxue.

She would therefore discuss this matter privately with Hu Liena later.

First, however, Tang San needed to find Virus's laboratory and obtain more information.

Both Xie Yue and Hu Liena understood that their captain thought highly of Tang San.

Each had their own thoughts.

"Wow! So many bodies. How pitiful. That stinking toad was vile!"

"Move aside, Xiao Wu. Let me take care of them."

While Yan and the others dealt with the bodies, Tang San found Virus's laboratory.

Tang San's spiritual power detected a hidden mechanism.

He pressed a protruding stone, opening a concealed door, and stepped inside.

The first thing that greeted him was a mixture of indescribable stenches.

Tang San kept his Blue Silver face armor in place and remained unaffected.

Before long, he had finished inspecting the laboratory.

He found quite a few useful things.

[Virus's diary]: Its contents largely matched Annie's account, but included more details. It also mentioned numerous nobles and members of Spirit Hall. Qian Renxue would certainly be interested.

[Virus's experimental records]: They contained a large number of medicinal formulas, methods for cultivating a Calamity Flower Demon, and formulas for various drugs.

This was the crystallization of Virus's knowledge. Much of it could spark Tang San's thinking and bring more memories to the surface. Comparing the two, he found that although some of it was crude, it was still remarkable.

These were the results of experiments Virus had conducted alone, and some even made Tang San's eyes light up.

After memorizing all their contents, Tang San would hand them over to Qian Renxue as well.

He hoped Spirit Hall would put this knowledge to good use.

[Jade Phosphorous Toad venom essence]: This was something valuable. Among the knowledge that had surfaced in Tang San's mind was a medicine called Jade Phosphorous Five Absolutes Powder.

It could serve as the core of the Jade Phosphorous Five Poisons Formation, allowing the poisons within to regenerate endlessly and produce a variety of effects. Ordinary people who entered would find it a road in with no road out.

However, that truly offended the harmony of heaven. Tang San intended to use it another way.

As the saying went, every medicine was three parts poison. Conversely, poison could also be used as medicine.

The Jade Phosphorous Five Poisons secretly conformed to the mutual generation and restraint of the five elements. If their toxicity could be overcome, the power of their five-element cycle could awaken the hidden reserves of the human body.

It could further improve one's physique and provide an enormous increase in cultivation.

Measured in Soul Power, it could probably raise someone by five to seven levels. For someone whose Martial Soul already possessed a poison attribute, even leaping an entire rank was not impossible.

Naturally, the earlier it was taken, the better. Once someone reached Soul Saint, its effects would diminish greatly.

"Ah, what am I thinking? Where would I find something that convenient? The Jade Phosphorous Five Poisons are difficult to find anywhere under heaven. With my current strength, collecting them all is nothing but a fool's dream."

"By the time I actually gather them and refine it, I might not even need it anymore."

Tang San chuckled self-deprecatingly.

Then he collected the other medicinal herbs and beast materials in the laboratory that he could use.

Once he finished, he mentally pressed his palms together toward the owner of this place.

No matter what, even if the man had committed every unforgivable evil, Tang San could not simply take his possessions as though he were entitled to them.

An old saying suddenly popped into Tang San's mind: When the enemy sends sugar-coated shells, we should accept them politely, eat the sugar coating, fire the shells back, and then thank them for their gift.

After checking repeatedly to ensure he had missed nothing, Tang San returned to the group.

He handed the diary and medicinal formulas to Qian Renxue.

He also mentioned the medicinal materials. Qian Renxue said he could keep them as payment for coming to help.

Once everything was dealt with, they summoned the Azure Eagle that had been circling overhead.

They returned to Geyin City.

After the Golden Squad returned, the city celebrated boisterously for an entire night.

Tang San went to visit Ma Hongjun and the others.

They had not died, but had been injured.

For the whole following day, Tang San was pestered by Ma Hongjun, Li Zhanya, and the others, who chatted about the Golden Squad and the Evil Soul Master.

They also bragged extravagantly about their own heroic exploits while clearing out the Wolf Bandits.

Tang San said little and merely kept smiling.

It was worth mentioning that Li Zhanya and Chu Qingyan had grown closer during the battle and become a couple.

Chu Xiyao, meanwhile, felt she had accomplished something and planned to return to Heaven Dou City to find her fiancé, as the two had agreed.

The Black Rose Mercenary Group disbanded, but everyone still chose to stay together.

"Teacher, that's everything." In a dim room, Tang San reported what he had gained on this trip to Grandmaster.

Grandmaster nodded, then fell silent.

After a long while, Grandmaster finally spoke. Setting the matter aside for the moment, he told Tang San, "Xiao San, you and Ma Hongjun are both prospective Soul Elders, but I don't intend to let you obtain Soul Rings yet."

"Why?"

"Because your second Soul Rings are thousand-year ones. When you absorb Ten Thousand Year Soul Rings, the backlash will be even more severe."

"But my spiritual power is strong, and Ma Hongjun has also begun studying how to cultivate spiritual power."

"That's true, but that makes it all the more important for you to consolidate your foundations."

"What I want isn't monstrous Soul Masters who can become Soul Emperors in their twenties, but two children who can grow up safely. I want to help them travel farther along the path of a Soul Master."

"We won't repeat a tragedy like Tom's, letting certain things blind us and losing something more important as a result."

"So, for up to the next year, neither of you is to obtain a Soul Ring. Focus on cultivating your character and tempering your spiritual power and will. I'll double your special training, too."

"If you can endure it, you might jump at least five levels when you obtain your third Soul Rings."

"I understand, Teacher."

Inside Spirit Hall, Bibi Dong sat beside a tea table, listening to Qian Renxue's report.

"That Grandmaster certainly has a good disciple."

He really is different from the Tang San I saw in the future.

But no matter what, we'll face each other sooner or later.