Within the quiet chamber, candlelight flickered, illuminating Fang Heng's tall, straight figure.
He sat cross-legged, his eyes lightly closed and his expression solemn, as though cut off from the outside world.
Crimson and white flames coiled around him. The crimson flame was scorching like fire, while the white flame was frigid as ice.
One yin and one yang, their boundaries as distinct as the Jing and Wei Rivers, each occupied half of his body.
The two intertwined, forming a strange sight.
Under inner inspection, a stream of pure medicinal energy slowly emerged within Fang Heng's lower abdomen.
Like a spirit serpent, the current wound through his abdomen, gradually gathering into a mass.
Faintly, it even took on the embryonic shape of a pill.
The pill's phantom flickered in and out of sight, radiating a dim glow as though it contained boundless power.
"The Heretical Poison Pill's embryonic form has been completed."
Fang Heng murmured inwardly, a trace of gravity flashing through his eyes.
This was only the beginning. The next step was the most crucial one—harmonizing yin and yang, merging yin and yang into one.
This step required the refinement of two flames with utterly opposing yin and yang attributes, placing extremely high demands on one's control over fire.
The slightest mistake could render all previous efforts worthless, or even cause a backlash upon himself.
Fang Heng dared to do this because he had Fire Barbarian's fire-controlling ability at his disposal.
Fire Barbarian was the spirit ghost he had subdued. It excelled at controlling flames, and under the suppression of the Soul Reaper Envoy fate, it would never turn on its master.
One man and one ghost each took charge of a flame, their coordination seamless as garments without a single stitch.
An ordinary Ghost Controller would never dare take such a risk.
Putting oneself in such a vulnerable state was simply an act of courting death.
Wouldn't the ghosts one had raised seize this chance to bite back like mad?
A spirit ghost that would never rebel was truly of immense help to a cultivator.
This was already apparent from alchemy alone.
"In ancient times, there were alchemists who used spirit pets to refine pills. Their methods were similar to mine," Fang Heng thought.
"Unfortunately, the Demon Race is now nearly extinct, spirit pets are hard to find, and this method has gradually been lost."
Rumors also abounded throughout Great Qian.
Every decade or so, a fortunate beast would happen to awaken spiritual intelligence.
It would absorb the essence of the sun and moon and embark upon the road of cultivation.
Then...
It would become a dog beneath a cultivator's hand.
Only the aquatic races, relying on the great sea as a natural barrier, could still contend with humanity.
They even occasionally raided the coastal prefectures and counties of eastern Great Qian.
Fang Heng gathered his thoughts and focused on refining the Heretical Poison Pill.
Within his lower abdomen, the embryonic poison pill trembled slightly.
It let out a crisp hum, like jade beads falling upon a silver platter.
Or like spring water tinkling as it flowed through a mountain ravine.
"Condense!"
Fang Heng barked low, and the hand seals before him shifted rapidly.
Within merely three breaths, his fingers danced like phantoms, changing through thirty-six hand seals in succession.
As the hand seals changed, the crimson and white flames around him surged into his body, rushing madly toward the embryonic poison pill in his lower abdomen.
The influx of flames subjected the pill embryo to frantic compression and refinement.
Like steel tempered a hundred times and hammered a thousand times, every impurity was squeezed out.
As time passed, the poison pill embryo gradually solidified.
In the end, it transformed into a round bead black as ink, floating in the void.
This round bead was immeasurably profound, as though it could devour all light, emanating a heart-palpitating aura.
"It's done!"
Fang Heng let out a long breath.
He opened his eyes, and two brilliant rays burst from his pupils, seeming capable of tearing apart the night.
After refining the Heretical Poison Pill, Fang Heng felt a strange new sensation within his body.
The poison pill was linked to his mind, as though it had become part of his body.
Much like the venom sac within Ink Dragon's body.
He could even sense a faint hunger emanating from the poison pill, as though it craved something.
"The Heretical Poison Pill is completely empty inside—not even a trace of poison. It's practically non-toxic and harmless," Fang Heng chuckled inwardly.
With a thought, he guided the poison pill into his dantian.
The poison pill floated above the endless sea of qi. The moment it entered his dantian, it sensed the sealed Ten Absolute Poisons.
At once, like a starving shark catching the scent of blood, the poison pill radiated an impatient urge to devour.
Fang Heng did not suppress the impulse. Instead, he carefully manipulated the poison pill to tear open a tiny gap in the seal.
The Ten Absolute Poisons poured out through the crack in the seal.
Yet before the Ten Absolute Poisons could begin wreaking havoc, the Heretical Poison Pill devoured them wolfishly, sweeping through them like Wind Sweeps Remaining Clouds.
To Fang Heng, this vexing chronic affliction was a delicacy in the eyes of the Heretical Poison Pill.
Watching the Heretical Poison Pill madly devour the Ten Absolute Poisons—
In the blink of an eye, the tail of the black serpent formed by the Ten Absolute Poisons had been "eaten."
"It really works!"
An intense delight spread across Fang Heng's face, and his brows danced with joy.
But before he could celebrate for long, the smile on his face quickly froze.
Within the Seven Stars Life Extension Array, the black serpent regrew the tail that had just been eaten in the span of a breath.
Ever-growing and unceasing, it formed its own cycle.
Even after a portion had been devoured, it could still absorb spiritual qi from the void and replenish itself.
That was what made the Ten Absolute Poisons so troublesome.
Seeing this, Fang Heng could only give a bitter smile, his mouth filled with bitterness.
The assassination attempt sixteen years ago had originally targeted Emperor Yuanchu with the Ten Absolute Poisons.
Consort Ning had taken that palm strike for Emperor Yuanchu's sake.
As a result, the Ten Absolute Poisons entangled her, and Fang Heng was implicated as well.
Though his mother consort had never mentioned it, Fang Heng knew that the Ten Absolute Poisons must have drastically shortened her lifespan.
If not for her profound cultivation, her lifespan would likely have long since run dry.
"Although I haven't completely removed the Ten Absolute Poisons, the Heretical Poison Pill is still a major gain," Fang Heng thought.
The Ten Absolute Poisons stored within the poison pill could serve as a means of ambushing others.
No one knew better than Fang Heng how troublesome the Ten Absolute Poisons were.
If used against those old monsters whose lifespans were nearly exhausted, it would absolutely be a fatal killing move.
Furthermore, the existence of the Heretical Poison Pill gave Fang Heng another means of suppressing the Ten Absolute Poisons.
Though it could not eradicate them, it still counted as an extra layer of insurance.
Out of seclusion!
Fang Heng rose and pushed open the door to the quiet chamber.
Outside, Yun Menglan had long been waiting.
She stood graceful and slender, anxiety written across her face as her gaze remained fixed tightly on the chamber door.
The instant she saw Fang Heng emerge, a flash of joy appeared in her eyes. She hurried forward and asked anxiously.
"Your Highness, are you all right?"
"Though I did not achieve complete success, the gains were still considerable."
Fang Heng smiled faintly and reassured her softly.
At those words, Yun Menglan finally let go of the worry hanging in her heart.
She gently patted her chest and let out a long breath, speaking in a soft voice.
"As long as Your Highness is safe and sound, this servant can rest easy."
Her voice was gentle as water, her eyes brimming with concern and tenderness.
Looking at her, Fang Heng could not help but feel warmth in his heart.
Though Yun Menglan was his maid, she had accompanied him all these years and had long become one of the people he trusted most.
Ever since the two had crossed that boundary, they could be said to have truly become one.
"Menglan, you've worked hard," Fang Heng said softly.
"Your Highness gives me too much credit. This is simply this servant's duty."
Yun Menglan shook her head. Then a trace of shyness flashed through her eyes as her jade-like hand gently untied the sash at her waist.
"Your Highness, it is late at night!"
Hiss—
Everything was laid bare at a glance.
The next day, when the sun was already high in the sky.
Fang Heng leisurely enjoyed breakfast under the attendants' care.
As for Yun Menglan, she was so exhausted that she had not yet awakened.
Having ridden the lotus all night yesterday had thoroughly worn Yun Menglan out.
Fang Heng had even wanted Yun Menglan to ride the lotus while holding scriptures and chanting them.
Unfortunately, Yun Menglan refused no matter what.
The hurried footsteps of a servant boy approached.
"Your Highness, a Daoist has arrived at the back gate."
"He said that as long as Your Highness sees this token, you will know his identity."
The servant boy handed Fang Heng a wooden token.
With one glance, Fang Heng immediately knew the visitor's identity.
His eldest senior brother, Lin Yichen.
"It seems Eldest Senior Brother has come to bring me good news."
Fang Heng understood at once and immediately grasped the purpose of Lin Yichen's visit.
The five-for-one proposal he had put forward had presumably been approved by Evergreen Temple.
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