Many Sides at Play
Zhang Xuezhou didn't have any particular interest in the Longevity Elixir, but he was really keen on the Life-Creating Elixir.
If it can be successfully developed, Zhang Xuezhou's Nine Revolutions Qi Integration Technique, which he started practicing last, will surely be able to advance rapidly and become his trump card for survival.
Entering the Sole Self Realm allows one to cultivate to the eighth stage, a level at which one can effectively control fatal injuries.
As long as there are restorative Technique Method, any fatal injury can be healed, unlike the seventh stage which can only reduce serious injuries to minor ones and is difficult to address the long-term effects of injuries to important parts such as the chest, abdomen, and head.
"If we have a large number of Life-Creating Pills, wouldn't that mean we can feign death to avoid disaster in the future?"
Rong Tianding, who was helping to pack up the valuables, also came over.
Just like Zhang Xuezhou, Rong Tianding's style of cultivation was similar, and he did not shy away from behaviors such as faking death.
In Rong Tianding's view, it is not shameful to play dead to avoid disaster; what is shameful is being exposed while playing dead and resulting in a complete death.
He took Zhang Xuezhou's pills and quickly mastered the Nine Revolutions Qi Harmony Technique, reaching the sixth revolution.
The level of the sixth stage is already extremely high; one can laugh off bumps and bruises, even knife wounds. However, compared to the ninth stage's ability to reattach severed heads, there is undoubtedly a world of difference.
The Corpse-Slaying School practices the art of death, while the medical school practices the art of life.
These are two conflicting and opposing practices, but Rong Tianding felt that some of the techniques from the two families seemed to be closely related.
If he could master the Technique Method of both families, he felt it was very likely that he could comprehend the mysteries of life and death, and achieve resurrection like Shi Wudao, or even become stronger.
This ability is unlikely to destroy the world, but it's enough to protect oneself and one's friends, which is something Rong Tianding admires.
I'm really looking forward to that day!
Zhang Xuezhou nodded; he clearly understood Rong Tianding's line of thinking.
Zhang Xuezhou's approach differed slightly from Rong Tianding's. Rong Tianding combined the Technique Method of the Corpse-Slaying School, while Zhang Xuezhou combined them with physical body techniques.
He felt that if he continued to cultivate and improve, and constantly integrated Technique Method such as the Body Technique and the Nine Revolutions Qi Integration Technique, his future physical abilities would be extremely terrifying. This might result in a situation where he would be difficult to break, and if broken, he could reassemble and recombine, requiring him to break again, break again, and then reassemble, ultimately forming a cycle that repeats itself.
Even if the most powerful cultivator encountered him, Zhang Xuezhou felt that the other party would turn around and leave, rather than entangle with this clingy person.
Normal cultivation cannot achieve this, but Zhang Xuezhou has already achieved the fusion of Technique Method. He has now stepped out of the second stage of the Grain Avoidance Instruction Divine Ability, so the space of fusion may be further enhanced.
With all the preparatory work largely completed, Zhang Xuezhou was now only waiting for the Life-Creating Pill Formula to be completed before seeking to advance its refining process.
For Zheng Wukong and the others, with his supreme-grade Ten-Complete Tonic Pill, whose effects are extremely close to the Life-Creating Pill, the difficulty of cracking it should not be too high.
"Can't you guys be a little more ambitious? All you think about is playing dead to avoid disaster. The important thing is that we can achieve immortality if we can replicate the Longevity Pill!"
Zheng Wukong held the pills in his hand tremblingly, feeling exasperated by his two cousins' ideas, thinking that they had missed the point.
"The difficulty in deciphering the origins of the Life-Creating Pill should be relatively low; I hope you two can prioritize it!"
Zhang Xuezhou retrieved the elixir.
All twelve Life-Creating Pills were taken out. Some of these pills were taken by Wei Shao'er and others, while others were samples that needed to be studied.
He obtained twelve Life-Creating Pills in the Tushita Palace and placed his hopes on these pills.
Zhang Xuezhou believed that if he could obtain the Pill Formula, he might be able to acquire the supreme-grade Life Creation Pill, thereby propelling the Nine Revolutions Qi Harmony Technique to its peak.
"What's the use of a lower difficulty level?" Zheng Wukong scoffed. "Now that you've lost all those powerful elixirs, you can't even refine the Ten-Ingredient Tonic Pill anymore, and you're still hoping to mass-produce the Life-Creating Pill? If you ask me..."
"The materials for the Longevity Pill are no less advanced than those for the Life-Creating Pill. You need to give us enough ability so that we can obtain the materials to refine the pill," Zhang Xuezhou interrupted.
"Old Zheng, what Dongfang Shuo said is absolutely true. No matter how much you want it, you need to focus on the important points. Besides, he's Yin-Yang School Alchemist; your alchemy skills are inferior to his!"
Chunyu Tiying's reminder jolted Zheng Wukong back from his dream of immortality.
"Having traced the origins of the Life-Creating Elixir, I will now give you the Longevity Elixir for further research!"
Zhang Xuezhou pointed to the longevity pill in Zheng Wukong's hand, indicating that the other party could take it and consume it, but he would not continue to provide longevity pills for research at the moment.
Only if Zhang Xuezhou's requirements are met will he provide the next research direction.
Research is not something that can be done overnight, and Zhang Xuezhou obviously did not want to divert his efforts. Moreover, refining the Life Creation Pill did require a large number of medicinal materials, and it involved precious medicines, which even Zhang Xuezhou found daunting.
Such extravagance is clearly unsustainable and difficult to replicate. Zhang Xuezhou has very high standards for the Pill Formula and does not want to test it repeatedly.
"You can take this piece of Cynomorium songaricum and play with it, but you can't eat it!"
Zhang Xuezhou also took a cut piece of Cynomorium songaricum and indicated to Zheng Wukong that he could take it and play with it.
"Now that we have the Life-Creating Elixir, why would I still need to research Cistanche deserticola!"
Zheng Wukong looked at the pill in his palm, and then at the Suoyang he had always longed for. He felt that once he had the Suoyang, it was tasteless and like a chicken rib.
"Gurgle!"
The sound of his belly rumbling came from behind, and when everyone looked over, they saw that Wei Shao'er's face was flushed.
"When the Life-Creating Elixir removes this poison from your bodies, it will scrape your intestines and stomach, causing you to continuously expel turbid qi. This process may take a day or two, or as short as several hours. You will need to find a place to expel it yourselves, preferably somewhere with a favorable wind that blows it far away!"
Zhang Xuezhou pointed to the door of the side room, clearly asking Wei Shao'er to move to another place, since there were indeed cases of cultivators being overwhelmed by this foul air.
He had barely finished speaking when Wei Shao'er couldn't hold back any longer.
The pungent stench almost knocked Wei Shao'er out.
She screamed, pushed open the door, covered her buttocks, and kept walking out.
"The Life-Creating Elixir truly cures all ailments; Young Master Wei's walking speed has increased considerably!"
Chunyu Tiying's eyes lit up.
The Ten-Ingredient Tonic Pill can only prolong life, while the Life-Creating Pill has the effect of scraping the bone to heal wounds.
In the short time after taking the pill, Wei Shao'er's steps became several degrees lighter.
"Maybe they're in a hurry!"
"You try to panic and see for yourself! We weren't even in a panic when we were almost dying on Mount Tai!"
Chunyu Tiying took out a Life-Creating Pill, glanced at the direction of the latrine in the mansion, and then slowly walked over.
"Wait for me!"
Zheng Wukong muttered something and, leaning on his cane, walked out, clearly intending to take medicine and treat his illness along with the other two.
"I really miss Master Dong and Divine Lord Zhenyuan!"
Judging from the speed and direction of the three people's walk, Zhang Xuezhou felt that the smell in the mansion would be quite strong. If only a cultivator could use Wind Technique to help blow it away, it would save his mansion from being constantly filled with the stench.
"Brother Chen, you should check on Huo Qubing then, lest he be knocked unconscious by the fumes while he's fast asleep!"
Zhang Xuezhou stopped Chen Zhang, who was about to chase after Wei Shao'er. The couple stayed overnight, and Huo Qubing did not return home either. Zhang Xuezhou gave them some instructions and signaled everyone to close the windows and doors to minimize the impact.
In an instant, most of the people in the room either went out to take care of the patient or helped close the windows and doors, leaving the room nearly half empty.
"Brother Dongfang, why do I feel like I've somehow entered another level of world?"
The situations encountered when having occasional contact with Zhang Xuezhou are completely different from those encountered after close contact with Zhang Xuezhou.
Yi Shuo felt that Zheng Wukong and the others' imaginations were still somewhat conservative.
Even if Zhang Xuezhou and his team only manage to trace the origins of two types of pills in the future, it will still attract countless greedy eyes.
Moreover, Yi Shuo vaguely sensed that Zhang Xuezhou was playing a game of chess with all sides, and that what he was doing was not just one thing, but most likely involved multiple high-level power struggles.