Roots

The Venerable One's secret place is a palace engulfed in subterranean fire.

As he was swept away by the Venerable One's immense Law Power and drifted away, Zhang Xuezhou's gaze fell upon a red figure, a hundred feet tall, bound by numerous chains.

Amidst the raging flames, the Venerable One's enormous body swirled and pulsed within the flames.

His massive body was covered in old, worn scales, and his human-headed skull was covered in flowing white hair, while his two enormous eyes were closed.

"This is a Sacred Land where water and fire coexist; the water nourishes Your Majesty's physical body, while the fire burns away the decay within!"

As a slightly excited voice rang out, Zhang Xuezhou felt his body float to the ground, Zou Bugui had already appeared in the palace area below.

One corner of the palace was piled high with various medicinal herbs, almost as tall as a person, while in the center of the palace were several large cauldrons connected to the earth's fire, constantly emitting bursts of medicinal fragrance.

Zou Bugui stood in front of the large cauldron, watching Zhang Xuezhou float down from the sky.

Zhang Xuezhou's arrival was clearly a huge surprise to him, and seeing an acquaintance in such a place filled Zou Bugui with warmth.

Zhang Xuezhou sensed that Zou Bugui's expression was a little strange, making him unable to accept the other's surprise for a moment.

Zhang Xuezhou had to admit that Zou Bugui's reaction upon seeing him was second only to Rong Li's reaction upon seeing him, and even surpassed that of Rong Tianding.

"Godfather!"

Zhang Xuezhou could only cheer and shout out in joy.

I missed you so much!

"I... you... we're very superstitious about that word here, please don't go so far as to say that again!"

Seeing Zhang Xuezhou rush over and hug her, Zou Bugui felt a little breathless, but still tried to remind Zhang Xuezhou of the things he needed to avoid.

For the elderly and respected ruler, the word "death" was clearly unpleasant.

If someone says, "I miss you so much," His Majesty will hear "I want to die" in their ears, and His Majesty will grant that wish very quickly.

As Zou Bugui his rambling, Zhang Xuezhou somehow sensed a newfound kindness and warmth in the old man.

"It's probably because he had such a miserable past that I felt sorry for him, and that feeling affected my perception!"

Zou Bugui was living a good life at the Nine-Foot Daoist Temple, just hiding from Jin Chang, and barely managing to get by with the help of the formation.

But that was when the miserable days began. This was the most miserable great cultivator Zhang Xuezhou had ever seen since his debut.

However, his relationship with Zou Bugui was based on mutual exploitation. Zou Bugui sought survival, while Zhang Xuezhou sought the realm of cultivation. This ultimately formed a four-way relationship between the Golden Toad Dharma King, Zou Bugui, Zhang Xuezhou, and Jin Chang.

There's no real affection involved between them in this situation.

But the mindset of someone adrift in a foreign land, Zou Bugui, seems to have changed significantly.

Zhang Xuezhou felt that the other person's feelings were likely similar to those he had when he first met Rong Li.

It was only then that Zhang Xuezhou felt he had roots in the Han Dynasty and was no longer a free wanderer.

For Zou Bugui, this might mean having a home but being unable to return, and the longer the time goes on, the more obvious the changes in his feelings become.

When Zou Bugui's attitude changed, Zhang Xuezhou undoubtedly sensed the corresponding change.

Even his polite hug seemed to disrupt a certain balance in Zou Bugui's heart, and a few seconds later, a mist welled up in his eyes.

But in this secret place, the intense heat caused Zou Bugui's mist to dissipate extremely quickly, and also made Zou Bugui swiftly gather his composure.

He coughed lightly a few times before quickly returning to his work and speaking eloquently to Zhang Xuezhou.

His Majesty takes medicine like it's food, but the Longevity Pill is an absolute miracle drug.

In the classics of the Yin-Yang School, this kind of elixir is also called the Life-Sustaining Pill. If an ordinary person who is about to die takes the Longevity Pill, it can almost bring them back to life. It is also extremely effective for cultivators, often extending their lives for several days even when they are seriously injured and about to die.

This elixir has great effects, but the corresponding control of Law Power required for it is extremely complicated and meticulous.

The demonstration of refining a high-end elixir provides a more direct sensory experience than simply explaining theoretical knowledge, and it is far more effective than demonstrating the refining of low-end elixirs.

The longevity pills refined here by His Excellency are far more than just one, and far more than just one batch.

It gathers the rare and precious products of the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains, which are needed to refine tens of thousands of pills.

Refining such a large quantity would undoubtedly involve repeating the process over and over again.

Zou Bugui believed that no cultivator in the Yin-Yang School throughout history would possess such vast resources for alchemy, nor would anyone be able to repeatedly refine a high-grade elixir in this way.

As for Zou Bugui, he has now reached a point where he can accurately refine items even with his eyes closed.

"You should study more seriously, lest that Demon King Luli comes here and makes a fuss. You won't be able to learn properly then, and you'll have to have his servants sort and clean the medicinal herbs!" Zou Bugui whispered.

"His third brother was shot by an arrow by Prefect Li Guang and is currently in critical condition, so he probably won't be able to come!" Zhang Xuezhou replied in a low voice.

"You were shot by Magistrate Li?" Zou Bugui.

Yes, yes, yes!

"Then he'll be here very soon!"

Zou Bugui shook his head.

Being shot by an ordinary person is just an arrow wound; with the application of medicine and rest for ten to fifteen days, most of the wound can be recovered. If one is strong and healthy, the injury can be healed even earlier.

But after being shot by Li Guang, Zou Bugui could only begin the countdown to the Tiger Strength Demon King's death.

Even though Tiger Strength Demon King managed to escape from Li Guang's arrows, it was because Li Guang believed that the opponent was doomed and there was no need to fire a second arrow.

Having lived in the Northern Border region for a long time, Zou Bugui indeed very familiar with Li Guang, and had heard of his reputation for killing enemies with arrows. He even knew which great demons and Xiong State had perished under Li Guang's arrows.

Clearly, without the Longevity Pill, even the Tiger Strength Demon King would be no exception.

Although he had watched him refine the pill again and again, if the Demon King Luli were to refine it himself, he would have no chance of doing so well.

Accordingly, if there is a need for longevity pills, the Demon King Luli will soon come to see the Venerable One to ask for the pills.

He spoke quietly with Zhang Xuezhou, and then continuously demonstrated how to refine the longevity elixir.

In the short time that followed, the pleading voices of the Goat Strength Demon King and the Demon King Luli came from outside, mixed with the low, almost breathless gasps of the Tiger Strength Demon King.

Although separated by a lake and located in a secluded, otherworldly environment, the palace could still hear outside sounds very clearly.

"This is a magical device called a megaphone!"

Having personally demonstrated how to refine the longevity elixir, Zou Bugui, while pleased with Zhang Xuezhou's remarkable learning ability, also quietly explained the other's curiosity.

"This kind of device allows people to hear outside sounds, bringing great convenience, but it also has drawbacks..."

Zou Bugui's low voice eventually turned into a telepathic transmission.

"The megaphone is probably the only flaw in the array of Your Majesty's secret realm!"

Zou Bugui pointed to several places in quick succession.

Alchemy must be taught, and so must formation techniques.

Whether it's the longevity elixir or the secret place where the Venerable One resides, these are top-notch case studies, which can be broken down into many parts that can be learned from.

Zou Bugui was tightly bound by the Venerable One, and he knew the secret of the Venerable One's body, even knowing the defects in every part of the Venerable One's body. He knew that he would never be free in this life.

He didn't know how long Zhang Xuezhou would be able to enter the Venerable One's secret place, but he would obviously seize every minute to explain and impart all the knowledge he had about the Yin-Yang School in the best way possible.

Zhang Xuezhou's roots lie in his family and in the Great Han Dynasty.

The root of Zou Bugui in the Yin-Yang School. Once he has fully passed on the Yin-Yang School's traditions, he will have no more worries.