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Chapter 109 - recipe

In the medical wing, all the disciples of the Serenity Peak stood waiting in front of the door.

Wang Fei walked out from inside, being a master of medicine – a profession akin to doctors in this world.

There was a sorrowful expression on his face as he sighed. "The master's injury is worsening little by little. What time he has left may be less than a year."

Zhang Yong asked with a serious expression: "Just what exactly is happening with the master?"

Liu Yan explained: "The master suffered an injury a long time ago, and it is a critical one."

Su Ming then asked: "And the treatment?"

Wang Fei shook his head. "There is none."

Zhang Yong raised his hands in protest. "Didn't you search for a cure? There has to be something! Senior Sister Yin, what about using your ability?"

Liu Yin shook her head. "I already tried, but the result was the same."

Zhang Yong clenched his teeth in frustration. "Impossible, you must be joking."

Suddenly, the door slid open behind Wang Fei and the master stepped out, still coughing. "Don't worry, I still have enough time to pass on what I know to you."

Wang Fei quickly supported him. "Master, why did you come out now? Your injury…"

The master waved his hand calmly. "I am well aware of my condition. I have already accepted it, so don't trouble yourselves."

Everyone watched the master walk away outside the wing without speaking.

Zhang Yong then turned to Wang Fei. "Senior brother, you own medical books, don't you?"

Wang Fei nodded in surprise. "Yes, why?"

Zhang Yong clenched his fists; he wasn't ready to give up yet. "If there's no cure, then we'll just have to make one ourselves."

For a moment, Wang Fei stared at him in disbelief. He himself had thought of countless methods to heal Master Gu but had failed. Still, he wasn't against the idea. "Follow me."

Zhang Yong followed Wang Fei back to the peak. As soon as they arrived, Zhang Yong entered Wang Fei's laboratory. It was filled with drawers of herbs, shelves of books, and jars full of strange insects.

"Senior brother Wang… you really do have an interest in strange things."

Wang Fei chuckled lightly. "Well, everything has its use in medicine. I obtained a Heavenly Venom Physique after consuming many poisons, so mine is an acquired body. I cultivate both the Poison Path and the Medical Path at the same time."

Zhang Yong's eyes gleamed with admiration. "Really? I have Ice and Fire Alchemy physique , and I also possess the Venomous Ice-Fire Blood"

Wang Fei froze for a moment, staring at Zhang Yong with excitement – perhaps even a hint of obsession. "Venomous blood! Zhang Yong, you definitely have to give me a drop—no, ten drops of your blood!"

Zhang Yong's body stiffened at those words, forcing an awkward smile. "S-sure, I'll do that later. For now, the important thing…"

Wang Fei coughed, coming back to his senses. "Ahem, right, these shelves contain the books you wanted. Books about illnesses, poisons, and medical herbs."

Without hesitation, Zhang Yong asked inwardly: 'Uni, how many Emotion Points do I have?'

(Emotion Points: 234,712)

He stroked his chin, doing some quick calculations. 'Even if I convert all my points into Assimilation Cards, it won't be enough for all these shelves. Very well, I've decided.'

He placed his hand on the bookshelf. "Senior brother, I'll be borrowing all these books. I hope you don't mind."

Wang Fei's face showed some surprise. "I don't mind, but if you want to read all these books, it'll take a long time. Not to mention memorizing them."

Zhang Yong smiled, and suddenly all the books vanished from the shelves. "Don't worry, senior brother, I have a way to do it. I'll return them later."

Wang Fei stared in slight shock and admiration. "Very well, if there's something you don't understand, just ask me."

Zhang Yong nodded. "Alright, I'll be going now."

He turned and left Wang Fei's lab, returning to his room. Sitting at his desk, he muttered: "It's been a while since I last did this. If there's something I'm good at besides fighting, it's studying. I didn't get good grades for nothing."

Zhang Yong had his own plan. But even if he was good at studying, there were limits to the human mind. A more practical method was summarizing.

He picked up pen and paper and began writing. He didn't need to read every detail—only the essential and useful information. After summarizing, he could combine it into books, and then use Assimilation Cards on those self-made books. This way, the knowledge would transfer into his mind.

Unlike combat techniques, which couldn't be summarized, informational texts could. This was a loophole in the function of Assimilation Cards.

After locking himself in for a full day without sleep or rest, he managed to summarize more than half the books. By the next morning, he had finished summarizing all of them.

"Done." He lifted one of the three thick books on his desk, finally stretching after the long effort.

Each book summarized a field: poisons, diseases, and herbs.

Each was absurdly thick.

"I want three Assimilation Cards."

(Three Assimilation Cards cost: 60,000 Emotion Points)

Zhang Yong immediately used them, feeling the rush of information he had written himself flow into his mind.

(The host has acquired three sub-skills:

— Body Diagnosis

— Art of Medical Herbs

— Art of Poisons)

Zhang Yong clenched his fist with excitement. "Good, I'll go see the master now."

He rushed toward the master's wing. He wasn't about to waste time; the master had done much for him, and Zhang Yong wasn't the type to be ungrateful—that would go against his principles.

As soon as he arrived, he burst through the door unannounced. "Master!"

Master Gu Zixian was lying on a bed laid out on the floor. He raised his upper body. "Zhang Yong, it's you. You should leave, I need rest."

Zhang Yong scratched the back of his head. "Sorry, Master, but I can't stand by and watch you die. Please allow me to examine you."

The master sighed softly. "Very well, as you wish."

Zhang Yong grasped the master's wrist, assessing his pulse while activating Body Diagnosis. There was something malignant clinging within the master's body that he couldn't identify.

Two possibilities crossed his mind: either this injury wasn't caused by a simple attack but by something else entirely, or the information from the books simply wasn't enough—lacking details about this affliction or its cure.

Zhang Yong released the master and produced a healing pill. "Master, please try taking this."

The master swallowed it, while Zhang Yong watched anxiously.

The master exhaled. "I am still afflicted. But thank you for trying."

Zhang Yong furrowed his brows in frustration. "Don't worry, Master. I promise I'll find a way."

The master shook his head and lay back to rest. Meanwhile, Zhang Yong left quietly, punching a tree outside in anger. "Damn it! Nothing works yet. I mustn't stop."

At that moment, he heard Su Ming call out: "Zhang Yong! I figured out how we can save the master!"

Zhang Yong turned toward him calmly. "How?"

Su Ming stood before him. "I've been thinking about pill recipes. Many formulas have been lost through history—we could use them."

Zhang Yong stared at him like he was an idiot. "Are you crazy? You said it yourself, they've been lost. Where are we supposed to find them?"

Su Ming smiled knowingly. "We won't. But don't forget, we know someone who lived back in those times. I'm talking about the King of Thieves. He plundered countless sects, powers, and organizations. If anyone knows, it's him."

Zhang Yong's eyes lit up, gripping Su Ming's shoulders. "You damned genius! Let's go immediately."

Without delay, Zhang Yong took out the medallion, transporting both of them into the independent small world—

where the King of Thieves resided. "What's the matter, boys? It's been five months since you left me here."

Zhang Yong wasted no time on greetings. "King of Thieves, we need your help. Our master is injured and doesn't have much time left."

The King of Thieves widened his eyes. He had never seen Zhang Yong so flustered—he always thought of him as the type who never panicked. "Calm down. Tell me exactly what happened."

The two explained everything in detail , and zhang yong explained what he had found and conclure

After listening, the King stroked his chin. "Hmm… I think I understand. It seems your master is suffering from violent demonic qi corrosion. That must be it. This isn't a common condition, but for it to affect him like this… it seems he sacrificed his future advancement to forcibly suppress it. But that was only temporary."

Su Ming asked: "Then is there a cure?"

The King of Thieves shook his head. "Even in my time, this affliction was difficult to treat. But not impossible. The optimal cure would be the Celestial Purification Pill, a grade-seven pill."

Su Ming's jaw nearly hit the floor. "A grade-seven pill?? That's insane. Few alchemists can even refine grade-five pills, let alone grade-seven—forget it!"

The King of Thieves smirked. "Well, I said 'optimal,' not 'only.' I don't have that recipe… but yes, I do have one that could work."

He waved his hand, producing a jade scroll. "The Life Renewal Pill. It should serve the purpose. Also known as the 'Additional Life Pill,' it is a grade-six pill. It can heal injuries that drain vitality. If someone has lost their life force due to injury, this pill restores it, thereby erasing the demonic qi and giving your master back his life, though there will be some impurities in his body , but that can be dealed by more easier ways."

Su Ming turned to Zhang Yong. "Zhang Yong, this pill could also restore your vitality. Maybe it could help you as well as the master."

But Zhang Yong shook his head. "No. This pill restores vitality lost due to injury. I lost mine because of a skill, so it won't work on me."

The King of Thieves frowned slightly. "Yes, unfortunately, you're right. If your life force wasn't lost due to injury, it won't return. Nothing is perfect. I'd guess your dantian is broken, isn't it? Sadly, to my knowledge, there's no way to heal that."

Su Ming thought deeply, sighing inwardly, then said: "Zhang Yong, pills of grade one or two can heal minor wounds. Grade three, four, five, and six can heal severe internal injuries—even paralysis and lost limbs aren't much before them. Grade seven and eight are said to revive the dead, and grade nine is rumored to grant immortality. If we could somehow get an eighth- or ninth-grade pill—though almost impossible—it might cure you."

But Zhang Yong shook his head. "Don't concern yourself with me. Our priority is the master."

He reached for the jade scroll, but the King of Thieves pulled it back. "What will you offer in exchange for this?"

Zhang Yong immediately frowned. "What do you mean by that, King of Thieves?"

The king gave a mischievous grin. "Nothing. But shouldn't you at least give something in return? After all, I nearly lost my life obtaining this scroll."

Zhang Yong laughed at him. "You want to play dirty? Not with me, boy."

He clenched his fist and activated the Soul Seal upon the King of Thieves' spirit. The sensation was like lightning splitting his soul, pain incomparable—like a drill boring into his brain. The thief's screams were deafening.

"Stop! You can have the recipe!" the King of Thieves cried.

Zhang Yong seized the scroll with a smile. "Good work, Su Ming. Let's leave now."

He activated the medallion and vanished, leaving behind the King of Thieves, who snarled: "Damn that brat! Once I find a way to remove this seal… but those beasts in his soul sea are even more dangerous. Damn it, is this karma for my thefts and for angering so many?"

Meanwhile, Zhang Yong and Su Ming gathered all the peak's disciples in the disciples' wing.

The jade scroll was placed on the table, and after reading it, everyone was shocked. Liu Yan spoke first: "Where did you two get a pill recipe like this?"

Zhang Yong answered without hesitation. "We participated in the Thieves' Shrine and happened upon this recipe by chance. Who would've thought we'd need it now?"

Liu Yin looked at Zhang Yong silently. Even with her eye covered by a bandage, Zhang Yong felt her gaze but didn't comment.

Wang Fei spoke next, eyes fixed on the ingredients. "The recipe itself is fine. The problem lies in the requirements. Many of the herbs are high-grade. Some we can find, others we can buy, but the cost is enormous. Not to mention, it requires an Origin Flame from the heavenly rank"

Origin Flames were birthed between heaven and earth, embodying natural elements and serving as powerful catalysts in alchemy and forging. Acquiring one was no easy feat.

They were divided into three rankings: beast flames, earthly flames, and heavenly flames.

Su Ming had already explained to Zhang Yong that the highest limit an ordinary person could reach in alchemy was grade three. Beyond that, a person's advancement depended on the flame they obtained.

Zhang Yong sighed. "Well… I didn't think I'd say this, but we'll have to start a business."

Everyone stared silently at him as he continued: "Senior brothers and sisters, to get this done faster, we must divide the work. Su Ming and I will handle the business side to earn enough money to buy the expensive ingredients. Meanwhile, I ask you all to search for the other herbs."

This was actually part of Zhang Yong's original plans. He had already thought of creating his own business, but in his previous life, he was just a high schooler. Even now, he hadn't studied business properly. His original idea had been to recreate things from his past life that could become popular, generating long-term profits, then expanding to other cities.

But now, time was no longer on his side. So he decided to alter his plans for the sake of making money quickly.

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