Chapter 377: Hundred Virtues Pill and God-Slaying Pill

Who could have predicted that the invasion and "poisoning" by a few foreign bird-demons could trigger a disaster across the entire plateau?

"Such things are common," A-Luo said, shaking his head. "Every year, there are endless, chaotic emergencies that, if not handled well, lead to major trouble. However, after understanding the characteristics of these armyworms, the Elixir Bureau formulated a potion. When sprayed onto the fields during the larval stage, it effectively eradicates them. So far, the feedback from various cultivation areas has been good."

The battles surrounding Dragon City were not simply a matter of direct, physical combat.

At this moment, Helian Chen finally called out to He Lingchuan: "Come on, come here."

He Lingchuan walked over and saw two formulas laid out on the table.

"Are these all for me?"

"Yes, it depends on the amount of Emperor's Dew you collect," Helian Chen explained. "If you collect a small amount of Emperor's Dew next time, use this formula. It is primarily gentle and nourishing. The elixir made from it can be taken once every seven days, and each time you cultivate, you can gain an additional 20 to 30% effectiveness."

He Lingchuan exclaimed in surprise, "Isn't this the formula for the Azure Jade Ointment?"

A-Luo glared, "You wish!"

The Azure Jade Ointment, which can triple the effectiveness of cultivation, is a strategic material for Dragon City. It's frighteningly expensive even when exchanged for military merits. Could its formula be given away so easily? Master might be kind, but he's not foolish!

Helian Chen gave a light cough. "Without Commander Zhong's permission, who would dare to spread the Azure Jade Ointment's formula? The formula I'm giving you is derived from the Hundred Virtues Pill and is tailored to your physique. If A-Luo used it, he might not get the full effect."

"That's plenty, more than enough," He Lingchuan said, beaming, as he put away the Hundred Virtues Pill formula. He clearly understood the concept of compound interest. If each cultivation session could be 30% more effective, even if the medicine's potency only lasted for a few cycles, the final gains would be substantial.

Hmm? Could it be calculated this way?

Helian Chen pointed to the other formula on the table and said, "When I say 'a lot,' I mean at least larger than a pigeon's egg—if you're lucky and get a large amount of Emperor's Dew, then use this Heart-Slaying Pill!"

He had been covering the main part of this formula with his sleeve. A-Luo had been secretly peeking for a while but couldn't make out many ingredients. Now, upon hearing the name "Heart-Slaying Pill" and seeing the ingredients on the formula, he couldn't help but exclaim, "Master, why is it the Heart-Slaying Pill?!"

Hearing the name, He Lingchuan already felt it sounded like a potent, dangerous medicine. Seeing A-Luo's reaction, he also felt a bit uneasy.

What did the old man mean by this?

Helian Chen snorted, "Why can't it be the Heart-Slaying Pill?"

A-Luo: "This...?"

If he took this medicine, would his new captain just... disappear?

"You're just not attentive, otherwise how would you only have this much cultivation!" Helian Chen retorted to him. He then turned to He Lingchuan and said, "Don't be afraid. Although this formula is highly potent, only something this strong can match the powerful effects of the Emperor's Dew!"

Potent enough to kill? He Lingchuan didn't dare voice even half of his sarcastic thoughts. "Could you elaborate?"

"You said you've only been cultivating the Zi-Wu Art for half a year, but when I probed just now, your meridians seemed unobstructed, and your dantian is already full. This is quite good aptitude, and shows your diligent effort." Diligence and hard work are standard for Da Feng soldiers, so Helian Chen didn't particularly praise him, just mentioned it casually. "While trying to open up your Eight Extraordinary Meridians, you have two choices. First, you can advance to the 'Liquefaction Realm,' where you compress your true essence into liquid form, allowing your dantian to store more of it."

He Lingchuan noted a trivial fact in his mind: liquids take up less space than gases.

Helian Chen raised a second finger: "Alternatively, you have another choice: to open up a second dantian ahead of time!"

During his practice of the Zi-Wu Art, He Lingchuan often attended public lectures at the Immortal Inquiry Hall. He knew that this cultivation method advocated opening three major dantians in the human body: the Upper Dantian at the Yintang acupoint, the Middle Dantian at the Shanzhong acupoint, and the Lower Dantian at the Guanyuan acupoint.

The "dantian" usually referred to in daily conversation is the Lower Dantian. However, in the later stages of the Zi-Wu Art, practitioners are also required to open the other two dantians to accumulate true essence and concentrate their vital energy.

To put it simply, three reservoirs hold more water than one.

Whether a martial artist or a spellcaster, the power of their techniques and divine abilities, both in terms of explosive force and endurance, is usually directly related to the strength of their true essence. The stronger and more abundant one's true essence, the greater the probability of victory.

Therefore, He Lingchuan would have to take both of these paths sooner or later.

He seemed to realize something. "So, this Heart-Slaying Pill formula is for the second option?"

"Precisely," Helian Chen stroked his beard. "If you want to first 'liquefy,' then you don't need the Heart-Slaying Pill; the Hundred Virtues Pill will suffice. Compressing true essence is a painstaking process, requiring sustained effort and persistent grinding."

"But if your next step is to directly open a second dantian, or if you already intend to open a third dantian when the Emperor's Dew arrives, then use this potent medicine, the Heart-Slaying Pill!" Helian Chen coughed, and A-Luo quickly brought him a cup of warm water. "Opening the second and third dantians is by no means easy. They are located at two of the most crucial acupoints in the human body, yet turbid energy stubbornly guards those spots, like chaos. Before your Eight Extraordinary Meridians are fully developed, trying to open them in one go with your current abilities is far from enough. However, the Emperor's Dew is an opportunity; by leveraging its surging power, you might succeed in one strike!"

"Others usually start by practicing 'liquefaction.' If you can open a second dantian, you'll have an advantage in cultivation."

He Lingchuan nodded, indicating he understood. If he opened a second dantian, he could store double the true essence. While others were laboriously liquefying their true essence bit by bit, wouldn't he easily overwhelm them?

"What if the second dantian isn't opened successfully?" Thinking of contingencies is the caution of an adult.

Helian Chen coughed again. "If it's not opened, the disturbance you cause at the Shanzhong acupoint would be worse than an external attack; your heart and lungs would be damaged, and you'd have to lie in bed for several months. If it's at the Yintang, uh... then you'd be either insane or an idiot."

"..." As expected, high rewards come with high risks. "So, for my second dantian, Shanzhong is the primary choice?"

"Indeed, that makes it a bit less difficult. As for the Yintang—" Helian Chen smiled. "Let's talk about that later; it's too early for you."

He added, "Both formulas are now yours. How you choose is up to you."

Truly a great alchemist, even his disclaimers were delivered so naturally.

"Thank you, Master!" He Lingchuan, now with the formulas in hand, bid farewell and left. Helian Chen was very busy, and this short amount of time had been specially allotted for him.

A-Luo walked them to the entrance of the Elixir Bureau and then returned.

He Lingchuan and Sun Fuling walked side by side, slowly heading towards the market, enjoying the gentle May breeze.

Large patches of evening primroses bloomed by the roadside, their colors as beautiful as tender scrambled eggs.

He asked Sun Fuling, "If the next Emperor's Dew arrives soon, which formula do you think I should choose?"

"That depends on whether you want stability or speed," Sun Fuling said seriously. "I suggest you choose the Heart-Slaying Pill."

"Why?"

"The opportunity to open a second or third dantian is rare. If you don't use the power of the Emperor's Dew, it would take you at least five or six times longer," Sun Fuling said softly. "The simplest way to increase your cultivation is to expand your capacity."

He Lingchuan smiled. "I knew you'd say that."

As for the risks, who doesn't know that high returns mean high risks? But for a Da Feng soldier living in Dragon City, wasn't danger an everyday occurrence?

Moreover, he now had some understanding of Sun Fuling. From her calm betting when defending the arena on Mount Meng, He Lingchuan could see that she was not afraid of risks or losing.

So, her choice would likely be one that maximized benefits in the shortest amount of time.

As they passed the market, Sun Fuling slowed her pace.

He Lingchuan noticed her gaze fixed on a small stall selling goldfish.

The stall had three or four large jars and a few shallow pots, in which various colorful goldfish swam, unusually lively.

He Lingchuan turned on his heel, walked over, and asked, "How much are these goldfish?"

"However many you scoop up, you can take with you," the vendor said, pointing to a stack of nets next to the jars. "One copper coin per net."

He Lingchuan saw at a glance: "Your nets are made of paper."

And the net's diameter was only seven or eight centimeters. A swindler!

The vendor chuckled, "It's like this all over the market. I've been selling here for seven or eight years, and this is the kind of net we use for catching goldfish."

However, the goldfish he raised were prettier than those at other stalls, with the most vibrant colors and liveliest appearances.

He Lingchuan asked his companion, "Have you played this before?"

"When I was a child, maybe."

Just then, a young mother passed by with her child. The child stopped dead in their tracks at the sight of the goldfish, pointing at the jar and shouting, "Fish!"

The mother had no choice but to take out two copper coins.

The child seemed very familiar with the fish-catching process, automatically picking up a net and trying to scoop up the biggest goldfish.

As soon as the net entered the water, the fish sensed the disturbance and darted away with a flick of its tail.

The plump, round-headed fish only looked fat, but was quite agile.

The paper net, once dipped into the water, silently tore.

Broken, so he picked another.

That one also broke, so he tried another.

All three were used up, and not even half a fish was caught. It was truly a waste of money.

The mother firmly refused to spend more money, grabbing her child and walking away, ignoring his frequent glances back.

He Lingchuan took out five copper coins and handed them to the vendor, receiving five paper nets in return, which he then slipped into Sun Fuling's hand. "I want the biggest one!"

Sun Fuling let out a little laugh. "Why don't you try?"

"The grand finale is always saved for last."

"Such a waste, just throwing money away," Sun Fuling said, taking the net and eagerly probing the water.

She aimed for a black-spotted goldfish.

She reached in and almost scooped it up.

The net broke, so she took another.

And missed again.

Only two nets were left. Sun Fuling looked at He Lingchuan and said, "You try!"

He Lingchuan took the net, and instead of trying to scoop a fish, he just dipped it into the water.

Good heavens, after about two breaths in the water, a slight movement and the paper net tore.

The paper was truly meticulously made—so thin.

He glanced at the vendor, who was grinning happily.

He Lingchuan asked him, "Are you really only selling the chance to catch them, not the fish themselves?"

He was giving the vendor one last chance.

But the vendor replied firmly, "Only catch, no direct sales."

"Alright," He Lingchuan said, meeting Sun Fuling's expectant gaze. He rolled up his sleeves and suddenly slapped the side of the jar.