Chapter 192: Formulating the Liquid Medicine

Zhang Xuan was certainly not putting on an act.

In the royal library, he had seen thousands of books on poisons. Although they only covered the basics, and even learning all of them wouldn't be enough to make one a formal Poison Master, for him, it was more than sufficient. His current goal wasn't to become a Poison Master or acquire that profession; it was to find a way to formulate these ten poisons into a non-toxic medicinal liquid to help Shen Hong improve his vitality and spirit.

This was much simpler. It was like becoming a formal Alchemist—very difficult—but learning to prepare one or two types of medicinal powders would be much easier.

With a thought, the numerous books on poisons from the kingdom's library immediately flipped open with a "whoosh!""Correct!"As he concentrated, the correct information recorded in the books instantly formed a complete new book, appearing before his eyes. He gently opened it.

"Poisons can harm people, but they can also save lives. They should not be entirely dismissed. Mastering the use of poisons can even bring people back from the brink of death…"The book was densely filled with text. Zhang Xuan knew this was the correct content, organized and refined. Without further ado, he read it line by line. As he read, he couldn't help but sigh with emotion. It was indeed as Liu Ling and others had said: this profession was profound and extensive, not something one could master overnight. However, with the organized and correct secret manual, it was like a direct path to mastery, making learning much simpler.

He continuously flipped through the book in his mind, gradually deepening his understanding of the Poison Master profession and gaining more insight into the nature of poisons. He didn't know how long passed until he reached the last page. Zhang Xuan felt his whole body shake. The knowledge of a Poison Master instantly became fully integrated, becoming a part of his memory. Although he didn't become a Poison Master as expected, his understanding of poisons was now extremely thorough.

"Hmm? What is this?"With a deep understanding of poisons, Zhang Xuan, with a thought, suddenly noticed a faint wisp of black gas hidden deep within his body."When did I get this?"Before, he wouldn't have understood, or even noticed anything, but now, after reading so many books on virulent poisons, he realized it must be poison gas. What puzzled him was when it had entered his body, and most crucially, how he had never noticed it before.

"Ancestor, Ancestor…"Just as he was about to examine what it was and if it would affect him, he heard Emperor Shen Zhui's anxious cries in his ear. He immediately put aside his research and opened his eyes. He saw Ancestor Shen Hong, who had been lying on the bed barely clinging to life, about to close his eyes permanently, on the verge of death at any moment. If Shen Hong were compared to an oil lamp, before, the flame was small, but now, a gust of wind had picked up, threatening to extinguish it immediately. Even if he held on, he wouldn't last more than a few minutes.

"Alas… everyone must die. Your Majesty Shen Zhui, please restrain your grief!""Please forgive us, we are powerless…"Liu Ling and the others also recognized Shen Hong's current state and couldn't help but shake their heads. His condition was almost that of a dead man. They were only one-star Master Teachers and had no further remedies. Even if they could think of a method, it would surely be too late.

Emperor Shen Zhui's eyes showed unwillingness. He had spent immense effort and cost to specially invite the three Master Teachers, only for them to offer no solution. He had thought this Master Yang, who appeared out of nowhere, was his last hope, but in the end… he was even less reliable than the other three! It would have been fine if he hadn't offered help, but at such a critical moment, he was fiddling with sedatives and poisons… 'I asked you to save someone, not to conduct experiments…'

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He turned to look at the man standing still, wanting to see what he had to say, only to find that he had opened his eyes at some point.

"Master Yang, Ancestor can't hold on much longer. If we don't save him now, it will be too late…" Emperor Shen Zhui bit out, forcefully suppressing his rising anger.

"Let's prepare the medicinal liquid first!" Zhang Xuan said. Just by looking, he knew that if no solution was found for Shen Hong, he wouldn't last another ten minutes. The only immediate course of action was to prepare the medicinal liquid and hope it would be effective!

"Prepare the medicinal liquid…" Hearing this, Emperor Shen Zhui's anger could no longer be contained."Master Yang, Ancestor's life hangs by a thread! This is not the time for you to experiment with a Poison Master's concoction…""Oh?" Zhang Xuan looked over. "So, what do you mean?""If Master Yang has any other method, please act! If you can save Ancestor, my Tianxuan Kingdom is willing to offer anything!" Emperor Shen Zhui stated."Am I not already treating him? Once the medicinal liquid is ready, have your Ancestor take it. After he recovers some strength, then we can find a way to help him further." Zhang Xuan replied calmly, ignoring whether the other party was angry or not.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Shen Zhui almost coughed up blood. 'Are you even listening to me? My meaning is simple: since you don't understand the skills of a Poison Master, don't concoct any poisons. The priority is to quickly find a way to save him… but it seems I spoke in vain!'

He didn't know that Zhang Xuan currently had no better method either. At this point, Shen Hong was on the verge of death even without intervention; any further action would surely kill him. The only way was to prepare the medicinal liquid, let him regain some strength to punch, and thus allow the library to generate books. Otherwise, there was truly no other option.

The three Master Teachers, seeing that this fellow still insisted on preparing the medicine, each showed their indignation."Your Majesty Shen Zhui, let Master Yang prepare the medicine!" Liu Ling said, forcing down his displeasure and flicking his sleeve. If he hadn't been wary of the other party possibly being stronger than him, he would have intervened long ago. To want to prepare medicine when he didn't even know what a Poison Master was—did he truly think the Poison Master profession was a joke? Utterly ignorant! He genuinely wondered how he had become a Master Teacher. Or… perhaps he wasn't a Master Teacher at all, and his previous help to Zhuang Xian in breaking through was just luck!

Zhang Xuan noticed their displeasure, but he couldn't be bothered to care. The man was about to die; there was no time to waste. He quickly walked to the poisons, flipped his hand, took one of the poisons into his palm, and poured it into an empty bottle nearby.

"This is utterly reckless…" Although not a Poison Master himself, Liu Ling had seen them prepare poisons and knew some of the procedures and methods. These poisons, even a tenth or a hundredth of a drop, if accidentally ingested, would cause immediate death; they were terrifyingly potent. This was precisely why preparing poisons required specialized instruments, precise to the smallest fraction, with no room for error. 'You have no instruments at all, just grab the jade bottle and pour… aren't you being too casual? Do you know how much poison you just poured out? Do you know the proportions between these poisons? A tiny difference in poison could lead to death. Formal Poison Masters are incredibly cautious with every preparation, fearing mistakes, but you? You pour it out haphazardly with your eyes closed… Damn it, with such an attitude, you'd probably kill yourself before even succeeding as a Poison Master. Is this what you call learning? Even a casual craftsman would be more meticulous!'

"When a Poison Master prepares liquids, after mixing two, they need to react for a while before the third is added. It's like an Alchemist refining pills; there's a specific order and timing for adding each ingredient. Even a slight deviation is unacceptable, yet you're just pouring it randomly…" Zheng Fei's beard almost bristled with anger. 'We tolerated your constant focus on preparing the medicine instead of saving the patient, but poisons are incredibly delicate. They require neutralization reactions and other changes, needing a specific sequence and time. Yet you just grab the jade bottle and pour, like pouring wine… A concoction prepared so haphazardly, let alone drinking it, a single drop would probably cause immediate death!'

Ignoring the Master Teachers' criticisms, Zhang Xuan moved swiftly. 'Can't they see the man is about to kick the bucket?' If he followed their advice—finding instruments, waiting for reactions—what kind of rescue would that be? The person would surely be dead by the time it was ready. Of course, his method wasn't the "reckless pouring" they saw. The book formed in the library in his mind continuously changed its content as he poured the poison from the jade bottle. When the recorded flaws decreased, it indicated correctness.

In about ten breaths, the ten poisons were completely fused. As they came into contact with the jade bottle, the book's content updated to its latest state."Ten-Directional Medicinal Liquid, prepared by Zhang Xuan. Upon consumption, it can temporarily revive vitality for the duration of an incense stick, bringing vitality and spirit to a healthy level. Twelve flaws: 1. Cultivation cannot be used; 2. The recovery time is too short…"The book detailed the name and effects of the newly prepared liquid.

"It's a success…" Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up. Although he had constantly monitored the fusion state of the poisons, if he hadn't learned thousands of books and known the specific properties of the poisons, he certainly wouldn't have known how to proportion and react them. If he had blindly fumbled with the concoction, he wouldn't have finished in ten breaths, or even in half a month.

With the successful preparation of the medicinal liquid, Zhang Xuan breathed a sigh of relief."It's done!"He picked up the jade bottle and looked at the crowd."Done?" The corners of everyone's mouths twitched. 'He just poured randomly for a bit, and it's done? Or is that just what you *think* is done?'

"Quick, have him drink it!" Ignoring their strange looks, Zhang Xuan handed the bottle to Emperor Shen Zhui."Drink it?" Emperor Shen Zhui shook his head. "We haven't even confirmed if this liquid is poisonous…""There's no time! Give it to him, or he'll truly die!" Knowing that even an explanation wouldn't convince them, Zhang Xuan frowned."But…" Emperor Shen Zhui was full of hesitation."What, do you not believe this is a liquid that can restore his vitality?" Zhang Xuan spoke with an imposing aura, built from days of impersonating a Master Teacher."I…" Emperor Shen Zhui didn't know how to respond. It wasn't that he didn't believe; it was that he *absolutely* didn't believe! 'Ten virulent poisons, and I personally saw you haphazardly mixing them, and now you want me to believe… Are you kidding me? Moreover, making Ancestor drink an untested poison—isn't that just wishing him to die faster?'

"If you don't believe me, so be it. The opportunity has been given to you; the choice is yours!" Seeing him hesitate, Zhang Xuan said no more, casually placing the prepared liquid on the table with a calm expression. "However, you need to consider carefully. If you can't find any other solution, your Ancestor won't last even three minutes… using three minutes of life to gain a chance at prolonged life, the decision is yours.""This…" Emperor Shen Zhui's face flushed and then paled, his fists clenched.