Chapter 443: Ancient Secret Medicine, Late Nascent Soul Divine Awareness

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The Immortal Official Medicine Vault has a peculiar shape, resembling a colossal building crafted in the likeness of an alchemy furnace, with its main gate serving as the furnace's fire entrance.

Architecturally, such an unusual building is distinctive but lacks regularity. Theoretically, it would be unsuitable to exist independently as a palace structure.

Unless it possesses a special function.

According to Wang Yu, there is a peerless wondrous formation within the Heaven Realm Bureau called the "Nine-Nine Earth Furnaces Nurturing Immortal Formation!"

The Scripture of the Earth Mother records that this formation is fabled to help one ascend to immortality during daylight hours.

Simplifying it from ninety-nine earth furnaces to a single Water-Moistening Furnace for nurturing spiritual herbs and precious elixirs also makes it a top-tier wondrous feng shui formation.

When set up by human effort, it becomes a Human Realm Bureau. A Human Realm Bureau is not necessarily inferior to an Earth Realm Bureau; it is simply difficult to compare with a Heaven Realm Bureau.

Nature is the best teacher for cultivators, and emulating nature also carries this subtle meaning. Many secret feng shui techniques and wondrous formation layouts are almost entirely learned from the heavens and earth.

The current yellow-brown building, shaped like an alchemy furnace, not only yields excellent results but also possesses strong defensive capabilities.

Wang Yu gave instructions from the side.

"We feng shui geomancers never use the main entrance; that path is left for fools. Go to the Li position. This place counters fire, and the Li position has the weakest defense. Slowly erode it with your yin lightning divine ability."

"—Understood!"

The Yin Gui Demon Lord unhesitatingly followed Wang Yu's "suggestion." Along the way, Wang Yu had proven his capabilities more than once.

Since they were genuinely cooperating, if he didn't demonstrate some skill, wouldn't it imply he wasn't qualified to share the vault's treasures?

Moreover, he discovered that following Wang Yu seemed to yield more benefits. This was different from his previous caution in the underground palace; there was no need for further probing.

And so,

Yin Gui, following Wang Yu's instructions, left the "fire entrance" and found the somewhat rounded "furnace wall" at the Li position. Mud-like yin lightning surged from his sleeves.

It splattered onto the furnace wall with a squelch, and crackling electrical sparks began to flicker. While the yin lightning corroded, Yin Gui turned his head curiously and asked,

"Since it's modeled after an alchemy furnace, shouldn't there be more than one entrance? Like the top lid, the fire exit, or the side opening for introducing spiritual herbs..."

"Exactly."

Wang Yu nodded, confirming his words, then teased him.

"Do you think this alchemy furnace can actually be ignited?"

Yin Gui was instantly speechless.

If it truly could be ignited, wouldn't they easily be refined by the restrictions once inside? These entrances were also sinister; apart from the fire exit, which seemed to correspond to an actual door, the other openings on an alchemy furnace were not meant for people to enter.

After an embarrassed smile, he said no more, concentrating his mind to fully erode the "furnace wall" and prepare to open a breach there. Wang Yu also sat down cross-legged beside him, seemingly silently adjusting his state.

In reality, he was employing advanced spiritual sense techniques to register his presence and secretly detect the spiritual senses he had left at various points along the way.

The ancient Heavenly Soul Sect's various advanced spiritual sense application techniques had greatly assisted him, especially in handling subtle details.

They far surpassed the methods currently used by the cultivation world for spiritual sense.

Therefore, even if the grade of his spiritual sense secret arts hadn't kept up, and he only possessed a fourth-tier Soul Annihilation Death Ray that had just been completed, spiritual sense remained a highly promising ability.

For him personally, it was also the easiest to improve.

Those spiritual sense markers left outside were like cameras, helping him grasp when and how others entered the palace city.

This would determine his plan for this interim period.

An incense stick's time later, the passage of years had finally taken its toll on Dongji Capital, and Yin Gui suddenly spoke.

"The erosion is complete!"

As soon as his voice fell, the "furnace wall" with its slight curvature suddenly turned to ash, revealing a man-sized opening.

"I'll go first."

Wang Yu spoke, stopping Yin Gui from rushing in. He took out his feng shui compass, activated the power of the Ancestral Token of Water, and stepped inside first.

Yin Gui felt a prickle of irritation all over. That was his Kuiyin Demonic Palace's treasure!

What a pity.

After the two entered, Wang Yu concealed the opening with an illusionary technique. Inside, the view was completely transformed. Although the Immortal Official Medicine Vault looked like an alchemy furnace from the outside, its interior still resembled a normal building.

At most, the arrangement of items had a subtle significance. The entire medicine vault was roughly divided into nine layers. The first floor was relatively empty; the paulownia wood flooring was spotless and emitted a faint warmth.

Paulownia wood is, according to legend, the tree where phoenixes perch.

It carries a strong connotation of nirvana and rebirth, possessing astonishing vitality, making it an excellent material for building a medicine vault. In wondrous feng shui arts, the meaning of an item often holds more value than its inherent power.

This was also related to the mysterious concept of "status" or "position," though the specifics were beyond his knowledge.

"What a rich medicinal aroma."

Yin Gui couldn't help but take a deep breath, feeling greatly invigorated. He was eager to search for treasures, but as an experienced Nascent Soul cultivator, he knew it was unwise to move rashly in such a place.

He could only turn his gaze to Wang Yu, waiting for his instructions.

Wang Yu pondered for a long time.

"The Immortal Official Medicine Vault is ultimately not as good as the ancient Human Emperor's Longevity Medicine Vault. There aren't as many good things here as imagined, though there are quite a few treasures for healing."

As for how he determined this, one could only say that alchemists have a unique perception and judgment regarding spiritual herb treasures. Just by smell, he had already gained much information.

"Let's go, directly to the third floor. Most of the boxes on the lower floors have already decayed."

The Immortal Official Medicine Vault looked like an alchemy furnace but was actually a nine-story pavilion. Each floor featured medicine cabinets carved from high-grade spiritual jade, forming white jade walls when combined.

Inside each drawer were ancient spiritual herbs.

The restrictive formations were relatively intact, but many jade boxes were merely empty shells, lacking their true contents. Opening them rashly would only reveal the spiritual herbs instantly turning to dust.

The immense power of time's passage was too formidable, at least for the cultivators of the Ice Prison Realm. Hundreds of thousands of years were too long, leading to a break in history.

This also filled Wang Yu with regret.

He thought to himself, "It seems that in the future, when exploring ruins, it's best to choose ancient ruins; they'll be better preserved."

On the third floor of the pavilion, Wang Yu purposefully arrived at the ninth medicine cabinet. The pale blue spiritual energy from the Ancestral Token of Water entwined around his fingers.

With a simple push and pull, the jade box opened, revealing a pill placed on yellow silk.

"An ancient elixir?"

Yin Gui was somewhat astonished at the sight.

"Isn't this a medicine vault? How could there be..."

"Pills are also medicine. There are far more finished elixirs here than raw materials."

Wang Yu's reply made Yin Gui frown.

"Then how do you determine their medicinal properties?"

"Has fellow Daoist forgotten my title?"

Yin Gui suddenly understood.

"Fellow Daoist Xuandan, please."

Wang Yu calmly nodded, forming an alchemical hand seal with one hand. A small tongue of demonic energy "licked" the elixir, making Yin Gui instantly look disgusted.

"I don't want this thing anymore."

Wang Yu laughed heartily to himself. This was intentional. Whether by scraping off a bit of pill powder or by using a standard alchemical diagnostic technique, he could have ascertained the medicinal effect.

This extra step was merely to test Yin Gui.

This fellow had practically gained entry based on Wang Yu's information. Now that the entire Immortal Official Medicine Vault was open to them, if he were greedy,

he could simply kill Wang Yu, and all these treasures would be his.

If he followed rules, he would naturally choose to split the spoils and wouldn't care about the gain or loss of one or two elixirs.

He had actually already gained a huge advantage.

And while Wang Yu appeared to be at a disadvantage, the place where he truly needed Yin Gui's help was not inside the medicine vault. Entering was easy, but leaving was hard. A lone cultivator who gained a fortuitous encounter would be targeted by everyone.

With a companion, it was different; at least he could help Wang Yu divert half the attacks.

So, even though Yin Gui could take a lot now, the dangers he would have to bear later would also be numerous. Those grand cultivators at the palace gate were not easy to deal with.

Judging by the time, the defensive formations of the palace gate should be close to being breached.

Despite his earlier disgust, Yin Gui couldn't help but ask out of curiosity.

"What is the effect of this elixir?"

"It restores vitality and can repair damaged flesh. It's a peak fourth-tier elixir, but its specific name is unknown."

"Hiss—"

Undoubtedly a good item.

Watching Wang Yu carefully preserve it with a pill-sealing secret art, Yin Gui hesitated to speak but ultimately held back.

"Which floor next?"

"The fourth floor, seventh medicine cabinet, third row, fourth column."

The Ancestral Token of Water, combined with Wang Yu's spiritual sense, could accurately identify jade boxes containing items, allowing them to open them one by one.

The minimum harvest from the Immortal Official Medicine Vault was peak fourth-tier items. From the third floor to the eighth floor, they obtained a total of sixteen well-preserved elixirs and four types of raw materials.

Wang Yu acquired nine elixirs and two types of peak-grade alchemy raw materials, including the elixir he needed to aid in breaking through his spiritual sense bottleneck.

And on the ninth floor, there was a fifth-tier elixir!

This was also the most crucial moment for the two of them. If the other party wasn't sensible, Wang Yu would have to let the Yin Gui Demon Lord experience what it was like to be refined by someone.

Wang Yu had been prepared for this when he asked him to destroy the furnace wall.

Did he truly think that a place would have no reaction after a corner of it was violently destroyed? The Ancestral Token of Water had extremely high authority in a place like a medicine vault. Ancestral tokens of wind, fire, or earth, on the other hand, would not have such an effect.

Simply put, he had been marked by the medicine vault.

Once Wang Yu released the restrictions of the Ancestral Token of Water, the medicine vault could instantly burn Yin Gui to cinders.

The utility of this ancestral token was at its peak right now.

The ninth floor of the Immortal Official Medicine Vault.

This floor did not have medicine cabinets but instead featured nine compartments on altar-like shelves. Eight of these were empty boxes; the elixirs within had not vanished due to the passage of time.

Instead, they had been taken and used by officials before Dongji Capital sank underground. Wang Yu estimated that all elixirs on this floor should have been fifth-tier Apotheosis Treasure Pills.

The sole remaining one must have had a rather niche effect; otherwise, it would have been exchanged by the powerful officials of that era.

The two approached the last shelf together.

Wang Yu pressed the Ancestral Token of Water onto the restrictive light curtain, immediately causing visible ripples. He reached in and took out a specially made jade box containing the elixir.

He opened it.

A rich surge of Yin-Yang energies suddenly rushed out, transforming into the true spiritual forms of a black dragon and a white phoenix. They intertwined and converged, ultimately forming a black and white treasure elixir.

This time, Wang Yu didn't need to examine it.

The Yin Gui Demon Lord's low voice suddenly spoke.

"—Yin-Yang Dragon-Phoenix Treasure Elixir!"

This elixir was extremely famous; it was a peak fifth-tier treasure elixir. It was rumored that the first ancient Human Emperor used this elixir to "engage three thousand jade maidens nightly" through the Way of Yin and Yang Harmony, ascending to the Void Refinement stage.

He ultimately followed immortals back to the Upper Realm and was never heard from again.

However, the Immortal Official Medicine Vault had no reason to contain a treasure elixir of such stature. Therefore, Wang Yu did not jump to conclusions as Yin Gui had.

After telling him to calm down, to ensure an accurate judgment, he scraped a bit of pill powder and tasted it.

After a long while, he shook his head and said,

"It's not the Yin-Yang Dragon-Phoenix Treasure Elixir. It should be the Flood Dragon-Luan Elixir, a low-grade fifth-tier one. Nascent Soul cultivators can also use it. After consumption, dual cultivation with a suitable partner can greatly increase both the physical body and demonic energy."

Yin Gui looked puzzled until Wang Yu reactivated the elixir's phenomenon with an alchemical hand seal. Only then did he realize that the so-called black dragon and white phoenix were actually a black flood dragon and a white luan.

Though disappointed, he still hesitated and asked,

"This elixir..."

"Mine."

Wang Yu was unceremonious, even putting the box into his Sea Heart Ring. Yin Gui's mouth twitched. After a long silence, he forced a smile and said,

"Fellow Daoist Wang has contributed so much, it should indeed be yours. I have no objections."

"Really?"

"Naturally."

Wang Yu nodded slowly, then said as if casually,

"I'll be cultivating in the medicine vault for a while, fully digesting all the elixirs I can consume. Will you stay with me, or leave first?"

Yin Gui thought Wang Yu didn't trust him and quickly said,

"I'll go to the first floor to refine the elixirs."

Wang Yu wasn't the only one who had gained; he had also acquired elixirs that could be directly consumed. Even if they couldn't lead to an immediate breakthrough, they could significantly boost his foundation.

Paving a smooth path to the late Nascent Soul stage.

Wang Yu had the Ancestral Token of Water and could directly hide within the restrictions to refine the elixirs, making his safety unconcerned.

Yin Gui, however, would be in some danger.

Seeing that the other party wasn't leaving, Wang Yu didn't drive him away, though he felt a slight regret. According to the spiritual sense images he had left at some intersections in the palace city,

grand cultivator-level experts had already entered.

If Yin Gui had left first, he might have helped Wang Yu attract a large wave of attention.

Dongji Capital was an ancient ruin, and the ancient immortal dynasty's collapse was particularly sudden; it was not a legacy ground deliberately set up by powerful individuals.

That's why everything seemed so smooth.

This was also because they had found the right direction and applied their strength correctly; otherwise, they would have been in a lot of trouble.

The Ancestral Token of Water could only be applied effectively in medicine vaults and feng shui layouts; it might not be as useful in other places.

Feng shui geomancers focus on earth, fire, water, and wind.

Formation masters focus on metal, wood, water, and earth. The two share commonalities, but fundamentally, they are different. Heavenly Array Masters would also hold a significant advantage here.

He needed to be extra wary of this. Since Yin Gui didn't betray him for profit, it proved that this person could be trusted.

However, Wang Yu still maintained a considerable degree of vigilance.

Next, one sat cross-legged in a small compartment on the ninth floor, and the other sat on the paulownia wood floor of the first-floor hall, both tacitly beginning to refine the spiritual elixirs they had acquired.

After consuming a peak fourth-tier elixir that aided in breaking through spiritual sense bottlenecks, Wang Yu temporarily changed all seven of his cultivation slots to "Ancient Soul Art."

This spiritual sense cultivation method was just a tiny bit short of completion.

The opportunity he sought was now!

As the elixir's medicinal power began to surge, the spiritual sense accumulated in his Mud Pill Palace rapidly swelled. The bottleneck that had held him back for some time silently shattered under the effect of the medicinal power.

The spiritual sense pressure belonging to a late Nascent Soul cultivator was suddenly released.

Yin Gui looked up in shock.

He seemed to see Wang Yu's vast spiritual sense essence, muttering in his heart, "Late Nascent Soul... No, how could such an old monster cooperate with me?"

"And he's only two hundred years old, truly incredible."

—And this!

Was merely the beginning of his breakthrough!