Chapter 1192: Medical Dao Celestial Palace

The Apothecary's forehead dripped with cold sweat as he circled Qin Mu, his sleeves fluttering. He moved with dazzling skill, performing various alchemy techniques with incredible mastery that left onlookers dazzled.

Alchemy techniques were also divine arts, and when it came to their mastery, the Apothecary considered himself second to none.

Back in Disabled Elderly Village, the Village Chief had once said that if the Apothecary could apply his alchemy techniques in combat, his divine arts would advance significantly. Coupled with profound cultivation, the Apothecary could also join the ranks of the world's most powerful experts. However, the Apothecary was never keen on cultivation or studying divine arts. He preferred to raise venomous insects and grow medicinal herbs, which resulted in him having the lowest cultivation realm in Disabled Elderly Village.

At that moment, Qin Mu was in critical condition. The spirit elixir refined by the Apothecary was too potent. The Apothecary's goal was to dissolve Qin Mu's cultivation and forge a Medical Dao Celestial Palace, essentially guiding Qin Mu to enter the Dao through medicine with his help. Despite his aversion to conflict, he harbored a hidden pride and longed to surpass the Village Chief, the Mute, and others. Yet, he hadn't anticipated that he couldn't even overpower the other fully formed celestial palaces, let alone control the potency of the spirit elixir itself.

The Apothecary's steps were swift as he spun around Qin Mu, his alchemy techniques transforming with increasing speed. Sweat poured from his forehead, evaporating into white steam before it could even fall. He treated Qin Mu as an alchemy furnace and the elixir's potency within Qin Mu's body as medicinal ingredients, intending to refine Qin Mu into a spirit elixir.

Only now did he regret not diligently cultivating to improve his own cultivation. Qin Mu was too strong, and using him as a human furnace required immense magical power to activate. The elixir's potency in Qin Mu's body was overwhelming, making it even more challenging to guide it into evolving into a Medical Dao Celestial Palace.

He was now panting heavily, his vital energy depleting rapidly. At any moment, if he couldn't muster another breath of vital energy, all his efforts would be in vain. His face was as red as a cloth freshly pulled from a dye vat as he desperately mobilized his cultivation, attempting to transform the pure vital qi within Qin Mu's body into a Medical Dao Celestial Palace. Only once the Medical Dao Celestial Palace took shape would the medical principles it contained be able to save Qin Mu's life. However, despite pouring all his strength and cultivation into the task, he struggled to transform Qin Mu's vital qi into a Medical Dao Celestial Palace.

*Pfft*—

The Apothecary spat out a mouthful of blood, feeling his vital energy completely exhausted. Yet, Qin Mu's Medical Dao Celestial Palace was still only halfway built.

"I'll risk my life to prevent anything from happening to Mu'er!" A stubborn streak flared in the Apothecary. He suddenly reversed his cultivation technique, burning his vital blood, and continued to strike at Qin Mu with various alchemy techniques, boosting Qin Mu, the human furnace, to refine the elixir's potency.

At that moment, Qin Mu suddenly raised a hand and swiped, blocking the Apothecary's alchemy technique. He chuckled coldly, "Grandpa Apothecary, messed up, didn't you? I knew you would. Every time you make a new elixir, it's always missing something or lacking something else."

The Apothecary froze, then keenly sensed that Qin Mu's Medical Dao Celestial Palace was actually forming on its own. Qin Mu's Spirit Embryo Primordial Spirit had activated his other celestial palaces and the Yin-Yang Taiji Diagram, refining the remaining elixir potency and transforming his vital qi into a Medical Dao Celestial Palace.

"Pfft—"

The Apothecary spat out another mouthful of blood. Qin Mu quickly raised his hand and tapped several times, sealing the reversed flow of vital blood within him. He helped the Apothecary to sit down, chuckling, "Grandpa Apothecary, do you see the disadvantage of not having enough cultivation now?"

The Apothecary trembled as he raised a finger to point at him. Qin Mu gently pushed his hand down and said earnestly, "Learn from your mistakes. If I hadn't kept some cultivation in reserve for emergencies, wouldn't you have exhausted yourself to death?"

The Apothecary's voice trembled, "You clearly could have refined the elixir's potency yourself, but you made me work so hard I spat blood..."

"Grandpa Apothecary used to trick me all the time, so I'm just following your example." Qin Mu quickly took out some spirit medicines, prepared the ingredients, and refined a spirit elixir to replenish the Apothecary's vital energy and blood. He smiled, "If I hadn't given you a scare this time, you'd suffer sooner or later. Now that you know your mistake, you'll work hard to cultivate in the future and strive to be as strong as me."

"You unfilial child..." Just as the Apothecary said this, Qin Mu shoved a spirit elixir into his mouth. The Apothecary retorted angrily, "I won't eat it..."

Qin Mu extended a finger and lightly traced the Apothecary's throat, making him involuntarily swallow the elixir. Qin Mu's fingers danced like the wind as he continuously tapped the Apothecary's chest and abdomen, helping him refine the elixir's potency. "Don't throw a childish tantrum," he said. "While it's true I set you up this time, what if, in the future, I genuinely faced a deadly situation, and you lacked the strength to dissolve the elixir's effects and save me? Of course, I'm so strong I definitely won't encounter such a situation, but what about the Village Chief? He's not as strong as I am."

Knowing the Apothecary had the closest relationship with the Village Chief, Qin Mu patiently persuaded him, "If the Village Chief were gravely injured and dying, you'd have the medicine to save him, but without enough magical power to activate its effects, wouldn't you have to watch him die before your eyes?"

The Apothecary recovered some of his spirits, panting, "You're cursing the Village Chief! You're unfilial, the Village Chief would be so sad..."

Qin Mu mobilized his own cultivation to refine the excess elixir potency within his body, chuckling, "I was just making an analogy, not cursing him. Don't talk nonsense."

"The Village Chief dueled you..."

Qin Mu hastily stood up and said, "I have other matters to attend to and need to leave Ancestral Court for a while. Grandpa Apothecary, you stay here, recover slowly, and diligently cultivate to improve your strength. I'll be going now!"

He quickly departed, feeling immensely joyful. "Another Medical Dao Celestial Palace completed! I'm getting closer and closer to the Jade Pool realm, and Grandpa Apothecary will also work hard to improve his cultivation. Hmm, among the Nine Elders of Disabled Elderly Village, only Grandpa Cripple and Old Ma are still disappointing. How should I temper them..."

With a beaming smile, he summoned Dragon Qilin and Yan'er and instructed them, "I plan to take down the ancient god egg that grants all wishes and leave behind the treasures of the Twenty-Eight Heavens. You are Dragon Mountain Rogue Cultivator, the world's foremost Celestial Master, and the master of the Void Mother Beast, controlling the void beasts in Ancestral Court. You two stay here and ensure the safety of this precious land."

Dragon Qilin quickly asked, "Sect Master, when will you return from this trip?"

Qin Mu thought for a moment and said, "A year at the earliest, or three to five years at the latest."

Dragon Qilin felt uneasy. His title of Dragon Mountain Rogue Cultivator was somewhat exaggerated, and although the Blind man, a master of formations, was present, he still lacked confidence. "Feeding the Sect Master is easy, but feeding Old Man Blind is difficult. Old Man Blind is cunning..." He sensed impending crisis; his Human Raising Scripture was likely to face a great test.

Qin Mu then found the Blind man and the Mute, entrusting them with the re-refinement of the Glazed Azure Sky Pagoda. The Mute chuckled, "The Northern Emperor was wasteful, refining this treasure into a mess. I've long found it an eyesore, so I'll definitely refine it properly. You can rest assured."

Qin Mu soared into the air, took the ancient god egg from the Glazed Azure Sky Pagoda, and placed it within the Qin Continent. He thought to himself, "I've mostly deciphered the Dao language of Grand Beginning. Now I can infer the Dao language of this wish-granting ancient god egg through the Grand Beginning Dao language. Then I'll know what these two ancient gods within the eggs have been discussing."

He walked outward, looking up to see that it was already evening. Qin Mu took out a lantern, just about to leave, when suddenly the ground shook violently. Outside the Hundred Thousand Black Mountains, a terrifying scene of a collapsing and destroying universe unfolded!

Within the Hundred Thousand Black Mountains, the gods and people of Eternal Peace watched in terror. Dragon Qilin's voice came from afar: "Everyone, don't panic! This is just a vision from the destruction of the previous cosmic epoch. Ancestral Court itself is unchanged!"

Hearing this, Qin Mu also breathed a sigh of relief. He carried his lantern and walked out of the Hundred Thousand Black Mountains, leaving the protective range of the Glazed Azure Sky Pagoda. The instant he stepped out of the Hundred Thousand Black Mountains, he suddenly felt a chilling dread, an immense terror rising within him. He heard the Dao of this universe wailing, breaking apart, and the gods of this world weeping in agony!

This was no mere illusion; he had truly stepped into the era of the previous universe's destruction!