Chapter 69

Chapter 69

"That must be the Millennium Heart-Eating Grass, huh? It looks like dead bones," Wen Qiao commented.

Upon hearing such straightforward words, the group couldn't help but feel a bit nauseated as they looked at the herb contained in the ice jade.

The ice jade was like a transparent crystal, exuding an icy chill, making it an excellent medium for storing spirit medicines. Generally, it was used to create ice jade boxes to preserve rare and precious spirit medicines. This not only prevented the loss of their efficacy but also kept the medicines fresh while protecting the carrier from any harm caused by certain medicines.

Just like this Millennium Heart-Eating Grass, with its toxic properties being too intense, only the ice jade could effectively isolate its poison.

Through the transparent jade box, one could see the plant inside, devoid of leaves, consisting only of bone-like segments. Its color resembled that of decaying human bones, dotted with grayish stains...

No, the more they looked, the more it seemed true; it was quite unsettling.

"Junior Sister, please don't be so honest," Qin Hongdao said weakly.

Yi Xuan glanced silently at this junior sister, suddenly realizing that she was different from what he had imagined.

Liu Ruozhu handed the Millennium Heart-Eating Grass to Fei Yubai, her voice weary as she said, "Junior Brother Fei, it's all up to you now."

Fei Yubai took it and immediately passed it on to Ning Yuzhou.

Noticing the confusion among the crowd, he explained, "Younger Brother Ning is now an Xuan Rank Alchemist. It would be better for him to refine the Second Rotation Dark Yin Pill."

"Really?" Sheng Zhenhai asked with delight, "Yuzhou, you can refine Profound Rank pills now?"

Ning Yuzhou replied with modesty and warmth, "Yes, I can certainly refine some Profound Rank pills. It's just a matter of ensuring my Spirit Essence power is up to par."

Qin Hongdao's eyes shimmered with excitement as he said joyfully, "That's excellent, Junior Apprentice Brother Ning. The Second Pivot Dark Yin Pill is in your hands now. We'll be awaiting your good news."

Ning Yuzhou nodded at them and proceeded to the adjacent room with the materials for the Second Rank Dark Yin Pill, as prepared by the sect, to commence his alchemy session.

Yi Xuan observed his delight-filled master and the senior sister who placed blind faith in Ning Yuzhou. He suddenly realized that these two new disciples that their master had taken in were indeed quite different from the rest of them.

Ning Yuzhou's pace in pill refinement was exceptionally swift. After just two hours, he emerged from the neighboring chamber.

The group hurriedly encircled him, asking, "Yuzhou, how did it go?"

"Junior Brother Ning, did you manage to refine it?"

"I've finished one batch. Let's send it to Junior Brother Sheng first to help with the detoxification," Ning Yuzhou said, handing a vial to Liu Ruozhu.

Liu Ruozhu uncorked the vial, her gaze suddenly turning skeptical.

Sheng Zhenhai was also stunned, his voice cracking slightly, "A full ten pills in the furnace... all of them top-grade?"

In an instant, everyone present turned their attention to Ning Yuzhou, their hearts pounding faster.

They had always overestimated Ning Yuzhou's alchemy skills. Even though they knew he could now refine Mystic-grade pills, they never imagined that he could produce a full batch, all of them top-grade.

It was already astonishing to have a full batch, but for all ten to be top-grade – was there any limit to his talent?

Only Wen Qiao and Fei Yubai, who were already aware of his abilities, remained calm.

Fei Yubai, growing impatient, said, "Why are you still standing here? Hurry up and help Little Yunshen with the detoxification. Junior Brother Ning, do you still have the Thousand-Year Heart-Eating Grass?"

Ning Yuzhou smiled, pulling out the ice jade box. "Yes, I only used a single piece of the root for that batch."

To refine the Second Transformation Mystic Yin Pill, one didn't need the entire Thousand-Year Heart-Eating Grass; just a piece would suffice. The poison was too potent, so the amount needed couldn't be excessive. The remainder could be used for another dozen or so furnaces. Of course, once the grass was in Fei Yubai's hands, there was no chance of getting it back. The remaining pieces would provide ample material for him to study the toxicity of the Thousand-Year Heart-Eating Grass.

The two of them quickly moved aside to discuss how to utilize the remaining Thousand-Year Heart-Eroding Grass.

Yi Xuan gazed at Senior Apprentice Uncle Fei and his junior apprentice brother discussing the fate of the herb right before their eyes. Listening to Senior Apprentice Uncle Fei address his junior apprentice brother as "Honorable Junior Brother" repeatedly, even his icy facade seemed to stiffen.

This form of address was highly inappropriate!

Qin Hongdao, accustomed to such situations, hooked an arm around Yi Xuan while holding onto Wen Qiao. "Come, let's go see Junior Apprentice Brother Sheng."

Inside the room, Sheng Yunshen had already consumed a Second Rotation Dark Yin Pill and was lying in bed. His father, Sheng Zhenhai, was using his strength to dissipate the medicinal effects for him.

Under the gaze of everyone, the black blemishes on his face were gradually fading away. After two hours, the poison dissipated, revealing his handsome features once more.

"Liu Ruozhu asked, "Son, how do you feel?"

Sheng Yunshen sat up from the bed, his face radiant with a bright smile. "Mother, I'm all right now."

Relieved, Sheng Zhenhai chuckled and patted his son's head. "Brat, you'd better thank your senior siblings sincerely. Without them, we might have had to mourn for our own child."

Nodding in agreement, Sheng Yunshen got out of bed and bowed respectfully towards Qin Hongdao and the others. "Yunshen deeply thanks Eldest Senior Sister, Second Senior Brother, and Youngest Junior Sister. Your kindness, I will forever remember."

Qin Hongdao spoke with a warm smile, "There's no need to thank me. It was Junior Brother Yi who found the Thousand-Year Heart-Eating Grass."

Yi Xuan replied coolly, "I merely discovered it. We owe our success in retrieving it to Master and Madam."

Wen Qiao said, "My husband refined the pill, and I didn't really assist much."

Upon hearing this, Yi Xuan couldn't help but glance at his little sister again, his heart astounded. So Little Sister and Little Brother are actually partners in cultivation.

Sheng Yunshen scratched his head, saying bashfully, "Thanks to all of you. If not for you, I truly... Father and Mother, thank you as well. I'm fine now, so there's no need for you to stay here. You should go rest."

As he spoke, he looked at his mother with concern, noticing her exhaustion. She had probably been injured, but due to her high cultivation, she was enduring it, making it difficult to see.

Sheng Zhenhai said, "Of course we're going to rest. Your mother got injured while retrieving the Thousand-Year Heart-Eating Grass; she'll need time to recover. In the future, don't cause any more trouble, and be filial to your mother, understand?"

Sheng Yunshen looked at his mother, tears welling up in his eyes. He nodded and said, "I will be filial to Mother. If one day, Father becomes old and can't keep up with Mother's cultivation, I'll watch over you for Mother, allowing her to ascend without distraction."

"Disobedient child—"

The room buzzed with warmth and cheer, dispelling the gloom of the past.

Exiting the room, they found Fei Yubai and another discussing alchemy outside. Sheng Zhenhai said, "Xuan'er, Master hasn't introduced you yet. This is your junior brother Ning Yuzhou, and this is your junior sister Wen Qiao."

Ning Yuzhou lifted his head, ceasing his conversation with Fei Yubai, and approached them.

After that, the senior and junior siblings exchanged greetings. Yi Xuan took out two gifts from his storage bag – an eighth-rank spiritual herb and a vial of unknown spirit grass seeds.

It was evident that these presents were specially prepared for them.

"Thank you, Second Senior Brother," Ning Yuzhou and Wen Qiao stepped forward to express their gratitude.

Sheng Zhenhai looked at his apprentices with great satisfaction, chuckled, and then, under Fei Yubai's lingering gaze, he finally took his companion to rest.

Next, Ning Yuzhou had a few words with Fei Yubai, who eventually left.

After bidding farewell to Fei Yubai, Qin Hongdao said, "Junior Brother Yi has worked hard on this journey. When you've rested, let's all gather again as fellow disciples."

None of them had any objections. After exchanging farewells, they dispersed to take their rest.

Upon returning to the Jade Gathering Peak, Wen Qiao took out the mysterious spirit herb seed that Yi Xuan had given her. She held it dearly, examining it with great interest.

The spirit grass seed was a vivid scarlet, resembling a gemstone engulfed in flames – a stunning sight. This indicated that the spirit grass was of high rank. If it could be successfully cultivated, it would yield an advanced spirit herb, and the wood essence energy it would provide would undoubtedly be pure and concentrated.

"Wen Qiao asked, "Dearest, what kind of spirit grass did Second Senior Brother gift you?"

"It's a Tier 8 Earth Dragon Spittle," Ning Yuzhou replied.

Wen Qiao's eyes sparkled as she exclaimed, "Second Senior Brother is so generous!" With such a generous Second Senior Brother, she had to maintain a good relationship with him in the future.

And the way Miss Wen got along well with others was by giving them top-grade pills.

Since arriving at the Central Continent, Wen Qiao had learned one lesson: there was nothing that couldn't be resolved with top-grade pills. If there was, then it was because there weren't enough of them.

In her mind, top-grade pills were more attractive than spirit stones. Of course, this notion wasn't wrong. Sometimes, even spirit stones couldn't buy a top-grade spirit pill.

After setting up restrictions around them, they entered the spatial realm.

As Ning Yuzhou's cultivation advanced, the space had expanded slightly. Although it was only a small increase, the overbearing Stone Gold Python Vine within the space had swiftly claimed the new area, making it obvious to all.

Wen Qiao chose an empty spot and planted the Earthworm Saliva herb and the unknown spirit grass seeds.

Ning Yuzhou took out the Millennium Heart-Eroding Grass from his Ice Jade Box and handed it to Wen Qiao. "Ah Cuo, can this Millennium Heart-Eroding Grass still be cultivated?"

The Heart-Eroding Grass grew in the Netherworld and only one plant would emerge every thousand years. It was incredibly hard to find. Although they didn't know where Ning Yuzhou had obtained this particular plant, judging from Liu Ruozhu's earlier state, it hadn't been an easy process.

After obtaining the Heart-Eroding Grass, Ning Yuzhou wanted to cultivate it artificially. Conveniently, Wen Qiao was a natural Spirit Cultivator, so he couldn't resist asking Fei Yubai for it.

Originally, as an Xuan Rank Alchemist, Ning Yuzhou shouldn't have been able to request such a thing. However, he had been constantly ingratiating himself with Fei Yubai lately, making it effortless to obtain the grass. Ning Yuzhou didn't plan on keeping it for himself, he just wanted to see if Wen Qiao could cultivate a few extra plants as backups.

Wen Qiao examined it and said, "Not much of its vitality has been lost, so it can be planted. However, it originated in the Netherworld and requires a Netherworld-like environment to grow."

Even though she could cultivate spirit grass, for certain herbs with specific attributes, a suitable environment was needed for successful cultivation. Otherwise, even if it sprouted, it would soon weaken and eventually wither away.

This was a pattern Wen Qiao had discovered while cultivating some spirit grass that required specific environments. Apparently, her half-demon ability wasn't all-powerful.

Ning Yuzhou pondered for a moment and said, "Then I'll set up an array to replicate a Netherworld-like environment."

Putting his words into action, Ning Yuzhou immediately retrieved some materials for array plates from his storage bag and began to study them attentively.

Upon seeing this, Wen Qiao knew that her husband was about to immerse himself in another ancillary skill, making it impossible for them to cultivate together for the time being. However, she understood the importance of his tasks and naturally wouldn't disturb him. Sighing, she took Wen Tuttu along to work in the spirit field.

With Wen Tuttu's help in collecting seeds, Wen Qiao hastened the growth of some spiritual herbs in the field, harvesting and processing them before storing them away in her storage bag. Then, she continued on with the cultivation process.

Occasionally, Ning Yuzhou would lift his head and see the industrious figure of a person and a rabbit in the spirit field. Suddenly, he realized that he shouldn't always burden Ah Chu with such menial tasks. Perhaps when his alchemy skills improved, he could craft puppets to take care of these chores.

Unbeknownst to Wen Qiao, her husband had set another goal for himself, leaving even less time for cultivation.

After several days, Ning Yuzhou finally crafted several array disks.

Activating them, he placed them in a small section of the spirit field.

Soon, an eerie aura permeated the spirit field, and the black soil transformed, exuding an ominous vibe.

Wen Qiao planted the section of the millennium Heart-Eroding Grass that had been harvested into the area enclosed by the array disks. She then started accelerating the growth of the millennium Heart-Eroding Grass.

After a few days, Wen Qiao finally managed to cultivate two stalks of the millennium Heart-Eroding Grass, utterly exhausted from the effort.

Her current cultivation level was too low to hasten the growth of high-grade spiritual herbs at a rapid pace.

"Ning Yuzhou, you've worked hard," he said, pulling the little girl into his embrace and kissing her cheek.

Wen Qiao buried her face in his chest, absorbing the warm, faintly medicinal scent emanating from him, which quickly invigorated her. She plucked the newly grown Thousand-Year Heart-Eroding Grass and placed it in an ice-jade box.

Of course, she deliberately broke off a small piece before sealing it away.

With one Thousand-Year Heart-Eroding Grass in hand, Ning Yuzhou passed the other to Fei Yubai.

After "borrowing" it for so long, it was only right to return it.

Fei Yubai didn't notice that this wasn't the same plant Liu Ruozhu had originally brought back. He said, "The Thousand-Year Heart-Eroding Grass is highly toxic, making it an excellent research material. If we can develop an antidote to counteract its poison, we'll have less to fear when dealing with the poisons of demonic cultivators in the future."

Ning Yuzhou then remained on Heavenly Spirit Peak to continue researching the antidote alongside Fei Yubai.

Upon learning of their endeavor, the peak leaders from each mountain expressed their support. Only Wen Qiao, while practicing her punches atop Skycloud Peak, silently lamented that her husband couldn't focus on his cultivation properly.

A few days later, Qin Hongdao sent a message to summon her fellow disciples to her Snow Blade Peak.

As the senior sister had invited them, Ning Yuzhou and Wen Qiao both attended without hesitation.

When Ning Yuzhou and Wen Qiao arrived, they saw their Senior Sister on the peak of Snow Blade Peak surrounded by a plethora of spirit wine jars. She called out to them, "Come, come, hurry! Today, the fellow disciples of Heavenly Cloud Peak are gathering, and we won't return until we're all drunk."

Wen Qiao briskly walked over and sat beside her Senior Sister.

Qin Hongdao gently stroked her tender face with a smile, saying, "Such a good little Junior Sister." As he spoke, he opened a jar of spirit wine and handed it to her. "I know that our little Junior Sister loves drinking. I bought this from our sect's marketplace; it's all high-quality, well-preserved wine."

"Thank you, Senior Sister," Wen Qiao replied obediently, her voice sweet and gentle.

Ning Yuzhou approached and sat next to Wen Qiao, suggesting, "Just drinking isn't much fun. Why don't we roast something to eat?"

Sheng Yunshen promptly responded, "Junior Brother Ning, roasted fish! Like the one you ate the other day, I want to try it too."

Ning Yuzhou replied, "There are no fish here..."

"I'll catch some. I know the Peak Lord of Heavenly Array Peak has raised a few mutated flowering sea bream. I've heard that these fish are centuries old and have excellent flesh. I'll go fetch them..."

"Also, bring back some game."

"Alright, Junior Brother Ning, just wait a moment."

With a cheerful departure, Sheng Yunshen soon returned with an abundance of prey. Upon closer inspection, the collection included creatures from the skies, the land, and the waters. A quick glance from Yi Xuan and Qin Hongdao revealed that among these catches were several precious pets belonging to the leaders of different peaks - all delectable treats.

Sure enough, after Ning Yuzhou's skillful preparation, the entire mountaintop was suffused with the aroma of delectable food.

Qin Hongdao nudged Yi Xuan, who was buried in devouring a grilled fish. "Junior Apprentice Brother Yi, aren't you going to have some wine?"

"Wait a moment, please."

"Sob, sob, sob, Little Junior Brother's grilled fish and meat are so delicious." Sheng Yunshen maintained his appearance of being emotionally overwhelmed to the point of tears. "It's truly wonderful to be alive. Senior Sister, Second Senior Brother, Little Junior Brother, Little Junior Sister, thank you for letting me live."

Qin Hongdao spoke gently, "It's nothing, who asked you to be our silly junior brother?"

Sheng Yunshen: "..."

This gathering proceeded smoothly. Wen Qiao and Ning Yuzhou, the newly inducted junior sister and junior brother, successfully integrated into the Tianyun Peak lineage. Ning Yuzhou's culinary skills also won over their three senior siblings.

Second Senior Brother Yi Xuan is a man of few words but great enthusiasm for food. Over a communal meal, he also expressed his approval of the two junior siblings.

Following the gathering, Ning Yuzhou found himself occupied for another half month. Eventually, he managed to clear his schedule, making time for he and Wen Qiao to venture together to the summit of Tianling Mountain for their cultivation practice.