Elder Zhao gazed at the pill in the jade bottle, its radiant colors flowing like shimmering light. He brought it close to his nose and inhaled deeply, instantly feeling an overwhelming and vast life force wash over him, soothing and refreshing.
“A fine pill! Using poison to counter poison, breaking down before rebuilding! Then reinforcing the foundation with seven kinds of pure, supreme yang spirit materials to restore vitality! Marvelous!”
His eyes, looking at Li Mengze, no longer expressed mere appreciation.
“Come! Follow me!”
Unable to hold back any longer, Elder Zhao grabbed Li Mengze’s hand and hurriedly rushed toward the Prince’s residence.
…………
The Prince Yong’s Mansion.
Once majestic and imposing, it was now shrouded in an unshakable aura of deathly despair.
The maids and servants inside all wore sorrowful expressions, stepping lightly as if afraid to disturb the old prince bedridden within.
The steward was a pale-faced, whiskerless old eunuch. Upon seeing Elder Zhao, he hurriedly bowed and led the two through layers of corridors, finally stopping before a secluded bedchamber.“Elder Zhao, as you know, the prince… his temper is bad. Especially in recent years, it’s been even worse… sigh.” The eunuch sighed, hesitating to speak further. “There are three shifts of attendants daily. Please… bear with us.”
Elder Zhao nodded, signaling him not to say more. He then turned to Li Mengze, saying, “Go in. Remember, no matter the outcome, just do your best. If anything happens, I will take responsibility.”
Li Mengze felt warmth in his heart. He respectfully bowed to his master, took a deep breath, and followed Zhao Wuji through the heavy chamber doors.
Inside the mansion, the medicinal scent was so thick it felt almost tangible.
The light was dim, windows covered by thick curtains, and the air heavy with a dense, decaying stench.
Beneath a small sandalwood bed in the center lay a gaunt figure. If not for the weak but steady rise and fall of his chest, one might have thought it was a corpse.
This was Li Mengze, who had won glorious battles to expand the Great Yu Dynasty’s territory.
“Prince, Zhao Wuji of Ouhuan has brought a new disciple to seek an audience,” an old steward announced quietly.
“Yes, let them in.”
Li Mengze did not even lift his eyelids, his voice hoarse, “Pills? A bunch of talkative useless fools. Over the years, I have taken fewer pills than the herbs you see, yet they were useless. I could only watch helplessly as my spirit was gradually devoured by this damned poison miasma. Tell them to leave. Don’t bother me.”
He had long been disheartened and weary from the relentless torment of his illness.
From initial hope to arriving disappointment, to now complete despair.
He had seen too many so-called “Pillmasters” who, when facing him, made grand promises but ultimately could only shake their heads and leave empty-handed.
The new arrival was likely another reckless youth hoping to gain fame by treating his illness.
The old steward’s face showed difficulty. Just as he was about to enter, Ouhuan Yu had already taken a few quick steps back, a faint smile on his face.
“Old Prince, his temper is just as foul and stubborn as in his younger days! Have you, Ouhuan Yu, earned his favor?”
Only then did Li Mengze open his clear eyes fully, shooting a sharp glance at Zhao Wuji, then looking at the old steward beside him. A mocking smirk curled his lips.
“Oh? That old geezer. What, you sent some greenhorn to try his luck? You might as well save your breath; don’t let your reputation as the master’s last disciple be ruined on the first day.”
His gaze fell on Elder Zhao, filled with impatience and contempt, as if looking at a ridiculous clown.
“Hmph, whether it’s luck or not, we’ll see when we try!” Elder Zhao showed full confidence in his disciple.
Li Mengze spoke slowly, “The prince is poisoned by a toxin known as the ‘Seven Absolute Corrupting Divine Miasma.’ This poison is not in the flesh or meridians but invades the spirit directly. It is like a bone-attached ulcer, constantly eroding your vitality and soul power. Therefore, ordinary detox methods are like boiling water without removing the scum—ineffective.”
The old prince’s well-like eyes flickered with a trace of emotion for the first time.
This young man had spoken directly to the root of the poison!
This was not something the pillmasters who recited textbooks could recognize.
“Oh?” His voice carried a hint of scrutiny. “Go on.”
“Prince,” Li Mengze continued, “this pill I bring is not for detoxification.”
He opened the jade bottle, and an overwhelming, vast life force instantly filled the entire chamber, even freshening the stale air.
The pill, glowing with seven-colored light like a newborn sun, lay quietly in the bottle, emitting a comforting warmth.
“This pill is called the ‘Seven Treasures Soul-Firming Pill,’” Li Mengze explained. “It cannot neutralize the strange poison within you but can reinforce the foundation and cultivate your essence by using seven kinds of spirit materials imbued with the vitality of heaven and earth to repair your damaged spirit and stabilize your waning life force. The poison is like a flood; life force is like a dam. Without a solid dam, how can the flood be controlled? Once your spirit stabilizes, I will slowly help you eliminate the poison’s root, stabilizing your nearly collapsing soul and extending your remaining years.”
He did not overpromise; his tone was sincere and confident.
“Oh? Quite the boast.”
A flicker of surprise appeared in Prince Yong’s murky eyes. This young man was steadier than those before him.
The old eunuch panicked, and guards rushed in instantly, drawing swords and glaring fiercely at Li Mengze and the others.
“Stand down!”
Elder Zhao shouted sternly, “This is the medicinal power attacking the poison miasma; it’s a good sign!”
Li Mengze’s face was grave as he said, “Prince, focus your mind and calm your breath. Hold your primordial unity. This is breaking down before rebuilding. If you cannot maintain your heart, even immortals cannot save you.”
At this moment, Prince Yong felt as if his soul was trapped in a massive millstone, crushed and torn repeatedly.
He recalled his youth on the battlefield, struck by multiple arrows yet fighting on without retreat.
“If I’m not afraid of thousands of troops, how could I fear this trivial pill!”
A fierce warrior’s iron-blooded will surged from his heart with a roar!
Enduring the inhuman pain, he clenched his spirit’s final clarity, allowing the pill’s overwhelming power to rampage inside him.
After an unknown length of time, the excruciating pain slowly subsided, replaced by a warm, vast life force like sweet rain nourishing a parched riverbed, revitalizing his nearly withered limbs and repairing his riddled soul.
His once clouded eyes gradually cleared, and his pale, paper-white complexion regained some color. His weak breath steadied and grew strong.
He slowly raised his hand, looking at his still thin but no longer trembling palm, feeling the long-lost, powerful energy within, momentarily dazed.
“My poison…”
“Is it broken?!”
Prince Yong suddenly stood from his chair with astonishing speed, no trace of a dying old man.
He stretched his limbs, feeling an unprecedented comfort as if a thousand-pound burden had been lifted.
“Hahaha! It’s broken! Really broken!”
He threw back his head and laughed loudly, the booming sound vibrating the study’s windows.
The dignity and dominance of a superior once again returned to him.
“Well done! Well done, young man!”
He abruptly turned, grabbing Li Mengze’s shoulder. His tiger-like eyes were filled with excitement.
“Your name is Li Mengze, right? From today on, you are my lifesaver! The most honored guest of Prince Yong’s Mansion! Anyone in the capital who dares to lay a finger on you is challenging me!”
With that, he took down a token from his waist made entirely of purple-gold, carved with a fierce tiger totem, and handed it to Li Mengze.
“Carry this token; it means the prince’s personal presence! Within the capital, even the forbidden areas of the capital can be accessed! Officials of the mansion will obey your orders!”
Elder Zhao watched the scene, calmly stroking his beard with a casual demeanor, but inside he was bursting with joy.
Hahaha! My disciple truly is a prodigy who can refine the Nine-Pattern Divine Pill! Now, let’s see who among those old pillmasters dares to speak nonsense!
…………
The news that the old royal prince’s condition greatly improved overnight after taking the pill spread explosively throughout the capital.
No one dared to doubt Li Mengze’s abilities anymore, nor whisper behind his back.
Within the Pill Division, elders who had been watching Li Mengze cautiously were completely unsettled.
“Ah, you see? Ouhuan Yu’s judgment never fails!”
“Indeed, indeed, such a young man with profound pill skills. Truly fearsome, a fearsome reincarnation!”
“Let’s go, hurry up and meet this pill prodigy. We must make a good connection!”
Suddenly, Li Mengze’s alchemy chamber was bustling with visitors. Gifts piled up like mountains, starkly contrasting with the previous few quiet days.
Meanwhile, Wei Linger, the instigator of all this, smashed her private chamber into pieces the moment she received the news.
“Impossible! Absolutely impossible!”
Her delicate face twisted in jealousy, her eyes blazing with flames.
“He must have just gotten lucky! Yes! That’s it!”
In Elder Zhao’s courtyard, he leisurely sipped tea, listening to the outside praise with an unruffled expression.
Yet the slight upward curve of his mouth and the gentle tapping of his fingers on the table betrayed his immense joy.
“Ah, a bunch of opportunistic old fools,” he thought smugly.
“Don’t they know whose disciple this is? My Zhao Wuji’s last disciple isn’t ordinary. The Nine-Pattern Divine Pill? Curing an old prince? That’s just the beginning! Just wait and see!”
The more he thought, the more pleased he felt, convinced that the best decision of his life was stealing this treasure and bringing him under his wing.
At the center of the storm, Li Mengze quietly left the Pill Division and went to the capital’s largest library.
Prince Yong’s recognition had granted him authority far beyond his current status. Using these newfound connections, he cautiously began to investigate the tasks entrusted by his father.
“Blood Maple Forest…”
When he entered this place name, the jade scroll he consulted showed only a few words.
[Blood Maple Forest: A forbidden border area of the Great Qian Dynasty, filled with intense resentment and fierce spirits. Mortals beware.]
As for the second-tier spirit materials, only names appeared with no origin, as if conjured from thin air. All clues abruptly ended at the most critical point.
“It seems these details are indeed top-secret royal information, even more sensitive than I imagined.”
Li Mengze sat at the desk, brow furrowed, reviewing the scattered clues he had gathered.
Using Prince Yong’s connections, he discreetly questioned some old pillmasters in the division, receiving only cryptic warnings.
“Mengze, some things are better left unknown. Focus on refining your pills and don’t meddle where you shouldn’t.”
Li Mengze slightly adjusted his brow. It seemed that to complete his father’s mission, the title of the Pill Division’s top disciple alone would not suffice.
He needed to gain a higher status to access the dynasty’s most core secrets.
Months passed in a flash.
A piece of news exploded in the capital like summer thunder.
To celebrate a major victory on the border and demonstrate national prestige, the Great Yu Dynasty decided to hold the “Great Pill Refining Contest” several years ahead of schedule!
This contest was unprecedented in scale.
Not only would all the pill prodigies within the dynasty participate, but several neighboring vassal states would also send envoys to observe.
The ultimate winner would receive unsurpassed glory, unimaginable abundant resources, and an insane reward coveted by all cultivators—a chance to enter the royal family’s deepest vault, the “Royal Secret Treasury,” to select any three treasures and study the records there for three days!
“The Royal Secret Treasury…”
Li Mengze stared at the announcement. This was the opportunity he had been seeking.