「The next morning.」
Hong Yu, having changed into a fresh set of clothes, returned to the Underground Alliance.
If you're going to put on a show, you have to go all the way. To avoid arousing suspicion, he had gone ho to cultivate all night after leaving the Underground Alliance yesterday. Only now did he return in his identity as Hong Yu to pay 110,000 Gold Coins and retrieve the Restoring Yin Grass.
Although he had spent an extra 10,000 Gold Coins going back and forth, it was worth it to reduce the chance of his identity being exposed. With the Restoring Yin Grass in his possession, Hong Yu went to find Sister Qin to submit his mission, but a Steward of the Underground Alliance told him that Sister Qin hadn't been seen there since yesterday.
Hong Yu felt a little worried for Sister Qin's safety. Was she really alright?
After so probing from Hong Yu, the Steward ntioned that Mo Yun, the forr Hall Master of the Earth Spirit Hall, and his apprentice, Wang Ze, had been expelled from the alliance by the Vice-Chairman. This news put Hong Yu's mind at ease sowhat.
'Since Mo Yun and Wang Ze were kicked out of the Underground Alliance, Sister Qin should be fine!' Hong Yu quietly sighed in relief.
After handing the Restoring Yin Grass to the Steward, Hong Yu successfully completed Xue Butong's mission. The Steward clicked his tongue in admiration. "Your luck is pretty good. So far, only two parties have accepted this mission. Huh, that's strange. This is a mission issued by Master Xue, so logically, a lot of people should have taken it! Strange, really strange..."
"Only two parties accepted the mission?"
Hong Yu froze.
He couldn't help but recall the early days of his career as a Hunter. Every mission had nurous competitors, and his completion rate back then was not very promising. That was until he t Sister Qin. After getting to know her, the number of competitors for the missions he accepted decreased significantly.
All this ti, Hong Yu had assud it was because his Hunter Level had increased, allowing him to take on higher-level missions with fewer competitors.
Only at this mont did he finally understand.
'It seems Sister Qin has been secretly helping for over a year. For every mission I accepted, she must have helped conceal it, trying to prevent too many others from taking it. Sister Qin, after you've treated with such kindness, how can I ever repay you?'
Hong Yu slowly closed his eyes.
The image of Sister Qin's dazzling smile appeared in his mind, every frown and every smile still so clear.
It was just a pity...
He didn't know where Sister Qin was now, and asking Vice-Chairman Leng Rubei was clearly not a realistic option.
Hong Yu shook his head. 'If fate wills it, we will et again!'
Letting out a long breath, Hong Yu collected the token left by Xue Butong at the Underground Alliance. As he gripped the Token Jade Order in his hand, a surge of excitent and thrill washed away the faint sadness Sister Qin's absence had brought. Hong Yu clenched his fists. 'Yaoyao, you'll be better soon!'
Xue Butong was the chief Spiritual Craftsman of the Spirit Pill Pavilion, the largest Pill dicine Shop in Shishui City, and was stationed there year-round.
When Hong Yu arrived at the Spirit Pill Pavilion with the token and stated his purpose, an attendant at the door enthusiastically led him to see Xue Butong.
Xue Butong was a man in his thirties, not very tall, and slightly chubby.
His eyes seed very small, looking even more miniature on his plump face. He always wore a faint smile, giving off the impression of a Laughing Maitreya, which made it easy for people to warm up to him.
Xue Butong rubbed his hands together, looking at Hong Yu with a grin. "You must be young friend Hong Yu, right? Co, co, have a seat!"
"You're too kind, Master Xue!"
Hong Yu was a bit overwheld by the warm reception.
This wasn't his first ti eting a Spiritual Craftsman. Mo Yun from yesterday was one, and even Wang Ze was an Advanced Apprentice Craftsman. But whether it was Wang Ze or Mo Yun, they both carried an air of unapproachable, worldly arrogance. Xue Butong, on the other hand, was extrely amicable, like a kindly neighborhood uncle, which made it hard for Hong Yu to adjust.
"Don't be so formal, young friend. Just make yourself at ho, be casual!" Xue Butong said with a chuckle.
"..."
Hong Yu felt helpless. 'How can I treat this like ho? You're a dignified Tier One Spiritual Craftsman! Even the Patriarch of my Hong Family would probably have to show you the utmost respect. How can you expect to be casual in front of you?'
Despite his thoughts, Hong Yu, concerned about Yun ngyao's condition, was the first to speak. "Master Xue, this junior has completed the mission you assigned and has brought you the Restoring Yin Grass. I was wondering..."
"Oh my, it really is the Restoring Yin Grass! WAHAHAHA! My precious, I've been waiting so long for you..."
Xue Butong snatched the Restoring Yin Grass from Hong Yu's hand. He examined it from every angle, finally seeming to confirm its authenticity, and then rubbed it against his face as if it were a priceless treasure. The cautious, gleaming look in his eyes was just like that of a creepy old man luring a young girl. Watching from the side, the corner of Hong Yu's eye twitched.
"Um... Master Xue, I..." Hong Yu scratched his head, trying to remind him in frustration.
But Xue Butong didn't seem to hear him at all. He continued stroking the Restoring Yin Grass, muttering blissfully, "My precious, my precious..."
As he spoke, Xue Butong suddenly grabbed Hong Yu's hand and, ignoring his protests, headed straight for a room in the back. "Co with , young friend!"
Dragged along by Xue Butong, Hong Yu entered the back room. It was a world of its own—a laboratory.
Xue Butong pulled Hong Yu to a lab bench, upon which sat a jet-black bottle. When Hong Yu saw the Spirit dicines stored inside, he couldn't help but be startled and blurted out, "Are you preparing a Breaking Forbidden Spirit Pill?"
The Breaking Forbidden Spirit Pill was a Tier Two Spiritual Pill. It was a precious Spirit Pill that could allow an Earth Soul Realm powerhouse to break the innate limitations of their Primordial Vein, shatter the prohibition, and advance to the Celestial Soul Realm. The Breaking Forbidden Spirit Pill was different from the ordinary Celestial Spirit Pill. A Celestial Spirit Pill would increase the chance of advancing to the Celestial Soul Realm by fifty percent, but if one broke through with its help, they would be stuck at the Early-stage Celestial Soul Realm for the rest of their life, unable to advance any further.
But the Breaking Forbidden Spirit Pill was completely different; it was a Spirit Pill that did not damage the user's talent or potential.
Its value was so high that even the Hong Family's assets, worth billions, could probably only be exchanged for two or three of them!
Xue Butong froze, looking at Hong Yu in astonishnt. "How did you know I was researching the Breaking Forbidden Spirit Pill?"
This Breaking Forbidden Spirit Pill ca from a fragnted Ancient Pill Recipe that Xue Butong had stumbled upon by chance. Even a Tier Two Spiritual Craftsman might not know about it, yet Hong Yu had identified it in a single glance?
Hong Yu hesitated. He had, of course, learned about the Breaking Forbidden Spirit Pill from the *Divine dicine Scripture*. He was reluctant to reveal this, but thinking that he would need to ask Xue Butong to treat Yaoyao later, he decided to build up so leverage. In a low voice, he said, "I once read a description of the Breaking Forbidden Spirit Pill in an ancient book. I just saw several Spirit dicines in your bottle—for example, this Dragon Beard Root, Amber Vine, and Jade Green Grass are all essential ingredients. Combining that with the fact that you needed Restoring Yin Grass, I guessed it was the Breaking Forbidden Spirit Pill."
"Where is that ancient book?"
Xue Butong asked hastily.
He had been skeptical when Hong Yu first nad the Breaking Forbidden Spirit Pill, but after Hong Yu reeled off the nas of several Spirit dicines as if he were listing his own family treasures, he completely believed the young man before him.
Hong Yu spread his hands. "I only saw that ancient book by chance. I don't know where it is now."
"I see."
Xue Butong shook his head in regret, then turned his attention back to the Restoring Yin Grass.
He placed the Restoring Yin Grass into a dicinal trough, preparing to grind it. Hong Yu glanced over and couldn't help but frown and warn, "Doing it that way won't work."
"What?"
Xue Butong was taken aback.
His expression soured. As a long-famous Spiritual Craftsman, he had his pride. He had spent over twenty years developing this formula based on the Ancient Pill Recipe. Xue Butong was fully confident he could refine the Breaking Forbidden Spirit Pill, yet Hong Yu was telling him his thod was useless?
This was an insult to his decades of research.
Hong Yu gave a wry smile. "Restoring Yin Grass is extrely yin in nature and contains a rare, hidden yin toxin. It lies dormant in the body and erupts on the night of a full moon, damaging the very foundation of one's ridians. Although you're using Jade Green Grass to neutralize the yin toxin, you've forgotten that Dragon Beard Root contains trace toxins that are difficult to remove. When neutralized with Jade Green Grass, it creates a new toxin, one that is even worse than the original yin toxin. The Breaking Forbidden Spirit Pill you refine this way will indeed allow a Peak Earth Soul Realm Powerhouse to advance to the Celestial Soul Realm, but they will have to endure the agony of a potent poison corroding their Primordial Vein once every month."
"Impossible! How could Jade Green Grass, Dragon Beard Root, and Restoring Yin Grass neutralize each other and produce such a reaction?" Xue Butong said, shaking his head.
Hong Yu said, "If you don't believe , you can take a small amount of each of the three Spirit dicines and test it."
"Fine. If what you say is true, I will reward you handsoly. But if you're just spouting nonsense, hmph..."
With his convictions on the line, the "Laughing Maitreya" Xue Butong lost so of his smile, replaced by a cold and fierce intensity.
This made Hong Yu smile wryly. 'Professionals truly are the most stubborn people!'
Don't be fooled by how easily Hong Yu had refined the Yunyuan Pill; in reality, that was because he had an accurate Pill Recipe and refining process. Spiritual Craftsn who worked with fragnted Pill Recipes or developed new types of Spirit dicine had to conduct countless experints to confirm the correctness of the recipe before finally proceeding with the Pill's refining.
As expected of a veteran who had been imrsed in the way of the Spiritual Craftsman for many years, Xue Butong took a small amount of each of the three Spirit dicines, combined them, and lted them down, refining them into a small vial of dicinal liquid.
"How do I test for toxicity?" Xue Butong asked.
Hong Yu pointed to a white mouse nearby. "Have the mouse ingest it, then envelop it with Primordial Fire. The toxicity will naturally activate."
"Alright!"
Xue Butong did as he was told.
As the Primordial Fire enveloped the mouse, the lively little creature shuddered and dropped dead.
Seeing this, Xue Butong's expression changed. With a grim face and without a word, he grabbed his tools and deftly dissected the mouse's body. Beneath its undamaged exterior, the ridians inside the mouse's body had been completely corroded away. This made Xue Butong suck in a sharp breath of cold air.
Although a mouse's ridians were not as tough as a human's Primordial Vein, if one were truly afflicted with this toxin, they would surely suffer a fate worse than death.
A vacant look filled Xue Butong's eyes, and a dejected expression spread across his face. He muttered, 'It's over... it's all over. So my decades of research were spent developing a potent poison. HAHAHA, a failure. I'm a complete and utter failure...'
Seeing the devastated Xue Butong, Hong Yu hesitated for a mont, then sighed and said, "Actually, it's not like there's no solution!"
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