"What? You said you have a way to solve it?"
A glimr of hope flashed in Xue Butong's dim eyes. He gripped Hong Yu's shoulders tightly. "Young friend, if you can help solve this problem, you'll be my savior. I'd go through fire and water for you!"
Looking at Xue Butong's earnest expression, Hong Yu felt a surge of excitent.
This was the promise of a Tier One Advanced Spirit Craftsman at the Peak of the Earth Soul Realm!
Hong Yu nodded. "Alright. I'll demonstrate it once. Watch closely!"
Xue Butong stepped aside.
He watched as Hong Yu picked out the most common ingredients, like Orchid Root Flower and Demon Beard, a confused look on his face. 'What on earth is this kid trying to do?' he thought. 'These ingredients are all ordinary, not even Grade-Entering Spirit dicines. Is he planning to use them to neutralize the toxicity of three Grade-Entering Spirit dicines? Is that even possible?'
At this point, Xue Butong was already starting to doubt Hong Yu.
But Hong Yu paid him no mind, focusing on the task at hand.
The Divine dicine Scripture was the ultimate Secret Scripture on the path of Spirit dicine. Even though Hong Yu had only read the first volu, the knowledge he possessed was enough to look down on any ordinary Tier One Spiritual Craftsman. So of the secret knowledge it contained was unknown even to the higher-level Spiritual Craftsn of this world.
Every step of his process seed strange and ordinary, yet each movent was as smooth as flowing water, as if he had perford it countless tis before.
'Does this fellow even understand the way of Alchemy? The herbs he's chosen include so with yin properties, so with yang, so toxic, so not... Throwing all these together will just create a chaotic ss, won't it? How could he possibly refine a Pill from this?'
Watching Hong Yu combine the various dicinal ingredients, Xue Butong's brow furrowed, and his expression grew grim.
On the path of a Spiritual Craftsman, so focused on Artifact Refining, while others specialized in Alchemy.
But regardless of their specialty, all Spiritual Craftsn understood a fundantal principle: combining materials with the sa properties yielded the best results. Even when mixing materials with different properties, one should follow the principles of mutual generation and restraint. This was especially crucial in Alchemy!
For example, if an ingredient was toxic, one had to use another ingredient that could neutralize its toxicity.
This neutralization had to be done in specific ratios. If a toxic ingredient had only a small amount of poison, one couldn't add too much of the neutralizing agent. Doing so could be counterproductive, potentially creating new toxins instead.
However, the herbs Hong Yu had just chosen completely violated all conventional rules and established practices.
According to Xue Butong's knowledge, putting these ingredients together wouldn't just fail to neutralize the poison; he feared it would create more than one or two new toxins!
'Sigh, Xue Butong, oh, Xue Butong, how could you so easily trust a wet-behind-the-ears kid?' Xue Butong shook his head with a bitter smile. 'The little fellow probably did read about this sowhere, but when it cos to doing it himself... sigh. What a waste of so many of my ingredients.'
Xue Butong shook his head, smiling bitterly.
He was already beginning to regret letting Hong Yu try to prove himself.
Although the ingredients Hong Yu was using weren't Grade-Entering Spirit dicines, they were essential for experinting with Pill Recipes and were quite expensive!
'He's just a young man, after all. I won't interrupt him for now,' Xue Butong murmured to himself.
He even began to consider how he should comfort the young man after he inevitably failed, so as not to hurt his pride and confidence.
「Ti passed, second by second.」
Hong Yu had finished preparing the basic neutralizing solution. He retrieved a small, fingernail-sized gray stone from a sealed black box and carefully moved it toward the mixing vessel.
Xue Butong, who had been waiting with his arms crossed to console Hong Yu after his failure, saw the gray stone, and his expression changed dramatically.
'Th-that's a Hydrogen Sulfide Stone? H-he's going to put that into the dicinal liquid? Has this kid lost his mind? Doesn't he know that a Hydrogen Sulfide Stone will explode on contact with even a drop of water? An explosion from a piece this big would be no weaker than a full-force strike from an Early-stage Earth Soul Realm expert! Damn it, I have to stop him...'
Xue Butong circulated his Profound Skill, preparing to intervene.
But...
Hong Yu was a step faster. With a PLOP, the Hydrogen Sulfide Stone was already in the vessel.
'It's over! My laboratory is done for!'
Xue Butong squeezed his eyes shut, filled with bitter regret. 'I never should have trusted him!'
He waited for a mont...
The expected explosion never happened. Confused, Xue Butong opened his eyes. He was stunned to see Hong Yu looking at him with a slight smile. Xue Butong glanced around—the laboratory was perfectly intact. "H-how... why didn't it explode?" he asked, bewildered.
"Explode? Oh, you an the Hydrogen Sulfide Stone? It's true that it explodes on contact with water, but adding a few drops of violet plant oil neutralizes its volatile components," Hong Yu said with a smile, holding up the vial of liquid. "I've succeeded. As long as you use this solution, you can begin refining the Breaking Forbidden Spirit Pill."
"P-plant oil? Th-that works?"
Xue Butong's eyes went wide.
He was certainly no stranger to violet plant oil, but it was typically used to moisturize the skin on one's hands, or at most, to add a bit of flavor when cooking. He had never heard of anyone using it as a neutralizing agent for the explosive properties of a Hydrogen Sulfide Stone.
And yet, there were indeed traces of oil in the solution Hong Yu was holding, and he could even faintly sll the scent of violets.
Hong Yu wasn't spouting nonsense.
"I'll go try it!"
Half-believing, half-doubting, Xue Butong mixed the solution Hong Yu had prepared with the previously toxic liquid.
HUMMM!
A faint green light swirled, and the once-murky liquid instantly beca clear.
Xue Butong fed this liquid to another white mouse and continued to heat it with his Primordial Fire. The mouse squeaked and scurried about, but it showed no signs of discomfort. Still not convinced, Xue Butong ran several other conventional tests. The mouse remained lively and energetic—in fact, its spirits seed even higher than before.
"The toxicity is really gone?"
Xue Butong was too stunned to speak.
Beyond his astonishnt, his fanatical obsession with pharmacology drove Xue Butong to once again press An Lushan's Claw onto Hong Yu's shoulder. He asked anxiously, "Wh-what's the principle behind this? Tell , quickly!"
Hong Yu rubbed his nose and explained, "It's actually quite simple. The neutralizing properties of a Hydrogen Sulfide Stone are incredibly powerful; it can neutralize almost any potent poison from a Spirit dicine below Tier Two. However, it also has volatile components that can easily cause cauldron explosions during Alchemy, so I added a few herbs with mild properties. This way, I could use the Hydrogen Sulfide Stone to eliminate the toxicity of the Dragon Beard Root and other ingredients without having to worry about its side effects."
"It's... it's that simple?"
Xue Butong blinked, asking in disbelief.
Hong Yu shrugged. "It's that simple."
"..."
Xue Butong's gaze gradually grew strange. He looked Hong Yu up and down, and after a long mont, he let out a deep breath and said with emotion, "The new generation surpasses the old, it's truly... uh, young friend, in all these years, you are the only junior I have ever truly admired!"
Xue Butong clapped Hong Yu on the shoulder.
Hong Yu was speechless. 'Did you just forget the rest of the saying? The new generation surpasses the old, and each wave is stronger than the last! You clearly forgot the second half, so how can you act so nonchalant about it?'
It was only now that Hong Yu finally understood why, in his past life on Earth, people like scientists and celebrities were sotis called a 'third type of human.' For those who were exceptionally skilled in one area, relatively common skills could beco sothing completely out of reach!
Xue Butong studied the vial of solution for a full two hours before finally stopping. When he looked at Hong Yu again, his gaze had changed once more. He murmured, "If you weren't so young, I'd truly suspect that the soul of a master-level senior Spiritual Craftsman was residing in your body!"
Hong Yu awkwardly rubbed his nose.
Xue Butong's casual remark had nearly hit the nail on the head!
'Except the soul in this body isn't so senior,' he thought.
Hong Yu said, "Master Xue, I didn't want to interrupt your research. However, my sister's life is at stake. I hope you can co with to the Hong Family estate."
"Your sister? What's wrong with her?"
Xue Butong asked, confused.
Hong Yu explained Yun ngyao's condition.
Xue Butong frowned, then nodded. "Alright, I'll go with you."
He carefully put away the solution Hong Yu had prepared, then followed him out of the Spirit Pill Pavilion.
With Xue Butong's chariot clearing the way, they traveled at great speed and soon arrived at Hong Yu's old courtyard.
"You live here?" Xue Butong asked, astonished.
In his view, with the knowledge Hong Yu possessed, he should have been a key figure being nurtured by the Hong Family, living in a private, high-end courtyard befitting his status.
But this old, dilapidated courtyard was clearly a residence for out-of-favor family disciples!
"Heh, I'm just from an ordinary branch family. This small courtyard was left to by my parents," Hong Yu said casually, pushing open the door and calling inside, "Yaoyao, co on out!"
"Brother, you're back?"
Yun ngyao ca hopping out like a cheerful little swallow.
When Hong Yu left that morning, he had told her not to go out and that he would bring her a huge surprise. She had been eagerly waiting all morning to see what it would be!
"Yaoyao, co and et Master Xue! He's a Spiritual Craftsman," Hong Yu said with a smile.
"A Spiritual Craftsman?"
Yun ngyao's bright, dark eyes widened as she studied Xue Butong. She blinked, bowed obediently, and said in a clear voice, "Yun ngyao greets Master Xue!"
"Hehe, what a fresh and lovely little girl. You'll surely grow up to be a beauty like a Celestial Immortal!" Xue Butong said with a hearty laugh.
Hong Yu was stunned to see that the great Master Xue was actually blushing.
Yun ngyao giggled and said with poise and grace, "Thank you for the complint, Master Xue!"
Seeing Xue Butong still smiling foolishly, Yun ngyao tugged on Hong Yu's sleeve and whispered, "Brother, is he here to treat my illness?"
Hong Yu smiled, wrapping an arm around Yun ngyao's frail body, his eyes filled with relief and joy. "Yaoyao, Master Xue can definitely cure you. Once you're well, I'll take you to find Father and Mother!"
"Mhm!"
Yun ngyao nodded obediently, her little eyes filled with longing. "I miss Daddy and Mommy so, so much!"
Hong Yu fondly ruffled the little girl's hair, then looked at Xue Butong. "Master Xue, I'll have to trouble you."
"No trouble at all! Shall we go to the inner room?"
Xue Butong said.
The three of them entered the inner room. Yun ngyao sat down cross-legged, and Xue Butong sat behind her. "Relax."
"Brother, I'm scared..."
Yun ngyao bit her lip, her voice weak.
"Don't be afraid. Brother is right here with you."
Hong Yu said with a smile.
Yun ngyao nodded and closed her eyes.
Xue Butong grunted softly and activated the Profound Skill in his body. A faint Primordial Spirit Fire flickered to life around his palm. The fla danced in his hand like a sprite. Under Xue Butong's exquisite control, it slowly entered Yun ngyao's body through her back. As the Primordial Fire entered her, Yun ngyao's body trembled violently.
Her small hand, which was holding Hong Yu's, suddenly tightened. Hong Yu squeezed back gently. The little girl seed to take courage from this, gritting her teeth and enduring the searing pain of the Primordial Fire.
The entire process lasted for half an hour before Xue Butong slowly withdrew the Primordial Fire.
Hong Yu laid Yun ngyao, who had fallen into an exhausted sleep, flat on the bed. He then followed Xue Butong, who had already walked out the door, and asked anxiously, "Master Xue, Yaoyao's illness..."
Xue Butong's steps faltered. He slowly turned back to look at Hong Yu and let out a dejected sigh...
"I'm sorry, young friend Hong Yu. I am powerless to help with your sister's illness."
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