When preparing the list of dicinal materials, Zhao Xuanqi listed nine different ingredients, mixing them with those required for the Six-Flavor Blood lting Powder. He didn’t have to worry about Cai Mingliang discovering anything.
He bought ten portions of the nine dicinal materials, spending a full fifty silver coins. By price, each portion was more expensive than the Martial Arts Hall’s basic Secret dicine. Keep in mind, the hall’s basic Secret dicine contained Rare Beast Blood Powder, an ingredient that was essentially priceless and had no open market.
This was partly due to his purchasing channels, but also because the Six Harmonies Blood lting Powder Zhao Xuanqi was concocting was a grade higher than the Martial Arts Hall’s basic Secret dicine, requiring more precious dicinal materials.
After getting the dicinal materials, he spent a few silver coins to rent a small hut in a remote part of the Upper River District to serve as his brewing room.
’I still have so silver coins left over this ti. I definitely need to think about getting a new place.’
Concocting a Secret dicine, especially a basic one, wasn’t actually that complicated. The most crucial parts were mastering the heat, timing, proportions, and the order of brewing.
A so-called Secret dicine worked by combining the properties of its dicinal materials to fully activate the drug’s inherent nutrients and characteristics, creating an effect where the sum was greater than its parts.
Zhao Xuanqi weighed out the six dicinal materials and set them aside in order. The most difficult part was asuring the right amount of Blood Powder.
The bamboo tube of Blood Powder contained a very small amount. If he failed too many tis, he would quickly run out.
He carefully considered the amount of beast blood in the original recipe, then asured out a small portion of the Blood Powder and set it aside.
He lit the stove fire.
Zhao Xuanqi added a suitable amount of fresh water to the clay pot. Once the temperature was right, he added the dicinal materials one by one and let them simr.
Three hours flew by. Once all the dicinal materials had been thoroughly rendered down, he poured in the Rare Beast Blood Powder.
BUBBLE BUBBLE!
The mont the Blood Powder was added, the dicinal broth imdiately thickened, and a pungent, tallic sll of blood filled the air.
After another half hour, a glob of dark black paste had ford in the clay pot. Zhao Xuanqi extinguished the fire and stared at the thing in front of him, silent for a mont.
’Six-Flavor Blood lting Powder is supposed to be sweet with a unique fragrance. Its color should be deep red, like translucent amber...’
’Looks like... I failed.’
’This stuff in front of doesn’t look like a success. Of course, it’s possible that adding this world’s Rare Beast Blood Powder caused so changes in the Secret dicine’s appearance.’
’I’ll just have a taste.’
Zhao Xuanqi shook his head. The ingredients in the recipe for the Six-Flavor Blood lting Powder were all relatively stable. Even if the proportions were wrong, the worst that could happen was that the dicinal properties would clash, reducing its nutritional value. It wouldn’t be highly toxic or have major side effects.
He scooped up a bit of the paste with his finger and put it in his mouth. An indescribable flavor exploded on his tongue, shooting straight up to his sinuses.
’It’s a failure, alright. Did I add too much Blood Powder?’
Zhao Xuanqi took a deep breath. The Secret dicine’s nutritional content was even lower than it had been before he added the Rare Beast Blood Powder.
’But even as a failure, the nutrients it contains are still equivalent to a few full als. Plus, it’s easier on the body than normal food. It’d be a sha to waste it.’
Zhao Xuanqi choked down the entire glob of black paste in a few gulps. He took several deep breaths to compose himself, then, without pausing, imdiately started brewing the second batch of the Secret dicine.
By the next day, after ruining three batches of the Secret dicine, Zhao Xuanqi had finally figured out a more accurate ratio.
The fourth attempt was complete.
A unique, clean fragrance, mingled with the faint scent of blood, filled the small hut. Before Zhao Xuanqi sat a fist-sized, deep-red mass with the texture of amber.
’This ti, it should be a success.’
Zhao Xuanqi waited for the dicinal mass to completely solidify. After observing it for a mont, he poured so warm water into a bowl and dissolved the Secret dicine again, nodding in satisfaction.
He raised the bowl and drained the dicinal broth in one gulp. His eyes instantly lit up.
As the broth entered his stomach, it felt like a ball of fire. His blood surged, his digestion kicked into high gear, and his body began to absorb the nutrients.
He roughly estimated that this portion of Six-Flavor Blood lting Powder contained at least twice the nutrients of the Xiaolin Martial Arts Hall’s Celestial Wind Qi Supplent Powder!
Most importantly, this was the basic Secret dicine of the Hundred Beasts Sect. Its properties were perfectly compatible with the Hundred Beasts Sect’s Secret Transmission!
Zhao Xuanqi imdiately got up and assud a Pile Skill stance.
He began circulating the Fierce Form Pile Skill.
Guided by the Pile Skill, the nutrients from the Secret dicine flowed continuously to every part of his body. And because of the dicine’s compatibility, these nutrients were converted by the Pile Skill and absorbed by his body much more easily.
From this perspective, the effects of a single portion of Six-Flavor Blood lting Powder were more than double that of the Secret dicine from the Xiaolin Martial Arts Hall!
Half an hour later, Zhao Xuanqi stopped his Pile Skill practice. He could feel his Qi and Blood surging, his muscle fibers contracting, making his physique more defined. After the tempering of several doses of the Secret dicine over the past half-month, his height had increased again. He was now over 1.7 ters tall and approaching 1.75 ters, looking more and more robust. His entire deanor had changed dramatically, making him almost unrecognizable from the person he was a month and a half ago.
’The remaining Rare Beast Blood Powder is only enough to make seven more portions of Six-Flavor Blood lting Powder. Compared to the Martial Arts Hall’s Secret dicine, the Hundred Beasts Sect’s version is definitely the most suitable for .’
’I have to find a way to get more Rare Beast Blood Powder, or even more precious Rare Beast Materials. The Jingmao Trading Company is one lead I can follow up on, but the quickest way is probably to raise my status in the Martial Arts Hall. That would give access to more channels... and more secrets.’
Zhao Xuanqi slowly opened his eyes. His expression was calm, as tranquil as an old well.
’Becoming the Martial Arts Hall’s fourth True Inheritance disciple would be a good move. The Three-Hall Tournant is only half a month away. Ti is tight. I need to get serious about this.’
...
...
「Ti flew by, and half a month passed in the blink of an eye.」
During this period, Zhao Xuanqi fell into a regular routine. Every day, he would go to the Martial Arts Hall to train and collect his Secret dicine. At night, he would consu the dicine and absorb it using his Pile Skill.
The only major event during this ti was Zhao Xuanqi using his remaining silver coins to rent a two-story loft on a main street near the Xiaolin Martial Arts Hall, greatly improving the siblings’ living conditions.
Furthermore, thanks to a deliberate arrangent by Liu Changfeng, Zhao Qin found a job as a factory worker at a printing press.
However, Zhao Xuanqi wasn’t satisfied with this job for her. He knew Zhao Qin’s dream was to study and complete her education. He planned to eventually send her to the girls’ school in Celestial Sea Prefecture to help her achieve that dream. This job was just a temporary asure, since Zhao Qin wasn’t the type to sit idle anyway.
Within this ti, the upcoming Three-Hall Tournant had beco a hot topic of discussion among all the disciples of the Xiaolin Martial Arts Hall. The excitent was gradually building. For the Martial Arts Realm of Celestial Sea Prefecture, it was considered a rare annual grand event.
Then, just a week ago, a rumor began to spread quietly among the disciples of the Xiaolin Martial Arts Hall.
The previously decided-upon representative for the Xiaolin Martial Arts Hall might be subject to change.
A contest between fellow disciples would be held within the hall. Only the winner would earn the right to represent the Martial Arts Hall in the upcoming Three-Hall Tournant.
Everyone was taken aback.
Zhou Ze had achieved Seven Sounds in half a year. He had been accepted as an Inner Sect Disciple directly by the Hall Master, personally instructed by him, and had been in closed-door training for two months with unlimited resources.
Who among the new Outer Disciples could possibly be qualified to challenge Zhou Ze for the representative spot?
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