Han Yu walked a few steps, thinking deeply.
"This scroll is old," he said. "And it is incomplete in places. The formation diagrams are blurred, and so steps are described vaguely. This ans it has either been copied poorly, or deliberately damaged."
"That is true," the Patriarch admitted. "We found it in a ruin many years ago. Several parts were already damaged. We spent decades repairing what we could, but we are not of your sect. So things we simply could not restore."
Han Yu looked at him. "And yet you still prepared the materials."
"Yes."
"What materials have you gathered?" Han Yu asked.
The Patriarch listed them one by one. Each na made Han Yu’s brows twitch slightly.
Soul-binding blood crystal.
Heart marrow of a Nascent Soul realm beast.
Seven Yin Moon Grass.
Three strands of Heaven-sundered bone thread.
And finally, a basin of living blood refined through secret thods.
Han Yu could already tell how terrifying the cost was.
"You were not lying when you said you paid dearly," Han Yu said.
The Patriarch smiled bitterly. "Half my clan’s hidden wealth is already gone."
Han Yu nodded. "Then answer this. Why not bring this to my sect directly. Even if you fear their greed, at least your life would be more secure."
The Patriarch looked into Han Yu’s eyes. "Because sects think in terms of profit and power. You think in terms of choice. I am betting not on your sect, but on you."
Han Yu was silent for a long ti.
Finally he spoke. "You are either very wise, or very desperate."
The Patriarch smiled. "I am both."
Han Yu stood up. "I will not promise you success. But I will promise you this. I will not cheat you, and I will not sell you to my sect unless you force my hand."
The Patriarch slowly stood up with effort and bowed deeply. "That is enough for ."
Han Yu looked at Zhushen. "If you take the second pill, your life will never be simple again. You will carry not only your own fate, but his."
Zhushen t his gaze. "If I cannot carry my father’s fate, then I am not worthy of being his son."
Han Yu finally nodded.
"Prepare everything," he said. "From this mont on, your lives are tied to the success of a single refinent."
Han Yu did not waste ti with polite words.
"What other reference docunts do you have?" he asked the Patriarch. "Not just this scroll. Anything related to soul repair, blood refinent, cursed pills, dual-linked pills, or Nascent Soul injuries."
The Patriarch nodded. "We gathered everything even remotely connected. So are ancient copies. So are fragnts. So are rely notes from wandering alchemists. All of them are stored in the clan’s true library."
Han Yu turned slightly. "And the refinent chamber?"
"It is already prepared," the Patriarch replied. "The formations have been tested three tis. The assisting alchemists are also ready. They have begun practicing the steps that do not require Moon Blood Qi."
"Good," Han Yu said. "I will not touch the furnace until I am fully certain of the thod."
The Patriarch gestured to Zhushen. "Take him."
Zhushen bowed and led Han Yu away.
They did not go toward the surface. Instead, they passed behind the main hall, through a narrow stone corridor, and down a long spiral staircase carved directly into the bedrock beneath the clan.
The air grew colder and drier as they descended.
"This is the real foundation of the Fatui Clan," Zhushen said quietly. "Everything above is replaceable. This is not."
Han Yu could already feel it.
Layers of formations pressed against his spirit sense, hiding, protecting, confusing, and sealing. So were for defense. So were for concealnt. So were for destruction. He recognized a few, but most were unfamiliar, which only confird how much wealth and effort had been poured into this place.
At the bottom of the stairs, a wide stone door opened silently.
Beyond it was a hall so large that Han Yu stopped for a mont.
The ceiling was high and arched. Rows upon rows of shelves stretched into the distance, filled with jade slips, scrolls, books bound in leather, tal plates engraved with text, and even beast skins etched with runes. Soft light ca from dozens of spirit lamps set into the walls, making the entire place glow gently.
"This hall alone is larger than your entire outer courtyard," Han Yu said.
Zhushen nodded. "Nearly a hundred shelves. Each one reinforced with preservation formations. Even fire and water will not easily damage them."
At the very center of the hall stood a massive stone table, wide enough for several people to work around. On it were already piled dozens upon dozens of books, scrolls, and slips.
"These are the ones related to your task," Zhushen said. "Everything we could find that might help reconstruct the thod."
Han Yu stepped forward and saw just how many there were.
Nearly a hundred texts lay there.
So were thin. So were thick. So were cracked with age. So were clearly recent copies. There were records of herbs, records of beast materials, records of soul injuries, records of cursed pills, and records of blood refinent techniques.
But as he began skimming through them, one thing beca clear.
None of them ntioned the Soul Blood nding Cursed Pill directly.
"These are all fragnts," Han Yu said. "You rebuilt the thod by comparing hundreds of incomplete sources."
"Yes," Zhushen replied. "It took decades."
Han Yu nodded. "I believe you."
Then he sat down.
From that mont on, the outside world stopped existing for him.
Day after day, Han Yu read.
He read about herbs that could bind the soul.
He read about beast marrows that could nourish Nascent Souls.
He read about pills that could transfer cultivation.
He read about cursed pills that repaired one thing while destroying another.
He read about ancient blood sect techniques that no longer existed in his own sect.
So of the knowledge shocked him.
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