Chapter 76: New Talent

Chapter 76: Chapter 76: New Talent

On the table sat several bulging bags of medicinal herbs, nearly filling half its surface. A rich, complex medicinal aroma filled the air.

"I haven’t failed you."

Shen Dujiang lowered his voice. "Over the past few days, I used multiple channels and spared no expense to buy up nearly all the relevant medicinal herbs I could find. This quantity is several times the usual amount. I even managed to gather several portions of the ingredients for that obscure Blood Nourishing Pill."

Chen Yue stepped forward, untying the bags one by one to inspect their contents carefully.

The varieties of herbs were complete, the quantities were generous, and most were of excellent quality. It was clear Shen Dujiang had put in a great deal of effort.

By his rough estimate, if all these medicinal herbs were refined into elixirs, they would be enough to last him for nearly a month.

There were also several portions of ingredients for the Blood Nourishing Pill, enough for him to attempt refining it.

Chen Yue nodded in satisfaction, re-tied the bags of herbs, and looked at Shen Dujiang. "Did everything go smoothly during the procurement? Were you followed?"

At this, the smile on Shen Dujiang’s face vanished. He shook his head and said:

"Before, I could faintly sense a few furtive glances, but ever since I started buying in large quantities without holding back, those prying eyes have actually disappeared.

Just as we predicted, after their Marrow Refining Realm expert was defeated under mysterious circumstances, they don’t dare to easily send anyone to follow us until they’ve figured out our true strength."

Chen Yue nodded. The enemy had become a startled bird, wary of the bow. Until they were absolutely certain, they would opt for a more cautious approach.

"The arrival date of the merchant caravan, and a reliable guide for the journey to Celestial State Prefecture—has there been any more definite news on those in the past couple of days?" Chen Yue asked about another important matter.

A helpless look crossed Shen Dujiang’s face.

"There’s no way to find out the exact day the caravan will arrive; we can only estimate based on past schedules. As for a guide to Celestial State Prefecture, I did hear about a few old traveling merchants and Darts Masters who used to go back and forth, but I still need to contact them covertly to confirm their reliability.

I’m already looking into it discreetly. I should have some preliminary results in three to five days at the latest."

Chen Yue nodded, knowing this matter couldn’t be rushed.

"What’s our next move?"

Shen Dujiang thought for a moment, then said, "For the next few days, I’ll continue to have my people spread rumors about the blood sacrifice, but I’ll go into hiding and won’t make any public appearances. We have enough herbs; now we just need to wait for news of the caravan and a guide."

"Good."

Chen Yue agreed without another word. He gathered all the medicinal herbs from the table, slung the bundle over his back, and with a flash, disappeared into the night outside the courtyard.

The next day, Chen Yue first drew on his experience to easily refine a batch of Bone Marrow Cleansing Pills and a batch of Antitoxic Pills. Both batches were successful, and the pills were of high quality. Next, he refined the Bone-Enhancing Pills, successfully producing three.

Having done all this, Chen Yue calmed his mind and qi, bringing himself to an optimal state. He then began the process of refining the newly acquired Blood Nourishing Pill.

He had already studied the Pill Formula for the Blood Nourishing Pill to the level of Minor Success, and he was keenly aware of the several junctures where medicinal properties clashed, making fusion difficult.

But knowledge from a scroll is always shallow; putting it into practice was another matter entirely.

This elixir demanded extremely subtle transitions in heat, and the timing for fusing several of the main ingredients was fleeting. It was a great test of a Pill Master’s Heart Spirit, concentration, and the precision of their technique.

Chen Yue was completely focused. He silently circulated his Heart Nourishing Technique, making his Heart Spirit as clear as a mirror, allowing him to precisely grasp every wisp of change in the Medicinal Power within the Pill Furnace.

Half an hour later, the Pill Furnace opened.

At the bottom of the furnace lay a single, dark-red elixir with faint spiral patterns on its surface. It emitted a peculiar scent—a mixture of fresh herbs and the faint smell of rust.

The elixir was perfectly round, but its luster was dull, a clear sign of its ordinary quality.

’Success.’

Chen Yue breathed a sigh of relief. To succeed in forming the pill on his first attempt was already quite good.

He carefully removed the elixir, placed it in his palm to examine and smell it closely, then scraped off a bit of powder to taste. He confirmed it wasn’t toxic, but its Medicinal Power seemed a bit diffuse and lacked concentration.

’The effect is likely just as Chen Yuqing said: next to nothing,’ Chen Yue thought. He wasn’t particularly disappointed, however. In fact, he was rather expectant. What he needed was this exact, fundamental effect, however slight.

Without hesitation, Chen Yue popped the newly refined Blood Nourishing Pill into his mouth.

The elixir melted the moment it entered his mouth, transforming into a warm current that slid down his throat and rapidly dispersed throughout his entire body.

This warm current wasn’t aggressive; rather, it was gentle, like a silent, nourishing rain. Wherever it passed, an almost imperceptible tingling itch arose in his muscles and fascia.

But the sensation was fleeting, and the warm current soon merged into his Qi Blood and vanished. His body showed no obvious changes.

"No wonder nobody wants this," Chen Yue chuckled.

The effects were truly pathetic. No sane person would take it long-term.

Chen Yue didn’t dwell on the elixir’s poor effects and continued with his daily cultivation routine.

As day turned into night, midnight arrived.

[Daily Settlement]

[Diligently cultivated Tiger Roar Golden Bell Shield, EXP +525]

[Consumed Blood Nourishing Pill, obtained a faint self-healing effect]

...

[Talent: Strengthening and Healing (1/265)]

...

When he saw the newly appeared line on the panel, Chen Yue’s eyes lit up with joyous surprise.

’Another brand-new Talent!’

The Blood Nourishing Pill’s nearly nonexistent restorative ability, when amplified and solidified by the panel’s settlement, had successfully unlocked a Talent focused on recovery and strengthening his foundation!

Although the name of this Talent was a far cry from the Undying Body he had initially imagined, the three words "Strengthening and Healing" clearly stated its function: to stabilize his Origin and accelerate injury recovery.

This was undoubtedly another major boost to his survivability. Imagine being able to staunch bleeding and heal faster after being wounded in battle, or even reducing the accumulation of hidden injuries—it would also be immensely beneficial for solidifying his foundation.

Its strategic value was no less than that of simply increasing one’s defense. Or, to put it another way, this was a power that could grow in tandem with his other abilities.

’This "Strengthening the Foundation" aspect... could it have some synergy with the Vast Firm Essence Technique, a cultivation technique that also emphasizes Strengthening the Foundation and Nourishing the Essence? Or perhaps my increased control over my own life essence after reaching Perfection in the Tiger Roar Golden Bell Shield influenced the direction in which the Talent manifested?’

Chen Yue was lost in thought. The exact reason was hard to determine, but the result was undeniably excellent.

Chen Yue slowly leaned back in his chair, a heartfelt smile spreading across his face as he gazed out the window at the deep, dark night.

’Improving one’s strength is always so satisfying.’

Elixirs, Cultivation Techniques, Talents... everything was progressing in an orderly manner, moving in a better direction.

The gloom over Youlin County persisted, but the cards in his hand were steadily growing stronger.

「Four days passed in the blink of an eye.」

On the surface, Youlin County maintained an almost eerie calm, but rumors of the blood sacrifice were already circulating among the county’s major families and even in the streets. Deep within the Chen Mansion, inside the most heavily guarded Alchemy Room, the atmosphere was completely different.

The Pill Furnace was still warm, and a strange, sweet, coppery scent permeated the air.

Chen Jing and Chen Xuanli stood side by side, their gazes fixed on the center of the Alchemy Room. They were watching Chen Zhige, who was staring intently at something on a White Jade plate.

Chen Zhige’s face was a mask of obsessive focus, tinged with a smile he couldn’t quite suppress.

He reached out with two fingers and gently picked up the elixir from the center of the Jade Plate. The pill was a dark, amber-gold color.

"Well? Was this refinement a success?"

Chen Jing asked in a low voice, his eyes flashing with anticipation as he stared at the visually perfect Human Pill.