Chapter 318 - The Hu Clan’s Foundations
Although Hu Changbi and Hu Changfeng never came to the restricted area before, they could sense a vague type of resonance after entering for some reason. Afterwards, they couldn’t help pa.s.sing through the dense forest and arriving at the front of a rocky mountain.
At the top of the mountain, there were quite a few large caves. On the surface of the mountain, there were many markings that had been carved out for unknown reasons. Each marking presented a strange energy.
Gu Zuo smelled a whiff of medicinal fragrance.
The fragrance was coming out of those caves. If it wasn’t for his keen sense of smell and that he himself was at the Core Psyche Realm, he would’ve never discovered this.
However, since the destination that the Hu Clan siblings locked onto was this place, then presumably, Hu Chang’an needed to enter these caves if he wanted to break through.
Hu Changfeng stood in front of a cave. He had already come to a decision somewhat.
His gaze fell onto those engraved markings, and his eyes slightly flashed with radiance.
Those were — His mind had almost immediately been distracted. It was as if he was about to be immersed within some kind of inspirational conception.
But in any case, Hu Changfeng still remembered what he needed to do right now. He pulled his consciousness back with difficulty. Soon after, he turned around and said to Gu Zuo: “Big Brother Ah Zuo, we should enter here.”
Gu Zuo nodded his head: “Brother Chang’an will soon reach his limits. We need to carry him inside as quickly as possible!”
Hu Changbi and Hu Changfeng exchanged glances. The pair swiftly raised the bath tub, and all three promptly squeezed into the cave.
In an instant, a wave of heat crashed over them.
The tip of Gu Zuo’s nose trembled.
Thousand-Leaf Flower, Dragon Whisker Root, Myriad Blossom Fruit, Scarlet Snake Gallbladder, Earth Dragon Saliva… These odors mixed together, and seemed to form a peculiar type of medicine. It made one’s own true qi resonate in accordance…
These scents didn’t cause any harm to the body. On the contrary, it appeared to be greatly beneficial. As a result, Gu Zuo didn’t speak any words to call this to the group’s attention. Instead, he seized the moment, and quickly arrived at the deepest parts of the cave with the pair of siblings.
In this place, there was a large pond that was over thirty meters across. Hanging in the air were billowing clouds of white qi. At the edges, one could see that the extraordinary liquid inside the pond was milky-white as it boiled and churned.
Gu Zuo was startled: “A natural medicine pond?”
He scrutinized the edges of the pond. Sure enough, he found some markings, and these markings were drawn out by someone through unknown means. It took the shape of a formation, and was capable of locking up all of the medicinal properties inside the medicine pond. Only silken threads of medicinal fragrance slowly wafted out.
At this time, Gu Zuo also recognized the medicinal decoction within the medicine pond. It was refined using a type of prescription that was very advantageous to the physical body. The liquid inside was fresh, and someone probably threw in the corresponding ingredients included in the prescription every so often. After that, under the effects of this formation, the ingredients were automatically refined like the grinding of a millstone. Ultimately, one generation of sediment would acc.u.mulate after another.
Once a Hu Clan child entered the pond, they could absorb large quant.i.ties of the medicinal properties into the body during the breakthrough from Xiantian to the Immortal Realm. Thus, numerous grave illnesses would be washed away, and the meridians would be cleansed and left unimpeded. It was to the point that, to a certain degree, the pond could a.s.sist the Hu Clan child to make a breakthrough, and improve a bit of the child’s apt.i.tude.
After the Hu Clan’s younger generations broke through in this place, it was no wonder that they would be stronger than martial artists who casually broke through elsewhere.
The vast majority of why this happened was due to this medicine pond.
However, since the medicinal decoction wasn’t the sole cause, then the remaining reasons stemmed from those engraved markings.
Gu Zuo had noticed that the markings on the outside were scattered all over the place, but inside this cave, the markings were even more complicated. There was a vague understanding that the underlying logic and context were even more powerful.
Merely, after Gu Zuo submerged his consciousness for a moment, he immediately withdrew it back into his body.
These engraved markings simply weren’t set aside for pharmacists!
Because Hu Changbi and Hu Changfeng had been curiously paying attention to the engravings on the stone walls, they also couldn’t help being drawn in. However, this was unlike when Hu Changfeng strived to pull away his consciousness outside. At this moment, the instant they immersed their minds, they were bounced back out. Traces of throbbing pain arose within their psychic powers.
They hurriedly snapped out of it, and stabilized the bath tub containing their family’s eldest brother. They slowly placed it on the ground.
Hu Changbi asked: “Big Brother Ah Zuo, what should we do now?”
Of course, they knew that the clan’s younger generations would soak themselves directly within the pond waters in the past, but their big brother was currently in a bath tub. What were they going to do?
Gu Zuo also hesitated.
To be honest, the medicinal decoction inside this medicine pond was refined from a type of prescription called the Hundred Parts Whole Body Decoction. It required a hundred medicinal ingredients, and its efficacy was formidable.
It was just that the awakening decoction that Hu Chang’an was soaking in likewise had extraordinary medicinal effects. If these two decoctions were combined, he didn’t know if there would be any conflicts. Would it cause any harm to Hu Chang’an?
Let alone that this was originally a good thing — On the contrary, due to these reasons, the result could bring about serious consequences…
Hu Changbi looked at Gu Zuo, and then looked at her family’s elder brother. Her mood was similarly conflicted.
After thinking about it, Gu Zuo stated: “Give me a moment. You guys keep an eye on Brother Chang’an first.”
After he finished speaking, he took out a clear and cold jade bowl. He scooped out a ladle’s worth of medicinal decoction from the pond, and also extracted a bit of the decoction from inside the bath tub. Then, he started to swiftly inspect their medicinal properties.
There wasn’t much time to spare. Gu Zuo was fully aware that he needed to complete this as soon as possible. He compared the medicinal decoctions of both sides at lightning speeds. After trying to refine them together, he discovered that they really couldn’t coexist. There were quite a few medicinal properties that were in conflict… After this, he didn’t dare to waste any more time, and immediately transferred his consciousness into his Tianfu Acupoint.
[System, the other medicinal ingredients don’t have any problems. There’s just five that are in conflict. If I add Heavenly Star Gra.s.s, it can bring three of them into an equilibrium, but the remaining two become even more violent. If I add Caterpillar Fungus Extract, these two ingredients are balanced, but the effects of both decoctions are neutralized. Although it won’t harm Brother Chang’an, it also won’t benefit him. Is there anything that can replace the Heavenly Star Gra.s.s or the Caterpillar Fungus Extract that’ll be capable of layering the effects of the two decoctions?]
The system probably knew that Gu Zuo was currently in a rush. As a result, its reply was also very fast.
[One hundred strands of medicinal qi to make an inquiry. Does the host want to check?]
Gu Zuo didn’t hesitate in the slightest.
[Yes.]
The system gave an answer the next moment.
[Yin and yang are opposites. It is said that yang is born from extreme yin, and yin is born from extreme yang. If you want both types of medicinal decoctions to harmonize and exist independently, then you need two spirit medicines with different characteristics to a.s.sist. In your possession are the Seven-Turns Auspicious Rose-Gold Lotus and the Corpse Spring Flowers. Take three lotus seeds and eighteen Corpse Spring Flowers. Refine them into medicinal liquid, and mix it into the bath tub. Then, cast the bath tub and Hu Chang’an into the medicine pond. The lotus seeds are extreme yang and the Corpse Spring Flowers are extreme yin. Although the Seven-Turns Auspicious Rose-Gold Lotus is a spirit medicine, its spirituality is rather weak. Although the Corpse Spring Flowers are not spirit medicines, they were born in a location of great malevolence, and only their spirituality have yet to take shape. Using six Corpse Spring Flowers to one lotus seed will yield a high compatibility.]
After Gu Zuo finished listening, his mind had some vague thoughts pertaining to spirit medicines, but now wasn’t the time for careful considerations. Rather, he needed to take advantage of this period as Hu Chang’an continuously fermented and engaged the Immortal Realm to make the medicinal liquid!
Fortunately, this was merely crushing the ingredients into a juice, and mixing it for a little refining…
Hu Changbi and Hu Changfeng were still waiting as Gu Zuo pondered. At this moment, they saw that Gu Zuo had opened his eyes. Their faces were full of expectations.
Gu Zuo’s expression relaxed, and he smiled at them: “Rest a.s.sured, I found a way to allow Brother Chang’an to incorporate the strong points of both medicinal decoctions. I just need to take a few things out.”
Hu Changbi hastily asked: “Do you need us to go get medicinal ingredients?”
Gu Zuo shook his head: “No worries. I have them.”
Once he finished speaking, two types of things promptly appeared in front of him. One was a glorious, golden-colored lotus. The flickering, golden lights were dazzling to the eyes, and it possessed spirituality. Meanwhile, the other type of thing were deathly-pale, skull-shaped flowers. With one look, a person would feel a chill wind swept over them. It was quite frightening.
Hu Changbi and Hu Changfeng weren’t familiar with the ingredients, and their hearts were afraid.
Following which, Gu Zuo didn’t say much else to them. He took out an ordinary pill cauldron, threw these two types of things inside, and rapidly refined them.
Not long after, crackling and hissing sounds came from that pill cauldron. The entire cauldron shook endlessly.
Suddenly, Gu Zuo opened the cauldron lid, and a stream of light-gold liquid burst forth. Having been pulled and towed by Gu Zuo’s hand seals, it swiftly fell into Hu Chang’an’s bath tub!
Gu Zuo spoke urgently: “Throw the bath tub into the pond!”
The siblings acted almost immediately, and tossed the bath tub straight into the medicine pond.
In the next moment, the bath tub sank to the bottom of the pond, and the pond’s medicinal decoction poured into the bath tub. As for Hu Chang’an, who was inside the bath tub, his appearance unexpectedly turned serene.
Gu Zuo smiled and said: “Originally, Brother Chang’an would’ve been in even more pain while advancing towards the Immortal Realm. But now that this has happened, it won’t actually be that painful. Truly, his luck is pretty good.”
Hu Changbi and Hu Changfeng heard this, and their hearts were ecstatic. With their minds at ease, they waited.
After smoothly entering the cave, they didn’t need to worry anymore.
Although the siblings didn’t initially know what was inside the restricted area, they vaguely understood that so long as a child of the Hu Clan sealed the restricted area, others wouldn’t be able to intrude and cause trouble. After their inspection, the cave entrance really underwent a strange phenomenon. They couldn’t go out, and the people outside couldn’t come in.
This gave Hu Chang’an the conditions for a smooth breakthrough. And once he finished breaking through, there would probably be many members of the Hu Clan keeping watch on the outside. At that time, no matter how they exited, they needed to deliberate things at length.
But currently, the most important point was still Hu Chang’an’s breakthrough.
Gu Zuo silently considered the Trick Pills he was capable of refining, how he would need to make more composite pills, and what kinds of opportunities he needed to find to escape… En, there wouldn’t be any problems.
Shu Xin and the others arrived at Xuanwu City. Once more, he went to inquire at locations for discreet information.
This time around, it went smoothly. It was because the person, who the Hu Clan’s young lord saved, was living in seclusion, but had suddenly represented the Hu Clan to partic.i.p.ate in a pill battle against the Wu Clan one day. This person’s appearance had naturally been seen by many people.
The informant gave a description, and Shu Xin already felt that there was quite the resemblance. After that, he straightforwardly took out that teenager’s portrait, and it was promptly identified by the informant. The facial features were exactly the same!
Shu Xin was practically wild with joy. He actually found the right one!
Immediately following this, he took several deep breaths and calmed down. He gave the informant a portion of the reward.
Soon after, Shu Xin left this place, and returned to the tavern.
In the shadows, some fragmented noises echoed out. Mult.i.tudes of mice scattered and dispersed. Some infiltrated the Hu Clan’s premises…and others headed straight towards Shijue City.
After Shu Xin left, that informant called someone over, and quietly spoke a few words into his ear.
That person nodded his head and went out the door. The place he went to was the Wu Clan.
T/N: As a reminder, the Seven-Turns Auspicious Rose-Gold Lotus was one of the spirit medicine rewards Gu Zuo selected after winning first place during the pill battle a.s.sembly back in Chapter 203.
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