The Yin Yang Well was more along the lines of a large pond than just a mere 'well' The swirling pool of ice and fire was more than a hundred meters across. And all along the well itself, there were countless herbs and natural treasures.
It was... Just utterly baffling the value and amount of divine-tier herbs and treasures here.
Honestly, I was actually rather pissed that I wasn't ranked thirty-plus. Even if I took and used several herbs right now. The medicinal energy woudn't allow for me to break through several ranks in a row.
Which would save me months of cultivation time.
"I should have Dugu Bo get me my 10,000 year spirit ring before I use these herbs anyway." I mused to myself.
Though on the other hand, with these herbs I could strengthen my mind and soul a good deal. So that I could withstand a spirit ring with a cultivation over 10,000 years.
That plan itself would make my foundation even more broken... But on the other hand it would waste some time and some of the medicinal energy would be wasted.
I was then drawn to the sight of Tang Wutong kneeling on the ground as she was taking some 'lower' ranked herbs that were on the edges of the Yin Yang Well's heavenly essence that leaked out from it.
"Wutong... Are you alright? Why are you looking at major healing herbs and even herbs that can mend a soul?" I asked with a frown as I decided to be blunt.
If Tang Wutong did something really stupid, like hurt her own soul by messing with her twin martial souls. I needed to know as soon as possible to fix it properly.
But Tang Wutong paused as she put away one of the herbs. And for a moment at seeing her cool expression I thought she was going to tell me to mind my own business.
Then she took a deep breath. And I paused as she spoke quietly. "Tian Long... I do trust you to an extent so I will explain why I have been so interested in your alchemy."
"My mother was hurt in a fight between Title Douluo just after giving birth to me. And in order to force herself to carry me away to get to safety. She hurt her soul and origin greatly... I have been hoping your alchemy could heal her."
I raised an eyebrow at that as I realized all to quickly that she meant her mother Ah Yin... Though she was always disdainful of her so called father who apparently abandoned her. She never wanted to talk about her actual childhood or who raised her.
Then I realized that Ah Yin after sacrificing to Tang Hao had somehow managed to keep her mortal body somehow when Tang Hao was fighting Qian Xunji and the other Spirit Hall members.
'How the hell did Ah Yin not only escape from Tang Hao? But actually survive with body and mind intact in some way after sacrificing to Tang Hao? If she did sacrifice to begin with actually?' I mused to myself.
After a long moment of thought, I exhaled softly and brushed a hand through my hair before I said honestly. "I can probably make an elixir to help your mother. But I need to see her and see what kind of damage has been done to her soul. Messing around with a soul in general is a dangerous thing after all."
Tang Wutong's face pinched. Seemingly resistant to the thought of me meeting her mother before she nodded with some reluctance as she knew my words were all too true.
But regardless, I turned back to the true Heavenly Herbs and such. Where I considered my future. I worked my brain to the breaking point as I mentally simulated alchemical processes, as I tried to find the optimal combination of herbs to combine into a super elixir.
Time passed by as the two of us settled down as it was going to take Dugu Bo a while to get all the materials I wanted to make the elixirs for him and his granddaughter.
Three days passed by before Dugu Bo came back. But in that time frame. Using the thick spiritual energy of the Yin Yang Well I could tell my foundation was even stronger from the extended meditation sessions.
And as Dugu Bo landed a ways away from me. He tossed a metal-like coated bag into my lap before he said proudly. "That Qiankun Bag will also count as part of the payment. It can host herbs and other non-sentient life forms within it's spatial storage without them losing their life force."
Pushing my mental energy into the bag that I realized was covered in spirit beast scales. A spirit beast that had a spatial attribute, hence it was made into this bag somehow.
I saw the pile of needed materials for Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan's own transformation elixir I promised to make for them. Along with a hefty large pile of gold coins, food, and other daily necessities.
After checking everything was in order... Which it was. I took a breath before with a flick of my hand. My Dragon Tripod Cauldron hit the ground and I laid my hands on it to begin heating it up.
As the process in making the Transformation Pill that would allow these two Dugu to grow proper poison sac's in their bodies to store their loose poison. Was going to require me to strictly use fire-based alchemy.
As I needed to burn... A metric fuck load of impurities to fuse these herbs, the snake venom sacs, and their gallbladders to make the pills.
"Making these two pills are going to require my total concentration for the next couple of hours. So after I eat and start working. Do not disturb me for any reason otherwise I may very well fail the refinement." I said seriously.
And with a glance towards the pile of lesser herbs that would be used in these pills. I added dryly. "I imagine you don't want to spend the next couple of weeks gathering the materials again either."
With that, I shook my head as I quickly took out some sealed up pre-cooked meat that was in the Qiankun Bag. And idly I coudn't help but note that the food was still hot despite the Qiankun bag not temporally freezing whatever was put into it?
After eating and getting my mental space in the right order. I took a long moment of silence before my dragon legged cauldron roared to life. Gold flames flared from the cauldron and I got to work.
I first began throwing the snake gall bladders and poison sacs/poison production organs into the furnace to begin melting them down. All the while I kept the essence of the serpent based poisons together.
Half an hour later, I had burned away all the biomass sourced poison essence and within my cauldron was a large glowing green and oily purple orb of sinister poison. Once the poison essence was collected I moved on.
I took out a dozen herbs at once. All of which were aimed at 'detoxification' and after adding them into cauldron. Poisonous steam hissed as the non-medicinal fluids within the herbs were quickly burnt away.
But with all the medicinal energy I fused it into the purple essence of the snake gallbladders which began to 'overtake' the green drop of pure poison essence.
From there I began another series of purification while also adding another set of gall bladder's and the now cleansed poison sacs that had all their poison removed. Leaving on the poison containing nature within the organ.
'Time to condense!' I thought as I pushed more gold flames through the cauldron which glowed red hot and sweat covered my head even with my fire resistance. As not only was the heat extreme, but I was getting utterly exhausted.
Because I was making Dugu Bo's poison pill first of all!
And with a loud thud. The pressure built up within my cauldron to the point that the pressure release pin's were tripped as I wanted. And with the violent release of heat and pressure. The single pill had any leftover moisture ripped from it.
I heavily exhaled as a lance of pain shot through my head and I held my head with Tang Wutong approaching quickly with clear concern as she said quietly. "Are you alright Tian Long?"
I silently waved to my cauldron and said tiredly even as a thumb-sized jade green pill fell directly into a pill bottle. "I will be fine after a long rest... Senior, this pill is yours. All you need to do is consume it, and not only will your body create a poison sac naturally within itself. But you will form a Soul Core out of the pseudo poison core you have inside of yourself."
Dugu Bo looked at the poison pill that floated out of my hand into his own. And for a moment, he was silent before he smiled wryly and said with an almost sinister tone. "And how do I know you aren't trying to just poison me to death? As this feels threatening even to me, a Title Douluo!"
I held up a hand and began flipping fingers as I listed off. "First, even if it was a lethal poison. As a poison user yourself I know you could kill us before it killed you. Second, I want you to be nice and happy so you can help me subdue a particular ten-thousand-year spirit beast as well as help Tang Wutong's hunt."
"And finally, thirdly, I am actively looking for backing. Too many people are interested in my alchemy and ways of making people stronger. If you become a Super Douluo at rank 95... No one in the world will dare to test you Dugu Bo, with your tempermental reputation."
Title Douluo were all very strong and had their ways of escape naturally in reaching such a level of strength... But Dugu Bo? Chasing his ass across the world would be like chasing Singed from League of Legends, as he could just leave a stream of devastation behind him as he fled.
Dugu Bo's face actually curled up into a smile as he cackled in amusement, as he retorted. "Your honesty is just what I like to hear, haha! Fine! I will take the gamble, and if I survive, I will be your backer!"
He took the pill, and with forceful steps, he made his way to the small cottage. And with a loud clatter the wooden door closed.
Once the door closed, my vision darkened, and I managed to mumble out. "Whelp that's all I got."
-
Tang Wutong looked down at her chest that was seemingly set to grow beyond her previous growth in her previous life towards Tian Long's head that was lying on her lap.
'A pill that can outright override someone's race... Not only that, but a pill that could even affect a Title Douluo outright. He is exactly what I need in this life!' Tang Wutong thought.
All the while, she used the perfectly neutral energy from her own cultivation technique in the Mysterious Heaven Skill to infuse gentle energy as she massaged his head.
As she was well aware that Tian Long had utterly mentally exhausted himself in this refinement, which took over two hours.
'It's a pity that I am not also able to get a ten-thousand-year spirit ring for my third as well. But I still am going to be above anyone else in getting a nine thousand year spirit ring as well.' She thought with a small smile.
But then a heavy scowl crossed her face as the fact of being beyond everyone else in her generation will have a much smaller range of error with her traitorous teacher's actions!
"Hmph! That bastard Xiaogang... Tian Long already got a Title Douluo wrapped around his finger in but a week of leaving Shrek. We didn't need you to leak the Whale Glue secret to the world for some nonsensical protection!" Tang Wutong hissed under breath.
All the while, she mentally crossed her 'teachers' a dozen times over as he had gone far beyond finding a path to death! That bastard had made his own personal trade route, he was seemingly intent on racing down it!
But with a soft exhale, her cold murderous expression smoothed over as she noted that Tian Long's hair was getting a bit long. And she wondered if he would look better with long noble hair like Dai Mubai had his own hair. Or more shortly cut hair.
Then Tang Wutong's expression became stiff as a wave of spiritual energy flooded over their forms. Dugu Bo had obviously taken the elixir and his body was now in a form of transformation. He was evolving beyond a normal human cultivator now.
And with that evolution, Tang Wutong knew that he would gain not only an enhance life span but his ease of cultivation would also increase. Which meant that by the time he finished this transformation. He was almost assuredly going to gain at least another two ranks of cultivation.
'Now the question is... Did Tian Long find us a noble dragon as a guardian. Or did he just feed a snake that is going to bite us regardless.' Tang Wutong wondered helplessly. As she herself knew all to well she woudn't let Tian Long go free if she had the power Dugu Bo had.
But for now, all she could was just wait.
On the bright side. That jumpy rabbit wasn't in the way and causing mayhem with how she loved to look for trouble as well! If Xiao Wu was here she would have without a doubt gotten them all killed as she would have mouthed off at Dugu Bo!