fifth form

Chapter 3281 Coveting the Dragon Demon
"Demon blood, demon bones, demon core!"

The core of the Longevity Elixir consists of three major components, each of which involves demons.

"The materials required for this longevity elixir are beyond human capability!"

Zheng Wukong pointed to the longevity pill cut into six pieces, and Chunyu Tiying also looked solemn.

Herbal alchemy is a branch of herbal medicine, while the alchemy methods for using demon blood, demon bones, and demon cores involve ritual practices. There are also intricacies involved in their use, and it is not simply a matter of hunting demons to prepare the materials.

Leaving aside the matter of sacrificial transformation, the demonic materials contained in the Longevity Elixir are of extremely high quality.

“The minimum requirement is a demon that has reached the Saint level,” Chunyu Tiying said. “I suspect that it may also involve certain special types of demons, which cannot be satisfied by ordinary types of demons!”

Imperata cylindrica root is a herb, and ginseng is also a herb, but the medicinal effects of herbs are different.

The ginseng child is a demon, and the bat spirit is also a demon. Normal people know that the ginseng child has miraculous medicinal effects.

The special species of demons used in the Longevity Elixir are what give it the ability to prolong life. Zheng Wukong and the others find it difficult to determine the species of demon. If they were to continuously kill demons that have reached the Saint level for testing, the difficulty of such a test would be obviously too high.

"No wonder the production of this kind of pill is so low!"

Zhang Xuezhou felt a little regretful, but he also understood why it was so difficult for Yao Yuanguang and others to obtain the longevity elixir, and why some high-ranking officials of the Han Dynasty were repeatedly stood up.

From this perspective, the Eastern Heavenly Gate Secret Realm has been very generous to Yao Yuanguang, at least in that it truly provided him with a longevity elixir.

"Demons have a strong corrosive effect on the human body, which means that there must be certain standards for taking the Longevity Elixir!"

As if remembering something, Zhang Xuezhou quickly sought confirmation.

“That’s inevitable,” Chunyu Tiying nodded. “This kind of longevity elixir steals the life essence of demons to make up for human deficiencies. It will inevitably have a corrosive effect on the human body. If one cannot withstand the effects, it will be harmful!”

"Sure enough!"

Zhang Xuezhou nodded.

He was somewhat cautious after obtaining the Longevity Elixir and did not use it recklessly, even though his parents insisted that he should only take it after achieving a certain level of Qi cultivation.

His caution and prudence did have an effect, as not everyone possessed his ability to resist poison, and it was difficult for a great cultivator to refine pills for ordinary people.

Leaving aside Laozi's level, even though Zhang Xuezhou has never refined pills for ordinary people, he still made pills like the Beauty Preservation Pill for money in the past.

If Rong Shi and Zhang Zhong mistakenly ingested the elixir, it would turn a joyous occasion into a tragedy.

"The Celestial Court doesn't seem to be hunting demons everywhere, so where did they get the demon materials?" Yi Shuo asked, puzzled.

The best places to hunt demons are undoubtedly the many holy sites in Beiju Luzhou.

These powerful demons from the sacred lands are well-known and extremely united, so their hunting would inevitably be announced. If they were to be hunted year after year, it would be impossible for them to remain completely silent.

But the truth is strange: there is no news of the Celestial Court hunting demons in the mortal realm, but the reputation of the Celestial Court's Longevity Elixir is widespread.

"Some of the celestial officials are demons..."

Zhang Xuezhou hesitated for a moment, finding it difficult to guess whether the Celestial Court was raising demons as officials, or whether these demon officials were being used as raw materials for longevity elixirs.

"I've heard that the Celestial Court has bestowed the title of Dragon God and granted Dragon Officials the authority to control clouds and rain. They have also executed some Dragon Kings who disobeyed the rain order. Could it be that the Celestial Court is using this legitimate pretext to hunt down dragon demons and then using their corpses to refine elixirs?"

Zhang Xuezhou's words jolted Zheng Wukong awake, and he quickly recalled some things.

“Dragons are known for their long lifespan among demons, so this guess is very likely,” Chunyu Tiying speculated.

"Shall we kill a dragon to refine the pills and test their effects?" Yi Shuo asked in a low voice.

"We can't afford to kill them!" Zhang Xuezhou waved his hand.

Among the group, he was the only one with relatively high combat strength, but Zhang Xuezhou was someone that no one could do anything to, and it would be quite difficult for him to defeat others.

Killing a dragon demon who has reached the Saint level is no easy task.

The Celestial Court has kept the dragons under its control, making it difficult for others to interfere. Rashly killing a dragon demon would not only lead to the dragons banding together against it, but would also likely trigger a warrant for its arrest by the Celestial Court.

"We really can't afford to kill them all. This path of ours is closed," Zheng Wukong said dejectedly. "Even if we did find the formula, it wouldn't be of any use!"

“That’s not how it works. We can’t kill the dragon, but if we can get some freebies, we might still be able to refine the Longevity Pill,” Zhang Xuezhou pondered. “This matter should be studied further. The more detailed the steps for making the pill are, the better, so that we won’t miss the opportunity when we have the materials in the future!”

"Is there really a chance?" Zheng Wukong asked, his eyes shining.

“Even if I don’t have the chance, I’ll still give you elixirs to ensure you live another twenty years,” Zhang Xuezhou said.

"I want to live another two hundred years," Zheng Wukong said sullenly.

"That depends on your body being able to handle it," Zhang Xuezhou laughed. "Only if you can handle it can you continue taking the pills!"

"I heard that the Longevity Pill can only be taken in three doses. Does that mean the lifespan extension ends after sixty years?" Chunyu Tiying asked.

“I’ve also heard this rumor, but we’ll only know for sure after taking it,” Zhang Xuezhou said.

"Should I take two more pills to try?" Zheng Wukong suggested.

"It's not that I'm reluctant to part with the pills, it's that I'm genuinely afraid you'll die from taking them!"

Zhang Xuezhou chuckled, reached out and took two pills in his hand.

Seeing the longevity pill so close to Zhang Xuezhou's palm, Zheng Wukong reached out and touched it, but ultimately didn't dare to take it recklessly.

"I'll take another one in twenty years," Zheng Wukong said, pursing his lips. "My Yishuo is already married to you, so don't use up these pills too quickly. Leave one for your uncle to save his life!"

The pills used for research are one thing, but the pills that are left unused are another.

If the pill were in his own hands, Zheng Wukong felt that things could go wrong if he waited too long, and there was a 99% chance he wouldn't be able to control himself. Therefore, he would take the longevity pill in advance to put his mind at ease.

But Zhang Xuezhou was right. The effects of the medicine in his body had not yet worn off. If another longevity pill were added, it might prolong his life, or the overlapping effects might limit its effectiveness, or the effects might exceed his body's tolerance, leading to sudden death.

As Zheng Wukong grew old, he could no longer control himself and had to stop taking the pills, placing his hopes on Zhang Xuezhou.

His only advice was for Zhang Xuezhou not to be too generous, lest he run out of elixirs to take after twenty years.

"If we do more research, perhaps we won't be consuming this kind of medicine that only lasts for twenty years in the future!"

Zhang Xuezhou accepted the pills before making his statement.

If it can be confirmed that the Longevity Elixir used dragon bones, dragon blood, and dragon demon pills, then Zhu Jiuyin might be the strongest demon dragon of his time.

Meanwhile, Zhu Jiuyin has already been targeted by Donghua, and the Celestial Court has been forced to stand by and watch due to the instability of Lingxiao Palace.

Zhang Xuezhou felt that the risks of Zhujiuyin were extremely high. He had been eyeing Zhujiuyin's quick-learning Yang Soul Incarnation Technique, and he would definitely get involved in this matter.

If Zhu Jiuyin were to perish, he would have to steal something before fleeing.

The effects of the top-tier dragon demon's Zhujiuyin on the Longevity Pill would undoubtedly be stronger, and a proper combination might break the pill's twenty-year efficacy limit, or it might even lead to a transformation in its medicinal properties after improving the pill's quality.

This event may not happen for long, and Zhang Xuezhou can only urge Zheng Wukong and others to make preparations as much as possible so that they don't miss the opportunity when it arises.