Immortals of the End Times

Chapter 1001: Nine Yin and Nine Yang, the Art of Playing with Pills
Clang—clang!—

The morning bell tolled, dispelling the thin morning mist, and its echoes reverberated throughout the Golden Palace City, the imperial capital of the Southern Xuan Kingdom.

Before long, the twelve gates of the capital city were opened, and the bustling city was as if the whole city had come alive. Tourists thronged the streets, and merchants and vendors came and went in an endless stream.

A horse-drawn carriage slowly drove from the Imperial Observatory to the official residence.

An old man and a young man stepped out of the carriage, both dressed in black crane cloaks with star patterns, clearly star officials from the Imperial Observatory.

The old man stepped forward and knocked on the door, instructing the young woman, "This is the official residence of Physician Zhao. Physician Zhao is only twenty-one years old, the youngest physician in the entire Imperial Medical Academy. He is a descendant of a family of physicians and was once bestowed the title 'Golden Needle Brings Spring Back to Life' by the Emperor."

"As long as we can get Physician Zhao back, our Supervisor Liu's mere cold evil will be no match for him."

The young girl looked up at the old man with her delicate oval face and asked curiously, "I've heard that this Physician Zhao doesn't like gold and silver, but loves to seek immortality, refine elixirs, and perform acupuncture. He also privately examines the pulses of high-ranking officials and nobles, and requires some rare books and strange tales as payment for his services."

“That’s right. So I’ve brought two kinds of ancient books with me this time. Our Imperial Observatory may not have much else, but we have a lot of ancient books. Although many of them cannot be leaked, a few that are not very important can still be taken out.”

"I've heard that this Physician Zhao is a man of elegant demeanor and extraordinary handsomeness. Many daughters of officials in the city admire him, but he remains indifferent and, when administering acupuncture to women, he always takes their pulses with a suspended thread, displaying the demeanor of a gentleman."

"Indeed! Physician Zhao is young and promising, and humble. Before the Minister of the Imperial Clan, Lord Nan, rose to prominence, he was saved by Zhao's father and was willing to give his daughter to him in marriage. He is a good match, but I don't know how many daughters of officials have been saddened by this."

Is he really that outstanding?

The girl's eyes darted around. "I've also heard that he refined a batch of Golden Spear Fiery Pills, which are said to cure male infertility and impotence. They're highly sought after by the sons of the powerful and wealthy, and many male prostitutes have also been drawn to them."

"Ahem! Nianwei, Shenyan, where did you hear all this gossip? You're just a kid, talking too much."

The old man quickly told the girl to shut up.

"Haha, there's no need to be careful with your words. The Golden Spear Fiery Pill is indeed my masterpiece. Everyone who has used it says it's good."

At that moment, the courtyard gate creaked open, and the servant who opened it stepped back.

A tall young man with sword-like eyebrows and a nose like a solitary peak walked out from behind the door.

He wore a moon-white ramie shirt, and when he moved, his wide sleeves flowed in the wind like the wings of a crane, displaying an elegant demeanor.

The woman named Nianwei's beautiful eyes widened instantly. She immediately lowered her head, feeling ashamed that her words had been overheard by such a handsome young man. She then secretly went to watch the young man chatting with her uncle.

The renowned Imperial Physician Zhao had a tanned complexion that shone with a cold, jade-like light. His brow bones undulated like distant mountains, and his full lower lip seemed to carry a natural smile. He hardly resembled an ordinary, old imperial physician.

"No wonder so many women in the capital are infatuated with him; he is indeed quite handsome."

Nianwei thought to herself, "I've completely forgotten to listen to how my uncle communicates with the imperial physician."

He kept stealing glances at her demeanor and speech until he finally got into the carriage and came to his senses.

"Ah? Uncle, is everything finished? What did you and he talk about?"

"I'm done with my work. Physician Zhao has agreed to treat Supervisor Liu, and he's already accepted the ancient book. Oh? Nianwei, how can you be so impolite? You didn't even greet Physician Zhao earlier."

"I... I was so nervous I forgot."

Nianwei was bewildered, her mind still filled with the words and smile of the divine doctor Zhao. She lifted the carriage curtain and looked back at the official residence, but the gate was already closed, and there was no one to be seen.

"Zhao Wuji... He has many admirers, but he is obsessed with seeking immortality, alchemy, and acupuncture. He values ​​ancient books more than gold and silver. Does he truly only wish to be carefree and unrestrained?"

"Kunlun Mountain is the residence of the Heavenly Emperor. It contains divine objects such as the nine-layered Zengcheng Mountain and the Immortal Tree. The elixir water in the pool of Shupu Garden can grant immortality if drunk."

Inside the official residence, Zhao Wuji leaned against a futon, engrossed in reading the "Huainanzi: Dixingxun" given to him by the star official earlier.

Opposite, a three-legged, round-bellied medicine cauldron sat on the ground like a toad, the medicine boiling.

Seeing the bluish-purple medicinal mist swirling around Zhao Wuji, making his features appear as if veiled in a hazy, ethereal light, Xiaoyue, who was grinding the medicinal powder nearby, thought to herself that her master also possessed the air of a celestial alchemist.

The Huainanzi: The Shape of Earth is an ancient book that records ancient geography.

However, it also records mythical and legendary things such as Yinglong and Kunlun Divine Realm, as well as historical research such as Yu the Great's flood control.

As for this information, Zhao Wuji only knew the general outline in his previous life.

At that time, he was working at a university of traditional Chinese medicine.

While visiting an ancient medicine furnace in the museum, eighteen points of light suddenly emerged from the furnace, and he then entered the body of a person with the same name, arriving in this world and surviving for three years.

The history of this world is very similar to that of his former world, as if they were parallel universes, but the whole world belongs to Chinese civilization.

It also includes the histories of Qin Shi Huang, Emperor Wu of Han, Emperor Taizong of Tang, and Emperor Mingzu.

However, after the Ming Dynasty, history took a different turn, failing to give birth to the Manchu Qing Dynasty, but instead giving rise to the Hundred Kingdoms of the Wilderness, which seems both familiar and strange.

The Xuan Kingdom, where he resided, was one of the four kingdoms of the Great Wilderness in the South.

In the past dynasties of this world, it seems that there were once real cultivators, and spiritual energy surged. But in this era, due to drastic changes in the environment, cultivation has become a legend pursued by a few, and most people admire the actual martial arts.

However, Zhao Wuji possesses the 'Nine Yin Nine Yang Pearls' that came with him from another world, giving him the hope of cultivating immortality.

Right now, as Zhao Wuji read the ancient text "Huainanzi: Dixingxun", the Yin Pearl in his sea of ​​consciousness began to react.

The mysterious tadpole-like script on the surface of the first Yin Pearl gradually began to glow slightly, as if it were reviving as he read these messages.

This was the treasure he had brought with him from another time, the 'Nine Yin Nine Yang Pearl'.

The first single bead, when perfected, can extend one's lifespan by a hundred years.

If the Yin and Yang beads are perfectly combined, they can heal the dead and restore flesh to bones, and double the life-extending effect.

With the perfect balance of Nine Yin and Nine Yang, one can directly attain the status of an immortal.

Furthermore, each of the Nine Yin and Nine Yang Pearls has four sets of tadpole-like characters floating on its surface, which are fragments of information from the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiend Techniques.

To understand these tadpole-like characters, one must study the corresponding classic texts, like casting bait to catch fish, to draw out the corresponding techniques, much like archaeological research and cultivation.

Over the past three years, Zhao Wuji has collected ancient books such as "Zhuangzi: Xu Wugui" and "Wan Jing: Secret Essentials of Techniques".

This led to the comprehension of the first technique within the Yin Pearl, 'Playing with the Pill'.

"Nongwan" refers to the skill of controlling projectiles to attack enemies, or condensing qi into pills, and modifying medicinal pills.

Zhao Wuji deliberately created something resembling a sword pellet to control, imitating the legacy of a sword immortal in the end of the Dharma era.

However, the world's spiritual energy is depleted.

Zhao Wuji could only perform magic by drawing yin and yang energy from the Nine Yin Nine Yang Pearl, thus he could barely be considered a half-cultivator.

However, collecting the Yin and Yang energies is not easy.

The first Yin-Yang Bead requires the accumulation of ten thousand strands of Yin-Yang energy, as well as a treasure called Yin Marrow and Yang Marrow, to be perfected.

Over the years, Zhao Wuji has collected some Yin and Yang energy through medical examinations and autopsies.

However, the Yin marrow and Yang marrow are difficult to find.
At this moment, the ancient book fragment in his hand had been turned to the last page.

On the first Yin Pearl in his sea of ​​consciousness, the second set of tadpole-like characters had become mostly bright, showing progress (60%).

"I never expected to strike it rich this time. The ancient books in the Imperial Observatory are all genuine treasures. The fact that they can trigger the Yin Pearl means they truly contain information about past immortal traces."

Zhao Wuji was overjoyed and suddenly threw down the book, then picked up the other half of the "Fengdu Chronicle" and began to read.

This is a fragment of a book that appears to be a document from the underworld.

"My lord, the medicine in the furnace is ready. Rest for a while before you take a look. Miss Nan reminded you last time not to stay up late," the apprentice Xiaoyue advised.

"Make the medicine into pills, and don't disturb me while I'm reading the classics."

Zhao Wuji waved his fan.

Modern people who travel through time inevitably stay up late, while ancient people usually prepare to sleep around 7 or 8 pm, which is really too early.

The young apprentice, Xiaoyue, had no choice but to shut up. For the past three years, the adult had been seeking immortality and had enjoyed reading strange and unusual tales.

But the tales of immortality have been passed down for hundreds of years, yet no one has ever been seen to achieve immortality. It's better to practice martial arts.

"People say I'm crazy, but I only need to accumulate Yin and Yang energies to accelerate my cultivation and prolong my life. If I can bring out the cultivation of immortal techniques, the path to immortality is promising."

Zhao Wuji was engrossed in reading, oblivious to everything else around him.

When hungry, he would take the fake fasting pills, which looked like jade-colored pebbles, from the medicine furnace to satisfy his hunger; when thirsty, he would order the medicine boy to bring him tea.

The more one reads the half of the "Fengdu Chronicles," the brighter the second set of tadpole-like characters become, radiating a silvery light.

It will slowly emerge for Zhao Wuji to comprehend.

His mind was completely absorbed in his consciousness.

The Nine Yin and Nine Yang Pearls are like eighteen rounds of crescent moons and setting suns rising and falling.

The tadpole-like characters on the first Yin Pearl, representing the "Pill-Making" technique, have been completely deciphered, radiating silver light.

When Zhao Wuji focused his consciousness on the past, a message would appear: "The Seventy-Two Earthly Fiend Techniques: The Ball-Playing Game (Introduction 19/100)".

Unfortunately, even after reading the ancient book "Fengdu Zhi", the second set of tadpole script was not fully deciphered, and the progress was only at (80%).

A message appeared on the surface of the Yin Pearl: "The Seventy-Two Earthly Fiend Techniques: 'Communicating with the Netherworld' (Undeciphered)".
(End of this chapter)