Druid Fairy

Chapter 147 The Troubles Resurface
Li Mengze put the Breakthrough Pill, which embodied his hard work, into his mouth.

The moment the pill entered his mouth, it did not turn into a warm current like ordinary pills, but instead exploded like a ball of flame within his dantian!

He quickly composed himself, sat down cross-legged, and guided this powerful energy, following the mental path of the "Evergreen Manual," to cleanse his meridians again and again.

That feeling was incredibly wonderful.

If the previous practice was like using a small teaspoon to scoop water into a water tank, one spoonful at a time.

Now, it's as if someone has directly opened the top of their head and received a thoroughly refreshing and enlightening experience!

The once incredibly solid barrier at the peak of the second level of Qi Refining began to crack under the impact of this abundant medicinal power, with fine cracks quietly spreading across the barrier.

"It's now!"

A thought struck Li Mengze, and he pushed his divine sense to its limit.

Instead of using brute force to break through, he transformed the medicinal power into countless strands of energy finer than a hair, like embroidery needles, which seeped into the cracks without leaving any gaps.

This is the method of controlling fire in alchemy that he learned from Teacher Su, which emphasizes "subtle and silent influence".

When applied to breaking through bottlenecks, it achieves a similar effect.

Under the combined attack of countless strands of energy from both inside and outside, it began to crumble little by little.

At the same time, his soul seemed to be drawn by this energy and pulled into a mysterious state.

The originally calm vortex of magical energy in the dantian was now spinning wildly at an unprecedented speed, becoming more condensed and pure with each rotation.

The divine sense transformed into an invisible eye, hovering above the sea of ​​qi, sensing the subtle changes brought about by each flow of magical power.

This sense of absolute control over one's own power is incredibly intoxicating.

"Crack!"

After an unknown amount of time, accompanied by a deafening roar that seemed to come from the depths of his soul, the barrier that had troubled him for so long finally broke through.

The immense magical power broke through the shackles and flowed into the broader meridians, forming a more stable and powerful Great Circulation.

Li Mengze felt a lightness throughout his body, and an indescribable sense of comfort and power surged from every corner of his body.

Although his appearance remained unchanged, the power he possessed was vastly different from before.

The talent to discern good from evil is also elevated at this moment.

In an instant, many "voices" entered my mind: the patrolling disciples complaining about numerous chores, the servants being annoyed by the many tasks and little pay, and even the birds having a craving for food.

Being able to simultaneously perceive faint emotional glimmers belonging to different people and "hear" certain incredibly genuine inner voices means that Li Mengze can instantly know the movements of everyone within his radius.

…………

For the next few days, Li Mengze lived a very peaceful life.

Every day, besides going to the alchemy hall to consult with Teacher Su, he would return to his own courtyard to consolidate his newly broken-through realm and familiarize himself with his surging magical power and divine sense.

After Huang Teng suffered a setback at Wangyue Tower, he seemed to have vanished without a trace and never appeared again.

But he knew in his heart that this was just the calm before the storm.

A petty person like Huang Teng, who holds grudges and seeks revenge, will never let this go so easily.

Sure enough, that afternoon.

A startling piece of news, like a stone thrown into a calm lake, stirred up a thousand ripples.

"Have you heard? Zhang Ao got beaten up!"

"What? Zhang Ao? Isn't he Master Chen's favored disciple? Who has the audacity to do this?"

"I heard it was done by people from the Huishan Martial Arts School. They ambushed him in the alley outside the academy for a sparring match, and then someone broke his right hand!"

"Huishan Martial Arts School? Isn't that the martial arts school run by the Huang family? Am I being too arrogant? These are disciples of our academy!"

When the news arrived, Li Mengze was in the alchemy hall, studying a newly acquired herb with Su Qingxue.

When he heard the words "Zhang Ao" and "Huang family," his hand holding the teacup paused slightly.

"Master, I would like to go out and take a look." He put down his teacup, his voice calm, but a cold glint flashed deep in his eyes.

How could he not guess the reason behind it?

Unable to harm himself, Huang Teng vented his anger on Zhang Ao, who was on good terms with him.

This is a classic example of making an example of someone to warn others.

Su Qingxue looked at him and sighed softly, "Go, but don't act impulsively."

Li Mengze hurried to Zhang Ao's residence. Before he even entered, he heard Zhang Ao groaning in pain coming from inside.

Pushing open the door, one sees Zhang Ao lying on the bed, his face pale, his right hand wrapped in thick bandages. Several familiar disciples are gathered around the bed, all filled with righteous indignation, yet helpless.

"Mengze, you've come..."

When Zhang Ao saw him, he struggled to sit up, but the movement aggravated his wound, causing him to gasp in pain.

Li Mengze walked to the bedside, looked at his broken hand, and remained silent.

When Zhang Ao saw him, he shook his head, his voice hoarse: "It was my own carelessness. I didn't stop myself when sparring with someone..."

Zhang Ao was straightforward and honest, so Huang Teng deliberately sent people to provoke him and provoke him into making a move. Those martial arts disciples were all proficient in martial arts, and Zhang Ao, a low-level magic cultivator, was no match for them.
In just a few moves, Zhang Ao's hand was broken by his opponent under the pretext of "mistakenly sparring".

Afterwards, the Huang family only sent someone to deliver a bottle of the most ordinary wound medicine, their words full of arrogance, clearly showing that they did not take Zhang Ao, a disciple with no background, seriously.

After hearing this, Li Mengze felt both angry and guilty.

This is no longer simple oppression; it is blatant provocation, using Zhang Ao's path to immortality to warn and humiliate him!

"Does the teacher know about this?"

“The teacher went to see them.” Zhang Ao smiled bitterly, “but the martial arts school insisted that it was a ‘mishap during sparring’, and the teacher could do nothing about it.”

Li Mengze fell silent. He knew that Zhang Ao was right.

Within this state capital, ultimately, it's all about power and connections.

Ultimately, Zhang Ao's predicament was caused by himself.

He stepped forward and carefully removed the bandages from Zhang Ao's hand.

His right hand hung limply at his sides, the metacarpal bones shattered. To make matters worse, a grayish-black aura lingered around the wound, constantly eroding Zhang Ao's life force.

“It’s the poison from ‘Bone-Dissolving Powder’.” Li Mengze’s face darkened. “What a vicious method.”

This poison is not extremely potent and will not kill immediately, but it can penetrate deep into the bone marrow, hindering wound healing. Over time, not only will the arm become completely crippled, but the poison will also slowly invade the internal organs, severing the foundation of one's immortality.

This is a hundred times more vicious than killing Zhang Ao directly.

"Mengze, do you have a way?" Zhang Ao looked at his solemn expression, and the last glimmer of hope in his heart seemed to be extinguished.

"I'll find a way to cure you, even if it costs me," Li Mengze said. "Do you trust me?"

Zhang Ao nodded emphatically: "I believe you!"

“Alright.” Li Mengze said no more. He turned to the disciples around him and said, “Senior brothers, please step aside. I need a quiet environment to heal Zhang Ao.”

Upon seeing this, everyone left the room.

Once only the two of them were left in the room, Li Mengze slowly began to speak, recounting his conflict with Huang Teng at Wangyue Tower and his own speculations.

“This matter started because of me, and it has implicated you.” Li Mengze’s face showed deep remorse. “Don’t worry, I will definitely get revenge for you.”

Zhang Ao listened quietly, his expression gradually shifting from initial shock to acceptance.

He looked at Li Mengze, shook his head, and gave a self-deprecating laugh, his voice hoarse: "No, Mengze, this is not your fault. Even without you, with my personality, I would have offended Huang Teng, or Li Teng, or Wang Teng sooner or later. This world is just like this; weakness is the original sin."

He looked at his crippled hand, and for the first time, his eyes were devoid of their former pride, filled only with a profound clarity.

"I always thought that with dual top-grade spiritual roots, I could look down on everyone, but I didn't realize that in the face of true power, this so-called talent is nothing but a joke. What can the teachers do to him except reprimand him a few times?"

Zhang Ao looked at Li Mengze and said, word by word, "I, Zhang Ao, will remember this humiliation. A gentleman takes his revenge even after ten years. The Huang family, the Huishan Martial Arts School—I will not let a single one of them go. When I have enough power, I will make them pay a hundredfold!"

This calamity, which nearly destroyed his path to immortality, unexpectedly transformed this always proud and arrogant young man overnight, making him enlightened and completely reborn.

Li Mengze nodded, "Okay! I'll help you!"

This promise is more reassuring than any elixir.

To counteract the "Bone-Dissolving Powder," ordinary antidotes are useless; a mid-grade first-level pill called "Tendon-Regenerating and Bone-Continuing Pill" is required.

The formula for this elixir is a closely guarded secret within the academy. Only disciples who have made significant contributions to the academy or possess exceptional talent in alchemy are eligible to exchange it for "contribution points." Without the slightest hesitation, Li Mengze immediately headed to the academy's "Scripture Pavilion."

The person in charge of guarding the elixir was an old-fashioned elder named Wang.

"A bone-regenerating and tendon-healing pill?"

Elder Wang raised his eyelids and glanced at Li Mengze. "This is a mid-grade first-tier pill formula, which requires one thousand contribution points to exchange. As a new disciple, do you have enough contribution points?"

One thousand contribution points!

This type of uncommon elixir recipe has no history of being refined into finished pills, resulting in limited benefits. However, the contribution points required to acquire it are the same as those for commonly used elixir recipes.

Li Mengze frowned. As a disciple of the academy, completing even the most ordinary task would only earn him fifty contribution points. It would take him forever to finish that.

"Elder," Li Mengze said neither humbly nor arrogantly, taking out a jade bottle from his robes, "This humble disciple has made some progress and refined a new elixir called 'Qingyuan Pill.' I have come to offer it to the academy in the hope of contributing my modest efforts to the academy's research on alchemy."

Elder Wang's face showed a hint of disdain upon hearing this.

What new pills can a new disciple refine?
It's not just some sensationalist stuff.

But when he uncorked the bottle, smelled the incredibly pure medicinal fragrance, and saw the pill with five flowing patterns, he was finally moved.

"Did you make this?"

"It was fortuitously crafted." Li Mengze remained as humble as ever.

Elder Wang examined the pill from all angles for a long time, exclaiming, "Excellent, excellent, excellent! This young man is truly formidable!"

He stroked his beard, a smile appearing on his face. "This pill has negligible toxicity and a mild, mellow medicinal effect, making it a top-grade first-tier pill! You can not only exchange this formula for contribution points, but it will be more than enough!"

With a stroke of his pen, he gave the formula for the "Bone and Tendon Regeneration Pill" to Li Mengze.

"Kid, I have high hopes for you." Before leaving, Elder Wang patted him on the shoulder. "Do a good job and don't embarrass our academy."

…………

Having obtained the prescription, Li Mengze faced a dilemma.

"Jade Bone Flower, Dragon Blood Vine, Qilin Blood..."

Looking at the list of names on the prescription, I felt completely overwhelmed.

These medicinal herbs are all quite rare. Among them, the "Jade Bone Flower," which is the main ingredient, is a true spiritual material. Its main purpose is to remove the toxin that is wrapped around the wound.

He had no choice but to contact his closest Dan Tang fellow disciples.

"Junior Brother Li, are you trying to expel the poison from Zhang Ao?"

Upon hearing his request, Senior Brother Wang, who was on good terms with him, was stunned. "This Bone and Tendon Regeneration Pill is extremely difficult to refine. To successfully refine it, you must consume a lot of spiritual materials... You..."

"Senior Brother Wang, spirit stones are not a problem."

Li Mengze clasped his hands in a fist and bow, his attitude sincere. "This matter concerns my dear friend's path to immortality, and I hope that Senior Brother can do me a favor. Regardless of the outcome, I will be eternally grateful. Here are three mid-grade spirit stones, a small token of my appreciation, which I hope Senior Brother will accept with a smile."

Senior Brother Wang initially wanted to refuse, but seeing the spirit stone and the determined look in Li Mengze's obedient junior brother's eyes, he finally sighed and accepted it.

"Fine, fine, I'm just one of those guys who falls for your tricks. I can find all the other medicinal herbs for you, but this Jade Bone Flower is the only one I can't find..."

He lowered his voice, "Although the Jade Bone Flower is rare, I once heard my teacher mention that there seems to be a last one being cultivated in the 'Ten Thousand Herbs Garden' behind the academy."

"Thanks for the advice, senior brother!"

Li Mengze was overjoyed and immediately rushed to the Herb Garden. He spent a lot of contribution points and spirit stones, almost all of his alchemy assets, to obtain three petals of the Jade Bone Flower.

In other words, he only has three chances to succeed in making the elixir.

All is ready except for the opportunity.

Holding the prescription and medicinal herbs, Li Mengze felt much more at ease.

He immediately returned to the alchemy hall and began another period of seclusion, neglecting sleep and meals.

The "Bone and Tendon Regeneration Pill" is even more difficult to refine than the Breakthrough Pill. The most difficult step is to perfectly blend the Jade Bone Flower, the main ingredient, with the medicinal power of dozens of auxiliary ingredients without damaging its activity.

This process involved an abnormal level of consumption and manipulation of spiritual consciousness.

Li Mengze didn't rush to use the main ingredient to refine the medicine. Instead, he repeatedly familiarized himself with the properties of the auxiliary medicinal herbs. In his hands, those expensive herbs turned into piles of black charcoal.

He was not discouraged at all. Every failure deepened his understanding of pharmacology and his control over the heat.

On the morning of the seventh day.

As the first rays of morning light streamed through the window of the alchemy hall, the second petal of the Jade Bone Flower was being refined. A rich, vibrant medicinal fragrance wafted gently from the alchemy furnace.

The furnace lid was opened, and a pill, entirely emerald green, as if carved from the finest jade, lay quietly at the bottom of the furnace. Above the pill, there was a faint image of jade bones, lingering and never dissipating!

"Zhang Ao's hand can be saved!"

Li Mengze looked at the pill and a tired yet radiant smile appeared on his face.

Without a moment's delay, he immediately delivered the pill to Zhang Ao's bedside.

"Zhang Ao, quick, take it!"

As soon as the pill entered his stomach, a warm yet powerful life energy instantly flowed throughout Zhang Ao's limbs and bones.

Zhang Ao's originally swollen and bluish-purple hand began to swell and regain its color at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Strands of black poison gas were forced out from his palm, only to be instantly purified by the powerful medicinal force.

In less than half an hour, Zhang Ao slowly opened his eyes. He tried to move his right hand, and the broken palm bone, which had been diagnosed as "the path to immortality was completely destroyed," had actually recovered completely, and was even stronger and more resilient than before!
"Mengze!"

Looking at his hands and feeling the power he had regained within him, the proud young man could no longer hold back his tears.

He rolled out of bed, faced Li Mengze, and without saying a word of thanks, simply hugged him tightly.

"Brothers!"

A thousand words are left unsaid.

Zhang Ao remembered this kindness.

From now on, he will obey Li Mengze's every word, even if it means going through fire and water!
From then on, Zhang Ao became more and more composed. He no longer acted arrogantly or competed with others, but instead devoted all his time and energy to his intense cultivation.

He and Li Mengze became known as "iron brothers" within the academy.

…………

Su Qingxue could not stand idly by.

Although she disliked fighting, she was extremely protective of her own.

The Huang family's actions are no longer a simple conflict between disciples.

She personally intervened and reported the matter to the academy.

The academy was also in a real bind.

The Huang family wielded considerable influence in the prefecture, and the father was an official in the imperial court. Without solid evidence, the academy couldn't afford to openly confront them, lest other academies accuse them of abusing their power and having improper academic conduct.

With the mediation of the academy, the Huang family compensated Zhang Ao with many pills and spirit stones, which Zhang Ao did not refuse.

The storm seemed to have subsided.

Huang family.

"So, that kid's been behaving really well lately?"

"Yes, young master, I am very honest."

The servant hurriedly said, "Ever since you 'reprimanded' him last time, young master, Li Mengze has been like a coward, staying in the alchemy hall all day long, never stepping out of the door. Even that brat Zhang Ao now avoids us when he sees our people!"

"Hahaha! That's more like it!"

Huang Teng swirled the wine glass in his hand smugly, "I told you, you have to be ruthless when dealing with these country bumpkins!"

He downed the wine in his glass in one gulp, feeling as if the gloom of the past few days had vanished.

"Pass on my message."

A glint of malice flashed in his eyes. "Keep an eye on Baicaotang. Smash any business related to 'Qingyuan Pill'! I want to see how Li Mengze will refine pills without spirit stones!"

He not only wanted to make Li Mengze afraid, but also to make him poor, to make him wag his tail and beg for his help like a dog.

(End of this chapter)