Druid Fairy

Chapter 165 Life-saving grace
Elder Zhao looked at the radiant pill in the jade bottle, brought it to his nose and took a light sniff. He felt a powerful and vast life force rush towards him, bringing him a sense of comfort.

"Excellent pill! Using poison to fight poison, breaking down and then rebuilding! Then using seven kinds of pure and yang spiritual ingredients to strengthen the foundation and restore vitality! Wonderful!"

The way he looked at Li Mengze could no longer be described as admiration.

"Come on! Follow me!"

Elder Zhao could no longer contain himself. He grabbed Li Mengze's hand and rushed towards the Prince's residence.

…………

Prince Yong's Mansion.

It was once so majestic and imposing, but now it is shrouded in an inescapable aura of death.

The maids and servants in the mansion all looked sorrowful and walked on tiptoe, afraid of disturbing the old prince who was lying in bed.

The steward was an old eunuch with a white face and no beard. Upon seeing Elder Zhao, he immediately bowed and led the two through layers of corridors, finally stopping in front of a secluded sleeping quarters.

"Elder Zhao, as you know, the Prince... he has a bad temper, especially in recent years, it's even worse... sigh."

The old eunuch sighed, then hesitated, "The servants in the palace have to be changed three times a day, please... bear with us."

Elder Zhao nodded, indicating that he didn't need to say anything more, and turned to Li Mengze, saying, "Go in. Remember, no matter what the outcome, just do your best. If anything goes wrong, your master will take responsibility for you."

Li Mengze felt a warmth in his heart, bowed respectfully to his master, took a deep breath, and followed Zhao Wuji into the heavy palace gate.

Inside the mansion, the smell of medicine was so strong it was almost tangible.

The light was dim, the windows were covered by thick curtains, and the stench of decay in the air grew even stronger.

On the large rosewood bed in the very center lay a gaunt figure; were it not for the faint rise and fall of his chest, one would almost mistake him for a mummified corpse.

This was Prince Yong, who made outstanding contributions to the expansion of the Great Yu Dynasty's territory.

"Your Highness, Elder Zhao from the Pill Refining Mansion is requesting an audience with his newly accepted disciple," an old steward said, bowing low.

"not see."

Prince Yong didn't even lift his eyelids, his voice hoarse, "The Pill Mansion? A bunch of good-for-nothings who only know how to talk big. Over the years, I've consumed more pills than they've seen herbs, but what's the use? I've just watched helplessly as my soul is slowly devoured by that damned poisonous miasma. Tell them to get lost and stop bothering me."

He had long been disheartened by the endless pain of his illness.

From initial hope to later disappointment, and now to utter despair.

He had seen too many self-proclaimed "masters of alchemy" who made grand promises in front of him, only to end up shaking their heads and slinking away in disgrace.

This newcomer must be some young brat trying to gain fame by treating his illness.

The old steward looked troubled and was about to leave when Elder Zhao strode in, his face showing some displeasure: "Old Prince, your temper is still as stubborn and arrogant as it was when you were young! You won't even give me, Zhao Wuji, face?"

Prince Yong slowly opened his cloudy eyes, glanced at Elder Zhao, then looked at the young man behind him, a mocking smile curving his lips:

"Oh? It's you, old man. What, you sent some greenhorn to try your luck here? I advise you to save your breath and not ruin your reputation as my last disciple on the very first day."

His gaze fell on Li Mengze, his eyes filled with impatience and contempt, as if he were looking at a clown.

"Hmph, whether it's a matter of luck or not, we'll find out once we try!" Elder Zhao had full confidence in his disciple.

Li Mengze slowly spoke: "The poison that Your Highness is afflicted with is called 'Seven Deadly Poisons of the Gods.' This poison is not in the flesh or blood, nor in the meridians, but directly invades the soul. It is like a carbuncle that clings to the bone, constantly eroding your vitality and soul power. Therefore, ordinary methods of detoxification are like trying to stop boiling water by adding more water, and are of no use."

For the first time, a ripple appeared in the old prince's dry, well-like eyes.

This kid actually pinpointed the source of the poison in one breath!

This is something those old fogies in the Pill Mansion who only know how to recite from the book wouldn't be able to see.

"Oh?" His voice held a hint of scrutiny. "Go on."

“Your Highness,” Li Mengze continued, “this pill of mine is not for the purpose of detoxification.”

He opened the jade bottle, and a vast and powerful life force instantly filled the entire bedchamber, even making the dim air seem fresher.

The elixir, shimmering with iridescent light, lay quietly in the bottle, like a rising sun, radiating a comforting warmth.

"This pill is called the 'Seven Treasures Soul-Stabilizing Pill'," Li Mengze explained. "It cannot cure the strange poison in your body, but it can strengthen your foundation and nourish your vital energy. With seven spiritual substances containing the vitality of heaven and earth, it will repair your damaged soul and stabilize your dissipating life force. Poison is like a flood, and life force is like a dam. If the dam is not strong, how can the flood be released? Once Your Highness's soul is stabilized, I will slowly remove the root of the poison for you, until your soul, which is about to collapse, is stabilized, and your lifespan can be extended by a few more years."

He didn't make any boastful claims; his tone was sincere and confident.

"Oh? You've got quite the nerve."

A hint of surprise flashed in Prince Yong's cloudy eyes. This kid was more composed than the previous ones.

Fighting poison with poison, strengthening the body's foundation and nourishing its vitality...

He had heard this principle countless times, but no one had ever explained it so clearly and so directly as this young man before him.

More importantly, the pure life force emanating from the pill stirred a long-lost longing in his already numb soul.

Perhaps... we could give it a try?
Since I'm already a dying man, can things get any worse?

He hesitated for a moment, but was ultimately moved by the words "to extend his life by a few more years".

He was not afraid of death.

But he couldn't let go of this vast family business, nor could he abandon his good-for-nothing descendants.

"Very well, I'll risk my life to accompany you today and serve as your testing ground." He stretched out his hand, "Give me the pill."

Li Mengze handed over the pills as instructed.

Prince Yong looked at the pill flowing with seven-colored light in his palm, a look of amazement flashing in his eyes. Without further hesitation, he swallowed the pill in one gulp.

The pill entered his throat, but instead of turning into a warm current as he had imagined, it exploded in his dantian like a ball of magma, a mixture of ice and fire!

"Ugh!"

Prince Yong's withered body trembled violently, veins bulged on his face, and his whole body convulsed as if he were being torn apart by a thousand knives.

A blackish-purple poisonous gas surged wildly from his acupoints, corroding the surrounding wooden furniture with a sizzling sound.

"Protect the prince!"

The old eunuch was terrified. A group of guards rushed in instantly, swords drawn, glaring angrily at Li Mengze and his companion.

"Go back!"

Elder Zhao shouted sternly, "This is the medicine attacking the poisonous miasma, it's a good thing!" Li Mengze said solemnly, "Your Highness, concentrate your mind and focus on the One. This is to break through and then rebuild. If you can't hold onto your original mind, even a god can't save you."

At this moment, Prince Yong felt as if his soul was being placed in a giant millstone, being repeatedly crushed and torn apart.

He recalled his youth on the battlefield, where he was struck by several arrows but still fought to the death.

'I fear not even a thousand troops, why would I fear a mere elixir!'

A fierce and courageous spirit, stemming from the iron will of a soldier, erupted from the depths of his heart!

Enduring the inhuman pain, he desperately held onto the last shred of clarity in his mind, letting the domineering medicinal power rampage through his body.

After an unknown amount of time, the excruciating pain finally subsided, replaced by a warm and powerful life force, like a refreshing rain on a parched riverbed, nourishing his nearly withered limbs and repairing his battered soul.

His previously cloudy eyes gradually cleared, and his paper-pale face regained some color. His weak breathing became steady and powerful.

He slowly raised his hand, looking at his still thin but no longer trembling palm, feeling the long-lost feeling of power within his body, and for a moment he was somewhat lost in thought.

"My poison..."

"It's solved?!"

Prince Yong suddenly stood up from his chair, his movements so swift that he showed no sign of being a dying old man.

He stretched his muscles and felt an unprecedented sense of comfort throughout his body, as if a heavy burden had been lifted.

"Hahaha! It's solved! It's really solved!"

He threw his head back and laughed loudly, the sound so loud it made the windows of the entire study vibrate.

The authority and domineering presence that belonged to those in power returned to him once more.

"Good! Good! Good lad!"

He whirled around, grabbed Li Mengze's shoulder, and his tiger-like eyes were filled with excitement. "Your name is Li Mengze, right? From this day forward, you are my savior! You are the most honored guest of my Prince Yong's Mansion! From now on, in this capital, anyone who dares to lay a finger on you is going against me!"

After saying that, he took a token made entirely of purple gold and engraved with a tiger totem from his waist and stuffed it into Li Mengze's hand.

"With this token, it is as if I, the King, am personally present! You may go anywhere within the capital, including the forbidden areas! You may also mobilize any officials in your household!"

Elder Zhao watched this scene with an outwardly calm and collected expression, stroking his beard as if it were nothing out of the ordinary, but inwardly he was overjoyed.

"Hahaha! My disciple truly lives up to his reputation as a prodigy capable of refining a nine-patterned divine pill! Now, let's see who among those old fogies in the Pill Refining Mansion dares to utter a word of criticism!"

…………

The news that the old prince of the royal family had taken the elixir and his condition had greatly improved once again set the entire capital ablaze overnight.

Now, no one dared to question his abilities anymore, and no one dared to gossip behind his back.

Inside the Pill Mansion, the elders who had initially been hesitant about Li Mengze could no longer sit still.

"Oh my, I knew it! Elder Zhao's judgment could never be wrong!"

"Yes, yes, this young man has such profound knowledge of alchemy at such a young age. He is truly a force to be reckoned with!"

"Let's go, let's go take a look! We must befriend such a prodigy in alchemy!"

For a time, Li Mengze's alchemy room was bustling with visitors, and congratulatory gifts piled up like mountains, a stark contrast to the deserted state of the previous days.

The instigator, Wei Ling'er, smashed her own bedroom to pieces the moment she received the news.

"Impossible! This is absolutely impossible!"

Her pretty face contorted, her eyes blazing with jealousy. "He must have gotten incredibly lucky! Yes! That must be it!"

In Elder Zhao's courtyard, he was leisurely sipping tea, listening to the various praises coming from outside, his face still showing the same calm and serene expression.

But the slight upturn of his lips and the fingers gently tapping the table betrayed his immense joy at that moment.

'Hmph, a bunch of opportunistic old fogies.' He secretly gloated to himself.

"Don't you even know whose disciple this is! My last disciple, Zhao Wuji's, could he be an ordinary person? What's a Nine-Patterned Divine Pill? What's curing an old prince? This is nothing! Just you wait and see!"

The more he thought about it, the more comfortable he felt. He felt that the best thing he had ever done in his life was to shamelessly snatch this precious gem away and bring it under his control.

At the center of the turmoil, Li Mengze had already quietly left the Dan Mansion and arrived at the largest library in the capital city.

The old prince's favor granted him authority far exceeding his current status. He used this newly acquired network to cautiously inquire about the matters his father had entrusted to him.

"Blood Maple Forest"...

When he entered the place name, the jade slip he consulted only displayed a few words.

[The Blood Maple Forest, a forbidden area on the border of the Great Qian Dynasty, is filled with resentment and malevolent energy; mortals are forbidden from entering.]

As for those second-tier spiritual materials, they only had names and no origins, as if they appeared out of thin air. All the clues came to an abrupt end at the most crucial point.

"It seems that this information is indeed a top secret of the royal family, even more sensitive than I imagined."

Li Mengze sat at his desk, looking at the fragmented clues he had compiled, his brows furrowed.

He used Prince Yong's connections to subtly inquire with some elders of the Dan family, but all he received were cryptic warnings.

"Mengze, some things are better left unknown than known. Focus on refining your pills and don't touch anything you shouldn't."

Li Mengze frowned slightly. It seemed that to complete his father's task, the title of chief disciple of the Pill Mansion alone was far from enough.

He must attain a higher position to gain access to the dynasty's most core secrets.

Several months have passed in the blink of an eye.

A piece of news, like a thunderclap in summer, exploded throughout the capital.

To celebrate the great victory on the border and demonstrate national power, the Dayu Dynasty has decided to hold the annual "Alchemy Grand Competition" ahead of schedule!
This competition was unprecedented in scale.

Not only will all the outstanding alchemists within the dynasty participate, but even the surrounding vassal states will send envoys to witness the ceremony.

The ultimate winner of the competition will not only receive unparalleled glory and unimaginable wealth of resources, but will also receive a reward that drives all cultivators crazy – entry into the deepest part of the royal family's "Royal Treasury," where they can choose any three treasures and consult information for three days!
"The Royal Treasury..."

Li Mengze looked at the announcement; this was the opportunity he had been searching for.

(End of this chapter)