Mortal: The Path to Immortality

Lu Nanzhu slowly raised his right hand, his fingertips twitched slightly, and several streams of indigo spiritual energy floated out, steadily supporting Qi Yunxiao who was bowing and straightening his posture.

"I dare not accept such a generous gift." Lu Nanzhu withdrew his spiritual power, his tone calm, with the demeanor of a senior master. "I came down the mountain to provide free medical services, simply to practice my master's medical teachings."

Since young friend Yunxiao is so eager to seek medical help, and I happen to be staying in Jinma City, it is fate that brings us together.

He then turned around, packed up his stall, slung his medical kit over his shoulder, and said to Qi Yunxiao:

"You lead the way, I'll go see your 'close friend' right now."

Qi Yunxiao was delighted and readily agreed, then led Lu Nanzhu out of Jinma City.

Soon, the two arrived at an unnamed hill. Outside the hill, a sea of ​​bamboo stood tall, shrouded in a thin mist, and faintly visible array formations and restrictions.

As if sensing something, the formation shrouded in mist gradually dissipated, revealing a bamboo path.

The two of them, one in front of the other, followed the bamboo path and found a mountain courtyard.

"Senior, please follow me," Qi Yunxiao said respectfully to Lu Nanzhu.

Lu Nanzhu nodded, signaling him to continue leading the way.

As soon as I stepped into the courtyard, a slender woman emerged from behind the screen.

The woman was dressed elegantly, with a pretty face but a somewhat thin frame.

This person is none other than Xin Ruyin, the genius array master whom Lu Nanzhu has been longing for.

"Brother Qi, what's going on here..." Xin Ruyin paused slightly when she saw Qi Yunxiao rushing in with his group. Her gaze fell on the indigo-clad cultivator following behind, and she asked with some hesitation, "And who is this senior...?"

"Oh? Miss Ruyin, this is a Druid, Senior Druid."

"Senior De's medical skills are superb. Some time ago, I discovered that he was providing free medical consultations in the city, so I boldly asked him to treat you."

Qi Yunxiao's tone was tinged with excitement and joy.

After hearing Qi Yunxiao's introduction, Xin Ruyin dared not be negligent and quickly bowed in greeting:

"Junior Xin Ruyin greets Senior! I am deeply honored that Senior has come here to treat my illness."

Lu Nanzhu sized up the woman before him, and with a quick sweep of his divine sense, he sensed that the woman's life force was disordered, as if an extremely strong masculine energy was constantly impacting her delicate meridians.

He didn't say much, just nodded slightly, and then let the two lead him into the house.

After everyone was seated, Xin Ruyin did not rush to extend her hand for Lu Nanzhu to take her pulse. Instead, she sighed softly and calmly began to speak:

"To be honest, senior, Ruyin's illness is extremely special. Her elders have said that it is the 'Dragon's Roar Body,' which is difficult to cure."

In the years before, Brother Yunxiao had sought out famous doctors and ancient medicines for me, which managed to stabilize my heart pulse, but it was ultimately only a temporary solution.

"For such stubborn ailments, I wonder if you, senior... have any good solutions?"

After she finished speaking, a glimmer of hope finally appeared in her cold eyes as she stared intently at Lu Nanzhu.

After listening, Lu Nanzhu tapped his fingers lightly on the table. After a moment's hesitation, he said calmly:

"I have indeed heard of the 'Dragon's Roar Body'. It is a male body mistakenly born into a female body, where the woman's innate meridians cannot bear the excessive true yang energy."

If a person suffering from this disease forces themselves to practice cultivation, they will die from the depletion of their meridians.

To be honest, I... do not have a cure for this disease.

As soon as he finished speaking, Qi Yunxiao frowned, his face full of worry, his previous hopes dashed once again.

Xin Ruyin's eyes also darkened slightly, and she lowered her head, her eyelashes concealing the disappointment in her eyes.

She coughed a few times, seemingly used to seeing doctors helpless in the face of her illness, and finally looked up and smiled at the two of them.

"Thank you for your honest advice, senior..."

Xin Ruyin was about to get up and thank Lu Nanzhu. Regardless of whether it succeeded or not, Lu Nanzhu's intention still moved Xin Ruyin deeply.

However, Lu Nanzhu did not get up and leave immediately. Instead, he slowly took out the prescription he had prepared for a long time from his storage bag, placed it on the table, and pushed it over.

"However, I do have a prescription here that can nourish the meridians, which may be able to stabilize the young lady's condition."

Lu Nanzhu looked at the prescription, his tone carrying a hint of certainty.

"My formula doesn't require century-old medicinal herbs; a few decades' worth will suffice. You don't need to risk your lives for those century-old herbs."

Xin Ruyin hesitated slightly before accepting the prescription. Although she understood it, she still expressed her gratitude to Lu Nanzhu.

"I am deeply grateful for your great kindness, senior."

"Senior, is there really no hope of curing Ruyin's illness at all?"

Qi Yunxiao, standing to the side, seemed somewhat impatient.

Over the years, he had sought out no fewer than a dozen prescriptions for "stabilizing the condition," but each time he watched helplessly as Xin Ruyin's health deteriorated day by day. He suddenly stood up, his voice tinged with pleading:

"As long as Ruyin can be cured, Yunxiao will do whatever Senior asks of her without complaint!"

Looking at this genuine and straightforward weapon refiner, Lu Nanzhu sighed inwardly.

He turned around, hesitated for a moment with his chin in his hand, and continued:

"My medical skills have indeed reached their limit. However, my...master is very knowledgeable and experienced; perhaps he can come up with a solution?"

However, he has important matters to attend to right now, and I cannot find him for the time being.

At this point, Lu Nanzhu paused, turned to face the two of them, and slowly raised three fingers.

"Three years. With this prescription, your meridians should be able to sustain you for three years without any problems. After three years, if I can find a solution from my master, I will return to treat you again. What do you say?"

Upon hearing about the "three-year" agreement, Qi Yunxiao and Xin Ruyin exchanged a glance and almost instinctively wanted to bow in gratitude once more.

Seeing this, Lu Nanzhu gently raised his right hand, and several strands of azure spiritual energy, as fine as wisps of silk, precisely supported their arms, steadily lifting them up. He then gently comforted them, saying:

"You two need not do this. As a doctor, it is my duty to treat the sick and save lives. Besides, that three-year agreement is just my speculation, and I am not entirely certain about it."

I have personally verified that prescription; if you follow it and get the medicine, you will surely feel some relief.

Xin Ruyin calmed her excited emotions and was about to speak when she saw that Lu Nanzhu's gaze had shifted from her to the several broken array diagrams hanging around the hall.

"I never imagined that Miss Ruyin would possess such skill in the art of array formations." Lu Nanzhu's eyes revealed genuine interest. He walked to an array diagram, studied it carefully for a moment, and then turned to ask.

"To be honest, I recently planned to purchase some defensive and trapping formations for my cave dwelling."

"Does the young lady have any ready-made formations? I can pay with spirit stones to buy some."

Xin Ruyin looked troubled, pursed her lips somewhat hesitantly, and said:

"Senior has keen insight; Ruyin does indeed have some understanding of formations. Ruyin is currently developing a formation called the 'Inverted Five Elements Formation,' which is extremely powerful."

Unfortunately, my aptitude is limited. Even after all this research, I've only achieved less than ten percent of its power, and I'm currently unable to set it up completely. I genuinely don't have a suitable array plate on hand.

She paused here, pointed to another table with some scattered parts on it, and continued:

"However, Ruyin is currently working on a secret array called the 'Thousand Machine Suspended Thread Array' for the Hu family of Yuanwu Kingdom."

This formation is extremely unique, specifically created to complement the Hu family's mechanical puppetry techniques. Its exquisite defense and ability to trap enemies are indeed very suitable for your requirements, senior.

A hint of guilt flashed in Xin Ruyin's eyes, and she sighed helplessly:

"I can give you the blueprints of this formation for your perusal, but the Hu family is pressing you very hard for the finished formation. They said they will send someone to pick it up soon, so I'm afraid I won't be able to give it to you directly."

However, the materials required to create this formation are not rare. The most important material is the puppet in the formation. The stronger the puppet, the stronger the formation.

After the senior has memorized the blueprints, they can assemble the formation themselves.

"'Thousand Machines Suspended by Threads'..." Lu Nanzhu repeated in a low voice, then smiled faintly, "Since it is something that the Hu family has decided on, I, De, will naturally not take what others desire."

If Miss Ruyin would be so kind as to lend me the array diagram for a moment, I would be eternally grateful.