After the Great Dao died

Chapter 73 Cauldron and Star Stone

Inside the divine chamber, the progress of Chejue Divine Power's energy replenishment finally settled at 98%.

It provides significantly more energy replenishment than the Willow of Immortality and the Beast Palace I've encountered before.

Chen Lingxi sat cross-legged on the protruding rock, his consciousness slowly withdrawing from the void of the divine chamber, a slight smile appearing on his lips.

"It really is a fragment of a cauldron, therefore, the next complete awakening is not far off!"

Chen Lingxi was pleasantly surprised and muttered to herself, then focused on digesting the many messages coming from the fragments of the cauldron in her mind.

"However, this fragment of the cauldron is quite special; it seems to be usable only once."

The Time Candle can be traded multiple times, and the Beast Fighting Palace can be repeatedly worshipped, but this stone seems to have only one chance to be used.

After one use, the remaining power of the cauldron will be completely exhausted, turning into ashes like the candle of time, returning to the world.

"【Star Stone】".

He silently recited the name of the fragment of the bronze vessel.

The moment the name left his lips, he felt the black stone in his palm tremble slightly.

The dark luster on the surface of the stone suddenly lit up, as if an ancient jade that had been buried in an ancient tomb for countless years had suddenly seen the light of day. As the eerie light flowed, an unimaginable aura surged out from within.

The aura wasn't particularly powerful or sharp, but it carried a peculiar, almost fatalistic heaviness.

Just as this stone itself carries some unspeakable cause and effect.

"If you carve someone's name on this stone with your spirit and offer sacrifices to the things that person handled, you can establish that person as a 'star'!"

"The celestial being dies at your hands, but you will obtain a great opportunity to acquire the cauldron and elevate your cultivation."

Chen Ling's eyes were clear and bright.

"If a star dies at the hands of another, then it will obtain an ordinary opportunity to acquire a precious vessel."

"The amount of opportunity for obtaining a cauldron depends on the cultivation level of the natal star. The greater the gap between the natal star and my own cultivation level, the greater the opportunity."

Chen Lingxi exhaled a long breath, his dark eyes filled with a mixture of surprise and joy.

Chen Lingxi felt that the Star Stone was extremely mysterious.

"By designating someone as a sworn enemy, and with that enemy dead, you can reap great rewards."

Chen Lingxi sat cross-legged in the cave. The cold winter wind blew in from between the cliff walls, carrying pine needles and ice shards, making his robes flutter, but he was completely unaware.

Those eyes peered out of the cave, gazing at the distant mountain ridges that were faintly visible in the night.

"If that's the case, then whom should I appoint as my guiding star?"

Chen Lingxi pondered for a moment.

He now possesses items that were handled by two cultivators.

Both of these items are sufficient to be used to worship the Star Stone and to establish those two people as stars.

One of them was Lin Su Ri.

Lin Suri handled a great many things at the Baosu Marquis's residence, and an incense burner was just one of them.

Moreover, Lin Su's cultivation level at the sixth level of the Daily Qi Circulation stage was unfathomable. He could draw his bow and condense golden arrows to shoot into the clouds, hovering three zhang in the air like a celestial being descending to earth.

If this person can be listed as a star, and if there is a result, the opportunity to obtain the cauldron and artifacts will surely be extremely remarkable.

only----

Chen Lingxi pondered for a moment, then suddenly shook his head.

Lin Suri was the person he met and bound to You, and he didn't know how many benefits he had gained after meeting Lin Suri.

From initially secretly learning the art of breathing and energy circulation in the back room, to later glimpsing the Light and Shadow Candle, the Mother Qi of the Ancestral Mountain, and the Six True Methods...

The Purple True Treasure Qi, and even the cultivator surnamed Chao, the peddler, and Wu Mohe—all these opportunities came from Jian Youlin Su Ri.

If Lin Su Ri were to die, let alone whether Jian You could bind someone else, even if he could, it wouldn't be as convenient as Jian You binding Lin Su Ri.

After all, Lin Su had been cultivating the Six Qi True Method for a long time, and being in the Bao Su Marquis's mansion, a place with relatively abundant spiritual energy, and planning many spiritual opportunities for cultivation, seeing You was like having a pair of eyes to peer into the world of cultivation.

Moreover, if Lin Su Ri dies, he will have to expend a lot of energy to find other powerful people's personal treasures and find a suitable person to visit like Lin Su Ri. How easy is that?

Chen Lingxi shook her head slightly as she thought of this, pulling Lin Suri out of her thoughts and turning her attention to another person.

"Crown Prince Yingchi————"

"I possess the Spiritual Qi Pearl of Yingchi, which can also be classified as a constellation."

Chen Lingxi reached into his hand and took out a precious pearl.

That day in the Beast Fighting Palace, he obtained this jade bead from Qiu Chihu. It contained a wisp of the Crown Prince's spiritual energy, making it an ideal item to handle.

"Crown Prince Ying Chi is a disciple of the Southern Heaven Domain. His cultivation of Qi is unfathomable, and he possesses a world-shaking treasure such as the Purple True Treasure Bottle. Killing him will surely bring him great fortune."

"But—this Ying Chi will probably be even harder to kill than Lin Suri."

He frowned slightly.

"Now that I think about it, the swordsman who assassinated the prince on Mount Cuojin that day probably had a cultivation level of nine revolutions or even the ultimate martial arts realm of Xuan!"

Even someone like him couldn't kill the Crown Prince, not only because of his status as the Crown Prince, but also because Ying Chi possessed a treasure like the Purple True Bottle.

Chen Lingxi still remembers the scene he saw during his visit that day.

The swordsman killed over a hundred cavalrymen with a single strike. His blade flashed like a silver ribbon across the sky, even repelling the true light within the rainbow's glow.

But when Prince Yingchi raised the Purple True Treasure Bottle high above his head with the mouth facing down, the purple treasure energy poured out like a waterfall, forcing the swordsman to fight to the death. In the end, although he shattered the purple energy, he was also injured and fled far away.

"The killing power of the Purple True Treasure Qi is extraordinary. I only obtained a wisp of it, yet I already know its terrifying power—"

"And the Purple True Treasure Qi in Prince Yingchi's Purple True Treasure Bottle is like a small waterfall."

"The Purple True Aura that the Crown Prince possesses is more than a hundred or a thousand times greater than mine!"

"If a real fight breaks out, with a treasure like the Purple True Bottle, the Crown Prince could probably face and fight against cultivators stronger than him."

The more Chen Lingxi thought about it, the more she felt that this matter should not be rushed.

"This person is so powerful that if I were to kill him with my own hands, it would probably be a very long time."

After pondering for a moment, Chen Lingxi shook her head slightly, put the Spirit Qi Pearl back into her Qiankun Bag, and temporarily dismissed the idea.

"I have this fragment of the cauldron in my hands, but I don't need to rush. I'll wait until a suitable person is found before I carve his name on it." Chen Lingxi had a plan in mind and put the Star Stone back into his Qiankun bag.

The moment the stone disappeared from his palm, the strange, fateful heaviness also dissipated, and he breathed a long sigh of relief, as if a heavy stone had been lifted from his heart.

The fragments of the cauldron are extremely precious, and the Star Stone can only be used once. Rather than making a hasty decision, it is better to wait until there is a more suitable target and a greater degree of certainty before taking action.

After all, while the advancement in cultivation is tempting, it would be a loss to put oneself in danger because of it.

Having made up his mind, he stopped thinking about the Star Stone and turned his attention elsewhere.

With a flick of his wrist, the Qiankun Bag from the divine chamber appeared in his hand.

The spirit fell into the Qiankun Bag, and all the things in the Qiankun Bag came into his perception.

Chen Lingxi waved gently.

With a slight movement, Zhao Yong's corpse, along with numerous bottles, jars, and bronze furnaces, appeared in the cave.

There were about seventeen or eighteen bottles and jars, each with a different shape, and the mouths of the jars were all sealed tightly with wax, so it was impossible to see what was inside.

Zhao Yong's body lay face up on the cold bluestone ground, his eyes, like dry wells, still wide open, covered with a layer of gray, lifeless gloom.

Do not look down.

Chen Ling glanced at him indifferently, then suddenly remembered the immortal willow branch.

"The Immortal Willow Branch, when refined and placed into the mouth of the dead, can be transformed into an Immortal Willow Puppet."

"Should we use the Willow Branch of Immortality to refine Zhao Yong into an Immortal Willow Puppet?"

As soon as the thought popped into his head, Chen Lingxi shook his head.

"There is only one Undying Willow Branch, and it is not easy to obtain. It would be a pity to waste such a treasure on a Qi and Blood Martial Artist like Zhao Yong, who has reached the Golden Body Perfection." Chen Lingxi muttered to himself.

Zhao Yong's Qi and blood were as thick and strong as mercury, and his Purple Grinding Wheel was indestructible. When he used the three martial arts techniques, Piercing Gold Finger, Falling Goose Fist, and Cloud Palm, they were indeed powerful enough to destroy cities and capture strongholds.

But so what?

He still died under Chen Lingxi's blade; such strength was unworthy of a treasure like the Undying Willow Branch.

"If we have the opportunity to find an even stronger corpse in the future, then we can use the willow branches on them, which would be the best use of them."

Chen Lingxi made up her mind, and her thoughts turned to Zhao Yong's corpse.

"Just burn it," he thought to himself.

Just then, with a slight movement of the light, he saw a piece of paper hidden among the pile of bottles and jars.

The paper was pressed between two rough earthenware pots, with only a yellowed corner showing, almost unnoticeable unless you looked closely.

Chen Lingxi was so focused on putting those bottles and jars into her Qiankun bag that she didn't even notice the existence of this piece of paper.

Curious, he took out the paper and unfolded it to take a look.

The paper was extremely thin and old, with yellowed and brittle edges, and several deep creases where it was folded, as if it had been repeatedly examined.

The ink on the paper was somewhat blurred, but it was still clearly legible.

Chen Lingxi read it carefully, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"Is this a pill formula? And a method for refining pills?"

Chen Lingxi was somewhat surprised and read the method carefully again.

The ink writing on the paper was extremely neat, with each stroke following a set pattern. However, the content between the lines was completely opposite to the neat handwriting, exuding an inexplicable and eerie feeling.

After a long while, Chen Lingxi put down the pill formula in her hand and understood—

"This is the formula for the elixir that Zhao Yong intends to use to poison Marquis Baosu!"

"Soul-Losing Pill—"

According to the recipe, there are two methods for refining this Soul-Losing Pill.

One method is to refine human pills, turning living people into walking elixirs with a fragrant aroma.

The process requires selecting a suitable candidate. First, the poison of the Soul-Nourishing Flower is slowly infused into their body, allowing their blood and qi to blend with the poison without causing death. Then, dozens of rare medicinal herbs are added, and a specific method of transporting blood and qi is used to unblock their meridians, turning them into a living elixir.

After it is refined, the fragrance of the medicine wafts out from the pores of the pill, wafting over the nose.

When needed, it only needs to be "ignited" using a specific method, and the pill will unleash all the medicinal power accumulated over months and years, transforming into an overwhelming and irresistible poisonous aura.

The other method is to refine the corpse into a real elixir.

The second method is much simpler than the first. It only requires taking the corpse of a martial artist who has recently died, using the medicinal herbs in those bottles and jars as an aid, and refining and condensing his flesh, bones, and vital energy using a specific method, eventually forming a pill.

Regardless of the refining method, a top-tier poison can be obtained.

"Such an extraordinary prescription must have come from the hands of the immortal Wu Mohe." Chen Lingxi read the yellowed paper twice from beginning to end, a hint of understanding flashing in his eyes.

Zhao Yong said that he only dared to plot against Baosu Hou Lin Zhongming because he had received the wonderful method bestowed by the immortal Wu Mohe and obtained many treasures.

After searching for many more days, he finally found a "talent" like himself.

As Chen Lingxi pondered this, her eyes suddenly flickered, and she focused her gaze on Zhao Yong.

Curious, he crouched down, placed a hand on Zhao Yong's shoulder, and channeled his spirit into him.

The spiritual energy emanated from his palm, seeping into Zhao Yong's corpse in strands, slowly advancing along the meridians where blood and energy no longer flowed.

After going up to the fourth floor, his spiritual perception became much more acute than before. At this moment, with his spirit entering his body, all the secrets within Zhao Yong's body were exposed to him.

"There is indeed something strange about this."

As the spiritual energy advanced, Chen Lingxi sensed that Zhao Yong's body seemed to have been modified.

The modification was extremely well hidden; if he hadn't used his spiritual sense to probe inch by inch, he would never have discovered it.

Deep within Zhao Yong's bones and marrow, a strange medicinal power and aura faintly emanated.

"Dragon-Attracting Powder —"

Chen Lingxi immediately understood.

"When Zhao Yong was sixteen, he was still a poor and weak boy who had never practiced martial arts and had passed the best age for Foundation Establishment. Yet, forty years later, he was able to reach the Golden Body Perfection Realm."

A person with perfect golden body is a powerful figure who commands respect wherever they are placed.

In Yuanjiang Prefecture, those at the Silver Bone Realm are already considered prominent figures, while those at the Golden Body Realm are extremely rare.

It is indeed somewhat contrary to common sense that Zhao Yong, who was still weak and had not yet established his foundation at the age of sixteen, was able to cultivate to the point of perfect golden body in forty years.

"The reason why his martial arts path was so unusual and smooth was probably because of this Dragon-Attracting Powder. In other words, Zhao Yong also withstood the poison of the Dragon-Attracting Powder."

Chen Lingxi withdrew her hand, a thoughtful look flashing in her eyes.

Why did he take Yinlong Powder?

Chen Lingxi asked herself this question, and then suddenly remembered Zhao Yong's frantic call for "Yunniang" tonight.

He immediately had a guess.

"Perhaps it was so that he could use himself as medicine, turning himself into a poisonous aura, and perish together with Lin Zhongming."

"Later, he was probably afraid, or perhaps he felt that his life still had other uses. He wanted to become an immortal and resurrect his Yunniang, so he began to test medicines and searched for more than two hundred people in order to find a medicine that could replace himself."

Chen Lingxi went through these thoughts in her mind, then turned her gaze to the bottles and jars.

Zhao Yong spent forty years collecting these medicinal herbs, from the age of sixteen to fifty-six, from a lowly janitor to the head steward of the Marquis's mansion. He devoted most of his life's energy to this.

now----

"Instead of wasting it, why not—"

Chen Lingxi immediately studied the alchemy method on the paper carefully.

The methods described therein are extremely detailed, with each step clearly explained.

The refining method is not difficult. All you need is a suitable corpse, and then mix the medicinal materials from those bottles and jars in the correct proportions. Use blood and qi to ignite the fire and refine it into a pill.

Chen Lingxi couldn't help but admire him: "Wu Mohe's alchemy skills are extraordinary; it's not difficult for him to concoct such a poison."

"The difficulty lies in collecting these suitable medicinal herbs."

Chen Lingxi opened the bottles and jars containing medicinal herbs: century-old He Shou Wu (Polygonum multiflorum), Crimson Blood Lingzhi (Ganoderma lucidum), Silver Marrow Stone, and Golden Thread Python Gallbladder —

There are a total of twenty-six kinds of medicinal materials, each of which is very valuable, and some are even rare and hard to come by.

It took Zhao Yong forty years to gather all of these, which shows how difficult it was.

But now, all of this has been a waste of time and effort, like washing a wedding dress for Chen Ling.

Chen Lingxi read the yellowed prescription again from beginning to end, making sure she had memorized all the steps, before carefully folding the prescription and putting it into her Qiankun bag.

He planned to refine the poison.

Chen Lingxi opened all the bottles and jars one by one, carefully identified each medicinal material according to the prescription, and then prepared them in the correct proportions.

Some of the medicinal herbs were as dry as rotten wood, some were as green as jade, some were as red as blood, and some were as black as ink.

He lit a fire from the lamp and set it alight in the bronze furnace.

Zhao Yong's corpse was suspended in mid-air by his spirit, and then boiled together with six kinds of medicinal herbs.

The flames blazed, and the medicinal herbs melted into the corpse one by one, then dripped drops of essence into the bronze furnace.

After more than ten refining processes, a peculiar medicinal fragrance filled the cave. The aroma wasn't pungent; rather, it was extremely rich and fragrant.

As dawn broke and the first rays of sunlight pierced through the crack in the cave ceiling, Chen Lingxi finally refined a medicinal pill.

"This is the Soul-Losing Pill?"

He held the poison pill between his fingers and examined it closely.

The pill was no bigger than a longan, dark purple in color, with a smooth surface without a single flaw, and gleamed with a faint luster in the morning light.

The fragrance then wafted out from the surface of the pill in wisps.

Chen Lingxi's expression changed slightly again.

The newly formed elixir emitted a fragrant aroma that made one's mouth water, and it also seemed to possess a strange power.

That power was extremely faint and subtle, yet it was real and could easily capture the mind of others!

"This pill is far too strange."

Chen Lingxi knew perfectly well that this was a poison, yet she still wanted to try it.

He could even feel his Adam's apple bobbing involuntarily, as if his body was urging him to swallow the pill, which would give him some indescribable wonderful experience.

"Such a strange poison exists."

While marveling at the absurd thought, Chen Lingxi desperately suppressed it.

The Concealing Edge Technique suddenly circulated within his body, and the thin, resilient barrier that enveloped his spiritual energy tightened abruptly, completely shutting out the elixir fragrance that was constantly penetrating his body.

He took a deep breath, inhaling the chill of the cave, which dispelled some of the hazy, intoxicating feeling in his mind. He then carefully put the pill into his storage bag, used his spiritual energy to dispel the lingering fragrance of the pill in the cave, and let out a long sigh of relief.

"No wonder it's the poison that Zhao Yong prepared for forty years."

"I wonder what level of expert this poison can kill."

Chen Lingxi sat cross-legged in the cave, gazing at the increasingly bright golden light on the eastern ridge outside the cliff cave, a faint hint of coldness flashing in his eyes.

He secretly wondered, "But I wonder if this elixir can poison Consort Chun."

However, Consort Chun must have been protected by skilled guards, and the precious mirror in her hand was a fragment of a cauldron, so it was not impossible that it had a way to protect against poison.

Acting rashly will only expose you to certain death.

"In any case, this Soul-Losing Pill is one of my trump cards."

A smile appeared on Chen Ling's face.

"Star Stone, Soul-Slaying Pill."

Unexpectedly, Zhao Yong, a martial artist with a golden body, would bring him such great benefits.

It was almost dawn.

He stood up, straightened his clothes, and walked out of the cave.

The morning mist was already rising over Cuojin Mountain, making it look like a fairyland. The snow on the mountaintop shone with dazzling golden light under the rising sun.

"Let's go down the mountain and return home."