Douluo Continent: Rebirth of Ma Hongjun, Phoenix of Ultimate Light

Chapter 52 The First Herbal Bath Feeling!

Ma Hongjun remained silent, closing his eyes to feel the changes within his body.

The aching sensation spread from the thigh bone to the spine, and then from the spine to the ribs, shoulder blades, and skull. All the bones in my body ached, aching so badly they were throbbing. But as Shao Xin said, it was just aching, not stinging.

After the medicinal power of the Bone-Tempering Grass passed through the bones, the medicinal power of the Blood-Activating Vine began to take effect.

A warm sensation surged from his limbs and bones, flowing slowly along his meridians, like a warm stream flowing through every dried-up riverbed. The hidden injuries left by the long-term burning of his meridians by the evil fire, those subtle damages that Ma Hongjun could not usually feel, began to slowly heal under the nourishment of the medicinal power of the Blood-Activating Vine.

"That feels good." He almost couldn't help but groan out loud.

The soreness was still there, but the warm current enveloped it.

Then the effects of the Mind-Concentrating Flower took hold. A cool sensation flowed in from the top of my head, down my spine, and straight into my dantian. My mind was instantly cleared, as if I had drunk a bowl of ice water on a hot summer day, and every pore on my body opened up.

Aching, warm, and cool sensations intertwined within the body.

Ma Hongjun remained motionless in the water with his eyes closed. Shao Xin stood at the kitchen doorway, holding a pocket watch in his hand, glancing at the time every now and then.

A quarter of an hour has passed.

"Hongjun, it's time to come out," Shao Xin called out.

When Ma Hongjun opened his eyes and stood up from the water, his legs were a little weak, but not because he was weak; he was just too comfortable to move.

He stepped out of the bathtub, dried himself, put on his clothes, and sat down on the chair next to him. He felt relaxed from the inside out, as if all the parts of his body had been taken apart, cleaned, and put back together, and every joint was flexible and free.

"How are you feeling?"

Ma Hongjun moved his shoulders, and his shoulder joints made a slight clicking sound.

"My bones ached for about 15 minutes, but it felt much better after the Blood-Activating Vine came up. The Mind-Concentrating Flower is more effective than I expected. My mind is very clear now, and I'm not sleepy at all."

Shao Xin took a pen and wrote in his notebook: Three qian of Bone-Tempering Grass, sour for half a quarter of an hour, acceptable. Five qian of Blood-Activating Vine, noticeable effect. One and a half qian of Mind-Calming Flower, the effect is too strong, can be reduced to one qian.

"We'll reduce it to one qian tomorrow," Shao Xin said.

The next day, the dosage of the calming flower was reduced to one qian.

The spiciness of the herbal soup had lessened, and the cooling sensation had also weakened, which was just right. Ma Hongjun soaked for fifteen minutes and then fifteen minutes again, feeling completely refreshed after both soaks.

On the third day, the amount of bone-strengthening herb was increased to four qian.

The bone aches and pains lasted longer than half an hour to a full fifteen minutes, but there was still no sharp pain. Shao Xin wrote in his notebook: "More bone-tempering herbs can be added."

On the fifth day, the amount of Bone-Tempering Grass was increased to five qian.

On the seventh day, the amount of Bone-Tempering Grass was increased to six qian.

The dosage specified in Ma Hongjun's original prescription was achieved within a week. Shao Xin wrote a line at the bottom of the final version of the record: This prescription is usable and is named "Hongjun Prescription".

When Dai Mubai first saw Ma Hongjun taking a medicinal bath, he was completely taken aback.

He stood at the kitchen doorway, watching Ma Hongjun sit in the dark brown medicinal soup, his expression as calm as if he were soaking in a hot spring. The air was filled with a strong medicinal smell, enough to send shivers down one's spine just by smelling it.

"Do you drink this every day?"

"Um.

"Doesn't it hurt?"

"acid."

Dai Mubai dipped his finger in the medicinal soup and licked it.

The next second, his face contorted in pain. The bitterness of the Bone-Tempering Grass, the astringency of the Blood-Activating Vine, and the spiciness of the Mind-Concentrating Flower exploded in his mouth, as if someone had set his tongue on fire.

"You can even brew this stuff? It's so bitter, how can you drink it?"

"Soaking it isn't like drinking it."

Dai Mubai looked at him and suddenly remembered why he had come here. It wasn't to become a prince, nor to vie for the throne, but to become stronger. And becoming stronger had a different definition for Ma Hongjun—it wasn't just about how much sweat he shed on the training ground or how much his soul power level increased.

Less also includes soaking in this bitter and astringent medicinal soup, simmering it day after day, until one's bones are harder than others, one's meridians are wider than others, and one's mind is more stable than others.

These unseen factors are where the real differences lie.

Dai Mubai didn't say anything, and turned to leave.

The next day he found Flander: "Teacher, I want to take that medicinal bath that Hongjun took too."

Flanders glanced at him, went to the study, found Ma Hongjun's prescription, and handed it over.

"This is a formula that Hongjun prepared himself. Take it to Shao Xin and let him take a look. Let Shao Xin decide whether it can be used, how much to use, and how to use it."

Dai Mubai took the paper. The words on the paper were crooked, but every stroke was written with great effort.

Six qian of bone-strengthening herb, one liang of blood-activating vine, three qian of mind-calming flower, two qian of benzoin, and two buckets of thousand-year-old hot spring water.

The voice actor is Ma Hongjun. Seven years old.

Dai Mubai folded the paper and put it in his pocket before going to find Shao Xin.

Shao Xin was brewing medicine in the kitchen. When he saw Dai Mubai arrive, he smiled and asked what was the matter. Dai Mubai explained his purpose, and Shao Xin took the prescription and looked at it for a long time. He then asked Dai Mubai to take off his coat and stand up straight, and looked him up and down from head to toe, examining the width of his shoulders, the thickness of his back, and the muscle lines of his limbs.

"You are different from Hongjun. His flames are evil flames, and his meridians need the Blood-Activating Vine to nourish them. You have the White Tiger Martial Soul, and your physical foundation is better than his, but since your meridians have not been injured, you don't need this dosage."

Shao Xin scribbled on the paper and quickly wrote out a new recipe.

"Keep the bone-strengthening herb at six qian, reduce the blood-activating vine to seven qian, add one qian of calming flower and one qian of benzoin. I will prepare your prescription separately."

Dai Mubai took it and looked at it, then looked at Ma Hongjun's version. He found that his prescription differed from Ma Hongjun's in at least five places. He couldn't help but take a closer look.

This child is three years younger than him, but in many ways he's already ahead of him. Dai Mubai put away the prescription, thanked him, and turned to leave.

He took two steps, then stopped.

"Teacher Shao Xin," Dai Mubai turned around, "Did Hongjun come up with this prescription all by himself?"

Shao Xin was tidying up the medicinal herbs when he heard this and paused in his work.

"He read books by himself, wrote his own prescriptions, and found Flanders all by himself, all the way from beginning to end." Shao Xin gathered the scraps of herbs on the cutting board and poured them into the winnowing basket next to him. "We're just helping him keep an eye on things, afraid he'll ruin himself by soaking them."

Dai Mubai remained silent for a moment.

He recalled the thick, worn-out books on Ma Hongjun's desk, and the image of him sitting at his desk writing late into the night. He had thought Ma Hongjun was just "reading," never imagining that the books he read could become prescriptions, something tangible that seeped into his body.

"I understand," Dai Mubai said, then turned and left.

This time he didn't stop.

Shao Xin watched his figure disappear through the kitchen doorway, smiled, and continued to organize the medicinal herbs.