The Immortal of Plague begins by establishing the root of lung fire.

The gray energy flowed into his body through his pores. Song You focused his mind and introspected, mobilizing his lung energy to guide this foreign substance.

The gray, icy air sank down the meridians, reaching straight into the chest cavity.

The grayish-white outer flames on the surface of the lungs encountered the ash and the fire intensified, swallowing it whole.

The high temperature circulates inside the lungs, and the ash is refined by the outer flames, turning into pure nutrients to nourish the body.

His sore limbs regained strength, and the emptiness deep in his bones was completely filled. Song You clenched his fists, and his knuckles cracked.

The physical weakness has largely subsided, and the limbs and bones are filled with new life energy.

Upon examining his own changes, Song You realized that the transformation into a wild beast was not a calamity, but rather a panacea for these sick cultivators.

This is the source of Jia Chunfang's previous ecstasy.

Sitting cross-legged, Song You accelerated his breathing, the outer flames flowing between the alveoli, completely stripping away and absorbing the remaining gray gas.

His cultivation level has truly improved significantly; this kind of opportunity is equivalent to several months of sitting in meditation and practicing diligently.

In the distant ruins, Jia Chunfang crushed a small, scaly bird-like creature with one hand. Ash fumes escaped, and Jia Chunfang tilted his head back and inhaled them all. His shriveled skin stretched out, and his eyes were half-closed.

Song You turned his head and looked over at Elder Zhongzao.

The newly initiated genius boy stood beside the sedan chair, while Elder Zhongzao swallowed the most concentrated savage beast essence, his chubby jaw trembling.

The boy's hands were empty; he could only watch helplessly, not even receiving a scrap. The elder of the stove had no intention of giving him any share.

In contrast, Qing San's words carried considerable weight, making the copper coin well spent. Jia Chunfang, though ruthless, at least left her apprentice a sip of soup while eating meat.

Song You stared at the boy's profile, etching the contours of his eyebrows and eyes into his mind. This kid is talented and has made enemies; he'll find an opportunity to uproot him completely to avoid future trouble.

After refining the gray energy, Song You did not get up. He remained seated and continued to circulate his lung energy. His internal and external flames stabilized, and his mastery of the fire improved.

Footsteps approached.

"Alright," Jia Chunfang interrupted.

Song You opened his eyes and stood up straight.

Jia Chunfang looked Song You up and down, her eyes revealing approval.

"If you have a weak foundation, you have to have this ruthless spirit to squeeze yourself dry." Jia Chunfang's voice was hoarse. "For those of us with average or below-average talent, if we want to survive on the path of cultivation, we either have to risk our lives or stumble upon an opportunity like today. The more cultivation we have, the more chances we have to survive."

In the ruins, the other elders were still searching for the remaining ashes. Jia Chunfang did not go over to greet them, but turned and walked away.

"Let's go back."

Song You followed behind.

The two walked one after the other on the moss-covered bluestone path.

Wild beasts are a great tonic, and their benefits are obvious.

In that case, the Soul Treasury Temple could simply search far and wide for mortals, widely disseminate Qi-refining methods, cultivate new talents, and catalyze the harvesting of wild beasts. Why wait for others to make mistakes on their own?

Song You asked, "Master, since wild beasts are beneficial to cultivation, why doesn't the temple proactively set up a trap to lure people in?"

Jia Chunfang didn't stop walking, and snorted coldly: "There's no such thing as a sure thing in this world. The way of heaven is constant, and such opportunities are rare and hard to come by. If someone secretly sets up a scheme to force someone to cultivate orthodox methods and turn into a wild beast, the day that wild beast takes shape will be the day the schemer suffers a backlash. At best, they will suffer from qi deviation; at worst, they will be mutated along with it, and it will be a loss that doesn't outweigh the gain."

Song You pondered that the laws governing this world possessed a strange balance.

"Why not just destroy the cultivation technique directly?"

"Destroy it?" Jia Chunfang chuckled dryly. "There will always be some who slip through the net. Besides, if anyone brings this matter out into the open or spreads it around, bad luck will come knocking. They might choke to death while drinking water, burn themselves to death while practicing martial arts, or die in all sorts of bizarre ways. Everyone knows the truth, but no one dares to break the ice."

Song You said no more. Some secrets are best left unsaid; there's no point in delving into them.

After walking through the withered bamboo forest, the low-rise bungalows in the outer courtyard came into view.

"Refine it well tonight." Jia Chunfang stopped at the courtyard entrance. "Come find me at the pharmacy at dawn tomorrow."

Song You lowered his head and replied.

Jia Chunfang disappeared into the night.

Song You walked towards his room, and before pushing open the door, he caught a faint rustling sound inside.

There is someone here.

Song You's right hand hung down, his five fingers slightly bent, and a ball of grayish-white flame formed in his palm. He walked lightly and pushed open the wooden door.

By the moonlight, a small, thin figure was standing bent over by the bed.

"Who?" Song You asked.

The figure trembled slightly, then turned around; it was Shen Lu.

She was holding a rag and wiping the old wooden table.

"What are you doing?" Song You dissipated the flames from his palm.

Shen Lu shrank her neck, her voice trembling: "Elder Jia ordered me to do the rough work. I'm here to help you and tidy up the house."

Song You scanned the room. The dust on the floor had been swept away, the rough bedding on the wooden bed was neatly folded, and the old kettle on the table had been wiped clean and filled with water.

"Put it down." Song You walked towards the wooden bed. "From now on, you don't need to do these things."

Shen Lu gripped the rag tightly: "Senior brother, Elder Jia said that I have poor aptitude and can only do manual labor."

"That's a matter for the pharmacy. We'll talk about it when we get there." Song You sighed. "Go back and rest first, and don't come into my room again."

"If you really want to help me, then you should cultivate your skills properly."

Shen Lu paused after hearing this, nodded, and carefully left the room.

Song You sat on the edge of the bed, picked up the kettle and took a sip of water. The water went down his throat and suppressed the dryness in his lungs.

He still thought highly of Shen Lu, not because of her ability or qualifications, but because her character was trustworthy to some extent.

It's clear that the elder's words hit her hard; hopefully, she can pull herself together.

He stepped on the spot where he had buried the things before, and found that no one had touched it. He reached in, dug it up, and found two copper coins. He would go to the pharmacy tomorrow and find out more about these things.

Song You carefully put the copper coins away from his body and sat down cross-legged.

The outer flame within his chest pulsed steadily, its greyish-white light illuminating the outlines of his internal organs. He closed his eyes and guided his lung qi through his meridians. With each complete cycle, the thickness of the outer flame increased.

The night breeze slipped through the window cracks, stirring the remaining wick of the oil lamp on the table.

Song You's breathing gradually became long and even. In this cannibalistic world of cultivation, the only thing one can rely on to survive is the power one holds in one's hands.

The next morning, as dawn broke.

Song You pushed open the door and took a deep breath of the cold air. After a night of refining, the gray energy in his body had completely merged into the lung fire, and his limbs and bones were full of energy, sweeping away the fatigue of last night.

The door to the next room opened in response, and Shen Lu came out, her eyes sunken and her face haggard. She hadn't slept all night, afraid of missing the appointed time.

"Let's go." Song You said, and walked straight out of the courtyard.

Shen Lu followed closely behind.

After passing through several dilapidated courtyards, the outline of the pharmacy came into view. It was a separate courtyard surrounded by high walls.

Even before getting close, a strong, pungent medicinal smell wafted over, a scent unlike the bitterness of ordinary herbs.

Song You led Shen Lu through the courtyard gate.

The courtyard was filled with medicine furnaces of all sizes, with eerie green flames burning at the bottom.

Several outer disciples moved about, holding palm-leaf fans and controlling the heat. Their faces were gaunt, and coughs rose and fell.