Chapter 2: Medicine

At the Truth Peak.

This peak was relatively unassuming, and there were only a few common houses built there.

However, it was precisely this unassuming area that was one of the most top-secret locations across the Boundless Sect. No one was allowed to even step onto the base of the peak without express permission, and no one was allowed to fly over the top of the peak. In addition, there was a certain ritual that needed to be carried out before anyone was allowed to appear here.

Because this was where the Boundless Sect’s Sect Master, Su Chen, performed his research.

This was where Su Chen was continuing his research.

The Origin Bone Scepter greatly accelerated the research process, but it was for this reason that there were some significant gaps in Su Chen’s knowledge. The first thing Su Chen did after returning to the Boundless Sect was to establish the Truth Peak, which would allow him to continue his investigation.

As a truth seeker, Su Chen’s fascination was with discovering the profound, mysterious truths and principles that governed this universe.

Su Chen spent most of his day here. As for the rest of his time, he spent a small portion of it at the Sky-Upholding Peak to manage the sect, at the Divine Medicine Peak concocting medicine, and cultivating and spending time with Gu Qingluo.

Five years of research had caused Su Chen’s understanding of the “truth” to become much more solid, and by reverse-analyzing the predictions made by the Origin Bone Scepter, he came into possession of a lot of knowledge concerning the human system of cultivation.

It was probably not an exaggeration to say that he was the best instructor of his time. He would be able to discern the condition of anyone set before him and what path they should take.

His dream was slowly turning into reality. The changes brought about by Su Chen began to permeate every aspect of human society, and further promoted his status as a great Sect Master.

He was far from invincible, but the disciples he had begun to amass were numerous enough to sweep through an entire country.

This was the path Su Chen had chosen to walk.

To the other races, Su Chen was a vicious, ruthless demon, but to the humans, he was a human with heaven-defying ambition and selflessness, a true pioneer.

Su Chen remained mired in his research, as per usual.

A mysterious creature was writhing on the massive table before him.

It looked like a massive chunk of flesh, but every part of its body could move individually. From time to time, protrusions would emerge from its body before retracting back into its body.

Su Chen, however, was treating this hunk of flesh with immense gravity.

He very carefully poured some medicine on the meat. The medicine permeated the meat’s skin, gradually transforming it until it took on the shape of a human being. A nose and two eyes began to appear on its face. The figure was clearly somewhat similar to Su Chen.

The “human” trembled momentarily before it began to shed its skin in layers. In that moment, the fake Su Chen actually let out a cry of pain as it melted into a puddle that rapidly disappeared.

Su Chen calmly said, “Make a record. My control over it is very good, but its consciousness resistance is still a bit weak. I was able to double its duration. Its consciousness power...... was 101 units.”

Iron Cliff quickly recorded it down before looking up. “101 is another improvement. We probably aren’t far from success.”

“That’s right,” Su Chen sighed as he turned over the vial of medicine in his hands.

Yes, this vial of medicine was what he was actually researching. His goal was to use it to control a target lifeform so that it would obey his commands.

His main goal in doing so was to devise a way to control the Catastrophe Bug.

This bug was an incredibly powerful weapon.

But before he attempted to use it, Su Chen absolutely needed to figure out how to control it.

At this point, he had developed a medicine that could help him control another lifeform, but the medicine’s side effects were too powerful. Any powerful consciousness attack would cause the target lifeform to immediately die.

As such, Su Chen was searching for a way to increase the consciousness resilience of the medicine.

Based on his estimation, as long as the medicine was able to reduce the rate of consciousness corrosion to below a hundred units, that would be good enough.

However, because Su Chen also needed to preserve the unique properties of the medicine, every corresponding decrease in consciousness power required almost double the amount of effort.

Today’s result was pretty good. They were only a single step away from success.

“Unfortunately, we don’t have much time left,” Su Chen muttered.

Iron Cliff was momentarily taken aback. “Is it that time already?”

“Almost,” Su Chen replied.

Su Chen wasn’t just idling five years away. Instead, he was using the time to accumulate knowledge and make his preparations.

Su Chen had never forgotten his agreement with Eternal Night.

Based on their five-year agreement, it was almost time for Su Chen to make his move.

As he was cleaning up, Death’s Shadow of a Youth called to him from outside. “Master, Vice Sect Master Li requests your presence.”

“Oh?” Su Chen frowned.

Li Chongshan rarely disturbed his research. It was very likely that there was something important that required his attention.

Su Chen left the rest of the cleanup to Iron Cliff and stepped outside.

Li Chongshan was already there waiting.

When he saw Su Chen, he wasted no time and said, “I have cultivated my Yin to the point that I am beginning to sense Yang Energy. I believe I am not far from making a further breakthrough.”

Su Chen was delighted. “You’re going to try and break into the Thought Manifestation Realm?”

After completing the eight Divine Palaces, evolving one’s Yin and Yang was a key step in breaking into the Thought Manifestation Realm.

Li Chongshan saying that he was beginning to sense Yang Energy in the depths of his Yin meant that he had reached a critical point in breaking through.

And the reason he had come in such a hurry to tell Su Chen was because he wanted Su Chen to watch him during the breakthrough process to better understand how to reach the Thought Manifestation Realm.

Breaking into higher cultivation realms was an incredibly dangerous undertaking. Usually, having others nearby was considered taboo.

However, without any reference comparison, Su Chen would have a very hard time developing the corresponding cultivation technique. This was obvious based on how touch it had been for him to complete the initial stages of the Light Shaking Realm cultivation technique. Achieving the Spirit Burning Realm was only possible because of his powerful consciousness and solid foundation. However, he could not bring this foundation to the next cultivation realm. As soon as Li Chongshan realized that he was close to breaking through, he immediately came looking for Su Chen.

This was undoubtedly an important matter for Su Chen.

“Iron Cliff, bring me my Yang Extract Pill!” Su Chen said.

Even though Su Chen hadn’t ever fully researched how to break into the Thought Manifestation Realm, that didn’t mean he was totally ignorant. The Boundless Sect had already issued rewards for people who could bring information on the process of breaking into the Thought Manifestation Realm. At this point, there was quite a bit of information gathered. Theoretically, Su Chen was already prepared.

He had also refined a few medicine to increase the chances of success - until he reached a point where he could create the bloodline-less technique, attempting to increase success rates was not a bad option.

This Yang Extract Pill was one such medicine Su Chen had prepared for this moment.”

Li Chongshan was surprised. “A pill? Not liquid medicine?”

Su Chen replied, “Do you remember when an explosion occurred at the Divine Medicine Peak?”

Li Chongshan thought for a moment before nodding. “I remember. One of the disciples there accidentally used Cinnabar Mercury in the place of Scarlet Lute Extract. When he stimulated it with flames, the ensuing explosion almost killed him, and half the medicinal hall was destroyed. But you didn’t punish him because of it. Could it be that......”

Su Chen nodded. “Yes, that’s when I discovered a few red pills left behind - crystallized byproducts of the failed refining process. In a moment of inspiration, I fed it to one of the ducks being raised near the kitchen. Guess what happened to it?”

Li Chongshan was taken aback .”Is that what that Flying Midnight Duck thing is all about?”

The evening that the medicinal hall explosion took place, people began to talk about a strange flying duck that appeared to be flying through the air, quacking as it flew. But anyone who tried to find the duck failed to do so.

Because there was an entire flock of ducks being raised there, no one could tell which duck was which.

This duck supposedly flew around the Divine Medicine Peak for ten or so days. Every night, it would quack as it flew through the air, making it impossible for people to get enough rest. Eventually, it disappeared on its own, and henceforth became known as the Flying Midnight Duck.

It wasn’t a big issue, but the somewhat comedic name stuck around.

Li Chongshan immediately realized that Su Chen was probably the source of this whole commotion. No wonder no one had been able to make heads or tails of the whole situation.

Su Chen gestured. “I never would have expected the duck to suddenly become intelligent after I fed it the medicine, and it learned how to conceal itself. I secretly watched it as I continued to research the pills I had found. I discovered that those pills actually had a unique pattern on their surface, which I have deemed Pill Inscriptions. They probably occurred by chance when these pills were formed, unintentionally imbuing them with Origin Energy conducting properties. This is also why the medicinal effects of these pills are particularly great. So what if I was able to also make these inscriptions on medicinal pills? That’s what I began to experiment with.”

“So are you going to turn all our medicines into pills from now on?” Li Chongshan asked.

Su Chen replied, “The Pill Inscriptions on the surface of these pills have similar properties to Origin Formations. Different Pill Inscriptions result in different effects. You cannot do this with liquid-based medicines. If we have some success with these Pill Inscriptions, then we might be forced to go down the path of pills in the future. But this is also quite a faraway achievement. Right now, my grasp on these Pill Inscriptions is quite limited.”

Su Chen appeared to be incredibly casual when talking about this accomplishment, but Li Chongshan was very impressed.

It was impossible for him not to be impressed. Su Chen had not only developed the Flying Immortal Cultivation Techniques and extracted bloodlines in the form of Aspects, but now he was even going to create earth-shattering changes in the realm of alchemy.

If Su Chen was really able to accomplish what he had said he would do, it was entirely possible to imagine a world where pills would become substantially stronger. Many alchemists would probably hate Su Chen bitterly for this.

There was nothing that he could do about it, though. Every cycle of change would always harm the old in some way.

Even if those alchemists were willing to begin refining pills instead, they would need to learn from the beginning.

This was virtually impossible for them to accept.

But Su Chen wouldn’t care about things like this.

The pathway of development of the human race wouldn’t be influenced by an individual’s will or because some small group of individuals wouldn’t be able to profit as much.

But as for the present.

It was time to watch Li Chongshan break into the Thought Manifestation Realm.

A day later, Li Chongshan succeeded.

The Boundless Sect finally possessed a Thought Manifestation Realm expert, and Su Chen finally was able to glean some personal insights into the breakthrough process. This would serve as a good foundation for his future research on the topic.