Chapter 424: The Elixir of Immortality
Bei Qingsi departed, leaving Zhong Shan feeling a sense of loss. However, he understood that this separation was necessary for their future reunion.
At the Great Jin Dynasty's imperial palace:
"Commander, all the confiscated items have been sorted," Shui Wuhen reported.
"Good," Zhong Shan nodded.
"Commander, why did you let that man go?" Shui Wuhen asked again.
"In the Da Luo Heavenly Dynasty, have you ever seen a marquis travel with nearly thirty Imperial Realm guards?" Zhong Shan took a deep breath.
Indeed, even Princess Qianyou only had two Imperial Realm guards, Ah Da and Ah Er. What was the true identity of this sinister man?
"But..." Shui Wuhen was slightly worried, remembering the man's resentful gaze as he left.
"We will be staying in the Da Li Heavenly Dynasty for a while. Killing him wouldn't be wise. However, I hope he doesn't cause trouble for me again, or I won't spare his identity," Zhong Shan said calmly.
"Understood," everyone nodded.
"Do you know who that man is?" Zhong Shan asked.
"No idea," Shui Wuhen shook his head.
"Da Li Heavenly Dynasty, Marquis Xiaoyao! Nie Kuang!" Lin Xiao suddenly said.
Everyone except Zhong Shan was surprised.
Lin Xiao smiled at the crowd, "I just managed to gather this information."
Shui Wuhen looked at Lin Xiao with a complex expression. Lin Xiao hadn't been present at the time; how did he manage to gather such information?
"Alright," Zhong Shan nodded, taking note of it.
"Mr. Corpse, do you recognize this humanoid fruit?" Zhong Shan asked, looking at the 'human ginseng fruit' in a transparent bottle nearby.
"Yes, I've seen a few of them when I was younger," Mr. Corpse replied.
The group was taken aback. Seen a few? Since learning about the sacrificial rituals, everyone had searched their memories but found no related knowledge. Mr. Corpse had seen a few?
"What is it?" Zhong Shan asked.
"It's called the 'Mingyuan Pill'," Mr. Corpse replied.
"Oh?" Zhong Shan was intrigued.
"The Mingyuan Pill has a very miraculous effect. Whoever consumes it can extend their lifespan by a thousand years," Mr. Corpse said.
"What?" Shui Wuhen looked at the humanoid pill in astonishment. A thousand years? Could it really be so miraculous?
"Are there any side effects?" Zhong Shan asked.
Looking at Zhong Shan, Mr. Corpse smiled faintly, "Indeed. At least, none of us here are fortunate enough to consume it."
"Why?" Shui Wuhen immediately asked.
"Do you remember the process of making the Mingyuan Pill? It's an evil pill. The karmic burden is too heavy! While it increases lifespan by a thousand years, it also brings endless karmic obstacles. In this world, apart from the Heavenly Dynasty's sovereign or the Lord of a Holy Land, no one can withstand this endless karmic burden. At worst, one's cultivation would stagnate; at best, they would be plagued by misfortune, with everything going wrong, and possibly even dying," Mr. Corpse sighed, shaking his head.
"Then why make such a thing?" Shui Wuhen asked immediately.
"I don't know," Mr. Corpse shook his head.
But Zhong Shan could tell that Mr. Corpse likely knew why the Great Jin Emperor had created it.
Staring at the Mingyuan Pill, Zhong Shan's eyes gradually narrowed in contemplation. The others, seeing Zhong Shan deep in thought, quietly waited. Gradually, Zhong Shan's eyes grew brighter, and a rare smile appeared at the corners of his mouth.
"Does Nie Fancheng recognize this Mingyuan Pill?" Zhong Shan asked, looking at Mr. Corpse.
"At that level, he should recognize it," Mr. Corpse nodded.
"Then let's package it and make a grand entrance into the Da Li Heavenly Dynasty," Zhong Shan said with a wicked smile.
"Make a grand entrance?" The group looked at Zhong Shan curiously.
"Commander, are you planning to use it to exchange for Princess Ling'er?" Mr. Corpse asked.
"Exchange? Ling'er is already my wife; why would I need to exchange for her?" Zhong Shan said with a peculiar smile.
"Commander, you won't be giving it to Nie Fancheng, will you?" Lin Xiao laughed.
"Of course not. I intend to use it to stir the hearts of cultivators across the Da Li realm," Zhong Shan said with a smile.
"Huh? Just with this? This thing that no one dares to consume? How can it stir the hearts of the world? At most, it will cause a stir in the capital of the Da Li Heavenly Dynasty," Shui Wuhen said in surprise.
"This isn't just any item," Zhong Shan shook his head.
"Oh?" The group looked at Zhong Shan.
"This bottle contains the 'Elixir of Immortality'," Zhong Shan said with a wicked grin.
"Elixir of Immortality?" The group was momentarily stunned.
"Yes, the Elixir of Immortality. Do you think that could stir the hearts of cultivators worldwide?" Zhong Shan asked with a smile.
As the group marveled, Lin Xiao suddenly gasped, then looked at Zhong Shan in astonishment, "The Elixir of Immortality? Commander, this won't just stir the hearts of cultivators, it will focus the world's attention on us, putting us in the boiling pot of chaos wherever we go. It will turn every place we arrive into a battleground of upheaval."
The Elixir of Immortality—immortality itself was the goal every cultivator pursued. If such a potion truly existed, wouldn't it cause an uproar? Who wouldn't want to live forever? Obtaining the Elixir of Immortality would mean eternal life. It would undoubtedly cause secret tides and boiling conflicts.
Using a useless pill to manipulate the hearts of the world's strongest?
"But will people believe it?" Shui Wuhen asked, puzzled.
"As long as we spread the word, people will eventually believe it. And once we reach the capital of the Da Li Heavenly Dynasty, Li Huo Holy Capital, I can make everyone believe it," Zhong Shan said with absolute certainty.
Listening to these bold words, the group wasn't surprised because Zhong Shan was the one saying them. They felt a slight thrill at the prospect—using this useless Mingyuan Pill to deceive the world, what a grand scheme.
"When do we start?" Shui Wuhen asked, a bit excited.
"Not now. In a few months, when we enter the Da Li Heavenly Dynasty, the word will start spreading rapidly," Zhong Shan replied with a smile.
The army plundered the resources of the Great Jin Dynasty, which Zhong Shan entrusted to the Darong Commerce Guild for swift handling.
The army took secluded routes, advancing rapidly towards the Da Li Heavenly Dynasty. Whenever they rested, Zhong Shan would take the blazing wolf general with him, disappearing from the camp.
Zhong Shan needed to train, and having an Imperial Realm expert as a sparring partner was ideal.
"Zhu Huo, when I strike, record the data for me," Zhong Shan instructed.
"Yes!" Zhu Huo immediately nodded.
Zhong Shan drew his large blade, 'Nightmare.'
"Here I come!" Zhong Shan shouted, channeling all his strength.
With a mighty slash, a massive blade energy shot towards Zhu Huo. A streak of light flashed, and the powerful strike was already in front of Zhu Huo.
Zhu Huo flipped his hand, revealing a small blue shield.
"Boom~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~"
The collision between the blade and shield generated a fierce wind, blowing away all the surrounding sand.
"One hundred thousand jin!" Zhu Huo immediately reported the impact of Zhong Shan's full-strength strike.
Zhong Shan looked at the shield and struck again.
"Boom~~~"
"Seventy thousand jin!" Zhu Huo said, puzzled. Why had it suddenly weakened so much?
"Not enough!" Zhong Shan muttered to himself and struck once more.
"Boom~~~"
"Sixty-five thousand jin!" Zhu Huo reported again.
"Not enough!" Zhong Shan continued to mumble.
"Boom."
"Sixty thousand jin!" Zhu Huo assessed once more.
"That's about right," Zhong Shan murmured.
Again, Zhong Shan swung his blade, and a streak of light flashed. Zhu Huo defended as usual, puzzled by the seemingly weakening attacks.
As the blade and shield collided again.
"Boom~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~"
Zhu Huo staggered back seven or eight steps, leaving deep footprints in the ground.
Zhu Huo looked at Zhong Shan in shock. How could this strike be so powerful?
"How much?" Zhong Shan asked eagerly.
"One hundred thirty thousand jin!" Zhu Huo said, frowning at Zhong Shan. Was this really Nascent Soul stage power?
"That's it, that's it!" Zhong Shan muttered, smiling to himself.
Zhu Huo watched Zhong Shan, confused about what had just happened.
Zhong Shan was excited. His training plan had proven effective. His strongest single strike was only one hundred thousand jin of force, even when using all his strength. But just now, he had achieved one hundred thirty thousand jin. How?
The strike Zhu Huo had just defended against wasn't a single full-strength strike but two strikes aimed at the same point in an instant. The combined force of the two strikes resulted in the enhanced power of one hundred thirty thousand jin.
Stacking! This was just two strikes. What if he could stack ten strikes in an instant? A hundred strikes?
The thought made Zhong Shan excited.
"From today on, I name this technique 'Heaven's Rule! Heavy Wave!'" Zhong Shan declared with determination.
Heaven's Rule! Heavy Wave! Now, it was just a double wave. Zhong Shan could only execute a double wave, increasing its power, but he believed that with persistence, the double wave would become a ten-fold wave, then a hundred-fold, and eventually a thousand-fold wave!
"Commander? What's Heaven's Rule! Heavy Wave?" Zhu Huo asked, confused.
Zhong Shan smiled at Zhu Huo and said, "Nothing. Thank you for practicing with me all this time. From now on, I can train by myself."
"Yes!" Zhu Huo nodded, still a bit puzzled.
From then on, Zhong Shan practiced the Heavy Wave technique, aiming to turn the double wave into a triple wave. It was a matter of perseverance and hard work.
After five more months of training, Zhong Shan achieved 'Heaven's Rule! Triple Wave!'
"Commander, once we pass this mountain, we'll officially enter the Da Li Heavenly Dynasty's territory," Shui Wuhen said, pointing to the distant landscape.
"We're there? Perfect timing. In a few days, the news about the 'Elixir of Immortality' will spread throughout the Da Li Heavenly Dynasty," Zhong Shan said, his eyes gleaming with excitement.