Chapter 2: Wounds Recovered

"This is unexpectedly smooth, is the god of luck favoring me!"

In a room in the backyard of the Thousand Medicine House, Yan Qingshan looked at the emerald green crystal core on the table, still faintly tinged with a trace of blood. He felt like he was dreaming; everything today had gone too smoothly.

After Yan Qingshan obtained the Blood Lotus Essence, Dawn in his mind naturally provided a better healing plan. Other things were relatively easy to handle, but he needed a first-rank monster core with an attribute compatible with his body, namely a wood attribute, to provide energy.

Monster cores are energy crystals unique to the magical beasts of the Dou Qi Continent, extremely valuable but difficult to obtain. First, magical beasts are powerful, and Dou Zhe of the same rank are generally no match for first-rank magical beasts.

Second, for low-level magical beasts, obtaining a Monster cores depends on luck. First and second-rank magical beast cores are the most troublesome; sometimes, a mercenary group could kill over ten first-rank magical beasts, only to end up empty-handed. This kind of thing is not uncommon on the continent.

The first-rank wood attribute monster core in Yan Qingshan's hand belonged to a first-rank magical beast called the Azure Wood Wolf, a creature that becomes a first-rank magical beast upon adulthood.

Qingshan Town is also known as a magical beast town, so obtaining monster cores here is not too difficult. Yan Qingshan originally planned to go out and buy a Monster cores. However, the first-rank Monster cores in his hand was not bought but rather his trophy.

That day in the Magical Beast Mountains, he was attacked and bitten on the neck by an Azure Wood Wolf. According to the mercenary who brought him back, that unlucky Azure Wood Wolf was accidentally stabbed to death by him in a vital spot.

Because the magical beast still had its teeth clenched on his neck after it died, they brought it back to the Thousand Medicine House with him. According to mercenary rules, the Azure Wood Wolf was considered his trophy.

Perhaps he was blessed by luck; the Azure Wood Wolf happened to have a Monster cores, perfectly meeting his needs and saving him a lot of trouble.

…

"Jasmine Flower, Withered Bone Grass, Heavenly Star Vine, Red Flame Pepper...and this first-rank Monster cores powder!"

Yan Qingshan processed and crushed the herbs one by one using specific techniques. With the assistance of Dawn, his movements were steady, and his processing methods were textbook-level.

The bath filled with white mist in the room turned into a medicinal bath filled with the scent of herbs. The dagger flew, and the Monster cores was crushed into fine powder bit by bit, then slowly poured along the edge of the bathtub, mixing with the turbid medicinal bath in the tub.

"Magical beasts have a sharper sense than ordinary people. The Azure Wood Wolf was probably eyeing the Blood Lotus Essence in my hand!"

Yan Qingshan took out the Blood Lotus Essence that he had carefully preserved, and he still felt lingering fear when he thought about it. That was truly a moment of life and death!

It was already unusual for the Azure Wood Wolf to break through the encirclement of many Dou Zhe and attack him, a mere physician's apprentice. But it made sense if it was for the Blood Lotus Essence.

However, he was lucky. He survived a disaster and even obtained the corpse of an Azure Wood Wolf. Although his injuries were indeed a bit severe, with the Blood Lotus Essence and the first-rank Monster cores, the gains were even greater.

Yan Qingshan carefully unwrapped the bandaged wound. The ghastly blood hole left by two rows of teeth was frightening, and he could even see the blood-stained white collarbone at the deepest point.

With the original best healing plan, even if the wound healed, there would inevitably be hidden injuries in his left shoulder, requiring long-term recuperation and follow-up treatment. This was entirely a problem of material conditions.

But now... Yan Qingshan took out the Blood Lotus Essence, carefully cut open a small part of the surface, and crystal-like blood-colored juice oozed out as if sweat was coming out of pores.

Yan Qingshan held the Blood Lotus Essence slightly above his left shoulder and applied a little force. A drop of blood-colored liquid with a strange fragrance accurately dripped into the most frightening wound on his shoulder.

Instantly... a burst of blood light appeared on his shoulder, and numbness and stabbing pain swept through his nerves. His right hand holding the Blood Lotus Essence almost destroyed the precious medicinal material in his palm.

Quickly putting the Blood Lotus Essence, which had not lost much energy essence, into the prepared wooden box, Yan Qingshan plunged into the bathtub.

After a drop of essence from the Blood Lotus Essence entered his wound, it quickly dispersed. The energy drilled into various meridians in Yan Qingshan's body along the wound, and finally, layers of blood film intertwined and seeped out, with the most intense blood light erupting from the two rows of wolf teeth wounds.

Yan Qingshan's hands gripped the edge of the bathtub, his face pale and his forehead sweating, his body trembling violently. A trace of blood cosntantly oozes out from the skin around the wound, and in the blink of an eye, the wound was covered with a layer of crimson blood, which looked extremely terrifying.

After filling the blood hole on Yan Qingshan's left shoulder, the blood rapidly solidified on his skin, forming a layer of blood-colored keratin.

His wound was sealed inside, and the blood scab spread around the wound, with the medicinal power taking effect.

"Ugh..."

Yan Qingshan silently endured the pain of the rapid wound healing, his hands gripping the bathtub with exposed veins, his teeth clenched on the cloth in his mouth to prevent injuring his tongue, forcibly maintaining consciousness.

After sitting upright, he circulated energy throughout his body, preventing excess medicinal power from dissipating and harming himself.

…

"Dawn, show my specific data!"

Yan Qingshan woke up again, feeling the abundant Dou Qi in his body. With a thought, a stream of information quickly appeared in his mind.

Host: Yan Qingshan

Cultivation: Six stage of Dou Zhi Qi

Strength: 0.7

Status: Healthy

Agility: 0.6

Mental Strength: 7.3

(Data collection target: Average of one-star Dou Zhe in Qingshan Town. The median data of one-star Dou Zhe is 1.0 for each index.)

"Six stages of Dou Zhi Qi. Unfortunately, it's just one step away from the advanced seven stages. One step away is a world of difference. Only after seven stages of Dou Zhi Qi can one enter the advanced stage of Dou Zhi Qi."

Yan Qingshan shook his head somewhat dissatisfied. Nine stages of Dou Zhi Qi cultivation is an important stage for laying the foundation in the Dou Qi Continent.

The original owner's cultivation was not high, and his talent was not strong. Breaking through to Six stages of Dou Zhi Qi with the medicinal power of the advanced medicinal material Blood Lotus Essence was originally something to be happy about, but being stuck at the threshold of advanced Dou Qi was a bit disappointing.

"Forget it, I shouldn't be too greedy."

Yan Qingshan moved his hands and feet. The feeling of being healthy was really good. After being bedridden for a long time and unable to move his body, even just a few steps made him feel much more comfortable.

"In this second life, in a dangerous fantasy world, escape is useless if you want to ensure safety!"

Yan Qingshan moved his muscles and bones and began to think about the future. Since he had been reborn, he had to plan for the future.

"In the Dou Qi Continent, the strong are respected. If I don't want to drift with the tide, techniques, resources, and money are indispensable..."

Yan Qingshan took the blue shirt from the hanger and walked out of the room. The breeze brought a hint of coolness, but he felt nothing, just frowning and thinking about the problem.

"Money and resources can be found, but techniques, especially high-grade ones, are the things that determine the upper limit. Ordinary normal channels are hopeless for me, so only..."

Yan Qingshan planned in his mind. Every word of the novel he had read echoed in his mind. Because of Dawn's existence, his memory was terrifying, and he had almost forgotten nothing from his previous life.

Theoretically, it is as difficult as climbing to the sky for ordinary people to obtain high-grade techniques. However, nothing is absolute. The Dou Qi Continent is vast, with ten thousand races. Due to the vastness of the territory, there are many unknown hermits.

Before their lives come to an end, these hermit seniors may hide the techniques they created in their lives somewhere, waiting for someone destined to take them. In the Dou Qi Continent, a saying is circulating: If one day, you fall off a cliff and into a cave, don't panic. Take two steps forward, and perhaps, you will become strong.

This is naturally true. In the history of the continent, there is no lack of stories of people becoming strong through adventures.

At this moment, facing the breeze, Yan Qingshan looked into the distance at the winding mountains, the Magical Beast Mountains, the paradise and burial place of adventurers…

…

"The Thousand Medicine House is heading into the Magical Beast Mountain Range to gather herbs. There are still seventeen slots available, and the required strength is above a two-star Dou Zhe. Everyone, seize the opportunity!"

In the center of Qingshan Town, at the entrance of the Thousand Medicine House, a long, dragon-like queue of mercenaries jostled each other, each craning their necks in hopes of being selected. There were only seventeen slots, but at least twenty people had gathered here.

This was the Thousand Medicine House's monthly herb-gathering activity, which attracted many mercenaries to participate each time.

The Thousand Medicine House was the largest medicinal shop in Qingshan Town. It couldn't possibly rely solely on purchasing the scattered herbs brought back by the mercenaries.

Moreover, the mercenaries' methods of collecting herbs were quite crude, causing many herbs to lose their medicinal properties and making them difficult to preserve, wasting many good things.

"Brother Qingshan, are you really alright?"

Yan Qingshan sat on the carriage in front of the Thousand Medicine House, with Xiao Yi Xian, who had a worried expression, beside him. They were the ones in charge of this herb-gathering trip for the Thousand Medicine House.

It was natural that the physician apprentices of the Myriad Medicines Hall wouldn't just learn without practice. When their skills in treating patients weren't yet sufficient, they couldn't directly take charge. However, being responsible for herb-gathering was a common task.

Each time the Thousand Medicine House organized a herb-gathering activity, a physician or physician apprentice would accompany the team to ensure that the collected herbs met the requirements and that their medicinal properties weren't lost due to improper collection.

The Magical Beast Mountain Range was full of dangers, and even with a large herb-gathering team, injuries were inevitable. This was when the physician apprentices had the opportunity to practice their skills... ahem... oh no, the chance to save lives, allowing them to accumulate experience.

Yan Qingshan, who was over fourteen and almost fifteen, had already led the herb-gathering team many times. However, he had unfortunately suffered a severe injury in the previous trip, while Xiao Yi Xian, who was barely twelve, was participating for the first time.

Mister Yao of the Thousand Medicine House was greedy and harsh. Few of the official physicians under his command were willing to lead the herb-gathering team. Once the physician apprentices had a solid foundation, this task was basically passed on to them.

Originally, because of Yan Qingshan's injury, Mister Yao had planned to let Xiao Yi Xian, who was young but had the most outstanding medical skills, take charge of the herb-gathering work.

However, Yan Qingshan, who was still recovering from his injuries, volunteered to participate as an assistant. He had long since recovered, but he had to pretend to be severely injured and unable to move at the Thousand Medicine House, and he couldn't stand it any longer.

After some thought, Mister Yao agreed, considering that Xiao Yi Xian didn't have much experience and needed someone to guide her. However, Mister Yao had recruited more mercenaries this time and had repeatedly instructed them to protect the carriage.