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"I wonder what kind of immortal herb my teacher has prepared for me."
Xu Yuan gazed at the exquisite jade box before him, filled with anticipation.
This was something Yun Ming had just handed to him, saying it was an immortal herb prepared to help Xu Yuan fortify his foundation.
To call it an immortal herb might be overstating things slightly.
Because even among immortal herbs, only those with sufficient age could truly qualify as rare treasures. Yun Ming had already warned Xu Yuan in advance that this was merely a five-thousand-year-old herb of a similar category. Its effects would be significantly diminished, but the upside was that it could be consumed alongside other immature immortal herbs since its potency hadn't yet reached the level of true transformation or become overly dominant.
"Is this… Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid?"
Upon opening the jade box, Xu Yuan saw a snow-white, crystalline orchid inside. It exuded an aura of purity and transcendence.
He searched his memories and identified its origin.
The Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid was known among immortal herbs for having the mildest yet most refined medicinal properties. It was easy to absorb but difficult to digest, and its effects were long-lasting. It could strengthen one's foundation, purify impurities, and address certain issues related to slow martial soul cultivation.
Of course, this description applied to the immortal-grade Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid. The one in Xu Yuan's possession, however, was only five thousand years old and had only three petals, each of which was still quite tender, clearly not fully matured.
Its effects would be far weaker, and it wouldn't be able to address the issue of slow martial soul cultivation, as its potency wouldn't last for several years, let alone decades.
However, these three petals were still the best choice for supplementing Xu Yuan's current martial soul essence. Moreover, its impurity-removal effect would further enhance the purity of his two separated martial souls.
Xu Yuan closed the jade box and didn't consume it immediately.
He planned to take it during tonight's closed-door cultivation session, ensuring he could fully refine it to maximize its effects.
He then opened the second jade box. This one was slightly less impressive than the first, though not by much. Upon opening it, he found three perfectly round and plump pills inside.
"Pills?"
Xu Yuan was momentarily stunned. What era was this? Pills were practically unheard of in modern times.
If rare treasures were processed further, they were more commonly turned into reagents or used in medicinal baths rather than made into pills.
Of course, most were processed into ingredients.
In this era, soul masters sought not only to fully utilize the medicinal properties of rare treasures but also to satisfy their palates. As a result, research into medicinal cuisine had advanced significantly.
One could say that while a medicinal chef might not match the prestige of the four major auxiliary professions, their social standing was still respectable. There were even specialized guilds for them, present in all major cities across the Douluo Continent and the two smaller continents.
Next to the three pills was a small note. Xu Yuan pulled it out and read it, nodding in understanding.
"A product of the improved ancient alchemy techniques: Primordial Essence Pill. Strengthens the foundation and stabilizes essence, with long-lasting effects. One pill can last half a year. Each pill contains dozens of precious rare treasures, processed through advanced technology and then refined using alchemical methods. Soul power is used to nurture and maximize their efficacy."
Xu Yuan didn't understand the technical details mentioned later—it was one of the few fields he hadn't delved into.
Alchemy wasn't something he planned to pursue.
Overall, the effects of the three Primordial Essence Pills were to stabilize and fortify one's foundation, with each pill lasting half a year.
"As for this three-petal immortal orchid, its effects won't last for years or decades, but it'll likely take half a year to fully digest. So, just these alone will require two years of my time."
Xu Yuan also had a similar-quality Ink Jade Divine Bamboo in his possession.
Which one should he use first?
"After considering it, I'll take advantage of the fact that my essence hasn't fully stabilized yet. I'll consume the three-petal immortal orchid and the Ink Jade Divine Bamboo simultaneously to purify my two martial souls and strengthen the Heaven Origin Brush. As for the Primordial Essence Pills, I'll save them for later to consolidate my foundation."
After some thought, Xu Yuan decided he could take them together.
Though both had the potential to reach immortal-grade quality, they were ultimately only at the millennium level. Even the three-petal immortal orchid given by Yun Ming was only five thousand years old, and the Ink Jade Divine Bamboo was just one thousand years old.
It shouldn't be too difficult to digest.
Xu Yuan still had faith in himself.
Most importantly, he trusted his Devouring Heaven and Earth Technique.
By now, this technique was no longer just a method to increase appetite. With the immense strength of his blood qi and the Heaven Origin Five Elements Spear fully integrated into his body as his core martial soul—with blood qi as its foundation—his digestive capacity and appetite had caught up accordingly.
For Xu Yuan, the greatest benefit of the Devouring Heaven and Earth Technique now was its ability to thoroughly and rapidly digest the ingredients and rare treasures he consumed.
---
At night, Xu Yuan retrieved the two quasi-immortal herbs. He began by placing the entire three-petal immortal orchid into his mouth and chewing it.
Sweet, fragrant.
Surprisingly tasty.
After chewing and swallowing, a rich medicinal energy began to circulate within his body.
Xu Yuan could feel that this medicinal energy seemed to have a mind of its own. It didn't linger in his meridians for long but quickly settled, influencing his martial soul at a deeper level.
Refining it took three hours.
Three hours later, as Xu Yuan activated the Devouring Heaven and Earth Technique, he couldn't help but marvel at how potent the three-petal immortal orchid's effects were. A significant portion of it still remained in his body.
"It really requires time to fully absorb."
However, the Devouring Heaven and Earth Technique accelerated the process of purifying his martial souls.
"Next, consume the Ink Jade Divine Bamboo."
Xu Yuan retrieved the thousand-year-old Ink Jade Divine Bamboo he had obtained during his inner court assessment. He first pried open the bamboo joints and drank the nectar inside. While circulating his soul power to refine this energy, he proceeded to chew and swallow the remaining bamboo segments piece by piece.
Although the most potent part of the Ink Jade Divine Bamboo was the nectar within its joints, the bamboo itself also contained many hidden wonders.
Fortunately, with the Devouring Heaven and Earth Technique, and since bamboo was edible, he didn't worry about indigestion.
By the time he finished refining the two quasi-immortal herbs, it was already dawn of the next day.
Xu Yuan stretched lazily.
A faint smile graced his face.
Yesterday had been a massive boost. He had split his martial soul, truly becoming a Three-Life Martial Soul user, received a gift from the Golden Ancient Tree's consciousness, Elder Tree, fused Jue's body with Spirit Gold, and broken through to ten thousand years, granting him a fourth soul skill.
Last night, he had refined two quasi-immortal herbs, and now he felt no trace of damage to his essence.
This martial soul split hadn't caused any harm to his essence. To put it vividly, it was like cutting an opening and stuffing more essence inside.
---
Heading to the courtyard, he summoned the Heaven Origin Brush.
At this moment, the Heaven Origin Brush had undergone a complete transformation.
When he first awakened his martial soul, Xu Yuan's Heaven Origin Brush was a brush with a black-and-white base. Later, as it fused with the Five Elements Spear Spirit, its shaft gradually became more metallic.
Now, after the separation of the two forms, it had regained its original wooden texture. Black-and-white hues were now interspersed with green streaks, and the bristles at the tip shimmered with the colors of the five elements.
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