Back then, Ji Chen and Jiang Shengyu fought fiercely; the two of them were known throughout the world as arch-rivals. Furthermore, Jiang Shengyu had not studied medicine or handled herbs in the past; he had been a highly talented sword cultivator. Later, for some unknown reason, he became obsessed with competing for the title of the world’s number one sword cultivator and sought out Ji Chen daily for duels.
The result was that he could never defeat Ji Chen.
Eventually, his sword was accidentally broken by Ji Chen. Distraught by the shock, he abandoned the sword for medicine, becoming the world’s first medical cultivator and gradually turning into the person people called the Medicine Ancestor.
At this moment, Ji Chen finally understood. Perhaps Jiang Shengyu had occupied his mountain just to vent the frustration of never being able to defeat him.
Even though five hundred years had passed, this man’s appearance had not changed a bit. He remained just as serious and rigid, exuding the aura of a stern old official. He was quite good looking, but he simply refused to dress up. His hair was combed neatly, and his clothes were plain. The only accessory on him was the large gourd strapped to his back.
After Jiang Shengyu finished speaking, he intended to turn and leave without hesitation. However, Fu Changgeng knelt down again with a heavy thud. This time, Fu Changgeng knelt on both knees and knocked his head against the ground. “I beg the Senior to grant us medicine!”
“My Master was injured by the Demon Sovereign, and there has been no improvement for half a month. This junior heard that the Medicine Ancestor’s medical skills are exceptional, so I have ventured to disturb you out of a desperate desire to save my Master!”
Jiang Shengyu paused, turned his gaze slightly, and asked softly, “The Demon Sovereign? Is he also a disciple of that man?”
“Certainly not,” Fu Changgeng said decisively. “How could Senior Sword Ancestor teach such a disgraceful scumbag?”
Ji Chen thought: It is actually quite possible.
Jiang Shengyu suddenly smiled, a smile filled with mockery. “How ridiculous. The Sword Ancestor has fallen, yet the two disciples under him have fought to such a state.”
Fu Changgeng looked up in confusion. He was not confused because the Medicine Ancestor insisted the Demon Sovereign was the Sword Ancestor’s disciple, but because he said “the Sword Ancestor has fallen.”
“That is not right,” Fu Changgeng argued uncertainly. “Senior Sword Ancestor should just be in seclusion, not fallen.”
Ji Chen thought: He is indeed not fallen; he is completely dead.
Jiang Shengyu made no response to Fu Changgeng’s words. He raised his hand and snapped his fingers. The giant phoenix bird shrank in response, becoming the size of a parrot, and fluttered its wings to land on his shoulder. Subsequently, he pulled two or three black pills from his chest and fed them to the phoenix bird. The phoenix bird ate happily, truly looking like a domesticated pet bird.
Seeing this scene, Ji Chen felt speechless. Ha, so whoever feeds it is its master, is that it?
While the phoenix bird ate, Jiang Shengyu stroked its head. As soon as he touched its head, it wagged its tail. It acted just like a lapdog. Looking at the phoenix bird, Jiang Shengyu showed a gratified smile. Without looking up, he said, “I can give you the medicine.”
“But whether you can get it depends on yourself.”
Fu Changgeng was about to kowtow in thanks when Jiang Shengyu interrupted him. “Do not thank me.”
Immediately, he took down the large gourd from his back and used spiritual power to let it float in the air. The gourd flew in front of Fu Changgeng. The phoenix bird, having had its fill of food and drink, also flew over and blew a light breath toward the gourd. Instantly, a pale green light bloomed around the gourd.
The mouth of the gourd opened, and Jiang Shengyu told him, “If you can retrieve the Spiritual Charm Pill from within the gourd within half an hour, both you and your Master will be saved. Otherwise, you will be dissolved inside the gourd and become nourishment for refining the pill.”
“A warning in advance: the inside is not something a little brat like you can handle. There is a high probability of no return. Think carefully before you act.”
Fu Changgeng replied without hesitation, “No matter how difficult it is, even if I die, I must save my Master.” After saying this, he was sucked into the gourd.
However, after Fu Changgeng entered, the mouth of the gourd did not close. Jiang Shengyu turned to ask Ji Chen, who was standing by idly, “Are you not here to save Xue Wuxi?”
Ji Chen was naturally here to save Xue Wuxi. But he also knew exactly how terrifying that gourd was. Do not let the Medicine Ancestor’s righteous appearance fool you; his medicine refining was entirely done using living people. He relied on the gourd to suck in living people and use the essence of the human body to refine the immortal herbs placed inside, forming miraculous medicines.
Some pills could increase cultivation when consumed, while others could cure diseases and save lives. However, the people he used for refining medicine were usually heinous and wicked; he never used innocent people for refining. Except for Fu Changgeng, since he was a volunteer.
When Fu Changgeng agreed to go in just now, Ji Chen knew he was likely finished. Although Ji Chen cared for his eldest disciple, he did not care enough to throw away his own life. He waved his hand and took a step back with a smile. “It is fine. It is enough that he went in. I will wait for him to come out.”
“He is not coming out.” Jiang Shengyu was certain. “No one can come out of my Heaven Swallowing Gourd alive.”
Ji Chen knew it. “Then why did you say a high probability just now?”
Jiang Shengyu glanced at Ji Chen. “If I do not give people a bit of hope, how can I trick them into going in to refine medicine?”
Ji Chen: “I thank you.”
After a long silence, Ji Chen’s gaze accidentally met that of the phoenix bird. In that single glance, the bird went wild, fluttering its wings and flying toward Ji Chen with eager and passionate intensity. Before Ji Chen could react, the phoenix bird had landed on top of his head.
Then, it dropped a bird turd on his head.
Ji Chen’s expression turned quite sour. Looking up, that cowardly bird was staring at him provocatively, with a look that said, “I have finally gotten my revenge today.” Truly, enemies appear every day, but today is especially crowded.
One could imagine how miserably Ji Chen had tortured this cowardly bird in the past. Was it not just because he wanted to ride it, and when it refused, he plucked its feathers in a fit of rage and forced it to drink wine? Since then, it had avoided him whenever it saw him, which was why Ji Chen always called it a “cowardly bird.” Now, it was great; it had recognized another man as its master and started pooping on his head to show off its power.
But it was this very action of the phoenix bird that caused Jiang Shengyu to suddenly toss a silver snake at Ji Chen. Ji Chen tried to dodge but failed, and the snake left two deep fang marks on his arm.
“Who exactly are you? If you do not speak, you will certainly die from the poison within a day.”
Ji Chen did not know if Jiang Shengyu had learned bad habits from Guitong; why were both of them so enthusiastic about poisoning people? They also liked using poison to threaten others.
However, toward Jiang Shengyu, Ji Chen had nothing to hide. He had a hunch that the man had no murderous intent toward him. Ji Chen walked leisurely toward Jiang Shengyu, stopped by his side, and patted his shoulder.
“I am the one who broke your sword.”
Jiang Shengyu’s pupils suddenly constricted, and the calm expression in his eyes was replaced by disbelief. He stared at Ji Chen for a very, very long time, as if time had frozen. Ji Chen observed that both his lips and his hands were trembling.
Ji Chen had thought he would say something touching or world shaking. Unexpectedly, there were only four words.
“Reincarnation through soul possession?”
This time, it was Ji Chen who was stunned. After a while, Ji Chen regained his faint smile. “How did you know I died?”
“I not only know you died,” Jiang Shengyu watched Ji Chen’s smiling face, his voice tightening, “I also know you died in the Ghost Realm.”
“You wiped out the Ghost Race, but your body was corroded by the miasma of the Ghost Realm, and you died there.”
“You even know that?” Ji Chen became interested, finding Jiang Shengyu’s words intriguing.
“Otherwise, who do you think brought that broken sword of yours out of the Ghost Realm and handed it to your eldest disciple?”