“That went surprisingly smoothly.
Could it be that the God of Luck is looking over me?”
Inside a room in the backyard of the Thousand Medicinal House, Yan Qingshan stared at a pale green crystal core on the table, still bearing a hint of blood.
He felt as if he were dreaming; everything today had been far too convenient.
After obtaining the Blood Lotus Essence, Dawn naturally provided a superior healing plan.
The other ingredients were manageable, but he needed a 1st Class Monster Core that matched his body’s attribute—a Wood attribute core—to provide the necessary energy.
Monster Cores were the energy crystals of Magical Beasts, a unique product of the Dou Qi Continent.
They were highly valuable but difficult to obtain.
Firstly, Magical Beasts were powerful; an ordinary Dou Zhe of the same rank was usually no match for a 1st Class Magical Beast.
Secondly, obtaining a Monster Core from low-level beasts depended entirely on luck.
1st and 2nd Class Monster Cores were the most troublesome to find.
Sometimes, a mercenary group would kill over ten 1st Class Magical Beasts only to end up empty-handed.
Such occurrences were common on the continent.
The 1st Class Wood attribute Monster Core in Yan Qingshan’s hand belonged to a Magical Beast called the Azure Wood Wolf, a creature that reached 1st Class status upon adulthood.
Qingshan Town was also known as the “Magical Beast Town,” so finding a Monster Core here wasn’t exceptionally difficult.
Yan Qingshan had originally planned to go out and buy one.
However, the core in his hand wasn’t purchased; it was his spoils of war.
On that day in the Magic Beast Mountain Range, he had been attacked by an Azure Wood Wolf that bit him in the neck.
According to the mercenaries who brought him back, that unlucky wolf had somehow been stabbed in a vital spot by his unconscious movements and died.
Because the beast had refused to let go of his neck even after death, they brought both him and the wolf back to the Thousand Medicinal House.
According to mercenary rules, the Azure Wood Wolf was his trophy.
Whether it was his “European Emperor” luck manifesting or not, this wolf happened to possess a Monster Core that perfectly met his requirements, saving him a great deal of trouble.
…
“Green Root Flower, Withered Bone Grass, Star Vine, Red Flame Pepper…
and this 1st Class Monster Core powder.”
Yan Qingshan processed and crushed the herbs one by one using specific techniques.
With Dawn’s assistance, his movements were steady, and his methods were textbook-perfect.
The steaming white water in the room’s bathtub transformed into a medicinal bath filled with the scent of herbs.
His dagger flew, slowly grinding the Monster Core into a fine powder.
He then let the powder pour slowly along the edge of the tub, mixing it into the murky medicinal soup.
‘Magical Beasts have sharper senses than humans.
That Azure Wood Wolf must have been targeting the Blood Lotus Essence in my hand back then!’
Yan Qingshan took out the carefully preserved Blood Lotus Essence.
Recalling the event now still left him with lingering fear; it had truly been a moment between life and death.
The fact that an Azure Wood Wolf had crazily charged through a group of Dou Zhes just to attack a tiny Physician apprentice like him was abnormal, but it made sense if it were for this Blood Lotus Essence.
Fortunately, his luck was good.
He survived the disaster and gained the wolf’s carcass.
Although his injuries were severe, the harvest of the Blood Lotus Essence and the 1st Class Monster Core made the ordeal worth it.
Yan Qingshan carefully unwrapped his bandages.
The blood-filled holes left by the two rows of jagged teeth were terrifying; at their deepest points, one could even see the blood-covered, pale white clavicle.
Under the original “optimal healing plan,” even if the wound healed, his left shoulder would have inevitably suffered hidden internal injuries.
He would have required a long period of recuperation and follow-up treatment.
That was simply a limitation of the materials.
But now…
Yan Qingshan picked up the piece of Blood Lotus Essence and carefully sliced a tiny bit of its skin.
A crystal-like, blood-colored juice began to seep out like sweat from pores.
Holding the Blood Lotus Essence a short distance above his left shoulder, he applied a slight pressure.
A single drop of blood-colored liquid exuding a strange fragrance dripped accurately into the most horrifying wound on his shoulder.
In an instant, waves of blood-red light surfaced on his shoulder.
Numbness, itching, and sharp pain surged through his nerves.
His right hand, which held the Blood Lotus Essence, nearly crushed the precious herb.
He quickly placed the Blood Lotus Essence—which had lost very little of its energy essence—back into the prepared wooden box.
Yan Qingshan then plunged himself into the bathtub.
The drop of essence from the Blood Lotus Essence rapidly dispersed after entering the wound.
The energy followed the wound into Yan Qingshan’s meridians, eventually generating layers of blood membranes that permeated outward.
The blood light was most intense at the site of the wolf-fang punctures.
Yan Qingshan gripped the edge of the tub with both hands.
His face was deathly pale, and his forehead was covered in sweat.
His body trembled violently as threads of fresh blood began to bubble up from the skin surrounding the wound.
In the blink of an eye, the area of the injury was coated in a layer of deep crimson blood, looking extremely grisly.
Shortly after filling the holes in his shoulder, the blood began to rapidly congeal on the surface of his skin, eventually forming a blood-colored callus.
The wound was sealed within, and this layer of blood scab spread outward along the injury.
The medicinal power was taking effect.
“Ugh…”
Yan Qingshan silently endured the agony brought by the rapid healing.
The veins on his hands gripping the tub bulged, and he bit down hard on the hemp cloth in his mouth to prevent injuring his tongue.
He forced himself to stay conscious.
Sitting upright, he adopted the “Five Hearts Toward Heaven” posture, circulating the energy through his body to prevent the excess medicinal power from dissipating and causing internal damage.
…
“Dawn, display my specific data!”
When Yan Qingshan woke up again, he felt his body filled with Dou Zhi Qi.
With a single thought, a stream of information appeared in his mind.
[Host: Yan Qingshan
Cultivation: 6th Stage Dou Zhi Qi
Strength: 0.7
Status: Healthy
Agility: 0.6
Soul Strength: 7.3
(Data Collection Target: Average of a 1-Star Dou Zhe in Qingshan Town.
Median data for a 1-Star Dou Zhe is 1.0 for all indicators.)]
‘6th Stage Dou Zhi Qi.
What a pity.
I am only one step away from the 7th Stage.
That single step is the difference between heaven and earth; only after the 7th Stage does one enter the advanced phase of Dou Zhi Qi.’
Yan Qingshan shook his head with slight dissatisfaction.
The nine stages of Dou Zhi Qi cultivation were the vital foundation-building phase on the Dou Qi Continent.
The original body’s cultivation wasn’t high, and his talent wasn’t strong.
Breaking through to the 6th Stage using the medicinal power of a high-grade herb like Blood Lotus Essence should have been a cause for joy, but being stuck at the threshold of the advanced phase was a bit frustrating.
‘Whatever, I shouldn’t be too greedy.’
Yan Qingshan moved his limbs; the feeling of health was truly wonderful.
Having been bedridden for so long, his body had been unable to move.
Though he only took a few steps, it made him feel much more comfortable.
‘Living a second life in a dangerous fantasy world…
If I want to ensure my safety, escaping is useless!’
Yan Qingshan stretched his muscles and began to think about his future.
Since he was here, he had to make the best of it.
Having a second life meant he had to plan ahead.
‘The Dou Qi Continent respects the strong.
If I don’t want to just drift with the current, I need Qi Methods, resources, and money.
None of these can be missing.’
Yan Qingshan grabbed a green robe from the rack, draped it over his shoulders, and walked out of the room.
A gentle breeze brought a slight chill, but he didn’t feel it; his brows furrowed in thought.
‘I can find ways to get money and resources, but Qi Methods—especially high-level ones—determine my upper limit.
Normal paths are hopeless for me.
The only way is…’
Yan Qingshan mapped out a plan in his mind.
Every word of the novel he had once read echoed in his head.
Because of Dawn’s existence, his memory was terrifyingly sharp; he had forgotten almost nothing from his past life.
In theory, it was as difficult as reaching the heavens for an ordinary person to obtain a high-level Qi Method.
However, nothing was absolute.
The Dou Qi Continent was vast and home to countless races.
Due to its sheer size, there were many unknown, nameless recluses.
Before reaching the end of their lives, these seniors might hide their life’s work in some secret location, waiting for a fated person to find it.
On the Dou Qi Continent, there was a saying: “If one day you fall off a cliff or into a cave, do not panic.
Take two steps forward; perhaps you will become a powerhouse.”
This wasn’t false.
Continental history was full of stories of people becoming strong through such miraculous encounters.
At this moment, facing the breeze, Yan Qingshan gazed at the winding mountain range in the distance.
The Magic Beast Mountain Range—a paradise for adventurers and a graveyard for the fallen.
…
“The Thousand Medicinal House is entering the Magic Beast Mountain Range to collect herbs!
There are seventeen spots left.
Strength must be at 2-Star Dou Zhe or above.
Everyone, hurry up!”
In the center of Qingshan Town, in front of the Thousand Medicinal House, a long line of mercenaries jostled each other.
Each one craned their neck, hoping to be chosen.
There were only seventeen spots, but at least twenty people had gathered.
This was the monthly routine herb-collecting activity of the Thousand Medicinal House, which always attracted many mercenaries.
The Thousand Medicinal House was the largest pharmacy in Qingshan Town.
They couldn’t rely solely on buying the scattered herbs brought back by mercenaries.
Furthermore, the methods mercenaries used to collect herbs were quite crude; the medicinal properties of many herbs were severely lost and difficult to preserve, wasting many good items.
“Brother Qingshan, are you really okay?”
Yan Qingshan sat in a carriage in front of the Thousand Medicinal House.
Beside him was a worried Xiao Yixian.
They were the leaders for this herb-collecting trip.
As Physician apprentices of the Thousand Medicinal House, they couldn’t just learn without practicing.
Since they weren’t yet skilled enough to treat patients directly in the clinic, being responsible for herb collection was a common task.
Every time there was a collection activity, a physician or an apprentice had to accompany the team to ensure the collected herbs met the requirements and that their medicinal properties weren’t lost due to improper handling.
The Magic Beast Mountain Range was full of dangers.
Even with a large team, people would inevitably get injured.
This was when the opportunity for apprentices to practice…
cough…
I mean, the opportunity to save people arose.
Experience and skill were accumulated this way.
Yan Qingshan, who was nearly fifteen, had led the collection team many times.
However, he had unfortunately “crashed” and been severely injured during the last trip.
For Xiao Yixian, who was barely twelve, this was her first time.
Manager Yao of the Thousand Medicinal House was greedy and harsh.
None of the formal physicians under him were willing to oversee the collection team.
Once an apprentice’s basic skills were solid, this job was usually pushed onto them.
Originally, because of Yan Qingshan’s injury, Manager Yao had intended to let Xiao Yixian—who was young but had the most outstanding medical skills—start leading the collection work.
However, Yan Qingshan, who was still recovering, took the initiative to volunteer as an assistant.
He had long since healed, but at the Thousand Medicinal House, he had to keep pretending to be seriously injured and immobile.
He couldn’t stand staying cooped up any longer.
After thinking it over, Manager Yao agreed.
Considering Xiao Yixian had no experience, she needed someone to guide her.
However, this time, Manager Yao recruited more mercenaries and specifically instructed them to protect the carriage well.
(End of Chapter)