C16 Soul Seizing Pill

"Yes!" The man's earlier bravado had vanished. In the presence of cultivators, he knew he was no more significant than an ant. Though fighting was forbidden within the city, an Immortal could effortlessly wield magic to end his life before dawn.

"Senior Brother, I've brought him!" Lan Fan approached Lan Tian Yu and bowed respectfully.

"Celestial Immortal, whatever task you have for me, Lai San, I assure you it will be done thoroughly! I may not boast much, but I do have connections in Hundred Flowers City. Even the City Patrol Battalion has brothers of mine!" The ruffian thumped his chest with pride.

"Very well, since you're so resourceful, help me locate this individual. Just find out where he's staying; there's no need to engage with him," Lan Tian Yu said with a faint smile, producing a portrait of their quarry, Zhou Guangyuan.

Upon realizing the person he was to find was a Celestial Immortal, Lai San was taken aback. Was this not a death sentence? A mere mortal tasked with tracking down an Immortal was like seeking death itself! He knelt, his face the picture of misery, "Celestial Immortal, please consider a different request. For a mortal like me to trouble a Celestial Immortal, it's... it's..."

Lan Tian Yu burst into laughter, his voice tinged with scorn. He hadn't expected Lai San to be such a coward. Producing a talisman, he slapped it onto Lai San's back, saying, "I've only asked you to locate this person. Your job is to discover his current whereabouts. This Immortal Talisman will shield you from any Immortal magic, ensuring your safety. Here's five hundred taels of silver for your initial expenses, with the promise of doubling it upon successful completion of the task."

Lan Tianyu handed over five hundred taels of silver with a generous gesture.

Lai San's face lit up with excitement. With the Immortal Talisman affixed to him, wasn't he now an envoy of the Celestial Immortal? Was there anywhere in Hundred Flowers City he couldn't go? And with the promise of silver, he leapt to his feet, bowing incessantly, "Thank you, Celestial Immortal. I shall fulfill this mission with utmost care and precision!"

Watching the scoundrels retreat, Lan Tianyu couldn't help but chuckle. "Let's see you run now. Isn't dueling forbidden in Hundred Flowers City? If you break the city's laws, I wonder if you'll face punishment?"

He had cleverly attached not just any talisman to Lai San, but a Spirit Attraction Talisman designed to draw in the magical Spiritual Energy. Knowing Zhou Guangyuan's volatile nature, Lan Tianyu was certain that the man wouldn't tolerate a mere mortal spying on him and would inevitably resort to magic for retribution. Without the talisman, Lai San might have been safe, as the magic would have caused no harm. But with the talisman's influence, the magic's Spiritual Energy would surge into Lai San's body, which as a mortal, he couldn't possibly endure. The result would be a violent death. The five hundred taels of silver would then serve as a grim price for his life.

Should Zhou Guangyuan commit murder, he would surely attract the wrath of the law enforcement team. The consequences would be dire: death on the spot or banishment from Hundred Flowers City. Either way, vengeance for Lan Tianyu's brothers would be secured.

Meanwhile, Zhou Guangyuan remained oblivious to the trap set for him. Concealed within an inn, he took a healing spirit pill and sent an urgent plea for help to his master, hoping for a rescue.

...

Feng Yimo was out on Ling Ya's orders to purchase rice cakes. Along his journey, he noticed an increasing number of cultivators. Could there be a hidden purpose behind the Hundred Flower Festival in the capital?

Upon his return to the Pear Flower Courtyard, he delivered the rice cakes and retreated to his room to delve deeper into the Yin-yang Spell. Unable to cultivate was not a setback for him; he could still master the essence of the technique. While others needed to complete one level before advancing to the next, his potent Divine Sense allowed him to access the knowledge reserved for Foundation Establishment Cultivators. He could perceive the entirety of the Yin-yang Spell, from the first level to the fifth. The more he studied, the more he recognized the profoundness of this technique. Yet, it frustrated him to find the jade slip's content heavily edited, riddled with gaps, and its quality diminished by thirty to forty percent.

He let out a sigh, stowing away one jade slip and retrieving another that detailed the art of pill refining. Chi Yangzi had once boasted of his intention to refine him alive into a pill, suggesting a proficiency in the craft. Indeed, among the numerous slips was one titled "Amazing Pill," which astonishingly described a method for concocting a spirit pill using a living demon beast.

It was common knowledge that spirit pills were typically made from a variety of spiritual herbs and fruits, with functions ranging from healing and cultivation enhancement to detoxification and concealment. Some even possessed the extraordinary ability to aid cultivators in overcoming tribulations. Yet, all spirit pills shared a flaw: prolonged use resulted in residual pill poison within the cultivator's body. The adage "all medicine contains a trace of poison" held true for spirit pills as well, albeit with a milder toxicity. To counteract this, ingenious alchemists sought ways to purge the lingering pill poison. Among them, a distinguished master had devised a pill using the liver of a demon beast, with remarkable results. This pill, named by cultivators as the Soul Seizing Pill, was intended to capture the essence of the demon beast.

The "Qi Pill" manuscript provided an in-depth guide to crafting the Soul Seizing Pill. Feng Yimo couldn't help but smile wryly at the thought that Chi Yangzi saw him as nothing more than a demon beast to be used in his alchemical experiments.

Demon beasts naturally absorbed the essence of the sun, moon, and the spiritual energy of the world, suggesting that a cultivator could enhance their own power by consuming their flesh and blood. However, the universe maintained its balance; those seeking to rapidly advance their cultivation by such means would find themselves overwhelmed by the wild emotions of the beasts. This instability could lead to catastrophic outcomes during cultivation, driving some to madness or even causing them to descend into the demonic path, transforming into abominations neither human nor demon.

Fifteen hundred years prior, a young cultivator, pursued by enemies seeking his clan's destruction, ventured into the domain of demon beasts. Gorging on their flesh, he saw his power surge. Though he narrowly escaped the fate of self-destruction, he was ultimately consumed by insanity, turning into a murderous fiend. He annihilated over two thousand members of his adversary's sect, including two Golden Core Cultivators and twenty-five at the Foundation Establishment level. At the time, merely in the late period of Foundation Establishment, he proved that challenging those beyond his realm was well within his capabilities.

After vanishing for decades, he reemerged having advanced to the Golden Core Realm and regained his sanity. Rumor had it that his long-term consumption of the Soul Seizing Pill was the reason behind the eradication of the pill's toxic effects.

The "Qi Pill" text goes beyond merely detailing pills crafted from demonic beast livers; it categorizes the beasts, specifying which body parts yield distinct medicinal pills, all under the umbrella term "Soul Seizing Pill." For instance, the robust blood of certain demonic beasts can significantly rejuvenate the body, extend life, and bolster immunity. When combined with other ingredients, it's transformed into the Blood Spirit Pill. Similarly, the bones of demonic beasts, known for their strength, are processed into the Bone Spirit Pill to enhance physical power. The brains, rich in raw soul power, are meticulously extracted and made into the Soul Spirit Pill, which, when taken regularly, can amplify one's soul power. The value of a single Soul Spirit Pill is astronomical, as cultivators find increasing their soul power to be an arduous task. Stronger soul power means stronger Spiritual Sense and Divine Sense, leading to more potent control over spirit artifacts and magical treasures. This translates to a higher likelihood of victory in magical duels, making the Soul Spirit Pill highly sought after by all cultivators. Sadly, such pills have become a thing of the past in the Cultivation World.

Unexpectedly, Ouyang Zi was fortunate enough to stumble upon the method for crafting the Soul Seizing Pill. Regrettably, it was Feng Yimo who reaped the benefits.