I had a long overdue catch-up with Lin Chen.
Early the next morning, Chen Yun affixed a traveling charm and bid farewell to Zhang Qian and Lin Chen before leaving.
After traveling for several days, he finally returned to the Enshan Mountains.
Upon returning, Chen Yun immediately sought out Wang Laozhi to report on the accumulated meritorious deeds.
At the entrance of the Grand Hall, Wang Laozhi looked at Chen Yun in surprise, "You didn't just expel ghosts and evil spirits on your descent from the mountain; you also killed a wolf spirit?"
Chen Yun wasn't aware of how well he had completed his accumulated meritorious deeds. He weakly asked, "Brother, does this mean I have completed my accumulated meritorious deeds?"
Wang Laozhi, with a mixture of tears and laughter, said, "Since you've already vanquished demons and spirits, do you consider it complete? I originally thought that giving away all your silver and copper coins to those in need was already very commendable. I never expected you to have done so many good deeds. Your accumulated merit has surpassed expectations. This is excellent."
Hearing that the accumulation of merit was fine, Chen Yun finally let out a sigh of relief and smiled, "Since it's all right, then I can relax. Brother Wang, I won't keep you any longer. I haven't seen Master for a long time, so I'll go pay my respects first."
"You don't need to go," Wang Laozhi waved his hand and said, "Recently, the birthday of the Supreme Lord Daojun has arrived. Master and Zheng Brother have just rushed to Luoyang yesterday, and it's estimated that they won't be back for a few days."
Speaking of this, he couldn't help but sigh deeply, "Master Zheng has already cultivated Golden Dan, while I'm still stuck at a standstill."
Ah?
Master has gone to Luoyang City?
Chen Yun had also hoped that Master could point out some guidance on his cultivation.
After all, along the way, he had learned many other methods, not knowing whether they were good or bad, and naturally he wanted to consult Master to understand the situation.
In addition, he had also wanted to ask Master for some earthly and celestial roots to make a broth, but now that Master is not here, what should he do?
Chen Yun fell into deep thought.
Wang Laozhi continued to talk at length, "……oh, by the way, the last time you asked me to investigate in Xigou City, that formation was quite strange."
Originally entranced, Chen Yun suddenly snapped back to reality when he heard the mention of Xigou City. This reminded him of the leather scroll in Lin Feiyun's storage ring.
He curiously asked, "In what way was it strange?"
Wang Laozhi showed a serious expression, "I remember there was once an evil person from the Yellow Turban sect who set up a similar formation. He wanted to consecrate the people of an entire county to achieve immortality. However, there's only one formation in Xigou City, and I can't be sure yet because a complete formation should be composed of seven arrays, each representing yin, yang, metal, wood, water, fire, and earth."
Hmm?
Isn't that exactly what the leather scroll records, seven places?
If what Wang Laozhi said is true, then there should also be a formation at the Wu family's estate, which was not discovered at the time.
Chen Yun cannot determine this for the time being and decides to look for an opportunity to investigate.
If it's really what Wang Laozhi said, with seven formations, he will definitely come back to explain.
If not, there's no need to have Wang Laozhi make another trip.
Thinking of this, he changed the subject and said, "By the way, Brother Wang, may I ask for some earthly and celestial roots from you?"
Wang Laozhi looked at him in surprise, "The earthly and celestial roots in the medicinal garden are plants grown by Master for us, the direct descendants. You can directly go to the medicinal garden to find Brother Li and ask him to record it down. There's no need to ask me specially. Don't you know about this?"
Oh, I said that since Master has shattered the void, why would he still need a medicinal garden. Turns out it's for the use of the disciples.
This means that I don't need to seek permission from Master for the herbs I want to brew into Essence Refinement and Energy Refinement soup anymore, right?
Chen Yun was overjoyed and hurriedly said, "Alright, I'll go find Brother Li right away."
...
Arriving at the medicinal garden.
He didn't see the new disciple.
Only Li Si was lowering his head to tidy up the medicinal herbs.
Chen Yun stepped over the threshold and went in, greeting, "Brother Li."
"Hmm, Brother Chen…" Li Si's words were cut off halfway when he suddenly raised his head and said joyfully, "Brother Chen, you're back?"
Chen Yun said, "Hmm, just back."
Li Si quickly walked up and pulled out a chair for him to sit on, asking curiously with a full face of curiosity, "Where did you go on your descent this time to accumulate merit? Was there anything interesting on your journey? Can you tell me about it?"
He is only in his late teens or early twenties, and it's normal to be curious about the outside world.
Chen Yun satisfied Li Si's request, roughly recounting the events he encountered on his journey.
Hearing that he was expelling ghosts and slaying demons, Li Si exclaimed repeatedly.
After hearing his story, Li Si looked at Chen Yun with admiration and said, "Brother Chen, you are completely different from us now. You can slay demons relying on your own strength, which is truly enviable."
"Hehe, don't exaggerate about me." Chen Yun smiled and asked, "By the way, what has happened in the temple since I left these days?"
"Nothing major has happened, but there have been a couple of interesting things." Li Si slowly began to speak, "For example…"
From Li Si's account, Chen Yun roughly gathered what had been happening at the temple recently.
Overall, there haven't been too many significant changes. It's just that Zhao Brother's five-year term as a disciple has expired and he has returned to the mountain.
Also, Tang Brother will be leaving soon, so he wants to confess his love to Wang Siyan before he leaves. However, not only is his confession rejected, but due to the saying of "wall has ears", the fact that Wang Siyan rejected him spread around the temple extensively, making Tang Brother unable to hold his head high for a long time.
These are all trivial matters.
After listening, Chen Yun smiled and let it go.
After catching up for a while, he finally explained the purpose of coming to the medicinal garden, "Brother Li, can you prepare some herbs for me?"
"Alright," Li Si nodded and asked, "What kind of herbs do you need? I'll prepare them as soon as possible."
Chen Yun remembered the ingredients needed for the Essence Refinement and Energy Refinement soup, saying, "Five pieces of each of the five elements' magical beans, six pieces of cypress wood, twelve pieces of rare chili peppers, twelve pieces of jadeite heartwood, twelve pieces of osmanthus oil…twenty-four pieces of Licorice root. Alright, please prepare twelve sets of these."
He listed almost twenty-nine kinds of herbs and their dosages in one breath.
During that time, Li Si missed some of the herbs and had to ask repeatedly, only then managing to remember all the ingredients.
Li Si immediately started preparing the herbs for Chen Yun. Some of the earthly and celestial root herbs were not available in the medicinal garden, so he went to ask Cai Rugei for them.
It took about half an hour for all the herbs to be prepared.
Chen Yun only then put all the herbs into his storage ring and said goodbye to Li Si.
...
Returning to the inner courtyard.
As soon as Chen Yun came in, he threw all the other eleven sets of herbs into the small copper furnace's hidden compartment.
Then, he opened one of the sets and carefully examined it.
"The herbs are correct. I just need to add jujube, two branches of Zhufuyu grass, and two buckets of Qigu Huyu dew."
The Essence Refinement and Energy Refinement soup is different from the Foundation-Laying Soup and the Energy Conversion Soup.
It does not require frequent consumption.
Each time the Essence Refinement and Energy Refinement soup is brewed, it needs to be drunk in one go.
After that, the medicinal power will last for a month.
A month later, other than the jujube, all the other medicinal herbs need to be added again for a new batch of Essence Refinement and Energy Refinement soup.
Of course, the effect of the jujube fruit can only last for twelve batches of the soup.
If, after brewing twelve batches of the Essence Refinement and Energy Refinement soup, one wants to continue brewing, then a new jujube fruit must be searched for.
According to the records in the "Great Luo Essence Refinement Soup," as long as one takes the Essence Refinement and Energy Refinement soup once a month for twelve consecutive months, one's cultivation will naturally grow to a certain level.
The specific level is not detailed.
However, based on Chen Yun's judgment of the description in the Great Luo Essence Refinement Soup, it should be able to reach the level of a lower-grade wizard.
One knows that even if they were to use the Unity Charm Jade every day and night to refine spirit and energy, it would take about ten years to reach the level of a lower-grade wizard.
Now, by drinking the Essence Refinement and Energy Refinement soup twelve times, I can cultivate to the level of a lower-grade wizard, which can be said to reduce ten times of effort, or even more.
Why is that?
Because Chen Yun cannot possibly do so day and night, as it is physically unbearable for him.
"I am now a mid-stage Eight-Ring wizard. I should be able to reach the level of a lower-grade wizard without taking twelve batches of the Essence Refinement and Energy Refinement soup."
Chen Yun estimates that he will need at most eight or nine batches, and it should not exceed ten.
If calculated this way, I should be a lower-grade wizard after about eight or nine months.
Common people may never reach the level of a lower-grade wizard in their entire lives, but I only need eight or nine months?
Thinking about this, Chen Yun couldn't help but be moved.
"Mhm, let's first make the Essence Refinement and Energy Refinement soup during the day, and then take it formally at the time of Yin-Yang Juice [Editor's note: Yin-Yang Juice is a made-up term for midnight].
Chen Yun couldn't wait to put the herbs into the small copper furnace, and then he took out the elixir jar given by Huai Yan, pouring two buckets of Qigu Huyu dew from it into the copper furnace.
Everything is ready.
He put the lid on the furnace.
He reached out and pressed the "Essence Refinement and Energy Refinement" button.
Three.
Two.
One.
A thin steam rose from the small copper furnace.
"Success!"
Chen Yun was quite delighted in his heart, but he did not open the small copper furnace, because brewing the Essence Refinement and Energy Refinement soup was different from the previous two, which did not need to be boiled twice, but only once.
"I'll take it at midnight. I haven't had a chance to study the Taoist classics properly in a month while I've been out, so now that I have some time, let me read through them first."
Chen Yun sat by the window and picked up the "SouthERN Paradise" scripture to read.
He was perhaps too eager for the midnight to come sooner, so he couldn't concentrate on his reading now.
Moreover, he kept looking up at the window, wanting to see when the sun would set.
However, today it seemed that time was moving especially slowly, and after waiting for a long time, the sun had not yet set.
Of course, Chen Yun understood that this was just his feeling; in fact, time was still passing as it normally would.
...
Finally, it was night.
Chen Yun first dozed off for a while.
He checked the time and realized it was about right. He got up from the bed.
He lit the oil lamp.
He took out the small copper furnace again.
Chen Yun took out the bowl that had been prepared earlier, and poured the Essence Refinement and Energy Refinement soup into it.
Gurgling, a sound of water.
In no time, the sea bowl was filled with the steaming Essence Refinement and Energy Refinement soup.
Chen Yun waited for a little while longer.
When the Essence Refinement and Energy Refinement soup had cooled down, he lifted the sea bowl and drank it all in one go.
It was different from the bitter taste of the previous elixirs.
Perhaps the Essence Refinement and Energy Refinement soup used Qigu Huyu dew to brew.
It tasted sweet, as if it had been brewed with the dew.
"Hmm, the taste is nice, but I don't know how effective it will be."
Chen Yun silently anticipated.
He was really curious to know how much his true essence would increase after taking the elixir tonight.
(This chapter is complete)
