Chapter 59: Creation Pomegranate
Elder You had been gone from Medicine Valley for over two months. With him not returning for so long, Guo Yu was extremely worried. However, he had to guard Medicine Valley and prevent the fierce beasts in the mountains from coming down to harm the medicinal herbs, so he could only pray in his heart that Elder You would be safe.
Seeing his constant worry every day, Hua Changxi proactively asked, “Do you know who Elder You went to see?”
Guo Yu shook his head. “Master only said he was going to see an old friend and inquire about what you told him.” He then looked at Hua Changxi seriously.
“Changxi, can you tell me what exactly you told my Master?”
Hua Changxi smiled. “Your Master told me the location of the Great Rift Valley in South Mountain, and only then did I tell him some secrets he didn’t know. I can tell you this secret too, but what will you exchange with me?”
She had obtained her cultivation opportunity by chance, but it had also nearly cost her her life. Naturally, she couldn’t tell others for free.
Guo Yu frowned. He knew that he and Hua Changxi didn’t have much of a relationship yet, so he wasn’t in a position to demand that she tell him her secrets.
Hua Changxi smiled at him and continued to inquire about Elder You. “Elder You is a Grandmaster, are his friends also Grandmasters?”
Guo Yu glanced at her. He hadn’t found out the secret he wanted to know and didn’t want to talk much about his Master with her, so he vaguely replied, “I’m not sure either.”
Hua Changxi didn’t mind and continued to ask, “Elder You is already a Grandmaster, why does he still work for the Medical Affairs Department and guard a Medicine Valley every day?”
Guo Yu: “. Master graduated from the Capital Martial Academy.”
Hua Changxi was confused. “Does graduating from the Capital Martial Academy mean you have to work for the Medical Affairs Department?”
Guo Yu looked at Hua Changxi. Seeing her confused expression, he found it a bit strange. “You are from the Medical Affairs Department, don’t you know that both the Martial Academy and the Medical Affairs Department are under the jurisdiction of the Heavenly Department?”
“Heavenly Department?”
Hua Changxi’s eyes flickered. She finally heard some useful information. “I’m just a laborer, and I haven’t been in the Medical Affairs Department for long. I don’t know many things.”
Guo Yu’s eyes rolled. He imitated Hua Changxi’s earlier demeanor and said, “These are indeed things a laborer wouldn’t know. I can tell you, but what will you exchange with me?”
Seeing him like this, Hua Changxi found it a bit amusing. Without another word, she took out a bottle of pills and threw it to him. “Heavenly Gang Pill. I gathered the medicinal herbs while wandering in the mountains a few days ago and casually refined them.”
Guo Yu looked at Hua Changxi in surprise. “You knew I became an Eighth-Rank Martial Artist?”
The Earthly Gang Pills Hua Changxi refined were on a completely different level compared to what he had obtained before. He had been stuck at the Seventh Rank for many years, but after taking Hua Changxi’s Earthly Gang Pills, he had successfully broken through to the Eighth Rank while sleeping. It was simply unbelievable.
Hua Changxi smiled. “I can sense that your Internal Energy has become stronger.”
If her Third Brother and Sixth Brother were like ants in her eyes, then Guo Yu was like a chick. When the chick’s body became stronger, she could indeed feel it.
“Now can you tell me in detail about the Heavenly Department, the Martial Academy, and the Medical Affairs Department?”
Guo Yu looked at her and carefully put away the Heavenly Gang Pill. Although his expression didn’t change much, his heart was not calm.
Although ordinary people couldn’t access information about the Heavenly Department, once one joined the Medical Affairs Department, as long as they paid attention and knew how to build relationships, it wasn’t difficult to find out.
A Heavenly Gang Pill cost one thousand taels of silver. A bottle of ten pills was ten thousand taels of silver.
Silver wasn’t the most important thing; what was important was that Heavenly Gang Pills were priceless and rarely seen on the market. Nine out of ten were monopolized by the Imperial Court and noble families.
In his opinion, Hua Changxi exchanging a bottle of Heavenly Gang Pills for information about the Heavenly Department was simply extravagant.
Yet, such an extravagant person remained silent about her dealings with Master. How significant must the matter they discussed be?
“The Heavenly Department oversees the Martial Academy, the Medical Affairs Department, and the Demon Suppressing Division. Its status is equal to the Six Ministries, and it is directly led by the Emperor.”
“The Martial Academy cultivates Martial Artists. After they complete their training, the Heavenly Department assigns them tasks uniformly. They can either stay at the Martial Academy as instructors, or like Master, help the Medical Affairs Department guard the Medicine Farm and Medicine Valley, or join the Demon Suppressing Division.”
“Of course, if places like the Six Doors, the Imperial Guards, and the Imperial Guards are short-handed, they will also request excellent Martial Artists from the Heavenly Department.”
Hua Changxi wasn’t particularly interested in the others. She had never heard of the Demon Suppressing Division before and couldn’t help but ask, “What kind of department is the Demon Suppressing Division?”
Guo Yu: “The Demon Suppressing Division specializes in hunting Demonic Beasts. Aren’t there frequent incidents of Demonic Daoists and Demonic Monks in various places? Those also fall under the purview of the Demon Suppressing Division. By the way, there’s a sect in the martial world called the Asura Gate, which is the Demon Suppressing Division’s biggest rival.”
Hua Changxi silently noted the Demon Suppressing Division in her heart.
The Demon Suppressing Division was responsible for hunting Demonic Beasts. She had encountered Demonic Beasts, so the people from the Demon Suppressing Division would have encountered them even earlier.
The Demon Suppressing Division was also responsible for dealing with Demonic Monks and Demonic Daoists. She had obtained a cultivation opportunity because of a Demonic Daoist, so it was unlikely that the people from the Demon Suppressing Division wouldn’t encounter them.
Therefore, there must be cultivators in the Demon Suppressing Division!
This deduction made Hua Changxi somewhat excited and also a little nervous.
She was excited because she knew where to find cultivators like herself.
She was nervous because the Demon Suppressing Division must have come into contact with cultivation earlier than her, and their strength must be superior to hers.
Not only the Demon Suppressing Division, but other organizations likely also had cultivators. She worried that her realm was too low, and if she encountered them in the future and a conflict arose, she would be the one crushed.
A sense of urgency to quickly improve her realm surged in Hua Changxi’s heart. She didn’t want to put herself in danger.
“Master Guo, after Martial Artists graduate from the Martial Academy, must they be uniformly assigned tasks by the Heavenly Department?”
Guo Yu: “If they have background and connections, they don’t have to.”
“The Heavenly Department manages the Medical Affairs Department. Pills that Martial Artists cannot buy on the market can be exchanged for with merit points in the Heavenly Department. To improve their strength, Martial Artists who meet the Heavenly Department’s standards will choose to stay.”
Hua Changxi thought of Hua Da Lang. “My Eldest Brother graduates this year. I wonder where he will be assigned to work?”
Guo Yu looked surprised. “Your Eldest Brother is from the Capital Martial Academy?”
Hua Changxi nodded.
Guo Yu immediately asked, “What rank Martial Artist is he?”
Hua Changxi: “During the New Year, he was a Sixth-Rank Martial Artist. I don’t know if he has broken through to Seventh-Rank yet?”
Upon hearing this, Guo Yu’s mouth twitched. It took him five years to break through from Sixth Rank to Seventh Rank. It had only been a few months since the New Year. Even if Hua Changxi’s brother was a peerless genius, he couldn’t have advanced from Sixth Rank to Seventh Rank in just a few months.
However, thinking of the pills Hua Changxi refined, he became a little uncertain.
“Sixth and Seventh Rank Martial Artists are not weak. If you have connections, you can try to get a suitable assignment.”
“The Demon Suppressing Division hunts Demonic Beasts every day, which is definitely the most dangerous, but also yields the greatest merit.”
“Guarding the Medicine Farm and Medicine Valley for the Medical Affairs Department is boring, but it’s safe and you won’t lack medicinal herbs.”
“If you want to accumulate more connections, you can choose to stay at the Martial Academy.”
“If you want to join places like the Six Doors or the Imperial Guards, you’ll need connections.”
Hua Changxi recalled that her good Eldest Brother had been quite close to the Earl’s Mansion during the New Year, so she didn’t think about it further. In any case, the Hua Family had never valued her opinion.
Time flew by, and it was the last day of June.
『First-Rank Alchemist（Supreme-grade Pill）: Alchemy 1001 Furnaces 1001/10000』
Hua Changxi had refined over 1000 furnaces of pills, and the quality of her alchemy had improved again.
Looking at the Supreme-grade Spirit Origin Pill in her hand, which emitted a halo, Hua Changxi swallowed it in one gulp. As the pill entered her mouth, it instantly turned into a warm current that swept through her entire body.
Hua Changxi carefully observed the smoothness of absorption and refinement of the four grades of Spirit Origin Pills.
When the Low-grade Pill entered her mouth, the warm current had a noticeable sense of stagnation. When the Mid-grade Pill entered her mouth, the stagnation was much less. When the High-grade Pill entered her mouth, the stagnation was even less. When the Supreme-grade Pill entered her mouth, there was no stagnation at all.
The stagnation generated during the refinement and absorption of pills would impact the Spiritual Meridian and cause some damage. Over time, it would likely injure the Spiritual Meridian.
At the same time, the refinement and absorption of the pills were also not thorough. Low-grade pills were the worst, while Supreme-grade pills left almost no residue.
Hua Changxi thought that the incomplete absorption would likely form the legendary pill poison in the body. “In the future, when taking pills, it’s best to only take Supreme-grade pills.”
As for the other grades of pills she refined, she would sell them.
Hua Changxi took out some Fire Returning Grass she found in the cracks of the Fire Spirit Mine mountain and began to refine Supreme-grade Fire Returning Pills.
Fire Returning Pills could instantly replenish consumed Spiritual Energy without needing refinement and absorption. The Spiritual Energy was replenished quickly, but it could not be used to increase one’s realm.
To increase one’s realm, one still needed to take Spirit Origin Pills.
Afterward, Hua Changxi began to refine Fire Returning Pills. After only five furnaces, she heard Guo Yu’s urgent shouts.
“Hua Changxi!”
Guo Yu couldn’t find the stone cave where Hua Changxi was refining pills, so he could only stand on the giant tree in the middle of the rift valley and shout loudly.
When Hua Changxi heard him, she put her refining tools and herbs into the Shen Nong Cauldron and walked out quickly. “Master Guo, why have you come to the rift valley?”
In their interactions, Guo Yu had always been mindful and had never come to the rift valley to find her.
Seeing Hua Changxi, Guo Yu looked as if he had seen a savior. “Changxi, my Master has returned. He and his friends are all seriously injured. Master said only you can save them. Hurry and come back with me to see them.”
Seeing Guo Yu sweating profusely, Hua Changxi didn’t say anything else. She hurried back to Medicine Valley with him, asking as they went, “Tell me about their injuries.”
Guo Yu’s face turned a little pale. “They’re cracked open. My Master’s friends who he brought back have no intact skin, all of it is cracked open, as if… as if…”
Seeing that Guo Yu couldn’t describe it, Hua Changxi finished for him. “As if their bodies were about to explode.”
When Guo Yu heard this, he nodded repeatedly. “Yes, yes, yes, it’s like they’re about to explode.”
Hua Changxi roughly guessed the situation of Elder You’s friends. “Elder You’s friends probably won’t last long. I’ll go ahead, you can come back slowly.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Guo Yu saw Hua Changxi speed past him and disappear from sight in a few breaths.
Guo Yu swallowed and his heart was filled with shock. He could guess that Hua Changxi, whom his Master valued, had some abilities, but he never expected her to be so powerful.
His Lightness Skill was a true inheritance from his Master. Even when traveling with his Master, he wouldn’t fall too far behind.
But now, not only could he not catch up to Hua Changxi, but he had also lost sight of her.
Hua Changxi’s strength far surpassed his Master’s, something he had never expected.
As soon as Hua Changxi arrived at the stone cliff halfway up West Mountain, she heard painful roars from the stone cave and Elder You’s anxious comforting. She called out, “Elder You, I’m here!” and walked straight in.
“Changxi.”
Seeing Hua Changxi, Elder You rushed over and grabbed her. “Changxi, quickly take a look at my old friend. See if he can still be saved?”
Hua Changxi gently waved her hand, causing Elder You to let go, and then walked directly towards the blood-covered person lying on the stone bed.
This person truly had no intact skin left. His flesh was torn open, and the cracks were continuously widening.
If not for the two people on either side continuously channeling Internal Energy into him, suppressing the Spiritual Energy that was surging chaotically, this person would have already exploded.
“Help him sit up.”
Elder You heard this and quickly stepped forward, very carefully helping the blood-covered person to sit up.
Condensing Spiritual Energy in her hand, Hua Changxi struck the blood-covered person’s head with a palm, simultaneously signaling the two people channeling Internal Energy to stop.
The two looked at Elder You. Seeing Elder You nod, they simultaneously withdrew their hands.
There wasn’t much Spiritual Energy surging chaotically in the blood-covered person’s body. In less than a minute, Hua Changxi had forced all the Spiritual Energy out of his body.
Elder You and the other two saw that the blood-covered person’s body was no longer cracking. They all breathed a heavy sigh of relief. One of them even collapsed onto the ground as if drained.
Elder You looked at Hua Changxi. “Is he alright now?”
Hua Changxi: “How could he be alright? His meridians are completely severed, and his five viscera and six bowels are shattered. He is now like a cracked porcelain doll. If not careful, this porcelain doll will shatter.”
Elder You’s face turned pale, and he looked at Hua Changxi nervously. “Can he still be saved?”
Hua Changxi didn’t answer but looked at the other two people in the stone cave. She could sense that the Internal Energy within these two people, like Elder You’s, was profound; they were both Grandmasters.
The blood-covered person should have been too, but unfortunately, with this incident, all his cultivation was gone.
Seeing that Hua Changxi didn’t deny it, Elder You knew she had a way to save him. Thinking that he had told her the location of the Great Rift Valley, which was why she spoke of cultivators, he said sternly, “As long as you can save him, we will agree to anything you ask.”
The other two also quickly stated, “Yes, as long as Yang Chuan can be saved, we will agree to any request you make.”
Hua Changxi was silent for a moment, then looked at Elder You. “I want to see the fruit he ate.”
Upon hearing this, the faces of Elder You and the other two changed simultaneously.
Elder You looked at Hua Changxi. “How did you know we still have the fruit he ate on us?”
Hua Changxi smiled. “I sensed it.”
Hearing this, Elder You’s expression was not good. They had sealed the fruit in a box, and they didn’t expect Hua Changxi to be able to sense it. He looked at his old friend on the left. “Zhuo Fan, give the fruit to her.”
Zhuo Fan hesitated. This fruit was something the four of them had risked their lives to snatch.
Seeing that he was slow to move, another person spoke. “Give it to her.”
Yang Chuan almost exploded after eating the fruit. They didn’t dare to eat it themselves, so it was better to see what this little girl had to say.
Zhuo Fan reluctantly took off the box from his waist and handed it to Hua Changxi.
Hua Changxi took it, opened the box, and saw a pomegranate emitting colorful light. A piece of the peel was removed, revealing a hollow.
It was clear that the blood-covered person had eaten a pomegranate seed, and then almost exploded.
Creation Pomegranate!
Hua Changxi looked curiously at Elder You and the other two. “Where did you find this fruit?”
Zhuo Fan frowned. “This has nothing to do with saving him, does it?”
Seeing that they didn’t want to say, Hua Changxi asked again, “Someone is chasing you, right?” Although it was a question, her tone was very certain.
Elder You’s expression was solemn, and the other two remained silent.
Hua Changxi: “If this fruit isn’t sealed, those who are chasing you will find you soon.”
Hearing this, the faces of Elder You and the other two changed.
Elder You asked anxiously, “How can it be sealed?”
Hua Changxi smiled. “You can’t seal it.”
Zhuo Fan frowned and snorted, “Are you going to tell us that only you can seal this fruit?”
Seeing him like this, Hua Changxi directly threw the box back to him. “If the fruit isn’t sealed, not only will the people chasing you find you quickly, but in a few days, the fruit will also turn into a useless ordinary fruit.”
After speaking, she walked out of the stone cave.
Elder You saw this, glared at Zhuo Fan, and quickly chased after her. “Changxi, please wait. This fruit was snatched back by the four of us at the risk of our lives, so my friend’s attitude was a bit unpleasant.”
Hua Changxi’s expression was indifferent. “What happened to you is none of my business. I have no obligation to appease his mood.”
“Elder You, for the sake of our acquaintance, I’ll remind you that your injured friend won’t last more than a few hours. I can save him, but what will you offer to extend his life?”
“Go and discuss it properly with your friends.”
