Chapter 58: It Actually Turned Out to Be True

"Insolent!"

Seeing through his thoughts, Fu Lingchuan slammed his palm against the desk and barked angrily, "This old man is asking you a question, what kind of expression is that on your face?!"

"Answer properly!"

Chu Xing quickly reined in his wandering thoughts and gave a dry cough. "Elder, please calm your anger... this disciple is."

Having received a definitive answer, the taut lines on Fu Lingchuan's face finally relaxed, as if a heavy stone that had been weighing on his heart had finally dropped.

"Was that matter with the Dragon Blood Grass in the storehouse your doing?"

A chill ran through Chu Xing's heart. He hesitated for a moment, ultimately deciding to tell the truth. After all, only Wanqing knew this secret, and before a Heaven-tier alchemist, any lie would appear pale and futile.

"Yes."

A sharp glint flashed in Fu Lingchuan's eyes, showing no surprise whatsoever. From the storage pouch at his side, he retrieved another spiritual herb carefully preserved within a jade box.

The herb was entirely crimson, its roots resembling a dragon—it was precisely another Dragon Blood Grass of a similar age!

"Right before this old man, try it again."

Chu Xing understood; this was his verification.

Taking the jade box and opening it, a rich medicinal fragrance rushed toward his face.

He recalled how, back when he was only at the third stage of Body Tempering, merely absorbing the residual medicinal power of a single Dragon Blood Grass had allowed him to leap straight into the fourth stage of Body Tempering.

Filled with a myriad of emotions, Chu Xing hesitated no longer and pressed his palm directly onto the Dragon Blood Grass.

With a thought, a devouring force erupted from his palm. The Dragon Blood Grass withered at a speed visible to the naked eye, finally turning into a puff of dull, lifeless ash.

The entire process took only a few short breaths.

Looking inward at his dantian, Chu Xing saw that within that chaotic space, another pitch-black droplet of Source-Devouring Liquid was slowly condensing into form.

He sighed inwardly at the passage of time. The fortuitous encounter that once enabled his breakthrough could now, as he grew stronger, only be reduced to a tiny droplet of reserve energy.

Even so, the medicinal potency of this Dragon Blood Grass was still quite immense.

And all of this was witnessed entirely by Fu Lingchuan from behind the desk.

The moment Chu Xing made his move, Fu Lingchuan had completely held his breath.

He stared fixedly at the changes in the Dragon Blood Grass. When he saw that pure medicinal energy being savagely extracted by an invisible force, an incredulous shock exploded within his eyes!

He abruptly stood up, snatched the pile of ash from Chu Xing's hand, examined it closely right in front of his eyes, and even rubbed it between his fingers.

Every trace of vitality had been sucked completely dry!

It was an exact match for the previous one!

"It's actually true..."

Fu Lingchuan muttered in a daze, unable to speak for a long while.

Slowly sitting back down in his chair, the way he looked at Chu Xing had completely changed.

After a long time, Fu Lingchuan finally recovered his voice, his tone tinged with a trace of complexity.

"Do you know of Wanqing's constitution?"

"This disciple has heard Senior Sister mention it; it is the Dan-Heart Saint Physique."

"Correct."

Fu Lingchuan nodded, his voice heavy.

"She has a natural affinity with the Dao of alchemy, practicing it as if it were an instinct, and her cultivation progress far surpasses ordinary people. However, every time she refines pills, unrefined medicinal toxins accumulate within her meridians. Over time, these will eventually erode her heart meridians, leaving her beyond cure."

He looked at Chu Xing, his gaze turning exceedingly solemn.

"This old man has scoured ancient texts, finally finding a method to completely eradicate this affliction, but I have long been troubled by the inability to execute it. Until... your appearance."

Understanding dawned upon Chu Xing, and he quietly awaited the rest.

"That method requires an ability that can ignore conflicts in medicinal properties, forcefully devouring and purifying杂芜 (disordered) energies. And you..."

Fu Lingchuan's gaze grew searingly hot. "Your ability is precisely the key to that method!"

He stood up, walked over to Chu Xing, and asked solemnly for the first time:

"Chu Xing, this old man asks you now, are you willing to lend Wanqing a helping hand?"

"This disciple is willing," Chu Xing replied without a moment's hesitation.

Reason and emotion alike dictated that he could not refuse. On the martial arts arena, had she not fetched Elder Fu, he would already be a skeleton; that debt of gratitude was something he had always kept in his heart.

Fu Lingchuan looked at him deeply, a flicker of approval flashing in his eyes.

"Good."

He nodded, though the grave expression did not dissipate; instead, it grew even more stern.

"However, this matter concerns Wanqing, and not the slightest error can be tolerated. Although you possess the devouring power, this old man still needs to witness with my own eyes just to what extent you have mastered this power."

Fu Lingchuan turned around and sat back behind the desk, his voice regaining its majesty.

"Tomorrow at the hour of Chen, come to the Pill Hall. This old man will personally test you."

"This disciple understands!" A chill running through his heart, Chu Xing solemnly cupped his fists in assent.

"You may withdraw."

Fu Lingchuan waved a hand. "Prepare yourself well tonight."

"Elder."

Instead of leaving immediately, Chu Xing bowed once more.

Fu Lingchuan raised an eyebrow. "Is there something else?"

"This disciple is bold enough to ask the Elder for an item."

"Let's hear it. What do you want? Pills? Or contribution points?"

In his view, this kid was probably seizing the opportunity to ask for some benefits, which was somewhat understandable.

Chu Xing shook his head, however, and said with a serious expression: "This disciple wants neither pills nor contribution points. I only wish to have an illustrated compendium introducing the habits of various spiritual herbs."

"What?"

Thinking he had misheard, Fu Lingchuan asked again.

"You want the *Hundred Herb Records*?"

"Yes, Elder."

Fu Lingchuan fell completely silent.

He looked at the youth before him, a churning storm raging in his heart.

The *Hundred Herb Records* was merely the introductory manual issued to every new disciple entering the Pill Hall, recording the appearance and basic medicinal properties of all kinds of Yellow-tier spiritual herbs. It wasn't even worth a single contribution point.

This kid was passing over a massive opportunity, ignoring martial arts techniques and divine elixirs, yet he specifically wanted the most worthless introductory book?

"Since you do not cultivate the Dao of alchemy, what do you want this thing for?"

"Replying to Elder, this disciple is simply... rather interested in these flowers and plants. Having spent so much time in Hundred Herb Gully, I always wished to learn to recognize a few more."

This excuse was full of loopholes, yet faultless enough that no one could pick at it.

Fu Lingchuan stared at him, trying to read something from his face. But on that face, besides sincerity, there was only sincerity.

He could not see through him.

From the moment this kid entered his field of vision, he had been shrouded in mystery.

"Fine."

In the end, Fu Lingchuan flicked his sleeve, and an unadorned jade slip flew out from the bookshelf, landing steadily in Chu Xing's hand.

"Inside are records of common spiritual herb illustrations. Take it."

"Many thanks, Elder!" Overjoyed, Chu Xing hurriedly tucked the jade slip into his robes.

Back in the back-mountain secret cave, although he had managed to revive those seeds using the Source-Devouring Pearl, it had ultimately been nothing more than a blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse. What tier those seeds belonged to, what habits they possessed, and what kind of primordial energy they required for nourishment were things he knew nothing about. He could only rely on his instincts, brute-forcing vitality into them in the most primitive way possible.

That was practically sitting atop a golden mountain without knowing where to swing a shovel! Not to mention the abysmal efficiency, it was sheer waste of heavenly treasures!