The Preparation of Sacred Elixirs

After Doctor Mo left the mountain, Han Li knew it was safe to use the bottle in Spirit Herb Valley for the time being. The entire valley was empty, with no one else around, and no outsider would rashly intrude. This guaranteed no accidents during this period, allowing him to use the small bottle freely and boldly.

Estimating Doctor Mo's return time, Han Li calculated that the doctor could not find any decent medicinal herbs nearby. He would have to travel far, likely deep into uninhabited mountain forests where rare herbs might be found. The round trip, plus the time spent searching, would take at least a full year.

Half a year had already passed since Doctor Mo descended the mountain. Roughly six or seven months remained before his return to the Seven Mysteries Sect. Until then, Han Li planned to accelerate the growth of as many useful herbs as possible. He would follow several rare formulas he knew to obtain the necessary ingredients, rather than waste the green liquid recklessly.

The medicines Han Li intended to concoct—those that could enhance cultivation and break through bottlenecks—were the same ultimate elixirs Doctor Mo had once wanted to prepare but could not gather the ingredients for. Each one, if placed on the open market, would bankrupt an ordinary family and drive martial artists to fight desperately for the chance to own it.

Even a physician as skilled as Doctor Mo had never seen any of these finished medicines, let alone made one himself. Though the doctor possessed the methods to prepare these sacred elixirs, without the ingredients, he could only sigh at the heavens.

When Han Li had studied medicine under Doctor Mo, he had taken a great interest in these rare formulas. Though he never dreamed he could actually prepare these invaluable medicines, he had committed quite a few of the formulas to memory. Doctor Mo was indifferent to his enthusiasm, answering Han Li's questions in full detail whenever asked, without the slightest hint of concealment. The doctor probably considered these formulas to be worthless—tasteless to eat, yet a pity to discard.

Now, these formulas had become Han Li's most precious possessions. He strictly followed the herb requirements for each formula, nurturing plants of the required ages without daring to slack off. Time was not on his side. He had to prepare these medicines before Doctor Mo returned, then put the bottle away and never use it on the mountain again.

Han Li had no confidence whatsoever that he could use the small bottle in front of Doctor Mo without leaving a trace. He knew very well how shrewd and cautious the man was. He had not the slightest intention of revealing the bottle's secret to his master.

The relationship between Han Li and Doctor Mo was peculiar, far from the simple bond of master and disciple.

Doctor Mo often looked at him with a strange gaze, making Han Li feel the man was hiding intentions that would harm him. This feeling had grown especially strong in the past year or two. It prevented the kind of intimacy and open conversation that ordinary masters and disciples shared.

In daily life, Doctor Mo treated him quite well. There were no beatings, no curses. When it came to the oral formula, the doctor spared no effort in creating the best conditions for his progress. Yet a barrier hung between them, an awkward atmosphere drifting through the air.

Doctor Mo clearly sensed this rift but made no attempt to mend their relationship. He simply did as he pleased, focused solely on pushing Han Li's progress in the cultivation formula. Though the strange expression in his eyes when he looked at Han Li seemed to appear less and less often—sometimes vanishing for long stretches—Han Li's keen intuition told him otherwise.

The man had not abandoned his secret designs. He had only become more skilled at concealing his desires. This deepened Han Li's wariness even further. Under such circumstances, how could he dare let the doctor know the bottle's secret?

Han Li had learned a hard lesson from many history books: "Do not harbor the intention to harm others, but never lack the vigilance to guard against them."

Whether Doctor Mo truly meant him harm or his own instincts were mistaken, heightened caution could never be a bad thing. If the doctor did harbor ill intentions, his precautions would prevent injury. If his sixth sense had misjudged the situation, his vigilance still did no wrong. He would not take the initiative to betray or harm his teacher. He remained a good disciple to Doctor Mo, fulfilling the proper filial duties expected of a student.

Still, the thought left a bitter taste in Han Li's mouth. This strange master-disciple relationship was likely unique within the Seven Mysteries Sect. He could not help but sigh.

Under no circumstances could the bottle be used after Doctor Mo returned. Walls had ears. Even if he managed to avoid the doctor's detection, someone else from the sect might stumble upon the secret. The safest course was to put it away and pretend nothing had ever happened.

Having made his plans and resolved to hide the bottle away for good afterward, Han Li felt his mind ease. He drifted into sleep, consciousness fading into the bed.

In the months that followed, Han Li secretly used the green liquid from the bottle to accelerate the growth of large quantities of precious herbs. He gathered the ingredients and, following the formulas, mixed and prepared numerous rare medicines. But the process was not without failure. Each mishap made Han Li's heart ache for a long time. The materials used to make these medicines were some of the rarest in the world. One failure meant an unknown amount of silver had gone down the drain.

Still, he could not truly blame himself. These formulas had never been prepared before. A few failures were inevitable. Even if Doctor Mo had personally handled the concoctions, he would have made a mistake or two. Han Li could only console himself with that.

"Yellow Dragon Pill," "Clear Spirit Powder," "Golden Marrow Pill," "Nourishing Elixir"—these rare medicines, seldom seen beyond the sect, now sat before him in a dozen small bottles. Han Li could not hide the joy spreading across his face. With these miraculous elixirs in hand, not only could he break through to the fourth layer of the oral formula—the fifth and sixth layers would require little extra effort to achieve.

Among these medicines, the Yellow Dragon Pill and Golden Marrow Pill were the most useful for cultivation. Both enhanced one's power and transformed the body, washing away impurities. The Clear Spirit Powder was a rare antidote, capable of neutralizing countless poisons under heaven. The Nourishing Elixir, finally, was an effective remedy for both internal and external injuries. No matter how severe the wound, taking a single pill could not raise the dead or heal the injury instantly, but it could greatly reduce the damage and preserve the patient's life.