As Zhao Yuan fell unconscious, the crushing, excruciating pain vanished. Though the Marrow Cleansing Pill continued to release heat, the temperature was no longer terrifyingly high. It became warm and pleasant, nourishing his organs, limbs, and bones. The sensation was so comfortable that he began to moan involuntarily.
Fortunately, Fang Yi had issued strict orders beforehand forbidding anyone from approaching the workshop. Otherwise, if anyone had heard these sounds, they would have definitely misunderstood and thought he was up to something indecentâŠ
Zhao Yuan wasn't unconscious for longâonly about ten minutes.
During those ten minutes, under the combined effects of the Marrow Cleansing Pill and the Marrow Washing Technique, a brand-new essential substance formed within Zhao Yuan's body! This was the purest Innate Essence, completely untainted by the outside world!
A single Marrow Cleansing wasn't enough to replace all the essential substances in his body with Innate Essence. From now on, he would need to take a Marrow Cleansing Pill and practice the Marrow Washing Technique daily. Over time, he would gradually replace all the essential substances within him! Of course, future sessions of taking the pill and cultivating the technique wouldn't be agonizing like today. In fact, they would be quite pleasant.
Once all the essential substances in Zhao Yuan's body had been converted into Innate Essence, he would be able to break through the Marrow Cleansing Realm and step into the final stage of Body Refiningâthe Qi Listening Realm!
"How long was I out?"
Zhao Yuan opened his eyes and scrambled up from the floor. The weakness and exhaustion he had expected were nowhere to be found. Instead, he felt a body brimming with power.
This discovery took him completely by surprise.
"Did I successfully enter the Marrow Cleansing Realm? But⊠I didn't make it to the end, did I?"
Until that moment, Zhao Yuan had been convinced that his Marrow Cleansing had failed. In his astonishment, he hurriedly opened the Information Leaf, searching for answers. After a moment of searching, he was surprised to discover a new passage of text had appeared beneath the entry for the Marrow Washing Technique.
He was sure this passage hadn't been there before. It had just appeared.
Zhao Yuan read the passage aloud: "Congratulations on your successful Marrow Cleansing. The length of time one can endure the ordeal of Marrow Cleansing is an indicator of one's cultivation talent. Based on this test, your talent is slightly above average. Do not grow arrogant. Continue to work hard and cultivate diligently!"
Although Wu Peng's soul had long since scattered, he had left a wisp of his spiritual consciousness in the Information Leaf. This consciousness was capable of providing feedback based on Zhao Yuan's circumstances, not only by unlocking new Cultivation Techniques and Talismans, but also through this kind of 'interactive communication.'
In truth, by enduring the Marrow Cleansing ordeal for a full hour, Zhao Yuan's talent was absolutely heaven-defying! However, the wisp of Wu Peng's consciousness understood human nature. Fearing he would grow arrogant if he learned the truth, it concocted a white lie, telling him his talent was merely "slightly above average." This way, he wouldn't lose his confidence, but he also wouldn't become complacent.
"Oh, so that ordeal was endless? I really thought I had to hold on until it was over!"
Zhao Yuan heaved a long sigh of relief, then his excitement returned.
'No wonder I feel so full of powerâthe Marrow Cleansing was a success! "Slightly above average" cultivation talent? It looks like I'll have to work twice as hard if I want to become a true Witch Doctor!'
Next, inside the workshop, Zhao Yuan tested his current strength, speed, and reflexes. He discovered that every one of them was far greater than when he was at the Peak of Muscle Strengthening!
To test just how strong he was, he threw a punch at the wall and blasted a clean hole right through it! Although the wall was only built from ordinary bricks and cementânot as solid as poured concreteâit was still quite sturdy. This just went to show how astonishingly powerful his full-force punch was, reminiscent of Duan Shuiliu from *King of Destruction*!
"Holy crap, that's insane!"
Zhao Yuan was shocked by the power of his own punch. Luckily, the wall he'd struck was one of the innermost ones, or he would have certainly alarmed Fang Yi and Zheng Qiang!
Sticking his tongue out playfully, Zhao Yuan quickly backed away from the hole, putting on an expression that said, 'This hole has nothing to do with me.'
Zhao Yuan pulled out his phone to check the time and saw that he had been in the workshop for an hour and a half. He was about to leave when he suddenly remembered telling Fang Yi over the phone that he was going to test some new medicines. If he walked out now, he wouldn't have anything to show for his time.
'I still have time, might as well formulate a few new medicines.'
Zhao Yuan stopped in his tracks, opened the Information Leaf, and navigated to the Prescription Science section within the medicine category.
Before he had unlocked Prescription Science, Zhao Yuan's choice of available medicines was limited. But now, things were completely different!
The Prescription Science on Zhao Yuan's Information Leaf was no ordinary medical school textbook.
It not only contained numerous famous prescriptions from throughout history, but also many rare and wonderful formulas that Wu Peng had personally collected. These formulas were all extraordinarily effective; otherwise, they would have never been deemed worthy of Wu Peng's attention.
Not to mention, in addition to the formulas from others, there were also some that Wu Peng had designed himself.
It was no exaggeration to say that if many of the formulas from the Prescription Science on the Information Leaf were made public, they would immediately send shockwaves through the world of Traditional Chinese Medicine!
Soon enough, Zhao Yuan found two suitable formulas in the Prescription Science section.
One was the Beauty Pill, and the other was the Vitality Pill.
The Beauty Pill, as its name suggested, was a medicine with cosmetic and beautifying properties.
According to the Prescription Science text, the Beauty Pill was invented by Zhang Wenzhong, the head Imperial Physician during the reign of the Tang Dynasty's Wu Zetian. After taking it, Empress Wu Zetian found the effects to be excellentâit could restore elasticity to aging skin and bring a youthful look back to a fading complexion. She was so pleased that she personally bestowed upon it the name 'Beauty Pill' with her own imperial hand.
Later, the formula for the Beauty Pill was recorded in Zhang Wenzhong's book, *Four Seasons and Various Prescriptions*. Unfortunately, the book was later lost due to wars, dynastic changes, and other reasons, so the formula did not survive to the present day.
As for the Vitality Pill, its history was even more ancient.
During the Western Han Dynasty, the brilliant and ambitious Emperor Wu of Han felt his body growing weaker and more fatigued with age. For an emperor who had been a force of nature his entire life, this was simply intolerable.
Thus, Emperor Wu summoned the most famous physicians in the realm to find a solution.
Through the physicians' collective efforts, they developed a medicine capable of replenishing one's energy and strengthening the body. After taking it, Emperor Wu felt as if his body and spirit had returned to their youthful prime. Greatly pleased, he rewarded the physicians handsomely and gave the medicine the name 'Vitality Pill'!
It was precisely because he took the Vitality Pill that Emperor Wu, at the ripe old age of sixty-two, was able to father a child with Lady Zhao. She gave birth to a prince, Liu Fuling, who would later become Emperor Zhao of Han.
'The Beauty Pill targets the female market, and the Vitality Pill focuses on the male market. With these two medicines, plus the Soul-Stabilizing Incense, I don't think I'll have to worry about money for a while.'
Zhao Yuan was very pleased with his choices. He immediately took the necessary medicinal ingredients from his Storage Ring. Then he called Fang Yi, listed a few ingredients he was missing, and told him to gather them quickly and bring them to the workshop.