While the dust settled on the dramatic conclusion of the Shrek Academy New Student Knockout Tournament, leaving one prodigy humbled and another shrouded in divine mystery, a different kind of drama was unfolding deep within the tranquil heart of the Star Dou Great Forest. For Huo Yuhao, the triumphs and failures of the outside world were a distant echo. His world was one of fire, metal, and now, the fragrant, potent language of herbs.
His success with the Class 2 Bracer had solidified his confidence, but it had also opened his eyes to the limitations of his own body. His Soul Power was the bottleneck. He needed to advance.
The book of fate, his silent, all-knowing guide, held the answer. It wasn't in forging, but in alchemy. An entire section was dedicated to the lost art of pill concoction, with recipes for elixirs that could cleanse the body, purify the soul, and accelerate cultivation to an astonishing degree.
He spent days studying, his Spirit Eyes devouring the complex theories and intricate recipes. Finally, armed with a new ambition, he sought out the matriarch of his strange new family.
"Aunt Bi Ji," he said, approaching her as she tended to a patch of glowing Moonpetal Flowers. "I wish to try something new. The book I… the knowledge I have… it contains methods to create medicinal pills."
Bi Ji paused, her gentle fingers brushing a luminous petal. "Pills?" she asked, her voice filled with curiosity. "Like the ones human alchemists create?"
"Yes, but… much more potent," Huo Yuhao explained. "They can help me purify my meridians and raise my Soul Power faster. But I need herbs. Very specific, very old herbs."
Bi Ji's beautiful face held a thoughtful expression. She was the Emerald Swan, a being of pure life energy, and her knowledge of the forest's flora was vast. But the recipes Huo Yuhao described, calling for plants with specific elemental affinities and ages, were beyond even her expertise. She knew of them, but not their precise locations or how to harvest them without damaging their essence.
"For this," she said with a warm smile, "you will need to speak with the true king of all plants. My knowledge is of life, but his is of the plants themselves. Come."
She led him deeper into the Core Region, to a place he had never been before. It was a colossal, ancient grove, dominated by a single, unimaginably massive tree that seemed to hold up the sky itself. The air here was thick with the scent of a million different flowers, of damp earth, and ancient wood. At the base of the great tree, a figure sat meditating.
It was an old man, his skin the color and texture of ancient bark, his long hair a cascade of green, moss-like strands. He wore simple robes woven from living leaves, and his entire being radiated an aura of immense, ancient, and peaceful vitality. It was a power that felt different from Di Tian's oppressive might or Bi Ji's gentle life force. It was the power of growth, of roots delving deep into the earth, of branches reaching for the sun.
"This is Yao Ling," Bi Ji said softly. "The Myriad Demon King. He is one of the oldest beings here just like me and others, the sovereign of every blade of grass and every ancient tree in this forest."
The old man's eyes opened. They were a deep, vibrant green, filled with a wisdom that seemed to contain the memory of every season since the beginning of time.
Huo Yuhao felt a profound sense of respect and bowed deeply. "Greetings, Senior Yao Ling."
The Myriad Demon King smiled, a slow, gentle expression that made the leaves around him rustle softly. "There is no need for such formality, little sprout. Bi Ji has told me much about you, the little craftsman who has brought a new kind of sound to our quiet home." His voice was like the whisper of wind through a thousand leaves. "You may call me Uncle Yao Ling."
"Uncle… Yao Ling," Huo Yuhao said, a warmth spreading through his chest. He explained his desire to concoct pills and the rare herbs he needed, describing their properties as detailed in the book.
Yao Ling listened intently, his head tilted. "Ah, the Thousand-Year Deepwater Lotus… it sleeps at the bottom of the Dark Eddy Spring. And the Sun-Kissed Ginseng, yes, it grows only on the highest cliff face of Mount Skysunder, where it can absorb the first and last rays of the sun each day." He knew them all.
With a gentle wave of his hand, the ground before them began to tremble. Roots, thick as a man's arm, rose from the earth, not menacingly, but gently. They burrowed back into the ground and, moments later, resurfaced, their delicate tips holding a vast collection of herbs, each one glowing with a potent light, their roots and leaves perfectly intact.
There were glowing blue lotuses, golden-orange ginseng roots that looked like miniature humans, crystalline grasses, and flowers whose petals shimmered with captured starlight.
"Take what you need, little craftsman," Uncle Yao Ling said with a kind smile. "It is a small thing to help a friend who has brought so much to our home."
Huo Yuhao stared at the treasure trove of legendary herbs, his heart filled with a gratitude so profound it left him speechless.
With the precious ingredients secured, a new obstacle presented itself. He could not concoct these delicate pills in a crude, open forge. He needed a proper alchemical cauldron.
He returned to the workshop, his mind already alight with designs from the book. A cauldron was different from a weapon. It didn't need to withstand impact, but it needed to distribute heat with perfect uniformity and resist the volatile energy reactions of alchemical ingredients.
The Auspicious Beast was, as always, his silent and eager partner. Her curiosity was boundless. She watched as he selected a large piece of Frost-Vein Iron, the strange alloy's opposite.
"Why this metal?" she asked, her voice a soft chime in his mind. "It is cold."
"Exactly," Huo Yuhao explained as he began to heat the metal with her fire. "A good cauldron needs to heat evenly, but it also needs to cool down quickly and precisely. The inherent cold nature of this iron, when forged correctly, will help me control the temperature with much greater accuracy. It's for stability."
Forging the cauldron was a masterpiece of his current skill. It was a Class 2 Soul Tool, but one that required finesse over raw power. He hammered the cold iron into a round, deep-bellied pot with three sturdy legs and a perfectly fitting lid. The process was smooth, a testament to how far his strength and skill had grown.
The engraving was the true artistry. It wasn't a single array, but three interconnected ones.
The first was a Heat Distribution Array on the bottom and sides, designed to spread the Auspicious Beast's flame with perfect uniformity.
The second was a Stability Array within the metal itself, meant to suppress violent energy reactions.
The third was a Soul Power Conduit Array on the lid, which would allow him to safely inject his own energy, or that of another, into the concoction at the critical moment.
He finished the last line, and the cauldron pulsed with a soft, cool blue light. It was ready. He placed it carefully in the center of the workshop, a proud monument to his progress.
The Auspicious Beast looked from the gleaming cauldron to the piles of mystical herbs, her three golden eyes shining. 'First, he took rock and made weapons. Now, he takes leaves and flowers and will make… magic. There is no end to the strangeness he brings. And no end to how fascinating it is to watch.'
The first pill he chose to create was the one he needed most: the Mystic Water Pill. The book described its effects with reverence—a profound cleansing of the body's meridians and a direct boost to one's Soul Power and innate potential.
He carefully arranged the herbs beside his new cauldron: the Thousand-Year Deepwater Lotus, its petals a shimmering, translucent blue; several stalks of Crystal Stream Grass, which felt cool and wet to the touch; and a handful of Morning Dew Vines, whose leaves still held tiny, perfect droplets of what looked like pure water.
"Alright," he said softly to the Auspicious Beast. "I need a very low, very steady heat. Like the warmth of the sun on a spring morning."
She responded instantly, a gentle, orange-gold flame licking at the bottom of the cauldron. Huo Yuhao placed his hands on the sides of the pot, closing his eyes and activating his Spiritual Detection. He could feel the heat spreading perfectly through the vessel, a uniform, gentle warmth.
He began adding the ingredients, one by one, following the recipe to the letter. First, the Morning Dew Vines, which dissolved into a clear, fragrant liquid. Then, the Crystal Stream Grass, which melted and turned the liquid a pale, crystalline blue. The cauldron began to hum with a gentle energy.
Now came the most critical part. The book's recipe called for the blood essence of ten different water-attribute Soul Beasts. It was a cruel requirement, one he could never fulfill. His hope rested on the substitute Uncle Yao Ling had provided.
He took a deep breath and carefully placed the entire Thousand-Year Deepwater Lotus into the mixture.
The moment it touched the liquid, the cauldron began to shake. The gentle hum escalated into a violent, vibrating roar.
The blue liquid inside began to boil furiously, spitting and hissing. The energies were rejecting each other. The raw, concentrated power of the thousand-year-old plant was too wild, too untamed to integrate smoothly.
'It's failing!' he thought in a panic.
'Focus, disciple!' Elder Yi's calm voice echoed in his mind. 'Use your control! Do not let it overwhelm you. Squeeze the energy, just as you do your Soul Power. Force it to obey!'
Huo Yuhao's eyes snapped open, blazing with determination. He slammed his palms onto the cauldron's lid. He poured his own densified Soul Power through the conduit array, not to add to the mixture, but to cage it.
Simultaneously, he extended his spiritual will into the cauldron itself, a net of pure mental force.
He wrestled with the chaotic energy inside, his mind straining against the wild, bucking power of the lotus. It was like trying to tame a hurricane in a teacup. Sweat streamed down his face, his body trembling with the sheer effort.
Slowly, painstakingly, under the immense pressure of his will, the violent boiling began to subside. The chaotic energies, forced into submission, began to merge. The deep blue of the lotus bled into the crystalline liquid, turning it into a swirling vortex of sapphire and aquamarine.
After what felt like an eternity, the liquid calmed. It began to thicken, to coalesce. With a final, gentle pulse, the mixture separated into a dozen small, perfect spheres, which settled at the bottom of the cauldron.
He cut the heat, his body slumping with exhaustion, but his heart soared. He opened the lid. A cool, refreshing scent, like the air after a summer rainstorm, wafted out
Lying at the bottom were twelve pearlescent blue pills, each shimmering with a gentle, internal light. The Mystic Water Pills were complete.
The next day, after recovering his strength, he attempted the Soul Advancement Pill. This one required heavenly treasures: the Sun-Kissed Ginseng, the Starlight Petal Flower, and the Heavenly Essence Root.
The process was just as delicate, but the critical step was different. It required the infusion of pure, plant-attribute Soul Power to catalyze the final reaction.
When the moment came, he approached the grove where Uncle Yao Ling meditated.
"Uncle Yao Ling," he said shyly. "I need your help. Just for a moment."
The Myriad Demon King smiled. "Of course, little craftsman."
Huo Yuhao brought the simmering cauldron to him. At his signal, Yao Ling simply touched a finger to the cauldron's lid. A single, tiny wisp of vibrant green energy, so pure it was almost tangible, flowed into the mixture.
The effect was instantaneous. The simmering ingredients flared with a brilliant golden light, and a warm, earthy scent filled the air. The concoction solidified into six golden pills, each glowing with a gentle, sun-like warmth.
He had done it. He now possessed the keys to his own advancement.
Huo Yuhao knew better than to be reckless. The book was clear: the body needed time to absorb such potent elixirs. He would take one pill per day.
On the first day, he sat in his cave, holding a single Mystic Water Pill in his palm. It felt cool and smooth. With a deep breath, he swallowed it.
The moment it entered his stomach, it dissolved into a cool, refreshing stream of energy that spread through his entire body. It wasn't a violent rush, but a deep, pervasive cleansing. He could feel it washing through his meridians, dissolving impurities he didn't even know he had.
A thin layer of sticky, black grime began to seep from his pores, carrying a foul odor. It was years of accumulated waste from his time of malnutrition and hardship being forcibly expelled from his body.
The feeling was uncomfortable, but also incredibly liberating. He felt… lighter. Cleaner. His Soul Power, spurred by the pill's pure energy, surged. The bottleneck at Rank 17 shattered, and he shot straight through to Rank 18 with ease.
The next day, he took a second Mystic Water Pill. The cleansing effect was still present, but less dramatic. More subtle impurities were washed away. His soul power rose again, pushing him to the very peak of Rank 18, the threshold of 19 within his grasp.
On the third day, the final Mystic Water Pill had only a minor effect, solidifying his foundation and pushing him just over the line into Rank 19. The law of diminishing returns was absolute.
But the most profound change was in his potential. He felt that his meridians were wider, tougher, and his connection to the world's soul power was clearer than ever before.
On the fourth day, it was time for the final push. He held the golden, warm Soul Advancement Pill. This one, the book said, nourished the soul core directly. He swallowed it.
If the Mystic Water Pill was a cool river, this was a warm, nourishing sun. A gentle but irresistibly powerful energy flooded his dantian, feeding his soul core, strengthening its very essence. The final barrier, the great wall between a Soul Master and a Soul Grandmaster, began to crumble.
He sat down immediately, circulating the Mysterious Heaven Technique. He focused all his will, all his power, on that final bottleneck. He felt a great resistance, and then, with a sensation like a dam breaking, his Soul Power surged through.
A wave of power, denser and more potent than anything he had ever felt, washed through his body. The air in his cave seemed to grow heavy. His Soul Power had undergone a qualitative transformation.
He had reached Soul Rank 20.
The remaining pills, he presented to the Ferocious Beasts. Di Tian, after examining one, declared the energy within to be far too mild for his own level. The other beasts agreed. For them, it was like trying to fill an ocean with a teacup.
"But…" Bi Ji said, her eyes lighting up. "Our children… the young ones who carry our bloodlines… for them, this could be a great fortune."
The pills were distributed among the most promising younglings of the forest. A young Darkgold Terrorclaw cub, one of Xiong Jun's long line of descendants, swallowed a Mystic Water Pill.
The next day, its roars were noticeably stronger, and the other beasts could sense its cultivation, which would have taken a century to advance, had leaped forward by a hundred and fifty years in a single night.
A young Scarlet Devil Mastiff's fire became noticeably hotter.
A young Emerald Demon Bird's feathers took on a richer, more vibrant sheen.
The results were astonishing, a testament to the power of alchemy. Huo Yuhao's status in the forest was elevated once more, from valuable craftsman to a figure who could genuinely accelerate the growth of their entire race.
The Auspicious Beast, curious as always, tried one of each pill herself. As a being of pure destiny, she had few impurities to expel, but she still felt the Mystic Water Pill cleanse her, making her feel lighter and her connection to the world's fortune clearer. The Soul Advancement Pill gave her a tangible boost, a warm pulse of energy that solidified her own recent growth.
She looked at Huo Yuhao, who was now quietly celebrating his breakthrough to Rank 20, and a profound realization settled upon her.
He was not just their craftsman or their alchemist. He was their catalyst. He was the unexpected element that was changing everything, accelerating their evolution, and forging a new path for them all. And she was right at the center of it, his partner in creation. The future was no longer a slow, meandering river. It was a rushing, exciting torrent, and she couldn't wait to see where it would lead them next.
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A/N: Check out my other novels like "Blood Silver Emperor", "Harem Master: Seduction System" and the "Villain: Manipulating the Heroines into hating the Protagonist" and I hope you like this story and those stories as well.
Check out more chapters on my P.atreon. The P.atreon will have 20+ Chapters ahead for this story. I hope you like it.
The link of p.atreon is: bit.ly/evildragon