Chapter 276: The Dark Patterned Heyun Pill

"With just the two of us, it would be hard to guarantee success. In addition to Junior Brother Qin, I’ve also invited a friend to assist us. He’s already on his way to the estate and should be arriving soon. If Junior Brother Qin is willing, we can depart immediately. Once we break the barrier, the main root of the Earth Fire Tung Tree will belong to you, Junior Brother. My friend and I will divide the Fire Tung Sap between us. What do you think, Junior Brother?"

Yu Dayue seemed to have already made his plans, directly proposing a distribution scheme.

The Earth Fire Tung Tree had a main root, which was the most vital part of the entire tree, comparable in quality to the Black Flame Camphor.

However, the most precious part of the Earth Fire Tung Tree wasn’t the wood itself, but the Fire Tung Sap produced from the hollow trunk, a rare and valuable spiritual medicine.

As a helper, it would be improper for Qin Sang to take the main root without also sharing the Fire Tung Sap, or else it would be hard to justify to others.

Qin Sang didn’t respond immediately, instead falling into deep thought.

If it weren’t for Wandering Man’s prior invitation, he might have considered going with Yu Dayue. However, he was now waiting for Wandering Man to join him, and their agreed-upon meeting time was fast approaching.

A round trip to the ancient estate would take at least two months, and unfortunately, the two timelines overlapped!

Moreover, he had already obtained the Black Flame Camphor from the relics of Di Que, and the ebony sword had absorbed and refined it. It was enough to meet his cultivation needs, so his urgency for more spiritual wood had diminished.

Compared to the Earth Fire Tung Wood, Qin Sang valued the herb garden more.

Yu Dayue’s friend had already set off, and the trial space in the estate had been destroyed, leaving the stone stele exposed. It would now be much easier to enter the ancient estate.

There were now many people entering the estate to search for treasures, and since time was of the essence, they certainly couldn’t wait for him to finish with his herb garden.

It was impossible to pursue both goals.

After weighing his options, Qin Sang reluctantly declined.

Yu Dayue, clearly not expecting rejection, was momentarily taken aback. "Junior Brother Qin, the Earth Fire Tung Wood isn’t something you come across every day. Have you thought this through?"

Qin Sang sighed with regret. "I don’t mean to be rude, Senior Brother, but that matter is truly important to me, and I can’t afford to miss it. I can’t ask you and your friend to wait for me. If someone else reaches the Earth Fire Tung Tree before us, I’d be the one at fault. If you need additional help, I can contact Senior Brother Mu Yifeng. His strength far surpasses mine and would be of great help in breaking the barrier."

Yu Dayue furrowed his brow and tried to persuade Qin Sang a few more times, but seeing that Qin Sang had made up his mind, he shook his head regretfully and stood up. "It’s a shame. I heard you’ve been in seclusion in your cave dwelling, so I thought you’d have some free time. I didn’t expect it to be so unfortunate. I was too presumptuous. In that case, I won’t disturb you any longer."

Qin Sang had originally planned to have Mu Yifeng take the main root of the Earth Fire Tung Tree and then buy it from him.

It seemed that Yu Dayue wasn’t interested in this proposal.

As he escorted Yu Dayue out of the cave dwelling, Qin Sang added, "Senior Brother Yu, once you and your friend acquire the main root of the Earth Fire Tung Tree, if you’re thinking of selling it, you can consider me. I will certainly offer you a price that satisfies you."

Yu Dayue forced a smile. "I have no doubt about Junior Brother Qin’s credibility. But since the item hasn’t been obtained yet, it’s too early to talk about such things... Please return, Junior Brother!"

The evasion light soared and landed atop a snow-covered mountain peak.

Yu Dayue gazed at Qin Sang’s secluded cave dwelling, and the smile on his face faded without a trace. His expression turned dark and somber.

After a moment, Yu Dayue activated his evasion light once again and flew off.

A barely audible cold snort echoed from the mountaintop.

...

After sending Yu Dayue off, Qin Sang didn’t continue his meditation and cultivation. Instead, he took out a jade pendant.

The jade pendant was made of the purest white jade.

This pendant was given to him three months ago when Wandering Man came to visit.

Qin Sang channeled a thread of spiritual power into the jade pendant.

The next moment, a blinding light shot out from the pendant, illuminating the entire cave dwelling. The light was dazzling, and Qin Sang had anticipated it, squinting his eyes and focusing on the pendant.

The light from the pendant grew brighter, nearly milk-white and exceptionally dense. Then, the light fluctuated, and above Qin Sang’s palm, a circular mirror-like surface formed.

In the mirror was a scene of a distant mountain.

The mountain appeared to be shrouded in mist, and it was unclear whether it was due to the distance or a barrier obstructing the view, making it hard to see clearly.

He could only make out the outline of the mountain, where several beams of light pierced through the clouds, shooting toward the sky.

The lights varied in color; some were bright, while others were faint. They weren’t just beams of light—there was spiritual power swirling within, resembling the appearance of a treasure being born. In reality, these weren’t rays from a treasure, but the potent medicinal energy emanating from a spiritual herb that had reached maturity.

Among them, one beam of dark yellow energy stood out prominently.

As Qin Sang looked at this beam, he recalled the words Wandering Man had said.

"Junior Brother Qin, the image from the jade pendant isn’t very clear, but you can still discern a few things. This yellow light most likely corresponds to the spiritual herb Dark Patterned Yellow Essence."

"What you may not know, Junior Brother, is that the original name of the Heyun Pill was Dark Patterned Heyun Pill, but due to the absence of Dark Patterned Yellow Essence, the main ingredient, it was never able to be successfully refined."

"Later, a senior tried multiple times, altering the formula slightly and replacing Dark Patterned Yellow Essence with two other herbs, eventually creating a similar pill with slightly weaker effects."

"Due to the scarcity of spiritual herbs in the immortal cultivation world, such substitutions have become more common, though many of them end in failure. Some, however, end up having effects even stronger than the original formula."

"Without Dark Patterned Yellow Essence, the name Dark Patterned Heyun Pill no longer fits, so the name was shortened to just Heyun Pill."

"However, there’s one property that the Heyun Pill lacks, which the Dark Patterned Heyun Pill has, and that property comes from Dark Patterned Yellow Essence."

"If this spiritual herb is old enough, it can be used to refine the Yellow Spirit Pill, a pill that enhances cultivation. The older the herb, the more potent the effects. It works best for Foundation Building cultivators. The Dark Patterned Heyun Pill inherits this effect as well."

"So, even if the Dark Patterned Heyun Pill can’t heal your hidden injury, you don’t need to worry about it being a wasted trip. The remaining medicinal power can still be refined and used to improve your cultivation. It will at least help you reach the bottleneck of the middle stage of the Foundation Building Realm, saving you more than ten years of hard cultivation.""

Wandering Man paused for a moment before adding, "The most precious ingredient in the formula for the Dark Patterned Heyun Pill is the Dark Patterned Yellow Essence. All the other ingredients are common herbs that can be bought at the Taiyi Core Pavilion. Once you’ve gathered all the materials, I’ll refine the pill for you free of charge. Although my alchemy skills aren’t as great as some of the senior uncles, I’m confident I can achieve a seventy to eighty percent success rate. Of course, if you’re not reassured, I can recommend you to a few senior uncles. But Junior Brother, you should be prepared for their fees to be quite high."