After seeing how abundant the Yin Qi was around the pond, Chen Fan decided to stay here for a few days to take full advantage of the energy.
The Void Mortal Refinement Art was able to make use of not only Spirit Qi but also Yin qi and Malice Qi. Since he was in the middle of nowhere, Chen Fan asked the members of the Yin Ghost Sect to serve him while he stayed here.
Although the members of the Yin Ghost Sect were of below average talent in cultivation, they would suffice as his assistants for now.
Chen Fan also changed the power dynamic in the sect, making Master Wu the leader of the Yin Ghost Sect.
As soon as Master Wu took charge, he ordered the sect members to clear the area of bodies. They cremated the bodies individually and placed the ashes in urns. Their plan was to return these remains back to the Zheng family.
These bodyguards had died doing their job, and therefore they deserve to be respected.
Chen Fan pitched a small tent in beside the pond before he planned to dive into the pond to search for the Spirit Medicine.
Although the pond was only a few dozen meters in perimeter, underneath the pond was surprisingly spacious and was connected to a well developed natural aqueduct. It was no wonder that the Yin Snake was able to survive down here since it was able to prey on creatures that had wandered into the pond through the natural aqueduct.
Chen Fan quickly found the so-called Spirit Medicine. In addition, he also found an abundance of Yin Crystals.
“It was just a Senna plant? The Zheng Families are fools.” Seeing the glistering waterweed, Chen Fan shook his head.
Chen Fan was a few hundred meters below the surface, yet he was not only able to see things clearly as daylight, but he was also able to move around without any difficulties. Since he had reached the Ice Skin stage, his physical body was able to withstand the pressure of a few hundred meters of water above him.
Although the Senna plant was a kind of spirit herb, it had no use whatsoever in prolonging life.
The real use of the plant was to make the “Soul Forming Pills.”
Cultivators use the Soul Forming Pills to refine their immortal essence. The pill could also retain the soul of any deceased mortals. In other words, this pill was meant for Ghost cultivation and soul cultivators since its main effect was in refining and reinforcing the soul essence.
“If I were able to create the Soul Forming Pills. I should be able to access the Immortal Will with proper use of the Soul Refining Art.”
Chen Fan rubbed his chin and pondered his options.
Immortal Will was a special ability for cultivators who had reached the Divine Sea. It allowed the user to project their Immortal Will into their surroundings in order to probe or communicate. Some cultivators could even use the Immortal Will to kill.
After he made up his mind, Chen Fan acted right away.
This Senna plant was of five stars in its quality; only a couple notches below the perfect seven-star grade.
To make the Soul Forming Pills, only a few pieces of its leaves were required. However, before he started to create the pill, he needed to take care of the snake carcass.
The Yin Snake had reached the Ethereal Enlightenment stage, and after a few hundred years of cultivation, nearly everything on its body could be salvaged.
Chen Fan carefully carved out its eyes and kept it for the stage of the Golden Eyes. He then went to pry the scale off the snakeskin. These scales were extremely hard and durable, perfect materials for making armor.
Afterward, Chen Fan extracted the snake’s twenty-meter long spine. The spine was white as jade and cold to the touch. It was as if it was made out of thousands of years old cold steel.
Yin Qi had been coursing through the spine for over a hundred years, and by then, it had become a perfect material for making a Dharma Artifact.
Finally, Chen Fan started to take care of the flesh of the snake.
All cultivators learned to spot and consume Spirit Qi from nature. The Qi was everywhere if one knew where to look. It could be in jade, herbs, and flesh and even in blood of creatures. Thus it was, the flesh of the giant snake was ripened with Spirit Qi for the cultivator to harness.
Chen Fan put the snake meat in a pot and cooked it with Arcane Fire. After a while, the massive chunk of snake meat was reduced into a few thousand pellets. They were the “Arcane Pills.”
These Arcane Pills were created by Chen Fan using a special elixir brewing method that enhanced its effect greatly.
Although these pills were still not real spirit pills, they were a huge step up from the Essence Enhancing Pill.
A’Xiu and Master Wu both had one pill, and they felt the effects right away as a wave of heat permeated throughout their bodies. Soon, their skin was smoldering, and they could feel their muscles and bones strengthening by the second.
“These Arcane Pills can also help to prolong the effect of the Essence Gathering Pill.”
Suddenly, a sect member came over to Chen Fan and told him that Zheng Anqi had returned.
After she had arrived in Dong Du City, Zheng Anqi was finally able to gather herself and came to terms with reality. The reality was that she could do nothing to Chen Fan and she had lost the battle.
None of the rich teenagers of the Dong Du City dared stand up against Chen Fan after experiencing the terrible event in the valley. Therefore, Miss Zheng conceded that she would not expect any help from them.
Without the local support, and being miles away from Zhong Zhou, Zheng Anqi’s chances of getting the spirit herb was slime. The last resort was to beg Chen Fan, hoping that the boy would take pity on her situation.
After having a few long hard conversations with Mr. Shi, Zheng Anqi decided to return to the Yin Dragon Pond.
She looked much calmer than the last time she was here. The indifferent look on her face suggested that she had taken her personal feelings out of the meeting.
She wore a golden rimmed glasses that accentuated the curves of her lips and pointy chin. The slim fit business suit and tight black dress pants brought out her model-like body shape, the alluring sight completed with a pair of black high heels that gave her a touch of seductiveness.
However, her business clothing set the tone for the meeting.
“Mr. Chen, I am here to talk to you about purchasing the herb you have found in the pond.”
Zheng Anqi said firmly.
Her voice was firm and no-nonsense, the voice of an elite business woman that was inside of her. She gazed at Chen sharply, pressuring him with every moment that passed.
Chen Fan sat cross-legged on a flat rock beside the pond. The valley had changed a lot. A few lawn chairs and patio furniture were set beside the pond, and not far from the pond, the sect members had erected a few small cabins.
Chen Fan opened his eyes slowly and said lightly: “Well, since you asked, I will tell you the truth.
“I wager that the reason you need the herb is to prolong old man Zheng’s life.
“However, you are looking at the wrong cure. The medicine inside the pond was a Senna plant, and it was used to preserve a living person’s soul. It had nothing to do with prolonging life. If your old man uses it, his condition might deteriorate even further.”
Zheng Anqi’s face hardened after she heard Chen Fan’s words.
She looked to Mr. Shi for an opinion.
Mr. Shi furrowed his brows and fell into deep thought; after a while, realization finally dawned upon him. “Indeed! The Yin Dragon Pond was filled with Yin Qi, not an ideal place to grow an herb that would prolong life.”
He then turned to Zheng Anqi and apologized, “Mr. Zheng, it was all my fault. I had only seen the record of the herb, but didn’t take time to remember what the herb was for.”
Zheng Anqi managed a smile and say: “No worries. We will continue our search, and I expect the same assistance from you.”
Her voice was laced with disappointment.
The Zheng Family had searched half the land of China for a cure, and the Yin Dragon Pond had been their best bet. With their last shred of hope gone, Miss Zheng started to think that such a cure would never exist in the first place.
Suddenly, she heard Chen Fan’s voice: “Although you can’t use the plant, I might have something that could be of help to you.”
“Really?”
Zheng Anqi’s eyes lit up with hope.
Chen Fan cracked a smile and fished out a porcelain bottle from which he poured out an Arcane Pill. Then, he ordered a sect member to fetch him a wounded rabbit.
Chen Fan stuffed the Arcane Pill into the rabbit’s mouth.
Almost immediately, the gravely wounded rabbit sprung back to life and looked as if it was completely healed.
“Is this some kind of trick?”
Doubts surfaced on Zheng Anqi’s face as she watched the incredible effect of the pill.
Chen Fan didn’t speak; he produced another pill and handed it over to Mr. Shi.
Mr. Shi not only cultivated the wood element but was also versed in the art of traditional Chinese medicine.
He put the pill near his nose and sniffed it. And then, he closed his eyes and pondered a while.
“It’s filled with life energy. Yes. This is a Spirit Pill that meant to prolong a person’s life. This is… incredible!”
He exclaimed as he looked at Chen Fan surprisedly.
He had only read about such pills in ancient scrolls and had never met anyone who was capable of producing these incredible pills.
Zheng Anqi’s eyes lit up as her face softened.
Chen Fan said: “This pill is called Arcane Pill. One pill was able to prolong a dying person’s life for ten days. I have about a hundred of them in this bottle, enough to make the man live for another two years.”
Zheng Anqi siad immediately: “Very well; I will buy them all.”
Her voice held a great measure of certainty. As the top ten richest families in Hong Kong, money was not an issue for her.
She watched as Chen Fan raised a finger.
“A hundred million?”
Zheng Anqi gritted her teeth as she internalized the steep price.
The price was not low by any stretch of imagination since even supreme-grade ginseng was usually only for sale for ten million. The branch of the family that Miss Zheng represented had not yet consolidated the collective wealth of the Zheng family, and therefore, a hundred million was not a small number to her.
Her father was the second son of the old man and was embattled by his two brothers as he followed the old man’s will to take over the family business. The smooth transaction of power relied heavily on the old man’s involvement, and therefore the Zheng family was in dire need to acquire any medicine that could prolong the old man’s life.
Zheng Anqi nodded.
“Fine, So be it; I will take it.”
Master Wu was shocked by the magnitude of the wealth Chen Fan had just acquired.
It took Master Wu a lifetime to accumulate a couple of hundred million. However, Master Chen had earn half of his entire asset with some pills he had casually created.
Even as everyone was shocked by the development, Chen Fan shook his head and smiled.
“You have misunderstood me, Miss Zheng.
“I meant one hundred million for one pill.
“There is one hundred of them so that it will be…
“Ten billion.”
A chilling silence suddenly fell into the valley.