764: Chapter 759 The Legendary Fuli

A Hai persuaded him.

"Perhaps Mr. Shen was tricked. How could this dead tree root come back to life?"

"Let's return the money to him and call off this job."

He Jingzhong suddenly turned his head.

His gaze was as fierce as a wolf's.

"Get out!"

"It's not dead!"

"I heard it breathing!"

A Hai was scared away.

The fourteenth day.

Shen Yan arrived as usual.

He was wearing a well-tailored dark gray suit.

These past few days, the company had been very busy.

Acquiring several small technology companies to pave the way for entering Artificial Intelligence.

He also had to accompany Liu Hui to try on wedding dresses.

But he still appeared here punctually at eight o'clock every day.

"Still no movement?"

Shen Yan glanced at the bronze censer.

More than half of the Jiang Zhen Incense in the sack had already burned.

He Jingzhong was lying on the ground, his ear pressed against the vine.

His hands were trembling.

This was the limit of physical exhaustion.

"Almost..."

"Mr. Shen, just give me a little more time."

"Just a little bit."

He Jingzhong's voice was as hoarse as sandpaper rubbing against a tabletop.

He was afraid Shen Yan would lose patience.

Afraid the three million would be taken back.

Even more afraid that his thirty years of waiting would turn into a joke.

Shen Yan did not speak.

He summoned the system panel in his mind.

[Target Status: Awakening Critical point (Critical Point)]

[Current Awakening Progress: 99%]

[Estimated Awakening Time: 1 minute later]

Shen Yan raised an eyebrow.

He didn't leave.

Instead, he found a clean stone and sat down.

"Rest for a while, Master He."

"Wait for the wind."

He Jingzhong was stunned for a moment.

He didn't understand what Shen Yan meant.

But a breeze truly began to stir in the valley.

It wasn't ordinary mountain wind.

It was a warm breeze carrying moist vapor.

The wind swept up the intense fragrance of the Jiang Zhen Incense and fiercely poured it into the root of the withered vine.

At that very instant.

"Crack."

An extremely faint crisp sound.

In the silent valley, it exploded in He Jingzhong's ears like a clap of thunder.

He suddenly widened his eyes.

He saw that the grayish-white skin of the withered vine suddenly split open with an extremely fine fissure.

Immediately following that.

A drop of crystal-clear liquid, glowing with a faint golden luster, slowly seeped out from the fissure.

It was like a tear flowing from dead wood.

But this tear...

was fragrant.

Boom!

An overwhelmingly domineering aura instantly erupted.

It wasn't as pungent as Jiang Zhen Incense.

Nor was it as steady as Agarwood.

It carried a coolness that shot straight to the crown of the head.

Like a sharp sword, it instantly cleaved through the murkiness of the valley.

The air, which had become somewhat musty due to the heavy rain, instantly became incomparably clear.

"It's alive..."

"It's alive!"

"Heaven has eyes!"

He Jingzhong immediately dropped to his knees.

Ignoring the mud and water on the ground.

He started kowtowing to the vine.

Making loud thudding sounds.

His face was smeared with tears and snot.

This was the grievance of his thirty years.

The madness of thirty years.

At this moment, it finally received its reward.

Shen Yan sat on the stone, watching this scene.

The data on the panel was jumping wildly.

[Detected high concentration of "floating dawn" raw liquid]

[Market Valuation: Incalculable]

[Recommendation: Collect immediately and process within three hours.]

Shen Yan stood up.

He walked behind the nearly delirious He Jingzhong.

He reached out and patted his shoulder.

"Master He."

"We can catch up on old times later."

"Time to work."

He Jingzhong jolted.

He snapped back to reality instantly.

Professional instinct immediately overwhelmed emotion.

"Right... right! We must collect it quickly!"

"This thing solidifies upon contact with the wind; if it's too late, it will be ruined!"

He fumbled in his bag and pulled out a small knife as translucent as jade.

It was the "Kunlun Jade Blade," specifically used for cutting top-grade spices.

Metal would ruin the fragrance.

Only jade could retain the essence.

He Jingzhong took a deep breath.

His previously trembling hands miraculously steadied the moment he grasped the jade knife.

This was the muscle memory of a master.

Peeling the skin.

Draining the fluid.

Collecting the dew.

Every movement was fluid, carrying an ancient rhythm.

That golden liquid slid along the edge of the jade knife into a crystal vial that had been prepared long ago.

One drop.

Two drops.

Three drops.

The entire process lasted a full two hours.

The vine seemed to have exhausted all its reserves.

After flowing out about ten milliliters of liquid, the wound automatically healed.

It returned to its lifeless appearance once more.

He Jingzhong carefully held the crystal vial.

As if cradling a newborn infant.

The liquid inside the vial presented a dreamy amber color.

Even through the stopper.

That soul-stirring fragrance still faintly wafted out.

"Mr. Shen."

He Jingzhong turned around.

Handing the vial to Shen Yan.

His waist was bent at a ninety-degree angle.

This time,

it was complete submission.

"This is the legendary 'floating dawn'."

"It is also the 'Immortal Incense' recorded in ancient texts, capable of granting one ascension in broad daylight."

Shen Yan took the vial.

The system did not prompt that it could be used directly.

[Raw material extraction complete]

[Requires secondary blending to activate its nerve repair efficacy]

Shen Yan put the vial away.

"This is just a semi-finished product, right?"

He Jingzhong nodded, a trace of fervor flashing in his eyes.

"That's right."

"This is just the raw liquid."

"It's too potent; smelling it directly will burn the brain."

"It requires blending with another thirty-six auxiliary ingredients, following the Sovereign-Minister-Assistant-Envoy formula, to achieve 'He Xiang' (Compound Blending)."

"That is my job now."

Shen Yan nodded.

"To your workshop."

"Now."

Deep within Rosemary Dell, there was an inconspicuous small wooden house.

This was He Jingzhong's incense-making studio.

It was filled with various bottles and jars, as well as several constant-temperature cabinets.

For the next three days,

He Jingzhong locked himself inside.

On the evening of the third day,

Shen Yan arrived at Rosemary Dell again.

He pushed open the wooden house door.

An indescribable scent rushed out.

Not strong.

Very faint.

But just inhaling one breath.

The entire person felt as if their cerebral cortex had been stroked by a gentle, large hand.

All fatigue, anxiety, and distracting thoughts vanished instantly.

Leaving behind only a sense of ethereal clarity.

He Jingzhong sat in front of the workbench.

Holding a black lacquer box in his hands.

He looked even more haggard than three days ago, but his spirit was frighteningly good.

"It's done."

He Jingzhong pushed the lacquer box toward Shen Yan.

Shen Yan opened the box.

Inside lay three incense pills, each the size of a fingernail.

They were pitch black.

Faint golden patterns subtly flowed across their surfaces.

Just like the starry sky at night.

"This is 'floating dawn'."

He Jingzhong's voice was trembling.

"I modified it slightly based on the ancient formula."

"The old 'Immortal Incense' was used for inducing hallucinations."

"But this thing..."

"It can make people sober."

"Absolutely sober."

Shen Yan extended two fingers, pinching one incense pill.

He brought it close to his nose and inhaled lightly.

Boom.

In his mind, it was as if a lightning bolt had flashed across.

His brain, which had been somewhat dull from processing massive amounts of commercial data, instantly became incomparably clear.

His thinking speed was astonishingly fast.