Yi Shi Dan

When Shen Wen returned to his courtyard in the Pill Tower Inner City, the sky was already approaching dusk.

Pushing open the courtyard gate, the familiar scenery came into view.

Every plant and tree seemed to remain as they were before he left, though there were a few more traces of careful maintenance.

Clearly, Cao Ying had arranged for people to clean and maintain it in advance.

He did not stop his pace and walked straight toward the main hall.

Cao Ying was inside the hall, giving instructions in a low voice to a Cao Clan manager. Seeing him enter, she waved for the manager to withdraw and came forward to meet him.

"Husband is back." Cao Ying said with a smile in her eyes, naturally pouring a cup of tea for him. "Was everything smooth on the Old Ancestor's side?"

"Mm, Master gave me a lecture, but I finally passed." Shen Wen took the teacup, sat down in the main seat, and breathed a sigh of relief. "Is everything in the courtyard going well?"

"Everything has been properly arranged." Cao Ying sat down beside him and reported clearly, "The Snake-People Clan is temporarily settled in the west guest courtyard. Commander Kui Xing is leading the guards on rotation, and several leaders like Yue Mei are assisting with the settlement."

"Xiao Yi Xian, Qing Lin, and Sister Dan Chen all chose the Quiet Rooms on the east side. As for that girl Zi Yan..."

She paused and smiled somewhat helplessly, "She clamored to live in the courtyard closest to the kitchen. I arranged for her to be in the North Courtyard; it's close to the small kitchen and quiet."

Shen Wen nodded and took a sip of tea: "Thank you for your hard work."

"It's my duty." Cao Ying shook her head and continued, "I just received news that the date for the Tier 8 assessment is set for half a month from now. The location is the 'Myriad Medicinal Square' in front of the Pill Tower's main hall."

"At that time, the Three Great Giants and several Elders from the Little Pill Tower will be present. It's quite a grand occasion."

"Understood." Shen Wen's expression was calm, as if he had already expected this. He put down his teacup and pondered for a moment. "I already have a plan for the assessment's Medicinal Pill."

"Oh?" Cao Ying's beautiful eyes brightened slightly. "What kind of Medicinal Pill does husband intend to refine?"

"yi shi pill." Shen Wen slowly uttered three words.

Cao Ying was first startled, then a look of realization and amazement flashed in her eyes. "I see... Although this pill is ranked as Tier 8 Elementary, it is extremely difficult to refine because it can reshape the Physique and consolidate the Foundation. It will even trigger Five-Colored Pill Lightning."

"If the pill is successfully formed, it will be enough to prove that husband's Alchemy has reached the Tier 8 Realm and possesses extraordinary potential."

Shen Wen nodded: "That is exactly the intention."

He said no more and instead asked: "Where is Xiong Tao?"

"In the Martial Arts Field familiarizing himself with the environment and helping with patrols," Cao Ying replied. "He has already broken through to Seven-Star Dou Zong. His aura is steady; he is quite a capable one."

Shen Wen gave an "Mm" and closed his eyes to think for a moment. When he opened them again, his gaze had become clear and sharp.

Returning to the Central Plains did not mean he could stop. On the contrary, many things were just beginning.

He needed to secretly keep an eye on the news of the Bodhi Ancient Tree. That concerned the Dou Sheng Opportunity and was also one of the key bargaining chips for confronting the Hun Clan in the future.

Zi Yan's Void Ancient Dragon royal Bloodline could be temporarily hidden for now, but it was by no means a long-term solution.

The internal situation of the Void Ancient Dragon Clan was complex. East Dragon Island, West Dragon Island, South Dragon Island, and North Dragon Island were split and in confrontation, and the royal Bloodline was withering.

Once Zi Yan's identity was exposed, it would surely attract the covetousness of the Dragon Islands, and might even trigger a conflict between the Pill Tower and the Ancient Dragon Clan.

This matter needed to be planned carefully. Perhaps... he should find an Opportunity to let Zi Yan gradually undergo Bloodline Awakening and Master the power to protect herself.

Xiao Yi Xian's Calamity Poison Body was temporarily controlled using the Netherworld Poison Flame, but it was not a permanent cure after all.

He needed to find a way to obtain the Ice River Valley's research on the Calamity Poison Body.

The Valley Master, Venerable Bing He, was ambitious and used ruthless means; this matter required cautious planning.

As for his own cultivation, Four-Star Dou Zong was far from enough.

He needed to break through to Dou Zun as soon as possible to truly establish a foothold in the Central Plains.

The deduction of the zun ji pill already had some progress, but involving a Breakthrough to the Dou Zun level, the difficulty was far beyond that of the zong ji pill. It required more accumulation and attempts.

There was also the spatial passage between the Northwest and the Central Plains... If a dedicated spatial wormhole could be built, traveling between the two places would be like walking on level ground. This was crucial for him to integrate resources and plan for the future.

This matter was costly and technically complex, but it had to be put on the agenda.

There were a thousand threads and ten thousand strands, all of which required time and strength to sort out one by one.

"Ying'er," Shen Wen said, "I will be in seclusion for these next few days to sort out what I've gained from this trip and make some preparations for the assessment. I'll have to trouble you with the matters in the courtyard."

Cao Ying said softly: "Husband can rest assured and go into seclusion. I'll handle things outside."

Shen Wen stood up, gently patted her hand, and turned to walk toward the Quiet Room.

Pushing open the door of the Quiet Room, the familiar scent of medicine and the aroma of ink and scrolls greeted him.

On the long desk, his unfinished manuscripts from before he left the tower were neatly stacked. The books on the shelves in the corner were as they were before, as if time had stood still here.

He sat down cross-legged. He did not immediately enter a meditative state but first took out a blank Jade Slip from his storage ring.

With a slight thought, he used his Soul Power as a pen and quickly began recording onto the Jade Slip.

First was the Pill Formula deduction and refining key points of the "yi shi pill."

Although he also had the Pill Formula for this pill.

He had never refined it before, after all.

He needed to use the deduction ability of the "Future Non-Existence Sutra" and the many new ideas he had gained from the Old Ancestor Xuan Danzi to thoroughly perfect the Pill Formula and pre-set all possible variables and countermeasures during the refining process.

Soul Power flowed, and the Jade Slip flickered with light as dense writing and runic diagrams continuously appeared.

Two hours later, the deduction regarding the yi shi pill reached Perfection.

Shen Wen put down the Jade Slip, adjusted his breathing slightly, and took out another roll.

This time, what was recorded was the preliminary concept of the "zun ji pill."

Using the success of the zong ji pill as a Foundation, he reverse-deduced the key Breakthroughs required for the Dou Zun Realm.

It was not just the deepening of Space Power, but also involved the initial touch and application of "rules." The combination of medicinal ingredients, energy guidance, the integration method of rule imprints... every step was profound and obscure. He could only outline a rough framework and several possible directions for Breakthrough.

Next was the "Summary of spatial wormhole Construction."

He recalled the structure of the wormhole in Tianya City, combined it with the mysteries he had realized from the space ancestral talisman and the possible records in the Pill Tower's library, and listed a preliminary concept including a list of core Materials needed, the layout of Formation nodes, and the choice of energy sources.

Finally, he categorized and briefly recorded various pending matters such as the Bodhi Ancient Tree, the Void Ancient Dragon, the Ice River Valley, and the subsequent movements of the Hall of Souls, forming a clear action plan.

By the time he finished all this, the sky outside was already filled with stars.

Shen Wen let out a long breath and put away the Jade Slip.

The chaotic thoughts in his heart were now orderly and clear.

He closed his eyes and operated the "Past Amitabha Sutra." Golden scriptures flowed in his Sea of Consciousness, bringing a sense of clarity and tranquility.

The fatigue and stray thoughts accumulated from days of travel were slowly washed away.

Shen Wen stood up, "It's time to go and learn from the Old Ancestor."

He had promised Xuan Danzi before that after handling the miscellaneous matters, he would go and learn from the Old Ancestor, so he naturally could not break his word.

Leaving the Quiet Room, Shen Wen handed over the matters to be handled later to Cao Ying for her to arrange and hurried into the Little Pill Tower.

Xuan Danzi was already looking at a Pill Formula. Seeing Shen Wen arrive, he said, "Is everything handled?"

"It's handled for now."

"Fine."