229: Chapter 230 Diamond-Level Return!

His finger paused on the screen for a breath, then he opened City Lord Zhao Kun's chat box, typed a few words, felt it wasn't right, and deleted them.

He typed a few more words, still felt it wasn't right, and deleted them again.

After repeating this a few times, only two words remained.

"Thank you."

After sending it, Zhou Yun did not wait for a reply, exited the chat box directly, and clicked into the class group.

The group wasn't very active; a few sporadic chats were still discussing how hard it was to make money and if there were any ways to make money.

Zhou Yun typed a paragraph and sent it out.

"Zhou Yun: Everyone, I am in urgent need of a special Spirit Medicine with a rank no lower than Gold Rank and with extremely rigid and Yang properties. Any one of the Nine-Blaze Red Yang Ganoderma, earth-surging red flame golden lotus, or Heavenly Yang Golden Crow Grass will do. Does anyone know of any leads?"

After the message was sent, the group was quiet for a few seconds.

Then, replies began to flood in.

"Uh..."

"emmmmm"

"How long has it been, and the gap between us and Brother Yun has already become this big?"

"I haven't even seen a Bronze Rank Spirit Medicine, and Brother Yun is already at 'no lower than Gold Rank'..."

"The most terrifying episode!"

"Chen Peng: Brother Yun, you think too highly of us. A Gold Rank Yang Spirit Medicine? I wouldn't even dare to dream of it."

"Li Ming: That's right, Brother Yun. Something like a Gold Rank Spirit Medicine, I'm afraid only the major powers of an Intermediate city could obtain one, right?"

"Sun Hao: Brother Yun, why don't you try your luck at the auction house? Though I estimate it's a long shot..."

"Xu Qian: I can't help, Brother Yun, I'm really sorry."

Zhou Yun finished reading them one by one, his expression unchanged.

This result was within his expectations.

The scale of the cities of the vast majority of classmates in the group was not even as good as Flower City when it first started; to them, Gold Rank Spirit Medicine was something from an entirely different world.

He waited a while longer, and after confirming there were no new replies, his thumb moved to the back button.

This path didn't seem to work either; he could only think of other ways.

Just as he was about to exit WeChat, a private message popped up in the top right corner of the screen.

Chu Xinran.

Zhou Yun's finger paused.

He clicked open the chat box.

"Chu Xinran: Is this kind of Spirit Medicine very important?"

Zhou Yun stared at this line of text for a second, his fingers typing two words rapidly.

"Zhou Yun: Very important."

The other side was silent for a few seconds, then sent another sentence.

"Chu Xinran: How important?"

"Zhou Yun: Extremely important."

The "Other party is typing" indicator above the chat box flashed a few times, stopped, and then flashed again.

Finally, two words jumped onto the screen.

"Chu Xinran: Wait for me."

Although surprised that Chu Xinran actually had a way, he didn't ask more.

He knew Chu Xinran's personality.

If she was sure she could do something, she would have a definite reply.

If she couldn't, she would say so.

But now, these words were vague, and whether it would work was still uncertain.

To put it bluntly, it meant she would try, but it wasn't clear if it would succeed.

In this situation, asking more was useless.

Besides, even if he asked, the distance between them was too far, and he couldn't help.

So he just slowly put away his phone and turned to look at Lei Lie on the bed.

At this moment, Lei Lie had fallen into a coma again.

His complexion was worse than before, and the black Qi around his lips could barely be suppressed.

His chest rose and fell very lightly, but with great difficulty.

It was as if every breath required him to forcibly pull a bit of life from the depths of his body.

The Healer team was still working in shifts.

A young Healer had just stepped down, face pale, barely able to stand steadily by holding onto the corner of the table nearby.

Another Healer immediately stepped up and cast both Purification and Life spells.

The pale golden light looked very warm, but after falling into Lei Lie's body, it was as if it had encountered a tide of black, and in the blink of an eye, it was eroded and dimmed.

Zhou Yun watching this scene, his brows couldn't help but tighten again.

Chu Xinran said to wait for her.

He could wait.

But he couldn't just wait.

After all, there wasn't much time left.

For every moment delayed, the exotic spiritual power in Lei Lie's body would deepen by a fraction.

Moreover, even if Chu Xinran really knew of a lead, it might not be in time.

While lost in thought, Pharmacist Jiang suddenly stepped forward half a step.

"City Lord, this commoner has something to say, I do not know if I should speak."

"Speak."

Pharmacist Jiang deliberated and said: "We have been looking for a Gold Rank Spirit Medicine with extremely rigid and Yang properties, but if we cannot find one for the time being, can we try another path?"

Seeing Zhou Yun shift slightly, he continued:

"The medicinal properties of a single Spirit Medicine are limited, but within the medical Dao, there is the method of compounding. Alchemy and medicine refining are also about combining medicinal properties, removing Impurities, and extracting the essence."

"If we could use several Yang-attribute Spirit Medicines as the main ingredients, and supplement them with heart-protecting, vessel-solidifying, and evil-suppressing medicines, perhaps we might be able to refine a Medicinal Pill with an effect close to the extremely rigid and Yang properties."

Hearing this, Zhou Yun's eyes couldn't help but brighten a little.

Alchemy.

Medicine refining.

In the end, it was about synthesizing, extracting, and reshaping medicinal properties.

Touch of Gold could increase the rank, but it could not change the inherent medicinal properties of a Spirit Medicine.

But Alchemy and medicine refining were different; if several Yang-attribute Spirit Medicines were put together, if compounded properly, they might be able to force out stronger medicinal effects.

Perhaps, it might even be more suitable for treatment than a single Spirit Medicine!

However, thinking of this, Zhou Yun couldn't help but feel a little confused: "Since there is this path, why didn't you mention it before?"

Pharmacist Jiang's face immediately showed a look of difficulty.

"City Lord, please understand, it is not that this commoner did not want to say. It is just... to really refine medicine, we lack Pill Formula, and we need to repeatedly test formulas."

"Testing formulas consumes a huge amount of medicine. If it fails once, a whole furnace of Spirit Medicine is ruined. In ten furnaces, one might not even succeed, and even if it succeeds, it might not really be the right remedy."

Several Healers, pharmacists, and Magic Potion Masters nearby heard this and felt a sense of shared sorrow.

If there were a specific Pill Formula, then of course it would be easy to talk about.

But if there wasn't, it would require a lot of attempts.

The consumption behind this was incredibly staggering.

Given the extremely limited time now, failure was a high-probability event.

Precisely because of this, they had to admire Pharmacist Jiang's courage.

Daring to propose such a plan at this critical juncture, he must have been prepared to take responsibility.

On the other side, Zhou Yun did not hesitate after listening.

He turned to look at Wan'er.

"Draft an order."

Wan'er immediately opened the document book.

Zhou Yun said: "Effective immediately, Pharmacist Jiang is appointed as the temporary Director of the Rescue Department, coordinating Flower City's Healers, pharmacists, Alchemists, and Magic Potion Masters, specializing in new drug research!"

"The four types of professions will each perform their own duties and discuss the test formulas together. Pharmacists will determine medicinal properties, Healers will determine the pathogenesis, Alchemists will determine the furnace methods, and Magic Potion Masters will determine the extraction and stabilization methods."

"The Healer team will fully cooperate, and the Granary and Chamber of Commerce will cooperate in allocating medicine."

"All medicinal materials, magic stones, Pill Furnaces, Medicine Cauldrons, and related items are to be used first and reported later!"

"I have only one requirement."

"You must refine a medicine that can suppress the Dark Nether Wind-Driving Palm!"

Pharmacist Jiang's chest heaved violently, and then he bowed deeply.

"This commoner obeys!"

Only half an hour later, the side courtyard of the City Lord's Mansion had completely turned into a temporary medicine office.

Boxes of Spirit Medicine were carried in.

Black Iron Rank Red Yang Grass, Warm Yang Root, Fire-Pattern Leaf...

Bronze Rank Flame-Breath Fruit, Golden Vein Vine, Cinnabar Flower...

Silver Rank Red-Pattern Fire Ganoderma, Fire Jade Ginseng, Golden Flame Vine...

Box after box, cart after cart, all arranged according to their medicinal properties.

With the medicinal materials ready, Pharmacist Jiang did not rush to let the Alchemist Lu Qinglu open the furnace.

He first had people set up four long tables in the side courtyard.

The pharmacists' table was specifically for identifying medicinal properties.

They sliced, ground, and dripped liquid from every kind of Yang-attribute Spirit Medicine, categorizing them into mild-Yang, intense-Yang, dry-Yang, and supporting-Yang types, and listed the heart-protecting, vessel-solidifying, and evil-suppressing auxiliary medicines separately.

The Healers' table was specifically for looking at the pathogenesis.

They took turns checking Lei Lie's pulse, complexion, and breathing to judge how intense a medicine he could currently withstand, which medicines could be tested, and which could not.

The Alchemist's table was specifically for deducing furnace methods.

Lu Qinglu, with several assistants, recorded the results given by the pharmacists and Healers one by one, repeatedly deducing the heat, the order of adding medicine, and the timing of pill formation.

The Magic Potion Master Lan Yin opened another table, using the reaction of magic stones and medicinal liquid as an aid, trying to slow down the overly intense medicinal power and gather the overly scattered medicinal power.

In front of the four tables, the arguments almost never stopped.

"I think Red Yang Grass is too scattered, it cannot be used as the main medicine, it can only ignite the fire."

"But Fire-Pattern Ginseng is too dry, Minister Lei's heart and vessels cannot withstand it right now."

"If we use Rejuvenation Vine to protect the vessels first, then add Golden Flame Vine, can we suppress that surge?"

"The furnace heat is too dead, once the medicinal properties are locked, it will be difficult to digest after entering the body. Pharmacist Lan, can your potion first dissolve a layer of the fire Qi?"

Lan Yin stared at the color of the medicinal liquid, and after a while said: "It can be tried, but it requires fire-element magic stones to stabilize the reaction."

Pharmacist Jiang stood between the four tables, gathering the opinions one by one, deleting those that conflicted with each other, and leaving those most likely to be successful.

Until the first temporary prescription was completed, he looked at Lu Qinglu.

"Open the furnace."

Ge Tong also brought over a few newly polished Flame-Stabilizing Pearls and placed them one by one on the edge of the Pill Furnace.

And then, unsurprisingly... the first furnace of medicine was quickly ruined.

When the Pill Furnace was opened, there was only a lump of charred medicine residue inside.

Lu Qinglu's expression was ugly, and he subconsciously looked at Zhou Yun.

The latter's expression remained as usual, and he only said: "Continue."

And so... the second furnace blew up half of the furnace wall.

The third furnace had medicinal properties that were too scattered.

The fourth furnace had just formed a pill when fine cracks appeared on the surface, and the fire Qi that rushed out almost burned a Healer.

Pharmacist Jiang watched, his face turning pale.

Those were not ordinary herbs.

Every furnace contained graded Spirit Medicine.

Even if it was just Black Iron Rank or Bronze Rank, in the old city, they would already be very precious.

But now, they were being sent into the furnace like flowing water and poured out as medicine residue.

A young pharmacist finally couldn't help but whisper: "This furnace has ruined another thirty Bronze Rank Spirit Medicines."

The people next to him moved their throats, not daring to answer.

They were heartbroken.

Heartbroken to the point that the corners of their eyes were twitching.

Zhou Yun, however, stood under the corridor, listening to the notification sounds constantly ringing in his mind.

"Ding! You successfully gifted Red Yang Grass (Black Iron Rank) × 300, triggering a 100,000,000 times critical hit reward, obtaining a qualitative change reward — Luoshui Ganoderma (Gold Rank) × 3!"

"Ding! You successfully gifted Fire-Pattern Ginseng (Bronze Rank) × 100, triggering a 100,000,000,000 times critical hit reward, obtaining a qualitative change reward — Red Crow Earth Marrow Ginseng (Diamond Rank) × 1!"

"Ding! You successfully gifted Golden Flame Vine (Silver Rank) × 30, triggering a 1,000,000 times critical hit reward, obtaining Golden Flame Vine (Silver Rank) × 30,000,000!"

Notifications rang out one after another.

Gold Rank Spirit Medicine had appeared.

Platinum Rank Spirit Medicine had also appeared.

Diamond Rank Spirit Medicine had even appeared!

But after the people at the four tables looked at them, they still just shook their heads.

Some had high enough rank, but leaned towards restoring vitality, unable to break through the Dark Nether exotic spiritual power.

Some had extremely strong Yang Qi, but were too dry, too fierce, and too sharp, unable to remove this sharp Qi.

Taking them rashly, with Lei Lie's current body, he simply could not withstand it.

Some had close medicinal properties, but were scattered and not gathered; after entering the body, they would only be swallowed by that Dark Nether wind breath, instead fueling the opponent.

Hope lit up again and again, and sank again and again.

But Zhou Yun did not give up.

Pharmacist Jiang also did not stop trying.

Failure after failure, attempt after attempt...

Lu Qinglu's eyes were full of bloodshot veins, but his hands were becoming steadier and steadier.

Lan Yin's magic stones shattered one after another, but her face became calmer and calmer, focusing her spirit on every color change of the medicinal liquid.

The Healer team was still working in shifts to keep him alive.

Wan'er organized the news from various places into a thin stack, placed it by Zhou Yun's hand, and quietly replaced the cold tea with hot tea.

Xia Nuannuan wanted to speak several times, but in the end, she just watched Zhou Yun's profile from the side.

His eyes were already covered with bloodshot veins.

Green stubble had also appeared on his chin.

But every time the Pill Furnace opened, he would lift his eyes at the first moment.

At that instant, everyone could see a glimmer of hope light up in his eyes.

Then, that hope sank again in everyone's head-shaking.

The second day at night.

When the seventy-third furnace of Medicinal Pill was produced, no one in the side courtyard was speaking anymore.

Lu Qinglu used copper tongs to pick out the pill, his fingers shaking so much he could barely hold it steady.

It was a dark red Medicinal Pill.

The surface of the pill did not have bright fire patterns; instead, it looked like it was being pressed by a layer of heavy black Qi, with only a very thin golden thread showing through from the deepest part.

Pharmacist Jiang first took some pill shavings into water, and then tested the Qi with a silver needle.

The pharmacist took the residue to distinguish whether its medicinal properties had formed a trend.

The Healer immediately returned to Lei Lie's bedside to re-examine his pulse.

Lan Yin dripped a drop of potion and stared at the golden thread in the medicinal liquid for a long time.

Lu Qinglu stood by the Pill Furnace, even his breathing became light.

Finally, several people looked up at the same time.

Pharmacist Jiang's voice was hoarse.

"Lord, it is done."

Zhou Yun stood up abruptly.

Everyone in the side courtyard also looked up.

Pharmacist Jiang hurriedly added: "It is not an antidote. This pill still cannot remove the Dark Nether exotic spiritual power in Lei Lie's body."

The eyes that had just lit up around him tightened again.

Pharmacist Jiang continued: "But it can lock the heart and vessels, and to a certain extent, suppress the trend of that exotic spiritual power continuing to grow."

He swallowed hard.

"As long as it is taken on time, Lei Lie can at least hold on for a few more days."

A few days.

These two words made Zhou Yun's tightly tensed shoulders and back relax imperceptibly.

It was only prolonging his life.

It was not saving his life.

But in the end, it was a breath of time forcibly snatched from the dead end of only four days left!

This was already very ideal.

"Well done!"