Chapter 26: Alternative Pill, Lab Rat?

It was night.

On the pitch‑black Longshe Shan, the wailing finally ceased.

Longshe Shan had been howling all night; now it was quiet.

Inside the cauldron, Xiao Pangzi Shang Yue stopped his screams and struggles, and Shang Hongxue leapt down, worried: "Brother Chuyang, my brother isn't dead, is he?"

She kept staring into the pot; there was no movement. Shang Hongxue was very worried, biting her lip. If her brother died, she would become an accomplice—how could she explain it to her father and the others? Thinking of that, her eyes reddened, tears ready to spill.

Chen Chuyang smiled: "He's not dead, just fainted; no need to worry."

As he said so, he lifted the lid; Xiao Pangzi Shang Yue lay inside, breathing still, and his aura was thick, showing no sign of death at all.

Shang Hongxue exhaled; she had been terrified that her brother would die here—if that happened, even leaping into the Yellow River wouldn't wash away her guilt.

Having confirmed her brother was still alive, Shang Hongxue's worry eased; the hanging weight in her heart lifted.

Her brother had been overwhelmed by that foul stench; the first experience was indeed like that, and his endurance surprised Shang Hongxue. The liquid kept bubbling, each bubble bursting, releasing purple vapors that enveloped Shang Yue, making his complexion even more unsightly.

Xu Junbai continued to add spiritual medicines; for each addition he recorded the state of the liquid, the reactions between medicines, the collisions of effects, and the subtle changes, none escaping his eyes.

Shang Hongxue stood by, watching and helping.

"All right, the final spiritual medicine. Your brother is lucky; these are all my treasured elixirs. When he wakes, remember to pay."

Chen Chuyang said sternly, reminding Shang Hongxue.

Shang Hongxue's help is free, but Xiao Pangzi isn't; he must be paid.

He isn't doing it for free, and Chen Chuyang charges a steep fee.

"No problem, Brother Chuyang, don't worry; next time I'll bring you a reward."

"Very good."

Everyone says Shang Hongxue has the highest enlightenment, the smartest; look, she understands how hard it is for me and feels my pain.

In this regard, even Shang Hongchen's flattery can't keep up.

All the spiritual medicines were tossed in; Chen Chuyang watched the reaction inside. Shang Yue let out a moan, then his brows relaxed; he seemed to be enjoying it rather than being tormented.

The record reads: the order of each spiritual medicine is correct, and their combination is also correct.

The body is strengthening rapidly; blood and skin alike, and Xiao Pangzi's cultivation level rose by one Heaven.

While soaking, Xiao Pangzi Shang Yue's cultivation broke through from Blood Training Fifth Heaven to Blood Training Sixth Heaven; that single Heaven breakthrough saved him several months of arduous practice, showing the liquid's great effect.

After absorbing the pot's spiritual medicines, Shang Yue's body will become stronger, and his cultivation may advance further.

However, rapid advancement isn't ideal; a gradual rise is the best.

"Shang Yue's physical foundation is excellent, far better than Shang Hongxue's; the dosage can be more aggressive. This formula shows no issues so far; after a tweak it becomes an entirely new pill recipe."

"The required spiritual medicines are few, and their grades need not be high; the pill's effect is probably just average."

"For cultivators below the True Qi realm, this pill's boost is quite noticeable."

Within the Chen Clan, the new‑generation disciples greatly need this pill; if it can truly be forged, it would be a massive upgrade for the whole Chen Clan.

Chen Yuan strongly supports Chen Chuyang's research; it would be best if it can be realized.

At present, only the final step remains.

As for the lab rats, they won't be used again.

Xiao Pangzi's arrival nicely compensates for that.

The forged liquid needs someone to test it; after all, no one knows the exact combination, and consequences naturally follow.

No one can foresee what the future holds; Chen Chuyang isn't a god and can make mistakes.

If an error occurs, the repercussions are unimaginable.

Time passed, minute by minute.

An entire night elapsed.

The two crouched beside the pot, flames licking it, and they spent a night that wasn't particularly cold.

The sleeping Shang Yue awoke and immediately checked his condition.

He wanted to reproach Chen Chuyang a few words; this person actually used him as a test subject.

How could this be? It's unforgivable.

"I… uh… broke through?"

The Blood Training Fifth Heaven cultivation was replaced by Blood Training Sixth Heaven; he truly broke through, not a dream.

Xiao Pangzi pinched himself, cried out in pain, then looked at his hands; indeed, he had broken through, not a dream.

Chen Chuyang and Shang Hongxue watched the scene, both left speechless.

Shang Hongxue coughed: "Cough, cough, Shang Yue, how do you feel?"

Shang Yue's face flushed; his embarrassment was seen by them, but who is he to care about a little shame? He's endured such things enough, so why would—

"Second sister, I'm fine, better than ever."

Chen Chuyang interjected: "You're obviously fine; if you don't find a place to sit down now, you might get even better."

Shang Yue a second ago didn't know what that meant, the next second his complexion changed.

His body arched, and his face instantly turned a deep purple.

"You actually poisoned me."

"I…"

Xiao Pangzi sprinted to the edge of Yu Tang, immediately beginning to release poison.

"Puff puff puff."

Purple toxic fumes shot upward; the fish in Yu Tang were instantly tormented, some unable to endure and turned belly‑up.

Chen Chuyang had anticipated it, stepping back a dozen meters, covering his nose, and watching the scene with appreciation.

"Tsk tsk tsk, what a spectacle."

"So many fish died, I'm calculating, wait, how much money does he have to compensate?"

"Shang Hongxue looked at the calculating elder brother Chuyang, not joking."

"Looking at his own younger brother, really, an eyesore, too inattentive to appearance."

"Also, it really stinks."

"Compared to those Items, it's even more stinky, the smell is deadly."

"Chuyang elder brother, Shang Yue, what's wrong with him?"

"Detoxifying."

"Nothing will happen, right?"

"No."

Chen Chuyang said: "After your younger brother finishes detoxing, remember to let him compensate."

"..."

Shang Hongxue looked at the bill in front of her, which listed how much money he had to compensate; when she saw the final amount, a full one hundred thirty spirit stones, her eyes went wide, unable to believe she was looking at this bill.

"Chuyang elder brother, is this too much?"

One hundred thirty spirit stones, they only earn a dozen or so spirit stones a year; they are not the elder sister Shang Hongchen, who can control most of the Shang Clan's spirit stones; the two of them cannot come up with that many spirit stones, isn't this demanding their lives?

When will the younger brother finish paying back the money? This is also too... much.

"Not much, not much, I have every account here, you can look, there's no fraud against him."

Shang Hongxue looked, indeed so, every amount has an account, but is this account too... made up?

Even flowers and grasses need to compensate ten spirit stones each, this is too black, right?

"You're basically robbing, right?"