Chapter 83: Heart-Protecting Pill, Learning to Refine Medicine

At the table by the window, Zhou You lowered his head to read a book, which recorded the analysis of Ancient Seal Script.

His expression remained calm as a panel notification sounded in his ear.

"Experience Points -50, Ancient Seal Script 4 → v5."

A stream of information surged into his mind, and the obscure, difficult-to-understand characters on the paper immediately became vivid, actively drilling into his consciousness.

His attainments in Ancient Seal Script reached a higher level.

Zhou You put down the book, picked up a brush to write a few lines on paper, pondered for a moment, and then burned both the paper and the writing.

The translation of the Seven Step Poison Sand Palm technique was nearly finished.

This palm technique consisted of two parts: the Seven Soul-Chasing Steps and the Great Poison Sand Palm; the former was a movement technique, and the latter was a palm technique.

In addition to the movement and palm techniques, it also included an internal cultivation method, the "Boneless Heart Sutra."

As far as Zhou You knew, the internal cultivation method of the Jian Xiong Martial Arts Hall was named "Jade Tiger Art," and only Inner Court Disciples were qualified to learn it.

The Seven Step Poison Sand Palm used flesh palms to refine potent poison, contained palm wind, carried terrifying lethality in every gesture, and further possessed the Seven Soul-Chasing Steps that followed like a shadow, pursuing enemies to the ends of the earth.

With the movement technique combined with the palm technique, the overall lethality was even above the Tiger-Subduing Fist.

"Seven Soul-Chasing Steps, my Basic Lightness Skill can be raised another level."

Zhou You had roughly looked over the movement technique section; it used seven steps as a rhythm, shifting positions and appearing like a ghost.

Once the movement technique was used to close in on an opponent and the poison palm touched their skin, they would die on the spot, hence the name "Soul-Chasing."

This movement technique was of a higher grade than basic footwork like the Square-Circle Step or the Pecking Ground Jump.

And what about the Great Poison Sand Palm?

According to the name, the palm technique was the core of this martial art, and the Great Poison Sand Palm was clearly the most important part.

The specific steps for cultivation were to rub snake venom into the palms, circulate internal force and blood to refine it, and release it when facing an enemy; it was colorless and odorless when mixed into the air, and if it could touch the skin, it would seep in instantly, killing the enemy invisibly.

Do not underestimate this process; it was highly particular.

Potent poison harmed flesh and blood indiscriminately, and the practitioner was no exception, so there had to be a specific internal cultivation method to offset the damage and gradually strengthen the meridians to develop resistance to the poison.

The internal cultivation method of the Seven Step Poison Sand Palm was equivalent to the foundation of a tall building.

Without the internal cultivation method, if one only obtained the external palm technique of this Poison Sand Palm, the power could at most be trained to thirty percent.

Therefore, the grade of this poison palm was higher than the Tiger-Subduing Fist, and one must use the "Boneless Heart Sutra" for internal cultivation upon entry to have any effect.

The palm technique did not lie in exquisite changes, but in the lethality contained within the potent poison.

"Experience Points -100, Imperial Strike Hand lv10 converted to Great Poison Sand Palm lv1."

Zhou You made a decision instantly to raise this poison palm to the entry level, experienced the routines and changes of the palm technique, and shook his head.

The Poison Sand Palm without poison had power roughly the same as the Tiger-Subduing Fist; it was just an average standard.

But if one followed the internal cultivation method, rubbing potent poison into the palms and circulating it to the fingertips, the lethality would double out of thin air.

"Snake venom is very expensive!"

Zhou You shook his head; unless necessary, he should not try it easily.

He saw the end of the internal cultivation method again, and his body shook violently; this was the most precious content of the entire text.

"Heart-Protecting Pill."

Potent poison seeped into the skin and flowed into the blood, easily entering the heart chambers; although it was only a faint trace, in the long-term cultivation, once it accumulated, it would inevitably cause fatal damage by corroding the heart chambers.

The Heart-Protecting Pill was the pill paired with the Seven Step Poison Sand Palm; besides strengthening the meridians of the hands and increasing strength, it also had the effect of protecting the heart pulse and resisting the toxin from entering the heart.

"Excellent, this is too good."

After reading the prescription and refining method for the Heart-Protecting Pill, Zhou You could not help but laugh out loud.

The Heart-Protecting Pill was a Secret Medicine comparable to the Mountain Monarch Life-Changing Pill.

Although he did not have to worry about food and drink in the Outer Courtyard of the Jian Xiong Martial Arts Hall, the Secret Medicine needed for cultivation was a big problem.

As his cultivation grew, the medicinal power of Tiger Bone Paste and Tiger Bone Wine gradually faded, and he urgently needed more effective Secret Medicine. The Mountain Monarch Life-Changing Pill was the most suitable, but it was exclusively supplied to Inner Court Disciples and would not reach an Outer Court Apprentice like him.

Now that he had the Heart-Protecting Pill, he saw a glimmer of hope.

The Heart-Protecting Pill mainly neutralized the side effects of the Poison Sand Palm, but it also had the effect of strengthening the hands and increasing power.

"Hmm, the materials are not hard to find; basically, they can all be bought."

Zhou You pondered the channels for purchase; the Heart-Protecting Pill had to be kept secret, and only he could know about it.

His father worked at a firm, so he could entrust him to purchase a portion of the insignificant, ordinary medicinal herbs.

As for the remaining important medicinal herbs, he would find Xingren Tang to purchase them, while also mixing in other herbs to confuse the issue.

He was well-off now and was no longer satisfied with just buying Secret Medicine; he wanted to refine it himself, which would not only keep it secret but also save costs.

Taking this opportunity, he could buy some snake venom in small quantities over many times; after all, snake venom was also a precious material for making medicine.

In this way, the supplies for cultivating the Seven Step Poison Sand Palm could basically be gathered.

"Hmm, almost forgot, I don't know how to refine medicine!"

Zhou You slapped his forehead; even with the panel for strengthening and upgrading, he could do nothing about skills he had not come into contact with.

Fortunately, he had heard that there was a workshop in the back courtyard of the martial arts hall for processing Tiger Bone Paste, and there were several Apprentices helping inside.

He found Big Senior Brother Lu Qiang and expressed that he wanted to go and help.

"Hmm, that's fine too!"

Lu Qiang looked at Zhou You, who had volunteered, and added, "Helping in the workshop is fine, but there is one more thing."

"The Eldest Miss occasionally goes out, and she needs someone to guard her; the other Senior Brothers cannot get away, so I will send you and Li Hao."

Zhou You thought to himself that it was as expected; Shen Sijing was well-informed and knew this news in advance.

He did not decline, "Zhou You accepts the order."

The workshop in the back courtyard...

"Senior Brother Xu, are you working here too?"

Zhou You saw an acquaintance in the backyard workshop, Senior Brother Xu Ying.

"Zhou You, it couldn't be better that you've come to help at the workshop; I was just worrying about having no one to use."

Xu Ying pulled Zhou You along to tour the workshop, "Come, you haven't seen how Tiger Bone Paste is made, have you?"

Tiger Bone Paste is, after all, the Secret Medicine of the martial arts hall; to prevent it from leaking out, all unauthorized personnel are strictly forbidden from coming into contact with it.

Only Zhengshi Xuitu like them, whose status is tied to the martial arts hall, have the qualifications to come into contact with the secrets.

"The secret recipe for Tiger Bone Paste is held in the hands of the Big Senior Brother; we are just here to help out."

Apprentices like Xu Ying and Zhou You are responsible for the semi-finished processing of materials on the assembly line.

Only Strength Apprentice can withstand high-temperature burns and possess the strength to crush materials into powder.

"Tiger Bone Paste is not cheap; just the materials, plus the labor, tsk tsk!"

Zhou You finally understood why one patch of Tiger Bone Paste could be worth 5 taels of silver.

Those working are all Strength martial artists, and the labor cost included in it is a considerable figure.

According to his observations, the workshop is only responsible for the processing of Tiger Bone Paste, yet there are no traces of the Monarch Life-Changing Pill to be seen.

Connecting this to what Xu Ying introduced, that the secret recipe for Tiger Bone Paste is held in the hands of the Big Senior Brother, I fear that even Lu Qiang does not know about the higher-level Monarch Life-Changing Pill, which is mastered by the hall master Wang Jianxiong alone.

"When purchasing materials on weekdays, you will also come along with me."

Xu Ying glanced at the other few apprentices, "They all come from the manor outside the city, hanging around with Zhong Shaoying, and are not in the same group as us."

Within a small workshop, there is infighting and division into factions among the members.

(End of chapter)