Everything was moving in a positive direction. He finally had enough money to buy higher-grade spiritual herbs and alchemical fire to refine higher-grade pills and improve his alchemy skills.
A gentle breeze carried a light drizzle that sprinkled on the window. Since he didn't plan to go out, Fu Mingxu was only wearing a light blue wide sleeve. His gaze was blocked by the clump of green bamboo, and finally fell on the flowers and plants clustered in front of the window.
Fu Mingxu's thoughts came to an abrupt halt when he caught sight of the person appearing beside the green bamboo. The newcomer was tall and imposing, with a clump of green bamboo behind him, making him appear even more robust and powerful.
The image of a muscular upper body and a perfectly integrated, powerful dragon tail subconsciously surfaced in his mind. After a moment of distraction, the other party had already entered the arched courtyard gate.
A light rain was falling, and the sky was half-dark. Fu Mingxu stood calmly by the window, as if nothing in this world affected him. A gentle breeze lifted the open hem of his outer robe, and his black hair fluttered lightly, as if he might ride the wind away at any moment.
Han Tao's hands clenched involuntarily, as if he could grasp the fluttering hem of his robes and keep him in the mortal world.
"Fu Mingxu." Han Tao called his name to his face for the first time, and his chest pounded faster.
Fu Mingxu blinked, his eyes regaining their sparkle, and he turned his head slightly: "Lord Han."
The two were separated by a window. Fu Mingxu noticed that a light rain was falling on his head, but his shoulders were completely dry. His heart stirred slightly: "You've recovered your cultivation?"
Han Tao hadn't expected him to be so observant, and nodded upon hearing this: "He's recovered by two points."
It seems the effects of the Orchid Soul Flower petals last night were quite good, and Fu Mingxu is even more looking forward to refining the Orchid Soul Pill.
He didn't know Han Tao's exact strength before he became a demon, but recalling that he was able to severely injure the demon race single-handedly during the war between immortals and demons, his strength must not be underestimated.
If it weren't for Immortal Lord Siyang reversing Yin and Yang, allowing him to be reborn, he probably would have died in the cataclysmic upheaval of the Cangling Continent.
Aside from the time he saved Han Tao when the world collapsed, any further entanglement between him and Han Tao was simply something he needed to do after his rebirth.
Besides, there was an insurmountable chasm between the two.
This is not him belittling himself, but rather the only fact he can see.
The two stood facing each other, the drizzle falling gently. Han Tao looked down at the strand of black hair that fluttered in the wind, unaware of his thoughts.
"This is dragon flame and dragon blood." His gaze finally met Fu Mingxu's briefly, and a jade box and a jade bottle appeared in his palm. He handed them to him and said, "This is your reward."
The expression in his golden eyes was intense and turbulent. For a moment, Fu Mingxu suddenly had a feeling that he was just making excuses to get Fu Mingxu to accept these things.
He scoffed inwardly, thinking that he was probably being influenced by the past, which was why he had such terrible thoughts.
However, since he was able to cure Han Tao, these rewards were truly justified.
"Then I won't stand on ceremony." He reached into his robe and accepted it with a smile.
A pale white peeks out from beneath the deep blue, like a tender bamboo shoot peeled from a green bamboo shoot, and a faint red mark remains on her fair, snow-white wrist.
Han Tao glanced at it briefly, and the bottle and box in his hand trembled slightly. Fortunately, the movement was so subtle that the other party did not notice.
His expression remained unchanged, and he mimicked the smile on his lips: "If you don't have enough dragon blood, you can ask me for more."
Fu Mingxu raised an eyebrow, his eyes clearly asking: Is dragon blood really that cheap?
Han Tao pretended not to understand his expression and said in a deep voice, "If this is enough for you to study medical principles, that's fine too."
What he didn't tell Fu Mingxu was that this was his refined dragon blood, and if dragon blood really had a fragrance, it was even better than what he had smelled before.
The jade bottle containing the dragon's blood was sealed tightly, and not a trace of the dragon's blood's scent leaked out.
"That should be enough." Fu Mingxu tightened his grip on the jade bottle slightly and assured him, "Once the remaining medicinal herbs arrive, the Yangpo Pill will be ready soon."
He was always very confident in his alchemy and medicine-making skills: "In addition, I will brew a medicinal soup for you today using frost buds and crane branches."
There's no need for a well-preserved alchemy furnace to brew medicinal soup. Han Zhengzhi was afraid it would explode, so he sent over quite a few furnaces, which came in handy. Besides, for him, all he needed to do was prepare the ingredients and brew them with alchemical fire.
“Have Han Zhengzhi come and pick it up in the evening.” Fu Mingxu calculated the time and estimated, “Tonight, conjure up the dragon tail, and immerse everything except the head in it.”
As the two were talking, the light drizzle outside the window had stopped without them noticing.
The clouds dispersed and the rain stopped, and the sky cleared. He couldn't help but look up. The sunlight bathed his features, and the misty clouds between his brows and eyes, like distant mountains, dissipated, revealing a face as beautiful as jade, captivating the heart.
Han Tao suppressed the strange dryness in his throat and said in a controlled voice, "I'll get it myself."
Fu Mingxu didn't think it was a bad idea, and covered his mouth to yawn: "Okay."
Her voice sounded as if it had been soaked in moisture, and even her warm-colored eyes were misty.
Han Tao's departing figure carried a hint of fleeing in panic, but unfortunately, Fu Mingxu, who was focused on the Dragon Blood, did not notice anything different.
The courtyard returned to its tranquility. He squinted for a while, admiring the beautiful scene of the warm sun hanging high in the sky, its golden rays scattering across the ground, before stretching lazily and saying, "Time to get to work!"
Before studying dragon blood, let's finish today's work first.
After closing the window, she quickly changed into a comfortable long gown and began to decoct the medicinal soup with practiced ease.
Last night, he only asked Han Zhengzhi to find Han Shuangya and Ling Hezhi in a moment of desperation, but unexpectedly, they actually found them. Fortunately, they won't be wasted.
Fu Mingxu had no intention of keeping it for himself; it was only natural that he would take it from the dragon and use it for the dragon.
He quickly immersed himself in what he did best, and after a stick of incense had burned, a medicinal soup with frost buds and spirit crane branches as the main ingredients was simmering in a small alchemy furnace. If other alchemists saw how quickly and accurately he prepared medicinal materials and processed spiritual plants, they would probably marvel at his innate talent.
Unfortunately, Fu Mingxu's speed has always been like this. He knows how to cook those spiritual plants after just one thought in his mind. Since no one teaches or shows him, he doesn't know his true skill level over time.
Putting all that aside, the fact that even a kind of alchemical fire like Dragon Flame could become incredibly docile in his hands is enough to make people take notice.
Fu Mingxu was unaware of the differences between these things. The only thing he knew was that his ability to refine pills and his inability to cultivate spiritual energy were incompatible, which was why he had intentionally hidden himself for so many years.
Once the medicinal decoction is prepared and brewed, all that's left is to wait.
After hanging a "Do Not Disturb" sign outside, Fu Mingxu did not leave the alchemy room. Instead, he tidied his clothes and sat down at the long table behind the alchemy furnace, solemnly placing the dragon flame and dragon blood he had just obtained on the table.
He set the jade box aside for the time being, looked at the jade bottle in front of him, took a deep breath, and then pinched it with his fingertips, tearing off the seal on it.
Before Fu Mingxu could catch his breath, he was almost choked by the overwhelming aroma of dragon's blood.
This smells amazing!
The previous dragon blood scent paled in comparison to this fragrance. Fu Mingxu was so captivated by the aroma that he became dazed, and an instinctive hunger gradually eroded his senses.
He stared at the "delicious food" in front of him, feeling the hunger in his body as if it existed in every inch of his flesh and blood, which could not be ignored.
Ancient memories churned in the deepest recesses of his consciousness, as if a voice from eternity beckoned, "Eat it...eat it..."
This feeling stemmed from instinct; it was his truest inner thought.
Under the control of this instinct, his confused mind could only vaguely produce a few questions.
Why did we eat it instead of drinking it?
But this question was quickly overwhelmed by his instincts. Unable to resist the urge, Fu Mingxu bit his lip, letting the sweet, metallic blood rush into his throat. Then, he closed his eyes, grabbed the jade bottle in front of him, tilted his head back, and drank the dragon blood inside in one gulp.
The dragon's blood tasted sweet and soothing that he sighed.
The energy flow that had appeared and disappeared in the dantian suddenly reappeared upon sensing the dragon blood, and began to devour it with lightning speed.
The airflow grew stronger and stronger as it devoured the dragon's blood, like a seed that, after receiving ample nourishment, directly took root, sprouted, and rose from the ground.
As long-hidden memories gradually resurfaced, a thunderous roar suddenly echoed above the city lord's mansion.
A note from the author:
Hmph, our Mingxu is not some pitiful little thing who can't cultivate!
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Chapter 15
Fu Mingxu felt a long-lost sense of satisfaction, a satisfaction that came from the instincts deep within his soul.
His body felt as if it were being immersed in warm, constant-temperature water, so comfortable that his eyebrows and eyes relaxed.
Thunder rumbled incessantly above the city lord's mansion, and lightning bolts as thick as a wrist flashed through the white clouds.
The warm sun still shines, the white clouds are thick, and the golden lightning seems to radiate boundless golden light, enough to rival the brilliance of the sun.
The thunder grew louder and louder, accompanied by flashes of lightning, creating a deafening symphony.
The commotion above the City Lord's Mansion was so great that people throughout Yunhan City kept looking up, trying to discern something from the sky.
In the Fu family, Dao Heng, the True Person of the Tianxuan Sect, rushed to the open space in front of the hall. He was astonished by the powerful thunder, his brows furrowed.
The City Lord's Mansion is where the Dragon Clan resides.
He had seen dragons undergo tribulations before, but this lightning tribulation was nothing like the tribulation that occurred when one's cultivation broke through.
The formation was massive, the killing intent unclear, as if it were declaring something to the heavens and earth.
Dao Heng quickly stopped calculating phantoms with his fingers beneath his wide sleeves until a metallic taste rose in his throat.
It is forbidden to spy on.
If the Tianyan Sect were here, they might be able to deduce something from this.
"This is... a tribulation of lightning?" Fu Luwei, who had been silent until now, looked on with deep doubt and said uncertainly, "Judging from the direction, it's the direction of the City Lord's Mansion. Could it be that the City Lord has not only woken up, but also made further progress in his cultivation?"
Otherwise, why would he be undergoing tribulation?
The moment he spoke, the expressions of Fu Shoude and his son changed drastically.
If the city lord finds out that they found Fu Mingxu to replace them in a marriage to bring good luck, even if the guards personally escort him back, how can he guarantee that they won't hold a grudge later?
Fu Shanqing clenched his fists. He had successfully entered the immortal sect and couldn't wait to leave this place of trouble with the Xuantian Sect.
The dragons are known for their vindictiveness, and the arrival of the immortal sects made them overlook the unusual calm of the past few days.
If they wait for the city lord to recover and then settle scores later, even the Xuantian Sect wouldn't humiliate him for the sake of a disciple who hasn't even formally joined the sect.
The thought of this tormented Fu Shanqing like a raging fire.
That city lord... how could he wake up...?
If he really wakes up, but Fu Mingxu, who was supposed to be the one to bring good luck in marriage, is not sent back, does that mean the city lord is satisfied with him? If so, will Fu Mingxu say some good things about the Fu family?
Of course not, he knows perfectly well how the Fu family treats him.
The thunder attracted a lot of onlookers, and many members of the Fu family came to the open space in front of the hall, hoping to hear a definite answer from the immortal of the Xuantian Sect.
Dao Heng Zhenren remained silent, but Fu Luwei's words reminded them, and in their shock, they couldn't help but whisper among themselves.
"If it really is the city lord who has woken up, will he take revenge on us?"
"Actually, the stability of Yunhan City mainly relies on the Dragon Clan, and we are also under their protection. If we really wanted to use this for a marriage of convenience, we shouldn't have lied..."
If this provokes the Dragon Clan's wrath, can they bear the consequences? Fu Shanqing might be able to follow the Immortal Sect, but what about the rest of them?
The incessant rumbling thunder made them uneasy, and the lightning, as powerful as the sun, terrified them.