Just as there are righteous and wicked people, so too are elixirs.
Elixirs can save lives, but they can also destroy them.
This is why the recipe for the Soul-Slaying Pill was not recorded.
Given Zhang Hengbo's concern for his junior sister, he would find out about the existence of this pill sooner or later. Rather than letting him do something wrong because of it in the future, it's better to tell him now.
As expected, after his initial surprise, Zhang Hengbo fell into deep thought: "What if I willingly used my soul to refine her into a pill?"
Fu Mingxu's face showed an "I knew it" expression, and he shook his head: "Of course not. To the mountain energy, yours is no different from others. Even if you refine it into a Soul-Giving Pill, it will produce negative consequences if your junior sister takes it."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Hengbo's face fell, and he murmured, "Isn't there any other way?"
The two looked at Zhang Yanran, who was unconscious on the bed. Her face was rosy and her breathing was long and even, but she showed no signs of waking up, as if she was just sleeping.
Han Tao, who had quietly entered again, had witnessed their conversation and said in a deep voice, "Perhaps there is another way."
Fu Mingxu turned to look at him, and he didn't keep him in suspense: "Since her soul is damaged, she can repair it herself."
"She herself is unconscious, how can she be saved?"
Han Tao glanced at the person on the bed and said indifferently, "Use an array. There is an array called the Reincarnation Array, which allows cultivators who enter to continuously enter reincarnation. Each reincarnation is a new life. According to the laws of heaven and earth, the soul of a person who is reborn is complete. As long as she awakens her current memories in the reincarnation, she can use this to complete her life soul."
This method sounds simple, but it is actually extremely dangerous.
"What if there are no awakened memories?" Fu Mingxu asked the most crucial question for Zhang Hengbo beside him.
“Then she will lose herself in the cycle of reincarnation and never be able to get out again.” Han Tao’s voice seemed a little cold. He looked at Zhang Hengbo. “Mortal life is short, only a hundred years before entering the cycle of reincarnation, yet it is also endless. Cultivators are inherently defying the heavens. If they want to step onto this path to heaven again, they must give up some things and take some risks.”
"Moreover, the Reincarnation Array is extremely effective in training one's will. If she wakes up, she will surely reap considerable benefits."
Fu Mingxu felt for some reason that he was a bit fierce, but he didn't refute it.
Two paths lay before Zhang Hengbo. The former had unforeseen consequences, so Zhang Hengbo naturally wouldn't choose it for his junior sister. The latter, however, was fraught with danger, but it was the safest option at the moment.
He thought about it for a long time before finally nodding emphatically: "I want to enter the Samsara Array with my junior sister."
Han Tao glanced at him and said indifferently, "Okay."
“The Samsara Array is in the Buddhist sect. I am familiar with the abbot there, so it is not difficult to borrow the array.”
Having made the decision and set out on a path, Zhang Hengbo now has a direction to move forward, even if there are many difficulties.
He cupped his hands to the two men, his expression respectful and solemn: "I will repay your great kindness in the future."
Han Tao didn't care about this, and Fu Mingxu just smiled and said, "When your junior sister wakes up, just remember to keep an eye out for spiritual plants for me during her training."
"Okay." Zhang Hengbo made a deep impression on this matter.
After the two finished speaking, Han Tao bent down and picked up Fu Mingxu.
A familiar yet intense aura enveloped him instantly, and with others present, Fu Mingxu tensed up: "What are you doing?"
Han Tao glanced at the faint dark circles under his eyes: "You should go to sleep."
As he was lifted into the air, Fu Mingxu gave Zhang Hengbo an awkward smile: "Well, you take good care of your junior sister, I'm going to catch up on some sleep."
A reminder from someone brought on a wave of weariness.
Zhang Hengbo watched the two leave, and could vaguely hear him muttering to himself outside.
"Next time there are other people around, you're not allowed to carry me around like that."
A note from the author:
Han Tao: Got it. I can hug you when no one's around.
Chapter 44
Instead of carrying him into the guest room, Han Tao transformed into a streak of light and arrived at a small courtyard in an instant.
Liu Xin had been waiting there for a long time. As soon as the two landed, he went up to them and said, "Lord of the City, everything has been prepared according to your requirements."
He bowed to Fu Mingxu, who had not yet reacted, and said respectfully, "Master Fu, this is the temporary residence prepared for you by the city lord."
Fu Mingxu had just snapped out of his daze at Yunshi Restaurant when he looked around and quickly got a general idea of the scenery.
Lush flowers and plants, a babbling stream, and a peach tree occupying the southeast corner of the courtyard. It is the time when the peach blossoms are in full bloom. A gentle breeze blows, and the peach blossoms fall one after another, creating a beautiful scene.
A clump of green bamboo sits by the window, and occasionally peach petals fall, adding a touch of spring to the monotonous green.
Peach blossoms flutter in the air, and green bamboo stands proudly, simply creating a picture of a tranquil courtyard.
Fu Mingxu's gaze fell on the stone benches and chairs under the peach tree, his tone revealing surprise: "Is this also part of Yunhan City's property?"
Liu Xin glanced at his city lord's expression and spoke up at the opportune moment: "Master Fu, this was specially bought for you by the city lord."
"For me?" Fu Mingxu was a little confused.
"This courtyard is shrouded in dragon energy, and a very strong defensive formation has been set up on it," Liu Xin said with a smile. "When Master Fu was kidnapped before, our city lord was extremely anxious. How could we feel at ease leaving you at Yunshi Tower this time?"
"Master Fu, our city lord's love for you is as clear as the sun and moon. His affection for you is as boundless as the surging river..."
Hantao: That's a bit much.
He gestured for Liu Xin to shut up, lest he say too much and have the opposite effect.
After being bombarded with his explanation, Fu Mingxu forgot to get out of Han Tao's arms. He quickly waved his hand and said, "It's not that serious, it really isn't."
"I'll take you to rest first." Han Tao took a long stride and looked down at him.
The door to the side room in the courtyard opened and closed, and the resulting airflow swept in a few peach petals, seemingly filling the entire room with the fragrance of peach blossoms.
As soon as the two entered, Fu Mingxu was stunned by the layout of the room.
From the outside, there should have been three side rooms, but now he could see that the walls separating the three side rooms had been knocked down, forming a very large bedroom.
Moreover, the bedroom was covered with layers of gauze curtains, making one appear hazy and indistinct upon entering.
In just a moment, their divine senses discovered the enormous bed at the very back.
Fu Mingxu pondered for a while and suspected that he had moved the bed from Yunshilou.
"You gave the order?" he gritted his teeth.
Han Tao looked down at him, his golden eyes filled with a rare look of confusion and innocence: "I didn't do it."
He only set up the dragon energy and formation, completely unaware that this was the arrangement that Liu Xin had confidently said the two of them would definitely like.
"Hehe." Fu Mingxu looked at the rather "interesting" arrangement, closed his eyes and pretended not to see it, "Never mind, put me down."
Han Tao's arms remained still. Fu Mingxu opened his eyes and glared at him: "I can still walk this short distance."
Having no other choice, I had to put him down.
The moment his foot touched the ground, a piercing pain shot through him. Caught off guard, Fu Mingxu staggered and instinctively grabbed the nearby gauze curtain.
With a tearing sound, the thin gauze curtain was ripped apart by him.
"Be careful." Han Tao saw that he was about to fall to the ground and quickly grabbed his waist.
As he was about to fall, his posture changed, and Fu Mingxu instinctively reached out and grabbed Han Tao's clothes tightly, his heart pounding.
Concerned about his injured ankle, Han Tao let him pull her along, grabbing his waist with both hands, afraid of touching his ankle. With a movement, a gust of wind lifted the layers of gauze curtains, and the two fell onto the bed.
"Why!"
Fu Mingxu's exclamation rang out, and Liu Xin outside the door laughed so hard his eyes disappeared. He hurriedly turned around and closed the courtyard gate for the two of them.
Before leaving, he couldn't help but look up and sigh, "Tsk, the city lord is indeed a young dragon, his composure... hehehe."
Inside the room, Fu Mingxu never expected that he would be able to straddle Han Tao's lower abdomen again in such a short time.
The pain in his ankle didn't come. He looked down and saw that Han Tao was lifting his two calves up.
The two were in such an embarrassing position that as soon as he saw it, a blush spread from his cheeks to his ears.
"Um..." Fu Mingxu was so embarrassed he wanted to disappear into the ground. He hurriedly braced himself on the bed with both hands and kept moving backward.
He had barely shifted a couple of times when a muffled groan came from Han Tao beneath him.
Before things got out of control, Han Tao quickly and gently put his ankle down and then moved him aside.
"Did I hurt you?" Fu Mingxu's face was still flushed, and tears welled up in his eyes again.
He knew that the Demon Bone Chain was originally a furnace for refining. The chain had been corroding his ankle for so long that if his chaotic energy hadn't been replenished, he would have been refined into a top-grade furnace long ago.
At least now, his body is more sensitive than before, and he is even slightly closer to Han Tao. Even if he doesn't say it, he can feel the abnormal reactions in his body.
Fu Mingxu secretly glanced at Han Tao and saw that his face was tense and he was busy looking down and lifting his clothes to check the injury on his ankle.
The dragon was tall; one of his hands was large enough to clench his ankle.
Fu Mingxu couldn't see the expression on his face, but he could feel his palm touching his skin, the rough and hot sensation washing over him.
"Mmm..." He finally couldn't help but let out a sound, whether from pain or something else, it was hard to tell.
Han Tao frowned, and only breathed a slight sigh of relief when he saw that the red marks on the skin had not spread much compared to last time. A guess flashed through his mind: "The stronger you are, the greater your resistance to the demon bone chain, right?"
"Of course." Fu Mingxu bit his lip, trying to digest what was in his mouth, and took the time to explain, "I can't absorb your dragon blood right now, the chaotic energy is already saturated."
If he drinks one more sip, he really won't be able to control his heightened sensitivity.
"It's alright. The Demon Bone Chain can't continue to erode me for a while. It's just a little painful now, but I'll get used to it." Fu Mingxu was suddenly glad that the space here was large enough. Otherwise, the powerful aura of Han Tao would have made him weak all over, just from the power of the furnace.
He couldn't help but curse Feng You a hundred times in his heart, wishing he had stabbed him a few times to vent his anger.
Not wanting to appear too embarrassed, he could only tell them to leave: "You don't need to worry about me."
But the grip on his ankle didn't loosen; in fact, a cool sensation came over him in no time, easing some of his pain.
Ignoring the sweat beading on his forehead, Fu Mingxu looked down at his ankles and was shocked by what he saw.
Han Tao actually cut his fingertip, letting drops of dragon blood drip onto the demon bone chain.
“Dragon blood can also suppress the demon bone chain.” He didn’t care whether Fu Mingxu would refuse. He did everything as a matter of course before looking up at him. “This way, you won’t feel pain.”
The emotions in those golden eyes were too intense, so intense that even the low, husky tone of his voice was exceptionally clear.
Even before entering the City Lord's Mansion, Fu Mingxu had heard of him. But the Han Tao in the rumors was the City Lord of Yunhan City, a powerful dragon, and should also be a powerful cultivator with few emotions and desires.
Even in his earlier memories, he was just a little dragon that his mother had caught and thrown aside.
In his past life's memories, he was a fallen god capable of destroying the heavens and earth, causing the sky to collapse and the earth to crack.