Chapter 851 - Saint Jiang
In the medicine pool, Ye Futian quieted down and settled his mind.
Before entering the medicine pool, the small talk was intended to ease his nervousness, but he knew that testing the medicine would not be an easy task. Feeling the boiling hot air, it seemed intent on destroying every part of his body.
Ye Futian even began feeling that he seemed to be no longer a person, but was deconstructed into countless particles; he could feel the pain of every particle in his limbs and organs.
His body trembled slightly. It was not the kind of trembling that Ye Futian himself could control, but the tremor of every particle in the body, which was the cause.
At this moment, Ye Futian wondered if this was the feeling that Yu Sheng experienced when he practiced the demonic art. It was too painful. The body was like countless particles, and those endless particles seemed also to tear apart.
Next to the medicine pool, Little Butterfly was somewhat nervous. Her tightly clenched hands were damp with sweat, and it was uncertain whether this was because of the heat radiating from the medicine pool or because of her own anxiety.
The first medicine bath was not the strongest, and that was precisely because this was his first time experiencing this type of pain before. Thus a total collapse was likely, and the danger was great.
The boiling potion made clear and crisp sounds and mist hovered above the medicine pool, obscuring Ye Futian’s body.
As time passed his body trembled less and less, until a long while later it gradually calmed down. It was not because it was painless, but rather that Ye Futian had become somewhat numb.
After a while longer, he finally adjusted to the pain and regained a sense of self. His body felt whole, and radiance flowed on top of it. Inside the body, where it had been burnt and torn, he was healed bit by bit, and rustling sounds came from the spirit. Glimmers of green light shrouded his body, and there was a magical glow on his skin.
His eyes opened and Ye Futian exhaled and smiled at Little Butterfly, who was next to the medicine pool. Seeing his smile, Little Butterfly finally released the worries in her heart and showed a brilliant smile, beautiful and stunning. She whispered, “You can come up now.”
“Mmm.” As Ye Futian walked out of the medicine pool, topless, Little Butterfly blushed, then turned around. Because of the worry and tension beforehand, there was no time to worry about much else. But at this moment, because Ye Futian was safe and sound. Concerns for proper etiquette returned.
Ye Futian saw the embarrassment from Little Butterfly and winked. “You have already seen it.”
When Little Butterfly heard this, her face became as red as blood. She whispered, “The Master has said that the first round of trials was divided 81 times and subdivided into nine stages. In each of the nine stages, the same medicine will be used, but each time will be more intense than the last. This is the first time in the first stage, but since you were able to withstand this, the first stage of the trial should not be dangerous.”
“Well, Little Butterfly, thank you for your hard work,” Ye Futian whispered.
“Come tomorrow for the second testing. I’ll go to let the Master know now,” Little Butterfly said and left.
Ye Futian put on his clothes and tried to feel his body. Amazingly he felt every pore in the body opening. After the trial, he actually felt very comfortable, and his body seemed to be more sensitive in perceiving the energy in the surrounding environment.
“Go,” Ye Futian said to Yu Sheng. He was fine this time, which meant that the first stage of testing would be no problem.
After leaving the medicine pool, Little Butterfly came to the place where Saint Jiang was cultivating.
“Master,” Little Butterfly whispered.
“Little Butterfly, how is he?” Saint Jiang turned to look at Little Butterfly.
“The first trial was no problem, and there should be no danger at this stage,” Little Butterfly responded.
“How is he recovering?” Saint Jiang asked again.
Little Butterfly’s eyes revealed a strange color, and she whispered, “Very well.”
Saint Jiang nodded lightly and said, “I hoped that the youngest lord of a holy land in the Nine States would not let me down.” As he finished speaking, with a wave of his hand, a scroll of painting appeared in front of Little Butterfly with copious handwriting engraved on it. They were refined methods of medicine.
“This pertains to the methods and materials of the second phase of medicinal baths. You should collect them in advance and wait until the end of the first phase to carry out the second phase of the trial,” Saint Jiang instructed.
Little Butterfly looked at the engraved handwriting and her face altered its expression slightly. “Master, it is only the second stage and such strong medicine is to be used? And this black quicksand is highly toxic, isn’t it a bit too much?”
Saint Jiang looked at Little Butterfly, but Little Butterfly did not avoid his gaze. She met his eyes. “Master, I would like to know the purpose of the trial. Judging from the level of cultivation of the Master, there seems to be no reason to do so. What exactly is there to prove?”
Saint Jiang looked at his disciple. He knew Little Butterfly was kind and pure. Because of this, he taught her medicine and treated her as his own.
“Do you think Master is vicious?” Saint Jiang asked.
“I dare not.” Little Butterfly bowed her head.
“The world calls me Medicine Saint and Poison Lord. I am a vicious person by nature, so none of this is strange. Certain things, after all, need to be done by certain people.” Jiang Sheng seemed to be talking to himself and then said, “Go now. Do as I say.”
Little Butterfly bit her lip lightly, and there was some stubbornness in those beautiful eyes. But when she saw Saint Jiang’s authoritative gaze, she nodded and said, “With your permission.” Then she turned and left.
Saint Jiang looked at the back of Little Butterfly and whispered, “The girl really is like you.” As he said so, he turned and walked toward the ancient hall. A door opened from the middle, and he stepped inside; there seemed to be another world inside.
The space inside was a courtyard with ancient furnishings, and everything seemed very old. Moreover, it was very cold here, extremely cold, and the ground was covered with a layer of frost. All the furnishings were covered by a transparent layer of ice. In front of a pavilion, there was an ice sculpture with a very beautiful woman inside. Her brows were gentle. She sat there quietly. The statue was so lifelike. It was as if it was a real person.
Saint Jiang touched the ice sculpture gently. Before the ice sculpture, the long salt and peppered hair seemed to be whiter. His eyes showed tenderness.
Many years ago, Nine States did not have Saint Jiang, nor the titles of Medicine Saint or Poison Lord. At that time, he did not understand medicine, only poison. One day, he met her, who practiced the refinement of medicine.
“Little Butterfly’s temperament now resembles yours more and more,” Saint Jiang said to no one in particular. “The ruthless Great Path took you away. I won’t let the same thing happen to Little Butterfly.”
…
For the following period of time, Ye Futian had a medicinal bath every day. After the medicinal bath, he would return to his courtyard to cultivate and felt his body changing. After each medicinal bath, his tolerance would increase, which meant that his physical capacity was stronger, and the body had changed bit by bit.
In the first nine days, the first phase of the medicinal baths had been completed, and Ye Futian could clearly feel the changes within his body. According to Little Butterfly, he would be subjected to an even stronger medicinal bath the next day so that he could be psychologically prepared.
After a round, Ye Futian had some confidence in the process.
It was already night, and in the middle of the courtyard, Ye Futian sat cross-legged to cultivate. All around Ye Futian, Spiritual Qi, and rules power flowed, and Ye Futian’s eyes were closed tightly, quietly feeling the rules force flowing between heaven and earth.
Brilliance bloomed and shrouded his body. The flame rule power turned into a blaze of fire, diffusing around the body, while the thunder rule power turned into the power of lightning, flickering over the body.
Single attribute rule was the simplest of all rules, which Ye Futian had comprehended very early on and would normally integrate it into battles. But for him, the main means of combat was still extraordinary rules, because the power of a single attribute rule was limited.
However, at this time, Ye Futian introduced the airflow of rules into his body and integrated it into every part of the body. When he thought about the feeling in the medicinal bath, he tried to reduce the airflow of rules and merge it into the particles.
The way of cultivation had its own rationality. The Great Paths were connected as yin and yang coexisted. It was not that the power of yin was strong so that the power of yang was weak.
By the same reasoning, the Douzhan Body, Infinite Body, and Godly Creation of All Things were able to create immense battle forms as the gods, to increase their power many folds.
Increase in size and it could strengthen your power.
Then what about decrease?
How strong would its attacking and penetrating power be by concentrating the same amount of strong rules power into one point?
Ye Futian had come to a certain awareness when he was in the medicine bath, so he wanted to comprehend this power.
Gleaming starry lights shone brightly. Around Ye Futian, there seemed to be a starry sky forming, with the stars flowing and turning around. Moreover, the stars were constantly shrinking to concentrate their power into an even smaller space. However, when it reached a limit, Ye Futian was not able to continue. Constantly absorbing more power could make anything bigger, but to become smaller would be against the rules.
For a long time, Ye Futian was not able to continue the breakthrough, so he opened his eyes. Cultivation was not achievable in one try, so sometimes a lack of comprehension was normal.
Feeling the consumption of his spiritual energy, Ye Futian took out a guqin, playing slowly, and let the calming song permeate the night sky. Quiet and elegant, it could bring one into an absolutely quiet environment and let go of everything.
At this time, there were light footsteps. It was Little Butterfly who had come this way. She slowed down and moved softly. Then she sat quietly and listened to the music without disturbing Ye Futian.
Looking at that handsome face, it seemed to glow with strange radiance while playing the music. Unconsciously, her heart had quieted down.
After a song, Ye Futian looked up and said, “Little Butterfly, it’s late. Is something the matter?”
“Yes.” Little Butterfly nodded gently and continued, “Tomorrow you will start the second phase of the test, and the medicine will be stronger. Also, your Master’s medicine has been made, so tomorrow he can be let into the Herb Garden for the medicinal bath and reinvent his body. However, my Master said that he would like to help your Master form an even stronger body, and that will take some time. Perhaps both of you will have to receive the medicinal bath at the same time every day.”
“Understood.” Ye Futian nodded. To construct a body that could resist holiness was not something that could be achieved in a short time.
“I will leave you now,” Little Butterfly said. She had come just to inform Ye Futian!