The Immortal Ascension

Chapter 24: Calming the Shock

Watching the rabbit before him continue to grow and expand, Han Li sensed something was amiss. Suddenly remembering something, he threw the porcelain bowl in his hand, which he now regarded as venomous, into the medicinal field and turned to run. He didn’t stop until he was several dozen feet away from the rabbit.

Just as he was about to look back, two nearly simultaneous explosions rang out. Han Li shuddered and turned around to see that both rabbits had been blown apart, their bodies torn into several pieces, flesh and blood scattered across the ground. Where the rabbits had been tied, two craters now lay, surrounded by the gruesome remains of the animals. Blood and flesh were splattered everywhere, a truly horrifying sight.

Han Li let out a long breath and sat down on the ground. If he hadn’t reacted quickly enough, he might have been caught in the explosion. While he might not have been seriously injured, being drenched in rabbit blood and flesh would have been far from pleasant.

Once he had calmed down, Han Li stood up and walked over to the craters. He glanced at the bloody scene and then at the shattered porcelain bowl in the medicinal field. He was at a loss for words.

Han Li had hoped to discover some miraculous Spirit Pill from the green liquid, but instead, he had found something terrifying. Poison was one thing, but to make the rabbits die in such a horrific manner! He wouldn’t touch that stuff again, no matter what. It was too frightening. Han Li wasn’t unfamiliar with deadly poisons. Under Doctor Mo’s tutelage over the years, he had encountered many lethal toxins, but none that caused such a gruesome death.

Fortunately, Han Li’s mental resilience was strong, and he managed to stay composed in such an environment for a while longer before deciding to leave.

Since noon was approaching, he needed to deliver the prepared Secret Medicine to Senior Apprentice Li. He would deal with the aftermath of this incident after he had delivered the medicine.

With this in mind, Han Li didn’t spare another glance at the explosion site, leaving all the troubles for later. He returned to his residence, rested for a bit, and then set off with the medicine to the entrance of the Valley of Divine Hands.

Han Li was punctual, arriving at the valley entrance precisely at noon. Senior Apprentice Li Feiyu, however, seemed to have been waiting anxiously for some time.

He stood alone at the valley exit, dressed in a white brocade robe, with the long saber that had left a deep impression on Han Li still strapped to his back. When Han Li arrived, Li Feiyu was looking toward the valley with a hint of urgency, his expression tense.

Upon seeing Han Li, he quickly composed himself, a smile spreading across his face as the corners of his mouth lifted.

"Junior Brother Han, you’re truly punctual! You said noon, and you arrived exactly at noon. I’ve been waiting for nearly an hour," Li Feiyu said, half-jokingly and half-complaining.

"My apologies. I spent too much time preparing the medicine yesterday and didn’t sleep until very late. I woke up a bit late this morning, and by the time I finished handling my tasks, it was exactly noon," Han Li replied, his tone a mix of truth and jest.

"Junior Brother Han, the medicine… did you prepare it?" Senior Apprentice Li asked, his voice trembling slightly with anxiety, even stumbling over his words.Han Li did not answer Senior Apprentice Li's question. Instead, he smiled calmly and slowly took out a palm-sized medicine packet from his robe, then tossed it to Li Feiyu.

"Before taking the Marrow Extraction Pill each time, dissolve a spoonful of the powder from this packet in cold water and drink it. This will help alleviate the pain you suffer."

"Thank you, Junior Brother Han! Thank you, Junior Brother Han!" Senior Apprentice Li was overjoyed. Even the slightest reduction in pain was a tremendous blessing for him. The agony he endured when taking the Marrow Extraction Pill was truly chilling. He had tried many painkillers before, but none had worked. Since this Junior Brother Han knew all the characteristics of the Marrow Extraction Pill and had also taken it himself, perhaps this medicine would indeed be effective.

"Don’t thank me yet. Wait until the medicine proves effective before expressing your gratitude. Also, this is only a year's supply. I’ve run out of ingredients for now, but once I gather enough, I’ll prepare more for you," Han Li said straightforwardly.

"That’s alright. A year’s supply is enough for the time being. Whether the medicine works or not, I, Li Feiyu, deeply appreciate Junior Brother Han’s kindness," Senior Apprentice Li replied, his expression returning to normal now that he had obtained what he wanted. He no longer put on airs and straightforwardly acknowledged that he owed Han Li a great favor.

Han Li smiled faintly and said nothing more. He took the initiative to bid farewell to Senior Apprentice Li and left.

Li Feiyu, holding the secret medicine in his hand, was eager to return and test its efficacy. He did not try to keep Han Li any longer, and the two parted ways.

After returning to the valley, Han Li first went to the herb garden to tidy up. He swept the rabbit remains, blood-stained soil, and broken bowl fragments into a pit, then filled in the two newly formed pits with soil, making the area look as it had before the experiment.

Satisfied, Han Li dusted off his hands and looked around to ensure nothing had been overlooked.

When his gaze fell on the spot where the porcelain bowl had shattered, he couldn’t help but ponder.

He remembered clearly that when he had thrown the bowl away, the diluted water inside had spilled onto a small patch of medicinal herbs, soaking them. This made him hesitate. Would these herbs become toxic after absorbing the water? And if someone consumed these toxic herbs, would they suffer the same fate as the rabbit? Should he remove these potentially poisonous herbs now? These questions suddenly flooded Han Li’s mind.

After much deliberation, Han Li decided to wait and observe the herbs for a while longer, treating it as another small experiment. If the herbs did indeed become toxic within the next few days, he could always remove them later.

Having made up his mind and finding nothing else to do, Han Li headed to the stone chamber to continue his cultivation. He hoped to achieve another breakthrough in his power, building on his recent progress.

By now, Han Li no longer concerned himself with the specific purpose of the chant. Practicing it had become an instinctive reaction for him. If he didn’t cultivate it, he wouldn’t know what else to do while staying on the mountain. Pursuing higher levels of cultivation through this chant had become the sole goal of his current life.After an entire afternoon of dedicated cultivation, Han Li was disheartened to discover that he truly was not a Genius. Although he could feel that he was just a finger's breadth away from breaking through to the fourth layer, there was still no progress whatsoever, and all his hard work that afternoon had been in vain.

It seemed that he couldn't do it without the aid of external medicinal resources. Otherwise, he might forever remain stuck at the third layer, unable to advance any further.

Han Li began to hope that Doctor Mo would return soon and, with some luck, find enough medicinal herbs to help him achieve a Breakthrough from his current predicament.

(End of Chapter)