Even after receiving Dai Yuan's praise, Yang Kai was still somewhat puzzled. When it came to controlling the fusion of medicinal effects, he may have done an excellent job, but the five Void Grade alchemists at Medicine King Valley were certainly no slouches either—they had age and experience on their side, after all. Yet Dai Yuan had specifically sought his help instead of turning to those from the Medicine Pill Gate. There had to be reasons unknown to others.
He didn't rush to ask, because he knew Dai Yuan would tell him soon enough.
Seeing Yang Kai listening with such focused attention, Dai Yuan gave a small smile and continued, "If it were just about finding an alchemist of the right caliber, that wouldn't be too difficult. The real challenge is gathering the materials needed for the toxin-purging method."
"Oh? What materials need to be gathered?" Yang Kai pressed.
"There are quite a few. But thanks to the efforts of the senior who lived here before me, who spent years collecting them, about ninety percent have already been assembled. Even the hardest-to-find Yin Pool—that senior managed to locate it as well, and expended tremendous effort to transport it back to Thousand Illusion Peak from where it was discovered. The only reason I asked Junior Brother Yang to come with me is because this Yin Pool cannot be moved. Otherwise, I wouldn't have put you through all this trouble."
Yang Kai nodded slightly, finally understanding why Dai Yuan had insisted on bringing him along to the Glaze Gate. Yin Pools were exceedingly rare—they could only form in places where Yin energy converged, in areas steeped in ghostly, sinister qi. While useless to most warriors, for those who cultivated dark or Yin-attributed techniques, a Yin Pool was one of the most coveted treasures in existence. The pure Yin energy within was enough to rapidly elevate the strength of anyone who practiced such arts.
Yang Kai had only ever heard of them and had never had the chance to see one with his own eyes.
"Because Thousand Illusion Glaze is not restrained by the Five Elements, purging the Glaze toxin requires something like a Yin Pool," Dai Yuan explained softly. "The medicinal essence of countless herbs must be refined and merged into the pool's water. Then, using the Yin Pool water as a conduit, it is channeled into my body, giving us a chance to extract the Glaze toxin."
Yang Kai nodded as he listened. Given his alchemical skill and the knowledge he possessed, even though he didn't fully understand the internal principles, the method sounded sound.
After a moment's thought, he asked, "Since that senior managed to find a Yin Pool and even brought it back to Thousand Illusion Peak, why didn't she succeed in detoxifying herself in the end?"
"She was missing one final ingredient." Dai Yuan gave a bitter smile at these words. "She was missing the Blood Lingzhi Mushroom!"
"Blood Lingzhi Mushroom?" Yang Kai's spirit jolted. "The kind used to refine the Blood Lingzhi Pill—the one that can bring people back from the brink of death?"
His face was filled with shock, as if he had just heard something utterly inconceivable.
"That's right—the Blood Lingzhi Mushroom used to refine the Blood Lingzhi Pill!" Dai Yuan nodded gently. She turned her hand, and an exquisite wooden box suddenly appeared in her palm. She opened it, revealing something the size of an infant's fist that looked like both a Lingzhi fungus and a mushroom. Not only was it strangely shaped, but its entire body was a deep crimson, and upon close inspection, it appeared as though fresh blood was flowing within it. It gave off a pungent, acrid smell.
Yang Kai accepted it with a solemn expression, gently running his fingers over its surface and studying it carefully for a while before nodding. "It's genuine—a Blood Lingzhi Mushroom. It's at least three thousand years old in medicinal age, and… it seems like it was only recently harvested. Was this obtained from the Flowing Flame Sand Land?"
"As expected, nothing gets past Junior Brother Yang." Dai Yuan smiled softly. "And I have Junior Brother Yang to thank for it, really. This Blood Lingzhi Mushroom was my harvest from the fourth layer of the Flowing Flame Sand Land."
Yang Kai's expression shifted. He couldn't help but marvel at her incredible luck. In the fourth layer, treasures and rare herbs were exceedingly scarce. He had made a round trip through it and only managed to collect a few bunches of Purple Jade Crystal Fruit. Yet Dai Yuan had found a Blood Lingzhi Mushroom—and it just happened to be exactly what she needed most desperately. It seemed that after he had left, she had gone to considerable lengths searching for it, and the reason she had insisted on venturing deep into the fourth layer with him had probably been with this very goal in mind.
At least her wish had come true.
"What do you intend to do with this Blood Lingzhi Mushroom?" Yang Kai closed the box and handed it back to her, asking.
Dai Yuan fell silent. She held the wooden box and gently rubbed her fingers along its surface before finally letting out a soft sigh. "To be honest with you, Junior Brother Yang, this detoxification method—though created and left behind by the senior who lived here before me—does not come with a guarantee of success. The Thousand Illusion Glaze toxin has already penetrated every part of my body. Removing it will inevitably cause severe damage to my vital energy, and it's not impossible that I could perish in the process. This Blood Lingzhi Mushroom serves as the safeguard to preserve that thin thread of life."
Yang Kai frowned. "If that's the case, wouldn't it be better to refine it into a Blood Lingzhi Pill?"
"Blood Lingzhi Pill…" Dai Yuan gave a bitter laugh. "Junior Brother Yang is an alchemist—you must know the grade of the Blood Lingzhi Pill. It's an upper-tier Void Grade medicinal pill. How could any alchemist on the Dark Star possibly refine one? If we were in the wider world where you come from, that suggestion would be a good one. But unfortunately… Or perhaps, Junior Brother Yang, you happen to be an upper-tier Void Grade alchemist?"
"No!" Yang Kai shook his head. He was currently a lower-tier Void Grade alchemist at best. If he were willing to risk it and didn't mind the chance of ruining the ingredients, he might have a small shot at producing a mid-tier Void Grade pill, but an upper-tier one was simply out of the question. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "What I mean is—if you're not in a rush, perhaps you should wait for a while. There may yet be a more reliable method, or we might find someone capable of refining the Blood Lingzhi Pill."