I Have Medicine

Chapter 613 - (Deeper into the Wilderness) Soon, there was a harvest

A flawless, Profound-grade Bing Yun Pill—once swallowed, it provides a protective cold aura that shields the body and fends off intense heat in scorching environments.

Having taken the pills, the group immediately felt much more at ease. As they shook the bottles in their hands, they realized there were still over a dozen identical pills remaining inside…

Lei Pengfei couldn’t help but ask, “Junior Brother Gu, how long can one of these pills last?”

Gu Zuo thought for a moment. “If you are simply walking, it should last several hours without an issue. However, if you are utilizing internal energy for offense or defense, the duration will likely vary between an hour and two hours.”

Cheers of delight broke out on the faces of Lei Pengfei and the others. ‘Even so, it is more than enough!’ With over a dozen Bing Yun Pills each, they could hold out for quite a long time.

The group continued forward with great caution. Protected by a double layer of medicinal barriers, they only needed to remain vigilant; they were no longer in the wretched state they had been in during their last visit. There was no sensation of pain, and their internal energy remained perfectly abundant.

Duan Yunbeng couldn’t help but sigh with emotion. “As expected, bringing along an outstanding pharmacist has saved us a world of trouble.”

Even Feng Xueqin offered her praise: “Indeed. We owe much to Junior Brother Gu.”

The last time they came, they had first used their trump card methods at the canyon entrance to break the illusion, consuming a significant amount of internal energy. As soon as they reached this sandy waste, they were battered by fire poison and their internal energy drained rapidly. Even swallowing Bu Qi Pills couldn’t achieve a “balanced budget”—their reserves continued to dwindle. Combined with the scorching environment, their physical bodies began to fail, forcing them to expend even more internal energy to compensate. Consequently, the further they went, the more their energy flagged. Had their willpower not been exceptionally strong, they likely would have succumbed and been destroyed here before gaining a single benefit.

Before long, they had traveled forty or fifty li. This distance, which usually took very little time, had taken them over two hours today. Along the way, they encountered venomous creatures like scorpions and lizards burrowing out of the sand, but all were dissolved into nothingness by the clouds of medicinal powder Gu Zuo scattered. None could hinder their progress.

Finally, they reached the end of the red wasteland. Ahead of them lay a wild expanse where the aura of raging flames coiled about; its heat was more than ten times more intense than that of the red sand they had just crossed! Naturally, the consumption rate of the Bing Yun Pills also increased tenfold.

Lei Pengfei and the others came to a halt here.

During their last visit, they had reached this exact spot just as their energy was exhausted. Looking at the wilderness ahead—with its endless winding mountains of strange rocks, dense forests and marshes shrouded in mist, and the overlapping grottoes and palaces in the far distance—they knew countless dangers lay ahead. With the strength they possessed then, continuing further was an impossible task.

Fortunately, as geniuses of exceptional fortune, just as they were about to leave in bitter disappointment, a wisp of Heterogeneous Fire burst forth from within. Duan Yunbeng sensed it immediately and used various methods to capture it. Afterward, they searched the surrounding area carefully and unexpectedly discovered several long-withered corpses. They salvaged items like command talismans from the bodies and, based on the information gathered, deduced that this place was a cultivation site for the most elite disciples of an ancient power.

Later, as Lei Pengfei and the others gazed into the depths of the wilderness, they noticed the faint glimmer of restrictions flashing over those locations. Some of the barriers appeared damaged, and through a secret technique performed by Feng Xueqin, they discovered that many spots within were radiating the “light of treasures.” It was clear that there were indeed many good things to be found.

And so, the original party of three had departed quickly back then and made the decision that followed. Because of this, they had extended the invitation to Gu Zuo and Gongyi Tianheng.

Gu Zuo glanced at the path ahead. “What are your plans, senior brothers and sister?”

Duan Yunbeng replied, “We’ll forge straight ahead. If possible, we want to investigate every single area.”

This group had only just discovered this place, so naturally, they lacked detailed knowledge; their previous experience had ended at the edge of the sandy wasteland. However, since any corner of this cultivation site could potentially hold benefits, they weren’t willing to pass over a single spot.

Gu Zuo understood. “In that case, we’ll do as you say.” As he spoke, he looked back at Gongyi Tianheng.

Gongyi Tianheng gave him a smile. “I shall follow your word, Ah Zuo.”

And so, it was settled.

The group quickly moved forward. The first thing they encountered was a thicket of shrubs. These shrubs grew in clusters, blocking the path like a long serpent. Their bodies were covered in sharp thorns that acted like their branches, each one interlocking with the thorns of neighboring plants. Consequently, these thorns formed a woven mesh; not only was it practically airtight, but the few gaps that did exist were so minuscule that one couldn’t imagine a way to bypass them other than through brute force.

Everyone’s eyes turned to Gu Zuo.

Using their weapons to hack out a path wasn’t impossible, but deep down, they all felt a powerful sense of danger—this was one of the reasons Lei Pengfei’s group hadn’t even attempted to cut through last time.

Gu Zuo felt a bit “awkward” being the center of attention. However, he understood that this was precisely his role, so he decisively pulled out a gourd.

The gourd was black, containing a toxic medicinal liquid he had already prepared. Since it was refined from over a hundred different toxins, its lethality was immense. Furthermore, because it was formulated for a specific purpose, it could contaminate and corrode most plant life.

Right now, it was the perfect tool for the job.

Without hesitation, Gu Zuo pointed the mouth of the gourd forward. With a flick of his wrist, he splashed out a stream of jet-black liquid. Gongyi Tianheng coordinated with him seamlessly, immediately striking out with a palm. The force caused the black liquid to instantly shatter into a fine mist, which settled onto the entire thicket of shrubs without wasting a single drop!

In the blink of an eye, the thorns began to melt. The woven net of spikes softened with terrifying speed. Soon, the shrubs seemed to have caught some contagious disease; the softening spread outward to both sides at a rate visible to the naked eye. In less than the time it takes an incense stick to burn, the entire line of shrubs collapsed like a giant snake with “soft-bone disease.” Then, the limp shrubs began to turn into black water, bit by bit, until they vanished entirely.

The entire process was so wondrous yet eerie that Lei Pengfei and the others couldn’t help but click their tongues in amazement. This was… a bit too terrifying. The power of poison was far more formidable than they had ever imagined!

Taking a deep breath, Duan Yunbeng asked, “Junior Brother Gu, can we proceed now?”

Gu Zuo nodded. “We can.”

With that, he took the lead, stepping across the area where the black water flowed and heading toward the next region.

Beyond the shrubs lay a field of cogon grass, each blade taller than a man. Its density and breadth far exceeded the thicket outside. Furthermore, these blades of grass were a crimson red, radiating an astonishingly intense fire power.

Gu Zuo didn’t rush in blindly but stopped to observe carefully. Feng Xueqin walked to his side and took a beast-hide pouch from her waist.

Lei Pengfei laughed. “It’s Junior Sister Feng’s turn to do a bit of probing.”

While it was true they had invited Gu Zuo to help, they weren’t so thick-skinned as to rely on his poisons for every single encounter.

Feng Xueqin patted the pouch, and a wild beast that seemed a bit dazed appeared before her. With a flick of her slender hand, she tossed the beast into the tall grass!

*Rustle, rustle…*

After a few faint sounds, the field of grass suddenly seemed to explode. Countless winged creatures, resembling rats in appearance, suddenly flew out. They soared out with extreme speed, looking like a mass of raging flames as they dove toward the wild beast!

‘Bats?’

Bats usually live in dark caves; why would they be in this field of grass?

In the next instant, dozens of thin “streams of fire” branched out from the mass of flames, instantly enveloping the wild beast! The group watched in amazement as the fire streams pierced through the beast’s hide, leaving scorched marks. However, the fire didn’t stay on the surface to burn; it flashed through the interior of the beast and quickly returned to the main swarm!

The group’s keen eyes noticed that the returning fire streams weren’t “empty-handed.” Instead, they carried lumps of flesh and blood that had been rendered into a gelatinous state, which they proceeded to devour. After returning, the bats seemed to “wait in line,” flapping their wings until the first batch had enjoyed their fill, then a “second wave” immediately followed, diving once more toward the dying beast!

Even more remarkably, after only a few breaths, the wild beast was dead. The moment it breathed its last, the fire bats stopped their movements, flapped their wings, and charged straight toward Gongyi Tianheng and the others!

Gu Zuo was well-prepared. He took out a pill and crushed it between his fingers—

The pill rapidly turned into powder and flew into the sky with a poof, forming something akin to a flying dragon or a massive net, enveloping every single bat within its reach.

The powder drifted down…

The moment the bats touched the powder, they all flipped over in mid-air and emitted a series of strange sounds. Although Gu Zuo and the others didn’t actually “hear” anything, their minds suddenly vibrated violently, leaving them dazed and nauseous as if their heads were about to explode.

Fortunately, they were all people of firm resolve. Detecting the threat, they immediately calmed their spirits… It wasn’t until all the bats had been killed that they realized this invisible sound—capable of destroying one’s mental power—was the bats’ trump card. It was difficult to defend against, yet it couldn’t stop true experts.

Seeing that no more bats were coming, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. However, Gu Zuo spoke up: “These are Crimson Blood Bats.”

Everyone’s gaze immediately fell upon him. Gu Zuo gave them a smile. “Wherever Crimson Blood Bats are found, there must be Qingxue Tree nearby.”