Chapter Thirty-Four: The Purification of the Five Poisons

Ying Chen pressed his brush down and turned to ask, “Senior sister, have you cultivated the Bone Flying Fork?”

“I haven’t practiced it,” Qu Qiao replied. “I am simply quite familiar with the materials.”

Seeing Ying Chen’s surprised expression, she smiled and explained, “Ah, you may not know this, junior brother.”

“The Bone Flying Fork and its related spells have been flourishing within the inner sect for quite some time. Though not as renowned as the Great Yin Puppet Art, which boasts a long lineage, the Bone Flying Fork technique has become quite sophisticated.”

“Is that so?” Ying Chen realized that compared to those who had cultivated for years or hailed from notable backgrounds, his understanding of Crimson Waters Cliff and the Way of Innate was still lacking. He listened intently and asked, “There are a series of spells following the Bone Flying Fork?”

“Exactly.” Qu Qiao was generous with her knowledge and continued, “Just within the bone implements, there are the Bone Bell, Bone Mirror, Bone Whip, Bone Umbrella, each with its own mysteries. Not to mention the Grand Art of Bone Dao Soldiers, Bone Demon God’s Divine Power…”

“Among the bone implement spells, the Bone Flying Fork is considered entry-level, for beginners need not delve into the higher arts right away… Yet, once cultivated deeply, it is no less profound than the others.”

Ying Chen said, “The sect’s spells are indeed vast and intricate.”

Qu Qiao smiled, “You’ll have opportunities to encounter them in time, junior brother.”

Ying Chen nodded, hung the talisman on the wall, and after he finished, Qu Qiao said, “There are several senior brothers in the society who have mastered the Bone Flying Fork. If you wish to seek guidance, I can introduce you.”

Ying Chen’s heart stirred and he asked, “Is there any connection between our Bone Society and the rise of these bone arts?”

Qu Qiao chuckled quietly, replying only, “Many previous members of the Bone Society cultivated bone arts.”

“I see.” Ying Chen nodded thoughtfully, then said, “I am still exploring the Bone Flying Fork. Should I encounter any difficulties, I’ll trouble you for an introduction.”

Qu Qiao responded with a gentle smile.

Thus, the tour of the Bone Hall came to an end. Ying Chen did not linger but took his leave.

Returning to his dwelling, midnight had already passed. Ying Chen did not rush to squeeze out more time for cultivation, but instead used his leisure to carefully plan his daily regimen.

After ensuring nothing was overlooked, Ying Chen spent the rest of the night in meditation, feeling fully refreshed come dawn. He proceeded to the pill chamber, collected herbs from the ancient apothecary, and officially began refining.

Ten batches of herbs were transformed into spirit medicines in one go, including brief rests, taking a full four days.

Fortunately, the effort was not wasted. Of the ten batches, even the weakest retained seventy to eighty percent potency, fit to be sold as premium goods in the marketplace.

Regrettably, the Three Sprigs Moonlight Powder’s grade was still somewhat lacking, and learning more advanced formulas would not be an easy feat.

He borrowed some medicine books from the pill chamber and found that most discussed medicinal principles rather than actual formulas, and those few formulas were mostly basic, such as the “Thirty-six Powder Recipes,” with limited power.

Yet Ying Chen was in no hurry. He first sought to master the medicinal principles, trusting that opportunities to practice would arise in the future.

He also discovered that, although copying from the pill chamber’s books was forbidden in name, in practice the supervision was lax. He thus guessed the origins of the copied manuscripts he possessed.

Still, this trade had its risks, and Ying Chen felt it unnecessary to pursue such profit.

The following days proceeded in an orderly manner.

Apart from refining pills in the pill chamber, Ying Chen spent his time in seclusion.

The gradual improvement of his cultivation, the study of spells, the research into talismans—Ying Chen found pleasure in all of it, never feeling hardship.

During this period, Ying Chen stumbled upon a small amusement.

During a lesson at the Lecture Altar, he happened to meet the young Daoist who raised Hundred Blossom Fish, which sparked his interest in purchasing a few to satisfy his appetite.

He failed to acquire the fish but unexpectedly obtained the method for preparing Hundred Blossom Dew and raising the fish.

Thus, Ying Chen gained a new pastime.

The preparation of Hundred Blossom Dew was not troublesome, though it required some talisman coins. Cultivating the Hundred Blossom Fish was time-consuming, taking a hundred days for a single fish to mature.

Ying Chen raised four or five in a jar, but before they could be eaten, his cultivation reached a critical juncture.

...

Within the cultivation chamber, mist swirled.

At some point, a bronze cauldron appeared, burning spirit charcoal beneath it like a pill furnace, sending fierce flames that boiled the liquid inside.

The liquid was jet-black, bubbling furiously, emitting a pungent and toxic aroma.

In fact, it was precisely so; this cauldron of “spirit liquid” had been brewed with medicines derived from snakes, scorpions, centipedes, toads, spiders, and other poisonous creatures.

This was one of the spirit medicines from the “Thirty-six Powder Recipes.” Though crafted from poisons, its effect was the opposite—helping cultivators expel toxins from their bodies, including medicinal and pill poisons, a major aid in cultivation.

Ying Chen took Three Sprigs Moonlight Powder daily, and while he had not noticed discomfort, he did not neglect caution and thus diligently practiced this recipe.

At this moment, he sat naked within the cauldron.

The poisonous liquid boiled; without his protective magic, he would have been cooked alive. Even so, Ying Chen felt his body burning inside and out, with needle-like sensations threading through every pore—painful and unbearably itchy.

“Hss… No wonder this Five Poisons Purifying Powder is cheap and good yet not favored by the sect members; the pill chamber never produces it in large quantities.”

“The suffering truly isn’t something ordinary people can endure.”

Though not his first experience, Ying Chen still found it impossible to remain calm.

Fortunately, his past taught him resilience, and with one prior trial, he managed to withstand it.

As time passed and the fire beneath the cauldron died out, the medicine stopped boiling. Ying Chen’s expression finally calmed; he slowly opened his eyes.

Now, there was no pain or itch within or without—only a sense of lightness.

The heat, however, did not fade with the cooling medicine. Instead, it seemed to swell, as if a blazing energy grew ever fiercer.

Ying Chen knew the cause: the former was due to all residual toxins being purged, leaving his body clean and comfortable. The latter was the intense yang energy, for the poisons used in the Five Poisons Purifying Powder, aside from their toxicity, were also highly nourishing.

For a cultivator, this was no problem to resolve; by calming the mind and circulating energy, he could harmonize yin and yang, even refine essence into qi to turn it into a source of strength—though it was somewhat suffocating.

Yet Ying Chen could hardly go to the brothel at Cloud Boat Market for relief, could he?

He’d heard that the demon women there specialized in harvesting yang to supplement yin, and ordinary cultivators were unable to resist… Though they practiced a philosophy of moderation, always taking only a little, so patrons regarded it as part of the cost.

But for Ying Chen, he could spend talisman coins or spirit stones, but his cultivation and vital energy were not to be squandered.

“Perhaps I should seek a dual cultivation partner?” Ying Chen mused for a moment, realizing he was indeed affected, and shook his head to dismiss the thought. He leaped from the cauldron and sat cross-legged upon his bed.

After diligent cultivation these past days, Ying Chen finally reached the threshold of Qi Refining Seventh Stage. This purge with the Five Poisons Purifying Powder was precisely the preparation for breaking through.