Eternal Life Starts from Tai Chi-Chapter 139: Beyond the Help of Immortals, I Have Shed Blood for the Sect
Inside the Medicine Hall’s Pharmacy.
Yang Chan was examining the poisoned disciples who had been sent back. Their conditions were grim. Although an antidote was temporarily suppressing the toxin and keeping their lives out of immediate danger, it was not a long-term solution.
When a poison like this resurfaced after being suppressed, its outbreak would be incredibly violent and could prove instantly fatal. This was a very real risk.
The situation for the poisoned disciples was much the same. This was why the Cyan Yuan Sect’s many Pharmacists, when not treating other injuries, were all focused on developing various antidotes.
It wasn’t just the Medicine Hall that was busy trying to find a cure. Sect Leader Liu Xuan had also sent men to summon poison specialists in an attempt to neutralize this toxin.
This was because it wasn’t just one Cyan Yuan Sect Disciple’s life on the line, but many.
These people were the future of the Cyan Yuan Sect. If they could be saved, they had to be. The sect wouldn’t give up on them easily.
Yang Chan examined the poisoned disciples; none were in good condition. The poison had settled deep within their internal organs. At this point, only a true antidote could completely resolve their predicament.
Otherwise, if the poison flared up, the disciples would be beyond saving.
Moreover, even though they were all poisoned, their symptoms varied, as did the specific internal organs that were affected.
After examining the disciples, Yang Chan began to study the samples of the poison that had been brought back. The ingredients seemed similar, but each sample had subtle variations.
His cultivation had yet to reach the stage of Inner Refining of the Lungs and Spleens, so he didn’t dare test the poison on himself. To be killed by the very poison he was supposed to be analyzing would be the ultimate irony.
Yang Chan had no desire to be the fool who died tasting the poison. He could, however, identify some of the common medicinal ingredients across the different samples.
Not many samples of the poison had been brought back from Yu State—only eight varieties in total. However, judging by the disciples’ varying symptoms, there had to be at least twenty different variants, if not more.
This only increased the difficulty of finding an antidote.
There was some good news from Yu State, however. Reports mentioned the destruction of several No-Life Evil Cult strongholds, the elimination of many of their members, and the fact that powerful Inner Masters were immune to these poisons.
The most affected were the Official Disciples, followed by the Elite Disciples.
Although the Direct Disciples had not yet reached the stage of Inner Refining of the Lungs and Spleens, they possessed the corresponding cultivation technique. This allowed them to slowly refine and expel the toxins from their bodies, so they were not greatly affected.
Few, if any, Elite Disciples had been sent back. Their physiques were superior to those of the Official Disciples, allowing them to endure the poison for some time without being completely incapacitated. Furthermore, Lü Zhenghai, Gu An, and the others hoped to find an antidote within the No-Life Evil Cult itself. That would solve the problem at its source and save a great deal of trouble.
However, the fact that Pharmacists like Yang Chan were still tasked with formulating an antidote meant that the teams in the field had not yet succeeded and were still trying.
’Among these eight poison samples, the proportions of the common ingredients are all different. They also contain numerous other toxins, some of which don’t even seem to be medicinal in nature, but other venomous substances. Creating an antidote for this will be truly difficult.’
The complexity of it all gave Yang Chan a headache.
’No wonder so many Pharmacists have failed to create an antidote. Even Intermediate Pharmacists have tried. I’m not sure if any Advanced Pharmacists have gotten involved, but this is a genuinely difficult challenge.’
Seeing that one of the poisoned disciples was doing poorly, Yang Chan had Han Bingyu help him administer a standard antidote. It was the most effective treatment they had at the moment; while it couldn’t cure the root problem, it at least had some effect.
If they let his condition deteriorate, he would only die sooner. They had no other choice.
It was the same for the other poisoned disciples; none of them were in good shape. According to Zhao Yi, the interval between doses of the antidote was getting shorter and shorter, which meant the standard treatment was becoming less and less effective.
The moment the standard antidote lost all effect would be the moment the poison flared up uncontrollably. When that happened, they would die instantly, beyond the help of even an Immortal.
...
Yang Chan spent the morning in the Medicine Hall, then went to the Medicine Preparation Institute in the afternoon to prepare standard Antitoxic Pills. The formula didn’t require many ingredients, so having Han Bingyu as his sole assistant was sufficient.
He had originally planned to personally show Han Bingyu where the various medicinal ingredients were kept, to help her acclimate more quickly. After all, he had no other Pharmacist’s Assistant who could teach her.
However, Han Bingyu had surprised him. In the few days since her return, she had already taken the initiative to study the layout of the Medicine Preparation Institute. As a result, she was now familiar with where everything was stored and didn’t need his personal instruction. This was a welcome development for Yang Chan, as it saved him a lot of trouble. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖
Yang Chan was very pleased that Han Bingyu had taken the initiative. It showed she was highly motivated to become a good Pharmacist—a bit like he had been.
When he had first joined the Medicine Preparation Institute, after some initial instruction from Shu Yu, he had spent most of his time in the institute’s pharmacies. He did it to learn where all the ingredients were, so he could complete his tasks without delay, a diligence that earned him repeated praise from Xu Gaocen.
Some people’s excellence is revealed in the small details. Yang Chan was one of them.
After Han Bingyu brought over the medicinal ingredients for the antidote, she helped weigh them out. Yang Chan then mixed them in the correct proportions and packaged them into individual pouches.
Later, someone else would decoct the mixtures and refine them into standard Antitoxic Pills.
Although it was called an "Antitoxic Pill," suggesting it was a true Elixir, the process was much simpler. The mixture was merely decocted, and the resulting sediment was formed into pills in a medicine mold. The name was more impressive than the process.
The entire process was far simpler than making pills like the Void Spirit Pill or Ganoderma Pill, to say nothing of a complex concoction like the Lantian Jade Refining Pill, which required Earth Fire Refining.
Yang Chan and Han Bingyu worked for three hours to complete their task of preparing the Antitoxic Pills. Their pace wasn’t the fastest, but they weren’t the last to finish, either.
With so many disciples poisoned, large quantities of Antitoxic Pills were being prepared to keep in reserve.
The Sect would not abandon the Official Disciples who had bled for it; every possible method would be used to treat them.
"We did good work today. Help me deliver these pouches, and then you can head back for the day."
Back when Yang Chan was a Pharmacist’s Assistant, he had to deliver these prepared pouches himself, and it was no different now. With Han Bingyu being his only assistant, he had no choice but to pitch in.
’Still, this is a simple enough task. I’ll have Han Bingyu familiarize herself with the Cyan Yuan Sect’s procedures for now. Once I get another Pharmacist’s Assistant, I can have her train them. It’ll be a good way to develop her skills and save me a lot of work in the long run.’
"Yes, Pharmacist Yang."
Han Bingyu nodded seriously.
She had helped Yang Chan with preparations many times back in Tan City, but this was her first time doing so within the Cyan Yuan Sect. While she knew the general process, her understanding wasn’t complete.
