Protect Our Patriarch-Chapter 103Book 5: : Made a fortune! Business Grand Slam

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"You really aren't the True Lord of the Mysterious Pill. What are you impersonating him for?" Princess Luojia exclaimed in a mix of shock and anger. She had sensed something was off earlier, and after a slight probe, this situation unfolded.

"Bah, what is the True Lord of the Mysterious Pill? He's just a dog I raised. I merely borrowed his name." Magicauldron Venerable spat disdainfully. "Enough with the nonsense. If you know what's good for you, crafty girl, don't interfere with my plan to seize that brat with his head full of outdated ideas!"

With that, a sinister and domineering remnant soul detached itself from the cauldron, viciously lunging toward Wang Shouye, who was beneath Princess Luojia.

"Qingshuang, slash!"

Princess Luojia's eyes sharpened as she commanded, and a flash of azure light sliced through the air, instantly cutting the remnant soul in two. At the same time, the momentum of the sword strike crashed into the cauldron.

"Clang!"

A heavy metallic sound reverberated, making one's ears ring, yet it only caused the battered cauldron to tremble slightly, without leaving a single mark.

"How is this possible?!" Princess Luojia's eyes widened in disbelief.

Her "Qingshuang" was a Divine Spirit Sword, imbued with divine power. What material was this seemingly tattered cauldron made of?

"Hehehe~" The remnant soul of Magicauldron Venerable remerged with the cauldron, laughing more arrogantly. "Do you think you're the old dog Holy Emperor, trying to smash my cauldron..."

"Boom!"

Before he could finish, a scarlet sword light struck him again, causing his remnant soul to tremble violently and scatter.

It was Wang Shouye's fire-attribute Divine Spirit Artifact, the "Scarlet Dragon Sword." This sword was one of the Divine Spirit Artifacts Wang Shouzhe obtained from the Blood Venerable's relic and was given to the fire-attribute Wang Shouye for protection.

The remnant soul of Magicauldron Venerable drifted and reformed, seething with rage: "I..."

"Swish! Swish! Swish!"

Azure light flashed repeatedly, slicing the remnant soul of Magicauldron Venerable into more than ten pieces.

Reforming again, he cursed angrily: "You..."

"Boom!"

Though the repeated attacks did little damage to Magicauldron Venerable, they were highly insulting.

He decided not to reform his remnant soul but instead split it into dozens of strands, rushing toward Wang Shouye past Princess Luojia. novelbuddy.cσ๓

"Brother Shouye, be careful!" Princess Luojia hastily unleashed a powerful divine sense, forming a shield between the tangible and intangible to block the attack.

Divine sense is a spiritual power from the soul, awakened by most only after opening their spiritual platform, though some talented individuals can develop it during the Qi Refining Realm.

As a Peerless Prodigy of the Purple Mansion Realm, Princess Luojia's divine sense was no weaker than that of an average Divine Realm cultivator, making her defense formidable.

Simultaneously, Wang Shouye's divine sense erupted, merging with Princess Luojia's to form a protective shield.

In terms of cultivation level, he was slightly inferior to Princess Luojia, but his divine sense, honed through years of alchemy, was more resilient and stable.

For a moment, the two of them together managed to fend off the remnant soul of Magicauldron Venerable.

"This is too much!" Magicauldron Venerable felt deeply humiliated.

A Peerless Prodigy is indeed excellent, but for Magicauldron Venerable to have reached the True Immortal Realm in life, his bloodline talent was naturally superior to that of a Peerless Prodigy...

It was evident how weak his remnant soul's power had become.

"You underestimate me." Magicauldron Venerable felt a pang of sadness, immediately burning his remnant soul's power. "Today, I'll fight you to the end."

As he spoke, dozens of strands of his remnant soul gathered into a mass, glowing brightly, pushing into the divine sense shield created by Wang Shouye and Princess Luojia.

Wang Shouye was below, Princess Luojia above.

Fearing that pushing too hard might deplete his strength before reaching Wang Shouye, causing the possession to fail, Magicauldron Venerable steeled himself and directly aimed for Princess Luojia's spiritual platform, preparing for a battle of possession.

Becoming a woman was a secondary concern; securing the possession was the priority.

"Miss Lingxiao, be careful." Wang Shouye quickly retracted his divine sense to assist Princess Luojia in resisting Magicauldron Venerable's intrusion.

Facing the threat of possession, Princess Luojia was determined to fight with all her might, focusing entirely on defense.

Despite their efforts, Magicauldron Venerable's remnant soul continued to pierce through Princess Luojia's spiritual platform.

Once his remnant soul entered her spiritual platform, the consequences would be dire.

As time passed, both sides' soul powers were rapidly depleting, and Princess Luojia and Wang Shouye grew paler.

Wang Shouye felt conflicted; if this continued, he might have to use the trump card his fourth brother left him...

At this critical moment, a sudden change occurred.

A gentle yet urgent voice sounded in Wang Shouye's ear: "Shouye, quickly find a way to open the cauldron's lid. Inside is a Nine Nether Hellfire, which can be used against the old demon of the cauldron."

"Xuandan, you dare to ruin my plans?!" Magicauldron Venerable immediately sensed something amiss, roaring in fury. "Aren't you afraid I'll erase your consciousness first?"

"Erase? Perhaps you could have before, but now, after consuming so much soul power, are you sure you can spare the strength to deal with me?" True Lord of the Mysterious Pill snorted coldly, urging Wang Shouye again, "Shouye, hurry! This old demon is unfathomable, and now is the perfect time to destroy him. Shouye, do you fear this is a trap?"

While assisting Princess Luojia in resisting Magicauldron Venerable, Wang Shouye replied with difficulty, "Earlier, Lingxiao told me that historical records say True Lord of the Mysterious Pill was once seduced by a daughter of the Wu Clan. What was her name?"

Seduced? I don't know about that.

Princess Luojia was momentarily stunned, allowing Magicauldron Venerable to advance a few millimeters.

"Nonsense!" True Lord of the Mysterious Pill reacted as if his tail had been stepped on, erupting in anger. "My feelings for Muyue were deep and sincere. How could I stray? Which historian dared to tarnish my name? Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous! A daughter of the Wu Clan? Was it Wu Qiushuang or Wu..."

Before he could finish, a world-shattering aura surged forth.

In an instant, a fist, solid as reality, appeared out of thin air, striking the cauldron with great force.

"Bang!"

The deafening impact caused the cauldron, impervious to Divine Spirit Artifacts, to tremble violently. Accompanied by Magicauldron Venerable's anguished scream, the cauldron was sent flying.

Simultaneously, the cauldron's lid was blasted open, and a mass of ghostly green flames erupted from within.

The Legion Commander's Protection!

This was one of the treasures the Wang Clan obtained from the new recruit training camp, always kept as a trump card. This time, as Wang Shouye ventured out on an important mission, Wang Shouzhe temporarily entrusted it to him for protection.

This was the first time a member of the Wang Clan had truly used the "Legion Commander's Protection." But given the life-threatening situation, its use was justified.

Magicauldron Venerable's remnant soul was clearly anchored to the cauldron, and with this heavy blow, it was naturally dragged away with the cauldron.

Wang Shouye and Princess Luojia were instantly freed from their predicament.

The two of them immediately rose into the air.

"Shouye, quickly, quickly collect the Nine Nether Hellfire!"

True Lord of the Mysterious Pill's aura was extremely weak. Clearly, the previous attack had also inflicted significant damage on him.

Wang Shouye understood, immediately reaching for the Nine Nether Hellfire.

As an accomplished alchemy master, he had heard of the Nine Nether Hellfire, a rare and powerful flame in the world, known for its effectiveness in incinerating souls, though it was less harmful to the physical body. With his current strength, he could fully control it.

"You dare, brat!"

Magicauldron Venerable was furious, immediately maneuvering the cauldron to attack Wang Shouye, trying to prevent him from capturing the Nine Nether Hellfire.

"Brother Shouye, I'll hold off the old demon."

Seeing this, Princess Luojia immediately controlled a sword and shield, two Divine Spirit Artifacts, to intercept Magicauldron Venerable.

She was truly enraged.

That old cauldron demon dared to attempt possession of her!

With Princess Luojia's assistance, Wang Shouye easily seized the mass of Nine Nether Hellfire.

However, given the urgency of the situation, there was no time to refine it. He had to use his divine sense to encircle and control the Nine Nether Hellfire, then dashed toward the old cauldron demon, directly slamming the flame onto his soul.

"Ah~~~!!!"

Magicauldron Venerable let out a piercing scream.

Simultaneously, True Lord of the Mysterious Pill also groaned in pain. Clearly, their remnant souls were entangled, inseparable.

"True Lord of the Mysterious Pill!" Wang Shouye's hand trembled, instinctively releasing the remnant soul.

"Shouye, don't stop!" True Lord of the Mysterious Pill rasped, "The old cauldron demon is vicious and cunning. Don't give him a chance to regain strength, or if he breaks free, he will wreak havoc on the world."

"Rest assured, True Lord, Shouye knows what to do." Wang Shouye grasped the remnant soul of Magicauldron Venerable again, continuously burning and wearing it down.

The Nine Nether Hellfire naturally fed on soul energy, and without much control from Wang Shouye, it instinctively climbed the remnant soul's power, covering almost the entire cauldron, weakening Magicauldron Venerable's screams.

This time, True Lord of the Mysterious Pill endured the pain, refraining from interrupting Wang Shouye.

After half an incense stick's time, Wang Shouye stepped back, beginning to slowly refine the Nine Nether Hellfire, while vigilantly watching the cauldron.

Once he refined the Hellfire, he would have a true means to counter the old cauldron demon and no longer fear possession.

During this time, Magicauldron Venerable attempted several counterattacks, but Wang Shouye and Princess Luojia suppressed him together.

Several days later.

Wang Shouye finally succeeded in refining the Nine Nether Hellfire, gaining the ability to control it, and breathed a sigh of relief.

"True Lord, are you still there?" Wang Shouye asked.

"I'm here..." True Lord of the Mysterious Pill's voice was extremely weak. "The old cauldron demon is also still alive. Why haven't you destroyed us both? Or do you have a way to control the old demon?"

"Well, Shouye doesn't have a good solution, but I believe my fourth brother and sister-in-law will have a way." Wang Shouye replied with a smile.

He had blind faith in Wang Shouzhe and his wife, believing they would find a way to deal with the old cauldron demon. Therefore, he held back, planning to bring the cauldron back and see how his fourth brother would handle the old demon. If they could separate True Lord of the Mysterious Pill from the old demon, even better.

"Forget it, forget it. The old demon's soul power is weak now and can't stir up trouble. Look, he can't even speak." True Lord of the Mysterious Pill gathered some strength. "Let's not worry about other things for now. Shouye, while I still have a breath left, hurry and inherit the Mysterious Pill Treasure Tome. Dan'er, come out~"

As he spoke.

A tome flew out from deep within the cauldron, and a girl dressed as an alchemy apprentice floated above it, cautiously observing Wang Shouye with curious and timid eyes.

"Shouye, I'll entrust Dan'er to you from now on." True Lord of the Mysterious Pill said, "I've seen your conduct and believe you will carry on my Mysterious Pill lineage."

"Shouye, pays respects to Master!" Wang Shouye bowed deeply.

Though Princess Luojia was envious, she still congratulated him, "Lingxiao congratulates Brother Shouye. If you don't mind, I can guard your path."

"Thank you, Miss Lingxiao." Wang Shouye returned the courtesy, evidently trusting Princess Luojia.

Wang Shouye first stored the cauldron in his storage ring, then began inheriting the tome.

Several days later, Wang Shouye successfully inherited the Mysterious Pill Treasure Tome, significantly advancing his bloodline talent to the level of a Peerless Prodigy of the third rank.

With this, he had the potential to advance to the mid-Void Realm.

At this point, everything finally settled.

Princess Luojia stood up and said, "Brother Shouye, since there's nothing more for Lingxiao here, I'll take my leave. If you have time, you can visit me in the Northern Zhou imperial city."

As she spoke, Princess Luojia handed him a jade pendant.

It was her personal token.

Wang Shouye hesitated briefly but accepted the still-warm jade pendant, cupping his hands in farewell, "Once I've handled my master's affairs, I'll visit Miss Lingxiao in the Northern Zhou imperial city."

"Lingxiao eagerly awaits."

Princess Luojia smiled and gracefully departed.

After Princess Luojia left, Wang Shouye released the cauldron again.

"Shouye, it seems you've completed the inheritance of the Mysterious Pill Treasure Tome. Now you're officially under my tutelage. My personal belongings should also be passed on to you." True Lord of the Mysterious Pill guided Shouye, "There's a hidden space in this room. I'll teach you how to open it."

For a Void Realm expert capable of tearing space, creating a hidden space wasn't too difficult, just laborious. Therefore, most Void Realm experts would set up hidden spaces as a backup when arranging their legacies.

Though this relic wasn't a formal legacy site, the items in this alchemy chamber clearly weren't all of True Lord of the Mysterious Pill's possessions.

Under True Lord of the Mysterious Pill's guidance, Wang Shouye quickly found the mechanism in the alchemy chamber and opened the entrance to the hidden space.

Compared to the treasure trove left by Blood Venerable, the hidden space left by True Lord of the Mysterious Pill wasn't large, only about three meters square, the kind you could see to the bottom at a glance.

As soon as Shouye entered, he saw a figure sitting cross-legged in the center of the space. His heart trembled, "Master, is this...?"

True Lord of the Mysterious Pill sighed, "Yes. This is my remains."

Perhaps due to the extreme isolation of the hidden space, the remains hadn't completely decayed, retaining a humanoid shape, though they were completely dehydrated and shriveled, resembling a mummy.

Though Wang Shouye hadn't experienced it firsthand, just from True Lord of the Mysterious Pill's brief description, he could imagine the resolve with which he faced death.

He felt a sense of admiration and said, "Master, I'll take care of your remains."

With that, he took out a large piece of spiritual wood, used his sword to fashion a thin coffin, then carefully gathered True Lord of the Mysterious Pill's remains into it.

True Lord of the Mysterious Pill remained silent for a while, only speaking after the remains were properly collected, "Good disciple, you're thoughtful. When I self-destructed, it was in great haste, and I didn't have time to arrange much. My storage ring should still be on my left hand. Lift my sleeve, and you should find it."

The materials of True Lord of the Mysterious Pill's clothing were excellent, and the hidden space was sufficiently sealed, so even after more than twenty thousand years, they were well-preserved, though the luster had faded, making the original color almost unrecognizable.

Following his master's instructions, Shouye lifted the sleeve and indeed found a ring with a jade-white surface, slightly tinged with green.

"This storage ring is called 'Spirit Jar,' a Divine Spirit Artifact-level storage ring. All my remaining possessions are inside. You can contract it and open it to see." True Lord of the Mysterious Pill said.

Since Pill Cauldron Master and the others were outside and hadn't entered, and Shouye's storage ring contained little besides alchemy materials and finished pills, he didn't hesitate to transfer everything from his old storage ring and replace it with the new one.

"Whew~ finally unsealed." As soon as Wang Shouye's divine sense imprinted on the storage ring, a hearty middle-aged voice sounded from within the Divine Spirit Artifact ring, "Young man, I'm Spirit Jar. Nice to meet you. Please take care of... huh? Xuandan, you're not completely dead?"

Spirit Jar's voice was filled with surprise.

He had personally witnessed the events of the past and thought True Lord of the Mysterious Pill's soul had long perished, not expecting to see him again.

"Spirit Jar, long time no see." True Lord of the Mysterious Pill's voice carried a hint of amusement.

"Hahaha~ not completely dead is good~ we can chat from time to time." Spirit Jar's voice was hearty and cheerful, clearly pleased.

He was evidently a talkative spirit artifact, and after exchanging a few words with True Lord of the Mysterious Pill, he addressed Wang Shouye, "Young man, it seems you're the successor Xuandan found for himself. When Xuandan left the Immortal Dynasty, he left most of the good stuff with his wife and descendants. Most of what he left with me is just for show. However, there are a few decent items. Wait, I'll help you pick them out."

With that, he began guiding Wang Shouye, telling him where various items were stored and which pill bottles contained valuable items.

In no time, Wang Shouye had several items in hand, including a deep purple gourd, while the rest were jade bottles containing pills.

Indeed, as an extremely rare grandmaster alchemist, True Lord of the Mysterious Pill naturally had the most pills on him.

"This purple gourd is called the [Blue Flame Gourd], containing the sixth-grade spiritual fire Kunwu Blue Flame. It can assist in alchemy, improve success rates, and serves as both offense and defense. It can even carry people in flight, making it a highly cost-effective Dao Artifact." True Lord of the Mysterious Pill introduced.

"Blue Flame Gourd?" Wang Shouye's eyes lit up, "Is this your, no, Master's renowned Dao Artifact, the [Blue Flame Gourd]?"

True Lord of the Mysterious Pill was once immensely popular in his era, with a life trajectory that was quite legendary, and his wife eventually became the Immortal Emperor, making him an inspirational figure. Wang Shouye had naturally heard of him and was familiar with his famous Dao Artifact, the [Blue Flame Gourd].

In fact, the love story between True Lord of the Mysterious Pill and Guangming Immortal Emperor had been adapted into countless versions among the people, with Wang Shouye having heard at least five different versions.

When he was about ten years old and just starting to learn alchemy, his teacher often used True Lord of the Mysterious Pill's story to motivate him.

However, he never imagined that one day this [Blue Flame Gourd] would be passed down to him.

"Master, rest assured, I will use it well and never tarnish your reputation." Wang Shouye solemnly held the Blue Flame Gourd, speaking with utmost seriousness.

True Lord of the Mysterious Pill smiled, "You're diligent and sincere, and even the temptations of the cauldron demon didn't sway you. I have no worries about you. The remaining pills are worth about one or two million Immortal Crystals. Whether to sell or keep them, it's up to you."

He added with some regret, "When I left the Immortal Dynasty, I was prepared to die and left most of my wealth there, bringing only a few personal items. Besides a Dao Artifact and a Rebirth Immortal Pill, the rest aren't worth much. Don't think it's too little."

Wang Shouye was silent for a while.

After several moments, he finally said, "Master, the Rebirth Immortal Pill is now worth two to three million Immortal Crystals each."

"...Is that so?" True Lord of the Mysterious Pill's tone was somewhat dazed.

In the relic over the years, he had mostly been in a state of slumber, with little sense of the passage of time.

However, he suddenly realized how long twenty thousand years truly was. Long enough for seas to turn into mulberry fields, prices to change with history, and even Muyue to no longer be around...

Seeing True Lord of the Mysterious Pill's emotional state, Wang Shouye suddenly said, "Master, I'll take your remains back to the Immortal Dynasty. After you disappeared, Guangming Immortal Emperor searched for you her whole life. As your disciple, I should return you to your homeland."

"Moreover, after your sudden disappearance, there were many speculations. Now that the truth is known, it should be reported to the Immortal Dynasty's royal family to clear your name."

"Good disciple, you're thoughtful." True Lord of the Mysterious Pill regained his composure, "However, the Yun Clan is the royal family of the Immortal Dynasty. Even if you go there, meeting important figures might require some effort... Oh, I have a Dragon Phoenix Pendant on my lapel, a gift from the Immortal Emperor when I married Muyue. I've always kept it with me. Use it as a token if you go to the Immortal Dynasty."

"Understood, Master." Wang Shouye nodded, "Once everything is settled, I'll take you back to the Immortal Dynasty."

Besides True Lord of the Mysterious Pill's remains, there was nothing else in the hidden space. As they spoke, Wang Shouye had already stored the thin coffin in his storage ring and walked out of the hidden space, then out of the inheritance hall.

Outside the inheritance hall, Pill Cauldron Master and others, having waited for days without seeing anyone emerge, were busy helping Wang Shouye inventory the spiritual herbs in the herb garden.

However, the herb garden was vast, and the number of spiritual herbs was overwhelming, so even after all this time, they had only checked a small portion.

Nevertheless, their faces were filled with joy.

"Junior Brother Shouye, you're out~" Qian Fugui noticed Wang Shouye walking out and quickly called him over, congratulating him with a smile, "I knew Junior Brother would succeed! That Ji Lingxiao talked big, but in the end, she left in defeat~"

He didn't know what had been discovered in the inheritance hall, assuming Ji Lingxiao had left after failing to compete.

"Senior Brother, she wanted the tome, which isn't wrong in itself." Wang Shouye had a good impression of Ji Lingxiao and couldn't help but defend her.

"Alright, alright~~ I know you cherish beauty. Let's not talk about that. Come see what we've found?" Qian Fugui cheerfully led Wang Shouye to the edge of the herb garden, pointing to a spot for him to see.

Pill Cauldron Master and others were also there, their faces filled with excitement.

Wang Shouye followed Qian Fugui's direction and saw, beneath lush grass leaves, a small white lotus about the size of a palm, with smooth, jade-like petals.

His eyes lit up, "Millennium Jade Stone Lotus!"

The [Millennium Jade Stone Lotus] was a seventh-grade spiritual herb, one of the main ingredients for refining the seventh-grade Heavenly Vein Holy Pill, extremely rare and precious.

However, the key point was that the Millennium Jade Stone Lotus had long been extinct in the outside world!

Of course, that's not entirely accurate; a more precise statement would be that purebred Millennium Jade Stone Lotus had gone extinct outside.

Because the Heavenly Vein Holy Pill could enhance a cultivator's bloodline talent, the Immortal Dynasty had systematically cultivated Jade Stone Lotus for a long time, planting it annually, maintaining a stable supply.

Unexpectedly, about ten thousand years ago, the efficacy of the Millennium Jade Stone Lotus began to decline for unknown reasons. The spiritual plant cultivators in charge of the Hundred Herb Garden were anxious, and after much investigation, they finally discovered the problem lay in the breeding process.

A rare ornamental spiritual plant introduced from the outer regions, called "Snow Soul Ice Lotus," turned out to be a close relative of the Jade Stone Lotus. Though the two were planted far apart in the Hundred Herb Garden, they somehow influenced each other unknowingly.

"Snow Soul Ice Lotus" developed white-striped varieties, while the Millennium Jade Stone Lotus exhibited subtle ice stone patterns on the top of its petals, not very noticeable, but with a significant decline in efficacy.

Unfortunately, though the cause was identified, the spiritual plant cultivators were helpless.

Because the Jade Stone Lotus was used whole in medicine, by the time they noticed the efficacy issue, the original purebred Jade Stone Lotus had long been consumed, and all the Jade Stone Lotus in the Hundred Herb Garden, regardless of age, had already mixed with "Snow Soul Ice Lotus" bloodline, leaving no way to salvage it.

As for finding it in the wild, that was impossible.

The Millennium Jade Stone Lotus was a cultivated spiritual herb variety, entirely cultivated by humans since the Shenwu Royal Dynasty, with no wild original species. Though wild ones existed, their efficacy was far inferior.

But the [Millennium Jade Stone Lotus] before them was smooth and white, without any patterns, clearly a purebred Millennium Jade Stone Lotus.

It was evident that this must have been transplanted by True Lord of the Mysterious Pill from the Hundred Herb Garden.

This might be the only purebred Millennium Jade Stone Lotus in existence today.

"Quick! Search inside, see if there are more." Wang Shouye suddenly realized, hurriedly using his authority to open the herb garden, joining his senior brothers, sisters, and junior disciples in the search.

Soon, the herb garden echoed with cries of surprise.

"There's a three-thousand-year-old one here!"

"Here's a twelve-thousand-year-old one!"

"There's even a millennium ginseng! Hidden so well, I almost missed it."

With each joyful announcement, Wang Shouye's smile grew wider.

The presence of more than one Jade Stone Lotus meant the possibility of cultivating their own. His fourth brother excelled in this area, and bringing it back might allow the Wang Clan to grow their own Millennium Jade Stone Lotus in the future.

And the other millennium spiritual herbs also lifted his spirits, making his hands itch with excitement.

After all, seventh-grade and above pills required millennium spiritual herbs as the main ingredient, but only the top clans of the Immortal Dynasty and the royal family's herb gardens had the capacity to cultivate them. They found them insufficient for their own use, let alone selling them.

Gathering the ingredients for a single pill formula was an arduous task.Now, although he already has the ability to attempt refining a seventh-grade Holy Pill, the actual number of times he's done it can be counted on one hand. It's not that his fourth brother doesn't support him; it's just that this grade of spiritual herbs is hard to come by, even if you have the money—it's all about luck.

But now, the spiritual herbs in this medicinal garden have suddenly solved his urgent need.

If he uses them well, coupled with the assistance of the Mysterious Pill Treasure Tome, his pill-refining skills could definitely make a significant leap forward.

He must quickly write a letter back to inform his fourth brother about this, to see if there's a way to move the entire medicinal garden back home!

No, he should find a way to move the entire island back.

...