Chapter 155: Ice Vein Pill
Taking the green wooden box, Zhang Ruochen could feel a faint chill on its surface.
It wasn't the box itself that was cold, but the medicinal pill inside, radiating a chilling aura.
Zhang Ruochen opened the green wooden box, and a rich fragrance of medicine wafted out. Wisps of white medicinal vapor, like tiny snakes, emerged from the box and swirled around it.
Seeing the eight pills inside, Zhang Ruochen's eyes lit up with surprise. "Ice Vein Pill."
"You recognize this pill?" Xiao Hei asked, somewhat astonished.
Zhang Ruochen said, "It was a very popular pill during the Middle Ages, but later it was monopolized by the major top-tier powers. It's almost impossible to buy on the market. I didn't expect you to be able to refine it."
During the Middle Ages, many human martial artists used pills to temper their meridians, increasing their toughness and enhancing the speed of true qi circulation. Some pills could even imbue the meridians with specific attributes.
Ice Vein Pill, Fire Vein Pill, Lightning Vein Pill, Wind Vein Pill... all were developed during that era and widely used among martial artists.
Taking the Ice Vein Pill not only tempers the meridians but also gives them an ice-cold attribute. Once true qi is circulated, the body can transform into an ice-cold constitution, capable of freezing rivers and mountains with a single palm strike.
Taking the Fire Vein Pill gives the meridians a flame attribute, allowing one to spit fire from the mouth or condense true qi into fireballs with a raised hand. Some powerful martial artists could even use true qi to form flaming wings and soar through the sky.
If Zhang Ruochen became an inner court disciple of the Martial Market Academy, he could naturally use merit points to exchange for Ice Vein Pills. But as an outer court disciple now, even with merit points, many things were beyond his reach.
Since Xiao Hei had refined the Ice Vein Pill, it was a great help to Zhang Ruochen.
"The Ice Vein Pill is suitable for martial artists with an ice-cold constitution, but my true qi carries a faint trace of lightning and time-space power. If you could refine the Lightning Vein Pill, it would be even more beneficial to me," Zhang Ruochen said, closing the green wooden box and putting it away.
Although the Ice Vein Pill wasn't as suitable as the Lightning Vein Pill, it was still a tremendous help to Zhang Ruochen.
"Lightning Vein Pill? That's possible!"
Xiao Hei showed a contemplative expression, as if recalling the recipe for the Lightning Vein Pill.
Zhang Ruochen didn't rush to refine the Ice Vein Pill. Since he was leaving the palace tomorrow to return to the Martial Market Academy, he naturally wanted to spend the evening with Consort Lin.
In Yushu Palace, the residence of Consort Lin.
"Mother, why don't you come with me to the Martial Market Academy? I'm worried leaving you alone in the palace," Zhang Ruochen said.
Consort Lin gently bit her lip, looking at Zhang Ruochen, who had grown a bit taller, and shook her head. "Chen'er, don't worry. I'm just an ordinary person. The Queen may dislike me, but she won't really harm me. I've lived here for nearly twenty years, and I truly don't want to leave."
Zhang Ruochen sighed softly. "You still can't let go of the King?"
"He is your father," Consort Lin said.
Consort Lin still had feelings for the Yunwu Commandery King. If Zhang Ruochen took her to the Martial Market Academy, what would others think of the King?
Zhang Ruochen was silent for a moment, then said, "Alright, I respect your choice, Mother."
Then, Zhang Ruochen took out three jade bottles and a bundle containing silver coins and spirit crystals, handing them to Consort Lin. "Mother, these three jade bottles contain three hundred blood pills, all first-grade blood pills that you can fully absorb. If you take them regularly, your constitution will become much stronger than an ordinary person's, even if you're not a martial artist."
"Also, the bundle contains five hundred silver coins and twenty spirit crystals."
Zhang Ruochen could have left more silver coins and pills, but after thinking it over, he decided that leaving too much might not be a good thing for Consort Lin.
Standing nearby, Huang Yanchen walked up to Consort Lin and took off a phoenix-shaped red jade pendant from her neck, handing it to her. Softly, she said, "Auntie, this Fire Cloud Jade has three layers of defensive power. If you're attacked, it can protect you from three dangers. Wearing it long-term can also strengthen your constitution and calm your mind."
If someone else had offered such a precious gift, Consort Lin would have refused. But since it was from her son's fiancée, she accepted it with great joy.
Leaving Consort Lin's residence, Zhang Ruochen suddenly stopped and looked at Huang Yanchen. "Senior Sister, what exactly do you mean?"
Huang Yanchen stood a short distance away, once again adopting her cold, aloof demeanor, lifting her snow-white chin. "I just gave a piece of jade. What's the big deal? Zhang Ruochen, I need to make something clear to you. Our engagement was forced. When we return to the Martial Market Academy, you must not mention it to anyone. If I find out a third person knows, I won't let you off."
Zhang Ruochen said, "The news of our engagement has already spread to all the kingdoms. It must have reached the Martial Market Academy by now."
Huang Yanchen said, "Even if the news has reached the academy, you must deny it. Besides, we're only engaged now, and there are three years before the wedding. You should understand that we can't really get married. Three years from now, we'll break off the engagement. What do you think?"
"I have no objections," Zhang Ruochen said.
Seeing how readily he agreed, Huang Yanchen felt inexplicably irritated. She muttered under her breath, "I hope you won't regret agreeing to this three years from now."
The next day, Zhang Ruochen, Huang Yanchen, and Zhang Shaochu set off on the road back to the Martial Market Academy.
Zhang Shaochu was extremely nervous the entire way, trailing at the back, not daring to walk ahead of Huang Yanchen.
Having spent over a year at the Martial Market Academy, Zhang Shaochu knew Huang Yanchen's reputation well. Her name was like thunder to him. Any male student who heard her name would turn pale with fear.
The title of the Three Great Female Demons was no joke.
But now, Huang Yanchen had become his ninth brother's fiancée. Zhang Shaochu's feelings were complicated—partly happy, partly fearful.
Happy because, in the West Courtyard, he could finally hold his head high. Who would dare bully him now?
Fearful because Huang Yanchen was so domineering. Could his ninth brother handle her?
When they returned to the West Courtyard, it was three days later, with only half a month left until the Intermediate Ruins Exploration Exam.
Back at the West Courtyard, Zhang Ruochen went to visit Duanmu Xingling, but found she wasn't in Xuanzi Number One. A thin layer of dust covered the table, as if she had been gone for a long time.
She would surely return before the Intermediate Ruins Exploration Exam, so Zhang Ruochen didn't think much of it.
Returning to Huangzi Number One, Zhang Ruochen immediately entered the inner space of the Time-Space Crystal and took out the green wooden box containing the Ice Vein Pills.
The box held eight Ice Vein Pills, each a fourth-grade pill, exuding bone-chilling cold.
The moment Zhang Ruochen's finger touched the pill, it froze, covered in a thin layer of ice crystals that spread over his entire hand.
"As expected of a fourth-grade pill. So powerful."
He imagined that if he were still at the Yellow Extreme Realm, touching the Ice Vein Pill would have frozen most of his body, let alone refining it.
Zhang Ruochen circulated his true qi through his meridians, channeling it to his five fingers.
With a crack, the ice on his hand shattered.
Wrapped in true qi, Zhang Ruochen picked up one of the Ice Vein Pills, put it in his mouth, and swallowed it.
An extremely cold medicinal vapor spread through his abdomen. In an instant, a sharp pain shot through his belly, as if his internal organs were frozen by the vapor.
The cold was intense, ten times more frigid than when he had first taken Half-Saint True Liquid.
If any other martial artist at the Mysterious Extreme Middle Position had taken the Ice Vein Pill, they would be courting death, instantly killed by the explosive medicinal vapor.
Although Zhang Ruochen was also at the Mysterious Extreme Middle Position, his constitution far surpassed those at the same level. Moreover, during the Yellow Extreme Realm, he had cultivated the Supreme Extreme Realm, drawing the resonance of the gods.
That resonance had, to some extent, transformed Zhang Ruochen's meridians and qi lake, allowing him to barely withstand the Ice Vein Pill's cold energy.
"Hiss!"
Zhang Ruochen activated all thirty-six meridians, refining the Ice Vein Pill's medicinal vapor at maximum speed.
Ten days later, Zhang Ruochen had fully refined the medicinal vapor. His body gradually returned to normal temperature, but his muscles and meridians remained stiff.
Opening his eyes, Zhang Ruochen exhaled a puff of white breath.
"My body feels so heavy. Even moving a finger is difficult." Zhang Ruochen felt like someone who had been frozen for ten thousand years, just waking up. His whole body was numb, and every movement brought sharp pain.
Struggling to his feet, Zhang Ruochen began slowly practicing palm techniques.
Through the practice, he channeled the cold energy into his meridians and bones, strengthening his constitution.
In the future, if other martial artists attacked him with ice-cold martial techniques, Zhang Ruochen would be better able to resist.
He repeatedly performed the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Palm, feeling his power grow stronger and his palm speed increase.
The flow of true qi in his meridians also accelerated, about thirty percent faster than before.
The faster the true qi flowed, the more powerful the force he could unleash.
In the inner space of the Time-Space Crystal, Zhang Ruochen practiced palm techniques for five full days, each time stopping only when his true qi was completely depleted. After stopping, he took pills to restore his true qi.
In five days, he fully absorbed the remaining Ice Vein Pill medicinal vapor into his body. His martial realm reached the peak of the Mysterious Extreme Middle Position.
The true qi in his qi lake was now full, ready to break through to the Mysterious Extreme Great Position at any time.
Having cultivated for fifteen days in the Time-Space Crystal, only five days had passed in the outside world. Zhang Ruochen still had enough time to break through to the next realm.
"Zhang Ruochen, Duanmu Xingling has come to Huangzi Number One. I told her you were in seclusion. Do you want to see her?" Xiao Hei's voice echoed in the inner space of the Time-Space Crystal.
"Senior Sister Duanmu is back? She must have brought some news. Of course, I'll see her." Zhang Ruochen's face lit up with joy. He had a good impression of Duanmu Xingling.
Suddenly, he remembered something.
He had spent so much time with Senior Sister Duanmu but had never asked which kingdom she was from.
Apart from knowing she was an outer court disciple of the Martial Market Academy, everything else about her was a blank.