Chapter Twenty-Seven: Preparing the Elixirs

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Preparing the Elixirs

Before Doctor Mo returned to the mountain, Eli Mason knew it was safe to use the vial in the Mystic Gate. He was the only one in the entire valley, and no outsiders would venture in, ensuring there would be no unexpected incidents during this period. Eli could freely use the vial without worry.

Estimating Doctor Mo's return, Eli figured that finding good medicinal herbs nearby was unlikely. Doctor Mo would probably need to travel far, possibly to remote, uninhabited mountains and forests. Only such secluded places held the hope of finding rare herbs. The journey back and forth, along with the time spent searching, would likely take close to a year.

Nearly six months had passed since Doctor Mo left, so Eli estimated he had about six or seven months before Doctor Mo returned. During this time, Eli needed to accelerate the growth of as many useful herbs as possible. He had to follow the rare recipes he knew, without wasting any of the green liquid.

The elixirs Eli planned to make were those that could enhance his strength and break through bottlenecks—elixirs Doctor Mo had once desired to concoct but had been unable to due to a lack of rare ingredients. Each one of these elixirs was a priceless treasure, capable of making ordinary families bankrupt and driving martial artists to fight to the death.

Even with Doctor Mo's advanced medical skills, he had never seen any of these finished elixirs, let alone made them himself. Despite knowing the recipes, Doctor Mo had always sighed in frustration due to the lack of ingredients.

When Eli was learning medicine from Doctor Mo, he was deeply interested in these rare recipes. Although he never dreamed of making these extremely valuable elixirs, he memorized many of the recipes. Doctor Mo, noticing Eli's enthusiasm, adopted a laissez-faire attitude. Whenever Eli asked, Doctor Mo explained in detail without any intention of hiding information. He probably considered these recipes as something valuable yet impractical, given the difficulty of obtaining the necessary ingredients.

Now, these recipes were Eli's treasures. He diligently used the green liquid to accelerate the growth of the required herbs, not daring to be lax. He knew time was limited. He had to finish preparing the elixirs before Doctor Mo returned, after which he would hide the vial and never use it on the mountain again.

Eli had no confidence in using the vial in front of Doctor Mo without arousing suspicion. He knew Doctor Mo was a shrewd and meticulous person. He had no intention of revealing the vial's secret to him.

Eli found his relationship with Doctor Mo peculiar, far from the usual master-disciple bond.

Doctor Mo often looked at him with a strange gaze, making Eli feel that Doctor Mo was hiding something detrimental to him. This feeling had intensified over the past couple of years, preventing Eli and Doctor Mo from becoming close or open with each other.

In daily life, Doctor Mo treated him well, never physically punishing or verbally abusing him. He provided the best conditions for Eli's cultivation. Yet, there was always a barrier between them, an awkward atmosphere that Eli couldn't shake off.

Doctor Mo was aware of this rift but made no effort to mend their relationship. He continued to push Eli's cultivation progress without change. However, the strange look in Doctor Mo's eyes seemed to have lessened, rarely appearing lately.

Eli's sharp intuition told him that Doctor Mo hadn't abandoned his hidden agenda but had cleverly masked his true intentions. This increased Eli's vigilance, making it impossible for him to disclose the vial's secret.

Eli had learned a valuable lesson from many historical accounts: "Do not harm others, but guard against those who might harm you."

Regardless of whether Doctor Mo genuinely harbored ill intentions or if it was just Eli's misperception, it was wise to remain cautious. If Doctor Mo did mean him harm, increased vigilance could prevent harm. If it was just Eli's mistaken judgment, staying alert was still prudent, and he wouldn't act against Doctor Mo without reason. Eli remained a dutiful disciple, honoring Doctor Mo as he should.

Despite these reassurances, Eli felt uneasy. Their strange master-disciple relationship was likely unique within the Mystic Gate, causing Eli to sigh in frustration.

The vial must not be used after Doctor Mo's return. Even if Eli managed to keep it hidden from Doctor Mo, there was still the risk of others in the Mystic Gate discovering it. The safest course was to put it away and act as if nothing had ever happened.

Having made all these plans and resolved to secretly store the vial, Eli felt a sense of relief and soon fell into a peaceful sleep.

In the following months, Eli secretly used the green liquid to accelerate the growth of many rare herbs. He used these herbs to prepare numerous rare elixirs according to the recipes. However, the process was fraught with failures, each one causing Eli great distress. Every failure meant wasting invaluable ingredients. Still, he consoled himself, knowing that even Doctor Mo would likely fail once or twice on his first attempt.

"Elixir of the Yellow Dragon," "Clear Spirit Powder," "Golden Marrow Pill," and "Essence Nourishing Pill"—these rare and precious medicines were now placed in several small bottles, arranged before Eli. Seeing them brought a smile to his face. With these elixirs, advancing to the fourth level of his cultivation method, and even the fifth and sixth levels, wouldn't be too difficult.

Among these elixirs, the "Elixir of the Yellow Dragon" and the "Golden Marrow Pill" were the most beneficial for his cultivation, capable of enhancing his strength and transforming his physique. The "Clear Spirit Powder" was a rare antidote that could neutralize hundreds of poisons. The "Essence Nourishing Pill" had miraculous effects on both internal and external injuries. Regardless of the severity of the injuries, consuming one pill could greatly alleviate them, if not completely heal them, ensuring survival.