Chapter 43: Heaven-Defying Effect

“Mu Yuanshan, the thing I regret most now is that, back then, I couldn’t put aside my pride and strangle you directly as the strong preying on the weak,” Wang Yungang stared at Mu Yuanshan for a long time before sighing bitterly.

Hearing this, the corner of Mu Yuanshan’s mouth lifted, and a bright smile appeared on his face. “A courtesan who reforms in her later years, her lifetime of fireworks does no harm; a chaste woman who loses her virtue in old age, all her decades of hardship are wasted. Old Family Head Wang, since you couldn’t put aside your pride back then, why have you managed to do so today?”

Twenty years ago, before Mu Yuanshan became the legend of Shitang Town, Wang Yungang indeed had the chance to strangle Mu Yuanshan in the cradle. However, due to various concerns, Wang Yungang did not do so. This was also the reason Mu Yuanshan could tolerate the Wang Family’s continued existence in Shitang Town after his cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds.

If not for what happened today, Mu Yuanshan did not want to take action against Wang Yungang either.

However, once some things happened, they could not be taken back.

Since Wang Yungang had already cast aside all face to attack the Mu Family, Mu Yuanshan naturally could not let the tiger return to the mountain.

“Fate and timing, Mu Yuanshan. Our father and son coveted your Mu Family’s resources, and we deserved to die. But the hundreds of women and children in the Wang Family are innocent. Please, for the sake of my meager reputation, spare their lives. Consider it as me owing you a favor, alright?” Hearing Mu Yuanshan’s words, the bitter smile on Wang Yungang’s face deepened. He remained silent for a long time before looking at Mu Yuanshan with expectancy.

“Old Family Head Wang, you can rest assured. I, Mu Yuanshan, am not a bloodthirsty person, nor do I wish to turn Shitang Town into a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood. After all, the Mu Family has developed here for decades. I don’t want people to point at my spine and curse me.” Mu Yuanshan looked deeply at Wang Yungang for a moment before solemnly promising.

“If that’s the case, then this old man thanks Family Head Mu on behalf of the women and children of both the Wang Family and the Li Family.” Hearing that the Li Family was also in trouble, Wang Yungang’s body visibly shuddered. Then, he bowed to Mu Yuanshan and slapped his palm against the top of his own head.

With a dull thud, a trickle of black blood seeped from the corner of Wang Yungang’s mouth, and his body collapsed heavily to the ground.

Mu Yuanshan had long seen the resolve in Wang Yungang’s words and expression, so he was not at all surprised by Wang Yungang’s suicide.

Duan Kun clearly did not understand Wang Yungang’s character. He had been cautiously guarding against Wang Yungang launching a surprise attack or trying to escape. Suddenly seeing Wang Yungang commit suicide, he was stunned.

It took Duan Kun a good while to accept the fact of Wang Yungang’s suicide. Then, he looked at Mu Yuanshan, his face full of awkwardness.

“Family Head Mu, I am sorry for what happened before. Duan, blinded by greed, was successfully persuaded by Wang Xiangnan and Li Qingyu to do things that wronged the Mu Family. Our Viper Mercenary Corps is willing to compensate the Mu Family for all losses. Please forgive Duan for his mistakes.” After struggling internally for a long time, Duan Kun finally spoke with a flushed face.

“Leader Duan, you are too kind. Adding flowers to brocade is easy; delivering charcoal in snowy weather is hard. The fact that Leader Duan could lend our Mu Family a helping hand at the final critical moment is something I, Mu, am already extremely grateful for.” Mu Yuanshan looked at Duan Kun for a while. Finding Duan Kun’s gaze sincere and free of any ulterior motives, he finally relaxed and smiled.

Seeing that Mu Yuanshan did not hold his previous actions against him, a weight finally lifted from Duan Kun’s heart.

After the two exchanged a few pleasantries, they went their separate ways to attend to the wounded. Duan Kun had many Viper Mercenary Corps members waiting for his help, while Mu Yuanshan also had many family members and miners whose lives needed saving.

Over at Mu Xian’s side, after a brief period of busyness, he had already successfully placed the Blazing Flame Demon Tiger’s intestines back into its belly and also stopped the bleeding from its wounds.

Under Mu Xian’s anxious anticipation, Mu Dewu and Mu Deqing finally returned, their hands holding a large bunch of Fire-Heart Seven-Leaf Flower, Heart-Cleansing Three-Leaf Grass, Blood Crystal Grass, and Earth Fire Lotus.

Seeing the medicinal herbs in Mu Dewu and Mu Deqing’s hands, Mu Xian eagerly stepped forward to take them.

The next moment, Mu Xian’s hands fluttered like butterflies among flowers as he carefully cleaned the soil and weeds from the herbs. Only then did he separate the four types of herbs into several portions of varying amounts.

Glancing at the people around him, Mu Xian hesitated for a moment. Then, he expanded his Spiritual Sense, circulated his Spiritual Power, and began refining medicine.

When Mu Xian circulated the Spiritual Power within his body, he was surprised to discover that the red threads in his Dantian area started spinning wildly. Rich and pure Heaven and Earth Spiritual Power uncontrollably surged into the meridian channels throughout his body, replenishing his depleted Spiritual Power.

Detecting this strange change within him, a peculiar expression appeared on Mu Xian’s face. Could the Divine Blood Jade Marrow actually have this effect too? Didn’t that mean he could continuously consume Spiritual Power from now on? This was absolutely something countless Spiritual Masters dreamed of!

“Wait, that can’t be right. There must be something I haven’t discovered. If the Divine Blood Jade Marrow possessed such a miraculous effect, it’s impossible that no one had discovered this secret over tens of thousands of years.” Very quickly, Mu Xian snapped out of his extreme excitement.

The main reason the Divine Blood Jade Marrow was regarded as a treasure twenty thousand years later was primarily its ability to quickly replenish a person’s depleted qi and blood, nourish and strengthen all parts of the body, and double the effect during cultivation.

Mu Xian did not believe the Divine Blood Jade Marrow could provide an endless supply of Spiritual Power. That would simply be too heaven-defying.

If a high-level Spiritual Master, after fusing with Divine Blood Jade Marrow, possessed boundless Spiritual Power within, then he would definitely be invincible under heaven. Yet, Mu Xian had never heard of any Spiritual Master in history who was truly invincible under heaven.

“Oh no, I almost delayed the medicine refining.” When Mu Xian realized the Fire-Heart Seven-Leaf Flower and Heart-Cleansing Three-Leaf Grass in his hands had already turned to powder, while the Blood Crystal Grass and Earth Fire Lotus remained as intact as virgins, his expression changed. In the next instant, a vast surge of Spiritual Power immediately and evenly covered the Blood Crystal Grass and Earth Fire Lotus. Mu Xian also concentrated all his Spiritual Sense onto the Blood Crystal Grass and Earth Fire Lotus, not daring to be distracted any longer.

When they saw Mu Xian sorting the herbs, Mu Dewu and Mu Deqing wanted to help.

However, after looking at Mu Xian’s hands, which were moving so fast they almost became blurs, Mu Dewu and Mu Deqing simply didn’t dare to intervene.

They finally waited until Mu Xian finished sorting the herbs. Mu Dewu and Mu Deqing both opened their mouths to offer a word of praise, but then they felt the surging, powerful Spiritual Power emanating from Mu Xian.

Suddenly detecting the Spiritual Power on Mu Xian, Mu Dewu and Mu Deqing almost thought they were hallucinating. After all, no Spiritual Master had ever emerged in Shitang Town. Even in the entire Yunmen County, the number of Spiritual Masters could be counted on one’s fingers. That the always cultivation-incapable Mu Xian could actually cultivate Spiritual Power was simply too shocking!

Mu Dewu and Mu Deqing didn’t even have time to voice their astonishment before their hearts underwent another massive shock.

Mu Dewu and Mu Deqing were amazed to discover that, under the control of Mu Xian’s Spiritual Power, the four herbs—Fire-Heart Seven-Leaf Flower, Heart-Cleansing Three-Leaf Grass, Blood Crystal Grass, and Earth Fire Lotus—actually transformed into four colored powders: gold, green, red, and black. These powders floated and danced in the air, forming a cascading, undulating, richly layered curtain of a waterfall.

These powder particles seemed bonded together by a strange force. They morphed into various shapes in Mu Xian’s hands, emitting dazzling, soul-stirring light, like dancing sprites, involuntarily capturing one’s gaze.

As these medicinal powders repeatedly changed, an intoxicating, rich fragrance permeated the air.

Mu Dewu and Mu Deqing couldn’t help but take a couple of sniffs. Only then did they realize the herbs in Mu Xian’s hands had finally transformed into a thin medicinal cake. This cake was wreathed in purple mist and ethereal immortal aura, radiating boundless Spiritual Power, making people instinctively want to draw near.

Mu Yuanshan, Duan Kun, and the others were originally busy rescuing people nearby. When the rich fragrance of the medicinal cake wafted into their nostrils, they subconsciously stopped their actions and looked towards Mu Xian’s direction. Then, they witnessed a scene they would never forget for the rest of their lives.

A thin medicinal cake continuously fluttered in Mu Xian’s hands. Under the sunlight, it refracted brilliant and dazzling rays. As Mu Xian moved, it repeatedly folded, opened, twisted, and stretched, becoming thinner and larger, making one worry it might shatter or fall at any moment.

Just as everyone was intently watching the medicinal cake being continuously refined, the cake in mid-air suddenly flew and landed steadily on the Blazing Flame Demon Tiger’s body, precisely covering its wound completely.

It was at this moment that everyone snapped back to reality. Mu Xian hadn’t been performing acrobatics; he had been refining medicine.

“Spiritual Power, medicine refining… Mu Xian is a Spiritual Pharmacist?” Recalling Mu Xian’s completely focused demeanor while refining medicine just now, and sensing the surging Spiritual Power emanating from him, Duan Kun blinked his eyes, then blinked again. Finally, he asked the Mu Yuanshan beside him with some uncertainty.

Seeing Duan Kun’s dumbfounded expression, a surge of pride welled up in Mu Yuanshan’s heart, and he nodded with a smile.

Getting confirmation from Mu Yuanshan, Duan Kun suddenly felt as if a pie had fallen from the sky and hit him. He was so overwhelmed with happiness he almost fainted.

“A Spiritual Pharmacist. Mu Xian is actually a Spiritual Pharmacist. I actually befriended a Spiritual Pharmacist. I am simply too lucky!” Thinking of the status of Spiritual Pharmacists in this world and the various terrifying abilities they displayed, Duan Kun was so excited he almost wanted to shout out loud.

However, seeing Mu Yuanshan’s calm and composed expression, Duan Kun forcibly suppressed his emotions. He didn’t yell, but his constantly rubbing palms and flushed face said it all.

“Xian’er is a Spiritual Pharmacist. Our Mu Family has produced a Spiritual Pharmacist. Our Mu Family will prosper!” Duan Kun controlled his emotions, but Mu Dewu and Mu Deqing couldn’t contain theirs. They glanced at each other, then hugged each other excitedly, shouting and yelling.

Previously, when Mu Yuanshan, Mu Dewu, and Mu Deqing returned from the Poison Mist Swamp, Tang Qiluo, wanting to protect Mu Xian, did not publicly reveal Mu Xian’s Spirit and Martial Dual Cultivation, nor did she reveal that Mu Xian was a Spiritual Pharmacist. Therefore, among the people present, only Mu Yuanshan knew Mu Xian’s true situation. Mu Dewu and Mu Deqing were completely unaware.

Suddenly witnessing the Spiritual Pharmacist methods Mu Xian displayed firsthand, Mu Dewu and Mu Deqing naturally felt as if they had obtained a treasure, ecstatic with joy.