Proving God begins with the principle that no effort is wasted.

Jiang Lan has been cultivating in the alchemy room for half a month.

Memorize the properties, meridians, and mutual interactions of hundreds of basic medicinal herbs; observe the changes in the furnace fire day and night; and silently memorize the rhythm of the fire in alchemy.

While others relied on rote memorization, he relied on observing and comprehending the origins of things. He could discern the properties of medicines at a glance and know the temperature of the furnace with a touch, making progress far faster than all his peers in the alchemy room.

In less than half a month, while the apprentices in the alchemy room were still memorizing the list of medicinal herbs and barely controlling the heat, Jiang Lan had already mastered the entire refining method of the Qi-Boosting Pill.

The entire process—from selecting materials, sorting, soaking, alternating between high and low heat, condensing the elixir, and collecting the medicine—procures smoothly and flawlessly.

This afternoon, Jiang Lan guarded the furnace alone, refining the next batch of Qi-boosting pills in seclusion.

The alchemical furnace is at a constant temperature, the medicinal aroma is contained, and wisps of fragrance waft out from the furnace cracks, neither too strong nor too weak, which is a superior sign of the successful completion of the elixir.

The process involved three full hours of steady tempering in a fire, with the heat precisely controlled.

The moment the furnace was opened, twenty-four round pills floated quietly at the bottom of the furnace. They were golden in color, uniform in appearance, and free of residual powder and black spots. Their quality far exceeded that of the average outer disciple.

Xu Ling walked over slowly, picking up a pill with her fingertips.

The fingertips caressed the pill, and the inside was broken open to smell the medicinal aroma. The medicinal properties were mellow and refined. The heat, the ratio, and the timing of pill formation were all perfectly controlled.

She remained silent for a moment, then tossed the pill back into the jade bowl and spoke in a cool, clear voice.

"Not bad. The foundation in alchemy is solid, barely passing."

Her tone was calm, yet it was the highest praise she had given in the past half-month in the alchemy room.

As dusk settled over the alchemy room, the last rays of sunlight shone through the window onto the neatly arranged medicine shelves.

Jiang Lan tidied up the alchemy tools, wiped the alchemy furnace, and reviewed the minor flaws in today's alchemy process. Just as she was secretly pondering methods to improve, the wooden door of the alchemy room was pushed open.

Xu Ling stepped inside.

She took off her plain-colored work robe for alchemy and put on a light gray Taoist robe. The cuffs were stained with faint medicine. Her long hair was loosely tied up, with a few strands falling in front of her forehead. Her usually calm eyes held an unusual sense of seriousness and urgency.

"Jiang Lan".

This book was first published on 2009.com, providing you with a reading experience free of errors and disordered chapters.

She spoke, breaking the silence of the alchemy room.

"Come with me on a mission tomorrow."

Jiang Lan looked up: "What kind of mission?"

"The sect has run out of high-grade pills, and the inventory is running low, especially Blood Spirit Mushrooms, which are in extremely short supply." Xu Ling spoke steadily and clearly. "The Blood Spirit Mushrooms cultivated in the herb garden take too long to mature, which is insufficient to meet the needs of pill refining in the near future. The Hall of Affairs has obtained reliable information that a large number of wild Blood Spirit Mushrooms over ten years old grow deep in the Poison Dragon Pool Swamp, and their medicinal properties far exceed those of artificially cultivated ones."

"This trip will be led by Deacon Li, and I will accompany him. The Poison Dragon Pool is rife with miasma and teeming with monsters, fraught with danger."

She looked at Jiang Lan with a determined gaze.

"Among everyone in the alchemy room, you have the most stable temperament and the strongest composure. Moreover, your hidden weapon skills are outstanding, excelling in both close combat and long-range defense. You are the most suitable person to accompany the team on guard duty."

Jiang Lan nodded slightly: "I will follow Senior Sister's arrangements."

"Meet at the entrance of the alchemy room at dawn tomorrow," Xu Ling instructed. "Prepare your weapons, hidden weapons, and pills, and wear thick clothing. The Poison Dragon Pool is filled with bone-chilling miasma, and is extremely cold, damp, and poisonous. Do not be careless and do not slow down the team."

After saying this, she turned and left, and began to organize the medicinal tools and utensils needed for this trip to collect herbs.

The next day at dawn, before the sky had fully brightened, the morning mist enveloped the entire sect.

The four people gathered in front of the alchemy room on time.

Jiang Lan was dressed in a tight-fitting outfit, carrying a simple bag on his back, a pouch for concealed weapons hanging at his waist, and holding a fine iron probing stick in his hand.

The iron staff is simple and heavy, and can be used to explore swamps and avoid danger, as well as to fight enemies at close range. It is a weapon that he bought specifically for dangerous places in the wild.

Xu Ling is all ready to go.

He was dressed in a dark blue tight-fitting outfit, looking neat and dashing. Several sealed leather pouches were tied around his waist with a wide belt, containing items such as poison-avoiding pills, healing medicines, and jade tools for gathering herbs.

The other two in the group were, one of whom was Steward Li from the alchemy room, who was in his forties, slightly overweight, and always had a gentle smile on his face.

The second was Zhou Heng, a disciple of the Enforcement Hall. Clad in white, with a long sword on his back, he had a clean and aloof face and a proud and taciturn nature. Since the gathering, he had remained silent, his five fingers always gripping the hilt of his sword, his gaze sweeping across the surroundings, his vigilance impeccable.

Deacon Li looked around at the four people and spoke in a deep voice.

"Everyone's here, let's go. We'll go over the rules along the way."

The four of them broke through the morning mist and headed east along the sect's mountain path.

Leaving the mountain gate and passing through a secluded bamboo forest, the surrounding scenery suddenly changes after half an hour.

The orderly mountain roads are cut off, and the wilderness and dense forests stretch endlessly, with weeds growing wildly and branches intertwining to block out the sun.

The air grew increasingly humid and stifling; the fresh, vibrant energy faded, replaced by a heavy, oppressive smell of decaying grass and wood.

"Poison Dragon Pool is thirty miles from the sect. The entire area is a low-lying swamp." Deacon Li walked ahead, raised his hand to push aside the branches blocking the way, and whispered a warning, "This place is flooded all year round, and the miasma is stagnant. Ordinary cultivators who enter will feel dizzy and short of breath in a short time, and those with weaker cultivation may even faint directly."

"But the balance of the universe means that in places of extreme poison, spiritual herbs will surely grow. The poisonous Dragon Pool is the perfect breeding ground for Blood Ganoderma, and the quality and medicinal properties of the wild spiritual herbs there far surpass those cultivated in the sect's herb garden."

"The sole purpose of this trip is to obtain the Blood Spirit Mushroom; we seek no other opportunities. Once inside the pool, it is strictly forbidden to leave the group or scout recklessly."

He set an ironclad rule.

"Xu Ling and I specialize in gathering herbs, and we are responsible for finding, picking, and sealing spiritual herbs. Zhou Heng will guard the east side, and Jiang Lan will guard the west side. The two of us will be on guard the whole time. If we detect any unusual movements, traces of monsters, or strange phenomena, we will not engage in direct combat but will immediately send out a distress signal, prioritizing our own safety."

Zhou Heng nodded slightly, his expression indifferent and full of arrogance.

Jiang Lan silently made a mental note of it, then lightly touched the hidden weapon pouch with her fingertips. Inside, bone-piercing needles and darts were neatly arranged, ready to be used at any time.

After another half hour of walking, at the end of the dense forest, a desolate black swamp suddenly opened up.

Poison Dragon Pool, here we arrive.

The entire lake was dark and stagnant, covered with layers of duckweed. From time to time, tiny bubbles rose and burst silently from the bottom of the lake, adding to the eerie and unsettling atmosphere.

The soil beneath my feet was completely soft and mushy; each step sank half an inch, and muddy water soaked through my shoes. A cold, damp chill spread from my soles throughout my body. The air was filled with a strange mix of stench, muddy smells, and miasma, mingled with a faint, exotic fragrance of medicinal herbs.

"Everyone is masked and wearing a red mask."

Deacon Li took out a gas mask and covered his mouth and nose.

Xu Ling simultaneously took out a cloth and tied it, then untied the leather pouch at her waist, poured out four dark pills, and distributed them to everyone.

"This specially made antidote pill should be placed under the tongue and not swallowed," she warned coldly. "Mild miasma can be neutralized on its own. If you feel dizzy or have chest tightness, bite the pill immediately. The medicinal power will suppress the miasma and help you escape."

Jiang Lan took the pill and put it in her mouth.

The medicine tasted extremely bitter and spicy, instantly dispelling the dampness, coldness, and drowsiness throughout the body. The mind suddenly became clear, and all the sluggishness in the meridians throughout the body disappeared.

Deacon Li stood by the pool, squinting as he surveyed the entire swampy lake surface.

"Blood Spirit Mushrooms thrive in damp, humid environments, often growing on fallen, dead trees near water. The four of you should search separately, with a radius not exceeding one hundred feet. Once you find the herb, send a message from where you are and wait for the others to regroup. Unauthorized picking is strictly prohibited."

The four men dispersed as instructed and searched along the edge of the pool on their own.

Jianglan Town guards the western area.

He walked with great steadiness, using his iron staff to probe the path ahead. Each strike of the staff tested the mud's texture, confirming there were no traps or hidden currents before he placed a foothold. In treacherous swamps, haste and recklessness are the worst things to do; one wrong step could mean certain death in the mud.

The lake surface was still and lifeless, but beneath the surface, countless unknown dangers lurked and lurked, watching for any strangers who dared to intrude into its territory.

While quietly searching for the aroma of a cup of tea, a pure and mellow medicinal fragrance pierces through the pervasive stench and miasma, clearly entering the tip of the nose.

Its aroma is refined, mellow, and aged, far surpassing that of ordinary wild herbs and medicinal plants.

It has the unique spiritual and medicinal fragrance of Blood Ganoderma!

Jiang Lan's gaze sharpened slightly as she followed the fragrance and walked slowly forward.

A few steps away, a huge piece of dead wood lay half-submerged and half-floating across the black water.

On the sunlit branches of a dead tree by the water, a dark red Ganoderma lucidum grows proudly.

The mushroom is about the size of a palm, with a thick and plump cap, shimmering with gold at the edges, and covered with a fine layer of white fuzz, giving it a faint glow in the dark swamp.

Its roots are deeply embedded in decaying wood, and its medicinal properties are concentrated and abundant. It is a genuine ten-year-old wild blood Ganoderma lucidum, of superior quality and extremely rare.

Jiang Lan remained calm and composed, showing no joy and refraining from rashly reaching out to pick the fruit.

He crouched down and carefully examined his surroundings.

The lake surface was calm and still, seemingly unharmed, but beneath the silt around the withered tree, several long, raised ridges lay dormant, the mud layer shifting slightly, hinting at hidden life, clearly indicating that a demonic beast was lurking there to guard the spiritual herb.

Spiritual herbs are always guarded by exotic beasts; this is an unchanging rule of nature.

Upon confirming the hidden danger in the surroundings, Jiang Lan immediately got up, preparing to return and send a message.

The muddy ground beneath my feet suddenly vanished!

The entire foothold collapsed with a roar, black mud surged up, revealing the dark entrance to the snake's den below.

An extremely foul and pungent odor erupted, irritating and burning the eyes, causing them to sting and tear up.

Jiang Lan retreated in an instant, his feet firmly planted on the solid mud, his right hand already gripping the hidden weapon pouch, his mind instantly tense to the extreme.

The next moment!

The black water exploded with a deafening roar!

Muddy water splashed everywhere as a giant black python burst through the water and soared into the air. Its head was as big as a fist, its scales were jet black and shiny, and its scarlet tongue flicked in and out rapidly. It carried a stench that filled the air and, with the force of a thousand pounds, rushed straight at Jiang Lan's face!

The offensive was swift and ruthless, leaving no room for retreat.

Jiang Lan advanced instead of retreating, holding his iron staff horizontally in front of his chest to meet the giant python's attack head-on.

A dull, loud bang resounded, and the iron staff was instantly bent by the brute force of the giant python.

Using the force of the impact, Jiang Lan flipped backward in mid-air, dissipating the immense force. In mid-air, he flicked his wrists, and two bone-piercing needles shot through the air like lightning, accurately piercing the giant python's eyes!

Excruciating pain swept over its entire body. The giant python rolled and struggled wildly, its thick, long tail sweeping in all directions, causing mud and water to explode everywhere, and snapping all the surrounding vegetation.

Jiang Lan landed on the muddy ground, her figure blurring as she dodged the fatal sweep. With another flick of her finger, a coin dart spun out, its arc cunning, precisely slicing into the giant python's vital spot, cutting deep into its flesh and reaching its very bone.

Blackish-red venomous blood gushed out.

The giant python's body convulsed violently for a few breaths before its massive form crashed heavily into the mud and water, falling into complete stillness and motionless silence.

Jiang Lan raised her hand to wipe the mud off her face, her expression remaining indifferent and unmoved.

"There's something strange going on here!"

Hurried footsteps came from behind her. Xu Ling quickly arrived and her gaze immediately fell on the python corpse, her eyes darkening slightly.

"The python guarding the sesame seed by the pool, you killed it all by yourself?"

"Hmm." Jiang Lan responded calmly, "Ordinary venomous pythons are nothing to fear. I have already found a ten-year-old Blood Spirit Mushroom."

Xu Ling bent down to examine the python's wounds. The eye needles and neck darts were all deadly, clean and swift, without any unnecessary movements.

She looked up at Jiang Lan, her gaze now different.

During her half-month stay in the alchemy room, she only saw his extraordinary talent in alchemy, but she never expected that this person would also be so top-notch in close combat and hidden weapon skills!

"lead the way."

The two returned to the withered tree, where Deacon Li and Zhou Heng met up.

Upon seeing the perfectly preserved Blood Spirit Mushroom on the withered wood, a genuine look of joy finally appeared in the eyes of the usually composed Steward Li.

"Ten-year-old wild blood fungus, with rich medicinal properties and excellent appearance, is sufficient for this mission."

He took out his special jade shovel and sealed jade box, and with extremely gentle movements, carefully peeled off the roots of the Ganoderma lucidum, removed the herb completely, placed it in the jade box, sealed it with a damp cloth, and properly stored it in his bag.

"Once the medicinal herb is in hand, leave immediately."

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhou Heng, who had been standing silently to the side, suddenly raised his hand and pointed to the underwater roots of the dead tree.

"There is also a young Ganoderma lucidum here."

Everyone looked down and saw a small blood-red lingzhi hidden in the dark, deep water. It was still young and its medicinal properties were not yet fully developed.

Deacon Li pondered for a moment, then shook his head and said, "It's not old enough, and its medicinal properties are weak. It's not worth the risk of staying."

Xu Ling examined the location carefully for a moment, then solemnly memorized it: "Mark this place. We'll come back to harvest it two years later when the medicinal properties are fully developed."

The group turned around, preparing to return the way they came.

Right now!

The entire surface of Poison Dragon Pool suddenly churned violently!

Giant waves surged and black water churned wildly, completely disturbing the enormous creature lurking underground!

Deacon Li's expression changed drastically, and he roared sharply, "Run! It's the guardian python of the pool!"