Douluo: My Clone Is Groudon

Gu La countered with a question: "Do you really think we can't come up with a better formula?"

"No."

Tang San slowly shook his head: "The way you handle the herbs is so confident and effortless, as if guided by divine intervention. Your grasp of medicinal properties is simply terrifying. If we were to research a new formula, it would only be a matter of time."

In Tang San's eyes, Gu La's talent in pharmaceuticals, if placed within the Tang Sect, would undoubtedly make him the perfect candidate for an elder position in the Medicine Hall. With a bit more study, he could surely innovate and develop even more deadly poisons.

He wanted to discuss poison-making techniques with Gu La but couldn't reveal his knowledge of poisons just yet.

And he was absolutely right—there were Poison-type Pokémon in the Pokémon world, and raising them required a deep understanding of toxins.

Gu La's mastery of poisons was also at a master level. Combined with his other skills, as long as he had the materials, developing poisons that posed a threat even to gods wouldn't be difficult.

"That's exactly my point. The golden age for soul masters to cultivate is before the age of twenty. During this period, their bodies are still developing, their minds are flexible, and their cultivation speed far surpasses that after twenty."

"The earlier we secure our first batch of funds, the better we can lay a solid foundation."

After educating Tang San, Gu La lowered his voice: "And… who said we're giving them the complete formula?"

His lips curved into a faint smile: "Remember that one experiment where the medicinal properties completely canceled each other out, resulting in a pot of waste?"

Tang San suddenly understood. "You mean…"

Gu La nodded: "By removing one harmonizing ingredient, the effectiveness of the ointment drops by thirty percent. And in our ideal scenario, a flawless ointment should separate the waste during the brewing process, leaving it at the bottom of the pot."

"Without the harmonizing ingredient, the waste mixes with the ointment, and the body will need time to naturally expel the impurities. Depending on the individual's constitution, this usually takes one to two days."

"But the Bone-Fortifying Ointment we've brewed can be consumed indefinitely, maintaining peak exercise efficiency around the clock. So don't worry about anyone catching up to us."

Gu La understood Tang San's concerns—he shared the same thoughts.

If he didn't have confidence in surpassing everyone else, he wouldn't have published the formula. After all, no one else was selflessly dedicating themselves entirely to the public good. Human nature was inherently selfish, so there was no shame in it.

As for his explanation to Tang San, it was a mix of truth and deception.

Gu La withholding the complete formula wasn't about strategy—it was purely to stretch out another paper.

This was standard practice from his past life: splitting a single achievement into multiple publications. Dividing it into two parts was already quite generous, earning double gratitude and faith from the public.

As for whether others might figure out his intentions, well, those clever enough to catch on weren't likely to blindly place their faith in someone anyway—they weren't his target audience.

"As long as you have a plan, that's fine."

Tang San's expression relaxed.

While they were talking, the excess water in the ointment gradually evaporated. Tang San removed the clay pot and carefully scraped off the ointment with a dry bamboo strip, taking only the upper layer of translucent, bluish-green paste. The lower portion contained mostly impurities and needed to be discarded.

However, if one couldn't afford to waste money, the lower portion could still be used—it just wouldn't have the flawless quality or the ability to be consumed indefinitely. It would require time for the body to detoxify.

Neither Gu La nor Tang San would shortchange themselves; they weren't willing to ingest even a trace of impurity. Tang San directly dumped the grayish-black residue at the bottom and rinsed the clay pot clean with water.

Xiao Wu curiously leaned over, sniffing the fragrant aroma of the perfect ointment. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted something white and turned to see several rabbits caged nearby.

She pouted slightly, clearly displeased: "Why did you catch little rabbits?"

Tang San spoke honestly: "We need experiments for medicine testing. We can't give it to humans yet, so Brother Gu suggested using animals to verify its effects."

Xiao Wu cast a resentful glance at Gu La: "Couldn't you use other animals? Did you do this on purpose?"

"We're broke, Miss Xiao Wu. You're so powerful at the academy—are you going to sponsor us?"

Without looking up, Gu La finished making the final edits to his paper.

Xiao Wu pouted. She was so poor that she could barely afford carrots, let alone sponsorship.

She had initially planned to trick Gu La into giving her some energy cubes, but he remained as cold-hearted as a rock, showing no mercy to a young girl.

Xiao Wu gave a soft humph and turned to Tang San, clasping her hands together and batting her pink eyes pitifully: "Xiao San, can I try the ointment? Please?"

Tang San couldn't resist Xiao Wu's cute pleading and immediately handed her the freshly packed ointment in a jade box.

"Pathetic simp."

Gu La muttered under his breath. Tang San, having heard Gu La mention the term "simp" before, suddenly felt teased. He awkwardly scratched his head, his face flushing red as he turned back to tend to the herbs and prepare another batch of ointment.

Xiao Wu glared at Gu La: "Don't bully Xiao San. He's so sweet and obedient—much better than you, you stingy miser."

As she spoke, she gently scooped out a small amount of the ointment with her finger, placed it in her mouth, and swallowed. The cool citrus flavor slid down her throat, sweet and fragrant, making her squint her eyes in delight as she happily swung her ponytail.

Tang San worked with renewed vigor, his experimental efficiency increasing by fifty percent compared to usual.

Gu La was speechless. Watching Tang San's "shy" demeanor after being praised, he sighed and shook his head. Neither he nor Tang San had ever been in a relationship in their previous lives—why was there such a stark difference?

It seemed he'd have to impart some dating advice to Tang San when he got the chance, ensuring he didn't get distracted by bad women and stayed focused on their experiments. Purity was meant to last forever—dating was such a waste of time.

Gu La instructed his clone to recall the "Love Bible" he'd read in his past life. He was determined to set Tang San on the right path.

Tang San suddenly shivered, his gaze sharpening as purple hues flickered in his eyes. Suspiciously scanning the surroundings, he finally returned to his work after finding nothing unusual.

Xiao Wu had eaten three fingertip-sized portions of the ointment, and the first dose began to take effect.

Her whole body grew hot, her skin gradually turning red, and an overwhelming surge of energy coursed through her, begging for release.

"So hot, so hot!"

Xiao Wu stuck her tongue out, panicking: "Is there something wrong with this medicine? I feel terrible."

Tang San, with his strong mental fortitude, had already regained his calm composure. He reminded her: "The main ingredient of the ointment is Bone Jade Bamboo. Brother Gu discovered that when mixed with certain other herbs, Bone Jade Bamboo exhibits properties that attract ambient natural energy."

"Even though the effect is minimal, it significantly enhances the potency of the medicine, counteracting any harm to a soul master's potential and maintaining high-intensity training for a period of time."

"Xiao Wu, you can go outside and train. Based on how much you ate, you'll need to exercise at full intensity for about fifteen minutes to exhaust the medicine's effects."

Tang San explained in detail, fearing Xiao Wu wouldn't understand.

But Xiao Wu hadn't grasped anything he said earlier—she only caught the part about training for fifteen minutes. Her face fell as she whined: "No way! I don't want to train. Xiao San, why didn't you tell me sooner? I wouldn't have been so greedy!"

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