Stepping on the Demoness to become the strongest

At the current stage in Lu Country, cultivators still need elixirs to assist with breathing and energy refining.

Besides cultivation being the main focus, there's also a variety of elixirs for restoring True Yuan, healing injuries, and detoxification. For instance, after the Head-falling Drought in the Southern Border dies, it leaves miasma behind, prompting the Annan Army's research department to develop detoxification medicine. This is to prevent the miasma from spreading northward someday, allowing more time for border relocation and treating poisoned civilians.

Additionally, there are elixirs that help mortals with beauty and anti-aging, but the specific needs aren't mentioned extensively. These are custom-made, often developed by secret departments, and project details and budgets are not disclosed externally.

Among these, one secret project is specifically designed for Yan Yu and Li Minghu, currently named Strengthening Foundation and Nourishing Essence Pill.

Li Minghu has a congenital condition, incomplete heart and lungs, severely hindering her cultivation progress. Thankfully, Yan Yu obtained an elixir from the Mysterious Realm, inspiring a subordinate research institution from Lord Master's faction. This initiated a series of research projects, mainly collecting various elixirs and prescriptions from existing Mysterious Realms to identify similar types that could treat Li Minghu's illness, followed by research and imitation.

To date, this institution has developed over a hundred formula ratios for Strengthening Foundation and Nourishing Essence Pills and is continuing to develop more new medicines. Thanks to these updated elixirs, although Li Minghu hasn't completely cured her ailment, she has temporarily relieved the frequent coughing troubles and inconveniences.

If Li Minghu has an urgent need for Strengthening Foundation and Nourishing Essence Pills, Yan Yu's situation is more complicated.

He once requested samples of the latest elixirs multiple times through Liu Longtao's channels. Initially, the research department didn't know what they were for, but later heard that he was living with many female cultivators... Oh, understood.

Regardless, a cultivator's personal affairs are not something we mortals can casually comment on; everyone just needs to provide the finished products.

Recently, due to Lord Master going deep into enemy territory in Chongying, this channel temporarily halted. Shortly afterward, another person came knocking, and it was Su Yunjin's assistant, Shi.

Shi, young as he is, has already obtained a doctorate in botany and is recently hosting research on Spirit Grass cultivation, making him an academic peer to the research department, and maintaining quite a good relationship.

This time, he came on behalf of his master Su Yunjin to request elixirs, and in considerable quantity, 200 pills, nearly emptying the laboratory's stock.

Both sides bargained for quite a while, finally settling for 120 pills.

Su Yunjin obtained the elixirs but couldn't make much sense of them after extensive research. If they were plant-like Spirit Grass, she could deduce and analyze based on floral shapes and soil types, but pharmacology severely exceeds her knowledge scope.

However, it doesn't matter; experimentation is the best teacher. Since the captain asked me to help get the medicine, he surely would also be willing to research the medicinal properties with me.

Pulling Yan Yu into her room, Su Yunjin piled all the elixirs on the table, smiling as she asked:

"I brought so many; how long will they last you?"

Yan Yu was stunned. Previously, people provided them only in bottles, each containing about eight or nine pills... Did you rob their warehouse?

"About one pill a week perhaps." He pondered carefully and said, "If I maintain abstinence over the long term, two or three weeks per pill might suffice; it mainly depends on how much needs replenishing."

"How do you take them?" Su Yunjin started taking notes, "Swallowed with water?"

"Yes." Yan Yu took one pill, drank some water, and felt the medicinal power slowly dissolving in his stomach.

The earliest version of the elixir, upon ingestion, would make one's body heat up unbearably itchy, so much so that even someone like Li Minghu with extraordinary Steadfast Will couldn't handle it, requiring Yan Yu to inject True Yuan throughout her body to dissolve the medicinal power.

With the research department gradually improving the formula, the medicinal properties have become increasingly mild. Now, after taking the medicine, it feels warm and comforting, like a person exhausted for days enjoying a good sleep, providing a refreshing feeling as fatigue dissipates.

"How long does it take for the medicinal power to activate?" Su Yunjin continued her inquiry.

"About half an hour or so," Yan Yu replied, "After half an hour, it can largely refine 80% or more, replenishing energy and spirit to be no different than usual."

"I see," Su Yunjin nodded, "So aside from strengthening the foundation and nourishing the essence, there's no other effect?"

"Why should the Strengthening Foundation and Nourishing Essence Pill have effects other than strengthening the foundation and nourishing essence?" Yan Yu looked at her quizzically, "Are you expecting it to prolong life and increase endurance capacity as well?"

"I'm just curious," Su Yunjin said with a smile, "Logically, since it's a nourishing elixir, it should have some complementary effects, similar to how when you buy stationery, pencils are always matched with erasers."

"What you say makes some sense," Yan Yu said, "However, current elixirs are very much like Traditional Chinese Medicine, akin to opening a blind box; you don't get effects just because you want them. It's said they mostly add all kinds of ingredients based on existing prescriptions, and then trial them on live bodies, using exhaustive methods to record and tally all possible effects..."

The two casually chatted away. Yan Yu's elixir intake increasingly filled him with vitality, leaving him in a very relaxed and joyful mood.

Recently, Su Yunjin tied up her hair and shifted her attire from its original refreshing forest style to a more homely lady style, shedding three parts of purity and gaining seven parts of allure, as if a hard peach turned into a soft honey peach, appearing more mature and tempting.

While conversing, she usually posed with one hand under her chin, following his gaze. When Yan Yu finished speaking and paused, she would smile tenderly, her every expression seemed to say "yes," "ah huh," "I think so too," giving a refreshing and pleasant feeling akin to being bathed in spring breeze.

Considering their initial acquaintance, Yun Jin was the type that seemed outwardly polite and respectful, yet actually was proactive, skilled in Gravity Magic, able to make one sweat profusely even when smiling. It's hard not to marvel at her immense transformation, proof that pure love indeed can reform, turning decay into magic.

Long live pure love!

Su Yunjin stretched lazily and turned to look at the phone on the desk:

"It's been half an hour."

"Yeah."

"Has the medicine been mostly refined?"

"Yes." Yan Yu stood up as well, "I should be going. Since you'll be traveling this afternoon, I won't disturb you while you prepare..."

Before finishing his sentence, both of his hands were grasped by Su Yunjin.

She gently pulled Yan Yu's hands toward her, and held them against her cheeks, revealing a clear, beautiful smile and said:

"Whether your vitality has fully recovered can't just be judged by how you feel; it's better to test it out practically."

"Uh." Yan Yu suddenly felt something was amiss. He wanted to find a reason to slip away and started to move, but discovered his feet were seemingly pinned down by gravity, rooted to the spot, unable to move at all – it turns out Yunjin's feet had somehow slipped out of her slippers, and her soft white cotton socks were gently pressing on top of his feet.

"Testing this isn't really necessary..."

"Of course it's necessary." Su Yunjin gently interrupted him, "You were tormented by them for so long last night, and if you're not fully recovered, I'd be really worried. I'm about to go on a mission this afternoon, would the captain want me to leave carrying such worry?"

"It's not that serious..."

"During combat, I might be distracted." Su Yunjin's amber eyes suddenly welled up with a shimmering light, carrying a soft, pitiable look that tugs at one's heartstring, "Thinking of the captain possibly lying exhausted on the bed, not eating well or sleeping enough, I can't help but fret and lose focus while battling the serpent monster."

"Surely the captain wouldn't want to see me worrying myself sick for you, right?"

Yan Yu turned his head with difficulty, seeing that the bed in the room had been newly dressed with fresh sheets and covers, realizing he might not escape this ordeal after all.

Honestly, she hasn't changed at all! Only now she's wrapped her forceful demands in a sweeter, sugar-coated shell.

No matter! To wear the crown, bear its weight! As Lu Country's foremost cultivator, and an exemplar among cultivators, it's my duty to gather hearts for Lu Country's Privy Council!

It's a necessary price!

With this thought, Yan Yu no longer hesitated.

In his previous life as a mortal warrior, no matter confronted by deadly peril or life-and-death moments, he seldom hesitated for long. This time he simply picked up Su Yunjin in a hug, resolutely stepping into the battlefield in service of his country.

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In the afternoon, Su Yunjin and Zhou Hongyu set out to leave.

Yan Yu's spirits remained good, with domestic elixirs proving reliable in quality. Taking advantage while Zhao Yuanzhen and Xie Ruoxi were taking their noon nap, he lounged brazenly on the couch playing with his phone, enjoying a leisurely afternoon uninterrupted.

"You're quite idle." Chen Lingyun descended from the second floor, glancing at her boyfriend on the couch and casually asked.

"Stolen moments of leisure amidst floating life." Yan Yu said without raising his head, "The serpent monster in Bohai, its Gravity Domain too restraining for Flying Swords, even the Yin-Yang Dust Sword Formation wouldn't reach, so this time I'm not involved."

"How come you're not involved?" Chen Lingyun sat beside him, "You promised to help me reconstruct the Yin Department, didn't you ask them?"

Yan Yu was taken aback: Hmm, it seems I forgot.

Of course, he would never admit this in front of Chen Lingyun. His eyes turned quickly as he thought of a reason to evade, seriously saying:

"The Underworld's first Ghost Gate must be laid with restrictions by Ye Jun, right? She's yet to complete Core Formation, can't meet your requirements for now, besides! Besides!"

"If Ye Jun can't do it, what about Sister Zhao?" Chen Lingyun continued, "Isn't she just eating and drinking, or hanging around with you every day, not a single mission taken after Core Formation? You should have her refine treasures for me, at least rebuild the Naihe Bridge over the Oblivion River first."

"But what if in the meantime, somewhere emerges another serpent monster requiring her strength?" Yan Yu was still instinctively evasive, "We'll wait until international situations stabilize, once everything is calm."

Chen Lingyun squinted, sensing Yan Yu's deliberate discomfort, then flashed an exceedingly sweet fake smile and said:

"Yan Yu, you wouldn't want everyone to know you've had your fill of Strengthening Foundation and Nourishing Essence Pill, right?"

Yan Yu: ???!!!