Chapter Twenty-Eight: Tang Thirteen's "Parasite"

Chu Tianchen immediately rose and went to Tang Shisan's room.

At this moment, Tang Shisan was in a wooden tub, his face deathly pale, his entire body shrouded in a mass of black mist. The spiritual liquid in the tub had already turned clear, indicating that its medicinal properties had been fully absorbed. Seeing the black mist swirling around him, Chu Tianchen frowned. He knew this was no ordinary mist; it was being generated by the mysterious spirit entity hidden within Tang Shisan. Tang Shisan’s injuries had only just begun to heal, and already this entity was back to draining his blood and vitality. It seemed the spirit entity itself was also injured; otherwise, it would not have dared to act so brazenly.

A black curse mark on Tang Shisan’s neck began to emerge slowly. Looking closely, Chu Tianchen saw that the mark resembled a pair of eyes, containing a vast and terrifying power.

"Young Master Tianchen, what is wrong with my young master?" Ling Ying asked anxiously. "Please, you must save him!"

"Step outside," Chu Tianchen said calmly.

"Yes." Ling Ying hurriedly retreated from the room.

Chu Tianchen stepped forward, lifted Tang Shisan from the tub, and placed him on the bed. With a thought, silver needles flew from his sleeves. The Thirteen Needles of Returning Yang pierced Tang Shisan’s acupoints, and immediately, a roar that seemed to echo from the depths of the soul erupted.

"You dare to block me time and again? Do you truly believe I cannot kill you?"

A sinister, booming voice resonated in Chu Tianchen’s ears. For a split second, Chu Tianchen felt his own soul tremble, and he nearly fainted. He saw the Thirteen Needles of Returning Yang vibrating, as if the power of the curse was trying to force them out of the body.

His gaze darkened, and Chu Tianchen immediately activated the Nine Dragons Heaven-Swallowing Art. A sound like a dragon’s roar emanated from within him, and he began to frantically refine the black mist. Under the power of the technique, the mist was converted into vital energy and surged into his meridians. As he had suspected, this cursed poison was a massive tonic for him. In just half an hour, Chu Tianchen estimated that he had refined and absorbed an amount of energy equivalent to over a hundred high-grade origin stones.

As he refined the energy, the Thirteen Needles of Returning Yang steadied. Chu Tianchen’s own vital energy flowed through the needles, forcibly suppressing the power of the black curse.

"You must have been at least a powerful Land Immortal before you died, yet to survive, you have reduced yourself to a mere parasite," Chu Tianchen said coldly. "And if I am not mistaken, Tang Shisan is your descendant, is he not? Such possession always works best on one's own direct lineage. You are a ruthless one."

"You think these thirteen needles can trap me?" the spirit entity retorted. "Young man, your talent is decent. Why not mind your own business? Isn't living a good thing?"

"When one accepts another’s favors, one must fulfill their duties," Chu Tianchen replied calmly. "If you were not injured, I truly would have no way to deal with you with my current strength. I assume when Tang Shisan was wounded by that ancient sword energy, you, hiding within the curse, were also caught in the blast. Don't bother threatening me; you want to kill me, but you dare not, because you still need me to save him. You, this parasite, still need to feed on his blood and soul to nurture your own, waiting for the right moment to perform a total possession. And if I am not wrong, if he dies, you will likely perish as well."

After he finished speaking, there was a long silence from the spirit entity.

"Listen," Chu Tianchen continued firmly. "If you don't want to die with him, you had best not consume his blood or soul energy for the next month. Otherwise, even if a sixth-grade alchemist were here, they could not save his life. Furthermore, if you want to remain a parasite, he needs to recover his cultivation. In short, if something like today happens again, even I will be powerless to help. Do as you see fit."

The black curse mark on Tang Shisan’s neck slowly faded. Clearly, the spirit entity had taken his words to heart. Chu Tianchen knew he was right: if the host died, the entity would indeed perish unless it found a new vessel. Moreover, if Tang Shisan survived but lost his cultivation, his body would eventually be unable to withstand the curse and would collapse. The entity, likely severely weakened, had been desperate enough to risk draining Tang Shisan’s vitality prematurely.

Once the mark faded, Chu Tianchen allowed Ling Ying to return. He prepared a fresh tub of spiritual liquid and placed Tang Shisan back into it. He would have to wait until Tang Shisan fully awoke to uncover the true origins of the curse.

Back in his own room, Chu Tianchen meditated for several hours. Afterward, he used the medicinal herbs he had bought from Ling Ying to concoct healing potions. By morning, he had produced thirty bottles. While healing liquids were generally considered lower-grade than pills, they were the preferred choice for most martial artists due to their significantly lower cost. A single first-grade healing pill could cost a hundred times more than a bottle of healing liquid.

However, the healing liquid Chu Tianchen crafted was different; the alchemy techniques inherited from the Dragon Emperor far surpassed those of ordinary alchemists. Though not quite a match for a first-grade pill, its effects were remarkably close.

Needing cultivation resources and power, Chu Tianchen headed to the Alchemy Hall early the next morning. When Mu Ran saw him, his face lit up.

"Many thanks to you, Young Master Chu, for the Fifth-Grade Cauldron. Yesterday, I finally succeeded in refining a fourth-grade high-grade pill. It was slightly impure, but it was a success nonetheless!" Mu Ran said with a smile.

"The cauldron was merely an aid; it is your own talent that succeeded," Chu Tianchen replied. "By the way, please help me sell these liquids. Deduct your operating costs and give me the rest." He handed over the thirty bottles.

Mu Ran opened one bottle, and a fragrance as rich as that of a second-grade pill wafted out. His eyes widened in shock. "This... this liquid? It is so pure? How did you do this?" He was stunned, as even with his current status as a fourth-grade alchemist, he could not achieve such purity.

He sliced his own palm and applied a drop of the liquid. The wound healed at a speed visible to the naked eye. Mu Ran was struck with awe—this was effectively a pill in liquid form!

"How did I do it? Isn't that what I am here to teach you?" Chu Tianchen smiled. "I said I would help you become a fifth-grade alchemist within half a year, and I keep my word. When that time comes, I trust Master Mu Ran will honor your promise."

Mu Ran replied with delight, "Young Master Tianchen, a gentleman’s word is his bond. When that day comes, I shall gladly hand over fifty percent of the Alchemy Hall’s profits."