ebookland Chapter 442 A Daring Risk and a Life-or-Death Struggle: Gritting Your Teeth and Enduring It
Chapter 442 A Daring Risk and a Life-or-Death Struggle: Gritting Your Teeth and Enduring It
"What do you mean 'you went first' and 'he went first'? Don't you guys even respect this old man? Cough, cough!"
Grand Tutor Zhou was clearly angry; he nearly choked on his breath.
"...Great-grandfather, please don't worry!"
Wenwen hesitated, then could only offer words of comfort: "Great-grandfather, it's safest for my grandfather to test this folk remedy. As he said, the worst outcome is death, but I can guarantee..."
Unexpectedly, Grand Tutor Zhou interrupted her hastily before she could finish speaking, "What do you promise? What do you promise? Hmph—"
Wenwen is now in a bit of a dilemma; it's impossible for her not to be worried.
She was the one who first came up with the idea. It was a folk remedy that no one had ever used before, and it was indeed very risky to use it rashly. However, as her grandfather said, apart from the possibility of death and the grief of the family, the other outcomes seemed acceptable.
Actually, there was another reason why my grandfather was the first to test the medicine. As the folk remedy said, after improving one's physique, one could have the same physique as a normal cultivator. Could this be interpreted as the speed at which one could absorb spiritual energy during cultivation being faster than before? This idea still needs to be verified, so it was most appropriate for my grandfather to verify it.
Thinking this way, Wenwen also said so.
Finally, after showering him with compliments and reassurances, Grand Tutor Zhou agreed to let Wen Yuanqian try the medicine.
An isolation barrier was set up in the room. Wenwen took out a very old-looking medicine pot, and according to the usual prescription dosage, she started to add water and begin to decoct the medicine.
As the herbs were simmered, a sweet, floral fragrance slowly filled the room. The broth in the pot was not its usual color, but a bluish-white hue—it was somewhat eerie and mysterious.
Wen Yuanqian picked up the bowl, and without hesitation, tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp.
Seeing how decisive and efficient he was, everyone else tensed up and stared at him intently.
"Don't be so nervous."
Wen Yuanqian smiled and reassured everyone, "The medicine won't work that quickly!"
"Grandfather, please meditate first. If you feel unwell, please tell me," Wenwen said calmly.
A moment later, the effects of the medicine began to take hold in his body, and Wen Yuanqian said, "My body is starting to itch and hurt a little, but it's bearable."
As time passed, Wen Yuanqian described his feelings intermittently, which were nothing more than the pain intensifying, but still bearable.
Gradually, cold sweat began to seep from his forehead, and he managed to utter a few words with great difficulty: "My meridians are swollen and painful." Then everyone saw him clench his teeth, his body began to tremble violently, and he looked like he was about to fall into a deep sleep.
Seeing this, Wenwen immediately made a hand seal and cast a spell. The next second, spiritual energy overflowed from her palm and instantly enveloped Wen Yuanqian.
At this moment, Wen Yuanqian felt an abnormal swelling and pain in his meridians, as if a million ants were gnawing at him. He was extremely uncomfortable and his mind was no longer clear. He wanted to fall into a deep sleep. Just when he wanted to bite his tongue and commit suicide, he suddenly felt a cool sensation rush into the depths of his head, and his mind was instantly restored to some clarity.
Wen Yuanqian gritted his teeth and endured it, carefully experiencing the pain of being devoured by thousands of ants. After a while, the excruciating pain began to subside.
When only a slight pain and itching remained in his body, which could be ignored, Wen Yuanqian raised his hand to wipe away the cold sweat from his head. He slumped onto the couch, closed his eyes, and gasped for breath.
"Grandfather/Father/In-laws"
"Yuan Qian, are you alright, old man?"
The people inside the room cried out in concern.
Wen Yuanqian's fingers twitched slightly, but he didn't speak. He lay quietly for a while before finally saying, "It's alright, don't worry. Let me rest for a bit!"
After recovering, Wen Yuanqian sat up, first checked his physical condition, and found that he was fine, then began to meditate and cultivate.
After completing one cycle, Wen Yuanqian was a little puzzled and somewhat incredulous.
He then ran it several more times, comparing it repeatedly throughout a cycle, and even ran it ten times to compare it with the previous one.
After a series of actions, he suddenly opened his eyes and looked at the people sitting in the room with joy.
"It works, it really works. The time to absorb and refine spiritual energy has been shortened by about 20% compared to before."
Wen Yuanqian happily shared the news with everyone, and then he added, "Apart from that moment when the pain from the dilated meridians was unbearable, everything else was pretty good."
“Grandfather, the moment when the pain was most unbearable.”
Wenwen asked cautiously, "What did you most want to do at that moment?"
Seeing that the old man hesitated, Wenwen said again, "Grandfather, this experience is very important. As experimental data, you must answer truthfully."
"Ah."
Wen Yuanqian pondered for a few moments before slowly saying, "The pain of being devoured by a thousand ants almost made me bite my tongue and commit suicide."
hiss!
The people inside the room couldn't help but gasp!
To be in so much pain that one would bite their tongue and commit suicide—what kind of pain is that? At this moment, apart from Wen Yuanqian, no one could know the extent of that pain!
"But it was just a fleeting thought. The moment the thought arose, a cool sensation rushed into my head, and then I came to my senses."
Wen Yuanqian turned to look at Wen Wen and asked, "Wen'er, was that you just now?"
"Yes."
Wenwen nodded, then asked, "Grandfather, do you think this pain is worth it compared to the results?"
"It's worth a try! Grit your teeth and get through it, it's worth it!"
After saying this, Wen Yuanqian looked at Ren Zuan, the meaning of which was self-evident.
“Wen’er, this is the second one. Grandfather will try it,” Ren Zu’an said.
Despite knowing the old man's intentions, Wenwen asked again, and at his insistence, the second dose of medicine began to be brewed.
After the medicine was brewed, Ren Zuan couldn't wait to take it.
The same reaction occurred quickly; the pain soon appeared, then became so intense that he trembled all over and broke out in a cold sweat. Because Ren Zuan had always been a frail scholar, he couldn't compare to the robust physique of Wen Yuanqian, a military general. Therefore, when Wenwen noticed her grandfather trembling, she quickly used her spiritual power to envelop Ren Zuan.
Slowly, with the help of the surrounding spiritual energy, Ren Zu'an gritted his teeth and endured it. He felt that it was not just a matter of a thousand ants gnawing at him, but that ten thousand ants might be the problem.
Time passed slowly, and only when the old man's hair was completely soaked and his lips were bitten raw did the pain begin to subside.
Once the pain subsided a bit, Ren Zuan called out, "Don't worry..."
The next second, with a thud, he collapsed onto the couch and fell into a deep sleep.
"Grandpa!"
Wenwen called out while hurriedly checking her pulse, "It's nothing, it's nothing, she just fainted from exhaustion, she'll be fine after she wakes up, she'll be fine after she wakes up."
"This..." Grandfather Zhou hesitated, then shook his head and nodded, ultimately leaving the sentence unfinished.
Master Zhou looked at his father's worried expression, then glanced at Grand Tutor Zhou, whose eyes seemed to be gleaming, as if he had something on his mind.
“Grandfather, you wouldn’t be?” Master Zhou asked.