Life on Blue Star was the most reassuring for them.
Every time they returned from battle, Chu Yang would give them a good few days of rest.
Even cultivators couldn't be tense all the time.
Chu Yang had a private talk with Chen Xiaohan.
"Your demeanor has changed significantly compared to before. I've noticed your path is becoming smoother. Did something happen?"
Chu Yang was the common teacher to all of them, so Chen Xiaohan didn't hide anything from him, sharing her entire journey and experiences in cultivation world number 399 in detail.
"...That's how it is. It was the first time I was trusted so unconditionally, and I quite like this feeling of being relied upon. In that world, I felt unprecedented respect, so I think... I've found the meaning of my battles."
After listening to Chen Xiaohan, Chu Yang sighed with emotion.
This spiritual awakening seemed simple, requiring only empathy with those people.
But for Chen Xiaohan, a "demoness" who had killed countless people, grasping this point was harder than ascending to heaven. Otherwise, so many toxic cultivators wouldn't have gone mad.
To cultivate to the late stage of Nascent Soul as a toxic cultivator was already extremely rare.
Chen Xiaohan was also one of the people Chu Yang had misjudged. Before her return, Chu Yang never thought Chen Xiaohan would go very far in the future.
But now, perhaps she might truly become the first toxic cultivator to achieve Immortal Emperor.
"Your cultivation technique must be quite painful now, right?"
Chen Xiaohan replied calmly, "It's alright. I've been cultivating this technique for nearly two hundred years in total, so I'm already used to it."
Chu Yang took out a cultivation manual from his embrace and said earnestly, "Actually, I have another poison technique here. It's also Immortal grade and can be cultivated alongside the Gu Poison Scripture without issue. However, this technique is even more terrifying than the Gu Poison Scripture. Your state of mind wasn't ready, so I never dared to give it to you, fearing you might go mad at any moment."
Chen Xiaohan froze for a moment. She remembered Xue Qianwei's words: when she felt guilt for being trusted, she was already moving further away from going mad.
Indeed, now that she felt her battles had a clear meaning, she no longer felt the confusion she once did.
"This is..."
"The Soul Poison Scripture. It's a technique that focuses on the soul. Your gu insects can affect others' bodies, while this soul poison can affect the soul. Moreover, it can do many other things on the battlefield, like controlling souls..."
Chen Xiaohan lowered her head, looking at the new cultivation manual in her hands.
Chu Yang continued, "But you know, all techniques for toxic cultivators have strong side effects. Just like you've endured the pain of poison gu gnawing within your body, cultivating this technique will also subject your soul to agonizing torment. Whether you cultivate it or not is up to you. If you do cultivate it, find Boss Xue to refine some 'Soul Condensing Pills,' which can significantly reduce your soul's suffering..."
"I will cultivate it! Thank you, Immortal Brother!"
Chen Xiaohan bowed to Chu Yang with great gratitude. Although she was already a nightmare for the Sky-Devourer Clan on the battlefield, she always thought that if she could be even stronger, perhaps those who revered her as a hero wouldn't have to die.
Therefore, she wouldn't refuse any method that could enhance her strength.
As for pain, she had been cultivating the Gu Poison Scripture for so many years; no one could endure pain better than her.
Furthermore, the advantage of Chu Yang's techniques was that once you opened them, you automatically began cultivating, skipping the process of slowly figuring things out on your own.
Chu Yang watched Chen Xiaohan's retreating back, unsure if giving her the Soul Poison Scripture was the right decision.
...
After experiencing over ten years in that world, Xue Qianwei was filled with emotion. Many times, she felt a sense of powerlessness. When she was the only alchemist, she was truly unable to help as much as she wished.
Many injured individuals, knowing they couldn't survive, begged Xue Qianwei for some 'Bloodthirsty Pills' so they could exert their final potential and fight until their last breath.
Facing such situations made decisions difficult for her.
Even though she had brought plenty of medicinal herbs, if there were enough alchemists, at least twenty thousand cultivators in that world could have been saved. But there weren't.
Under those circumstances, it was impossible to train new alchemists.
So, even though they won, she wasn't as happy as others might have seemed.
"I think we need more alchemists!"
Xue Qianwei slammed the table abruptly, "This won't do! If it continues like this, what happens when we fight the Sky-Devourer Clan and have no alchemists, just like in that world? We must vigorously develop the alchemy and herb cultivation industries!"
Upon reaching this conclusion, Xue Qianwei immediately sought out Chu Yang.
"Alchemists are extremely important! And all the alchemists on our Blue Star are currently too laid-back. This won't do!"
Chu Yang stroked his chin, "So, do you have any good ideas?"
Xue Qianwei put her hands on her hips and said, "Actually, our world already has very abundant spiritual energy. I feel it's even denser than the spiritual energy in cultivation world number 399. So, besides your medicinal garden, herbs can be planted in many places, including within those secret realms. However, due to the relatively long growth cycles of these spirit herbs, many influential figures are unwilling to invest in this area."
"And then?"
"You need to speak up! Tell those pharmaceutical companies to compete! To cultivate spirit herbs and train alchemists. I alone cannot train enough. They can produce and sell their own goods! As long as there's profit, these bosses will be very willing to do so, especially those big bosses who bought land in the Time Secret Realms."
Chu Yang fell into thought. He usually didn't bother with these matters, but hearing Xue Qianwei explain it, it did make sense. Alchemists were the most crucial logistical support, and their development must be prioritized.
High-grade spirit herbs could only be cultivated in his medicinal garden within a limited time. However, lower-grade ones could be harvested after one or two years of growth. In places with abundant spiritual energy, with the addition of a spirit gathering array, the growth cycle could even be shortened significantly, perhaps allowing for harvests twice a year.
"Then this matter will be left to you."
"It's useless for you to leave it to me. You need to speak up yourself. Everyone now takes your words as gospel. As long as you say that Blue Star needs to vigorously develop alchemists, the wealthy people will immediately smell business opportunities."