On the way back to the academy after leaving the Treasure Appreciation Convention at Treasure Pavilion.
Jiang Nannan and Tang Ya were chatting animatedly about everything they had seen at the event. Occasionally, Beibei chimed in with a comment or two. Only Zhu Ziyang remained silent, clearly lost in thought.
So, what was he thinking about?
The answer was simple — how to make money.
The collection of rare pills on display at the Treasure Appreciation Convention had sparked an idea in Zhu Ziyang's mind. Why couldn't he refine medicinal pills himself? That way, he could not only acquire valuable cultivation resources but also sell the pills to make money. It would be killing two birds with one stone.
Currently, the art of pill refining was all but forgotten on the Douluo Continent. But that didn't mean it hadn't once flourished. On the contrary, in the ancient times, every major sect possessed its own unique signature pills. Their strength and influence were closely tied to the pills they could create.
However, over the years, many pill recipes were lost — either due to sects being wiped out or a lack of necessary ingredients. With time, nearly ninety percent of pill formulas vanished, and with them, the knowledge of pill refining itself faded into obscurity. Even the once-complete pill refining system had become shattered and fragmented.
But for Zhu Ziyang, this was actually a great opportunity.
The Dimensional Library housed every pill recipe that had ever existed on the continent. To him, it was a treasure trove of priceless value. He could simply pick a few long-lost pill formulas, refine them, and sell them. In today's market, with only a handful of forces still possessing pill formulas and trained alchemists, the entire medicinal market was an unexplored gold mine. He could casually toss out a few pill types and rake in profits by the barrel.
The more Zhu Ziyang thought about it, the more viable it seemed. His heart began to race with excitement.
Currently, pills on the Douluo Continent were categorized into five grades: low-grade, mid-grade, high-grade, supreme-grade, and peerless treasure-grade. Except for the peerless treasures, which couldn't be priced with money, even the cheapest low-grade pills started at ten thousand gold soul coins. As for supreme-grade pills, they could reach astronomical prices of up to a hundred million gold soul coins per pill.
Now, as long as he could find the right formulas, master the refining techniques, and find sales channels, earning a million a day wouldn't just be a dream.
He didn't hesitate. Zhu Ziyang immediately began combing through books related to alchemy within the Dimensional Library.
Once he returned to his dorm and the others went their separate ways, Zhu Ziyang pulled out a book titled Foundations of Alchemy. This was a fundamental text that taught the basics of refining pills. It had once been popular in ancient times across the continent but was now preserved only within a few ancient sects.
As a complete novice, Zhu Ziyang found this book more than sufficient for his current needs. He quickly immersed himself in its contents.
—
The next day.
Outside the dormitory, Zhu Ziyang leaned against the wall reading Foundations of Alchemy as he waited for Jiang Nannan. Beibei stood nearby, casually observing the old man who always lounged in the rocking chair.
"Big brother, we're here!" Jiang Nannan and Tang Ya came down the stairs together.
"Alright, let's go for our run," Zhu Ziyang said, closing his book.
"Okay!" Jiang Nannan replied cheerfully.
"Beibei, why don't we go running too?" Tang Ya looked at Beibei and said, "Zhu Ziyang and Nannan are already Soul Elders and still work so hard. I can't keep slacking off as just a Soul Master!"
Her eyes were filled with determination.
"Of course, I support you!" Beibei smiled brightly, agreeing without hesitation.
And so, the four of them headed off toward Sea God Lake for their morning run.
After they left, the elderly man lying in the chair suddenly opened his eyes. Though cloudy, they held a mysterious depth as he murmured to himself, "Foundations of Alchemy... what an interesting little one… how many years has it been since I've seen such a curious child…"
Then, he closed his eyes again, as motionless as before.
Just as Zhu Ziyang had suspected, this old man was far from ordinary. His name — Mu En.
—
That same morning.
Zhu Ziyang emerged from his meditative cultivation, opening his eyes as a radiant silver light flickered in his right eye. A look of joy and astonishment spread across his face.
After a month of transformation, his right eye had finally completed its mutation!
As he had guessed, this transformation was closely tied to the Silver Dragon Wolf. Though his eyes appeared normal at a glance, a closer look revealed a distinct difference — while his left eye was unchanged, his right eye now had a faint silver pattern etched into the pupil, resembling a pair of dragon wings sketched in fine ink.
This external change alone wasn't what made Zhu Ziyang so excited. What thrilled him was the powerful new ability his right eye now possessed — Time Stop.
That's right. Time Stop.
Zhu Ziyang could now expend mental energy to freeze a target within a designated range in time.
This ability was similar to the Soul Bone skill, Time Freeze, that came from the Silver Dragon Wolf's right arm bone. However, unlike that fixed-range soul skill, his right eye's Time Stop had the potential to grow. As Zhu Ziyang's strength and mastery over the ability improved, the duration would increase accordingly.
Currently, he could freeze any target below the Soul King level for exactly one second.
Zhu Ziyang was overjoyed. With the addition of Time Stop to his arsenal, he now had three strong control abilities, including his soul bone and soul ring skills. His survivability had greatly improved.
He named this power Silver Right Eye. Zhu Ziyang could clearly sense that Time Stop was only the beginning. There were still many mysteries hidden within this eye that would take time to uncover.
Another minor but useful side effect was that because the Silver Right Eye was now linked to his spiritual sea, he no longer had to deliberately enter that realm to observe it. He could now monitor it effortlessly from outside.
With his heart full of excitement, Zhu Ziyang left the dorm in high spirits.
Just like before, he and Beibei waited at the front gate for Jiang Nannan and Tang Ya. After spending the past month together, the four had grown to be close friends.
"Beibei! I broke through!" Tang Ya appeared at the stairwell, her voice full of excitement as she ran toward Beibei, leaping into his arms and shouting so loudly that nearby students turned to look. Even Mu En lifted his eyelid slightly at the commotion.
"Really? You did it? That's amazing, Xiaoya!" Beibei twirled her around happily before setting her down, smiling. "Then today we'll help you hunt a spirit ring. I know the perfect place to find a Ghost Vine."
"Mhm!" Tang Ya's eyes gleamed. A Ghost Vine — wasn't that the same second soul ring her ancestor Tang San had used?
"Congratulations, Xiaoya." Zhu Ziyang offered his sincere congratulations once they'd settled down.
"Hehehe, class monitor, that means I don't have to worry about winning in this month's practical assessment, right?" Tang Ya said cheerfully.
"That's right," Zhu Ziyang nodded with a smile.
"Alright, Xiaoya, let's talk on the way!" Jiang Nannan interrupted, pulling her friend along by the hand.
And with that, the group set off toward Sea God Lake once more.
(End of Chapter)
---
This Fanfiction Has Been Completed on Patreon, There is 2 Chapters Ahead of Release for Free Memebers on my Patreon.
Support me if you like this Fanfiction.
Patreon,com/Fallen_Archangel_
(Remove comma for dot.)
Leave a 5 star Review and a Power Stone.