Already aware that Pharmacist Zheng's life experiences and expertise were not suitable for himself, Li Jizhou did not wish to waste any more time on this, and instead asked:
"Senior, I wonder if there is any guidance you can offer on the Medical and Poison Scriptures?"
Upon hearing this, Pharmacist Zheng's eyelids twitched slightly.
Just the use of the Spirit-Transforming Powder earlier was enough to prove that in the path of poison, there were almost no flaws to pick out.
However…
"You indeed have some shortcomings now; you are still too young. Study more diligently in the future!" Pharmacist Zheng said earnestly.
"Please, senior, do not withhold your guidance!" Upon hearing this, Li Jizhou clasped his fists sincerely.
While Pharmacist Zheng might fall short in life experience, his knowledge in the art of medicine and poison was undoubtedly worth learning.
"Uh…" Pharmacist Zheng hesitated for a moment.
"Putting aside the peculiar effectiveness of your poison, first tell me, how do you plan on deploying it?"
"Oh?" Li Jizhou was slightly taken aback by this question.
"Wrap it with Magical Power and release it secretly?" He said his thoughts without confidence.
"Haha, indeed, you are still too young!" Pharmacist Zheng finally laughed aloud.
"Think about it, when you face an enemy in battle, all of your reactions, including Magical Power fluctuations, will be under their keen scrutiny. If you deploy poison like that, who wouldn't hold their breath?"
"Senior's words are very true!" Li Jizhou couldn't help but raise his eyebrows.
In his past life, he had never used poison and truly had no experience.
"Please teach me, senior!"
"Poison, nothing more than being unexpected!" Pharmacist Zheng smiled profoundly.
"Catch them off guard!" Li Jizhou instantly had an epiphany.
"Senior, your wisdom enlightens me greatly! Thank you, senior!"
"What are you intending?" Pharmacist Zheng raised an eyebrow.
"One sentence from you, senior, awakens a person in a dream. I have some understanding of Talisman mastery and wish to combine it with peculiar poisons!" Li Jizhou admitted frankly.
"..."
Combining Talismans with peculiar poisons… brilliant!
Truly a prodigy!
Pharmacist Zheng's eyelid twitched again.
"This young person is teachable, and my mind is at ease. In that case, I have no more obsessions… After I leave, you can move here and inherit my title as a physician, coordinating the Medical Scriptures with ordinary healing for better results."
Li Jizhou suddenly felt that Pharmacist Zheng seemed eager to leave.
"This is an extraordinary treasure I came across in my early years, one that others cannot detect any anomaly in, yet when worn, it can enhance the Divine Soul. It is considered the foundation of my life's achievements, and its origins are unknown. I give it to you as a token of my pre-emptive gratitude for helping to fulfill my long-held wish."
"I have no other possessions; only these medicinal herbs and finished potions are left, along with a storage bag. I entrust them all to you."
"Besides… there is nothing else." Pharmacist Zheng quickly explained everything and immediately, his entire aura plummeted, his cultivation realm rapidly declining.
In the blink of an eye, he transformed into an old, decrepit mortal.
His whole body, internal organs, spirit, and flesh rapidly decayed.
"Senior!" Li Jizhou watched as a Foundation Establishment cultivator experienced the five decays of a celestial being and reverted to mortality, eventually becoming gravely weak, stirring an inexplicable feeling within his heart.
Without forming a True Core, even Dao Charm cannot be preserved after death, becoming no different from a mortal!
"Finally… liberated…" uttered a voice, extremely weak.
Rooted in Inverted Mountain for over fifty years, saving countless lives of loose cultivators in the slums, Pharmacist Zheng's end came!
"Senior, rest in peace!" Li Jizhou bowed deeply.
He then sat cross-legged before Pharmacist Zheng's body, reciting the Sutra of Rebirth to aid his soul in returning to the underworld, transcending to blissful rebirth!
After finishing the chant, a Flame Talisman flew out, and in an instant, the mortal remains turned to ashes.
The Eternal Spring Magical Power stirred once more, sending the ashes dancing through the sky and earth!
"This small courtyard is indeed better than the one I had!"
The location of Pharmacist Zheng's residence was closer to the outer city compared to Li Jizhou's previous courtyard, with relatively better Spiritual Qi, and it was a private courtyard, making it more suitable for living.
Nearby, anyone who lived alone in a courtyard was either a strong presence in the slums or someone like Lin Chaobei, with high skills.
Pharmacist Zheng's ability to live alone here was largely due to being the only pharmacist in the slums.
Someone who could save lives deserved some respect.
"Quack!"
With a tap on the Spirit Pet Bag, an emerald-coated, even more vibrant and translucent frog landed in front of him.
"Clean up the courtyard; we will live here for now!"
"Quack~" Understanding it wasn't for poison testing, the frog instantly leaped for joy.
The frog diligently cleaned and checked for underground anomalies, while Li Jizhou started to imprint his Spiritual Sense on the Array Jade Talisman from Pharmacist Zheng's storage bag.
Over the span of a night, the place changed ownership, and Li Jizhou fully integrated with the defensive array and all the herbal and medicinal legacy left by Pharmacist Zheng.
The pendant given to him by Pharmacist Zheng, entirely black and crescent-shaped, remained a mystery regardless of how he examined it.
However, wearing it enhanced his sense of spiritual calmness and concentration noticeably.
"I wonder how this unique treasure compares to the effects of my Divine Soul reinforcement from my past life to this one?"
Naturally, Li Jizhou had no objection to more Divine Soul reinforcement effects, decisively placing it around his chest.
Most cultivators, particularly loose cultivators, carried almost all their wealth with them, so there was no need for Li Jizhou to move houses.
He officially took residence the very next day.
Even though Pharmacist Zheng was a pharmacist for the slums, his practice was not that busy, and he only handled a handful of cases yearly.
After all, as cultivators, minor injuries and ailments could generally be healed through Magical Power nurturing, reserving the visit to a pharmacist for moments like Xu Mei and Chen Yuankang's life-threatening situations.
Moreover, many loose cultivators were lone rangers, perishing halfway on their journeys.
Three months passed in a blink, and no one visited.
Meanwhile, Li Jizhou had already put Pharmacist Zheng's reminder of combining Talismans with peculiar poisons into practice.
In the instant an Ice Freeze Talisman shot out, the Spirit-Transforming Powder dispersed silently.
Catching others entirely off guard, impossible to defend against!
"Quack!" In the courtyard, Li Jizhou suddenly called out.
The frog, initially resting belly-up, sunbathing in a small self-made pond, immediately flipped over upon hearing Li Jizhou's call.
There, a Talisman carrying bone-penetrating chill shot forth.
"Quack~" The frog promptly stimulated its internal Spiritual Qi to resist.
Yet the next moment, its energy depleted immediately,
leaving it limp, Magical Power void.
It could only helplessly watch as the chilling aura invaded its body, freezing its already limp form into an ice lump!
Only its eyes stared at Li Jizhou, on the verge of tears!
"Not bad! Senior Zheng indeed had experience with poisons." Li Jizhou was highly satisfied.
Once the effect of the Ice Freeze Talisman wore off and the frog slumped back into the water, Li Jizhou wrapped an antidote with his Magical Power, sending it into the frog's nostrils.
"Quack~" The frog cast a resentful glance at Li Jizhou, promptly diving into the water.
Having completed the protective method by combining Talismans and poisons, Li Jizhou's cards were fuller than ever, posing a threat even to those careless in the Late Stage of Qi Cultivation.
This day, the Celestial Secret Pavilion's monthly report updated.
Last month's anomaly in the Celestial Secret Pavilion remained unresolved till today,
and there was still no word from Lu Zhenhua.
Li Jizhou could only rely on clues picked from the gazette, attempting to derive insights.
However, disappointingly,
Lesser gazette contents were still largely about the Thunder Spirit Crystal Ore in the southwest corner of Inverted Mountain.
In recent months, more loose cultivators from across the nation flocked over, all hoping to grasp a chance at fortune.
Indeed, more and more notable novice cultivators managed to excavate Thunder Spirit Crystals.
Moreover, the chaotic situation there had somewhat changed.
It seemed that influential figures from different places reached some agreement,
not only ceasing internal conflict but also agreeing to jointly maintain order around the Thunder Spirit Crystal Ore.
No one was allowed to plunder, declaring the safety of all novice cultivators entering the mines.
They traded the Thunder Spirit Crystals retrieved from the mines at market value or by bartering goods.
This outcome was something Li Jizhou had long foreseen.
No point in major figures fighting to the bitter end, as they couldn't enter, relying ultimately on novice cultivators.
And novice cultivators weren't fools; if someone monopolized and coerced them into being cannon fodder, it would not be willingly or for long.
The best method was to incentivize cannon fodders to enter voluntarily through trade and resource exchange.