Chapter 690: Saving the Draconic Granite Beast
Chapter 690: Saving the Draconic Granite Beast
Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97
After saving that innocent spirit beast, everyone rushed over to the log house.
Soon, they saw a tombstone with a mound behind it.
Knowing that this matter was extremely urgent, Zhang Xuan firmly instructed, "Open it!"
Nodding, Elder Qian gathered his strength and grabbed at the soil.
Hong long long!
A dense layer of zhenqi surged from his hands, and a powerful might swept through the mound, pushing away the soil. Soon, a massive tomb came into appearance.
"You built a tomb? It seems like there's still hope…"
Seeing that Elder Qian didn't simply bury the Draconic Granite Beast in the ground, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief.
Even in a state of pseudo-death, the organs of the Draconic Granite Beast were still functioning, albeit very slowly, to keep it away from death's door. As such, it would still require oxygen to survive.
At the very least, with this massive tomb, the Draconic Granite Beast could be spared from the fate of asphyxiation.
In a sense, this was a blessing amidst a field of misfortune.
Opening the gates to the tomb, the crowd immediately rushed in. Soon, they arrived at a vast hall where the massive Draconic Granite Beast laid.
That huge fellow seemed to be made entirely of stones. Despite the passing of fifty years, there was no signs of decomposition on it.
"As expected of the Draconic Granite Beast…"
After taking a glance, Zhang Xuan nodded in awe.
Fifty years was more than enough time to decompose the entirety of an average spirit beast's body.
And yet, perhaps it was due to the possession the Dragon Bloodline and a tough granite exterior, the Draconic Granite Beast's physical body still seemed to be in a good condition.
Seeing that the 'corpse' was still completely intact, Elder Qian's hands immediately started trembling in agitation. He hurriedly turned to Han Chong and instructed, "Hurry up and call a physician…"
"Teacher, Zhang shi is a very formidable physician himself!" Han Chong quickly replied.
Hearing Han Chong's words, Elder Qian immediately kneeled down before Zhang Xuan and pleaded.
"Zhang shi, I beg you, save my Draconic Granite Beast…"
The Draconic Granite Beast was his closest companion, and ever since its passing, he had spent every single day living in self-reproach. He thought that he would never get a chance to see it again, but to think that the other party was still alive!
Even if he had to give up his life to resuscitate the Draconic Granite Beast, he would definitely offer it without any hesitation.
On top of that, he also felt deep guilt.
The other party had put himself in a state of pseudo-death to save him, and yet due to his inability to comprehend the other party's words, he actually buried his tamed beast alive for fifty long years…
If the Draconic Granite Beast couldn't be saved, then he would have no face to continue living in this world. Most likely, he would commit suicide out of guilt.
"Elder Qian, there's no need to stand on ceremony. If there's still a chance, I'll surely try my best to save your Draconic Granite Beast."
Understanding Elder Qian's sentiments, Zhang Xuan stepped forward and touched the Draconic Granite Beast.
After which, he circled around the latter and fell into deep thought.
A few moments later, he walked back with a stern face. Seeing the look on Zhang Xuan's face, Elder Qian's body stiffened in anxiety. "Can he… still be saved?"
"He is indeed still alive, but…" At which, Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before continuing. "After being buried for fifty years, the vitality in his body has been completely depleted. To resuscitate him, I will require pills that can stimulate one's vitality, as well as spirit stones!"
"Pills to stimulate vitality? I have three 'Void Treading Creation Pills' over here. It's highly effective even on Transcendent Mortal 8-dan Void Treading realm experts!"
Hall Master Qin stepped forward and passed jade bottle over.
"I also have two 'Spirit Nurturing Pills' here. It's the ideal medicine to stimulate one's vitality!" another elder offered.
"I don't have any pills, but I do have quite a few spirit stones. Here are 500 middle-tier spirit stones…"
They were all old friends with Elder Qian, and they knew that the revival of the Draconic Granite Beast would surely be a huge relief to him. On top of that, this was also beneficial to the Beast Hall as a whole.
"Good!"
Seeing the huge collection of items before him, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction.
"I still need a Five Elements Formation Flag, Purpleink Bamboo, three big buckets of beast blood—for that, the Great Violetwing Beast outside will suffice—as well as Faint Verdant Incense, Purplecrystal Smoke…"
After seeing the pills and spirit stones that Hall Master Qin and the other elders had contributed, Zhang Xuan couldn't help but be impressed by the wealth of the Beast Hall. Following which, Zhang Xuan also named a few dozen more items.
"These…"
Hearing the names of the items Zhang Xuan listed, everyone frowned in confusion.
They could understand why the treatment of the Draconic Granite Beast would require vitality pills and spirit stones. After all, those could help nourish one's body. But what use would the Faint Verdant Incense and Purplecrystal Smoke be to the treatment?
An elder suddenly recalled something and spoke.
"I've heard of Faint Verdant Incense, it has the ability of stabilizing one's soul. It is said that it was often used by the soul oracles in the past…"
Everyone was taken aback.
"Soul oracles?"
The occupation had already disappeared in the river of history several dozen millenniums ago… but could the young man before them be a soul oracle?
"It is just some unique method I know of, it doesn't have much of a relation to the soul oracles." Zhang Xuan waved his hands casually. "Right, prepare 108 three chi long silver needles and a cup of the Emerald-tailed Viper's saliva!"
Despite their extinction, soul oracles were still viewed in revile by the populace due to their betrayal back then. Thus, there was no way Zhang Xuan could reveal that he was adept in the arts of the soul oracles.
"The saliva of the Emerald-tailed Viper? But that's lethal venom…" Hall Master Qin exclaimed.
He might not have known the uses of the Faint Verdant Incense and Purplecrystal Smoke, but he knew of the properties of the Emerald-tailed Viper well.
Just a single drop was sufficient to kill a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan expert. Why would Zhang Xuan want such a dangerous thing?
"Poison doesn't just kill, it can heal as well," replied Zhang Xuan.
"Healing another through poison? But… that's an ability only poison masters are capable of…"
Everyone's lips twitched in frenzy.
Even though poison was indeed capable of healing, poison was still poison in the end. Use it incorrectly and it could cost someone's life. Thus, only poison masters would dare to use poison to concoct remedies to heal someone.
Wasn't the young man before them a physician? Why was he able to utilize the means of a soul oracle? Why was he able to concoct poison like a poison master?
Not to mention, he was also a master teacher and a beast tamer capable of speaking the Ancient Beast Language…
Was he incapable of anything?
"Alright, I'll need this stuff. Hurry up and prepare it all!" After listing down the items he required, Zhang Xuan gestured for them to hurry.
"Alright, I'll have my men prepare it now!"
Elder Qian nodded and hurriedly left.
The Beast Hall's financial power and connections were truly astonishing. Not only were the items which Zhang Xuan listed extremely rare, they were also diverse in terms of type and properties. If it had been an average occupational guild, it would have surely taken a long time for them to gather those items together. However, in less than six hours, the Beast Hall actually managed to obtain all of the required items.
In fact, they even prepared spares in case of emergencies.
"Now that all of the items are here, I'll have to ask everyone to leave. I need absolute silence during my treatment, so I hope that you can help me by standing guard outside so as to prevent anyone from interrupting the treatment!"
Zhang Xuan had thought that even with the Beast Hall's connections, it would still take three to four days to gather all of the items. Yet, within a mere six hours, they had already succeeded. He couldn't help but be impressed by the Beast Hall's logistical ability.
The reason he asked them to leave was due to the nature of his treatment. He would need to utilize various means that could possibly sully his name as a master teacher, and on top of that, he would also have to continuously employ the Library of Heaven's Path. If outsiders were to be around, that could probably spell trouble.
"Alright!"
Hall Master Qian, Elder Qin, and the others nodded before backing out of the tomb. Luo Qiqi and Yu Fei-er exchanged momentary glances before leaving as well. Soon, Zhang Xuan was the only one remaining inside the tomb.
Looking at the pile of valuable items before him, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and placed them all inside his storage ring.
Then, with another flick of his wrist, he threw the formation plate of the Spirit Gathering Formation out.
He didn't ask for these items for his own use—he truly needed them to treat the Draconic Granite Beast.
Back then, when the Draconic Granite Beast depleted his blood essence to save Elder Qian, as long as Elder Qian had replenished the other party's blood essence, fed it nourishing herbs to stimulate its recovery, or nurtured it using spiritual energy, it would have been able to make a full recovery within a few years.
However, not only did Elder Qian fail to do any of the three above, he even buried it…
On top of that, the spiritual energy contained within the tomb was extremely limited, making it difficult for the Draconic Granite Beast to sustain its life. Placed in such conditions for fifty years, even though it still managed to hold on to its last breath, its life was hanging by a thread as though a candle flame before a raging wind, ready to be extinguished at any moment.
Even if an 8-star or even 9-star physician were here, there would surely be nothing they could have done under such circumstances. However, Zhang Xuan was different.
He possessed the absolutely pure Heaven's Path zhenqi. As long as there was still a breath left in his patient, he would be able to sustain the latter's life.
However, just Heaven's Path zhenqi wouldn't suffice. The Draconic Granite Beast had suffered a severe loss of blood essence, and it was buried for several decades in such a weak state. It desperately needed an overwhelming amount of spiritual energy to nourish its feeble body, as well as medicinal herbs to boost its vitality.
And more importantly… its soul had to be summoned back to its body!
Just like what the elder before had said, the Faint Verdant Incense and Purplecrystal Smoke were mainly items that only soul oracles would use. Given that the Draconic Granite Beast had been unconscious for more than fifty years, it wasn't too far off from Lu Chong's situation back then.
Thus, such items were required to summon back its soul before it could be resuscitated.
As for the saliva of the Emerald-tailed Viper, Hall Master Qin was right in the sense that it was indeed a lethal venom. However, Zhang Xuan intended on using it to stimulate the other party's acupoint so as to trigger the other party's awakening.
It could be said that this treatment involved the means of a beast tamer, soul oracle, physician, poison master, and master teacher.
It would truly be difficult for anyone else to accomplish this feat. Only a monster like Zhang Xuan could possibly do so.
As soon as the formation plate landed, Zhang Xuan immediately threw in the spirit stones which the elders had just contributed, and a thick layer of spiritual energy immediately filled the area, shrouding the 'corpse' of the Draconic Granite Beast.
With a snap of his fingers, the silver needles which he had prepared beforehand appeared in his hands, and he dabbed them in the cup of Emerald-tailed Viper's saliva. With movements as swift as lightning, the 108 needles flew out and sealed the 108 acupoints throughout the Draconic Granite Beast's body in the blink of an eye.
The Draconic Granite Beast was an extremely rare spirit beast. For the past several dozen millenniums, the beast tamers who had managed to tame it didn't even number more than ten. As such, no one knew about the matter of its pseudo-death, and the knowledge concerning it wasn't passed down either.
Since even its abilities were unrecorded, naturally, the same applied to its physical structure as well. It was only through the book formed by the Library of Heaven's Path that Zhang Xuan knew where its various acupoints were.
After sealing the acupoints, Zhang Xuan took out the Faint Verdant Incense and Purplecrystal Smoke and positioned them in a unique formation before lighting them. Following which, he sat down on the floor and closed his eyes.
Hong long!
His soul was drawn out from his body.
Activating the Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan surveyed the surroundings before beckoning in a specific direction.
His movements were light and gentle, as though a gesture to call upon one's lover.
Weng!
Seemingly sensing his beckoning, the silver needle at the specific location began ringing like a wind chime.
The unique ability of a soul oracle—Soul Beckoning!
Zhang Xuan had inherited the complete heritage of the soul oracles from Mo Hunsheng, and Soul Beckoning was one of the techniques included in it. Once executed, it could draw even the most deeply hidden souls out.
In fact, it could even draw out the souls of living beings.
Considering how the Draconic Granite Beast had been in a coma for fifty years, it would be exceedingly difficult to wake it using normal means. Thus, Zhang Xuan had no choice but to resort to such extreme methods.
He had to move very carefully or else this could end in a catastrophe!
Gugugugu!
The silver needle shook for an instant, and the Draconic Granite Beast suddenly began shaking. It slowly lifted its body up, seemingly coming to life.
"No, this shouldn't be…" But upon seeing this sight, Zhang Xuan's face darkened.