Jin Weide cautiously took the porcelain bottle and slowly opened it, a foul smell assailed his nostrils, causing him to frown.
"What kind of severe poison is this that can turn ordinary mortals with flesh and blood into monsters impervious to swords and blades?"
The other military doctors sniffed the smell and all frowned and retreated. This poison liquid was beyond their medical skills to analyze for any clues.
Jin Weide examined it several times but finally shook his head and sighed softly, "It seems that this time, we can only rely on Ling Shaohua. Although I have perused medical books, I’ve never seen any herb or poison flower that matches this poison liquid."
"Brother Ling, it looks like it’s going to be up to you again." Sun Gongming chuckled, "During this period, if you have any requirements, you can directly ask, and I, the general, will do my utmost to satisfy them."
"There is really no other requirement."
Ling Feng touched his nose and said lightly, "I expect that in another two or three days, the antidote should be ready. Please, General, spread this news, so that the troops in the other fifteen cities also know this good news, to uplift their spirits."
"Indeed, you’re right, young friend."
Sun Gongming nodded repeatedly, "Indeed, everyone should know this good news. Being cooped up with these corpses all day long, our soldiers do need some encouraging news!"
Ling Feng smiled faintly. By passing the message on in this way, the Blood Sword Heavenly Monarch would find it hard not to know, and in the next few days, he would certainly become restless and come knocking on the door.
Everything was going more smoothly than planned. With the support of the troops in each city, once the antidote was out, a large collection of detoxifying materials could begin, and a large number of doctors could be summoned to refine it en masse. He believed the disaster of the Blood Spirit Corpse would be resolved shortly.
Of course, the most crucial point was to first execute the Blood Sword Heavenly Monarch, the culprit behind this calamity.
That night, Sun Gongming dispatched fifteen scouts to rapidly disseminate the news that the antidote would soon be ready.
To Ling Feng’s surprise, Sun Gongming was the main general sent by the Northwest Military to seal off the Blood Spirit Corpses, with power to command all the troops in the sixteen cities.
In this way, the task for Goo Tengfeng and his team had been considerably reduced. Believing in Goo Tengfeng’s intelligence, once he knew this news, he would immediately hurry to Rock Castle to meet with Ling Feng.
A scout departing from the Rock Castle barracks rode a Desert Earth Dragon, speeding through the vast desert sands.
In such terrain, the most suited mount was naturally the native monster, the Desert Earth Dragon.
Although Desert Earth Dragons could only crawl, their speed in the desert far exceeded that of those mixed-blood Demon Horses.
From a distance, the scout suddenly saw a figure ahead, dressed in white, journeying alone at a leisurely pace.
Upon closer inspection, the scout noticed that the traveler was carrying a medicine box on his shoulder, seemingly a doctor.
"Esteemed military sir, may I ask if you come from Rock Castle?"
The white-robed doctor greeted with a bow, appearing very refined and scholarly.
"Indeed, I am a Rock Castle scout, specially heading to Thick Earth City with news. Alright, I have a duty to perform and must not linger with you."
"Please wait a moment," the white-robed doctor said with a slight smile. "I am a doctor from Thick Earth City. Hearing that the situation in Rock Castle was more severe, I hoped to lend my aid in Rock Castle to prevent the disaster of the Blood Spirit Corpse."
The scout laughed from atop the Desert Earth Dragon, "Sir, I fear you are late. A Divine Country Imperial Physician named Ling Feng has arrived at our barracks, and with him at the helm, everything is under control."
"Oh? What do you mean by that?" The white-robed doctor asked, puzzled.
"I am heading to Thick Earth City to convey just that. Ling Shaohua said he is confident he can refine the antidote within three days."
The scout urged the Desert Earth Dragon forward, raising his voice, "Alright, I still need to spread this message, so I cannot stay and chat!"
Then, the Desert Earth Dragon began to run again and, in the blink of an eye, vanished into the distance, kicking up a cloud of dust.
"Hmph, Ling Feng, Ling Feng, I thought you were so capable, but it turns out even you need three days to break my Emperor Blood Orchid? Kekeke..."
After the scout had departed, a sinister smile finally appeared on the face of the white robed doctor.
As it turned out, this white-robed doctor was none other than Qingling Hermit Lee Qingling, who had already transformed into the Blood Sword Heavenly Monarch!
After chuckling fiendishly, Lee Qingling resumed his refined demeanor, adjusted the medicine box on his shoulder, and continued to head slowly in the direction of Rock Castle.
Inside the tent, Sun Gongming was looking at the map laid out before him, discussing some matters with Vice General Wang and Jin Weide.
Although Ling Feng’s discovery of the antidote seemed to promise victory, the amount of herbs needed to treat the million Blood Spirit Corpses of the Sixteen Cities was astronomical.
Complicating matters, the Western Wilderness was barren, making it difficult to find places where spirit flowers and herbs grew in abundance. Hence, they were currently surveying the nearby resources, to facilitate the mass collection of medicinal herbs for the antidote once Ling Feng developed it.
Just then, a guard called out from outside the tent, "Reporting to the General, another person has come to join our cause, saying they wish to see you, sir."
"No need to see them," Sun Gongming frowned and declared loudly. "With Ling Feng here, why would we need others to join?"
"The person claims to be a doctor, and moreover, they say they have already found a solution to the Blood Corpse Poison."
"What?" Sun Gongming’s eyelid twitched, "They already have a solution?"
Even Ling Feng needed to wait a few more days, yet now someone was claiming to have found a solution faster than him?
"How strange, before this nobody could solve the Blood Corpse Poison, and now solutions are appearing all at once!" Jin Weide murmured softly, marveling at the never-ending emergence of talents in the world.
"Bring him to me at once!" Sun Gongming immediately ordered.
Soon after, the guard returned with a middle-aged man clad in a white robe. The man exuded an air of refinement and his body faintly smelled of herbs, clearly indicating his expertise in medicine.
"I am Qingling Hermit, here to see the General!" greeted the white-robed doctor, bowing to Sun Gongming.
"There’s no need for formalities."
Sun Gongming raised his hand slightly, speaking dismissively, "My guard mentioned that you have a solution to the severe poison of the Blood Corpse. Is this true?"
"Would I dare to speak falsely before the General?" Lee Qingling said with a light smile.
At this moment, Jin Weide looked Lee Qingling up and down, then suddenly his eyes widened with recognition and he exclaimed, "Qingling Hermit? Are you the prodigious doctor Lee Qingling who, at the age of twenty-four, was granted the title of Divine Country Imperial Physician by the late emperor?"
"Oh? There are still people who remember me?"
Lee Qingling smiled casually. Twenty years ago, he had abandoned everything and ventured to the Western Wilderness in search of Wangduan Mountain for the secret to immortality.
Now, having returned from Wangduan Mountain, he was no longer the Lee Qingling of those days, yet to his surprise, some still remembered his name.
"I am Jin Weide, a former student who studied medicine at Chang Chun Hall for five years. In fact, Hermit, you could be considered my teacher’s senior."
Jin Weide bowed to Lee Qingling, showing utmost respect.
"Chang Chun Hall, huh..."
A flicker of nostalgia flashed across Lee Qingling’s eyes, but it vanished as quickly as it appeared. The Demon Sword Body refinement had gradually caused him to let go of human emotions such as the Seven Emotions and Six Desires, and these old memories could no longer stir his feelings.