Life Origin Dan! . . .
That night.
Cha Eun Xiao ventured into the Boundless Space. Several months had passed since his last visit. Inside, he spotted Erhuo having a delightful time playing with a few snakes. Amused by the scene, he couldn't afford to waste any time. He approached with a stern expression and said, "Erhuo, provide me with some Life Origin Dan beads! They don't need to be of supreme quality; just the level of dan mist will do. I'm in a hurry, so no time for chitchat."
Erhuo was taken aback. It had been engrossed in its little game with the snakes when Cha Eun Xiao dropped this abrupt request on it. The suddenness of it left Erhuo in a stunned silence. It merely responded with a meow.
Cha Eun Xiao's frown deepened as he regarded Erhuo with a fierce gaze, making his seriousness evident. There was no room for negotiation or delay.
Erhuo recognized this wasn't a matter up for debate. With its tail tucked between its legs, it obediently meowed. Cha Eun Xiao's stern demeanor left no room for disobedience.
One should bow to their master's command when living under their roof. To resist or disregard it was simply out of the question.
With a reluctant meow, Erhuo scurried off through the tunnel, focused on its task of producing dan beads.
Erhuo had learned from experience that when its master looked this serious and solemn, there was no room for defiance. To obey was the only sensible choice.
And Cha Eun Xiao couldn't help but grapple with his own feelings. As the Xiao Monarch, he harbored an immense grudge against the three factions and should have no inclination to help the three old grandmasters. It would be more in line with his role to allow them to meet their fate and do nothing to intervene.
However, as Cha Eun Xiao, driven by his sense of righteousness, he felt compelled to do everything in his power to save the three old men. Many individuals from Cold Moon Palace, including the three grandmasters, Zhan Yunfei, Xiao Mufei, and the late Fang Dalong, had been remarkably caring to him. While their actions served the interests of their sect, Cha Eun Xiao had reaped the benefits. How could he stand by and watch the old men meet their end?
Yet if he rescued them, how could he reconcile this action with his past grudges from his previous life? If he didn't act, how could he face his own conscience?
After much contemplation, he made the decision to save them. He couldn't forget his duty, but he couldn't become someone he despised. He couldn't live with regret. If he had the power to save the old men, why wouldn't he use it?
That said, even as he made the choice to save them, he had to think of a way to do so discreetly. Presenting the old men with the most potent supreme dan beads was out of the question, as it would undoubtedly raise suspicions. While he wished to help the three grandmasters, he couldn't afford to make Cold Moon Palace his enemy.
During his time in the Land of Han-Yang, Cha Eun Xiao had put a great deal of effort into initiating the auction of supreme dan beads. The items he had placed in the auction were all standard supreme dan beads. Introducing the Life Origin Dan, a treasure of immeasurable value, to the public directly would result in severe complications.
The following day, Cha Eun Xiao burst into the cottage, clutching a bottle in his hand.
"Why the rush? Are you leaving so soon?" Lei Dadi chuckled, his demeanor untroubled by Cha Eun Xiao's urgency. Yet the look in the old men's eyes revealed their reluctance to see him go. Lei Dadi playfully added, "Go on, show the world just how formidable you are. Give them a good thrashing! That's my exceptional disciple—a remarkable teacher with an exceptional student... Hahaha..."
"I'm not in a hurry to leave. I'm here to offer you something, Masters," Cha Eun Xiao pondered for a moment before continuing, "I wonder if you recall my time in the Land of Han-Yang, where my master was a skilled dan maker. I focused mainly on the art of crafting dan and only dabbled in martial arts. When my cherished master passed away, he bequeathed to me his entire legacy... I went through the items he left, and among them, I discovered some dan beads. It was rather surprising. I suppose these dan beads might be of some assistance to you to some extent."
With that, he handed the jade bottle over to them.
Yun Piaoliu offered a bittersweet smile and replied, "Cha Eun Xiao, we deeply appreciate that you've thought of us. Nevertheless, the injuries we bear are far from ordinary. We've suffered significant loss of life energy. Regardless of the quality of the dan beads, they cannot cure us. We're aware that you used a supreme dan bead to heal Xiao Mufei, which worked promptly. However, we understand that it was your sole supreme dan bead. Even if you now possess more of these supreme dan beads, they might not be effective for our injuries. Only those capable of condensing souls could potentially help us."
Taking the bottle from Cha Eun Xiao, he continued, "This is Life Origin Dan, an extremely rare substance. You are a dan maker from the Land of Han-Yang, and I assume the dan beads you possess are of a lower realm variety. Even in the Qing-Yun Realm, most dan makers cannot create Life Origin Dan beads... We acknowledge your goodwill, but—"
He suddenly fell silent, his eyes widening.
His hands started to shake.
"What's going on? Why this sudden excitement? Is it another supreme dan bead?" Lei Dadi inquired, his curiosity piqued.
Feng Wuying shook his head and explained, "If the dan does not meet our requirements, it won't be of help, even if it's of supreme quality."
"But this is not a supreme-level dan... It's the Life Origin Dan!" Yun Piaoliu clutched the bottle, trembling with excitement. "It contains several dan beads, recognized as the ones that can extend our lives... Life Origin Dan!"
"Life Origin Dan!" Lei Dadi and Feng Wuying sprang to their feet at once.
The three white-haired heads huddled together, their voices tinged with resignation regarding their impending death. In reality, none of them welcomed death with open arms. No one desired to meet their demise when the prospect of continued life beckoned.
For countless years, the trio had visited countless dan makers, and the entire Cold Moon Palace had invested considerable resources in their quest. Numerous individuals were privy to the recipe for the Life Origin Dan, but none could produce any. Up until this point, not a single Life Origin Dan bead had been of any use to them.
While there were dan makers in the Qing-Yun Realm capable of creating the Life Origin Dan, their products were merely of normal quality. These might be beneficial to ordinary cultivators, but the three grandmasters were Dao Origin Stage experts. Having experienced numerous disappointments, they had ultimately given up hope.
Never did they expect that, at the end of their lives, when they had steeled themselves to embrace death with grace, Life Origin Dan beads capable of potentially saving them would materialize.