Soon, within the sea of spiritual power, Huo Yuhao received feedback from Yao Lao.
"Do you call these pills 'dan' here?" The Yao Lao's voice seemed to carry a hint of amusement.
"These are clearly pills made from the blood essence of beasts and potent medicinal herbs using special methods. They can only be called medicinal pills, far from being worthy of the title 'dan'. True dan medicines require refinement with dan fire to purify and enhance their efficacy, along with additional auxiliary ingredients to refine their medicinal properties."
Huo Yuhao shrugged, having anticipated this outcome. After all, on the Douluo Continent where Yao Lao hailed from, every renowned powerhouse had used dan medicines to enhance their cultivation, but he hadn't heard of any significant side effects.
Even the most significant side effect was merely a rapid increase in strength, outpacing mental growth. In other words, it was like a hardware upgrade without a software update.
However, on the Douluo Continent, excessive pill consumption could surprisingly hinder a soul master's future development, even preventing them from breaking through to higher levels.
This was clearly due to impurities in the ingested pills blocking the meridians and causing self-inflicted harm.
It wasn't that pill consumption wasn't effective, but rather that the pills consumed were too low-grade!
"Teacher, can you refine the efficacy of the Profound Water Pills?" Huo Yuhao ventured to ask.
"Hmm," the Medicine Elder pondered for a moment before suddenly saying, "In our continent, dan medicines are classified into nine grades, and there's one kind of eighth-grade dan medicine called the Origin Pill. It's used for foundation building, with extremely gentle effects that gradually improve one's physique alongside the user's growth."
"What do you mean?" Huo Yuhao asked, puzzled. Although he knew of the existence of Origin Pills, he didn't understand why the Yao Lao brought them up now.
"Your so-called Profound Water Pills haven't been refined by dan fire, but they can be used as a raw material. If combined with some energy aggregates from soul beasts, similar to what we call 'soul cores' on our continent, it can be refined into Origin Pills for soul masters," Yao Lao explained.
"Although the effect of these pseudo-Origin Pills isn't as enduring as genuine ones, and their grade is inferior, they are just right for you now."
"Energy aggregates from soul beasts?" Huo Yuhao pondered for a moment before a realization struck him. "You're not talking about soul bones, are you?"
"Soul bones? If you could bring me one to examine, perhaps I could confirm if it's suitable for alchemy," Yao Lao said with a chuckle.
Alchemy with soul bones? Huo Yuhao felt like he was about to die. This old man really dared to suggest such a thing!
Soul bones were always highly sought after, and their appearance would inevitably attract various forces' contention. Even a soul bone with mediocre quality would fetch a price of over three hundred thousand gold soul coins, far beyond what he could afford now.
He had thought that swindling fifty thousand gold soul coins from Xu Sanshi today was already a huge profit, but Yao Lao quickly turned the tables on him.
Even if he sold fish at the entrance of Shrek Academy for a whole semester, it wouldn't be enough to buy a soul bone!
Suddenly, Huo Yuhao remembered that three months later, the reward for first place in the freshman assessment at Shrek Academy was a soul bone. Moreover, it wasn't just any soul bone but one of above-average quality.
"It seems like I can't hide my true abilities this time. I have to secure first place in the freshman assessment!" Huo Yuhao silently resolved.
"You extorted four Profound Water Pills from that kid, right?" in his spiritual sea, the Medicine Elder spoke again. "You can keep three for alchemy. Take one now to let me assess its efficacy, so I can select some auxiliary materials for alchemy to refine its potency. It's perfect timing since you're soaking in foundation-building spirit liquid again today, and your soul power cultivation is about to advance. Purifying your meridians during the advancement will yield the best results."
Huo Yuhao nodded, then his eyes flashed with a sudden inspiration. "No, Teacher, I think I can wait a day before taking it."
"Wait a day? That's fine. Just take it when you're about to break through in cultivation. If you don't feel like breaking through today, we can discuss it tomorrow," Yao Lao replied, albeit somewhat puzzled, agreeing to Huo Yuhao's request.
Nodding once more, Huo Yuhao refocused his attention on his work. The two grilled fish on the stove were ready, and he sprinkled some cumin and other spices on them before placing them on a plate and bringing them over to Xu Sanshi's table.
"Eat up."
At this moment, Xu Sanshi was still staring blankly in the direction Jiang Nannan had left. Huo Yuhao's words snapped him out of his reverie.
As he caught the enticing aroma of the grilled fish, Xu Sanshi's eyes lit up. Being a food lover himself, he could naturally discern that Huo Yuhao's grilled fish had an extraordinary flavor.
Taking a bite, Xu Sanshi felt his taste buds seemingly rejoicing in his mouth.
"Ah, such delicious grilled fish, but Nannan won't be able to taste it," Xu Sanshi lamented.
Huo Yuhao had been about to leave, but Xu Sanshi's words almost caused him to trip over his own feet.
Too much, it was just too much! Even Peppa Pig would bow to you upon hearing this; you're the true king of being a Licking Dog!
But on a serious note, back then, Xu Sanshi's family used money and medicinal pills to awaken Jiang Nannan's martial soul, which should have been a mutually agreed upon deal.
But in the end, the matter wasn't resolved. They took the money and the pills, and the martial soul awakening failed. Why didn't you harbor any resentment and instead fell in love with Jiang Nannan? It's truly baffling.
It can only be said that the thought process of a 'Boot Licking' person is different from that of a normal one.
Seeing Xu Sanshi's desolate figure, Huo Yuhao walked over and, somewhat mischievously, patted Xu Sanshi's shoulder. "Xu Sanshi, have you heard of Mercury Records?"
"Mercury what?" Xu Sanshi asked, puzzled. "Please let me reminisce about my beloved Nannan in peace here, okay? Don't disturb me."
"Sigh, buddy, we've had a bit of an encounter today. I'll sell you these two grilled fish, and I'll even throw in a song for free."
Clearing his throat, Huo Yuhao opened his mouth and began to sing. Though there was no accompaniment, his voice was quite magnetic, immersing listeners into the ambiance of the song.
"How much longer until I can enter your heart, how much time until I can get close to you? Even though we're close and yet distant, I'm still waiting to meet you. Orbiting planets, how can they possess you."
"Woo hoo hoo, please stop singing, it hurts, it hurts too much," Xu Sanshi listened intently, feeling as if the grilled fish in his mouth had lost its flavor. He clutched his heart, feeling an indescribable sense of grievance, unable to express it and could only cry silently.
"Huo Yuhao, did you write this song? I'll buy it! I'll pay ten thousand gold soul coins! Please write down the lyrics for me. Tomorrow, I'll use these lyrics to write a love letter to Nannan, expressing my feelings!"
Picking up the two grilled fish, Xu Sanshi walked away, crying, amidst the bewildered gazes of onlookers as he entered Shrek Academy.
Meanwhile, Huo Yuhao, who had just received ten thousand gold soul coins, was tidying up his things, preparing to close shop, laughing uncontrollably.
Indeed, the king of Licking Dog and the anthem of being Licking Dog are naturally a perfect match!