Ken Fu asked in confusion, "Uh, what unit is this? What's with their insignia? I’ve been at the base for five years and never seen anything like it. Is this another top-secret Japanese squad? Damn it, just how many secrets are those Japanese hiding?"
Shawn Young shook his head. Even Ken Fu, who’d been undercover in Japanese military strongholds for years, didn’t know what was going on, so Shawn was even more clueless. He said, "Uh, forget about what secret unit they are. Let’s just figure out how to get to the surface. Time’s almost up, and Yan Xiaoyu and Han Feng must be getting anxious…"
But Damian kept watching the experimental animals in the metal cages inside the shed. He lowered his head, thought for a moment, then shook it and said, "I think this unit is super mysterious. And this experiment is really weird too—they’re using large creatures, and so many different types. I have a feeling the Japanese are up to something big this time! There might be some terrifying secret hidden here! I want to scout around right now."
"Uh, but in your current condition, how are you going to scout?" Shawn reminded him.
"I have to check it out. My gut tells me the Japanese are hiding something huge in this experiment—maybe even bigger than our current mission! Even if it costs me my life, I need to find out the truth!" Ken Fu couldn’t resist; his professional instincts screamed that the Japanese were hiding something earth-shattering, so he declared resolutely.
"Well, if that’s the case, I’ll go crazy with you!" Shawn thought for a moment, then said straightforwardly.
"Alright then! Let’s go all in and take a gamble!" Ken Fu’s mind was racing with wild thoughts.
"Okay, I’ll figure out how to notify Yan Xiaoyu. First, let me treat your wounds, then we’ll get out of here." With that, Shawn stood up, grabbed an 89-type 5.56mm rifle in his right hand, and picked up the black leather case with his left.
"Uh… you can treat wounds? Mine’s a gunshot wound, and it’s from a special weapon used by Japanese Self-Defense Forces—those bullets have steel cores that shatter inside the body, causing massive damage. Without a professional doctor and an operating table, there’s no way to get the fragments out…" Ken Fu asked in surprise.
Heh, trust me, if I say I can do it, I can. We were in a rush earlier and I just forgot. Come on, lean against the wall—I’ll get the bullet fragments out right now. If we wait too long, your arm will be useless!" Shawn said to him.
"Oh, alright then, but let’s hurry—we’re running out of time." Ken Fu nodded, leaned against the wall, and closed his eyes.
Shawn didn’t waste any words. He immediately focused his mind and entered the Ascendant Vessel inside his illusionary sea.
As soon as he entered the 'Celestial Jade Vessel,' Shawn was hit by a surge of blazing energy, along with an incredibly fresh medicinal scent that instantly lifted his spirits.
Looking into the distance, he saw a massive cauldron standing tall. Two long, winding figures circled around it, spitting bursts of flame onto the cauldron, which bubbled and steamed. It was clearly the fire dragon and the thousand-year earth dragon couple, and the cauldron was the Ascendant Cauldron.
With a thought, Shawn floated over and asked directly, "What are you guys up to?"
"Oh! Master, you haven’t visited in ages! We’ve been pretty busy—making pills!" The fire dragon spotted Shawn and shouted excitedly, then landed, transformed into the shape of 'Brother Guanxi,' and flashed a wicked grin.
"Making pills? What kind of pills?" Shawn asked curiously.
"Heh, Master, you’ve been absorbing so much virgin yin lately, your powers have skyrocketed! There’s plenty of pure yin flowing into the 'Celestial Secret Realm' now, so we finally have what we need to make real pills. That’s why we’ve been so busy!" explained the fire dragon.
"Uh… what do you need these pills for?" Shawn kept asking.
"Oh! They’re super useful! In ancient times, most enlightened masters became immortals by swallowing celestial pills. Now we’re using this Ascendant Cauldron to make pills, hoping to create real celestial pills. That way, when you ascend, Master, we can tag along and get a piece of the action! Heh heh…" the fire dragon explained with a laugh.
"Huh? Become an immortal? Wait, you guys actually managed to make celestial pills?" Shawn asked in shock.
"Uh… not yet," the fire dragon admitted honestly.
"Are you missing something?" Shawn asked.
"Mm-hmm, mainly because we’re short on true fire," said the fire dragon.
"Short on true fire? Didn’t you say my powers just shot up?" Shawn asked, surprised.
"That’s not really about cultivation. The 'Celestial Treasure Cauldron' needs true fire from both extremes—ultimate yin and ultimate yang, the two opposing five-element fires working together. But your cultivation hasn’t broken through the final barrier yet, so you can’t combine both types of true fire. Once you conquer the tribulation and seize its power, you’ll unlock that last key step," the fire dragon explained.
"Oh, so that’s how it works. But breaking through the tribulation isn’t easy—I’m not lucky enough for that right now. So, can you two still make pills?" Shawn asked.
"We can’t make celestial pills, but we can make Sacred Pills. With the Icefire Divine River, it’d be a waste not to use it for pill making," said the fire dragon.
"Sacred Pills? What are those?" Shawn asked quickly.
"Sacred Pills are miracle medicines that can heal any injury or disease. Here, take a look." As the fire dragon spoke, he waved his hand, and a fiery-red pill, about the size of a pigeon egg, appeared in his palm, giving off a uniquely fresh medicinal aroma.
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"Oh, awesome! I’ll take this Sacred Pill and go save someone right away." Shawn’s eyes lit up, and he snatched the pill before springing into action, knowing time was tight.
"Master… I forgot to tell you, there’s something wrong with Little Dancer’s soul…" The fire dragon shouted after Shawn as he rushed off, but Shawn was too hurried to hear.
As soon as he left the Ascendant Vessel, Shawn had the Sacred Pill in hand. Ken Fu, slumped against the wall and barely conscious, caught a whiff of the pill’s fresh aroma and instantly perked up, opening his eyes.
"Bro, what… what is this thing?" Ken Fu asked.
"It’s good stuff. Here, swallow it." Shawn explained simply and popped the Sacred Pill into Ken Fu’s mouth.
In an instant, a wave of fresh energy spread through Ken Fu’s mouth and down his throat, the medicinal power quickly flooding his body.
Moments later, Ken Fu felt a jolt in his shoulder as the bullet fragments embedded in his muscles popped out and fell to the floor. The bleeding wound rapidly healed, the skin smoothing over as if he’d never been hurt!
Ken Fu felt a surge of energy—his weakness vanished, and he actually felt better than before.
"Whoa! Holy crap, is this some kind of super stimulant? Amazing! Are there any side effects?" Ken Fu shouted in surprise, thinking the Sacred Pill was some kind of cutting-edge energy drug.
"Uh… yeah, it’s the latest medicine. Don’t worry, no side effects. We’re short on time, so let’s get moving!" Shawn reminded him.
"Alright, let’s hurry up—let’s go…" Ken Fu nodded and joined Shawn in searching around the front of the metal shed.
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