Overlord of Heaven and Earth

"Finished collecting." Gu Feng gently laid the three types of medicinal herbs he had gathered on a bamboo table that he had meticulously wiped clean with his sleeve, and responded silently in his heart.

"Very well. Memorize this passage and then respond to me." The moment Tian Yisheng's aged voice faded, a passage of text abruptly materialized in Gu Feng's mind. Gu Feng cast an initial glance, first startled slightly, and then a confident smile spread across his face. Over the years in the Gu family's library, he had perused numerous books on pharmacists. Among them, the one most closely resembling this passage was the one he had read most frequently. Although it lacked the two words "it should be noted" compared to what Tian Yisheng had provided, the content within detailed the most fundamental aspects of medicine - refining, and it was identical in substance. Memorize it? For Gu Feng, reciting it backwards was a piece of cake!

"I've memorized it," Gu Feng declared with unwavering confidence.

"Good. Next, commit this prescription to memory and then call me." As soon as Tian Yisheng's words fell, another memory emerged in Gu Feng's mind - it was actually a prescription!

"This..." Gu Feng felt his breath hitch suddenly. In the Wilderness Continent, regardless of a prescription's rank, even the lowest - grade first - rank elementary prescription was as rare as a unicorn's horn. Whenever a prescription surfaced on the market, pharmacists would surely vie for it with exorbitant offers, and various forces would engage in fierce competition, both overt and covert. Especially large forces with in - house pharmacists might show restraint when it came to low - grade ordinary prescriptions, but for high - grade ones, they would often turn against formerly amicable allies over a single prescription.

Prescriptions generally fall into two main categories: ordinary prescriptions and supporting prescriptions. Ordinary prescriptions aren't so named due to their low rank. Instead, it's because only a single type of medicine can be refined in one batch, such as a single pill or a single liquid. Supporting prescriptions, on the other hand, are far more potent. With a supporting prescription, one batch can yield both pills and liquid simultaneously. The medicine produced in this manner not only has several times the efficacy of the combined pills and liquid of the same rank but also offers immeasurable benefits for enhancing a pharmacist's own medicine - refining skills. Such supporting prescriptions are rarer and more precious than ordinary ones, and their price is exponentially higher. Even so, once a supporting prescription appears on the market, even forces as close - knit as family members will surely be torn asunder and might even draw their swords against each other in the scramble. This vividly illustrates how highly pharmacists and various forces in the Wilderness Continent value supporting prescriptions.

Gu Feng forcefully swallowed a mouthful of saliva. At this moment, he was so stunned by this unexpected windfall that his eyes widened in disbelief. He stood there, rooted to the spot, completely dumbfounded, unable to utter a word for a while. Emotions like excitement and elation paled in comparison to the maelstrom of feelings churning within him.

"It seems that even if I fail this test, this single prescription alone would be enough to ensure my comfortable living for decades," a thought flashed through Gu Feng's mind. However, he quickly shook his head, banishing this idea. "No! I will definitely pass the test! Once I become Tian Yisheng's inheritor, what significance will this prescription hold?"

Gu Feng immediately banished all distracting thoughts, ceased his musings, sat cross - legged on the ground, immersed his mind in his spiritual consciousness, and dedicated himself wholeheartedly to studying this precious prescription. He was so engrossed that he was completely oblivious to the passage of time outside.

Time slipped by unnoticed. Gu Feng exhaled a long, heavy breath of stale air and slowly opened his eyes, which sparkled like stars, brimming with astonishment.

"First - rank intermediate! It's actually a first - rank intermediate supporting prescription! And it's an incredibly precious one for boosting strength!" Gu Feng's eyes sparkled as he mused, "If this prescription were to surface in Ziyun City, I'm certain that not only would all the forces and pharmacists in Ziyun Country go wild with desire, but forces and pharmacists from neighboring countries would also flock here upon hearing the news!"

A first - rank intermediate supporting prescription for enhancing strength was an irresistible allure to all forces and pharmacists. For pharmacists, possessing this prescription would not only significantly facilitate the growth of their medicine - refining prowess but also substantially elevate their status, and it would mean a steady stream of source - power income. For a particular force, obtaining this prescription would signify an immediate leap in strength. The supporting medicine for enhancing personal strength refined from it could be used by those at the pinnacle of the tenth level of body - building. Although not everyone who used it could be promoted to the True - Force Warrior realm, if one in ten managed to break through, the force's strength would instantaneously surpass that of its erstwhile equals. Not to mention, if the Gu family were to acquire this prescription, it's quite possible that the imperial family of Ziyun Country would soon be replaced. This clearly demonstrates the massive commotion this supporting prescription would cause once it appears in Ziyun Country.

"Boost strength. Can I use it to enhance my own power?" Gu Feng's eyes lit up, and his excitement surged anew. Although Gu Feng was passionately fond of medicine - refining, he was even more eager to enhance his own strength. After all, even if he became a pharmacist, without the ability to defend himself, he would have no choice but to rely on a large force and be solely dedicated to refining medicine for it. In the Wilderness Continent, lacking self - protection capabilities was a death sentence. Source beasts were ubiquitous in the Wilderness Continent, and each one was extremely formidable. The weakest source beast was on a par with a first - rank True - Force Warrior. With Gu Feng's meager second - level body - building strength, in the face of a source beast, perhaps a single sneeze from it could spell his doom.

Perhaps Gu Feng would be relatively safe if he hid in a human settlement like Ziyun Country. In the event of a source - beast attack, True - Force Warriors would step forward to defend, and Gu Feng, who hadn't yet reached the True - Force Warrior realm, would remain unharmed. However, in that case, Gu Feng's dream of traveling the world, exploring far - flung places, and standing at the zenith of the world would become increasingly illusory and unattainable, like a mirage. Thus, Gu Feng was particularly concerned about and eager to boost his own strength.

Nevertheless, Gu Feng's talent was abysmally poor. After all these years, he had only reached the second - level of body - building. He might not even be a match for a seven - year - old like Gu Mi. Helplessly, Gu Feng had no choice but to shift his focus and immerse himself in the field of pharmacists. This led to him spending most of his time, apart from the necessary chores and cultivation, poring over all the books related to pharmacists.

Now, a golden opportunity had presented itself to Gu Feng. Passing Tian Yisheng's test would enable him to become the inheritor of Tian Yisheng, a ninth - grade grand - master - level pharmacist. He would not only become a respected pharmacist but also be able to refine medicine to enhance his own strength. In the future, it was entirely possible for him to break through and become a powerful True - Force Warrior. Facing such an alluring prospect, Gu Feng was powerless to resist, nor did he wish to. Instead, it only fueled his determination to press forward courageously.

"Absolutely! I must pass this test! If I succeed, the future will be resplendent! If I fail, I'll be consigned to obscurity forever!" Gu Feng clenched his fists tightly, his eyes ablaze with an unwavering resolve, and declared each word with determination.

Just then, Gu Feng's heart jolted violently. A mysterious force, as if emanating from the depths of the cosmos, instantaneously enveloped his body, but in the blink of an eye, it vanished without a trace. Although it was but a fleeting moment, Gu Feng understood that he had just initiated the source - power countdown.

Source - power was the sole currency in the Wilderness Continent and also the lifespan of all humans. Irrespective of who they were, at the age of sixteen, a mysterious law would descend from the heavens and the earth, commencing the source - power countdown. From that moment on, everyone who entered this countdown phase had only one year of source - power. In other words, if the source - power for that year was depleted and the person hadn't earned any additional source - power to extend their lifespan, there was only one inevitable outcome - death. Hence, once the source - power countdown began, one had no option but to constantly strive to earn source - power to sustain their life.

Even so, earning source - power did not guarantee immortality. Illness, natural disasters, wars, killings, suicides - all these could end a life. The wealthy and powerful had an advantage. When ill, they could afford to hire doctors or even pharmacists for treatment. If someone threatened them, they could hire bodyguards for protection. However, ordinary families were in a sorry state. After using source - power to purchase food and clothing, they had little left. When ill, they could endure minor ailments, but for more serious illnesses, they could only resign themselves to death.

This was the plight of ordinary people. Countless lives were claimed every day for various reasons. When the number of warriors who died was factored in, the daily toll was staggering. Warriors could also fall ill. Without the means to hire doctors or pharmacists due to lack of source - power, they too would succumb. Natural disasters and wars could claim the lives of warriors. However, the leading cause of death among warriors was not these but rather the battles with source beasts and other humans. Every day, countless warriors engaged in battles with source beasts. One slip - up, and they would lose their lives.

Despite these perils, countless warriors still charged forward fearlessly, for every source - beast slain was equivalent to a substantial gain in source - power. Each time a source - beast was killed, one could absorb one percent of its source - power. For instance, if a source - beast had a lifespan of one hundred years, killing it and absorbing its source - power would yield one year of source - power, while the remaining ninety - nine percent would dissipate. No one could absorb this dissipated portion, for this was the immutable law of the heavens and the earth.