Chapter 960: Purple Frost Divine Milk

Gao Ying added, "Moreover, Golden Badge Embroidered Uniform Envoys are not primarily known for their martial prowess. What's truly formidable are their intellect and strategic planning."

Pei You laughed heartily, "With Golden Badge Eleven accompanying us, won't our trip to Yunzhong Commandery be incredibly smooth sailing?"

As he listened to them extolling his virtues one after another, Zu An felt a strong urge to interject and say, "I'm actually not as formidable as you're making me out to be."

He managed to suppress the urge to boast. Just then, Sang Hong looked at him with some surprise. "A'Zu, why have you been so quiet?"

Even Gao Ying and Pei You turned to look at him, as his silence was uncharacteristic.

Zu An cleared his throat and quickly explained, "I don't think we should rely too heavily on Golden Badge Eleven. Embroidered Uniform Envoys have always been mysterious, and they are only accountable to the Emperor. It's possible they have a different mission this time, which might not entirely align with ours. Therefore, we should try our best to resolve matters ourselves whenever possible."

What a joke! His own pressure was already immense. If he had to shoulder the responsibilities of Golden Badge Eleven as well, his stress would double. It was better to prepare them for that reality beforehand.

Sang Hong nodded. "You have a point. The fact that Golden Badge Eleven hasn't appeared to accompany us might be a subtle hint. So, from now on, we must rely on ourselves. Golden Badge Eleven can serve as an external aid, but we absolutely cannot place all our hopes on him."

Gao Ying and Pei You's expressions became solemn. They, too, sensed the gravity in Sang Hong's voice, realizing that this trip to Yunzhong Commandery would likely not be easy. "Understood!"

Emerging from Sang Hong's room, Zu An gazed at the surging river. The outline of the capital was already beginning to fade from view. He was surprised by how much faster the ship seemed to be moving than he had anticipated.

He looked up and noticed faint blue stripes flowing on the sails of the mast. The ship's hull was also etched with various magic arrays. He surmised these were wind-element runes aiding its propulsion, not only reducing the vessel's weight but also significantly enhancing the sails' efficiency. No wonder it was moving so swiftly.

Of course, this speed was only somewhat faster than that of a simple sailing and oar-powered vessel; it was still slower than the ships from his previous life.

Initially, the scenery along the riverbanks was quite novel, but after observing it for a prolonged period, it became rather monotonous.

After some idle chatter and banter with Gao Ying and Pei You, they each retired to their respective rooms to rest.

Although his room was smaller than Sang Hong's, it was still exquisitely arranged. He could also directly admire the passing scenery through the window. Overall, it felt comparable to staying in an executive suite in a hotel from his previous life—which was quite remarkable, given the limited space available on the ship.

"The lives of the nobility in this world are certainly comfortable," Zu An mused, mentally criticizing their extravagant and decadent lifestyles. He then quickly composed himself and began to meditate and cultivate.

In this world, cultivation was paramount; everything else was fleeting.

This trip to Yunzhong Commandery, whether considering Chitu's confession about the Duke of Yunzhong's younger brother attempting to harm his elder, or Kong Nanwu's pointed remarks during their farewell, hinted at extreme peril everywhere.

Only by further advancing his cultivation could he hope to adapt to any unforeseen circumstances.

His internal energy circulated for several cycles, and he finally opened his eyes with a sense of helplessness.

Despite his breakthrough in the Western Quanqiu Secret Realm, his cultivation had been stuck at the eighth stage of the ninth rank for a considerable time, and he could feel no inclination towards further advancement.

At his current cultivation level, the vital energy fruits required for subsequent upgrades were already astronomical in number, making that path practically unthinkable.

Could he still rely on getting injured and beaten? At this level, even if he were beaten to death, it likely wouldn't lead to an upgrade.

Furthermore, he recalled Mi Li mentioning that the transition from the ninth rank to Grandmaster was an enormous hurdle, one that many people might never overcome in their entire lives.

"Empress Sister?" He recalled Mi Li's prolonged absence since the secret realm and wondered about her current condition.

Despite calling for a while, he received no response.

Suddenly, an idea struck him, and he tentatively called out, "Master?"

Shortly after he uttered "Master," a lazy voice responded, "What is it?"

Zu An was speechless.

"I just called you so many times; why didn't you respond?"

Mi Li's voice replied, "Because you lack respect for your master."

"I don't think we need to be so distant with each other, do we?" Zu An couldn't help but say.

Silence was his only reply.

"I'm being ignored..." Zu An muttered, then quickly changed tack. "Master, why don't you appear? How are your injuries from the Western Quanqiu Secret Realm?"

Merely a glimpse of a beauty like Mi Li could uplift one's spirits. With no one else around, she would typically have appeared by now, as she didn't particularly enjoy being confined within the Tai'a Sword.

To his surprise, a sigh echoed in his ear: "My soul is unstable right now, so I cannot materialize."

Zu An was startled. "How is it that serious?"

Inability to materialize was perilously close to complete soul dissipation, and given Mi Li's cultivation, it shouldn't have been this dire.

Mi Li's voice explained, "I was too severely injured in Western Quanqiu last time. I've been in a deep slumber attempting to mend my soul power, but unfortunately, the injury I sustained was exceptionally peculiar. With my own strength, I simply couldn't restore my soul. It took all this time just to temporarily stabilize myself and avoid the fate of complete soul dispersion."

Zu An secretly felt ashamed; he had been enjoying himself all this time, yet he had neglected to check on her condition.

Ultimately, it was because in the past, after Mi Li's soul was damaged, she would simply fall into a slumber and gradually heal herself. He had been too reliant on this past experience and had forgotten how unique and powerful the enemy in Western Quanqiu was, capable of specifically injuring souls.

"Is there anything I can do to help you?" Zu An asked urgently.

"Yes," Mi Li replied without reserve. "I need rare spiritual treasures that nourish the soul. Only then can I stabilize my injuries and gradually recover."

A thought sparked in Zu An's mind. He retrieved a herb from his Glazed Treasure Orb; it glowed faintly, and its medicinal aroma filled the room, clearly indicating it was no ordinary item. "I happen to have some Sky Crane Ganoderma here, which has a significant nourishing effect on the soul."

Sky Crane Ganoderma was the primary ingredient for producing Vitality Condensing Pills. The last time he had played mind games with the Emperor, the Emperor, in an effort to placate him, had ordered the Imperial Hospital to provide him with numerous spiritual medicines for nourishing the soul. Among them, the Sky Crane Ganoderma was the most valuable.

"While Sky Crane Ganoderma does nourish the soul, its grade isn't high enough. For the severity of my current injuries, it's of little use," Mi Li replied.

Zu An's heart skipped a beat. "What about the Five Aggregates Secret Ganoderma?"

The last time Yun Jianyue suffered severe injuries and her soul was damaged, it was the Five Aggregates Secret Ganoderma he acquired from the Imperial Hospital that helped her recover.

Although they had already set sail, they weren't too far from the capital. For Mi Li's sake, he would have to make a trip back to the capital regardless.

"If I currently possessed a physical body, the Five Aggregates Secret Ganoderma might be able to help me repair my soul. Unfortunately, I lack a corporeal form right now, and my soul injuries are too severe; the Five Aggregates Secret Ganoderma cannot assist me," Mi Li replied.

Zu An's heart sank. The Great Zhou Dynasty ruled the entire world, and the Imperial Hospital naturally housed countless rare treasures. The Five Aggregates Secret Ganoderma was already considered the most potent medicine available there. If even that was ineffective, what else could be done?

"Then what do you need?" He recalled Mi Li's vast knowledge from her lifetime of reading and assumed she would have relevant information.

As expected, Mi Li replied, "While I know of a spiritual medicine that can mend my soul injuries, it was an incredibly rare and precious item even in my era. I'm unsure if it can be found in this current world, and its name might have changed as well."

Zu An urged, "Now's not the time to hesitate. Just tell me, even if it's a long shot, it's better than nothing."

Mi Li's voice suddenly sharpened. "Are you calling me a horse?"

Zu An was momentarily stunned.

The next second, she reacted with anger. "What kind of rubbish are you thinking?!"

Rage points from Mi Li: +222, +222, +222...

Zu An quickly apologized. "Please don't be angry. In your current condition, you can't endure such turmoil."

He recalled Zu An's previous explanation that the essence of the "rage points" he collected was soul power generated by intense soul fluctuations. Now that Mi Li's soul was damaged, she certainly couldn't withstand any further drain.

As expected, Mi Li immediately felt a wave of weakness. She managed to calm down with effort, her voice unconsciously softening. "Purple Frost Divine Nectar is formed when a ten-thousand-year-old Purple Frost Crystal absorbs the essence of the sun and moon and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, yielding only three drops. This medicine is rare because Purple Frost Crystal itself is uncommon, and a ten-thousand-year-old Purple Frost Crystal is even more so. Moreover, the timing for its collection must be absolutely precise, as Purple Frost Divine Nectar drips quickly once it condenses. If it falls into the soil, it will be tainted by worldly impurities, and its spiritual essence will be ruined."

Hearing this extensive list of prerequisites, Zu An felt utterly daunted. How could he possibly find something like that?