“The key is that he’s already taken all of our medicines a long time ago,” Yang Hao finally felt a bit encouraged by Hun Yuanzi and regained a little fighting spirit. “Now the more he takes, the worse it gets. Do you really think his body can change drastically in a short time?”
“Change drastically?” Hun Yuanzi murmured.
“Change, just change,” Yang Hao realized he had chosen the wrong word, probably from nervousness.
“Exactly! Change drastically!” Hun Yuanzi suddenly shouted joyfully. “My clever apprentice, you’re truly a genius! With you around, our Dan Ding Dual Cultivation Sect is surely destined for revival and dominance.”
“Dominance my foot!” Yang Hao had absolutely no idea why Hun Yuanzi was so excited.
“I’ve figured out what’s wrong with that old man,” Hun Yuanzi was genuinely delighted, almost bouncing with joy, as if he were rolling around in Yang Hao’s stomach. “We were completely wrong, and those merchants were wrong too.”
“What are you talking about…” Yang Hao had little confidence in Hun Yuanzi. The more excited Hun Yuanzi became, the more Yang Hao felt like crying. His life had been completely turned upside down since he met this master, which was precisely the root of his tragic fate.
“That old fellow suffers from Aphrodisiac Antigen Syndrome,” Hun Yuanzi said with admiration. “This is truly a disease of the wealthy! Ordinary people can’t get it. Only the extremely wealthy or Dual Cultivation Sect cultivators like us can contract it. This illness is so severe that it can only be cured with rare medicinal herbs.”
“What’s Aphrodisiac Antigen?” Yang Hao was still confused.
“Aphrodisiac Antigen Syndrome occurs when someone consumes excessive amounts of aphrodisiacs. The medicinal effects accumulate in the body, gradually altering one’s constitution until the person becomes completely desensitized to the effects,” Hun Yuanzi explained knowledgeably. “Initially, only a small amount of aphrodisiacs would produce an effect, but over time, more and more must be consumed, increasingly potent ones. Eventually, no matter what medicine is taken or in what quantity, it will have absolutely no effect.”
“Oh!!” Yang Hao suddenly understood. “You’re saying his body has already developed antibodies, so no medicine will work anymore.” When he mentioned antibodies, Yang Hao finally grasped the concept. In the Empire, everyone had to be injected with vaccines for dozens of cosmic infectious diseases—an analogous principle.
“Exactly, exactly!” Hun Yuanzi’s tone remained full of praise. “This Aphrodisiac Antigen Syndrome is truly rare. Perhaps that old man is even a fellow cultivator from our Dan Ding Sect. If given the chance, I would really like to exchange cultivation insights with him.”
“Exchange nothing!” Yang Hao snapped angrily. “Aren’t you both just old perverts? Neither of you can perform anymore. Are you going to exchange techniques on how to fantasize?”
“We’re perverts? Aren’t you one too?” Hun Yuanzi reminded him. “Don’t forget, you’re the senior apprentice of our Dan Ding Sect.”
Suddenly, Yang Hao caught on: “You just said something earlier. Dan Ding Sect cultivators can get this disease? So you’re saying I might develop Aphrodisiac Antigen Syndrome in the future?”
“Well…” Hun Yuanzi realized he had let something slip and began to stammer. “In theory, yes.”
“Why didn’t you tell me this before? You never mentioned it before I started cultivating,” Yang Hao stared wide-eyed in disbelief. Thinking that he might end up just like that old man—nothing working no matter what medicine he took—was practically a fate worse than death.
“If I had told you earlier, would you still have practiced?” Hun Yuanzi chuckled slyly. “Relax, it’s just a natural consequence. Every expert in our Dan Ding Dual Cultivation Sect eventually faces this issue.”
“You bastard…” Yang Hao was so furious he could barely speak. “Then why don’t you suffer from this condition?”
“Who said I don’t?” Hun Yuanzi actually sounded indignant. “I just got this condition thousands of years ago, so I’ve forgotten about it over time. Besides, it’s not just me. Almost every expert in our sect suffers from it. It’s just an unavoidable side effect of cultivation.”
Yang Hao finally understood why Hun Yuanzi kept urging him to chase women. The old creep was simply all desire and no ability, forcing his apprentice to experience the thrill vicariously. If things continued like this, Yang Hao feared he might end up with the same problem.
“Have you guys in this lousy sect not solved this problem throughout all these years? Every man just ends up useless?” Yang Hao demanded loudly. He had come to diagnose someone else, never expecting this to directly affect his sexual well-being for the rest of his life. Claiming to be famous for alchemy but unable to cure themselves was bitterly ironic.
“Some things are simply beyond reach,” Hun Yuanzi acknowledged the seriousness of the issue. “Actually, there is a method within our sect to cure this Aphrodisiac Antigen Syndrome.”
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner!” A glimmer of hope rose in Yang Hao’s heart. “This could cure that old man and help me prevent it. This is a matter of life and death.”
“Wasn’t I just about to tell you?” Hun Yuanzi mumbled. “But telling you won’t help much. This method is extremely difficult to implement. Among all the elders I know in our sect, less than ten percent have successfully used this method. Even your master here…”
“Stop babbling!” Yang Hao interrupted. “You’re an idiot and I’m a genius. Don’t compare yourself to me.”
Hun Yuanzi, knowing he had concealed this major side effect of cultivation for a long time, felt guilty and refrained from taking offense at Yang Hao’s anger. “To cure this disease, merely taking medicine isn’t enough. A set of divine herbs must be used to gradually regulate the body, completely expelling the accumulated medicinal effects and restoring the body to its original state.”
“Divine herbs?” At these words, Yang Hao felt cold sweat run down his spine. “How divine are we talking?”
“This set of divine herbs isn’t easy to cultivate. The conditions required are numerous, and the ingredients are extremely rare and valuable—among the most difficult in all auxiliary pills. From ancient times until now, experts in our Dan Ding Dual Cultivation Sect have been trying to gather these herbs, but unfortunately, the several essential conditions are extremely difficult to meet. Thus, Aphrodisiac Antigen Syndrome has practically become an incurable disease, causing our sect’s experts endless suffering…” Hun Yuanzi was about to ramble on, but noticing Yang Hao’s displeased expression, he quickly simplified: “This set of divine herbs is called ‘Heavenly Inferno Ninefold!'”
“Heavenly Inferno Ninefold??” Yang Hao was a bit stunned. “That sounds like…”
“Heh, you know about it too, apprentice,” Hun Yuanzi, hearing this, thought he had found a kindred spirit, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
“I know nothing!” Yang Hao huffed angrily. “It’s mentioned in the books. What does that have to do with divine herbs?”
“The name is the same, but the nature is completely different,” Hun Yuanzi returned to the topic. “Our ‘Heavenly Inferno Ninefold’ divine herbs consist of nine ice pills and nine fire pills. These eighteen pills are taken over nine days, gradually changing one’s constitution, eliminating all accumulated medicinal effects, and making the body even more sensitive.”
“So this medicine is specifically for treating Aphrodisiac Antigen Syndrome,” Yang Hao finally understood. “If it’s so effective, then why can’t it be made?”
Hun Yuanzi sighed. “You don’t understand, my clever apprentice. The ‘Heavenly Inferno Ninefold’ isn’t just some ordinary pills that can be easily concocted. To create this divine medicine, three essential conditions must be met simultaneously—none can be missing.”
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