After the meal, Oscar continued to guide Dugu Yan in refining the potent poison within her body. This way, once she obtained her Soul bone, she could detoxify as quickly as possible.
However, because the potent poisons in both Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan's bodies had not yet been refined, it would be useless even if Oscar gave them detoxification pills. Without refining the poison first, detoxifying would only lead to the body being quickly eroded by the poison again.
Therefore, to detoxify this grandfather and granddaughter, their first step was to refine the poison into their Soul bones. Only then, after detoxification, would they not be vulnerable to the poison's erosion again.
During his training sessions with Dugu Yan, Oscar still found their close proximity a bit unsettling. It inevitably led his thoughts to wander.
Some might think this was moving too fast—you've only known each other for a day or two, yet you're already this familiar? Able to be alone together with a hint of intimacy in your interactions?
Oscar himself would have found it hard to believe before. But now that he was experiencing it, he found it incredible, yet it was the truth.
In reality, things are often not absolute. When you meet someone you share common topics with and feel a mutual attraction, you can become fast friends in as little as ten minutes.
After chatting for half an hour, you could know each other intimately. Certain topics might just slip out naturally.
And after parting, both of you would eagerly look forward to the next meeting. You might even go so far as to make inexplicable preparations for it.
At first, Oscar had thought his feelings were merely a means to get close to Dugu Bo and gain a chance to enter the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eye. But now that he was inside, after consuming two immortal herbs, he found this feeling persisted.
If that were the case, Oscar felt something was amiss. It didn't seem like mere anticipation for the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eye. It felt as if he genuinely had feelings for Dugu Yan.
Once he came to this realization, Oscar stopped trying to suppress his emotions. After all, if he were with Dugu Yan, it would be nothing but a gain for him.
However, Oscar didn't dare to be too reckless. After all, he was only eleven years old.
Although he now possessed the full capabilities of a man, and even if Dugu Yan didn't object, he had to consider Dugu Bo. If Dugu Yan had improper thoughts for Oscar, Dugu Bo might not feel the same.
If the old man ever found out that he had "corrupted" his precious granddaughter, he would be in for a world of trouble.
Moreover, Dugu Yan, though she did have feelings for Oscar, was not yet bold enough to act on them. Her current personality was not that of the aloof queen she was when first introduced in the original story.
Having grown up without friends and largely on her own, Dugu Yan was like a kitten just stepping out of its comfort zone—timid and shy. Her "queenly" temperament not yet fully developed.
Therefore, during his time with Dugu Yan, whenever Oscar felt he was losing control, he would decisively choose to cultivate in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eye, while also preparing some medicines.
Since Dugu Bo had given him free rein to use the herbs here, Oscar didn't hold back. He had a clear idea of which immortal herbs and spirit medicines he needed and wouldn't waste them.
So after leaving Dugu Yan, he would throw himself into his work, heading straight to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eye to gather herbs, refine pills, and concoct medicines!
In addition, Oscar needed to spend at least half of each day cultivating in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eye. He used its power to thoroughly absorb and refine the medicinal energy his body had absorbed and stored.
Three days passed in a flash. After preparing all the necessary ingredients, Oscar began refining his first batch of pills.
This particular pill wasn't considered overly difficult to refine. As long as one had sufficient theoretical knowledge of pharmacology and a deep understanding of the special herbs involved, it could be crafted.
The pill Oscar was refining was called the Phoenix Nirvana Pill. Its main ingredient was an immortal herb called the Chicken Crown Phoenix Sunflower.
This immortal herb possessed a blazing Yang attribute. While its heat might not be as terrifying as that of the Blazing Fire Apricot, its sheer intensity was undoubtedly the greatest among all immortal herbs.
Using the Chicken Crown Phoenix Sunflower as the main ingredient, Oscar paired it with several other spirit medicines of the Ten Thousand Year rank. These included the Snow Silkworm, the Earth Lotus, and the Silver-White Lotus Heart.
The specific proportions of each were determined by Oscar himself, based on the characteristics of these spirit medicines and the Chicken Crown Phoenix Sunflower. This couldn't be considered creating a new formula, as while Oscar had considerable experience in alchemy, he wasn't at that level.
By configuring these various spirit medicines with the Chicken Crown Phoenix Sunflower, Oscar's goal was simply to purify the herb's effects. He wanted to ensure that whoever consumed it could unleash the full medicinal potential of the Chicken Crown Phoenix Sunflower.
This was Oscar's primary objective. This so-called Phoenix Nirvana Pill was being refined specifically for Ma Hongjun.
Although Ma Hongjun's problem with his demonic fire had been largely solved after gaining his second martial soul skill, it wasn't a perfect solution. As long as Ma Hongjun regularly used the second skill to release the energy, he was generally no longer plagued by the demonic fire.
However, the most perfect solution was to consume the Chicken Crown Phoenix Sunflower. This would not only help purify his demonic fire but also unlock Ma Hongjun's innate talents, leading to a massive boost in his strength and potential.
By refining it into a pill, Oscar simply wanted Ma Hongjun to be able to perfectly utilize the Chicken Crown Phoenix Sunflower after consumption, achieving maximum effect.
The reason Oscar hadn't refined the Octagonal Crystal Ice Herb or the Blazing Fire Apricot was that these two immortal herbs could not coexist for long. They had to be consumed separately.
Having determined the immortal pill he would refine, Oscar took out his own alchemy furnace from within the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eye. He intended to use the terrifying temperatures of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eye to refine the pill.
Furthermore, due to the mystical nature of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eye, the pill he produced might even undergo some wondrous transformations.
Speaking of which, because of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eye and the two immortal herbs he had consumed, his martial soul and external Soul bone had also undergone considerable changes. This was besides the enhancement of his physical attributes and physique.
However, Oscar wasn't too excited about this, as it was something he had anticipated. After all, in the original story, Tang San's martial soul and external Soul bone also underwent beneficial changes after consuming these two immortal herbs.
So when Oscar felt the changes himself, he wasn't particularly surprised. Dugu Yan also hadn't asked him about it, so he didn't mention it.
After making his preparations, Oscar plucked the Chicken Crown Phoenix Sunflower. It was a red, trembling, soft, and supple immortal herb that looked quite simple.
It was composed merely of red leaves, with the very top of the leaves shaped like a chicken's comb. But upon closer inspection, one could see its uniqueness: its leaf veins were actually crimson-gold.
The moment this herb was taken out, the temperature in the surroundings surged dramatically. However, Oscar, whose physical attributes had been greatly enhanced, paid no mind to the heat.
He grasped the Chicken Crown Phoenix Sunflower and placed it into the alchemy furnace, beginning the refinement of this immortal pill.
Dugu Yan, unable to enter the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eye, could only watch from afar as Oscar focused on refining the pills. But she didn't find it boring.
On the contrary, she felt a sense of unprecedented satisfaction, as if it was enough just to have Oscar here. This was a feeling she had never experienced before.
It had become especially pronounced ever since Oscar had "risen from the dead."
(End of Chapter)