Chapter 20: The Golden Mission

Leaving the strange cave behind, Wang Liang rode his bronze warhorse tirelessly through day and night, only stopping after a full day’s journey. It wasn’t that the bronze steed was exhausted, but rather that Wang Liang himself could bear no more.

Over the course of that day and night, he had crossed mountains and waded through rivers, covering more than three thousand li. Once he was certain he had left the danger zone far behind, Wang Liang finally exhaled in relief, dismounting from the bronze horse and collapsing onto the ground, unwilling to move.

He drifted between sleep and wakefulness for nearly an hour before regaining his senses. Taking out the remaining provisions from his pack, he prepared the first meal he had managed to eat in days.

After forcing down some food, Wang Liang found a place to sit and pulled out the Nine-Turn Golden Pill and the Spirit-Clearing Stone Monkey Date. During his journey, he had barely given these two items a thought, simply keeping them tucked away in his pack.

Now, holding them in his hands, he finally understood what it meant to have mission items. These objects were unusable—he couldn’t eat them, nor could he shatter them. Even if he tried to discard them, they would instantly reappear in his pack.

What troubled him most was that the system offered no guidance, no task instructions. He had no idea how to deal with these two artifacts.

This gave Wang Liang a headache. Previously, he had managed the Ancient Tombstone with the system’s step-by-step assistance. Without that, he was at a loss.

The feeling was deeply frustrating. Were it not for the faint golden glow these items emitted, he might have simply put them away and ignored them. But the golden light flickered persistently before him, stirring a sense of unease and restlessness in his heart.

With a touch of irritation, Wang Liang toyed with the two items in his hands. It was then he noticed something unusual: when placed together, the Nine-Turn Golden Pill began to slowly melt.

This discovery brought a spark of joy to his heart. Hastily, he placed the two thumb-sized items side by side.

He observed that when the Nine-Turn Golden Pill came into contact with the Spirit-Clearing Stone Monkey Date, the latter emitted a strange aura that seemed to attract the pill.

Wang Liang committed this development to memory, realizing that the Stone Monkey Date was the core, much like the Ancient Tombstone had been centered on a meteorite.

Understanding this, he released his own Golden Pill, guiding its violet aura to flow into the Stone Monkey Date.

He knew precisely what he needed to do.

Before, he had been able to control the Ancient Tombstone because he himself had essentially become an Ancient Tombstone. Now, the situation was different—the Stone Monkey Date was not his, but a gift from Sun Wukong. These were two entirely separate entities, and if he failed to exert control, the Nine-Turn Golden Pill might cause the Stone Monkey Date to slip from his grasp.

For the first time, Wang Liang let his Golden Pill depart from his body. The sensation of the pill’s separation was worlds apart from the familiar feeling of sensing the outside through it.

As the Golden Pill left his body, Wang Liang felt as if all his strength was being drained.

Suddenly, clarity dawned on him. His Golden Pill lunged toward the Nine-Turn Golden Pill, infused with violet energy as it merged seamlessly with it.

The fusion was remarkably smooth, as if Wang Liang and the Nine-Turn Golden Pill were one and the same.

He then channeled the power of the Nine-Turn Golden Pill into the Stone Monkey Date.

During this process, Wang Liang sensed a fierce and violent aura hidden within the Stone Monkey Date. Though only a faint trace, he understood this must be Sun Wukong’s contingency.

Without hesitation, he unleashed the full force of the Nine-Turn Golden Pill against this lingering aura.

The impact shattered the Stone Monkey Date into dust on the spot, while the Nine-Turn Golden Pill liquefied into a golden fluid.

Wang Liang swiftly wrapped the dust in the golden liquid and began to solidify the Nine-Turn Golden Pill anew.

However, Wang Liang was no expert; he lacked even the basic skills of alchemy, let alone the ability to re-solidify elixirs.

Under his handling, the Nine-Turn Golden Pill only achieved a semi-solid state, resembling an undercooked egg yolk.

Just as Wang Liang prepared to stow away the newly fused pill, a soft chime rang in his ear.

[Divine Treasure Task: True Treasure (Golden) Activated]

[Task Phase One: Refine]

[Task Description: The current mixture of the Nine-Turn Golden Pill’s elixir does not belong to you. It is merely a blend of elixir and mineral with no relation to you. Find a way to refine and fully control this mixture.]

With the prompt, three distinct refinement methods appeared in Wang Liang’s mind.

One involved using his Golden Pill as the primary medium—drawing the elixir in as naturally as breathing, transforming it, and then expelling it. This was the simplest and most effective method. Through this, the final elixir would merge with his Golden Pill, carrying some of its attributes and potentially becoming his true treasure.

But the major drawback was time—it would take at least three years to complete this refinement, according to the system.

For Wang Liang, who urgently needed to increase his combat power, waiting three years was impossible.

If he were to leave this game now, this method would be his choice. But in his current situation, he had to choose between the other two options.

The second method required Wang Liang to use alchemical fire to refine the elixir for seven days and nights. The system only provided the cultivation method for the fire; mastery and timing depended entirely on his own insight.

If Wang Liang were a master of alchemy, he would have chosen this path without hesitation. But his understanding of fire was limited to what he had just learned about cooking. Choosing this method would mean abandoning the golden treasure.

Thus, he rejected this option as well.

He settled on the final method—using his own body to refine the elixir.

This involved injecting the semi-solid elixir into his bloodstream, allowing it to circulate eighty-one times through his body.

Once begun, this circulation could not be stopped. It was akin to a complete marrow and blood exchange, an excruciating process.

But with no time and no skill at his disposal, Wang Liang’s only choice was to risk his own body.