“Young lord, the two have reached the stone stele.” In a building on the other side of the plaza, the silver-armored disciple of the city lord sat cross-legged in meditation. Seemingly resting for the moment, he opened his eyes and looked out a window at the stele, his gaze resting on Lu Yun and Qing Han.

“The Blood Ganoderma is a matchless spirit herb recorded in books dating before the ancient times,” murmured the disciple. “If I can obtain it and refine it as my replica, it will complement my true body and shore up any gaps. I will then absolutely triumph over the heirs of those old farts who refuse to die, and become the champion of the Sovereign Meet!”

The truest use of a supreme natural material wasn’t in consumption or refinement into a pill, but to refine a replica for oneself. In that way, the...