The Rise of the Black Plain

Alchemy, in general, could deal with various anomalies in the cultivators' bodies by combining different ingredients to produce spiritual pills.

However, such actions were not carried out overnight and needed years of knowledge accumulation. And even when a prescription for a pill was ready, there might still be no supply of the necessary ingredients.

Because of this, more specific pills, which could treat less frequent anomalies, were much more challenging to obtain.

Consequently, in this space left by alchemy, medicine had emerged and gained space in the Spiritual World.

Not everyone could afford the scarce spiritual ingredients of pills. Even when they could, such resources were limited and rare to find. Therefore, people needed an alternative, which could depend less on items and more on people.

Finally, after a long period of development, an ancient alchemist, someone who had spent a great deal of time studying the particulars of living things, had developed the first medical technique!

This rudimentary technique had a similar effect to spiritual recovery pills, coupled with small-scale cell regeneration. It used part of its user's energy to recover patients while adding free energy in nature to complement this process.

Such technique was only classified as a White-grade, but with it, the first doctors of this world had emerged!

Medicine then emerged, being a profession initially supporting alchemy.

There were not always resources, these items were too expensive, or there was no time for pill refining. So, with that, this new area was developed until more and more techniques appeared.

In the beginning, most of the techniques had similar effects to some pills. After all, they were based on these pills... But it didn't take long for this to change little by little.

Even conditions that could not be treated with the use of spiritual pills began to be resolved using medical techniques from those professionals of the highest level.

Unlike alchemy, which used pills to solve internal problems in the animal body, doctors used spiritual techniques to 'change' the organisms.

There may not seem to be such a distinction, but there was.

For example, if an individual were to be poisoned, all the alchemist would do is produce a pill containing the poison's antidote. But, in  the case of the spiritual doctor, he would not use any external item, but would change his patient's body, so that it would produce the antidote itself!

Such a thing was already predicted by animal anatomy, but naturally, it happened very slowly. However, with understandings of how animals' bodies work, doctors could encourage specific 'actions' that would result in problem-solving.

They used body analysis techniques, while other types of techniques would make the necessary stimuli, changing the patient's body as appropriately as possible.

Anyway, that was how doctors could act, curing common diseases, poisonings, even helping to regenerate lost limbs!

And from the point at which these differences emerged, medicine had separated itself from alchemy, gained its own territory.

Precisely for this reason, this was still a highly valued profession in the Spiritual World, even though alchemy could solve many of the problems related to animal life.

But not only that, unlike pills that left toxins in their users' bodies, doctors' patients didn't face the same problem.

The only downside of medicine over pills was that in Dillian's profession, one would need to take the treatment much longer than if it were done using pills!

For comparative purposes, a cell regeneration pill could heal severe injuries in a few hours, while medical techniques would take days to achieve the same effect.

Of course, this also depended on the doctor's level and the classification of the pill in question...

Anyway, each of these areas had its advantages and disadvantages. Both were necessary for the Spiritual World, and because of that, any place that had a hospital would be more popular with cultivators.

And even more so if a doctor from the 6th stage of cultivation attended them!

Dillian was just one step away from reaching level 50, and he was hoping to get it even before the opening of this new service in Dry City.

Because of this, even if there was still a long way to go for the development of local medicine in the city of Minos, they could already start on the right foot!

A level 50 doctor could even attract the attention of Spiritual Kings, as the treatment of these professionals was functional up to a few levels above the doctor's level.

Above about ten levels of difference, or instead of a whole step of contrast, a doctor would not be able to treat a patient due to the significant difference in spiritual energy between the two sides.

Finally, with the opening of this location, the Dry City may become more attractive to stronger cultivators who are not content with smaller opportunities, such as agriculture and the current local public library.

Eda then turned to Dillian and congratulated him. "Congratulations on achieving this. You've always wanted to do something like this, and now you have a place for it, where you can still help your young master with his plans."

"Hmm, this place will be important to us. First, we will offer services at low costs to the population, helping them to improve their quality of life. Then, when the Black Plain is fully opened to the rest of the region, we will be able to charge higher fees for treatments of visitors from other kingdoms, which will balance our books."

"This will also attract future doctors and people with health problems to our city, which can create a whole commercial dynamic, directly or indirectly linked to this service." He said excitedly.

Hearing this, Eda smiled and then hugged him, promptly kissing Minos' butler. The feeling of seeing someone dear doing well on his projects was a pleasurable feeling for anyone and was no different for Eda.

"Mmm~"

And after kissing for a few moments, the two finally parted, when they started walking back to the lighted region of the city.

"Well, this hospital can make the Dry City more attractive to cultivators in the 5th stage of cultivation. At the very least, the effect should be greater than that of that tower here, which still has some disadvantages." Eda commented in a low voice, just for the two of them to hear.

"How long will it take this place to be ready?"

Dillian then glanced up at the starry sky briefly, as if counting in his mind, when he finally answered her. "I think before the young master traveled to the Kingdom of the Waves. By this time, I should also be at level 50, hehe."

"Ah! You're showing off, huh... Years ago, I would never have thought you'd make it to the 6th stage of cultivation before me." Eda said with a slight smile on her face, while her tone was somewhat playful. "You'll have to be a little careful not to break my old body after your promotion, haha."

"What old body? To me, you are so young when we first met! You're even more elegant than back then." Dillian readily complimented her.

"You truly know how to please a lady…" She replied, thinking of something else briefly. At the same time, she had a satisfied smile on her face. 'At least you're wise enough to lie, haha.'

"But once you join the young master's army, it won't be long before you reach level 50, Eda. You must be almost level 49, right?"

She then nodded in agreement. "Yes, I think I should get there in the next few weeks."

"That's nice! With the salary you will receive from the army, you can reach level 50 in about a year." At the same time, he commented in which his hands were gently shaking, with the two still walking through the city.

The night was just beginning, and the weather was delightful for them to continue walking around the town. They could enjoy the beautiful starry sky and then return to the mansion later.

There was a bottle of spiritual wine in Dillian's room waiting for them, something that went well with the plans of these two old friends...