Ancestor of Medicine

Yaozu (Ancestor of Medicine) is a full-length xianxia cultivation novel by He Wuhen. Serialization began on Qidian Chinese Network on March 17, 2012, and concluded on August 8, 2014, comprising 812 chapters in total. The story follows Du Feiyun, a youth from a humble background, who stumbles upon a mysterious small cauldron (the Nine Dragons Cauldron) and a jade slip while gathering herbs on Baishi Peak. The jade slip contains the dan recipes and alchemical insights of the Lieshan Materia Medica, along with esoteric cultivation methods and miscellaneous records of strange tales. From that point on, the herb gatherer steps onto the path of cultivation, joining the Liuyun Sect and pursuing a path of "entering the Dao through medicine, proving the Dao through dan," advancing step by step from the body-refining stage upward. The novel centers on the art of dan-making: how low-tier cultivators use limited ingredients to refine useful dan, and how pharmacological knowledge resolves predicaments—these are the most meticulously crafted aspects of the book. Through his deep study of medicinal properties and his boldness, Du Feiyun establishes himself amid successive conflicts among sects, clans, and regional powers. The character relationships revolve around his elder sister Du Wanqing and Xue Bing, a true disciple of the Liuyun Sect, among others. From the Liuyun Sect to the broader cultivation world, the secrets of the medicinal cauldron and his own origins are gradually revealed. The novel maintains an ardent, aspirational tone, telling the story of one who, relying not on prodigious talent but on great wisdom and perseverance, rises to dominate the cosmos—a classic progression-style xianxia work.