Chapter 19: Maybe the Pill Isn't Necessarily for Us to Eat
There was no denying it—after refining the Millennium Bone Jade, Li Xingtian's physique had improved tremendously.
Combined with a cultivation technique perfectly suited to his constitution, his progress during the Qi Refining stage had already caught up to Li Yingling, who possessed the "Cultivation Genius" trait.
After several days of intense training, Li Xingtian was finally ready to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage.
He sat cross-legged before a lump of refined blood food—a dark red, sticky mass that looked disturbingly thick and wet.
After this breakthrough, he would no longer need such crude nourishment. The Foundation Establishment phase of this technique focused instead on refining one's own flesh and blood.
So, while this cultivation method was troublesome, the difficulty mostly lay in the Qi Refining stage.
Chu Xingchen, though reluctant, took out all the remaining spirit stones from his spatial ring and arranged a simple Spirit Gathering Formation to provide enough spiritual energy for Li Xingtian's breakthrough.
That was every single spirit stone he had left. His disciples had officially drained him dry.
He couldn't imagine there existed a sect poorer than his.
Inside the ruined temple, Li Yingling was tending to a small pot of boiling water, her expression strangely expectant.
Ning Qianqian, now wearing Li Yingling's spare robe—a light-blue, embroidered dress—looked far cleaner and far less pitiful. Though the garment was a bit oversized, it was infinitely better than the filthy hemp rags she'd worn before.
Li Yingling, who had a touch of cleanliness obsession, had personally scrubbed her down that morning. The sound of water splashing had lasted from dawn till noon, punctuated by Ning Qianqian's occasional cries of protest. Clearly, Li Yingling's hands had not been gentle.
Still, the result was impressive. Ning Qianqian no longer looked like a refugee. Dressed in fine silk, she resembled a street child suddenly made to wear a princess gown.
Though clean, she seemed uncomfortable, fiddling with the too-long sleeves so they wouldn't drag on the floor.
Li Yingling reassured her several times that it was fine, but Ning Qianqian remained cautious.
Meanwhile, Li Xingtian's expression had grown tense. He stared at Li Yingling and the pot of boiling water beside her, then took a deep breath and turned toward his master.
"Master, I think I can break through without the pills," he said solemnly.
"Bitter medicine brings the best cure," Chu Xingchen replied as he placed the final spirit stone. Once it was set, dozens of stones began to glow faintly.
"Relax. I know my pills didn't taste great last time, but this time I've studied how to make them delicious. I've found the perfect mix of seasonings!"
"Master… are you sure you're talking about pills, not Sister's leftover chicken legs?"
From his spatial ring, Chu Xingchen retrieved the few remaining genuine spiritual herbs—barely enough to make one batch.
"You can doubt my alchemy," he said confidently, "but never my cooking, my dear disciple."
Remembering his master's cooking, Li Xingtian hesitated but had to admit—it was hard to argue with that.
With cautious optimism, he watched as Chu Xingchen began his "familiar" pill-refining process. When the green liquid began bubbling with ominous vigor, Li Xingtian felt his own face turning green to match.
What kind of improvement was this supposed to be?
Then, just as the medicinal liquid reached its final condensation, Chu Xingchen swiftly added honey and cooked flour, along with a few mysterious seasonings.
He mixed the flour and honey into a sticky dough, then carefully dipped it into the bubbling potion, allowing it to absorb the mixture.
Before long, the medicinal liquid was completely absorbed, leaving behind a single greenish pill that gleamed faintly in his hand.
He picked it up and gave it a light shake—firm, well-shaped, and not falling apart.
Excellent! A new step in alchemy—proving that even a pot could produce a flawless pill!
With immense pride, Chu Xingchen handed the vivid green pill to Li Xingtian.
"Here! Try it and see how it tastes!"
Staring at the pill in front of him, Li Xingtian had to admit—turning it solid did make it a little easier to accept.
But that bright emerald color… no matter how one looked at it, it didn't resemble a legitimate pill at all. It looked more like something that could melt a man's insides.
He sighed quietly. More than worrying whether it was poison, he was concerned about something far more dreadful—whether it would taste as unbearable as before.
Under his master's encouraging gaze, Li Xingtian steeled his resolve and swallowed it whole in one go.
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught his senior sister's watchful stare.
As for the taste—
Damn it! There was absolutely no connection between alchemy and cooking!
Especially after his master decided to add flour—the ultimate mistake of all!
Whether it was the honey or something else, the flour stuck to his throat like paste.
And when that horrible flavor mixed with the bitter medicinal essence, it didn't even feel like a taste anymore—it was pure, physical rejection, as if his body wanted to expel the pill entirely.
It was worse than swallowing the raw concoction itself—a torment that could only be described as torture!
His voice rasped as he struggled to breathe. "Water! Master! I need water!"
Ning Qianqian hurriedly lifted a cup and rushed to hand it to him.
After gulping down several mouthfuls, Li Xingtian finally managed to swallow the sticky lump in his throat, gasping for air before falling silent again.
Horrible as it tasted, the medicinal effect was astonishingly fast. Li Xingtian quickly entered a state of cultivation, absorbing the spiritual energy from the spirit stones around him.
It seemed this experimental batch wasn't a total failure—perhaps the flavoring just wasn't strong enough to mask the bitterness.
Chu Xingchen pondered for a moment, then turned to the side where Li Yingling was watching with a mixture of relief and amusement.
Li Yingling quickly shook her head and said, "Master… I think from now on, my junior brother should continue being the first to try such fine creations."
"You're his senior sister," Chu Xingchen replied, stroking his chin.
Her face fell immediately. "Master… if you want me dead, just say so."
The breakthrough itself went smoothly.
When the glow from the spirit stones faded and the sun began to set, the spiritual energy around Li Xingtian condensed into his body. His eyes opened slightly, radiating a faint gleam.
The process had been effortless—no obstacles, no instability. His master's pill, though terrifying to taste, clearly worked.
Together with the cultivation method tailored for him, it had gone even smoother than his previous life's breakthrough. Truly, it could only be described as "natural success."
Chu Xingchen, who was roasting meat for his disciples, noticed the change and looked over. "How do you feel?"
"Very good," Li Xingtian nodded.
"I meant the pill," Chu Xingchen clarified.
"…Also good. But Master, please—don't refine any more," Li Xingtian said sincerely. "If you must, I suggest using them for interrogations. They might be perfect for torture—not necessarily for us to eat."
Li Yingling's eyes lit up, raising her skewer in agreement. "Yes! I think Junior Brother is absolutely right!"
Without hesitation, Chu Xingchen smacked her lightly on the head.
Although Li Xingtian could now live without food after forming his Foundation, he still took a skewer from the fire and bit into it.
After chewing a few bites, he glanced at Ning Qianqian and said calmly, "Master, the plan can begin."
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