Chapter 15: The Pill That Angered Heaven
Two days after his fight with Zhao Renkai, Lin Xuan sat cross-legged in his courtyard, polishing the shaft of his spear. His ribs still ached faintly from the saber strikes, but the pain was a useful reminder — he had been tested and had barely scraped through.
The sound of footsteps drew his gaze up. Elder Danfeng stood at the gate, his sharp eyes scanning Lin Xuan as if weighing his health.
"I heard," the elder said without preamble, "that you crossed blades with an inner disciple outside the sect."
Lin Xuan rose and bowed slightly. "Yes, Master. He came to me, not the other way around."
Danfeng's frown deepened. "You should have reported it. I could have put a stop to—"
"I appreciate the concern," Lin Xuan cut in, his tone respectful but firm, "but I don't want to be a greenhouse flower, Master. If I can't handle myself against opponents stronger than me now, I'll never survive once I leave the sect's safety."
For a moment, silence stretched between them. Then Danfeng's lips curved faintly. "Hmph. So you have some spine. Good. I dislike disciples who cling to their master's sleeve for every danger."
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A Gift of Tools
From his sleeve, Danfeng withdrew two items: a bundle of assorted alchemy ingredients, and a set of spirit-thread reinforced armor.
"These herbs are yours to practice with. And the armor—mid-grade, qi-conductive. Wear it when you travel. Even someone with your talent bleeds if they're careless."
Lin Xuan accepted both with a bow. "Thank you, Master."
Once Danfeng left, Lin Xuan laid the armor across his work table.
> [Upgrade Talent Activated]
Target: Spirit-thread Armor → Earth-Grade Stormhide Mantle
The fabric thickened, its dull sheen replaced with a faint ripple of light along its surface. Small scale-like plates formed over the shoulders and chest, each engraved with defensive runes.
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Leaving the Sect
The next morning, Lin Xuan slipped beyond the sect's gates, traveling east until he reached a quiet valley surrounded by jagged cliffs. It was far enough from any town or patrol route to avoid curious eyes.
Here, he intended to test a theory.
If he upgraded not just the final pill, but each individual ingredient to its peak before refining… what would the result be?
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The Experiment
From Danfeng's bundle, he selected the recipe for a Qi-Boosting Marrow Pill — normally a mid-grade medicine for early-stage cultivators.
He placed the first herb in his palm.
> [Upgrade Talent Activated]
Low-grade Spirit Grass → Celestial-Grade Primal Spirit Grass
The once-ordinary blade of grass transformed, shimmering with motes of pure qi.
He upgraded the ginseng, the lotus seed, the beast marrow powder — each one ascending through grades until they glowed with condensed elemental essence.
By the time all the ingredients lay before him, the valley air was thick with medicinal fragrance so strong it made his skin tingle.
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Concoction
He set the ingredients into his portable furnace and summoned his flame — a careful blend of fire qi, lightning qi for precision, and space qi to stabilize the fluctuations.
The upgraded herbs responded instantly, their essences merging without resistance. The Empyrean Pill Scripture guided his hands as he wove the energies together, layer by layer, binding them into a perfect core.
When the pill began to form, its light filled the furnace — and then the sky above the valley darkened.
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Pill Tribulation
The air crackled. A vortex of black clouds swirled overhead, arcs of silver-gold lightning writhing within.
Lin Xuan's eyes widened. "A pill tribulation…?!"
Normally, only spirit-grade or above pills drew Heaven's attention — and even then, rarely. But the qi signature of his creation was so pure, so concentrated, that it was challenging the natural order.
The furnace trembled violently. Lin Xuan threw up Aegis of Shifting Skies just as the first bolt struck, lightning roaring down into the valley.
Instead of destroying the pill, the lightning hammered into it, tempering its energy. The pill's glow intensified, shifting from gold to an iridescent white.
Bolt after bolt fell. Lin Xuan stood his ground, absorbing what he could through his barrier while keeping the furnace stable. His arms ached, but the moment the ninth bolt struck, the clouds shattered.
---
The Result
When the lid lifted, a single pill rolled into Lin Xuan's palm — perfectly round, glowing with a soft, divine light.
> [Celestial-Grade Qi-Boosting Marrow Pill]
Effect: Permanently strengthens qi circulation pathways, marrow fortification, and meridian flow. Usable by cultivators up to Foundation Establishment realm without loss of potency.
[System Alert: Successfully creation of Celestial grade Pill for the first time and surviving Pill tribulation, upgrade tokens X100]
Lin Xuan stared at it, heartbeat steady but thoughts racing.
"If this is what happens when I upgrade everything before refining…" He closed his fist around the pill. "Then I've only scratched the surface of what's possible."
But he also knew something else: the tribulation's display of power might have been seen by anyone within miles. And if word got out…
He'd be hunting more than just beasts soon.