Wu Huang remained seated at the table for a moment, quietly staring at the small bottle in his hand.
The pale blue liquid inside moved slowly when he tilted it. It looked calm and harmless, yet he could faintly feel the energy contained within it.
A spiritual elixir.
Even a low-grade one like this was something most students could only dream of using.
His mother stood up and began washing the plates in the sink as if nothing special had happened.
Wu Huang closed the small box again.
"I'll go practice for a bit," he said.
His mother glanced at him over her shoulder and smiled.
"Don't overdo it."
"I won't."
He stood up and headed back upstairs.
His room was quiet when he entered.
Wu Huang closed the door behind him and sat on the edge of his bed. For a few seconds, he simply held the bottle in his hands.
Then he let out a long breath.
"Well… no point hesitating now."
He opened the bottle.
A faint wave of spiritual energy spread through the air the moment the seal broke. The scent was subtle, almost refreshing, like cool rain.
Wu Huang didn't waste any more time.
He lifted the bottle and drank it.
The liquid was slightly sweet and cool as it slid down his throat. For a brief moment nothing happened.
Then—
A surge of energy erupted inside his body.
"—!"
Wu Huang immediately sat cross-legged on the bed.
His hands rested on his knees as he closed his eyes and entered meditation.
The moment his consciousness sank into his inner world, the change was obvious.
The previously thin, mist-like psionic energy had been disturbed by something new.
Inside his body, a dense current of refined energy was spreading rapidly, like a river bursting through a quiet lake.
"The elixir…"
Wu Huang focused his mind.
Normally, his cultivation method worked by extending his spiritual power outward, gathering scattered natural energy from the environment and slowly refining it.
It was an inefficient process. Most of the energy was lost before he could even use it.
But this time was different.
The energy inside the elixir had already been processed and purified.
It was far easier to control.
Wu Huang immediately adjusted the flow of his spiritual power.
Instead of reaching outward toward the surrounding environment, his consciousness turned inward.
He guided his psionic energy directly toward the newly arrived spiritual substance.
The effect was immediate.
The refined energy responded quickly, merging with his control far more smoothly than wild natural energy ever had.
Within seconds, streams of energy began flowing toward his spiritual core.
The previously thin cloud of psionic mist began thickening.
More and more energy gathered together.
Wu Huang felt the pressure building inside his inner world.
"This is… so much easier."
Normally it would take hours to refine even a small portion of energy.
Now the process moved almost effortlessly.
The refined energy of the elixir condensed under his control and was absorbed into his core like water flowing into a reservoir.
His spiritual power rose rapidly.
Fifty-six.
Fifty-eight.
Sixty.
Wu Huang kept his focus steady, guiding the energy carefully.
Even though the elixir made the process easier, losing control could still damage his inner world.
The energy continued to gather.
Sixty-five.
Seventy.
The once-thin stellar mist in his inner world slowly became denser and brighter.
Wu Huang could clearly feel the difference.
His consciousness felt sharper.
His control over the energy improved with each passing moment.
The flow continued.
Seventy-eight.
Eighty-five.
Ninety.
At this point the pressure inside his spiritual core began to change.
The cloud of energy that filled it was no longer completely loose and shapeless.
Something inside it was beginning to compress.
Wu Huang's heart skipped a beat.
"I'm close…"
He carefully slowed the absorption process, focusing on control instead of speed.
The last portion of the elixir's energy flowed into the core.
Ninety-three.
Ninety-six.
Ninety-eight.
Inside his inner world, the vast mist-like energy gathered tightly at the center.
The pressure increased.
The shapeless spiritual smoke began collapsing inward, compressing under its own density.
Wu Huang concentrated with all his strength.
"Just a little more…"
The energy trembled.
For a moment, it looked as if the entire cloud would condense—
Then it stopped.
The pressure stabilized, but nothing else happened.
Wu Huang slowly opened his eyes.
"Haa…"
He exhaled heavily.
Sweat had formed on his forehead.
He quickly checked the flow of energy inside his body.
Ninety-nine.
Just one step away.
Wu Huang couldn't help but laugh softly.
"So close…"
He lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling.
The elixir had nearly pushed him directly into the Condensation Stage.
But in the end, he was still just short of the threshold.
Still…
A smile slowly spread across his face.
"At least now I know…"
He clenched his hand slightly.
"…I can reach it."
And judging by the way the spiritual energy inside his core was compressing—
It wouldn't take much longer.