Stepping into his rental apartment, Zhao Yuan went straight to the windowsill to check on the Soul-Stabilizing Incense and Bone Refining Pills that had been left in the night wind. Although most of them were still damp, a few had air-dried. He picked out the dry ones, leaving the rest to continue drying on the sill. Then, he took out a packet of powdered Blood Circulation Soup, poured it into a wooden tub, and added boiled water.
As soon as the hot water hit the wooden tub, it immediately stirred up clouds of steam, making it feel as if he were in a dense fog, unable to see left or right. At the same time, the hot water activated the medicinal powder, releasing a strong, pungent fragrance. Just smelling it made the qi and blood in Zhao Yuan's body begin to surge.
After taking off his clothes, Zhao Yuan lit a stick of Soul-Stabilizing Incense. After a moment's thought, he lit two more.
'According to the Information Leaf, one portion of Soul-Stabilizing Incense, Bone Refining Pills, and Blood Circulation Soup should be enough for one session. But this is my first time making these three medicines. The effect is definitely going to be much weaker than what Wu Peng would make himself, so it's better to use a few extra portions, just in case it's not effective enough.'
Thin wisps of smoke curled up from the three sticks of Soul-Stabilizing Incense, releasing a soul-soothing fragrance that immediately overpowered the pungent smell of the Blood Circulation Soup. At the same time, the aroma once again drifted out through the cracks in the door and windows, and soon, everyone in the building caught a whiff of it again.
"That miraculous fragrance is back! I have to find the source today!" an office worker exclaimed, excitedly pushing open his door. He sniffed the air, searching in every direction, wishing he had the powerful nose of a police dog.
After smelling the fragrance yesterday, he had been in peak condition all day. He had even managed to solve several work problems that had been plaguing him for days, and on a weekend, no less. He could already imagine that when he turned in his work on Monday, his boss would be all smiles and praise him lavishly. Who knew? This might be the start of a promotion, a raise, winning over a beautiful, rich girl, and reaching the pinnacle of his life!
Of course, the most crucial part was that he used to feel tired and drained after doing even a little bit of work. But yesterday, after tackling several tough problems in a row, not only did he not feel tired, he actually felt greatāinvigorated, even! This had never happened before. That's why he was so desperate to find the source of the fragrance; he wanted to be able to smell it every single day.
It wasn't just him. Nearly everyone living in the building had come out, asking each other questions and marveling at the scent.
"Elder Ma, are you looking for the source of the fragrance too?"
"Yes, this fragrance is simply divine. As you know, I'm getting old. I suffer from neurasthenia and often can't sleep from insomnia, which is quite agonizing. But after smelling this fragrance yesterday, I felt full of vigor, my mind was sharp, and all my symptoms of weakness were gone. It was like I was young and strong again! On top of that, I had a wonderful night's sleep last night. I haven't felt this good in years!"
"Me too, me too! I've been working so much overtime lately that I've been in a daze. But after smelling that fragrance yesterday, I felt so refreshed and clear-headed. The fatigue from all those extra hours was just washed away by the scent! My work performance has improved a lot, too. A new design I came up with was not only approved but also highly praised!"
"I'm looking for the source for my son. He smelled it yesterday, and his study efficiency went through the roof. Formulas and vocabulary words he could never remember before, he suddenly memorized after just a few tries. He's a high school senior right now, so this is a critical time for him. If he could smell this miraculous fragrance every day, wouldn't his grades just shoot up? Maybe when it's time for the college entrance exams, he'll have his pick of top schools like Tsinghua, Peking, and Fudan!"
All these people who had experienced the miraculous effects of the Soul-Stabilizing Incense were desperate to get their hands on it. They wouldn't hesitate to spend any amount of money to do so.
But unfortunately for them, today's search was destined to be as fruitless as yesterday's.
Inside the rental apartment, Zhao Yuan, under the calming influence of the Soul-Stabilizing Incense, was completely oblivious to the commotion outside.
After placing the three sticks of Soul-Stabilizing Incense into the Incense Burner, Zhao Yuan picked up the Bone Refining Pills. One pill was supposed to be enough, but fearing the ones he made weren't potent enough, he swallowed three in one go.
The moment the Bone Refining Pills entered his stomach, Zhao Yuan felt a searing heat erupt inside him, spreading rapidly to his limbs and bones. The heat was incredibly intense, like a miniature sun, and the searing, burning pain it caused as it moved through him made Zhao Yuan wonder if his organs would be burned to ashes. Large beads of hot sweat poured from his pores, drenching him in an instant.
'Damn it, I underestimated the potency of the Bone Refining Pills I made. I should have just stuck to the instructions on the Information Leaf and taken one pill.' Zhao Yuan smiled wryly. Unfortunately, he had already swallowed the pills, and it was too late for regrets. All he could do was absorb their effects as quickly as possible.
So, he quickly climbed into the wooden tub.
The Blood Circulation Soup immediately surged around him, submerging him until only his head was above the surface.
He had hunted all over to find this particular wooden tub. After all, ordinary tubs weren't tall enough. They were fine for sitting or lying down in for a normal bath, but they didn't offer enough room to practice the Four Saints Technique. This one was differentāit was as tall as a person and wide enough to perfectly suit Zhao Yuan's needs.
Once in the tub, Zhao Yuan's expression grew even more pained. The Blood Circulation Soup was seeping into his body through his pores, and it felt like ten thousand tiny awls were constantly stabbing him, a pain maddening enough to make one want to claw their own skin off.
Besieged by pain from both inside and out, Zhao Yuan wished he could just pass out, as that would lessen the suffering. But the fragrance from the Soul-Stabilizing Incense kept his mind perfectly calm and lucid, making it impossible to faint.
This time, Zhao Yuan truly understood the meaning of 'courting death.'
However, he wasn't broken by the intense, dual assault of pain. Instead, he mustered his strength and began to practice the Four Saints Technique.
As he went through the motions, Zhao Yuan felt his body was a hundred times heavier than any previous time he had practiced the Four Saints Technique. It was as if he were carrying a mountain on his shoulders, the weight crushing the air from his lungs. Every move, every form, was executed with excruciating slowness. However, as the cultivation continued, he felt the intense pain from inside and out gradually subside, while the strength in his body steadily grew. By the end, his movements were no longer slow, and the pained expression had vanished from his face.
When he completed the final movement of the Four Saints Technique, three sharp cracking sounds echoed from his body.
It was the sound of his tendons opening.
Before, when he practiced the Four Saints Technique, it had taken him several days just to open his tendons twice. But today, he had done it three times in one session. The effect of practicing the Four Saints Technique in combination with the Blood Circulation Soup, Bone Refining Pills, and Soul-Stabilizing Incense was truly extraordinary!