Liu Changfeng hurriedly refused.
"Sect Master, please rest assuredâthese items truly are of no use to me. And Iâve always considered myself one with the sect. If the sect thrives, I thrive. Likewise, if I become strong, it strengthens the sect. This is a mutually reinforcing principle."
"Sect Master should understandâIâm just putting on airs a little."
Liu Changfeng gave a helpless smile. "Alright, if thatâs how you feel, the sect wonât shortchange you. When the time comes, weâll reward you with a batch of spirit stones. And if you need anythingâjust come directly to me. As long as itâs reasonable, Iâll do my best to fulfill it."
"Many thanks, Sect Master!"
"By the wayâthereâs one more thing. I plan to launch an assault on the foreign races in seven days. If the sect plans to join, I ask that you begin preparations."
"Seven days? Isnât that a bit rushed?"
"Itâs not. It should be enough."
Lu Ye now was no longer the same Lu Ye who had only been at the Qi-Gathering or Core Formation stages.
Back then, he had no resources, no treasuresâonly one cultivation manual and the systemâs cultivation functions.
But now, Lu Ye was entirely different.
After plundering so many cultivation resources, he could at the very least refine four Giant Spirit Pills this timeâthe full-nourishment kind!
And as for pill residue tainting the purity of oneâs true essence?
That was only a problem for first-time cultivators. What did that have to do with someone like him, a reborn cultivator?
During the era of chaotic darkness, those bastards used to devour entire galaxies in one bite. Divine metals and sacred pills were swallowed without even chewing. No one ever said they were harmed by impurities.
Lu Yeâs figure arrived at Pill Peak.
"Lu Ye, youâre here! You planning to refine pills again?" Daoist Qinghuo asked excitedly, rubbing his hands together.
"Yes, Peak Master. Iâd like to borrow your Nine-Dragon Leaving Fire Furnace again," Lu Ye said politely.
Daoist Qinghuo waved his hand casually. "Thatâs no problem at all. Itâs justâcould you maybe go a little slower this time? Last time I was so shocked I didnât learn anything. If you could refine them a bit more slowly, thatâd be great."
"Of course, not a problem. Iâm able to refine like this because I have a deep understanding of pharmacology. If your understanding deepens, youâll be able to refine like this too."
"Iâll write down what I know about medicinal theory, and also some pill-refining insights. If you donât mind, you can take a look."
Daoist Qinghuoâs face flushed slightly with embarrassment.
"Is that... is that really okay?"
Lu Ye smiled gentlyâand tears streamed down his face again.
Ahhh... so annoying...
Daoist Qinghuo jumped. "Okay okay! Forget I said anything about pharmacology or insightsâjust donât cry!"
Lu Ye: ...
"My eyes got a bit injured. Still havenât fully healed. It has nothing to do with you, donât worry."
"I see. Iâve got some medicinal pills for eye injuriesâIâll give you some."
"No need, no need. Pills wonât help. Letâs go refine some pills."
"Youâre sure crying wonât interfere?"
"Donât worryâit wonât."
The two entered the alchemy chamber. Lu Ye, wanting to let Daoist Qinghuo grasp some insight into the Dao of alchemy, deliberately slowed down his pill-refining pace.
Half an hour later.
"So... how does it feel?" Lu Ye asked.
Daoist Qinghuo...
Canât you add ingredients one by one?
The way you grab a whole handful at onceâI canât keep up at all!
"Should I slow down even more?" Lu Ye asked.
"No no! Refining the pills is more important. You go ahead!"
Daoist Qinghuo had realized somethingâreaching Lu Yeâs level of pill-refinement wasnât going to happen in just a short time.
Besides, Lu Yeâs hands were too damn fast.
He would grab a bunch of herbsâDaoist Qinghuo looked at them and, dear god, forty or fifty kinds all at once. He hadnât even finished identifying the ingredients when Lu Ye said,
"Timeâs up."
And tossed the entire handful into the furnace.
How was anyone supposed to learn like that?
"Alright, Iâll just study this later!"
Lu Ye activated his flames. His original Bright Sun Flame now glowed with a faint gray hue, because during his time in the Ghost Realm, heâd refined another divine flameâthe Specter Wraith Flame.
After fusing the two divine flames, the temperature of his fire had finally risen to a new level.
However, the variety and volume of medicinal ingredients were even greater than before. In the end, the refined pills still came out around fifteen centimeters in diameter.
A faint radiance shimmered over the pillâs surface patternsâclearly the mark of a supreme-grade pill.
One pill.
Two pills.
Three pills.
Four pills!
All four pills were successfully refined. Lu Ye took his leave from Daoist Qinghuo.
"Iâll write down the medicinal theories and my insights when I get a chanceâbut it might be a while. I need to take the pills and begin cultivating first."
Daoist Qinghuo quickly waved his hand.
"You go handle your matters. Iâm in no rush."
"Very well, then this disciple takes his leave."
Lu Ye turned and walked away.
Daoist Qinghuo looked at Lu Yeâs departing figure and couldnât help stroking his beard gently.
"Graceful and calm... not arrogant, not rash. At such a young age, and already possessing the poise of a grandmaster. No wonder so many girls like himâyet he remains wholeheartedly devoted to the Great Dao. His future is limitless!"
The more he looked at Lu Ye, the more he liked him. In this world, young men like that were truly rare.
Lu Ye returned to his room.
Looking at the pills, he realized he didnât even need to use Heaven-Form Earth-Manifestation this time.
He suddenly opened his mouth wide, and a beam of light burst forth from within. The light shone onto the pill, and the massive pill began rapidly shrinking.
In the end, it became the size of a fingertipâLu Ye swallowed it in a single gulp.
"Begin cultivation!"
"Ding. Cultivation initiated!"
Integration Realm, Stage Twoâbeginning advancement.
Surging true essence roared through his body, medicinal power boiling violently.
Lu Yeâs figure became cloaked in a misty hazeâlike a god, like heaven itself.
His power began to rise.
Integration Stage Three!
Integration Stage Four!
Integration Stage Five!
All four pills were consumed. All those rare supreme-grade elixirs plundered from the foreign races turned ~NĐŸvĐ”lđght~ into the most ferocious driving force for Lu Yeâs cultivation.
......
Yue Hongling heard that Lu Ye had returned and immediately ran to the door of his room.
"Senior Brother!"
She knocked on the door.
Lu Ye, fully immersed in cultivation, of course didnât respond.
But at that moment, a faint, ethereal ripple shimmered through the void. Radiant light filled the air, and from within that glow, a long, snow-white, slender leg stepped out.
The multicolored glow gathered together, weaving itself into a five-colored robe, draped over a woman of divine eleganceâso beautiful she seemed beyond what the world could contain.
"Ding. Transformation complete!"
The woman parted her red lips. That perfect, flawless faceâsomething that didnât seem to belong to this worldârevealed a smile.
Hehe... Since that dumb host refuses to come out, sheâd just play for a while herself.
She took a graceful step forward. A soft fragrance lingered in her wake as she arrived behind the door.
Yue Hongling twitched her nose lightly.
So fragrant!
This fragrance wasnât just perfume. It was more like the sacred scent of a physical body having ascended to sainthoodâas if her very flesh were made from divine medicine.
In this world, there was no living being that could reject such a scent.
Creakâ
The door opened.
Their eyes met.
Yue Hongling stood frozen in place, her eyes unable to conceal the astonishment in them.
How could such an utterly beautiful being exist in this world?
Ding...
"Mhm, hello. Iâm Shen Xitong. You must be one of my brotherâs ex-wivesâYue Hongling, right?"