Late at night, Jiang Beiran sat before the alchemy furnace, stoking the flames. Before setting out, he planned to refine another batch of various pills to bolster his reserves.
"Ah, what a shame. In the end, I still couldn’t get my hands on any Thunder Lord Charcoal."
Earlier, Zhang Heqing had promised that if Jiang Beiran could persuade Hall Master Shi to let him enter the Orchid Waterside Pavilion to tend to the flowers, he would arrange for a batch of Thunder Lord Charcoal.
Unfortunately, the moment Jiang Beiran broached the subject, both Shi Fenglan and Yu Manwen immediately shut him down, adamant that no high-ranking members from other halls should be allowed to freely enter the Orchid Waterside Pavilion. Rebuffed, Jiang Beiran had thought that even if he hadn’t succeeded, his efforts should at least warrant some consideration.
If he couldn’t secure a steady supply of Thunder Lord Charcoal, even a few dozen kilograms would suffice. However, upon hearing that Jiang Beiran had failed to fulfill his request, Zhang Heqing outright denied ever making such a promise, leaving Jiang Beiran to inwardly curse the stingy hall master several times over.
Just as the furnace reached the optimal temperature and Jiang Beiran was about to add the medicinal ingredients, a faint flute melody drifted up from the mountainside. In an instant, Jiang Beiran appeared halfway down the mountain, where he found Wu Qingce waiting for him. Leading Wu Qingce into the formation, Jiang Beiran asked, "Did you deliver the antidote?"
"Yes."
"How’s your progress with the Bloodshadow Beast?"
"Still no breakthroughs..."
"Tsk..."
Seeing his senior brother’s disappointed expression, Wu Qingce hurriedly explained, "That beast just leaves after eating the medicine—I can’t even stop it! Last time, I—" "Enough." Jiang Beiran raised two fingers.
"I’ll give you two more months. If you still can’t tame that Bloodshadow Beast by then, your pill supply will be halved from then on."
"What!?"
Wu Qingce’s mouth was still hanging open when Jiang Beiran flicked his fingers, sending a shimmering blue pill streaking into his mouth.
"Gulp..."
Feeling the pill slide down his throat, Wu Qingce rubbed his neck and asked, "Senior Brother, what did you just— AHHH!!!" With a bloodcurdling scream, Wu Qingce collapsed to the ground, his entire body convulsing violently.
"Endure it. What you just took was a Thunderflame Body Tempering Pill—it’ll greatly benefit your physique."
"Th-th-thank y-you, S-senior Brother... AHH!"
Despite his trembling lips, Wu Qingce still struggled to bow in gratitude. Jiang Beiran shook his head.
"Save your thanks for after you’ve endured it."
Wu Qingce immediately shut his mouth, gritting his teeth as he resisted the scorching, numbing sensation coursing through his body—so intense that he couldn’t even circulate his qi properly. After the time it took to brew a cup of tea, Wu Qingce, now drenched in sweat, mustered all his strength to sit up.
"S-Senior Brother... I... I..."
"Fully absorbed it?"
Nodding weakly, Wu Qingce replied, "I think so... My body’s not numb anymore."
"Then regulate your breathing and recover."
"Yes."
With great effort, Wu Qingce crossed his legs and took a deep breath.
"Cough! Cough! COUGH!"
Watching Wu Qingce’s face alternate between green and pale, Jiang Beiran sighed.
"Your endurance is lacking. I already reduced the potency by seventy percent—how are you still suffering like this?"
Hearing this, Wu Qingce, who had barely begun to recover, burst into another fit of coughing.
"Cough!? Th-this was only thirty percent... COUGH!"
"Tsk. Just focus on recovering for now. We’ll talk after you’ve rested."
Jiang Beiran shook his head in disappointment. Five days ago, the Thunder Spirit Flowers planted in the mansion at Golden Jade Town had finally been successfully pollinated. After obtaining the seeds, Jiang Beiran eagerly began refining them.
The Thunderflame Body Tempering Pill was the most successful result of his efforts. However, during the refining process, Jiang Beiran’s spiritual sense had detected that the pill contained an overwhelming amount of thunder-attribute spiritual energy. If Wu Qingce were to consume a full-strength Thunderflame Body Tempering Pill, the released energy would likely cause his body to explode on the spot.
Thus, Jiang Beiran deliberately suppressed the pill’s potency, ensuring it only produced a pill halo instead of pill patterns. Pills were classified into nine grades. The first three grades exhibited no special phenomena, but once a pill halo appeared, it signified a qualitative leap to the fourth grade—far surpassing the potency of lower-grade pills.
If pill patterns manifested, the pill would reach the fifth grade, becoming a treasure even Mysterious Kings would fight over. While Thunder Spirit Flowers were indeed rare and valuable spiritual herbs, they fell just short of being fifth-grade materials. However, Jiang Beiran’s alchemy skills bridged that gap, elevating the pill to the fifth grade.
Unfortunately, fifth-grade pills, while immensely powerful, also placed extreme demands on the consumer’s physique. Consuming one recklessly could lead to severe injuries, vomiting blood, or even bodily explosion—which was why Jiang Beiran didn’t dare let Wu Qingce take a full-strength Thunderflame Body Tempering Pill.
After roughly the time it took an incense stick to burn, Wu Qingce’s complexion gradually returned to normal. Exhaling a long breath, he stood up and bowed deeply to Jiang Beiran.
"Thank you for bestowing this pill upon me, Senior Brother!"
"Feel the changes in your body?"
"Yes."
Wu Qingce nodded vigorously.
"Though I can’t yet grasp the full extent, I can tell my body feels much lighter than before."
"This Thunderflame Body Tempering Pill was refined from Thunder Spirit Flowers. As the name suggests, its purpose is to enhance your physical resilience."
"From now on, thunder-attribute techniques from cultivators of the same rank will have minimal effect on you. Additionally, your recovery, reflexes, and speed will all improve significantly."
With that, Jiang Beiran tossed a small black jade bottle to Wu Qingce. Catching it, Wu Qingce listened as Jiang Beiran continued.
"This is a Swiftwind Pill, also refined from Thunder Spirit Flowers. After consuming it, your speed will increase dramatically."
"However, remember—only you can take this. If someone who hasn’t ingested the Thunderflame Body Tempering Pill consumes it, their body will instantly collapse."
"I understand."
Wu Qingce cupped his hands respectfully.
"What exactly do you understand?"
Caught off guard by the question, Wu Qingce hesitated before replying, "I understand that I must never let anyone else take this pill...
Ow!"
Clutching his forehead, Wu Qingce sniffled and asked, "Please enlighten me, Senior Brother."
"I already told you plainly—consuming it means death. It’s more effective than poison. Now do you understand?"
"Oh! Understood, understood!"
Wu Qingce nodded repeatedly.
"Come, let’s head up."
Back in the Purple Bamboo Courtyard, Jiang Beiran took a sip of tea and asked, "How much has your cultivation improved over the past month?"
"Reporting to Senior Brother, I’ve spent most of this month consolidating my foundation as a Mysterious Master. I haven’t made any breakthroughs in cultivation."
Having said this, Wu Qingce closed his eyes, bracing for a knock on the head.
"Hmm, not bad. Rushing progress right after a breakthrough would only damage your foundation. At least you remembered that much."
Not only did the expected strike not come, but Wu Qingce even received praise. Delighted, he immediately bowed again.
"Thank you for your praise, Senior Brother."
"Come, spar with me. Let’s see how much stronger you’ve become since advancing to Mysterious Master."
"W-what!?"
Wu Qingce’s face instantly twisted into a bitter expression.
(End of Chapter)