Chapter 146: Chapter 116 Full Qi_2
Shortly after, Nong Baosen’s name was added to the sign that read ’Chai Bao is not to be admitted.’
It now read, "Nong Baosen and Chai Bao are not to be admitted."
Upon seeing this sign, Cao Shouxiong was utterly shocked. "Could it be that Elder Nong also wants to take Chen Ku as his disciple?"
This sign concerning Instructor Chai had been put up a few days ago. The reason was that Instructor Chai had wanted to visit Elder Yang to propose taking Chen Ku as a disciple. Consequently, such a sign appeared at Elder Yang’s door.
Inside the Guardian Hall, Chai Bao’s ears were still ringing from Yang Luochen’s Roaring Thunder Sound. He picked at his earwax in the practice field, glancing toward Jinshi Academy with lingering fear as he watched Elder Nong tumble away. I’ve tried this already. It doesn’t work. Why don’t they learn from my example?
Leaving Medicine King Hall aside for a moment, the sign at Yang Luochen’s doorway sparked a huge discussion among all the Apprentices and workers.
Everyone had thought that Chen Ku becoming a disciple of both Master Yang and Elder Shang was already breaking a Medicine King Hall rule that had stood for over a hundred years. They didn’t expect that even Instructor Chai and Master Nong would have the same intention.
The Apprentices were incredulous. What kind of Talent did one need to be so sought after, like stars revolving around the moon, to be taken as a disciple?
Meanwhile, Chen Ku and Huo Xiaoxia were in the Pill-Refining Room, attempting to refine elixirs for the Second Realm’s Mystic Barrier Realm.
Another day passed.
「...」
「At the Twin Rivers Guild.」
Two days had gone by. Huang Muxia gradually felt something was amiss.
He had originally thought Zhao Chuanzu asking for his 100,000 taels silver note was just a simple emergency measure, and he had believed Zhao Chuanzu’s claim about putting up a reward for Chen Ku.
But now, two days had elapsed.
Moreover, Liang Shi, the old servant whom Zhao Chuanzu claimed was pursuing targets on Peace Path ’at night,’ hadn’t sent any word.
Zhao Chuanzu had repeatedly said he would use the 100,000 taels to place a bounty on Chen Ku at Grey Clothes Tower, yet there was still no sign of such a bounty being posted.
Most crucially, Zhao Chuanzu himself had vanished.
"Sect Leader, we haven’t been deceived, have we?" an old man from the Twin Rivers Guild beside Huang Muxia frowned and said. "Could it be that young Zhao Chuanzu has absconded with the money?"
"Unlikely, unlikely... It’s just 100,000 taels. Zhao Chuanzu wouldn’t do that for such an amount," Huang Muxia said stubbornly. "Besides, isn’t there an IOU?"
The old man proposed another guess, "Well, if Zhao Chuanzu didn’t run off, what if he’s dead...?"
Huang Muxia’s face darkened. Surely, I can’t be that unlucky?
「...」
「Early morning.」
"It’s unbelievable, Master! Junior Brother Chen Ku managed to refine a Brain God Pill for the Second Realm’s Mystic Barrier! Even though he only produced one Top Grade pill... it was only his third attempt at Alchemy!"
As soon as Huo Xiaoxia returned to the Hundred Herbs Courtyard, she wanted to share the news with Nong Baosen immediately. However, upon entering, she saw her master sporting a black eye and exclaimed in shock, "Master, what happened to your eye?"
"It’s nothing, I just hit it on a door. What were you saying just now...?" Nong Baosen widened his one good eye.
"He was able to refine a Second Realm Brain God Pill? Which Pill Furnace did he use?"
"The one in the D Character Room, and the Pill Fire was formed from first-tier Fire Essence. That’s why I was so shocked and came back immediately to tell you, Master." Huo Xiaoxia was still deeply shaken. Using an ordinary D Character Room Pill Furnace and first-tier Fire Essence, he managed to refine seven Top Grade Inner Qi Realm Seven-Blood Pills. This already exceeded the Pill Formation rate of Eldest Martial Brother Kou Ming! With the same setup, he could even refine a Brain God Pill! This was something only a master could accomplish! One must know that Mystic Barrier Realm Pills have much higher flame requirements. First-tier Fire Essence simply doesn’t provide enough heat, yet Chen Ku forcefully refined one through his exceedingly clever Fire Control.
"A heaven-sent Talent!" Nong Baosen murmured. This must be the pivotal figure sent by the heavens to revitalize their Medicine King Hall. With such Talent... perhaps even the Five Elements Great Rejuvenation Pill, a Sixth Realm Elixir unmade for over a hundred years, has a chance of reemerging into the world.
"Yang Luochen, if you have the guts, give me another black eye! This person, I’m determined to take as my disciple too!"
「...」
Having not rested for two nights in a row, Chen Ku dragged his weary body home. Before going to sleep, he didn’t forget to practice the Nameless Stance again.
He slept from day until night before finally waking up, reflecting on the gains from two days of Alchemy.
"With my current Fire Control ability, I can refine most Pills in the Inner Qi Realm, and the Pill Formation rate is extremely high. However, Pills of the Second Realm’s Mystic Barrier Realm are a bit tricky," Chen Ku muttered to himself.
"The main issue lies with the flame. Materials for Second Realm Pills are tougher and more resilient, like the Spirit Ape skull needed for the Brain God Pill. Using ordinary first-tier Fire Essence makes it difficult to burn out impurities during calcination. I need stronger Fire Essence... But as soon as the fire becomes stronger, my First Realm Fire Beak Pot’s Fire Control ability can’t quite keep up."
At that time, he had tried to control the Second-Tier Fire Essence in the C-Character Pill-Refining Room beforehand. However, the fire was too fierce and its intensity too strong, exceeding the Fire Beak Pot’s capability limit, forcing him to return to the D Character Room.
The Fire Beak Pot needs to be upgraded for my Fire Control ability to improve!
A thought struck Chen Ku. "Flower Fox Mink, go. Let’s see if you can venture deeper beneath the volcano this time and bring back even more potent Flame Qi."
He released the Flower Fox Mink to scour Fire Beak Mountain for Evil Qi.
Now that the Flower Fox Mink was a Second Realm Demon, it could probably stay out for an extra ten days or more.
It had the ability to venture deeper into the volcano on Fire Beak Mountain, but it also needed to probe cautiously. Otherwise, one misstep could send it directly into the magma. Then, the main Transformation he had spent half a year meticulously creating, synthesized from many other Transformations, would turn to ash, forcing him to start all over again.
HUUH!
After the Flower Fox Mink had left, Chen Ku looked up at the moon that night and began practicing the Nameless Stance again.
HUUUU...
As he started, he suddenly felt the moonlight bathing his body, miraculously transforming into streams of Vital Energy that seeped in through his pores.
"Hmm? This..." Chen Ku immediately stopped his Fist Stances, puzzled. Is this effect from the Fist Stances, or...
Even after he stopped the Fist Stances and stood under the moonlight, the moon’s essence continued to transform into Vital Energy and surge into his body. He had an epiphany.
"This must be the Moon-Eating Submission that has formed within the Flower Fox Mink—a Fusion of the Skinny Dog’s Moon-Eating ability and the Spirit Ape’s Air Swallowing ability!"
He could feel an endless stream of Vital Energy being absorbed through his pores just by standing in the moonlight. It entered his body, followed the Inner Qi pathways established by the Nameless Stance, and continuously circulated, bolstering his foundation.
Chen Ku was overjoyed.
He immediately flipped onto the rooftop. Thanks to the Flower Fox Mink’s fur-like resilience, he didn’t feel much cold.
Just like that, after absorbing the moon’s essence for an entire night, Chen Ku felt his Qi Power increase the next morning.
One night of Moon-Eating Submission is like absorbing as much Vital Energy as if I’d consumed a Treasure Herb! Is this... is this the purification ability from the demon bloodline of the Spirit Ape and Skinny Dog? I don’t even need to meditate to circulate Qi and blood. As long as there’s a moon and moonlight, I can automatically use Moon-Eating Submission... Cultivation for Demons is just too convenient!
Chen Ku was amazed by this transformation in his body.
So, for the following days, while waiting for the Flower Fox Mink’s return, Chen Ku went to Master Shang Yunfang to gather Pill Prescriptions. Back in his own courtyard, he began refining Pills using the Fire Beak Pot.
As he had thought, the Fire Beak Pot could indeed be used for Alchemy. The prerequisite was for him to transform into the Fire Beak Pot himself. However, since the Flower Fox Mink had not yet returned from Fire Beak Mountain, he lacked the additional Evil Qi to perform the Fire Beak Pot Transformation.
Thus, he could only transform into a Fire Beak Pot at night while sleeping to refine Pills for himself.
Just like that, fifteen days passed in the blink of an eye.
Today was the twenty-eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, with only two days left until the New Year.
Although the Flower Fox Mink hadn’t returned yet, half a month had passed. Thanks to his new Talent, Moon-Eating Submission, a daily Inner Qi Pill, and the Root Bone Talent enhancements from Ling and Zhao Chuanzu...
HUUH!
Chen Ku, sitting cross-legged on the bed, exhaled. The stream of breath lingered before him for a long time, like a white Qi arrow. Simultaneously, Qi flowed out from the pores all over his body.
The entire room filled with a white mist.
INHALE!
With another breath, he drew all the white mist in the room back into his body.
He felt his Inner Qi surging within him, reaching a state of ubiquitous fullness and saturated Perfection.
"Full Qi! Inner Qi Great Perfection!" Chen Ku muttered to himself.
"I thought it would take a few more days after the New Year to achieve this. I didn’t expect to reach it ahead of time, thanks to Moon-Eating Submission."