C21 Qi Increasing Pill

"Spirit Locking Stone!"

Upon hearing that Wei Lulin's second request was merely for a bit of Spirit Locking Stone, the shopkeeper felt a twinge of guilt. He believed he and his family owed Lulin a great deal, so he readily agreed to the request and offered a stern critique of Lulin's demeanor.

"Lulin, your patience is too limited. With your High Level Grade Eight Cultivation Talent, you should not be comparing yourself to ordinary warriors."

"If you aim to rapidly enhance your strength and surpass your peers, you must use Spirit Stones to aid your cultivation."

Though the shopkeeper's words were strict, his intentions were for Lulin's benefit, a fact that Lulin understood clearly.

The shopkeeper asked Lulin to wait a moment, then left the room. He returned shortly with a small cloth bag in hand.

"Lulin, here are some Spirit Stones for you to start your cultivation. If it's not enough, I'll provide more," the shopkeeper said casually, tossing the bag to Lulin.

Lulin didn't open the bag in front of the shopkeeper. Instead, he discreetly slipped it into his pocket, feigning indifference. He suspected the shopkeeper had given him a modest amount and didn't want to cause any embarrassment by checking then and there.

He then passed the time waiting for his meal by engaging in conversation with the shopkeeper.

At Wei's Pharmacy, Lulin slept for over ten hours in the guest room before waking up refreshed.

He stretched and yawned, feeling rejuvenated. During his month-long stay in the Endless Forest cave, Lulin had hardly slept, focused on enhancing his strength and hindered by the unforgiving environment.

The deep sleep had revitalized him, and he no longer had to work as before. The shopkeeper had instructed him to remain in the courtyard for the next few days to await his family's arrival.

Moreover, Lulin had no desire to leave. Now in possession of Spirit Stones, his priority was to saturate his twelve meridians with Spiritual Force. Only then could he quickly advance his strength to Level Three of the Qi Refining Stage.

At that time, he would have sufficient Spiritual Force to sustain the cultivation of his martial skills. Despite having faced only one life-or-death battle, it was this very conflict that made him acutely aware that within the Qi Refining Stage, if he mastered the Basic Blade Technique, its effectiveness could rival or even surpass that of lower-level martial skills.

He retrieved the cloth bag the shopkeeper had given him the previous evening and emptied its contents, his face breaking into a wild joy. The bag contained only two items: ten shimmering Spirit Stones and a jade bottle the size of his palm.

He set aside the jade bottle to focus on a Spirit Stone, holding it in his palm to feel the energy within. "A Grade Nine Low Rank Spirit Stone!" he whispered incredulously, sensing the river-like flow of spiritual energy.

A Grade Nine Low Rank Spirit Stone was beyond the reach of a beginner at the Qi Refining Stage. Such stones were a rarity, reserved for High Rank Martial Artists. By market standards, one Grade Nine Low Rank Spirit Stone could fetch tens of thousands of gold coins.

Naturally, no one would be foolish enough to trade such a Spirit Stone for mere money. Spirit Locking Stones, lacking a grade, couldn't be exchanged proportionally, but graded Spirit Stones could be swapped at a set rate.

One Grade Nine Low Rank Spirit Stone could be exchanged for ten Grade Ten Low Rank Spirit Stones. The shopkeeper had provided him with ten Grade Nine Low Rank Spirit Stones, equivalent to one hundred Grade Ten Low Rank Spirit Stones.

A single Low Rank Spirit Stone could saturate a meridian with Spiritual Force. One hundred of these stones would suffice for him to reach the pinnacle of the mid-level Qi Refining Stage. With some luck, he might even advance to the Qi Refining Stage High Rank.

Wei Lulin, however, was well aware of his condition. The Spiritual Force in his twelve meridians was exceptionally robust. At best, these ten Grade Nine Low Rank Spirit Stones would enable him to attain Level Six of the Qi Refining Stage, but they were insufficient for a breakthrough to the Qi Refining Stage High Rank.

Wei Lulin set the Spirit Stone aside and turned his gaze to the jade bottle. Initially, he might have doubted that the contents of the bottle could rival the value of the Spirit Stone, but now he was convinced otherwise—the contents were likely far more precious.

As he regarded the jade bottle, a possibility flashed through Wei Lulin's mind: Could it be that very thing?

He picked up the bottle, removed the lid, and was greeted by a waft of fragrant medicinal scent. The aroma invigorated Wei Lulin, triggering the automatic activation of the Grand Profound Heart Sutra Cultivation Method. The Spiritual Force within his meridians began to roil.

Wei Lulin forcefully subdued the turbulent Spiritual Force and quickly emptied the contents of the bottle into his hand. Three cherry-sized pills lay in his palm.

"Low Rank Grade Ten Qi Increasing Pill!" he whispered to himself, his voice tinged with excitement.

Crafted by a Pill Master using dozens of precious herbs and a unique technique, the Qi Increasing Pill had a straightforward purpose: to bolster a cultivator's Spiritual Force.

Packed with potent Spiritual Qi, these pills could instantly provide substantial support to a cultivator, making them ideal for breaking through a Small Stage.

With ten Grade Nine Low Rank Spirit Stones in his possession, Wei Lulin felt assured that he could elevate his strength to the Level Two Peak of the Qi Refining Stage within ten days. Advancing to Level Three, however, would require more time.

To reach Qi Refining Stage Level Three, he would need to forge a dantian in his lower abdomen as a reservoir for Spiritual Force. Creating a dantian in the void of the abdomen demanded an immense quantity of Spiritual Qi. Typically, a martial artist would need two to three months of absorbing Spiritual Qi to confidently establish a dantian there.

But with the aid of the Qi Increasing Pill, this duration could be drastically reduced. Given Wei Lulin's Cultivation Talent and aptitude, he could smoothly break through to Qi Refining Stage Level Three in no more than two days.

One Qi Increasing Pill contained enough Spiritual Qi to create his dantian.

Having stowed the Qi Increasing Pill and the nine Spirit Stones, Wei Lulin's gaze drifted through the open window, settling on the front courtyard.

Although he couldn't see the shopkeeper from his current position, Wei Lulin's heart was brimming with gratitude for him. Grade Nine Low Rank Spirit Stones and Qi Increasing Pills were not items just anyone could possess. Even direct disciples within a family would likely find it difficult to use Grade Nine Low Rank Spirit Stones and Qi Increasing Pills during the lower levels of the Qi Refining Stage.

The ten Grade Nine Low Rank Spirit Stones and three Qi Increasing Pills were probably cherished possessions the shopkeeper had accumulated over many years. Wei Lulin etched this act of kindness deep into his memory. With his mindset adjusted, Wei Lulin dedicated himself to his cultivation practice with renewed vigor.

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