C11 Spirit Gathering Pill

In Ning Que's room, he was alone, meticulously arranging the materials he had acquired from the market alongside the Jade Water Flower gifted by Jiang Qingyan on the table. The array of items covered the entire surface. Without any summons, Ling Jing's ethereal form materialized, examining the spread with a careful eye. As he stroked his beard, he gave a slight nod of approval.

"Now, I'll leave the rest to Ling Jing," Ning Que said with a smile. He wasn't sure what Ling Jing was about to do, and since he couldn't be of much help, he settled in to observe silently.

Ling Jing returned the smile and, with a subtle gesture, a medicinal herb levitated from the table. With his other hand, he conjured a stream of blue water that enveloped the herb, forming a spinning orb of water. Despite its rapid rotation, the sphere remained perfectly intact, as steady as a mountain.

"Ling Jing, what exactly are you doing?" Ning Que inquired, puzzled.

"You can't tell I'm refining the herbs and preparing to concoct pills?" Ling Jing was quite pleased with Ning Que's astonished look, having anticipated such a reaction. He chuckled in response.

"Ah, so this is pill refining," Ning Que mused, genuinely unaware. Even within the Ning family, no one had ever interacted with an alchemist. On the vast Aetheria Continent, alchemists were a rare breed due to the stringent requirements to become one. As a result, any alchemist of note was eagerly courted by the major powers, leaving smaller clans like the Ning family out of their purview.

Ling Jing, content in his own pace, awaited Ning Que's reaction, but noticed he was fixated on the water orb, showing no sign of further conversation. Annoyed, he blurted out, "Aren't you the least bit curious why I use water to refine pills?"

Ning Que, taken aback and unsure of what he'd done to upset Ling Jing, responded with a puzzled look, "What are you getting at?"

"Alchemists may be scarce in Aetheria, but across the continent, many still practice the art. The common method involves fire, but I am the sole alchemist here who refines pills with water. You're fortunate to witness this unique process, yet you seem to take it for granted?"

Ling Jing puffed out his chest and glared with an air of pride.

It seemed the old man was keen on showing off.

Ning Que chuckled to himself, yet he understood. After being confined in that minor realm for so long, without a soul to converse with, let alone an opportunity to utilize his skills, it made sense. The pills Ling Jing had previously asked him to put away were likely concocted out of sheer boredom.

"Remarkable, truly remarkable. I never imagined Ling Jing could devise such an ingenious method of refining pills with water. I'm thoroughly impressed."

Ning Que spoke earnestly. Compliments cost nothing, and if they brought joy to the old man, why not indulge him?

Ling Jing's face beamed with even greater pride as he nodded, clearly pleased with Ning Que's praise.

"In truth, my Water Pill technique differs significantly from the usual methods of pill refining. Using fire requires mastery to avoid damaging the medicinal properties or, worse, destroying the ingredients. But the Water Pill Method is unique; water is inherently gentle, so even a slight mishandling won't ruin the properties."

"This means my pill refining success rate is at least twice that of a regular pill refiner."

Ning Que, unfamiliar with the art of pill refining, was nonetheless astounded by Ling Jing's claim.

A success rate twice as high? That implied Ling Jing could produce twice as many pills from the same quantity of ingredients.

Ning Que had witnessed the sale of pills at Skyreach Tower, and regardless of the type, their value was astonishing.

"Ling Jing, is it possible for me to learn this Water Pill Method?"

Suppressing his inner excitement, Ning Que inquired with a hopeful grin.

Mastering this Water Pill Method would mean never worrying about a shortage of soulstones. Recalling how Ning Xian'er and he had been stumped by the five hundred low-grade soulstones at Skyreach Tower, Ning Que felt a twinge of embarrassment.

"Hehe, if you wish to learn, I'm certainly willing to teach you. However, you're currently lacking something. Once you fulfill the prerequisites for practicing this Water Pill Method, I'll share all my knowledge with you."

Ling Jing chuckled, yet his hands remained in constant motion. In just a short time, he had refined more than half of the medicinal ingredients on the table. Globes of water materialized one by one, hovering in midair, capturing the eye with their allure.

Realizing that he couldn't learn the technique just yet, Ning Que didn't bother to inquire further. With nothing else to do, his curiosity was piqued by the floating globes of water. "Ling Jing, you exist purely as an Astral Body. Where does this water come from? It seems quite extraordinary."

"Hehe, you've noticed? You've got quite the discerning eye," Ling Jing replied with a wink, clearly pleased with himself.

"I devoted half my life to finding this water. After years of consecration, it has become one with my spirit. Even if I were reduced to a mere wisp of a residual soul, I could summon it at will. This water is a spiritual entity, the Waters of Genesis."

Ning Que pondered for a moment before looking up at the water globes once more and murmuring, "I suppose this spiritual water is an essential ingredient for the Water Pill technique."

Ling Jing nodded, recalling the hardships he endured to obtain the Waters of Genesis, the perils of which were best left unsaid.

"When I acquired the Waters of Genesis, I left the Spiritual Vein untouched. One must not exhaust the spiritual entities of the world. I wonder if, after all these years, that Spiritual Vein has nurtured new spiritual entities. If the opportunity arises, I'd be willing to venture there with you once more."

"Is that so?" Ning Que asked, his face lighting up with excitement.

"Hehe, why would I deceive you? Moreover, my method for the Water Pill is unparalleled, both in the past and present. It would be a shame if I didn't have a worthy successor," Ling Jing said with a nod. With a final flourish of his hand, the last herb was refined. He brought his hands together in a gesture of sealing, and the suspended water globes began to converge at the center, merging slowly. The encased medicinal liquid also started to blend.

"I must concentrate fully now, so remember not to interrupt me," Ling Jing cautioned Ning Que, turning to give him a serious look. He then returned his gaze to the now unified globe of water, his hands weaving through an intricate series of seals, leaving Ning Que utterly mesmerized.

Time seemed to stand still until Ling Jing's face suddenly tensed. The sphere of the Waters of Genesis that he had formed began to churn violently, threatening to burst at any moment. Yet, as moments ticked by, Ling Jing managed to quell the tumultuous surge.

Upon closer inspection, the once-fluid mass hanging in the air had solidified significantly, revealing the nascent forms of three pills.

"Alright, with a bit more time, the Spirit Gathering Pill will be complete," Ling Jing declared, observing the roughly shaped pills with a nod of approval before offering Ning Que a smile.

"Spirit Gathering Pill?" Ning Que echoed, his voice low.

Too weary from the pill refining process to elaborate, Ling Jing simply gestured with a pointed finger, transmitting the details of the Spirit Gathering Pill directly into Ning Que's mind through a thread of spiritual will.

The Spirit Gathering Pill, categorized into nine grades, was merely a second-grade pill, yet its effects were remarkable. It could enhance one's ability to absorb wakan at the crucial Soul Awakening threshold, not only facilitating an effortless entry into the realm but also allowing the surplus wakan to fortify the cultivator's physique, laying a solid foundation for the future.

Despite being a second-grade pill, the Spirit Gathering Pill was invaluable to those intent on cultivating their family's younger generation.

Noticing Ling Jing's weary demeanor, Ning Que felt a surge of gratitude; the Spirit Gathering Pill had been crafted for his benefit. He bowed respectfully and said with gratitude, "Ling Jing, I'm deeply thankful."

"No need for such formality. I've pledged to aid in your strength, and this is but a trifle," Ling Jing responded, dismissing the thanks with a wave of his hand, though clearly pleased with Ning Que's consistent respect and deference.

After a brief pause, the water sphere quivered. With a precise flick of his finger, Ling Jing drew a filament of water from the blue sphere, guiding it back into his body. The sphere diminished before their eyes, revealing the three fully formed pills within, now distinctly visible.

As the final trickle of water vanished, three round green pills were left without support and tumbled from midair. Ling Jing waved his hand, and a jade bottle he had prepared earlier swept up to catch the pills. He then casually tossed the bottle to Ning Que.

"Soul Awakening should pose no challenge for you, especially since the Spirit Searching Tablet has already unveiled your potential. My crafting of the Spirit Gathering Pill is merely icing on the cake."

Ling Jing slightly shook his head as he watched Ning Que handle the pill like a precious gem. He spoke solemnly, "Now is the moment to assess the efficacy of the Spirit Gathering Pill. Sit cross-legged, consume one, and then focus on sensing the spiritual energy of the heavens and the earth, drawing it into your body."

Ning Que heeded the instruction and settled into a seated position. He then questioned, "If the goal is to channel wakan, wouldn't using a soulstone be more efficient? The wakan contained within a soulstone is incomparable to the free-floating wakan of the world."

"Soulstones can be used in any realm, but they are strictly forbidden during Soul Awakening. Not even the lowest quality soulstone is permitted," Ling Jing replied with a hint of irritation. "The wakan of the world may be mixed, but the step of Soul Awakening is crucial. It establishes an indescribable special bond between your soul and the wakan of the same attribute. Henceforth, your soul will constantly attract the world's wakan into your body, and any surplus will temper your physique."

"If you start with soulstones, your soul and body will grow accustomed to such pure wakan and may begin to reject the world's mixed wakan. Eventually, you would become dependent on soulstones for your cultivation."

Ning Que nodded in agreement, recognizing the wisdom in Ling Jing's words. Relying solely on soulstones for cultivation was indeed an indulgence.

"It's not unheard of for someone to cultivate exclusively with soulstones, but the outcomes have often been less than ideal," Ling Jing continued, looking up in reminiscence before adding, "Once, a family in the Amoven Kingdom tried to nurture a prodigious descendant using the pure wakan from soulstones right from the Soul Awakening Realm. They opted for high-grade soulstones. Can you guess the result?"

Ning Que eagerly awaited the continuation of the tale. Observing his expectant expression, the speaker finally continued in a leisurely manner, "So, this prodigy, in his attempt to ascend to the rank of Soul Emperor, nearly depleted his entire family's reserves of soulstones. Yet, it still wasn't enough. The inevitable outcome was the decline of his family, and he himself was halted at the Soul King Realm, unable to make any further progress. He became the butt of many jokes."

Ning Que was astounded. The sheer amount of wakan required to reach the Soul Emperor status was so immense that not even the full support of his clan could ensure success.