Cultivation Starts with Rejuvenation

”Yes!” Li Ji’an agreed wholeheartedly, then crawled into the Pill Furnace, not daring to use a trace of magical power.

Inside the Pill Furnace, the Blood Evil Qi was thick, and there was also some Pill Qi remaining.

However, this type of Pill Qi was very unfamiliar to Li Ji’an.

Since meeting Master Jade Pill, he had become familiar with many Pill Formulas over the years, and even though he hadn’t personally concocted many, he had notes in his mind. However, the Pill Medicine scent lingering in this Pill Furnace was completely bewildering to Li Ji’an.

As for the need to leave no traces of magical power inside the Pill Furnace, that was also perplexing to him.

After cleaning out the Pill Furnace, True Man Chunyuan ordered again, ”Bring the two materials, do not let them touch magical power, do not let them touch the earth.”

”Huh?” Li Ji’an suddenly changed color and finally understood the Pill King’s intention.

The alchemical materials he mentioned were none other than the Circumcised Boy and the Virgin.

”As you command!” Li Ji’an dared not delay, turning to enter the adjacent Spiritual Spring Room.

In the Spiritual Spring, the Circumcised Boy and the Virgin were already floating on the surface of the Spirit Pool, unconscious.

As soon as Li Ji’an entered the water, he immediately felt a slight sense of erosion coming from within the Spirit Pool; the Pill King had obviously added some kind of agent to it. However, this agent vanished instantly upon contacting the magical power within Li Ji’an’s body.

He hoisted the Circumcised Boy and Virgin, one in each hand, out of the Spiritual Spring, returning once more to the Alchemy Room.

There the Pill King sat cross-legged in front of the Pill Furnace, concentrating intently. Li Ji’an dared not act rashly, waiting for the next directive.

At the same time, he discreetly observed the Pill King.

Before long, the Pill King held his breath slightly, and from within his Dantian, a golden light shimmered. Suddenly, a flame twice the size of Little Fire Spirit emerged.

The flame exhibited a gilded color; Li Ji’an passively sensed the power of the Spirit Flame it emitted, slightly stronger than that of Little Fire Spirit.

”Is it this thing that’s resonating with Little Fire Spirit?”

Before Li Ji’an could think further, the flame, under the Pill King’s command, had already moved beneath the Large Pill Furnace, roasting it round about.

Throughout the process, Li Ji’an could clearly sense the fluctuations of the flame being controlled by the Pill King’s Divine Sense.

Evidently, an insentient Spirit Flame could not compare to the Holy Spirit of Little Fire Spirit, which required no effort from Li Ji’an to command, only the issuing of an order.

Once the preheating of the Pill Furnace was complete, the Pill King withdrew the Spirit Flame back into his Dantian, then began to systematically place the herbs within.

”Tier Three Demon Beast Essence Blood!”

”Tier Three Longevity Fruit!”

”Seedless Purple Ling!”

…

Witnessing the materials being thrown into the furnace one by one, Li Ji’an’s heart was far from calm.

A true Tier Three Demon Beast is comparable to a True Core Cultivator of the Human Race, and with his experience in crafting Beast Pills, that Essence Blood exuded a potency suggesting a Tier Three Middle Stage Demon Beast of not low lineage.

The Tier Three Longevity Fruit, the top-grade main ingredient for a Lifespan Extension Pill in this domain, was a treasured object aspired to by many a Fake Pill Cultivator.

That Seedless Purple Ling was a Spirit Treasure for Core Formation, ranking even within the top hundred.

Needless to say, the Pill King was unique in his comprehensive approach to this furnace of pills.

The mere initial input of herbs already surpassed in grade the Crystal Condensing Pill he had crafted by multiples.

”Hmm~ This is…” After nearly an hour, the Circumcised Boy and Virgin, who had been dangled upside down by the ankles by Li Ji’an, gradually awoke.

Long moments of suspension had left them flushed and red-faced.

”I’m sorry, true man, I... I fell asleep just now, I won’t do it again.” Upon seeing the Pill King by the Alchemy Furnace, the Circumcised Boy immediately apologized, ashamed of having fallen asleep.

”What’s going on? Captain Zhao… Zhao... let me go.” The Virgin struggled to raise her head, glancing at Li Ji’an who held her ankles, and instinctively prepared to rebuke, barely holding back.

Li Ji’an knitted his brows slightly, initially thinking the Pill King had added something to the Spiritual Spring to render them unconscious out of mercy, unwilling to let them suffer while alive.

However, realizing now that he had overestimated the old thing’s benevolence, the substance in the Spring seemed only to serve as a preliminary marinade.

The Pill King ignored their clamor, not casting a look their way.

”The elder is alchemizing, silence!” Li Ji’an rebuked lightly.

The two immediately held their tongues, though a glance at Li Ji’an betrayed a flicker of resentment in their eyes.

Another long while passed, and Li Ji’an judged that the herbs should have been refined into a potion of essences; if no other ingredients were added, it was time for Solidifying Pill.

He instinctively glanced at the Circumcised Boy and Virgin.

Sure enough, the next moment, the Pill King slowly opened his eyes which had been shut tightly, casting a gaze towards Li Ji’an: ”Add the main ingredient!”

”Hoo~” Despite being prepared, Li Ji’an’s heart twinged at having to personally place the Circumcised Boy and Virgin into the furnace that simmered like molten lava.

At the same time, he confirmed that this renowned Pill King was indeed crafting a live Human Pill.

This Human Pill, Li Ji’an had only heard Master Jade Pill mention in passing, was an object of utmost evil and poison.

Utilizing living humans as the main materials, it refines the Three Souls and Seven Spirits, flesh and bones to ultimately achieve the innate Qi of an unborn body.

Some Human Pills significantly enhance one’s cultivation, providing unimaginable breakthroughs at bottlenecks of Great Realms, as ancient texts noted Evil Cultivators who refined Human Pills advanced far faster than ordinary humans in Ancient Times.

However, Human Pills come with severe additional costs, varying individually.

For some, once a realm is reached, there will be no further progress for life.

Some deplete one’s longevity and life force significantly.

Others might turn one into something not quite human, nor ghost.

”As you command!” Li Ji’an agreed, picking up the two as he slowly approached the Large Pill Furnace.

”It’s so hot, stop, I haven’t started cultivation, I can’t get too close,” the Virgin cried out immediately upon feeling the scalding heat.

The Circumcised Boy turned pale, looking between Pure Essence True Man seated serenely and Li Ji’an ready to throw them into the furnace: ”Ah! No, no, I want to die, don’t throw me in, I won’t do cultivation anymore, I won’t learn Alchemy Skill.”

Hearing the Circumcised Boy’s shout, the Virgin belatedly realized they were indeed the main ingredients here.

”Elder, please no, little girl can do anything, I beg you, please spare me…”

The Pill King remained unmoved.

Li Ji’an, too, had reached the front of the Pill Furnace by now.

As the lid of the Pill Furnace slowly opened, the freezing terror of the two rose to its peak…

”Plop!” Ultimately, amid futile pleading and curses, two vibrant lives were engulfed by the potion of essence within.

The Pill King then commenced the final critical Solidifying Pill phase.

Li Ji’an stepped aside, an icy chill brimming within.

He couldn’t be certain whether the Nascent Soul True Monarch of Ten Thousand Laws Palace supported Pure Essence True Man’s activities.

But the seemingly obscure tactics he employed, how could they truly elude the Nascent Soul True Monarch?

If not an accomplice, then certainly complicit by acquiescence.

”Here’s hoping the pill refines smoothly,” Li Ji’an hoped even more fervently than Pure Essence True Man for this batch to complete without a hitch.

Because after seeing the ingredients added to the furnace by Pure Essence True Man, Li Ji’an had fed two additional herbs to the prime ingredients.

Not poison, just herbs counteracting those Pure Essence True Man used, yet not hindering the process of solidification.

If without those last two key ingredients, he was confident the pill could refine successfully.

But with the medicinal properties of Circumcised Boy and Virgin as the core, he lacked the experience.

”Should this old thing encounter mishap upon consuming the Human Pill, cease the pursuit of Little Fire Spirit, maybe then would be the true day of liberation.”

Another half an hour elapsed.

”Clang~” A gentle sound echoed from within the Pill Furnace.

”It’s done!” Joy surged in Li Ji’an’s heart.

He simultaneously saw the deep smile on Pure Essence True Man’s weathered face.

Immediately, Pure Essence True Man gestured with a single hand, elevating the Pill Furnace lid, allowing a blood-red Pill to whirl out.

”Not bad!” The blood-red Pill lingered in front of him, and he nodded with satisfaction.

Then, without using his hands to touch it, he opened his mouth directly, swallowing the still-warm blood-red Pill in one gulp.