[Cultivation Realm: Qi Refining Second Layer (87/100) ]
"I'm not far from reaching the Third Layer now," Han Yi thought.
"Strength is paramount. No matter the dangers ahead, every bit of improvement increases my chances of survival."
"My immediate priority is to break through to the Qi Refining Third Layer."
"Then, I need to master my only combat skill, the Spirit Void Finger, until it's reliable enough for self-preservation."
"And next time I venture out, I must remain constantly vigilant."
"Moreover, the Spirit Void Finger alone isn't sufficient for protection. If the opportunity arises, I should acquire a more specialized combat spell."
"On the other hand, if my Alchemy Technique could advance further..."
Han Yi mentally mapped out his plans, meticulously arranging his next steps.
Without hesitation, he retrieved his Spirit Stones and immersed himself in cultivation.
He currently possessed over fifty Spirit Stones—a considerable sum for an Outer Sect Disciple at the Profound Pill Sect, practically a small fortune. Typically, only Outer Sect Disciples at the Qi Refining Fourth Layer or higher would have such a hoard.
Only Inner Sect Disciples dared to openly cultivate using Spirit Stones without hesitation. Other Outer Sect Disciples were extremely frugal, preferring to cultivate using Spirit Veins whenever possible. Even when they did use Spirit Stones, they only dared to splurge during crucial breakthroughs.
Cultivation knows no time, and this method of absorbing Spirit Qi from Spirit Stones was especially prone to ensnaring cultivators in the lower realms.
By the time the third Spirit Stone had crumbled to dust, Han Yi's progress in the Qi Refining Second Layer had reached 99/100.
Instead of immediately using the remaining Spirit Stones for a breakthrough, Han Yi calmly began refining pills.
His recent frenzied cultivation had left him unable to perfectly control his Mana, making a direct breakthrough highly risky. Impatience would only backfire; in crucial moments, restraint was paramount. Han Yi understood this deeply.
"Refining pills will both hone my Mana control and help me mentally prepare for the breakthrough," he thought.
Han Yi began refining pills.
With his improved Alchemy Technique, his success rate for Qi Nourishing Pills had now exceeded 60%, approaching 70%.
Each batch of Qi Nourishing Pills Han Yi refined consumed a significant amount of his Mana. Instead of using Spirit Stones to replenish it, he absorbed the ambient Spirit Qi from the air.
The greatest drawback of this method was its agonizing slowness. It took nearly a full day to fully recover after each batch.
However, the greatest benefit was the increasingly refined and intuitive control Han Yi gained over his Mana.
The life of a pill refiner was monotonous and tedious, yet Han Yi immersed himself in the process, relishing the incremental improvements in his mastery over his internal energy.
Qualitative change arises from quantitative accumulation.
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, and mighty rivers are formed from countless streams.
By the time Han Yi had bottled his final batch of Qi Nourishing Pills, the jujube tree in his backyard had sprouted new buds. The courtyard was lightly carpeted with fallen leaves, and the crimson stains on the courtyard walls had faded to a deep russet.
"Seventeen bottles from twenty-five sets of raw materials," he calculated roughly. "That's a success rate of roughly seventy percent."
"Such an astonishing success rate in pill refinement is only attainable by Outer Sect Disciples at the Sixth Layer of Qi Refining."
"Moreover, and most importantly, my control over Mana has reached its peak," Han Yi thought. "If I don't break through now, when will I ever?"
He set down the jade bottle, took a deep breath, and retrieved another bottle from his Storage Pouch. Inside lay two Medicinal Pills:
Evil-Repelling Pills.
He had reserved these from his previous batch, specifically refining them in preparation for his breakthrough.
After swallowing the pills, he laid out twenty Spirit Stones. He held two in each hand, arranging the remaining sixteen around his body.
Then, he activated his Cultivation Technique, bolstering his Mana. The previously stagnant progress bar surged forward, reaching 100/100 within fifteen minutes.
Half an hour later, Han Yi detected faint, seductive whispers near his ears.
His heart tightened with alarm, recognizing the alluring voices of Heavenly Demons.
Since he was only breaking through to the Third Layer of Qi Refining, even if an Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon descended, it would be a minor one. As long as he ignored it, the Evil-Repelling Pills would deter the demon from invading his body, posing no significant threat.
The seductive whispers grew louder, but they had no effect on Han Yi's steadfast mind, which remained as unyielding as stone.
In his previous life, Han Yi had amassed a collection of over 10 terabytes of adult films on his external hard drive, meticulously categorized. He had practically become an industry expert.
An hour later, as he sat cross-legged in meditation, Han Yi suddenly felt his mana thicken within him. He knew he had broken through.
After the breakthrough, the quantity of mana in his body had decreased, but its quality had ascended to a new level. Before reaching the Qi Refining Sixth Layer, each breakthrough represented a qualitative transformation.
At the same moment, the seductive whispers that had plagued his ears vanished. The Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon that had descended into his realm had departed.
Han Yi didn't immediately stand up. Instead, he seized the opportunity to stabilize his cultivation realm, rapidly cycling through spirit stones to replenish his mana. He continued this process for a full day before finally stopping.
Only then did Han Yi glance at his cultivation interface, confirming that it now displayed "Qi Refining Third Layer." He finally relaxed.
[Name: Han Yi ]
[Lifespan: 21/89 ]
[Cultivation Realm: Qi Refining Third Layer (3/100) ]
[Cultivation Technique: Fire Pill Profound Art (Entry Level 69/100) ]
[Skills:]
[ - Alchemy Technique (Elementary Mastery 3/100) ]
[ - Spirit Void Finger (Beginner 70/100) ]
As he examined the rest of the interface, a surge of joy flashed across his face.
His lifespan had increased from 87 to 89 years.
Of course, this lifespan referred to a natural death free from illness and disaster, a rarity in the perilous Cultivation World.
His foundational cultivation technique, the Fire Pill Profound Art, had made slight progress but remained at the introductory stage.
The most significant change, however, was in his Alchemy Technique.
Unbeknownst to him, his Alchemy Technique had silently advanced from the "Initial Glimpse of the Dao" stage to the "Entering the Hall" stage.
"Excellent! My Alchemy Technique has broken through to a new level. It must have happened during the last couple of batches of Qi Nourishing Pills I refined earlier. No wonder those final two batches were successful and each yielded twelve Medicinal Pills."
"Now, I'll continue refining pills. With this breakthrough in my Alchemy Technique, the success rate for refining Evil-Repelling Pills should also improve."
No sooner said than done.
In truth, with the breakthrough in his Cultivation Realm and the improved quality of his Mana, not only had his success rate increased, but the time required for pill refinement had also significantly decreased.
Previously, refining twenty portions of Evil-Repelling Pills had taken nearly a month. This time, he completed the task in just ten days.
Moreover, his success rate had soared to a remarkable 25%.
Twenty portions of raw materials yielded five furnaces of pills.
By the standards of the Profound Pill Sect, this was already on par with the alchemy proficiency of an Inner Peak Disciple.
Han Yi pondered for a moment, then tucked two jade bottles into a corner of his Storage Pouch, intending to keep them secret.
"For my first attempt at refining Evil-Repelling Pills, I could claim it was a breakthrough in my alchemy technique. But for my second attempt, to increase my success rate by another ten percent in just a few months... that would be too unbelievable.
So, I'll publicly claim I only refined three furnaces. That's more plausible for an Outer Sect Lower-Rank Disciple at the Qi Refining Third Layer.
Also, I shouldn't sell all the Qi Nourishing Pills. Based on my previous sixty percent success rate, I'll sell thirteen bottles and keep the remaining four for myself, or sell them elsewhere.
And I need to stay vigilant about that sudden murderous intent I sensed earlier."
Han Yi's gaze settled on the panel, focusing on his sole combat spell: the Spirit Void Finger.
He sighed softly.
Though low-level, the Spirit Void Finger was currently his only combat skill, and he had no choice but to rely on it entirely.
"Enough moping."
"Time to grind!"