Chapter 97: Skyrocketing Cultivation

Chapter 97: Chapter 97: Skyrocketing Cultivation

Early the next morning, the merchant caravan ahead packed up and set off again, leaving Pinggu City.

Chen Yue’s group of four also drove their newly purchased horse-drawn carriage, maintaining a distance of about a li as they slowly followed.

Hu Shaoyu and Shen Dujiang sat on the driver’s bench, taking turns holding the reins and driving the carriage. They spoke in low voices, keeping an eye on the road ahead.

Inside the slightly bumpy carriage, Lin Quan leaned against a soft cushion, finally able to get some rest. Chen Yue, on the other hand, sat cross-legged on the other side of the carriage, slowly circulating the Vast Firm Essence Technique.

He had already reached Perfection in this Cultivation Technique a few days ago.

Just as Chen Yue had expected, the changes brought by achieving complete Perfection in the technique were significant.

After reaching complete Perfection, the Vast Firm Essence Technique increased the daily Cultivation points it provided Chen Yue from 17 to 20.

Adding the stable 3-point reduction to his Cultivation cap from the Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill, Chen Yue’s daily Cultivation gain was now equivalent to 23 points.

This speed was enough to shock anyone who knew the truth.

The carriage creaked along the dirt road, carrying the four of them. The interior was dim, with only a few slivers of daylight filtering through the curtain gaps, swaying unsteadily with the carriage’s jolts.

On his panel, the words [Realm: Bone Forging Realm (465/2789)] were clearly displayed.

At his current rate of daily Cultivation gain, he would only need a little over three more months to break through to the Marrow Refining Realm.

This pace would be considered world-shakingly fast to outsiders, but Chen Yue wasn’t satisfied. He was still looking for ways to accelerate his progress.

Before leaving Pinggu City, he had made a point to visit several large apothecaries. His efforts paid off, and he managed to purchase thirty Dan Yang Pills.

These were the very elixirs recorded in the Pill Formula that Chen Zhige had once shown him back at the Chen Mansion.

This elixir’s Medicinal Power was potent, specifically designed to advance the Cultivation of Martial Artists in the Bone Forging and even Marrow Refining Realms. It was considered a rarity in Youlin County, but here in Pinggu City, it was available for sale, albeit in limited quantities.

Chen Yue had bought out nearly the entire stock from several apothecaries at the high price of twenty taels per pill.

Recently, besides his daily training, Chen Yue had also devoted a great deal of his Heart Spirit to studying various Pill Formulas.

Among them, he was paying special attention to a Pill Formula for something called the Nourishing Spirit Pill Yang Pill.

[Nourishing Spirit Pill Yang Pill (Entry Level 1203/1705)]

Although its name was nearly identical to the Dan Yang Pill, differing by only two characters, its effects were vastly different.

The Dan Yang Pill primarily focused on Qi Blood and Cultivation, while the Nourishing Spirit Pill Yang Pill not only boosted Cultivation but also nourished and strengthened the Power of Heart and Spirit. This was greatly beneficial for future breakthroughs to higher realms, making its value far greater than that of an Ordinary Yang Pill.

Chen Yue naturally hoped to refine this elixir himself, but performing Alchemy on the road was truly inconvenient.

Chen Yue hadn’t bought so many Dan Yang Pills with the intention of stopping his use of the Bone Marrow Cleansing Pills.

The Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill continuously performed Bone Marrow Cleansing, broadening his foundation, and its effects on him had not diminished. Chen Yue would certainly not give it up.

He bought the Dan Yang Pills purely because his foundation had grown stronger under the tempering of the Tiger Roar Golden Bell Shield, his Vast Firm Essence Technique had reached Perfection, and the width and resilience of his meridians were on a completely different level than before.

An idea began to form in Chen Yue’s mind: ’Perhaps I can take one Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill and one Dan Yang Pill on the same day.’

’The Medicinal Powers of the two elixirs could complement each other, taking my Cultivation speed to the next level!’

It was a bold idea.

The power of elixirs wasn’t a matter of "the more, the better." It all depended on whether one’s body could withstand it.

Too much Medicinal Power would multiply the strain on one’s meridians and Dantian. The slightest carelessness could result in damaged meridians and a regression in one’s Cultivation.

Chen Yue slowly opened his eyes. The Medicinal Power of the Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill he had taken that morning had been completely refined and absorbed by the Vast Firm Essence Technique. His Dantian felt warm, and a familiar tingling itch spread through his muscles and bones.

He pondered for a moment, then retrieved a Jade Bottle from his Pill Furnace space and tipped out a dark golden Dan Yang Pill.

Instead of swallowing it whole immediately, Chen Yue brought the elixir to his nose and sniffed lightly, sensing the vast, warm Medicinal Power within. A trace of caution flashed in his eyes.

With a slight exertion of his fingers, he broke the Dan Yang Pill in half. He placed only one of the halves into his mouth.

The elixir dissolved the moment it entered his mouth, transforming into a torrent of medicine far hotter and more potent than that of the Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill. It rushed down his throat and spread through his limbs and body.

Chen Yue immediately focused his Heart Spirit and circulated his Vast Firm Essence Technique at full power, guiding the searing Medicinal Power to surge along specific meridians, refining it and merging it into his Qi Blood.

A quarter of an hour later, Chen Yue opened his eyes, his brow slightly furrowed as he carefully assessed the feeling.

His meridians felt slightly hot and bloated, as if a small stream had suddenly been flooded by a torrential current.

But this unusual sensation didn’t last long. Under the combined support of his Vast Firm Essence Technique, Tiger Roar Golden Bell Shield, and his several not-yet-fully-formed Talents, the discomfort quickly subsided and dissipated.

His meridians were unharmed. In fact, after absorbing the Medicinal Power from half a Dan Yang Pill, his Qi Blood had become even more vigorous and active.

’It works!’ A sharp glint flashed in Chen Yue’s eyes.

Without further hesitation, he swallowed the other half of the Dan Yang Pill. He closed his eyes again, circulating his Cultivation Technique with all his might to digest the Medicinal Power.

This time, the Medicinal Power from the half-pill merged with the residual power from before, forming an even more turbulent wave.

The sensation of heat and bloating in his meridians intensified significantly. Even his Dantian felt slightly distended, like a balloon being slowly inflated.

But all of this was still within the limits of what Chen Yue’s powerful Physique and refined Cultivation Technique could handle. His mind was as calm as still water as he methodically guided and refined the potent Medicinal Power, taming it bit by bit and converting it into the foundation of his own Cultivation.

A full half-hour passed before Chen Yue slowly opened his eyes and exhaled a long breath of turbid air tinged with a faint medicinal fragrance.

His eyes shone with a brilliant light, and his aura was a notch deeper and more solid than before. He inspected his body internally and found no damage to his meridians or Dantian; his Qi Blood was simply surging with even greater force.

A smile appeared in Chen Yue’s eyes. With his foundation refined through multiple processes, he could indeed withstand the Medicinal Power of one Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill and one full Dan Yang Pill in a single day without any harm!

This was a world of difference compared to back in Youlin County, when attempting to take a Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill and half a Solid Essence Pill in one day had overwhelmed his Dantian and meridians.

However, Chen Yue’s exploration didn’t stop there. He felt that after the recent digestion, although his meridians and Dantian still had a slight feeling of bloat from the residual Medicinal Power, there seemed to be a bit of capacity left.

He took out another Dan Yang Pill and held it in his palm. After a moment’s hesitation, he broke the elixir in half again and popped one of the halves into his mouth.

The Medicinal Power from the third half-pill exploded within him. This time, the feeling of bloating and heat in his meridians and Dantian instantly reached a critical point.

It was as if the stream had become a raging river. His Dantian sent clear signals of saturation and pressure, and even the circulation of his Qi Blood grew somewhat sluggish from the immense infusion of Medicinal Power.

Chen Yue held his breath and focused his mind, circulating the Vast Firm Essence Technique to its absolute limit to channel and refine the surging Medicinal Power.

Beneath his skin, the radiance of Gang Qi faintly flowed; the Gang Qi was helping to stabilize his physical body and resist the internal pressure.

His nascent Strengthening and Healing Talent also seemed to activate instinctively. A thread of cool, gentle energy coursed along the walls of his meridians, repairing the minute strains.

More than an hour passed by quietly as Chen Yue remained completely focused on the refinement process.

When he slowly opened his eyes again, a flash of light, like electricity, sparked in their depths for an instant before receding.

Chen Yue let out a long, turbid breath, which even carried the acrid smell of expelled elixir impurities.

The bloated feeling in his meridians and Dantian was gone, replaced by a sense of heavy fullness.

Although it would take time to get used to the feeling of satiety from taking so many elixirs in a short period, his body had indeed withstood it without the slightest damage.

Chen Yue looked down at the remaining half of the Dan Yang Pill in his palm, an irrepressible smile gracing his features.

One Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill plus one and a half Dan Yang Pills in a single day—a dosage sufficient to make an ordinary Bone Forging Realm Martial Artist’s meridians rupture and their Dantian suffer damage!

But Chen Yue, relying on the foundation built by his Tiger Roar Golden Bell Shield and Vast Firm Essence Technique, as well as the support of his budding, miraculous Talents, had managed to endure it and absorb the power perfectly.

Chen Yue returned the remaining half of the Dan Yang Pill to the Jade Bottle. He had reached his limit for the day and needed to let his body fully digest and adapt.

But with this successful experiment, a much broader path for advancing his Cultivation had slowly unfurled before him.

He closed his eyes once more, no longer deliberately circulating his Cultivation Technique. He simply allowed his Qi Blood to flow naturally, nourishing the meridians and Dantian that had just undergone this baptism.

...

The night was as black as ink, heavily blanketing the wilderness.

Chen Yue sat cross-legged by his group’s campfire, his Heart Spirit calm as he slowly practiced the various forms of the Great Vajra Palm.

His palm strikes were heavy and solid, his movements grand and sweeping. Occasionally, the wind from his palms would sweep across the campfire, causing the orange flames to dip suddenly. Sparks would fly, illuminating his profile, before the fire tenaciously leaped back up, flickering between light and shadow.

Time slipped by in silent cultivation. When the day’s cycle reset, a familiar ripple appeared right on schedule.

[Daily Settlement]

[Diligent cultivation, Cultivation +33]

[Consumed Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill, minor Marrow Cleansing and Bone Forging]

...

[Realm: Bone Forging Realm (498/2786)]

"33 points!"

Chen Yue’s gaze fell on the line of numbers on the panel, and an irrepressible, joyous light burst forth from his eyes.

His daily Cultivation point gain had skyrocketed from the previous 20 to 33, far exceeding his expectations!

’At this rate...’

Chen Yue’s thoughts raced. He had previously estimated it would take over three months to break through to the Marrow Refining Realm, but now that had suddenly been shortened to just over two. In reality, only a month had passed since he broke through to the Bone Forging Realm.

In other words, it would only take Chen Yue a total of just over three months to go from the Bone Forging Realm to the Marrow Refining Realm!

If word of this progress got out, it would be enough to make any so-called genius pale in comparison and would be dismissed as a madman’s ravings!

’A good Cultivation Technique and a powerful Physique don’t just increase my combat strength—they also let me withstand more potent Medicinal Power and cultivate even faster!’

Chen Yue’s line of thinking became increasingly clear.

’Once I reach complete Perfection in the Tiger Roar Golden Bell Shield and my Copper Skin Iron Bones and Strengthening and Healing Talents are fully formed, my body’s foundation will be solidified even further.’

’At that time, I might be able to take even more, even stronger elixirs in a single day and accelerate my cultivation speed again!’

As all sorts of exciting thoughts raced through his mind, Chen Yue slowly closed his eyes, suppressed the turmoil in his heart, and prepared to sink back into the nourishing meditation of his Vast Firm Essence Technique.

However, just as his Heart Spirit began to settle, long before the sky showed any signs of dawn...

"WUUU-LIIII!!"

An extremely abrupt suona blast, without any warning, tore through the dead silence of the wilderness night, stabbing into Chen Yue’s ears like a steel needle.

The melody was inexplicably bizarre, neither festive nor mournful, yet it carried a sinister chill and strangeness that bored straight into one’s soul. It was enough to make one’s scalp tingle and their heart skip a beat.

Chen Yue’s eyes snapped open, the tranquility of his cultivation instantly and completely shattered.