CHAPTER 86: CHAPTER 86: GATHERING YUAN PILL!

"Gather the vital essence of all beings, refine the primeval energy of the heavens and earth."

With this Magic Artifact in hand, my entry into the Initiate Realm is just a matter of time.

After enduring a month of torment, he finally obtained the mastery method for this Magic Artifact from King Jincai. Qi Xiu felt that the bitter experience of the past month had not been in vain. Spending thirty consecutive days locked up with a foul-smelling toad—anyone else would have given up long ago.

"But now, at last, the bitter has passed and the sweet has come."

Cradling the dark green, jade-like Gathering Yuan Treasure Bag, which faintly radiated a treasure glow, Qi Xiu softly recited a few awkward syllables of an incantation. The Gathering Yuan Treasure Bag in his hand lit up with a trace of Spiritual Light, and in the next second, two peculiar perspectives immediately appeared in his sea of consciousness.

They were two special spaces surrounded by fog, one on the left and one on the right. The space on the left was vast and open, filled with a thick, dark green miasma. Countless small, ant-like figures scurried about within it, as if trying to escape this eerie space. Qi Xiu peered closer and recognized these sesame seed-sized figures as the Demons King Jincai had trapped in the Gathering Yuan Treasure Bag.

The space on the right was much more cramped and narrow. Overall, it was circular. On the ground, ancient and mystical giant Dharma Seals floated in and out of visibility. Thick red mist moved slowly; the space was empty of any being, filled with a heavy atmosphere.

Two spaces: one for storing captured beings, and the other for refining Gathering Yuan Pills.

Referring to the scroll King Jincai had handed over, Qi Xiu held his left hand beneath it and formed a hand seal with his right, poised above his left palm.

"Alchemy!"

BOOM—

The space within the Gathering Yuan Treasure Bag suddenly shook violently. Nearly a hundred Demonic Evil Cultivators from the left space were teleported into the space on the right. The sudden change threw the Demonic Evil Cultivators into a panic; they screamed and howled, trying to force their way out with their Mana.

Watching the Demonic Evil Cultivators struggle in vain within the Gathering Yuan Treasure Bag, Qi Xiu felt an odd sensation in his heart.

This must be what they call "control." Life and death decided by my thought, all dictated by me. The strong control the weak. The weak control the even weaker. The primal law: the survival of the fittest. If one does not want to become "ingredients" at someone else’s mercy, one must constantly grow stronger. Make oneself the "controller."

As if guided by fate, his Dao Heart grew firmer. Qi Xiu’s eyes moved as he immediately activated the alchemy technique.

The Divine Marvel of the Gathering Yuan Treasure Bag revived. The ancient and mystical great Dharma Seal on the ground of the red mist space suddenly burst into brilliant light!

"AH!!!"

Touched by the light, the Demonic Evil Cultivators all emitted piercing, tragic screams. Their bodies, like lit candles, melted into sludge bit by bit, then evaporated. In the end, they left behind only a tiny drop of crimson Essence, the rest turning to naught.

Nearly a hundred Demonic Evil Cultivators. In less than an hour, all were refined.

In the end, within that space filled with red mist, only six perfectly round pills remained, each as big as a baby’s fist, their surfaces faintly streaked with luminous threads, exuding a rich fragrance.

Is this... the Gathering Yuan Pill?

Taking out this strange pill from the Gathering Yuan Treasure Bag, which was said to have a powerful effect on those below the Initiate Realm, Qi Xiu had just touched it when his expression suddenly froze, a hint of delightful surprise appearing in his eyes.

I was too confused. In alchemy, it’s not only those pills crafted by worldly techniques that count.

Slapping his forehead, Qi Xiu laughed heartily. Since he had refined these Gathering Yuan Pills, it meant that he could directly simulate the pill’s potency with the Medicine Talisman. Although it was only one-tenth the effect of the original, the Medicine Talisman only cost his own mental and spiritual effort.

In short: zero cost.

Yet the Gathering Yuan Treasure Bag required the blood and flesh of living beings to create Gathering Yuan Pills. If he could not find enough Demonic Evil Cultivators, having the Gathering Yuan Treasure Bag would be useless. It was just like King Jincai, who, lacking materials to refine Gathering Yuan Pills, tricked these Demonic Evil Cultivators with a birthday feast, planning to use them as alchemical materials.

But now, things were better. With the Medicine Talisman as a foundation, he would no longer worry about cultivation resources.

"What a pleasant surprise, a pleasant surprise indeed!"

Unable to contain his joy, Qi Xiu paced back and forth in the dark and cramped cave, occasionally letting out a couple of uncontrollable chuckles. It took a good while for him to calm his excited heart.

Qi Xiu found a clean rock, sat down cross-legged, and held up the Gathering Yuan Pill, as large as a baby’s fist, slowly bringing it to his mouth.

GULP—

As his throat moved up and down, he forcefully swallowed the large pill.

"If someone had a smaller throat, they might have choked to death..."

Right after mumbling his complaint, an overwhelming and pure surge of energy erupted from his stomach like a geyser. His body felt as if it had fallen into molten iron of over a thousand degrees; his skin turned red-hot, and veins bulged. The Essence Qi contained in the Gathering Yuan Pill was too abundant. Unprepared, Qi Xiu was caught off guard and nearly burst from the sudden eruption of energy.

Quickly steadying his internal state, he immediately circulated the three True Skills and Heart Scriptures within him, absorbing and digesting the excessive energy at the fastest possible rate.

With his eyes closed, steam rose around Qi Xiu. Both the Purple Golden Skill and the Bitter Pool Elusive Scales Heart Scripture were at their maximum level and couldn’t digest the excess energy. Consequently, the Red Tiger True Skill became the primary force for absorption.

A whirlwind of thoughts flooded his mind. Qi Xiu multitasked, using the Purple Golden Skill and the Bitter Pool Elusive Scales Heart Scripture to protect the meridians throughout his body, preventing the Qi from running amok, while letting the Red Tiger True Skill absorb and digest these energies, improving its proficiency. In this way, the medicinal power of the Gathering Yuan Pill would not be wasted.

Beads of sweat, large as soybeans, constantly seeped from his forehead and cheeks. Simultaneously maintaining the three True Skills and Heart Scriptures caused intense mental exhaustion, making Qi Xiu’s face pale significantly.

He remained immersed in cultivation like this, unaware of how many times day turned to night.

Suddenly, Qi Xiu opened his eyes. The void behind him faintly stirred, and a giant tiger adorned with vertical red stripes all over its body—mighty and majestic, exuding a strong, wild, and untamed aura—stepped out leisurely.

ROAR—

Lifting its head, it roared fiercely, emitting sonic waves that seemed almost tangible. The entire cave vibrated, causing showers of dust and debris to fall and layers of miasma to rise.

The second True Skill is achieved.

A faint joy on his face, feeling the robust and profound strength within his body, Qi Xiu flicked his fingers, releasing a fiery breath. In an instant, the damp and dark cave became warm, as if all the moisture had been steamed away and dispelled.

Refining all the Demonic Evil Cultivators in the Gathering Yuan Treasure Bag should yield about ten Gathering Yuan Pills. To forge the Hunyuan Dragon Tiger Scripture Mystery, the True Skill and Heart Scripture must each make up half, combining into a perfect whole. Calculated this way, the remaining Gathering Yuan Pills should be just enough for me to master the other True Skills and Heart Scriptures. Looking at it this way, that King Jincai really was a lucky star for me, comparable to a child god of wealth. If it weren’t for him, I have no idea how long it would have taken to forge the Hunyuan Dragon Tiger Scripture Mystery.

The Gathering Yuan Treasure Bag and the whole box of True Skills and Heart Scriptures had all come from King Jincai. Qi Xiu chuckled and shook his head, then his eyes revealed a captivating sharpness.

Now everything is ready. The only thing left to do is grind!

「 」

Still no news? It’s been a month already. Could he have encountered misfortune? With his cultivation, even if he couldn’t defeat them, escaping shouldn’t be a problem. Could he have run into a Demonic Evil Cultivator of the Initiate Realm?

「Baoho County, Song Residence.」

Concerning Qi Xiu’s sudden disappearance, Song Tingye had sent people to inquire several times, but to no avail.

"It’s not impossible," Sun Yueting said with a grave expression. "Based on reports from many sources, the province is now a complete mess. Demonic Evil Cultivators from Xiangchu Province are flocking here, wreaking havoc everywhere. They’re even inviting Demonic Evil Cultivators from other provinces over as guests. And then there are the rebel cults like the Golden Flower Maternal Sect, as well as roaming bandits, refugees, and even rebel armies. The imperial troops can hardly suppress them all. In some prefectures, there have even been terrifying instances where entire counties’ populations have been completely devoured by Demonic Evil Cultivators."

The turmoil in Dianchuan Province was growing more severe by the day. While Baoho County had remained relatively calm until now, given the current situation, it was unpredictable when Demonic Evil Cultivators might sweep through. And when that happened, who knew how many would die.

"In the end, isn’t it because our Count Protector is getting old?" With a profound look in his eyes, Song Tingye blurted out rebellious words that could result in execution a thousand times over. "The Gao Family suffered greatly due to that internal strife; the junior Count Protector was killed, and two-thirds of the younger generation were lost. This resulted in this powerful family, which once dominated a province, now being left in a miserable situation with no successors. If that junior Count Protector were still alive, why would Gao Tianxiong, so old and decrepit, with half a foot in the coffin, make a personal inspection tour? Isn’t it because he wants to intimidate those of ill intent within the province while he is still alive? Unfortunately, too many people are aware of his health condition. Such tactics, how many people can they truly fool?"

Just as Song Tingye was shaking his head, lamenting that a powerful clan might soon decline, a black hawk flew in and settled steadily on Sun Yueting’s arm.

Removing the letter tied to the hawk’s leg, Sun Yueting opened it, and his expression immediately shifted. "Young Master, there’s new information."

"Hmm? Speak."

"This morning, the County Yamen issued a Count’s Edict. Effective immediately, all Sects and Families within Dianchuan Province must send personnel to participate in eradicating the Demonic Evil Cultivators, rebels, and bandit plagues within the province. Each will be assigned a territory based on a five-hundred-li radius from their main locations. Any demonic disasters within their jurisdiction are to be handled by the local Sects and Families first. The County Yamen will dispatch imperial inspectors right away. Those who disobey this edict will be branded as cult rebels, and the County Yamen will personally lead troops to suppress them."

After listening to Sun Yueting, Song Tingye’s expression was complex. He took a while before muttering, "So, the Gao Family... is really in a bind, huh."

"Young Master, do you think these Sects and Families will follow this Count’s Edict?" Sun Yueting was somewhat skeptical.

"Disobey? Gao Tianxiong is still alive. It’s said to be a military action by the County Yamen, but that’s just putting it politely. When it comes down to it, it will definitely be the Gao Family themselves taking matters into their own hands to assign blame. Although Gao Tianxiong is old, the old tiger’s might remains. As long as he lives another day, nobody will dare defy his orders. Heh heh, but the fact that they need to resort to this shows that the situation in the province has already exceeded the Gao Family’s control. They have no choice but to borrow the power of the Sects and Families to stabilize the situation."

Interesting, truly interesting. This chess game is getting more and more exciting.