Chương 73: 1.73 What do you mean I need to suffer to get a cheat?

[Panel] Name: Ji Ning Spiritual Root: Mid-grade Spiritual Root Attributes: Five Elemental Attributes Talent: Extreme Space-Time Sensitivity Realm: 6th Stage of Qi Condensation (113/3200), Marrow Refining (78/600) Cultivation Methods: Pure Qi Sutra (3rd Floor), Jade Skin and Ice Meridians (3rd Level) Martial Arts: Bone Forging Fist (Great Accomplishment: 222/400), Shadow Steps (Mastery), Turtle Breathing (Mastery), Pure Eyes (Starting: 34/300), Falling Leaf Spear Technique (Penetration), Spiral Arrow Spells: Small Cloud Rain Technique (Mastery), Soil Refining Technique (Great Accomplishment: 312/400), Scorching Purge (Great Accomplishment: 40/400), Golden Finger (Minor Accomplishment: 166/200), Hidden Ice Mist (Great Accomplishment: 9/400), Withering and Flourishing Technique (Great Accomplishment: 219/400), Fireball (Minor Accomplishment: 51/200), Crimson Flame Control (1st Level: Great Accomplishment: 13/400), Soul Ferrying Technique (Starting) Ning glanced at the panel, checking his current progress.

Most of his techniques remained at the same level. His cultivation progress was moving steadily, though he had encountered a minor bottleneck in body refining due to the lack of higher-grade ice-attributed materials. The most notable improvement was undoubtedly his Crimson Flame Control. He had already reached Great Accomplishment in the first stage. Aside from his consistent practice, the rapid progress likely had something to do with Fenghuang. Most alchemists possessed their own special flames for refining.

At lower levels, these could be flames produced through martial techniques, while at higher levels, they might be rare spiritual flames born from heaven and earth. Another common method was the use of beast flames, unique fires produced by spiritual beasts. White Flame Raven's flame was a yang-attributed fire, carrying strong yang properties like purification and warmth. Among beast flames, it was considered high quality.

Crimson Flame Control was fundamentally a technique focused on manipulating different kinds of spiritual flames. Practicing it with a high-quality beast flame significantly accelerated his progress. As expected, entrusting the protagonist with a task rarely went wrong. Fenghuang was exceptionally suited for alchemy. With that thought, Ning reached out and petted the raven perched on the bed. Fenghuang simply raised its head and remained silent. After spending the past few days with its human, it was…

somewhat exhausted. As a proud spiritual beast, Fenghuang adhered strictly to the principle of constant progress. Despite its young age, it had already reached the mid-stage of Qi Condensation. Naturally, it had assumed that training alongside its new human would be manageable. It had been mistaken. For the past week, Fenghuang had followed Ning's routine without complaint, at first. After all, how difficult could a human's training be? The answer, as it turned out, was: very.

Fenghuang had pushed itself harder and harder, unwilling to fall behind its own beast master. Losing was not an option. Unfortunately, that only made things worse. Even for a diligent spiritual beast, Fenghuang had to admit that its master was something of a lunatic, maintaining an unrelenting and frankly unreasonable training schedule. Ning, completely unaware that his contracted beast had been silently judging him, took out a Beast Raising Pill and handed it over. Fenghuang accepted it immediately.

The Beast Raising Pill functioned similarly to Qi Gathering Pills for cultivators, but was specifically tailored for spiritual beasts. Normally, such pills would be a considerable expense. However, as an inner sect disciple, Ning received two high-quality cultivation pills each month from the sect. This was a significant benefit. Even poorer disciples could accelerate their cultivation with pills, making progress far faster than through absorption alone.

At the very least, Ning had already seen quite a few advantages to being an inner sect disciple. After feeding Fenghuang, Ning tidied himself up and prepared to head out. Today, he would perform his first alchemy refinement....

"Master, you're awake?" Ning asked, a hint of surprise in his voice. His master waking up on her own was… unexpected. Hearing the undisguised tremor in her disciple's voice, Ling Xin snorted.

"Why do you make it sound like I'm some sleepy old woman who can't even wake up on time?"

"Well…" Ning wanted to argue that, in terms of behavior, Ling Xin definitely acted like that sometimes, but he knew better than to take the risk. Ling Xin folded her arms, looking rather pleased with herself.

"Moreover, today you are going to try alchemy for the first time. How could I, as your master, miss your first pill refinement?"

"Then I am fortunate to have such a dedicated master," Ning said with a faint smile. At least from this perspective, Ling Xin was a very qualified master. Ling Xin continued, "In our alchemy lineage, the first refinement must be witnessed by one's master. It's tradition." Then, after a brief pause, she added more casually, "Besides, beginners tend to misjudge things. Without someone experienced nearby, accidents happen. Explosions, mostly." Ning considered that for a moment, then nodded.

"That makes sense."

"Alright, now let's begin your alchemy. Don't worry too much, I am right beside you if you encounter trouble. A relaxed mind is also necessary to perform good alchemy."

"Yes. Then I will trouble you, Master." With that, he turned his attention toward the cauldron. The Origin Spirit Cauldron sat on its stand. It looked unremarkable at a glance, but as his most expensive tool, it was finally going to be used. Ning had chosen the Fasting Pill for his first attempt. The reasoning was simple. It was among the easiest pills to refine, with stable interactions and a forgiving margin for error.

At the same time, it was genuinely useful, allowing a cultivator to sustain themselves for days without food, meaning it had a solid market. Moreover, Ning knew not to punch above his weight. Trying to refine something like a Spirit Replenishing Pill for the first time would be a fool's errand. He began with the preparation of ingredients. The basic spiritual grain required the outer husk to be removed without disturbing the qi within.

Ning applied a thin layer of spiritual energy, carefully peeling it away rather than using force. His movements were steady and precise, the result of long familiarity with handling spiritual plants. Ling Xin observed from the side, her expression shifting slightly.

"Your control is quite clean," she remarked.

"Most beginners either crush it or let the qi leak at this stage."

"Farming has its merits," Ning replied simply. This was another reason he chose the Fasting Pill. Basic spiritual grain was undoubtedly the plant he had handled the most, and most Fasting pill recipes used it as a foundational ingredient. Ling Xin nodded. Next came the Cloudwheat. He separated the fibrous body from the essence nodes, isolating the dense clusters where qi had accumulated. The process required care, but it was not unfamiliar.

Ling Xin watched quietly this time, saying nothing as Ning completed the preparation at a steady, unhurried pace.

"Not bad," she said eventually.

"At least you're not rushing. Alchemy punishes impatience more than anything else." With the ingredients ready, Ning activated the cauldron. Spirit stones slid into place, and the formation responded immediately. A steady warmth spread through the chamber, controlled and even. The Heat Stabilization Array had already begun regulating the internal temperature before refinement even started. Ning ignited the Crimson Flame.

The flame appeared small and stable, though its edges were slightly stiff, the flow of qi not yet entirely smooth. Ling Xin noticed immediately.

"You're holding it too tightly," she said.

"Loosen your control slightly. Let the qi circulate instead of forcing it." Ning adjusted. The change was subtle, but the flame smoothed out just enough. Guidance from an expert often lies in such small details.

"Better," Ling Xin said. He guided the flame into the cauldron. The temperature stabilized instantly, the array compensating for minor inconsistencies. Ning felt the difference clearly. He added the basic spiritual grain. The grains softened under the heat, their outer layers dissolving as the inner qi began to release. Thin strands of essence rose within the chamber, gathering slowly toward the center. Ling Xin commented, "This part is straightforward." Then came the Cloudwheat.

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. The reaction was immediate. The two essences met and resisted. A faint turbulence formed inside the cauldron. Ning's focus sharpened. Instead of suppressing it directly, he adjusted the flame, reducing the lower temperature while maintaining the center. The convection pattern shifted, encouraging the lighter wheat essence to rise while the millet remained grounded.

The turbulence did not disappear immediately, but it began to settle. Ling Xin's eyes flickered with interest.

"Forcing increases instability. It seems you are very familiar with this process." This was one of the most mistake-prone parts of alchemy, yet Ning handled it well. His theoretical understanding was clearly strong. All the time he spent assisting Su Fan had its benefits. Once the two essences stabilized into layered patterns, Ning moved to the next step. The Morning Dew Essence. He introduced it carefully through a thread of spiritual qi. The effect was immediate.

The layered essences began to move toward each other, the dew acting as a bridge between their qi signatures. What had been separate structures began to dissolve into a unified whole. Ling Xin's expression grew more focused.

"This is the Gather Liquid stage," she said.

"Normally, you would use spiritual sense to guide the medicinal essence directly and force it into one mass. Without that, you're relying on the cauldron and your flame." Her gaze remained fixed on the cauldron.

"It is slower, but safer. For your level, this is the correct approach." The medicinal liquid formed gradually. Not as fast as a trained alchemist's refinement, but it was stable. Ning shifted the flame. The next step began. The Crimson Flame rotated, applying pressure from all directions as the liquid mass began to compress.

"Spinning Condensation," Ling Xin said.

"You're compressing the liquid into a core. Control the speed, too fast, and you'll seal the outside before the inside stabilizes." Ning increased the rotation slightly. At first, it seemed stable. Then the outer layer hardened too quickly. The structure collapsed. The failed mass destabilized and dispersed. Ling Xin let out a quiet hum.

"Too aggressive," she said.

"You rushed the end a little." Ning took a deep breath and relaxed. Then, under Ling Xin's gaze, he wrote down his observations in his notebook and prepared for the next attempt. The second attempt began. The process repeated, basic spiritual grain, Cloudwheat, Morning Dew Essence. This time, the earlier stages passed more smoothly. The interaction between the grain essences stabilized faster, and the medicinal liquid formed with less turbulence.

When the Gather Liquid stage was completed, Ning moved into condensation once more. The flame rotated again, but this time he reduced the intensity. Ling Xin nodded.

"Good. You adjusted." The liquid compressed more slowly, allowing the internal moisture to escape before the outer layer solidified. Faint vapor rose within the cauldron and dissipated through the formation.

"The transition into Solidifying the Elixir is critical," Ling Xin continued.

"Don't force it. Let the structure stabilize first." The mass continued to compress. There was no sign of instability.

"Now," Ling Xin said, her tone lowering slightly, "solidify it." Ning maintained the flame carefully, his Pure Eyes working at their best to detect even the slightest instability. Then, at the opportune moment, Ning acted. The structure hardened evenly this time, outer and inner layers stabilizing together. Ling Xin gave a small nod.

"Acceptable." Then came the final step.

"Lock the Spirit." Ning executed the technique. Spiritual energy surged into the forming pill, sealing the essence within. The internal qi stabilized completely. Ling Xin observed closely.

"Too early and it leaks. Too late, and it collapses," she said.

"You need to grasp the timing accurately." Silence followed. Three incense sticks passed.

"Collect it," Ling Xin said. Ning activated the Collecting the Elixir technique. Spiritual power surged into the cauldron, guiding the completed pill upward. This time, there was no instability, no violent reaction, just a smooth, controlled response. The cauldron released a low, resonant sound. Then, a single pill emerged. He examined it carefully. The color was consistent, a faint golden hue without discoloration. The surface was smooth, without cracks or irregularities. The qi within it felt stable.

A complete Fasting Pill. Ling Xin stepped closer and glanced at it.

"It has around forty percent impurity, but for your second attempt, it's very good," Ling Xin said with a smile. Hearing this, Ning smiled. Finally, he had taken the first step of becoming a drug lord.

"I couldn't have done it without your guidance," Ning replied with a smile as well. Then he sat down, taking deep breaths. Alchemy was more exhausting than he had realized.

"You may be tired. But there is no time to waste. Let's move on to the next part," Ling Xin said.

"Huh?" Ning raised his brow. He didn't know there was still something after completing the alchemy.

"Now is the most opportune moment to teach you the technique I had been talking about," Ling Xin announced.

"The Medicine King Scripture." Medicine King Scripture? The name sounded quite underwhelming, but that wasn't the point.

"Master, I am not in the best condition right now. Is it really the right time to learn it?" Ning asked. Comprehending new skills required a refreshed mind, or at least a not exhausted one.

"Yes, but this technique is different." As Ling Xin spoke, her hands never stopped moving. She was holding a formation plate in each hand. Six of them in total, three in each hand, stacked flat, their surfaces covered in inscription lines so dense they were nearly illegible at a glance. The arrays were already active, a faint resonance humming between them. Ning looked at the plates, then at Ling Xin, then back at the plates again.

"…Master, may I ask what those are?"

"Sit back down," Ling Xin said. Ning gave up on persuasion. She placed the formation plates around him in a deliberate pattern, two at his sides, two slightly behind, and two at angles in front. Not a circle but something more complex. An asymmetric arrangement that Ning's eyes kept trying to understand without quite succeeding. Then she crouched in front of him, examining the formation placement with the same precise focus she normally reserved for cauldron work.

"I've been waiting for your first successful pill. This is the right moment."

"Why this moment specifically?" Ning was genuinely curious now. Ling Xin looked up at him.

"Because of what you're still carrying." She gestured toward the cauldron.

"When you refine a pill, you produce two things. The pill itself, that's the part everyone sees. And alchemical qi, that's the part most people waste." Ning's eyes sharpened slightly.

"Alchemical qi?" Just hearing the name was enough for Ning to understand what it was. It was said that the world was made up of five elemental qi and yin and yang, but besides them, numerous other forms of qi could arise either naturally or through cultivation. This alchemical qi was clearly the latter.

"Danyuan qi, or alchemy qi," Ling Xin said, using the formal term.

"It's produced whenever medicinal essences transform a cauldron. The process of breaking down spiritual ingredients, recombining their properties, and stabilizing their essence, all of that releases a refined form of qi as a byproduct."

"I see." Ning nodded to show his understanding. Ling Xin continued, "Danyuan qi is extraordinary for a very specific reason. Unlike normal spiritual qi, it has already been processed. It has passed through the transformation cycle of pill refinement, broken down, purified, and recombined. Its structure is fundamentally different from ambient spiritual qi. It is more refined." She sat down across from him, setting her hands on her knees.

"The Medicine King Sutra is about absorbing this qi. In ancient times, before the great sects codified the separation of cultivation paths, alchemists were not just pill makers. They were cultivators who understood that the act of creation itself produced power. The Medicine Kings, the highest masters of the alchemical path, cultivated not by absorbing ambient spiritual qi from heaven and earth, but by accumulating the danyuan qi produced by their own refinement work."

Ning was quiet for a moment, his thoughts running quickly.

"So every pill they refined," he said slowly, "also strengthened themselves."

"Every pill," Ling Xin said.

"Every failure, every success, every batch. The quantity of danyuan qi produced varies with the grade and complexity of what's being refined, but it is always produced. Always." She looked at him steadily.

"The Medicine Kings didn't reach their cultivation levels despite spending their lives refining pills. They reached them because of it." That sounded incredible. And hearing this from his master, Ning felt that he was about to gain a cheat.

"The Medicine King Sutra is one of the four major techniques brought forth by our Nascent Soul founder, Li Changsou. It is the core technique of our lineage," Ling Xin said proudly.

"As for why we are practicing it now, it is because this is the first alchemy qi you have ever produced, and its effect is much better than at other times, since this is your primordial alchemy qi." Ning nodded in understanding. Ling Xin tapped lightly on the formation plates arranged around him.

"These formations will gather the danyuan qi before it disperses. But gathering it alone isn't enough, you still need somewhere to store it." Ning frowned slightly.

"The dantian?"

"No." Ling Xin shook her head.

"Too crude. Danyuan qi is far too refined to mix directly with your primary circulation. If you force it into your dantian, you'll disrupt your foundation." She leaned forward slightly, her gaze steady.

"You need to open an acupoint." Ning's expression sharpened at once. Acupoints were not meridians, nor were they simple extensions of existing pathways. They were nodes, critical junctions within the body where qi could be gathered, stored, and transformed. Opening one was not something that could be achieved through ordinary circulation; it required force, precision, and a capable body.

"Which acupoint?" he asked. Ling Xin raised her hand and pointed toward the center of his chest, just below the sternum.

"The Zhongting acupoint. It lies close to the centerline but remains separate from your primary circulation. It's stable, relatively isolated, and suitable for storage. For alchemists, it's one of the best places to anchor danyuan qi." Ning understood immediately. A storage node, independent of his main cultivation system, capable of holding refined qi without interfering with his foundation. The logic was sound. At that moment, Ling Yinran entered.

"I have brought the pill for Junior Brother." Ning greeted Ling Yinran. From the looks of it, she had just come from an errand, and hearing her words, it was clearly related to him.

"Just in time as well," Ling Xin said as she took the pill.

"Swallow this." Ning didn't hesitate. He took the pill and swallowed it in one motion. The effect came almost instantly. A sharp surge of heat spread through his chest, concentrated and forceful, as if something had ignited just beneath the surface of his body. The power of this pill was immense.

"This is an Opening Pill," Ling Xin explained.

"It will force the acupoint to respond. This is a pill specially made by my master and is quite rare. Normally, you wouldn't attempt this at your level." She stepped behind him and placed her palm lightly against his back.

"But you're not doing this under normal conditions." At her words, the formations around him activated. The air in the room shifted subtly as the residual danyuan qi left behind by the cauldron was drawn inward instead of dispersing outward. What would normally have dissipated into the surroundings was now being gathered, redirected, and guided toward him. At the same time, Ling Xin's spiritual qi flowed from her palm into his body. Ning immediately felt the difference. It was not like ordinary qi.

It was warmer, denser, and carried an unmistakable sense of refinement. More importantly, it moved with absolute precision, each strand controlled down to the smallest detail.

"My Medicine Qi Sutra," Ling Xin said calmly.

"Don't resist it. Follow it." Then the pain began. It was not gradual at all. There was no buildup; it was just pure pain. The Zhongting acupoint reacted violently under the combined pressure of the Opening Pill, the gathered danyuan qi, and Ling Xin's invading spiritual energy. It felt as though something sealed within his body was being forced open from both sides at once, like a tightly knotted barrier being pried apart with heat and pressure.

Ning's breathing faltered for a brief moment before he steadied it again.

"You can do it, Junior Brother," Ling Yinran said. As a Qi Refinement cultivator, there wasn't much she could do besides encourage him.

"Focus," Ling Xin said. Her voice remained calm, but there was an unmistakable firmness behind it.

"Follow the direction of my qi. Don't fight it. Guide it." Ning concentrated, forcing his attention inward despite the pain. He traced the flow of Ling Xin's qi as it moved through his body, converging toward the Zhongting acupoint. It wasn't a brute-force approach; her qi advanced in controlled waves, pressing, withdrawing, and pressing again, gradually increasing the pressure without destabilizing the surrounding structure.

"This is why most people fail," Ling Xin continued.

"Opening an acupoint isn't about breaking it open. It's about making your body accept it and adapt to it. You have only this chance." The pressure increased. The Opening Pill released another surge of energy from within, slamming against the acupoint from the inside, while Ling Xin's qi pressed steadily from behind. At the same time, the danyuan qi gathered by the formation accumulated at the same point, dense and refined, adding yet another layer of force.

Ning felt as if he was being crushed from within and without. His vision dimmed slightly as the pain intensified, sharp enough to disrupt his concentration if he allowed it to. Suffering like this was not in his plans today, but alas, heaven had other plans. Ning couldn't help but try to muster himself, pushing through the pain.

"Junior Brother, even at the most basic stage of the Medicine King Sutra, there is the benefit of maximizing the effect of pills. Not to mention the ability to store this qi for breakthroughs. You can save so many spirit stones," Ling Yinran said. She knew exactly what words would motivate him. As expected, hearing this, Ning's focus sharpened. Saving spirit stones, that was all he needed to hear. It was as effective as telling a starving man there was food waiting just ahead.

"Argh, " Ning's focus tightened. He adjusted his breathing, aligning it with the rhythm of Ling Xin's qi, following its movement instead of resisting it. The pressure no longer felt chaotic; it became directional, something he could track, anticipate, and support. The strain built steadily, layer upon layer, until it reached a peak that felt as though it could not be sustained any longer. Then something gave. With a final push, the Zhongting acupoint opened.

The gathered danyuan qi flowed inward smoothly, no longer resisted, no longer scattering, but settling naturally into the newly formed space. The formations dimmed as their function completed, and Ling Xin withdrew her hand from his back, breathing slowly. As for Ning, the exhaustion took over, and he collapsed.... Thanks for reading~