Although it was only an increase of one point, cultivation was a journey of a thousand miles that began with a single step. Over time, these small improvements would add up to something significant.
Time flew by while he was absorbed in his cultivation. In the blink of an eye, half a month had passed.
For the past half-month, Youlin County had been deceptively calm on the surface. There were no more massacres or raids, but Chen Yue couldn’t shake the feeling that this was the calm before the storm.
Chen Yue couldn’t control the events outside, so he could only pour all his time into cultivation and alchemy.
Now that he was in the Refining Flesh Realm, the panel’s calculations yielded astonishingly high efficiency.
His Mountain Shattering Technique had reached complete Perfection a few days ago, and the benefits far exceeded his expectations. His daily cultivation improvement jumped from 7 points to 9, which was more than he had anticipated. This further shortened the time he would need to break through to the Bone Forging Realm.
His Wind Chasing Technique and Furious Wave Saber Technique progressed at a blistering pace, reaching [Perfection (80/1200)] and [Perfection (40/1200)] respectively. His Body Technique was faster, and his Saber Technique was deadlier.
His Disguise Technique also improved by leaps and bounds, reaching the [Great Success (630/900)] realm.
As for the Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill, the skill he valued most, after half a month of theoretical study and simulations, aided by the panel’s calculations, it had finally crossed a critical threshold, reaching the realm of [Minor Success (29/1200)].
Reaching this realm meant he had a considerable understanding and grasp of how to refine the Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill. Although he had yet to try it for real, his success rate was already quite high; he was at least seventy to eighty percent confident he could successfully produce a quality elixir.
Because of this, Chen Yue had secretly slipped into the black market again a few days prior to find the stall owner, Shen Dujiang.
He didn’t reveal that he had already mastered the pill formula to the Minor Success level. Instead, he claimed he was preparing to make his first attempt and needed the ingredients, asking Shen Dujiang to prepare two complete sets of the materials required for the Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill.
Seeing that Chen Yue was serious about trying, a flicker of surprise and anticipation crossed Shen Dujiang’s eyes. He agreed readily and quoted a price that made Chen Yue wince.
The night was black as ink, and all was silent.
After confirming the courtyard was empty, Chen Yue flickered into motion, vaulting over the low back wall of the pharmacy like a phantom. He didn’t head directly for the black market, instead slipping into a deserted, dead-end alley.
Once he stopped, he took a deep breath. His Qi Blood circulated faintly as he began to control the small muscle groups in his face and neck, making them shift rhythmically according to the technique for the Great Success Realm of the Disguise Technique.
This level of control was incredibly subtle, demanding immense muscular power and mastery over one’s Qi Blood. If he hadn’t reached the Refining Flesh Realm and brought his Disguise Technique close to Perfection, it would have been impossible.
A moment later, the contours of his face had changed noticeably. His cheekbones were slightly more prominent, his jawline had hardened, the corners of his eyes drooped slightly, and even the width of his nostrils had been subtly adjusted.
Although his bone structure was unchanged, the combination of alterations made his face fifty or sixty percent different from his original appearance. Unless someone who knew him extremely well were to scrutinize him up close, he would be hard to recognize.
’The Entry Level Disguise Technique can only change one’s appearance with external aids, which are crude and easily seen through. Minor Success and Great Success allow one to shift muscles and alter local contours, making the disguise more natural and subtle, but this requires the control of the Refining Flesh Realm or higher.’
’Only the Perfection Realm of the Disguise Technique allows one to slightly shift bones to become taller or shorter. But that has even greater demands on the strength of one’s tendons and bones, and on Qi Blood consumption. It’s best to have the support of a Bone Forging Realm cultivation, or the effect won’t last.’
Chen Yue recalled the description from the secret manual and was quite satisfied with his transformation. For double insurance, he still put on a face mask before stealthily heading toward the black market.
He navigated the familiar paths to Shen Dujiang’s stall. The black market was more deserted than usual tonight. Figures were sparse, and most transactions were conducted in silence, creating a repressive atmosphere.
Shen Dujiang was still huddled in the shadows with his hands tucked into his sleeves. When he saw Chen Yue approach, he didn’t speak, merely giving a signal with his eyes. Then he stood and led Chen Yue behind the stall to a low, dilapidated adobe hut, pushing open the creaking wooden door.
Inside was only a battered table and an oil lamp with a flame the size of a bean. From an inconspicuous earthenware pot in the corner, Shen Dujiang retrieved a package carefully wrapped in oiled paper and tied with hemp rope, placing it on the table.
"The medicinal ingredients are all here. Two sets, with the quantities and vintages prepared exactly as you requested," Shen Dujiang said in a low voice.
Chen Yue stepped forward and unwrapped the package, inspecting the contents carefully under the dim light. After a moment, he nodded. They were indeed the genuine ingredients for the Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill, and their quality was even slightly better than he had expected.
Chen Yue wrapped the ingredients back up and tucked them inside his robes.
"When can you provide the Bone Marrow Cleansing Pills?" Shen Dujiang asked, his eyes filled with a mixture of scrutiny and a barely perceptible trace of hope as he looked at Chen Yue.
It had only been a little over half a month since their last transaction. He found it hard to believe that the young Alchemy Master before him could master and successfully refine an elixir as difficult as the Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill in such a short time.
Yet, he had a nagging feeling that this kid might just pull off a surprise.
"Three days from now, when the black market opens again, I’ll find you."
Chen Yue’s voice was calm, betraying no emotion. "I will bring the Bone Marrow Cleansing Pills then. You should prepare another three sets of the same ingredients."
A sharp glint flashed in Shen Dujiang’s eyes. He gave Chen Yue a long, hard look and nodded. "Good! It’s a deal!"
Chen Yue said no more. He gave Shen Dujiang a cupped-fist salute, then turned and left the hut, swiftly vanishing into the shadows of the black market.
The next day, Chen Yue completed his usual quota, refining twenty Blood Circulation Pills for the pharmacy. Afterward, he bolted the gate to his small courtyard and began to process the ingredients for the Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill.
The Earth Dragon Tendon needed to be soaked in a special medicinal solution, which he had already prepared according to the pill formula. The Snow Ginseng Heart had to be ground into an extremely fine powder and mixed with the juice of Bone Marrow Grass, then set aside in a cool, dark place...
Chen Yue performed every step meticulously, his focus absolute.
His movements were slightly stiff, as this was his first time doing it for real, but he made no mistakes.
The preparation took a quarter of an hour. When everything was ready, Chen Yue stood silently before the pill furnace. He closed his eyes and mentally ran through the entire alchemy process one last time. Then, he opened his eyes.
He lit the fire and preheated the furnace.
Chen Yue sensed the change in the furnace’s temperature. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed the processed Earth Fire Lotus Seedpod into the furnace first.
He blasted it with a high flame. Under the intense heat, the seedpod rapidly released its Pure Yang Qi, and the medicinal liquid began to boil. Immediately after, he added three drops of Stalactite Marrow, which perfectly neutralized the searing heat and gentled the mixture.
Switching to a medium flame, Chen Yue’s movements didn’t pause as he slowly poured in the mixture of Snow Ginseng Heart and Bone Marrow Grass...
Every step was methodical. Once they were all complete, all that remained was a long period of simmering and waiting.
Chen Yue sat before the pill furnace like a stone statue, his eyes half-closed. He could feel the medicinal powers slowly fusing under the gentle flame, approaching the critical point of transformation.
「One hour later.」
Chen Yue’s eyes snapped open. He moved like lightning, using a cool, damp iron plate to draw away the residual heat with one hand while lifting the furnace lid with the other.
At the bottom of the furnace lay two elixirs. They were round, but their luster was somewhat dull. The medicinal fragrance wasn’t as rich and potent as he had imagined; instead, it was a bit muddled.
’Success!’