Free Web NovelChapter 33: Chapter 33: Master Sun
Once he equipped the Origin Condensation Skill, all the information about the Spell was infused into his mind.
Li Yuan didn’t rush to try compressing his Spiritual Power. Instead, he first went over every step of the Spell in his mind three times. Only after confirming that he knew all the key steps by heart did he slowly close his eyes and begin to circulate the Origin Condensation Skill.
The Spiritual Power in his Dantian began to gather toward the center, guided by the Spell.
He immediately felt the Spiritual Power’s resistance.
With every bit he compressed it, a repulsive force pushed outward from within the Spiritual Power, like a spring recoiling.
Li Yuan controlled his pace, neither too fast nor too slow.
He kept the first compression very shallow. The density of his Spiritual Power increased slightly, and the energy at the center of his Dantian became a little more compact than the energy at the edges.
For the second compression, he squeezed a bit harder and held it for longer.
The Spiritual Power’s repulsive force grew stronger in response.
Li Yuan held it for about twenty breaths before slowly releasing his control.
The moment the Spiritual Power dispersed, a faint, aching sensation emanated from his Dantian. It spread throughout his meridians before quickly subsiding.
A third time, a fourth, a fifth. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ
Each compression was a little deeper than the last, and he held it for a little longer.
In the process, Li Yuan discovered something: his Spiritual Power’s resistance to compression was weaker than he had anticipated.
The purer the Spiritual Power and the fewer its impurities, the lower the resistance during compression.
The permanent trait, ’Spiritual Qi Filtration,’ had thoroughly purged all impurities from his Spiritual Power. This level of purity became a massive advantage in his cultivation of the Origin Condensation Skill.
With fewer impurities, the repulsive forces within the Spiritual Power were weaker, allowing it to cohere more easily when compressed.
It was like wringing out a towel—a clean one is far easier to twist than one caked in mud and sand.
The corners of Li Yuan’s mouth turned up slightly.
’Spiritual Qi Filtration and the Origin Condensation Skill. One purifies Spiritual Power, the other compresses it.’
’Purified Spiritual Power is easier to compress. And compressed Spiritual Power, being denser and having fewer impurities, becomes even purer.’
’The two are mutually reinforcing.’
He practiced for over another hour without even realizing it. Finally, Li Yuan ceased his cultivation and exhaled a long, turbid breath.
A panel materialized before him.
[Origin Condensation Skill: Initiate (0/200)]
’Initiate level. That was faster than both the Iron Bull Skill and the Nourishing Essence Skill.’
Li Yuan dismissed the panel, poured himself a bowl of cool water, and took a drink. He then sat back down on his bed, crossed his legs, and began to circulate the Spirit-Introducing Skill.
...
That afternoon, Li Yuan gathered his things, attached the token to his waist, and pushed open the door.
Although he was back in the market town to rest for a few days, he still had patrol duties, just fewer of them.
When he reached the fork in the road where the old woman sold her pills, Li Yuan paused.
The stall was still there, but a different person was sitting behind it.
It wasn’t the gaunt old woman, but an old man with salt-and-pepper hair.
He looked to be in his sixties, but his face didn’t seem old. He had high cheekbones, a sharp chin, and long, slender fingers with slightly yellowed tips. His eyes weren’t large, but they were exceptionally bright. His aura was powerful, significantly stronger than He Shou’s and only a notch below Wang De’s.
The items on the stall’s surface were different from before.
There were several more porcelain bottles, and the variety was greater. The Purification Pills and Origin Condensing Powder were still there, but beside them were three or four types of pills with unfamiliar labels, all of different colors and shapes.
On the right side of the stall, a row of Evil Essence Pills was set apart, each in its own bottle.
Li Yuan counted them. Twelve pills.
More than double the amount the old woman used to have.
Li Yuan crouched in front of the stall, his gaze sweeping over the new pills.
He picked them up one by one and asked a few questions, but didn’t find any with a trait.
Li Yuan then picked up a bottle of Evil Essence Pills, weighing it in his hand.
"Are the Evil Essence Pills still two Spirit Stones apiece?"
The old man nodded, his gaze lingering for a moment on the token at Li Yuan’s waist before shifting away.
"How do you know the price of Evil Essence Pills?"
"I’ve bought them from your wife before."
The old man’s expression shifted. He looked Li Yuan up and down, his eyes narrowing in sudden realization.
"You’re that Inspector who bought the Evil Essence Pills?"
The old man slapped his thigh and sat up straighter.
"My wife told me about you! She said an Inspector bought an Evil Essence Pill, then came back for four more. Said they worked pretty well and asked if we had more in stock."
His tone was a mixture of surprise and curiosity.
"I set aside three Evil Essence Pills for you. Why didn’t you ever come get them?"
Li Yuan fell silent for a beat. He scratched his chin, his gaze shifting away.
"Spirit Stones have been a little tight lately, so I haven’t been back."
The Evil Essence Pills were indeed effective, but at two Spirit Stones a pop, the cost added up quickly.
More importantly, his Spirit Stones were better spent on making traits permanent. Buying more pills without the boost from a trait was merely a bonus, not a necessity.
The old man just said, "Ah," and didn’t press Li Yuan on why he was short on Spirit Stones. He simply nodded in understanding.
"No matter."
After a moment’s thought, Li Yuan added, "But I could introduce some customers to you. There are plenty of Cultivators in the market town who need cheap pills."
"Introduce customers?" The old man tilted his head, seeming unconcerned. "Hardly anyone buys these things. The side effects are too strong for most people to handle."
As he spoke, the old man’s finger tapped between several of the porcelain bottles on his stall.
"The Purification Pills and Origin Condensing Powder sell well enough. But the Evil Essence Pill is a formula I tinkered with myself. I was trying to mimic the Evil Spirit Pill—I got rid of the breakthrough function but kept the accelerated cultivation effect. The problem is, I never completely solved the issue with the Evil Qi."
The old man sighed and shook his head.
"My wife complains that I waste my time researching these things that don’t make money. She’s right, of course, but I just can’t help myself."
Li Yuan listened but didn’t respond.
The old man fell silent for a moment, then suddenly tilted his head, his bright eyes fixed on Li Yuan.
"It does make me curious, though. How do you handle the side effects of the Evil Essence Pill? One might be manageable, but you’ve taken five. The accumulated Evil Qi is no small matter."
"My constitution is strong," Li Yuan said simply.
The old man sized Li Yuan up again. His tone became more serious as he rubbed his chin.
"Would you be willing to be a pill tester?"
"Pill tester?"
"To help me test my pills," the old man explained.
"Every time I refine a formula, I need someone to try the pill and see its effects and side effects. I used to do it myself, but these old bones can’t take the abuse anymore. Finding a young, robust Cultivator to help me test them would save me a lot of trouble."
Li Yuan didn’t hesitate. "No."
The old man didn’t seem surprised. He just waved a hand dismissively.
"Alright, just asking."
After a moment of silence, the old man looked at Li Yuan again, seemingly mulling something over.
Then, the old man reached out, fumbled around on the stall for a moment, and pushed two bottles of Evil Essence Pills toward Li Yuan.
"These two Evil Essence Pills are for you."
Li Yuan looked at the two bottles being pushed toward him, and the hand he’d extended to take them paused.
"What’s the catch?"
"Help me gather some herbs from the wilds." The old man leaned back against the wall, his tone turning serious.
"You’re the vice-captain of the inspection team, so you’re outside the walls often. I hear you have missions to patrol the outer perimeter."
"Herbs are hard to come by these days. If you find any while you’re on patrol, gather them for me. I’ll buy them from you at market price; I won’t short you a single copper."
The old man held up a finger and added,
"And another thing. Every time you bring me herbs, in addition to the Spirit Stones, I’ll give you extra Evil Essence Pills or other pills as a bonus."
Li Yuan’s mind raced.
’The terms weren’t harsh.’
’He’d buy them at market price and throw in extra pills. All it would cost me is the time and effort to gather them, and in return, I’d get Spirit Stones and a supply of pills.’
’For the old man, it would save him the time and risk of gathering the herbs himself.’
’It was a win-win.’
"Any herbs, or are you looking for specific ones?"
The old man pulled a folded piece of paper from his robes and handed it over.
Li Yuan took it and unfolded it. It was covered with the densely-written names and simple sketches of a dozen or so herbs, with notes on their growth environments and identifying features.
Li Yuan recognized some of them, like Cyan Jade Grass and Red Root Vine, which were common in the outer reaches of the Yuanheng Mountain Range. Others were unfamiliar, but the drawings were detailed enough that it wouldn’t be difficult to find them by following the guide.
"They’re all common ingredients for refining Tier One pills," the old man said. "They’re not worth a fortune, but they are genuinely hard to buy on the market right now."
The old man pointed to the first few herbs on the list.
"These are the ones I need most, so prioritize them if you find them. As for the others, just grab them if you happen to see them."
Li Yuan folded the list, tucked it into his sleeve, and picked up the two Evil Essence Pills from the stall.
"Deal."
The wrinkles on the old man’s face eased into a smile, revealing a set of uneven teeth.
"Oh, right. My surname is Sun. You can just call me Old Sun."
"Li Yuan."
Li Yuan tucked the Evil Essence Pills into his sleeve, stood up, gave a nod, then turned and continued his patrol down the north alley.
