Free Web NovelChapter 227: Chapter 187: Overall Improvement
One month later, Ling Xiao had refined a total of over thirty-two hundred elixirs. He named this type of elixir, which used Magic Beast Crystal Cores as its main ingredient, the Tongluo Pill. Ling Xiao disliked giving his creations names like "Divine Pill" or "Miracle Medicine," even though every elixir he refined was worthy of the "divine" moniker. But Ling Xiao knew in his heart that this wasn’t because he himself was so incredible, but because the Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures of this world were simply too abundant. He believed that any expert from the Cultivation Realm who transmigrated to a place like this would be able to do just as well as him, if not better.
’So,’ Ling Xiao thought, ’it’s not that I’m so amazing... it’s that this world is amazing!’
Ling Xiao was in no hurry to use these elixirs on his army. For him, the loyalty of this private force was something Ling Wu still needed to improve. Ling Xiao wouldn’t risk elixirs that each cost at least three Tier Two Crystal Cores to craft. So, he first gathered Chunlan, Qiuyue, Ye Zi, Meng Li, Mo Qing, Ling Wu, Uncle Fu, Tiger, and Yisha, who had just returned from her work at the auction house. Ling Xiao also wanted to see if this type of elixir would have an effect on High-tier Martial Artists like Tiger and Uncle Fu.
Each person received one elixir. Yisha, Chunlan, Qiuyue, Ye Zi, Ling Wu, and Mo Qing were all given Tongluo Pills refined from three Tier Two Crystal Cores each. It wasn’t that Ling Xiao was intentionally withholding higher-tier elixirs from them; although he was certain the Tongluo Pill had mild properties, he didn’t dare to take too great a risk.
Meng Li received a Tongluo Pill refined from a Tier Three Crystal Core. Uncle Fu’s was made from a Tier Four Crystal Core, while the one Tiger received... was an elixir Ling Xiao had refined using three Tier Five Crystal Cores! In fact, it could no longer be considered a mere Tongluo Pill.
After hearing Ling Xiao’s explanation, the group was both shocked and overjoyed. After all, while the hidden sects and aristocratic families all had their own strength-enhancing elixirs, and some families specializing in medicinal herbs could even refine some with powerful effects, no one had ever heard of a person who could directly refine Magic Beast Crystal Cores into elixirs!
They were all overcome with joy and surprise. Yisha, who hadn’t been present on the day Ling Xiao came back, found that he had already entered seclusion for alchemy by the time she returned the next day. As a result, she hadn’t seen him in a very long time. Upon seeing him now, her eyes filled with a deep sense of attachment and infatuation. freewebnσvel.cøm
Only after everyone had taken their elixirs and entered seclusion did Ling Xiao go to Feng Ling’s private courtyard. Feng Ling was there alone, dressed in a long white gown, sitting quietly at a stone table with a book. When she saw Ling Xiao, she gave a faint smile and said, "What is it, my Lord? Have you come to drive me away?"
Ling Xiao smiled and tossed an elixir to Feng Ling. "Take this," he said. "You should be able to break through to the realm of a Mad Sword Master, and there won’t be any lingering repercussions. Consider it... compensation for restricting your freedom for so long."
Feng Ling caught the elixir, her eyes filled with suspicion as she stared at Ling Xiao. "You’d be this kind to me?"
Ling Xiao said, "Because your family no longer poses any threat to me. Therefore, there’s no longer any point in keeping you here. Don’t tell me... you’ve grown to like this place and want to stick around?"
Feng Ling’s face flushed, and she snapped, "Who in their right mind would like this place!" Then she sneered, "Ling Xiao, you are unbelievably arrogant. Do you really think that just because you repelled a Sword Sect with a single strike, you have the strength to contend with my own sect? Aren’t you afraid that I’ll go back and reveal all your secrets, making this fief of yours a target for the entire world?"
Ling Xiao just smiled calmly. "I await the day."
Feng Ling froze, then pouted. "You’re just impossible! So infuriating. But fine, you can rest assured. When I return to my sect, I won’t breathe a single word about you. If I do, may I, Feng Ling, die a horrible death!"
Ling Xiao just shrugged. "That’s your business. Well, you can go take the elixir now. I’m leaving."
Staring at Ling Xiao’s retreating figure, Feng Ling silently cursed herself for being so pathetic. ’What kind of oath did I just make to him?! I must be crazy! Don’t I want people to come here and cause trouble for him?’
The entire Viscount’s Mansion fell into a deep silence. Ling Xiao felt a little apprehensive himself. It was, after all, his first time refining this type of elixir. In fact, over the past month, the number of Magic Beast Crystal Cores he’d wasted was nearly equal to the number he’d successfully refined.
Otherwise, he could have finished refining over three thousand elixirs in a little over ten days; it wouldn’t have taken him an entire month.
Two days later, the first person to emerge from seclusion was, surprisingly, Tiger. His face was a mixture of excitement and slight dejection. Looking at Ling Xiao, he said in his booming voice, "Master, I could feel it... I was just a hair’s breadth away from breaking through to the Sword Emperor realm! But alas... I still couldn’t make it!"
Ling Xiao was inwardly delighted. ’Tiger is a Tier Six Sword Sect expert!’ he thought. ’For someone at his level, the difficulty of advancing even a single step is immense!’
In fact, starting from the Demon Sword Master level, the gap in power between each tier was extremely pronounced.
For example, when a Tier Four Demon Sword Master faced a Tier Three Demon Sword Master, if both their sword skills and Cultivation Techniques were of the same grade, the Tier Four Martial Artist could completely suppress their opponent, leaving the Tier Three with no room to even fight back.
Even if the Tier Three Demon Sword Master’s sword skills and Cultivation Technique were a higher grade than the Tier Four’s, the outcome wouldn’t change much. The only exception would be if the Low-tier Martial Artist’s techniques were several grades higher than their opponent’s; only then would they have a chance to turn the tables and win.
This just went to show how significant the difference in strength was between tiers.
’Since the Tongluo Pill had an effect on even Tiger, it should be even more effective for the others!’
The second person to emerge was Uncle Fu. The old man’s face was ruddy and beaming, the wrinkles on his face visibly reduced. The moment he saw Ling Xiao, he couldn’t hold back a joyous smile. "Young Master," he exclaimed, "I’ve finally become a Second Rank Demon Sword Master! This elixir... it’s truly a miracle medicine!"
Ling Xiao was overjoyed. Uncle Fu had been at the peak of a First Rank Demon Sword Master for many years; breaking through to the second rank now was truly exciting news!
"Congratulations, Uncle Fu," Ling Xiao said, smiling happily.
"On the contrary, I should be congratulating you, Young Master!" Uncle Fu said with an elegant smile. "You will soon possess an invincible army!"
Over the next few days, the others emerged one by one. From the order in which they finished, Ling Xiao drew a conclusion: the more powerful the individual, the shorter their time in seclusion.
During this seclusion, Meng Li leaped from a Tier Three Demon Swordsman all the way to a Tier Five Demon Swordsman! In less than a year of following Ling Xiao, he had skyrocketed from a mere Mad Sword Master to the level of High-tier Demon Swordsmen, even reaching the same level as Ling Tianxiao. Although he might not be a match for Ling Tianxiao in a real fight, with Meng Li’s current power, even His Majesty the King would willingly grant him a high-ranking noble title.
There weren’t many young experts like him in the entire Empire.
But by now, Meng Li was utterly loyal to Ling Xiao. To him, following a powerhouse who could enable his constant improvement was far more important than any noble title or Gold Coins.
Mo Qing advanced from a Sixth Rank Mad Swordsman to the rank of First Rank Demon Swordsmen, while Ling Wu leaped from a Second-rank Mad Sword Master also to the rank of First Rank Demon Swordsmen! frёeweɓηovel.coɱ
Seeing Mo Qing’s dejection, Ling Xiao drew another conclusion: while the Tongluo Pill was miraculous, its effects varied depending on a person’s constitution. Mo Qing had advanced many ranks last time but only two this time. This seemed to suggest that Mo Qing’s natural aptitude had a limit, and reaching the rank of First Rank Demon Swordsmen might be his peak.
Ling Wu was thrilled. The power of the Demon Swordsmen rank was something he had never dared to even imagine before. Now, by following Ling Xiao, it had become a reality with such ease, making him feel as if he were in a dream.
Chunlan and Qiuyue both advanced to the level of First-rank Mad Sword Master. Looking at the two delicate and beautiful Maids, no one would ever guess they possessed such formidable power.
Ye Zi truly lived up to Ling Xiao’s praise as a prodigy of the Martial Dao, leaping straight to the level of a Sixth Rank Mad Swordsman. While this excited her, she also felt a little dejected. It was just like last time, when she had consumed the Purple Blue Fruit and jumped to the realm of a Tier Six Great Sword Master; now, she was once again stuck at the peak of the sixth rank, seemingly just a hair’s breadth away from advancing to the Demon Swordsmen rank...
Yisha, it seemed, was not as gifted in the Martial Dao; she only advanced from a Tier Four Sword Master to the realm of a Tier Five Great Sword Master. However, Yisha was already more than satisfied. To her, how high her power rose wasn’t important. As long as she could always remain by Ling Xiao’s side, she was perfectly content.
Through these tests, Ling Xiao’s experiment could be considered a complete success. Facing the hopeful gazes that all seemed to say, "Just one more," Ling Xiao threw up his hands. "This kind of elixir is not meant to be taken frequently! Relying on elixirs to raise your strength might be fine below the Demon Sword Master level, but once you reach that realm and beyond, you must focus on Cultivating the Mental Realm! Otherwise, it’s easy to suffer a cultivation deviation. In the best-case scenario, you’ll be severely injured; in the worst, you’ll die! So, don’t be too greedy."
Ling Xiao’s words made even Uncle Fu blush a little. He chuckled and said, "It is true that we were being too greedy. But you can hardly blame us when your elixirs are so miraculous, Young Master!"
Everyone nodded in agreement. Mo Qing spoke up, "What we need to focus on now, I believe, is how to keep this a secret. I hope none of us reveals our true strength for the time being. Otherwise, those hidden families and sects that already have their eyes on us will surely go into a frenzy."
Ling Wu pondered for a moment before adding, "That’s right. It’s not the right time to distribute these elixirs to the soldiers en masse. It won’t be too late after I’ve had more time to test their loyalty."
Just then, Feng Ling suddenly appeared not far away, watching Ling Xiao with a complex expression in her eyes.
"Ling Xiao, I’ve come to say goodbye."
