Han Yu was getting closer.
Closer to qualifying for the mission.
Closer to the Fireborn Beast.
Closer to the Undying Life Charm.
And if that meant swallowing more pills that made him dance, sing, or threaten the concept of sunlight, then so be it.
The second month of pill testing began not with a bang, but with a burp.
"Ack—why does this one taste like burnt socks dipped in peach wine!?" Han Yu gagged, clutching his throat.
Li Mei calmly jotted notes. "Because it’s designed to stimulate Qi condensation by simulating the heat and pressure of volcanic cores inside your body or at least a fraction of it. The taste was an unfortunate side effect."
"An unfortunate side effect?" Han Yu retched, his skin momentarily glowing purple. "My tongue is doing cartwheels!"
But like all previous concoctions, the pill did its job.
With each day, Han Yu’s internal Qi thickened and swirled, the previously gaseous cloud in his dantian growing denser until it formed heavy, shimmering drops of liquid Spirit Qi. His meridians trembled from the pressure, and his body ached as the torrents of energy surged through his veins.
Though the path was utterly deranged, the results spoke for themselves:
Han Yu had reached the Late Stage of the Qi Refining Realm.
His dantian was now more than three-quarters full, with a significant amount of Qi in liquid form. His spiritual foundation, though a bit rough around the edges, was solid—and layered with a thousand flavors of pill-induced trauma.
And of course, with every pill came a new, theatrical display of side effects... which Han Yu had now turned into a full-time performance art for the sect.
Week 7: The Wind Dancer Elixir
This one didn’t seem too bad at first.
Until Han Yu’s body turned lighter than air. It wasn’t actually reducing Han Yu’s weight, but rather causing the flow of spirit qi around him to change such that it made him float. This was the same method with which Nascent Soul realm and above cultivators flew.
He was just getting to experience it early on.
Casually. Gracefully.
"AAAHHHH—HELP ME—I CAN’T LAND—I’M STUCK IN THE LAUNDRY RACK!" he screamed as he bounced off rooftops like a balloon caught in a spring breeze.
Disciples screamed. Robes flew. Elders squinted skyward as Han Yu soared overhead like a deranged comet of limbs and regret.
More Grey Surprise, Joy, and Sadness poured into his Soul Core.
Week 8: The Truth-Speaking Pill
"I don’t want to take this one," Han Yu said nervously.
"Why not?" Li Mei asked.
"It makes me... say things."
Li Mei smirked. "Perfect."
Ten minutes later, Han Yu was pacing the courtyard, pointing at various disciples.
"You fake your accent. You’re secretly dating three people. You steal your roommate’s snacks. You, Elder Yun, you cry during romantic dramas and think no one notices!"
Gasps echoed. Hearts broke. A few people took notes.
Han Yu, of course, absorbed the Dark Red Hatred, Normal Red Anger, Light Green Reverence, and Dark Green Love that surged in the air like festival fireworks.
He bowed theatrically after the detox pellet kicked in. "Thank you, thank you, it’s all part of the process."
Despite all this, Han Yu knew time was short.
He had built up strength, yes, but he was still not at the Peak of the Qi Refining Realm—the bare minimum requirement for the high-risk Mist Eye mission. If they tested him with a spiritual probe, the deception would be exposed immediately.
Which is when Li Mei—ever the alchemical genius—handed him a small, silver-capped pill glowing faintly with golden mist.
"What’s this one?" Han Yu asked.
She didn’t answer immediately. Her tone was more serious this time.
"It’s called the Veil Core Elixir. It creates a perfect illusion of a full dantian—completely filled with condensed liquid Spirit Qi. To others, you’ll appear to be at the Peak."
Han Yu’s eyes widened. "Wait, so... I’ll look like I’m qualified?"
"You’ll register as such on any spiritual scan. But there’s a catch."
"Of course there is."
"The effects only last forty-eight hours. After that, it fades and you’ll go back to normal—no extra power, no physical benefit, just the illusion. Even during its active time, it won’t give you any power boost even if you feel like it. Don’t trust it and blow through your qi or you will regret it.
Also dont deplete your qi below fifty percent or the effects will end abruptly as well" Li Mei warned and explained to him.
Han Yu swallowed hard. "So I’d have two days to apply, get approved, and leave."
He stared at the pill.
It shimmered with promise and danger, like everything else in his life lately.
Li Mei’s expression softened. "You don’t have to do this. You’ve already pushed further than most. You’re stronger, smarter, and crazier than anyone I know. But this? This mission’s no joke."
Han Yu exhaled slowly, fingers curling around the pill.
"I have to go," he said quietly. "Even if it’s reckless. Even if I fail. There’s something I need from that place. I can’t explain it yet... but I have to try."
Li Mei nodded, her gaze hardening with reluctant resolve.
"Then promise me you’ll come back alive."
"I’ll do my best," Han Yu said, trying to sound confident. "I can’t die until I’ve tested all your pills, right?"
She rolled her eyes, but a tiny smile broke through. A few wisps of joy drifted out of her along with a hint of Green Love energy.
Han Yu took the Veil Core Elixir at dawn.
Golden light pulsed through his body like liquid sunshine, and for the first time, even he could feel the illusion—his dantian thrummed with a false fullness, overflowing with liquefied Spirit Qi. It looked perfect. Untouchable. Peak.
And now, the clock was ticking.
Forty-eight hours to submit the request.
Forty-eight hours to be approved.
Forty-eight hours to cross into the Mist Eye Sect’s borderlands—and toward the Slumbering Caldera where Fireborn Beasts roamed.
His real strength might not be enough.
But deception, determination, and just a pinch of pill-fueled lunacy?
That, Han Yu had in spades.