Liu Changfeng hurriedly refused.
"Sect Master, please rest assured—these items truly are of no use to me. And I’ve always considered myself one with the sect. If the sect thrives, I thrive. Likewise, if I become strong, it strengthens the sect. This is a mutually reinforcing principle."
"Sect Master should understand—I’m just putting on airs a little."
Liu Changfeng gave a helpless smile. "Alright, if that’s how you feel, the sect won’t shortchange you. When the time comes, we’ll reward you with a batch of spirit stones. And if you need anything—just come directly to me. As long as it’s reasonable, I’ll do my best to fulfill it."
"Many thanks, Sect Master!"
"By the way—there’s one more thing. I plan to launch an assault on the foreign races in seven days. If the sect plans to join, I ask that you begin preparations."
"Seven days? Isn’t that a bit rushed?"
"It’s not. It should be enough."
Lu Ye now was no longer the same Lu Ye who had only been at the Qi-Gathering or Core Formation stages.
Back then, he had no resources, no treasures—only one cultivation manual and the system’s cultivation functions.
But now, Lu Ye was entirely different.
After plundering so many cultivation resources, he could at the very least refine four Giant Spirit Pills this time—the full-nourishment kind!
And as for pill residue tainting the purity of one’s true essence?
That was only a problem for first-time cultivators. What did that have to do with someone like him, a reborn cultivator?
During the era of chaotic darkness, those bastards used to devour entire galaxies in one bite. Divine metals and sacred pills were swallowed without even chewing. No one ever said they were harmed by impurities.
Lu Ye’s figure arrived at Pill Peak.
"Lu Ye, you’re here! You planning to refine pills again?" Daoist Qinghuo asked excitedly, rubbing his hands together.
"Yes, Peak Master. I’d like to borrow your Nine-Dragon Leaving Fire Furnace again," Lu Ye said politely.
Daoist Qinghuo waved his hand casually. "That’s no problem at all. It’s just—could you maybe go a little slower this time? Last time I was so shocked I didn’t learn anything. If you could refine them a bit more slowly, that’d be great."
"Of course, not a problem. I’m able to refine like this because I have a deep understanding of pharmacology. If your understanding deepens, you’ll be able to refine like this too."
"I’ll write down what I know about medicinal theory, and also some pill-refining insights. If you don’t mind, you can take a look."
Daoist Qinghuo’s face flushed slightly with embarrassment.
"Is that... is that really okay?"
Lu Ye smiled gently—and tears streamed down his face again.
Ahhh... so annoying...
Daoist Qinghuo jumped. "Okay okay! Forget I said anything about pharmacology or insights—just don’t cry!"
Lu Ye: ...
"My eyes got a bit injured. Still haven’t fully healed. It has nothing to do with you, don’t worry."
"I see. I’ve got some medicinal pills for eye injuries—I’ll give you some."
"No need, no need. Pills won’t help. Let’s go refine some pills."
"You’re sure crying won’t interfere?"
"Don’t worry—it won’t."
The two entered the alchemy chamber. Lu Ye, wanting to let Daoist Qinghuo grasp some insight into the Dao of alchemy, deliberately slowed down his pill-refining pace.
Half an hour later.
"So... how does it feel?" Lu Ye asked.
Daoist Qinghuo...
Can’t you add ingredients one by one?
The way you grab a whole handful at once—I can’t keep up at all!
"Should I slow down even more?" Lu Ye asked.
"No no! Refining the pills is more important. You go ahead!"
Daoist Qinghuo had realized something—reaching Lu Ye’s level of pill-refinement wasn’t going to happen in just a short time.
Besides, Lu Ye’s hands were too damn fast.
He would grab a bunch of herbs—Daoist Qinghuo looked at them and, dear god, forty or fifty kinds all at once. He hadn’t even finished identifying the ingredients when Lu Ye said,
"Time’s up."
And tossed the entire handful into the furnace.
How was anyone supposed to learn like that?
"Alright, I’ll just study this later!"
Lu Ye activated his flames. His original Bright Sun Flame now glowed with a faint gray hue, because during his time in the Ghost Realm, he’d refined another divine flame—the Specter Wraith Flame.
After fusing the two divine flames, the temperature of his fire had finally risen to a new level.
However, the variety and volume of medicinal ingredients were even greater than before. In the end, the refined pills still came out around fifteen centimeters in diameter.
A faint radiance shimmered over the pill’s surface patterns—clearly the mark of a supreme-grade pill.
One pill.
Two pills.
Three pills.
Four pills!
All four pills were successfully refined. Lu Ye took his leave from Daoist Qinghuo.
"I’ll write down the medicinal theories and my insights when I get a chance—but it might be a while. I need to take the pills and begin cultivating first."
Daoist Qinghuo quickly waved his hand.
"You go handle your matters. I’m in no rush."
"Very well, then this disciple takes his leave."
Lu Ye turned and walked away.
Daoist Qinghuo looked at Lu Ye’s departing figure and couldn’t help stroking his beard gently.
"Graceful and calm... not arrogant, not rash. At such a young age, and already possessing the poise of a grandmaster. No wonder so many girls like him—yet he remains wholeheartedly devoted to the Great Dao. His future is limitless!"
The more he looked at Lu Ye, the more he liked him. In this world, young men like that were truly rare.
Lu Ye returned to his room.
Looking at the pills, he realized he didn’t even need to use Heaven-Form Earth-Manifestation this time.
He suddenly opened his mouth wide, and a beam of light burst forth from within. The light shone onto the pill, and the massive pill began rapidly shrinking.
In the end, it became the size of a fingertip—Lu Ye swallowed it in a single gulp.
"Begin cultivation!"
"Ding. Cultivation initiated!"
Integration Realm, Stage Two—beginning advancement.
Surging true essence roared through his body, medicinal power boiling violently.
Lu Ye’s figure became cloaked in a misty haze—like a god, like heaven itself.
His power began to rise.
Integration Stage Three!
Integration Stage Four!
Integration Stage Five!
All four pills were consumed. All those rare supreme-grade elixirs plundered from the foreign races turned ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ into the most ferocious driving force for Lu Ye’s cultivation.
......
Yue Hongling heard that Lu Ye had returned and immediately ran to the door of his room.
"Senior Brother!"
She knocked on the door.
Lu Ye, fully immersed in cultivation, of course didn’t respond.
But at that moment, a faint, ethereal ripple shimmered through the void. Radiant light filled the air, and from within that glow, a long, snow-white, slender leg stepped out.
The multicolored glow gathered together, weaving itself into a five-colored robe, draped over a woman of divine elegance—so beautiful she seemed beyond what the world could contain.
"Ding. Transformation complete!"
The woman parted her red lips. That perfect, flawless face—something that didn’t seem to belong to this world—revealed a smile.
Hehe... Since that dumb host refuses to come out, she’d just play for a while herself.
She took a graceful step forward. A soft fragrance lingered in her wake as she arrived behind the door.
Yue Hongling twitched her nose lightly.
So fragrant!
This fragrance wasn’t just perfume. It was more like the sacred scent of a physical body having ascended to sainthood—as if her very flesh were made from divine medicine.
In this world, there was no living being that could reject such a scent.
Creak—
The door opened.
Their eyes met.
Yue Hongling stood frozen in place, her eyes unable to conceal the astonishment in them.
How could such an utterly beautiful being exist in this world?
Ding...
"Mhm, hello. I’m Shen Xitong. You must be one of my brother’s ex-wives—Yue Hongling, right?"