Once again, several days pa.s.sed very quickly.

Gu Zuo sat upright on his bed, breathing in and out. Invisible natural qi followed the movements of his cultivation method, entered his body, and flowed through his meridians in waves. They finally converged within an earthly fiend acupoint and continuously poured into that perfectly round pearl.

This pearl’s outer sh.e.l.l became more and more solid. A kind of color appeared that, when compared to the color and l.u.s.ter of bone, was an even deeper metallic gray.

A while later, that pearl was rapidly rotating. Suddenly there was a stab of pain and the pearl abruptly stopped. In a split second, like a pearl of the sea G.o.d [1], it settled in the acupoint.

The first bone pearl was completely condensed!

Gu Zuo opened his eyes, and let out a huge breath.

After the bone pearl took shape, he could sense that the qi within his body had a certain rhythm, where it readily submitted to the absorption of the bone pearl and acc.u.mulated inside.

It was strange to say that the bone pearl didn’t look very big. However, the true qi contained inside was very robust. Gu Zuo could continuously cycle through his cultivation method at least eighteen times, and he would still be unable to completely fill the bone pearl with transformed true qi.

It was obvious that after he filled the bone pearl, he could use the excess energy to refine medicine. It was unlikely that he’d be limited to ten cauldrons a day like before.

Sitting across from Gu Zuo, Gongyi Tianheng saw this and warmly asked: “Ah Zuo, have you already succeeded?”

Gu Zuo grinned: “I did it.”

Tianheng was also very satisfied: “You did well.”

From his little pharmacist receiving a cultivation method to practicing it to this day, it took altogether less than three months for him to have this kind of accomplishment. However he praised Gu Zuo, it would never be too much — Certainly, he knew that the cultivation method took some of the credit, but the improvement of Gu Zuo’s skills in medicine refinement was very fast. He almost never failed when he made an attempt, which was something no one could underestimate [2].

First, regardless of his disposition and whether he was powerful or not, with his position as a pharmacist, he already displayed unprecedented value.

Gu Zuo was very happy, but he sensed something odd just now. He hurriedly said: “By the way, young master Tianheng, after I condensed my bone pearl, it felt like my head wasn’t too comfortable, like I was missing something…”

In fact, it was a thirst; the impatient feeling of needing to ingest something. It made him little embarra.s.sed to talk about. He even felt that if this question wasn’t resolved, then his cultivation might have problems.

If it weren’t for this, he would still want to spend some time transforming true qi and consolidate a bit.

Gongyi Tianheng’s expression was a little solemn.

He already placed a portion of his trust in Gu Zuo. Naturally, he didn’t want him to develop any problems. After listening to this, he started to ponder.

A shortage of something…

One would normally say that different cultivation methods had different movement styles. It was good enough that the majority only needed to absorb natural qi. However, Tianheng was widely read and knowledgable. A small number of ancient records he’d read detailed extraordinary cultivation methods that required aid from additional objects when practiced.

These cases were very few. The accounts of those ancient records were merely a martial artist’s accidental discovery of a fire attribute cultivation method. He had to simultaneously draw in fire qi to cultivate, but once that was done, each of his martial skills were imbued with the ability to burn with fire. His formidable strength was incomparably powerful and was practically unrivaled within similar martial ranks —

Perhaps, this was because the cultivation method’s grade was different?

The better the cultivation method, the stronger one’s power. This was common sense.

A cultivation method’s owner operated his cultivation method in conjunction with a martial artist’s true qi attribute. There were many different types of cultivation methods within the current Cangyun Empire. However, there was actually a huge disparity based on quality. Generally speaking, the certified cultivation methods that were particularly superior were often in the hands of Families of all sizes.

For example, the cultivation methods the imperial capital’s Five Clans practiced were all nearly at the human-level. The uncertified ones were basically only used as references. However, human-level cultivation methods were not at all complete. Above them were still the golden-level cultivation methods. Whether the Gongyi Clan or the other Clans, the amount of secret collections numbered about three to four, but those were only of the golden-level low rank. They were the most inferior of the golden-level cultivation methods.

What others didn’t know was that the reason the imperial Cang Dynasty [3] could steadily sit upon the t.i.tle of Emperor these several years was because they had a high rank golden-level cultivation method in their hands — Otherwise, the huge ambitions of the Five Clans would run rampant. How could they have willingly restrained themselves beneath the imperial family for so long?

However, these golden-level cultivation methods had never been heard of before. Practicing them up would lead to an even more extraordinary pinnacle.

Gongyi Tianheng muttered to himself.

This was the only explanation to this problem.

— Golden-level cultivation methods were not fundamentally the best; there were other levels above it. Whether the martial artist mentioned in the ancient records or Gu Zuo right in front of him, the cultivation methods they practiced were both above golden-level!

In that case, he had to think deeply about what things Gu Zuo’s cultivation method required. In the end, what was it?

Suddenly, Tianheng’s expression twitched: “Ah Zuo, since you’re a pharmacist, practicing this kind of peaceful cultivation method isn’t as good as attempting to…direct medicinal qi?”

Gu Zuo suddenly understood: “Ah, as a matter of fact, it is.”

Since the beginning, the things provided by the system were all useful. It only didn’t give any tips about that surplus medicinal qi after refining medicine. The system required Gu Zuo to think about it himself.

Would the usefulness of medicinal qi be revealed here?

Gu Zuo steeled himself, got into position once more, and called out in his mind. From the stowed medicinal qi in his storage s.p.a.ce, a milky white strand suddenly appeared in front of him.

After that, he rapidly used his cultivation method. Like sucking in a breath, he absorbed natural qi.

In an instant, the condensation of natural qi was even more solid with the change of the medicinal qi!

It resembled a swimming fish. From the cultivation method arose an attractive power that pulled it over. In the blink of an eye, it entered Gu Zuo’s body! Soon after, it transformed into a circuit of light [4]. Half of it entered the bone pearl and fused with his true qi, and the other half quickly flew against the current straight into his head and fused with Gu Zuo’s psychic power!

Instantly, Gu Zuo sensed that his true qi became even more peaceful, and his faint psychic power seemed to very slightly increase.

At this time, he could “see” in his mind an incorporeal wisp of smoky fog-like power. That was precisely his still rather barren psychic power. And in the smoky depths of his psychic power he captured an existence of some kind… This was something that the Gu Zuo from before couldn’t perceive: The connection between him and the system!

But unfortunately, he still didn’t know the system’s specific appearance.

Immediately afterwards, Gu Zuo’s frame of mind couldn’t maintain his desire to continue absorbing medicinal qi. He urgently told his patron what he just discovered.

Gongyi Tianheng listened, and was even more convinced of his own conjectures.

He laughed and said: “Since it’s like this, when Ah Zuo uses the cultivation method later, you should also release medicinal qi. As for how many strands of medicinal qi you need for each use, Ah Zuo needs to find out for himself.”

Gu Zuo nodded: “I understand.”

There was no way for his patron to help him in this matter.

He could only rely on himself.

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After this event, Gu Zuo found his patron spending one to two hours every day writing and drawing at his desk. He seemed to be using everything he had to ruminate over something.

His patron didn’t keep anything from him. Gu Zuo occasionally went to read, but he looked here and there and only saw a great, big mess of lines, where some seemed to have patterns and others didn’t. The specific contents were completely incomprehensible.

Because the relationship between him and his patron was even more familiar now, Gu Zuo asked what this was.

However, his patron was exhibiting the looks of a Prince Charming, and only smiled without speaking.

Gu Zuo had no other option than to ignore it.

Fortunately, Gu Zuo also had something occupying his time — That problem of absorbing medicinal qi. Currently, he sensed that every time he used his cultivation method, he needed to absorb two strands of medicinal qi. And if he spent one hour every day practicing, he could use the cultivation method ten times. In total, he needed twenty strands of medicinal qi. If the length of time increased, he’d need even more.

Thus, it wasn’t but a few days before he already used up much of the several hundreds of acc.u.mulated strands of medicinal qi. It was obvious that it wouldn’t be long before he wouldn’t be able to cover his expenditures with the medicinal qi he obtained from refining medicine.

As a result, Gu Zuo started to think of a way to increase the efficiency of his medicine refinement.

As his psychic power was indeed still slowly increasing, he grit his teeth and conducted even more attempts.

Gu Zuo’s very first attempt was using two small medicine refining cauldrons at the same time. However, it was regretful. He converged psychic power in his eyes to see that the flow of medicinal properties above the two cauldrons were fine. However, looking at things with a layman’s eye, it was clear that even if he spared no effort in working between the two cauldrons, he still neglected something. That slip up led to the ruination of the medicinal herbs in both cauldrons.

A summary of his failure: his speed was too slow, and his mind was distracted in the confusion.

There was nothing Gu Zuo could do except give up this line of thought, and move on to the second.

That was, changing the pill cauldron.

He threw in two bundles of medicinal herbs into a medium sized pill cauldron, increased the heat of the fire, and congealed the medicinal liquid. The number of possible pills created by the minor art plucking nine stars was unimpeded. The medicinal properties were safeguarded from chaotically mixing if he followed the working routine. Compared to his approach of distractedly using two cauldrons, it was many times easier.

This time around, he succeeded on the first try. Gu Zuo directly obtained thirty qi generating pills and two strands of medicinal qi.

— That’s right. Overall, he really succeeded; but in the end, two boluses of medicinal liquid were sc.r.a.pped. He didn’t achieve the most perfect number of successful medicinal pills.

In addition, from the color and l.u.s.ter of these qi generating pills, a section still had blemishes. There were those that had large flaws and others that had small flaws.

After Gongyi Tianheng learned of this event, he had Dragon One and Dragon Two eat these pills to distinguish them. After carefully differentiating them, they settled on an official standard.

Tianheng judged that the qi generating pills refined by other pharmacists were of a lower grade. Because the qi generating pills were refined by Gu Zuo, even if they weren’t as good as his first cauldron’s batch of sixteen pills, his most recent batch was still better than those other pharmacists’ products. Thus, he judged that this batch of pills were mid grade qi generating pills. Those that had flaws, but were comparatively better were judged as high grade. And the kind that had no blemishes were judged to be of the highest quality qi generating pills.

Although this kind of judgment was temporary, it still hadn’t disseminated. However, when it spread outside, one could imagine just how large a commotion it would give rise to.

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[1] 定海神珠 – Ding hai shen zhu, a magic treasure depicted in the Ming dynasty novel <封神演义>>.

[2] Actual phrase was 绝不能小觑的, which roughly means “in no way could be despised.” Corrected to underestimated, thanks to user Charysa.

[3] Since we have many low-level Families and the Five Clans, the only word I could come up with was “Dynasty” for the imperial family as a familial modifier of a higher rank.

[4] 光晕 – Guang yun, halo. However, I believe it’s more appropriate to call it a circuit since its shape doesn’t seem to resemble a circle or ellipse as it connects through Gu Zuo’s body.

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T/N: I can’t believe how many times the words cultivation method popped up in this chapter. Too much!

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