Chapter 136 – The Effects of a Fourth-Grade Pill, A Reasonable Alchemy Fee

Inside the room, Yu Xian still didn’t lie on the bed. He simply sat cross-legged on the floor.

Even though Wang Teng had told him this room was now his to live in and use however he pleased, Yu Xian only cared about having peace and quiet—not comfort. As for other people’s beds, he never touched them. Sitting on the floor was more than enough.

With a flip of his hand, a cold jade bottle appeared in Yu Xian’s palm.

It was the fourth-grade lower-tier pill—Mystic Moonlight Powder.

Though it was also fourth-grade lower-tier like the Purple Jade Pill, its effects were far inferior.

But since this pill had been obtained for free, Yu Xian didn’t mind the difference in potency.

Truthfully, he could’ve refined all three pills from before—Mystic Moonlight Powder, Clear Foundation Pill, and Blazing Sun Pill—into high-grade quality.

But he didn’t. He intentionally made one low-grade, one mid-grade, and one mid-grade upper-tier pill.

The reason? Simple—dual pill refinement.

By refining two pills in one batch, he could keep one for himself.

And as for whether he felt guilty about it? Was it sneaky or unfair?

Absolutely not.

Yu Xian believed this was what he deserved.

When an alchemist helps someone refine pills, it’s perfectly acceptable—even expected—for them to benefit, especially if they succeed. Otherwise, what would be the point of spending so much time learning the craft?

That was something Xiao Wusheng had made very clear to him when teaching alchemy. Yu Xian had remembered it well.

The Mystic Moonlight Powder might not compare to the Purple Jade Pill, but when you combine it with a mid-grade Clear Foundation Pill, the boost was considerably higher.

And if you added in the mid-grade Blazing Sun Pill?

You’d need around eight Purple Jade Pills to match the effect.

A classic case of “losing the east, gaining the west.”

Calm and composed, Yu Xian regulated his breath and swallowed the Mystic Moonlight Powder.

If he cultivated without taking pills, progress would be unbearably slow.

Ten years, twenty years—even fifty—to break through a minor stage. Yu Xian didn’t have that kind of time to waste.

So, whenever there was a shortcut, he would take it—without hesitation.

As for developing resistance to fourth-grade pills?

Well, he’d just refine fifth-grade ones in the future!

This was Yu Xian’s first time taking a fourth-grade pill.

Before this, he had only taken second- and third-grade pills, and his body had already begun showing resistance.

But now, with the powerful fourth-grade medicinal energy flooding into him, his previous bottlenecks shattered instantly.

The immense energy surged through his dantian and physical body.

The Mystic Moonlight Powder mainly worked to regulate the Qi Sea and heal hidden internal damage.

Most cultivators reached Foundation Establishment using Foundation Pills, which often left hidden flaws in the dantian and Qi Sea. These flaws might seem insignificant now, but at the moment of attempting to form a Golden Core, they could become the primary reason for failure.

Hence, many late Foundation Establishment cultivators needed pills like Mystic Moonlight Powder to repair those issues in advance.

However, Yu Xian was different.

He didn’t rely on pills to break through Foundation Establishment. He was blessed by heaven and earth, achieving it naturally. His Qi Sea was flawless, his foundation solid, and his Little Elm Tree without defect.

Thus, all the medicinal energy focused entirely on strengthening his already perfect Qi Sea!

8 zhang and 8 chi in diameter…

9 zhang!

9 zhang, 5 chi!

9 zhang, 6 chi!

9 zhang, 8 chi!

His Qi Sea stopped expanding at 9 zhang and 8 chi. The pill had reached its limit.

Then, his Foundation Platform began to glow. Its complex inscriptions and runes became clearer and more numerous. It also grew slightly larger.

Meanwhile, the small elm tree seemed to absorb a massive amount of nutrients. Its leaves multiplied, its trunk thickened, and its height reached 1 zhang!

As the medicinal effect faded, Yu Xian felt a clear increase in his strength—even if he hadn’t reached mid-Foundation Establishment, his power had taken a substantial step forward.

Opening his arms, he drew in spiritual energy, inhaled deeply, then exhaled a breath of turbid Qi and opened his eyes.

He raised his hand.

The mid-grade Clear Foundation Pill now lay in his palm.

For ordinary cultivators, taking two fourth-grade pills in a row would be unbearable.

But Yu Xian’s physical body was incredibly strong. With Great Pill Body Tempering Technique, his constitution surpassed that of common cultivators. Two pills? Four pills? Even six? He could endure them all.

Without hesitation, he swallowed the second pill.

Clear Foundation Pill—as its name suggested—was meant to stabilize the foundation and prepare for Golden Core breakthrough.

This pill helped compress and solidify the foundation platform until it could be reshaped into a Golden Core the size of a thumb.

Such immense compression of dozens of zhang down to a core—unsurprisingly dangerous.

Hence the need for this pill, to stabilize and prevent collapse during the critical moment.

However, Yu Xian wasn’t attempting to condense a Golden Core yet.

He was still in early Foundation Establishment, with a long way to go before Core Formation.

Thus, most of the pill’s effect simply reinforced and cleaned his foundation platform, refining the runes and obscure characters etched into it.

A waste? Perhaps.

But Yu Xian didn’t care. Even a minor gain was still a gain.

He exhaled another breath of turbid Qi—residue from the internal cleansing—and sat silently.

The third pill, the mid-grade Blazing Sun Pill, was extremely precious.

Taking it now would be wasteful.

He’d save it for when he hit a bottleneck at mid-Foundation Establishment.

So instead, Yu Xian quietly continued running the Ten Thousand Longevity Wood Spring Technique, absorbing the remaining medicinal essence.

His little elm tree swayed gently, its jade-like leaves shimmering.

Time passed.

Five days went by in complete peace.

Not even Wang Teng came to bother him once.

Whether Wang Teng had used the three pills to strengthen his Qi Sea, stabilize his foundation, and try forming a Golden Core… Yu Xian did not know.

Forming a core wasn’t just about pills. It required strength, timing, and luck.

Out of hundreds of Foundation cultivators, perhaps one would succeed.

That was the harsh truth.

Over these five days, Yu Xian made slight progress in his Wood Vine Technique and practiced the Great Pill Body Tempering eight times, though with minimal gains.

If he wanted to reach the next stage, the Lesser Pill Body, he would need more physical-body-strengthening pills.

Training alone would take forever.

One morning, Yu Xian was absorbing spiritual energy when seven thick vines swayed like arms around him, soft and serene, stretching eighteen zhang long and one chi thick.

They looked gentle, but their power was terrifying. If whipped, they’d unleash thunderous force.

He had now perfected the fifth layer of the Wood Vine Great Art—Vine Technique.

Next was the Hundred Zhang Vine Technique.

He’d also developed skill in the Vine Armor Technique, allowing him to summon a layer of wooden vine armor on his body.

Combined with his Spiritual Shield, Cloud Robe, and powerful body, he had four layers of defense.

He believed he could take a full-strength blow from even a late-Foundation cultivator without needing to dodge.

Suddenly, Yu Xian sensed movement.

His vines vanished instantly.

He stood, gathered his breath, and dispersed his aura. The Eight-Cloud Forbiddance Array returned to eight small flags, which he pocketed.

Opening the door, he saw Wang Teng standing thirty meters away, smiling.

“You noticed that?” Wang Teng asked, impressed.

Though still at Foundation Establishment perfection and not Golden Core, he hadn’t taken the pills yet. He was likely waiting for the right moment—no distractions, high spiritual density, and total confidence.

Because once you fail to form a core… there’s no second chance.

Yu Xian smiled calmly. “Brother Wang, your footsteps thunder like a storm. How could I not notice?”

Wang Teng chuckled awkwardly. “Some guests insist on seeing you—Li Yuan, Sun Ding, Jiang Shanyu, and Zhou Zong. They claim that if you’re missing, I must’ve killed you.”

Yu Xian raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Let them in. I assume they want pills. If the price is right, I’ll help.”

Wang Teng’s face darkened. “Be careful with that Li Yuan. He’s not trustworthy.”

“I appreciate the warning.”

Wang Teng nodded and left swiftly.

Yu Xian stood quietly, thinking.

Why would those people care if he lived or died? If he really had been killed, what did it matter to them?

But he soon smiled bitterly.

If he was alive—they could ask him to refine pills.

If he were dead—they could use it to damage Wang Teng’s reputation.

Either way, they stood to gain.

Moments later, Wang Teng returned with four cultivators. “Li Yuan, open your dog eyes and look! My honored guest is alive and well. You slandered me—how will you compensate!?”

Li Yuan, Jiang Shanyu, Zhou Zong, and another Foundation late-stage cultivator were stunned when they saw Yu Xian.

Yu Xian stepped forward, laughing, “How did such a misunderstanding happen? I merely stayed here a few days, yet you all thought I was dead and came storming in? I’m flattered!”

Li Yuan smiled. “Just seeing you alive puts my heart at ease.”

He turned to Wang Teng. “Apologies, Brother Wang. I was worried and spoke rashly. Punch me if it helps.”

Wang Teng’s face remained cold. “Fool. I won’t stoop to your level.”

“Such generosity! I admire you.”

Then Li Yuan turned back to Yu Xian. “Brother Yu, seeing you safe brings me peace.”

Yu Xian chuckled. “I’m perfectly fine. What did you come here for?”

Li Yuan paused, then admitted, “Actually… I do need a pill refined.”

He handed over a pouch.

Wang Teng scoffed internally. So much for righteous concern—just more pill freeloading.

Yu Xian’s face turned serious. “Alchemy is never guaranteed. You understand?”

“Of course. If you fail, I’ll take responsibility.”

Yu Xian nodded. He checked the contents—it was a mid-tier fourth-grade pill, likely to assist in reaching peak Foundation Establishment.

“Eight thousand spirit stones,” Yu Xian said.

Everyone froze.

Li Yuan blinked. “You’re… charging?”

“Indeed.”

“Can you guarantee success?”

“No,” Yu Xian replied honestly.

The four exchanged glances.

Eight thousand spirit stones was enough to buy two batches of materials.

“You ask for payment, yet offer no guarantee?” Li Yuan asked, frowning.

Yu Xian’s expression didn’t change. “Refining pills drains time and spirit. I owe you nothing. Eight thousand is standard. Even the Medicine King Valley charges such fees.”

“Exactly!” Wang Teng jumped in. “Trying to get free pills? How shameless!”

Li Yuan ignored him and studied Yu Xian. Then he smiled. “You’re right. Nothing comes free.”

He took back the pouch, added eight thousand stones, and handed it over again.

“Thank you for your effort.”

Yu Xian checked the pouch and nodded. “Very well. Wait here. I’ll begin immediately.”

He turned and entered the house.

He wasn’t charging Li Yuan because he needed the money—but because he needed to make a statement.

He was now clearly aligned with Wang Teng.

If he did it for free, neither side would be satisfied.

By charging a fee, he made it clear: This is just business. No favor, no alliance.

In the world of cultivation, neutrality is a death sentence.

Yu Xian had chosen his side—Wang Teng.