Chapter 43: Pills

“Still, Wu Qing’s strength is formidable. No matter how thorny the path ahead, she can cut through it all with a single sword strike by her own power!”

At this moment, upon returning to the fortified manor, more news arrived, causing Wu Ming to feel secretly alarmed.

Although he had already known that someone was plotting against Wu Qing and had planned to warn her to be vigilant while secretly assisting her, he hadn’t expected this woman to directly rely on her own strength to forcefully break through the crisis.

The mighty power of cultivators lies within themselves, presenting a stark contrast to the path of gathering collective strength.

“However… although individual strength is powerful, the potential of an organization shouldn’t be underestimated either!”

Wu Ming had his own path—pursuing dual strategies simultaneously: using his martial prowess for self-defense while building a network of supporters for additional protection.

This was indeed a path that combined personal strength with organizational power.

Although only one’s own strength is truly secure and cannot be taken by outsiders, the path of cultivation essentially involves seizing the essence of heaven and earth to nourish oneself, making drawing upon external forces still very important.

Even Wu Ming acknowledged the benefits that external systems and organizations could provide to an individual cultivator!

The “wealth, companions, methods, and land” essential for Dao cultivation were all external forces; how could one afford not to value them?

Therefore, he immediately ordered Zhao Song to reorganize the patrol station, increasing patrols daily, assigning the local militia to Feng Han for retraining, and strengthening the defenses of the manor significantly.

Although Wu Qing’s letter had already made things clear, Wu Ming wasn’t the kind of person to entrust his own safety entirely to someone else’s assurance.

This place was also different from the bandit stronghold.

The fortified manor was easy to defend and hard to attack. Some of the servants and patrollers were even hereditary household retainers who had signed life-and-death contracts, their fates tied to Wu Ming’s—killing them wouldn’t even require more than a monetary penalty, hence their loyalty was assured.

With their defense, unless attacked by a large army or a superhuman expert capable of breaking through with sheer force, there was nothing to fear.

Coincidentally, even the Zhou family couldn’t manage either of those options, so after arranging all these defenses, Wu Ming finally felt at ease.

“Since entering the Daoist academy seems hopeless, I might as well focus on studying the ‘Huangting Yinfu Jing’…”

Inside the quiet chamber, Wu Ming specially dismissed the servants, lit an incense burner, letting the smoke curl through the air, creating a serene atmosphere. A simple blue-and-white porcelain vase held a few plum blossoms, their pink petals still carrying morning dew, exuding a subtle fragrance.

Plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum have always been favored by Daoist cultivators and Confucian spiritual cultivators for their noble and unyielding characters.

On the table beside the vase lay the silver-charred jade scroll obtained from Master Qingping, now unfurled, revealing densely packed talismanic characters.

This was authentic Daoist scripture—the foundation of Dao cultivation, vastly different from minor techniques like the “Taiyin Lianshi Method,” marking a true path toward becoming a human immortal!

“To observe the Dao of heaven and follow heaven’s course—this fully encompasses the path of human immortality!”

Wu Ming then unfolded a scroll of silk manuscript covered with tiny, densely packed characters, accompanied by annotations, clearly translating content from the jade scroll.

This translation was obtained through the exchange at the Hall of the Main God, costing a modest merit of one hundred—a fair deal for both young and old.

“Without proper Dao methods, one can never find the entrance, but even possessing authentic Dao techniques, if one cannot understand them, they are of no use…”

Wu Ming sighed.

Master Qingping had been relatively fortunate to obtain the *Huangting Yinfu Jing*, but due to an insufficient cultivation foundation, he had even misinterpreted basic Daoist terminology. After years of groping in the dark, he had only reached the level of a talisman-bestowed Daoist priest—a rather tragic fate that ultimately benefited Wu Ming.

Regarding the foundations of Daoist cultivation and scriptural knowledge, Wu Ming himself was even less prepared than Master Qingping, so he dared not recklessly attempt interpretation without seeking assistance from the Main God’s Hall.

“The cultivation stages of Daoists are divided into Daoist, Alchemist, Talisman Master, True Man, and Celestial Master. The ‘Huangting Yinfu Jing’ fully covers the Daoist and Alchemist stages, but the Talisman Master section is incomplete, requiring a payment of one hundred and fifty merits to complete!… However, for my current level, this should suffice!”

Wu Ming straightened his clothes, calmed his mind, adjusted his state to its best condition, and began carefully reading this classic text.

This first reading of authentic Dao scriptures was a rare opportunity, allowing one to imprint the Dao’s essence in the heart—a crucial minor technique he had learned from Wu Qing.

In the swirling smoke, time passed slowly. After a long while, Wu Ming let out a satisfied sigh and gently put down the ancient scroll.

“The Dao follows nature! In essence, Daoist cultivation merely involves refining one’s Dao nature through various means such as dietary formulas, foundation building, studying scriptures, martial arts, talismans, spells, visualization techniques, etc., ultimately achieving unity with the Dao itself… Other magical techniques are merely secondary…”

Through the translation by the Main God, the “Huangting Yinfu Jing” became much more comprehensible, enabling Wu Ming to attain deeper enlightenment on the path of Daoism.

“Wu Qing mentioned that when she first entered the Daoist academy, she spent every day reciting scriptures and meditating to cultivate energy, cultivating her physical Dao nature. Once this Dao nature reaches perfection, one can open the sea of consciousness and cultivate magical powers… Other Dao sects refer to this as ‘lighting the heavenly lamp’ or ‘manifesting the inner light’…”

“But this step is extremely difficult. The Dao sects have a shortcut—bestowing talismans to aid breakthroughs, hence this stage is also called ‘receiving talismans’!”

“A Daoist who has received talismans is truly qualified to practice magic. Before that, although some might perform techniques, they are all considered heretical methods, often consuming one’s own blood and vital energy, merely classified as street sorcerers!”

“Only after receiving talismans can one be truly called a Daoist priest, possessing magical powers, though their physical body remains weak. The next step is internal alchemy cultivation, at which point one becomes an Alchemist!”

As a tank martial artist, Wu Ming couldn’t help but compare the two paths:

“Martial arts and Daoist techniques are entirely different paths, even involving distinct cultivation stages. Take a magical technique, for instance—if a Daoist prepares in advance, even a martial artist at the ultimate transformation level would find it troublesome. However, if one closes the distance, an innate-level martial artist could easily handle several talisman-wielding Daoists without protective magical artifacts… Thus, determining who is stronger can only be settled through actual combat!”

“Yet there are still certain comparable aspects… Purely in terms of physical constitution, after a Daoist achieves internal alchemy and establishes their foundation, their physical condition somewhat resembles a martial artist’s Xiantian stage… Of course, this only applies when blood and qi levels are equal; in actual combat, they would undoubtedly be defeated by martial artists! However, at this Alchemist stage, their senses are keen, their bodies agile, making it difficult for ordinary martial artists to ambush them. They can dodge and cast Daoist techniques, even posing a threat to martial artists at the pinnacle of transformation…”

“Although martial artists’ yang energy has some suppressive effect on Daoist magic, I’ve heard that even innate martial artists who haven’t reached the ultimate transformation master level would still suffer heavy defeats against a Talisman Master capable of manifesting techniques directly…”

“Therefore, it’s clear that the Daoist path is ultimately the way of the privileged elite, while the tank martial artist path has no future…”

Wu Ming sighed.

He understood that the Da Zhou world was ultimately not a game, and there was no so-called balance.

Daoists started off superior to martial artists from the very beginning, and the difference in starting points was just that ruthless!

“But… as the saying goes, you get what you pay for. The cost of cultivating Dao techniques is truly terrifying…”

Wu Ming merely glanced at the materials required for cultivating the “Huangting Yinfu Jing” and the various dietary formulas and elixir methods that followed, and his heart already felt uneasy.

Even though he considered himself somewhat wealthy, and had recently scored a big haul from the Zhou family, seeing these costs still made him feel dizzy.

“It’s said that studying is poor man’s work, martial arts are rich man’s work, and cultivating Dao techniques can ruin a family”—this was no exaggeration.

“The previous expenses, including magical artifacts, thunder talismans, and translation merits, left me with just enough merit to complete the Talisman Master section of the Yinfu Jing. I’ve been saving up for this…”

Wu Ming memorized the first layer of techniques, carefully tucked the “Huangting Yinfu Jing” and its translation close to his body, then summoned Butler Wu and handed him a list: “You’re responsible for purchasing the New Year supplies, correct? Take a look and estimate how much more it will cost to include these additional items.”

Old Wu took the list and saw ingredients like cinnabar, realgar, alum, azurite, and magnetite, along with several medicinal herbs. Though surprised, he remained composed until his eyes reached the quantities, at which point his eyelid twitched again: “If we’re to prepare enough for Young Master’s portion, it will cost at least five hundred taels of silver!”

“Alright, I’ll write you a note to withdraw the funds from the treasury. Procure these items as soon as possible… Also, don’t sell off that batch of jade we acquired earlier—keep it all.”

After dismissing Old Wu, a bitter smile appeared on Wu Ming’s face.

This was merely the cost of ordinary medicinal ingredients. As for those truly rare items, he hadn’t even dared to expect Old Wu to collect them—he had already planned to acquire them himself through the Main God’s Hall exchange.

…

Several days later, on a dark night.

Outside, stars shone brightly, but Wu Ming remained indoors, his expression solemn as he carefully tended a small stove.

Beneath it, high-quality silver-threaded beast-head charcoal burned fiercely, producing little smoke.

Wu Ming focused intently, occasionally lifting the lid to add a few medicinal ingredients.

“Monarch, minister, assistant, and messenger—each complements the other according to the seasons. This batch should be nearly complete! If it fails again, all previous investments will be wasted…”

What he was currently refining was naturally the elixir recorded in the Yinfu Jing, specifically designed to assist in opening the sea of consciousness—a highly valuable formula even among Daoist sects.

The cost of preparing a single batch was exorbitant. If not for the Main God’s Hall supplying raw materials at prices far below those of finished elixirs, Wu Ming’s multiple failed attempts would have already driven him to bankruptcy.

At the third watch of the night, a fragrant aroma suddenly wafted from the stove, bringing a delighted expression to Wu Ming’s face: “It’s done!”

Opening the stove, he saw numerous elixirs shaped like bird eggs, crystal clear and translucent, emitting a jade-like luster.

“This is the ‘Five-Stone Return Brightness Powder,’ an elixir used by Daoists to aid in breakthroughs. It can stabilize the sea of consciousness and awaken inner light, making it exceedingly rare. Starting with it right away is indeed quite an extravagant path to advancement… Unfortunately, I lack the accumulated resources of the Daoist sects and don’t have the luxury of time to gradually cultivate my Daoist merit. When cultivation falls short, elixirs must compensate—it’s a passable approach…”

Without delay, he used a jade spoon to scoop out the elixirs, placing them into several tightly sealed jade bottles before finally exhaling in relief.

The reason for using jade bottles was because this elixir interacted with the Five Elements. Although it hadn’t reached the extreme of being “damaged by metal or scorched by wood,” prolonged contact would still diminish its efficacy.

“What extravagance… Some of these ingredients require precise timing, quantities, and attributes from distant regions across the land. Probably only imperial relatives could afford to gather them all…”

After properly storing the elixir, Wu Ming steadied his mind, sat cross-legged, took out a jade bottle, and revealed the pill inside, gently piercing its thin membrane.

This elixir was egg-shaped, emitting a brilliant glow and exuding a drop of silver liquid.

Boom!

Wu Ming placed it under his tongue, and instantly a sensation like an electric current surged throughout his entire body.