After making up his mind, Han Li set down the jade slip and picked up another one.
The recipe for the “Everlasting Pill” was much simpler than that of the Foundation Establishment Pill. It didn’t require True Fire for refinement, nor did it use any unfamiliar medicinal herbs—all the ingredients were quite common.
The only thing that made him gasp was that these herbs needed to be over a thousand years old to be used as ingredients for the Everlasting Pill. No wonder he had never heard of this pill before. After all, any cultivator who obtained a spiritual herb over a thousand years old would treasure it like their own heart. Why would they waste it on an Everlasting Pill that had no effect on cultivation? This was why the Everlasting Pill was rarely known in the cultivation world.
However, this was no problem for Han Li. It would just take a bit longer to accelerate their growth. So, he decided that after dealing with the Foundation Establishment Pill, he would try refining a batch to see if it was truly as miraculous as the recipe claimed—able to preserve one’s appearance exactly as it was when the pill was taken.
About six or seven days later, when the little old man came again to the Hundred Herbs Garden to collect herbs, Han Li didn’t bother hiding his intentions. Standing in the garden, he directly asked about the three rare medicines.
“Jade Marrow Fungus, Purple Monkey Flower, and Heaven’s Spirit Fruit?” The little old man stroked his beard, his small eyes narrowing into slits.
“Hehe! It seems you’ve obtained the Foundation Establishment Pill recipe, Nephew, which is why you’re asking about these three main ingredients! But, Nephew, don’t tell me you actually plan to refine the pill yourself?” Uncle Ma curled his lips, looking at Han Li with an expression that said, “You have no idea how high the sky is or how deep the earth is.”
“Of course not! Not only do I know nothing about these three main ingredients, but even the supplementary herbs that are centuries old—where would I find them? Even in your garden, the oldest is just a century-old Dragon Transformation Herb! Under these circumstances, how could I possibly dream of refining pills?” Han Li naturally didn’t tell the truth and instead cleverly deflected.
“If you’re not planning to refine pills, then why are you asking about these three rare medicines? I’m very busy and don’t have time for idle chatter!” The little old man’s face hardened, speaking coldly.
Han Li had already anticipated Uncle Ma’s eccentric temperament, so he wasn’t flustered at all. Instead, he smiled and said, “I just found the names of these three main ingredients quite peculiar, and I’ve never heard anyone describe their appearance or properties. So, I was curious and asked casually. But what puzzles me is why there isn’t a single one of these rare herbs in your garden. Given how precious they are, shouldn’t you, Uncle, have tried everything to get their seeds and cultivate them here? Are they really so difficult to grow that even you can’t manage it?”
“Nonsense! Are you doubting my skills? The reason these herbs aren’t in the garden has nothing to do with my skills. They are transformed from the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, naturally grown varieties. Where would I find seeds? Even if I managed to get seedlings, they can’t survive in ordinary environments due to their unique growing conditions. No matter how much effort you put in, it’s useless. Otherwise, do you think I would let them go?” The little old man was clearly provoked by Han Li’s words and couldn’t help but flare up.
“No seeds? How is that possible!” Han Li couldn’t help exclaiming.
“Hmph, why wouldn’t it be? If these things, which are almost extinct in the outside world but are extremely useful to cultivators, could be artificially cultivated, wouldn’t the major immortal sects have already grown them in large quantities? Why would Foundation Establishment Pills become scarcer year by year?” The little old man rolled his eyes at Han Li, clearly annoyed.
Han Li felt a chill in his heart. No matter how effective the green liquid was at accelerating growth, if there were no seeds to begin with, how could he accelerate anything? You can’t create something out of nothing!
“If there’s nothing else, I’ll be going now! I’ll come back in two months to collect another batch of herbs.” Uncle Ma didn’t notice the strange expression on Han Li’s face and turned to leave.
“But where do the main ingredients for the Foundation Establishment Pill, which are produced every ten years, come from? If they really grow in such unique environments as you say, there must be a fixed growing location, right?” Han Li’s mind raced, and he immediately thought of another way. No seeds didn’t matter—there were still immature seedlings! If he could find enough of them, he could still accelerate their growth. So, he hurriedly pressed further.
“It seems your curiosity knows no bounds! But I advise you to give up. Going to that damned place to find these three rare herbs is no different from suicide.” The little old man didn’t even bother turning around. After coldly uttering these words, he flew away without another glance.
Left behind, Han Li stood frozen in place for a long time, not moving an inch.
“I must get my hands on these three rare herbs! Even if he won’t tell me, can’t I ask others?” Han Li looked up at the sky, took a deep breath, and muttered to himself slowly.
During his two years at Yellow Maple Valley, aside from Uncle Ma, the only people Han Li was somewhat familiar with were Steward Yu and the technique-instruction disciple, Wu Feng.
Steward Yu was too cunning and opportunistic, and Han Li didn’t enjoy dealing with him. So, the first person he turned to was Senior Brother Wu Feng. If he couldn’t get any clues from him, he would have to visit the greedy old man at Yue Lu Palace. He was sure to know, though it would likely cost Han Li dearly.
When Han Li arrived at the technique-instruction pavilion for low-level disciples, Wu Feng was in the middle of explaining low-level spells to a few youths. Upon seeing Han Li, he merely nodded slightly and continued his work.
Han Li didn’t mind. He knew Wu Feng was just very responsible, not singling him out for special treatment.
Speaking of Senior Brother Wu, Han Li held a great deal of respect for him. Although Wu Feng had taken a Foundation Establishment Pill and was still lingering at the peak of the Qi Refining stage without breaking through to Foundation Establishment, his comprehension of low-level spells was truly remarkable. He could infer many things from a single example, leaving Han Li in awe. Han Li had also benefited greatly from his guidance.
If that were all, Han Li would merely have been impressed but not deeply respectful. What surprised him was that since taking on the role of technique instructor, Wu Feng had treated all his fellow disciples equally, patiently teaching them his insights and experiences without holding anything back. This genuinely astonished Han Li.
To be honest, at first, Han Li didn’t believe Wu Feng could be such a person. He thought he had encountered another hypocrite who was just putting on a good show. So, he kept his distance, maintaining a polite but cool relationship.
However, after interacting with him for over a year, Han Li confirmed through Wu Feng’s daily behavior and actions that he was genuine—sincerely helping all his fellow disciples. This left Han Li speechless for a long time.
Although Han Li didn’t necessarily agree with Wu Feng’s approach, he couldn’t deny the man’s character. So, he gradually grew closer to him. Though they weren’t yet close friends, their relationship was much better than that between ordinary disciples.
Therefore, Han Li waited patiently on the side.
Senior Brother Wu’s explanations were incredibly detailed. A primary mid-level “Fire Snake Technique” took him over two hours to explain, complete with several demonstrations to let the youths fully grasp it.
To be honest, aside from the basic spells he had learned early on, Han Li hadn’t bothered learning many other Five Elements spells over the past two years. He had mostly focused on mastering the ones he hadn’t fully grasped yet.
This made Han Li completely lose hope in his own aptitude and even more eager to obtain the Foundation Establishment Pill.
Finally, the youths finished their inquiries and left the room. Wu Feng then turned to Han Li with a smile and asked, “Junior Brother Han, it’s been a while since you’ve come here! Have you decided to start learning mid-level spells?”
Han Li forced a bitter smile and said listlessly, “Senior Brother, you know my aptitude. It took me two years just to learn those primary low-level spells. If I try to learn the more difficult mid-level ones, wouldn’t it take seven or eight years to achieve even slight proficiency? I think I’ll pass.”
Wu Feng frowned slightly and chided him, “How can you be so discouraged, Junior Brother? So what if your aptitude is a bit lacking? Diligence can make up for weakness. As long as you work hard, you can still achieve great things.”
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