Chapter 24: The Supreme Qi Condensation Powder, Drained in One Gulp!

Cao Xuan toyed with Lin Miaoxuan. Ever since he had refined the supreme-grade Qi Gathering Pill himself, he no longer cared for the premium pills given by the system or crafted by Senior Sister Ye Caixuan. He exchanged those pills for spirit stones, purchased medicinal ingredients, and refined them into supreme-grade Qi Gathering Pills. To maximize efficiency, aside from taking one pill during his first refining session in the Earthfire Pill Room, he gifted the rest away to receive feedback.

The first time he summoned Lin Miaoxuan with a Spirit Communication Talisman and presented her with the pills, she had originally planned to take an outer sect mission to earn spirit stones. But upon receiving the Qi Gathering Pill and wrestling with herself, she decided to focus on cultivation first. With higher cultivation, she could complete more challenging missions and earn greater rewards. At first, she felt guilty for her perceived decline, but when Senior Brother Cao gifted her a bottle of pills every week, she was utterly captivated.

Initially, she worried that Senior Brother Cao might have ulterior motives or that there was something wrong with the pills. But after examining them, the only issue was that they were far superior to anything on the market. At that moment, she became convinced that Senior Brother Cao must be a top-tier second-generation cultivator, perhaps with a foundation-establishment expert in the family, possibly even a protector or elder of the Pill Refining Peak.

She had overheard that Senior Brother Cao had entered the Pill Refining Peak as a disciple by pulling strings. Before she became an outer sect disciple, she’d heard Chen Qianru talk about it many times: if one could become a pill refining disciple, there was hope of becoming an alchemist, with boundless prospects ahead.

Lin Miaoxuan gradually became certain that Senior Brother Cao liked her, which was why he gifted her such supreme pills. Yet, after receiving so many, she worried for his own well-being. Cao Xuan simply laughed, “Junior Sister, you’re joking. Look at my current cultivation.” He revealed his fifth-layer Qi Refining stage. Unlike Lin Miaoxuan, who used pills methodically, he, benefiting from tenfold returns, didn’t hold back at all.

Lin Miaoxuan was shocked by his fifth-layer Qi Refining cultivation; so Senior Brother’s talent was so extraordinary. Most people, even with pills, wouldn’t max out their use but would pursue efficiency. To her, Senior Brother Cao’s cultivation could only be due to exceptional talent.

“Senior Brother, you’re so amazing.” She blushed. “Back at Qingshan Market, I even thought...” Lin Miaoxuan lowered her head, leaving everything unsaid.

Cao Xuan paid it no mind. Back at Qingshan Market, he truly had been prepared to take a desperate gamble. Over the past two months, Lin Miaoxuan had grown accustomed to his generosity, her inner defenses steadily lowering.

To be precise, with so much given by Senior Brother Cao, she felt uneasy if she didn’t reciprocate somehow. So, she had long since set aside her pride. Now, lying in his arms, not only did she not resist, she traced circles on his chest with her delicate fingers.

“Junior Sister, you’re tickling me.”

“Senior Brother, you’re awful! You’re tracing circles on me, too, and I haven’t said anything!”

...

After a bout of tender affection, the two parted reluctantly.

In a valley of spiritual herbs, Cao Xuan strolled with a cool, regal-looking female cultivator.

“Senior Brother, I tried the fourteen methods you mentioned for handling Qi Gathering Orchid. Just as you said, each method triggers a different medicinal property.”

“Junior Sister Chen, you’re truly diligent. Actually, each ingredient has its own processing method depending on the pill being refined. Fourteen is just common for Qi Refining stage pills.”

“Hehe, Senior Brother, you sound just like an alchemist.”

Indeed, Cao Xuan was now walking with another tenfold return female cultivator, Chen Qianru, in the spiritual herb valley. Thanks to his pills, Chen Qianru had broken through to the fourth layer of Qi Refining last month. Her connections were broad, and she had found a partner and entered the outer sect early. She even helped Cao Xuan and Lin Miaoxuan apply for independent caves ahead of time.

Cao Xuan had come to appreciate Chen Qianru’s talent in social dealings. She hadn’t used any privileges; everything was done within the rules, but she knew which people to approach, so everything was quickly settled.

After moving out, she immersed herself almost entirely in tasks related to pill refining disciples. Unlike Lin Miaoxuan’s contented mindset, Chen Qianru had a bit of a strong woman’s ambition—determined to become an alchemist.

Of course, how the two chose to progress mattered little to Cao Xuan. What mattered was having people to gift pills to and receive feedback. His identity as an alchemist was still under wraps; while serving as a pill refining disciple, he had learned many pill recipes—Qi Condensing Powder, Clear Heart Pill, Meridian Opening Pill, Bone Strengthening Powder, and more.

Unlike other pill refining disciples who might not always learn from observing others, Cao Xuan, with his mastery-level insights from “The True Path of Alchemy,” found that watching a pill refining process was like reliving it himself. Once he understood the steps, his mind deduced the principles, and he considered improvements based on his mid-stage Qi Refining true energy, refining them successfully.

These pills were vital for cultivation, so he needed to produce and distribute them. If he only gifted Lin Miaoxuan, the sheer number might frighten or overwhelm her. Even now, just a few extra gifts made her surrender herself to him, unable to rest easy otherwise. So Cao Xuan had to let Chen Qianru share some of the pressure.

Unlike Lin Miaoxuan—sweet, naive, and with a first-love charm—Chen Qianru was far more astute. Sudden gifts would naturally arouse suspicion and wariness of Cao Xuan’s motives. So he discussed pill refining topics, such as medicinal properties, with her as an excuse.

Thus, they talked at length again in the herb valley. Seeing the moment was right, Cao Xuan took out a jade bottle. “By the way, Junior Sister Chen, this is Qi Condensing Powder, refined by one of my senior brothers. I happened to have ten bottles left.”

“Take it and try, and as I said, pay attention to how the medicinal properties fuse during cultivation.”

Chen Qianru’s heart trembled; Senior Brother Cao was at it again.

“Senior Brother, be honest—are you plotting something with me?”

“These past two months, you’ve gifted me so many pills!”

“I enjoy our conversations, but every time you find a way to gift me pills. What is it you really want?”

Cao Xuan’s hand paused. ‘Damn, am I being too eager?’

“Haha... Junior Sister, you’re joking. Isn’t this about discussing pill refining? You have to try them for real.”

With that, he picked up a bottle of supreme-grade Qi Condensing Powder from his storage pouch and downed it in one gulp.