45: Chapter 45 There are no shortcuts

Xia Shaoxin had been stuck at the stage of circulating his cosmic orbit for half a year.

He hoped to successfully refine Qi so that he could remain in the Chiyan Sect.

He heard that the Chiyan Sect held a monthly Dharma Lecture Assembly hosted by an Elder to explain cultivation insights to low-cultivation Disciples.

Utility Disciples had not yet refined Qi, which did not count as cultivation, so they were not qualified to attend the lectures.

Xia Shaoxin looked around; his only acquaintances were the two Inner Sect Disciples, Senior Brother Liang Ruoran and Senior Brother Shao Junwei. It might be best to ask them and exchange some insights.

Ever since they "traded" a King Cobra, Senior Brother Liang Ruoran had not looked for him for half a year.

It was not easy for an Alchemist to gather a full set of medicinal ingredients for a batch of pills.

Senior Brother Shao Junwei was obsessed with studying Magical Artifacts, so he wouldn't take the initiative to visit him in the Utility Courtyard either.

Although the two of them were only at the Lower Stage of Qi Refining, they received special treatment because of their special talents—one could refine medicine, and the other could craft Magical Artifacts.

Not every Qi Refiner possessed a special talent.

Xia Shaoxin firmly believed that he also belonged to the category of those with a talent for refining medicine.

As long as he successfully refined Qi, his future would be limitless.

As luck would have it, Senior Brother Liang Ruoran was playing chess with Senior Brother Shao Junwei again today.

Xia Shaoxin brought a small box containing the dried remains of a "Spine-backed Yellow Toad", a kind of toad with spines on its back and pus oozing all over its body.

Not knowing when Senior Brother Liang Ruoran would perform Alchemy, he didn't dare to hand over a live one, as it would revert to its original form in thirty days.

"Oh!"

Senior Brother Liang Ruoran was both surprised and delighted to see this Spine-backed Yellow Toad.

"Where did you get this?"

Xia Shaoxin was unwilling to answer this question. Seeing Senior Brother Shao Junwei present, he took out another box, which contained over a dozen parts of Poisonous Insects.

Fangs, shells, snake skins, and the like.

Over the past half year, while making medicine balls, he had converted some Poisonous Insects.

Not every part of a Poisonous Insect could be used in medicine, and some parts were unusable, but the Gu Bureau accepted them anyway.

He didn't know what they were used for, so he had collected them all.

Seeing Senior Brother Shao Junwei today, he brought them along to curry favor.

Senior Brother Shao Junwei was obsessed with crafting Magical Artifacts, but his daily task of engraving identity tokens for Sect Disciples was a waste of his talents.

"Wonderful!"

Senior Brother Shao Junwei was very pleased and accepted them all with a smile.

"Do you want money for these?"

"No money," Xia Shaoxin replied hurriedly.

"These aren't worth much. Even put together, they aren't worth a single Spirit Stone," Senior Brother Shao Junwei explained.

With a bitter Face, Xia Shaoxin said, "Do I look like the kind of person who values money over life?"

With a sharp look in his eyes, Senior Brother Shao Junwei asked, "Then why didn't you give them to me earlier?"

What kind of logic was that? Xia Shaoxin was actually left speechless.

"You have almost no friends in the Chiyan Sect. As an Inner Sect Disciple willing to associate with you, don't you know how to properly build a relationship with me?"

Xia Shaoxin didn't know what to say.

Although what Senior Brother Shao Junwei said was the truth, being so blunt did not save him any Face at all.

Surprisingly, Senior Brother Shao Junwei continued, "You probably wanted to sell them but couldn't find a buyer for over half a year. Right now, you must be facing some difficulty and want my help."

He picked up a long fang, looking at it with great interest, his words even more toxic than the venomous fang.

Xia Shaoxin couldn't help but smile bitterly. He recalled how his identity had been seen through by Senior Brother Shao Junwei, who nevertheless chose not to expose him. He truly was an interesting person.

Senior Brother Liang Ruoran laughed heartily from the side. "Brother Shao is right. An unsolicited favor is either a trick or a trap. Tell us, are you playing a trick, or laying a trap?"

Xia Shaoxin had no choice but to say, "After I learned how to draw Qi into my body and circulate my cosmic orbit, I have been stuck at this stage. I hope you two can guide me."

Without hesitation, Senior Brother Liang Ruoran pushed the Spine-backed Yellow Toad back into Xia Shaoxin's hands.

"You are asking for the impossible! I am powerless to help."

Senior Brother Shao Junwei continued to examine each part of the Poisonous Insects, saying casually, "Even if I had a method to break through to Qi Refining, these trinkets of yours aren't worth that price."

Xia Shaoxin quickly said, "Tell me what price you want, and I will definitely find a way to meet it."

"Uh, actually, there is no such method."

Senior Brother Shao Junwei closed the lid of the box. "Forget it, your items are too hot to handle. I don't dare to take them."

Xia Shaoxin said somewhat dejectedly, "Then can you at least share some of your insights with me?"

Almost simultaneously, the two shook their heads. "To be honest, I don't even remember how I made the Breakthrough back then. Thinking about it afterward, it was probably just fate."

Xia Shaoxin had no choice but to speak even more bluntly, getting straight to the point: "I heard before that immortals have Medicinal Pills that can allow someone to directly step into the Qi Refining Realm."

Senior Brother Liang Ruoran was startled. He exchanged a look with Senior Brother Shao Junwei, and both burst into roaring laughter.

"You're right, such things do exist in legends."

"The one that lets a person directly step into the Qi Refining Realm is called the meridian opening pill."

"Oh, let alone the meridian opening pill, there is even the foundation establishment pill that lets you directly achieve Foundation Establishment."

"But do you know why these Medicinal Pills are so rare?"

Xia Shaoxin was very clever and immediately thought of the Five Poisons Spirit Gathering Pill, which used expensive poisonous substances yet only served as an aid to learn introductory Cultivation Techniques.

"Naturally, it is because the medicinal ingredients are too precious, making it highly uneconomical to craft such Medicinal Pills."

Personally, I don't think it's a waste, and even less do I think it's expensive, he thought.

"If you know that, why are you still asking!" Senior Brother Liang Ruoran said ruthlessly. "If this stuff were easy to obtain, the Chiyan Sect wouldn't have had so many scions of extremely wealthy families leaving in regret."

Xia Shaoxin did not give up. "What medicinal ingredients does it require?"

Senior Brother Liang Ruoran waved his hand. "Don't bother asking me. I don't know, and I have no use for it. Anyway, I only know that one of the medicinal ingredients comes from the northern Tang Kingdom."

He recalled briefly.

"In a place controlled by a certain Sect in the Tang Kingdom, there is a kind of Immortal Plant that is the main ingredient for refining the Evergreen Pill."

Xia Shaoxin looked completely bewildered. "What kind of Medicinal Pill is the Evergreen Pill?"

"That is a Medicinal Pill consumed by Foundation Establishment Cultivators. Do you think medicinal ingredients meant for Foundation Establishment Cultivators would be wasted on you?"

Xia Shaoxin asked timidly, "I heard that above the Qi Refining Realm is Foundation Establishment. Is our Sect Head at Foundation Establishment?"

"There are no Foundation Establishment Cultivators in our Yue Kingdom," Senior Brother Shao Junwei said flatly. "If we had Foundation Establishment Cultivators, would mere Disciples at the Lower Stage of Qi Refining have the Face to be Inner Sect Disciples?"

Xia Shaoxin couldn't help but gasp.

He had thought the Chiyan Sect was incredibly powerful, but it turned out to be nothing special.

Senior Brother Shao Junwei suddenly sighed and said, "The Chiyan Sect is very strong in the Yue Kingdom, but in the grand scheme of the world, it is only a mid-tier School. The top-tier Schools control Advanced Materials and craft the finest Magical Artifacts."

He glanced at Xia Shaoxin.

"There indeed exist Magical Artifacts that help gather Spiritual Qi and make it easier for people to make a Breakthrough, but I have never seen one, let alone crafted one."

He lowered his head, staring blankly at the parts of those Poisonous Insects.

"Thinking of such Magical Artifacts and then looking at this trashy material is truly depressing."

Senior Brother Liang Ruoran patted Xia Shaoxin on the shoulder and said with some emotion, "Actually, your innate Aptitude was originally quite good, but it was contaminated by toxic miasma. That is your fate, and there is nothing that can be done."

Senior Brother Shao Junwei also hit the nail on the head: "We are all poor people; there are no shortcuts. If you don't accept your fate, you have to work harder than others. But the painful part is, working hard might not even change your fate."

Xia Shaoxin had given away so many valuable items, yet instead of getting good advice, he received a heap of negative energy.

He had no choice but to settle for the next best thing, describing in detail his thoughts, feelings, and confusion when circulating his cosmic orbit. The two carefully recalled how they had made their own Breakthroughs back then and offered their insights.

They chatted for a long time, almost causing him to delay his duties as a Utility Disciple.

In the end, Xia Shaoxin only gained one insight: "Perhaps I must force myself to consume three jade bamboo spirit leaves!"