Chapter 34: Cashback! Supreme Cleansing Pill!

Chen Qianru and Lin Miaoxuan, after that night, both came to understand a simple truth. In the world of cultivation, strength reigns supreme. To encounter someone like Senior Brother Cao, who was willing to spend spirit stones on them—a “tycoon” of sorts—what was there to complain about?

Everyone knew Principal Wang was fickle in love. Yet, if one could become one of his favored internet celebrities, who wouldn’t be eager? Even if they couldn’t become the legitimate wife in the end, to profit a little from his generosity was still worthwhile.

With a shift in mindset, the lofty airs of female immortals vanished. The distinction between mortals and immortals upon entering the Azure Cloud Sect faded; no longer did they carry the pride of being a noble concubine above mere mortal women. Both returned to a more ordinary state of mind.

Though they no longer held themselves in arrogant esteem, they did not abandon their pursuit of the Dao.

At that moment, upon receiving a message from Cao Xuan, Chen Qianru was startled at first, but quickly regained her composure. Previously, Cao Xuan had always given her the impression of being quite close to becoming an alchemist. With his current cultivation at the sixth level of Qi Refinement and his “family background,” it was not difficult to imagine him becoming an alchemist.

The pills he had given her before had always been of the highest quality, never claiming them as his own creations. After all, if he said so, no one would believe him, and if they did, it could cause trouble.

But this time, the cleansing pill he refined wasn’t just a low-grade pill—the effect was notably inferior. Claiming it as his own work posed no issue and could serve as groundwork for his eventual breakthrough to the seventh level of Qi Refinement and becoming a formal alchemist.

Chen Qianru, with her broad connections, occasionally mentioned in passing that Cao Xuan could refine pills. Later, when he applied for the alchemist examination, no one would find it abrupt.

It’s like a perennial top student passing the entrance exam for Qingbei—no one would be surprised. But if a perennial underachiever suddenly scores admission, everyone suspects something’s amiss.

Cao Xuan was cautious to his core. Ever since he realized his previous exam had earned him a spot as an apprentice alchemist—something that felt incongruous—he became vigilant. Senior Brother Yang Fan’s words echoed in his mind: “The tree that stands out in the forest is the first to be felled.”

Yang Fan assumed Cao Xuan would flaunt his talent and prematurely reveal his identity as an alchemist. Little did he know, Cao Xuan was even more prudent than he imagined.

While cultivating a relationship with Chen Qianru, he frequented the Spirit Herb Valley, and often displayed a talent for handling medicinal herbs before other alchemist seniors, laying foundation for his eventual rise.

Before heading to Spirit Herb Valley to meet Chen Qianru, Cao Xuan muttered to himself, “Still lacking strength. Otherwise, I could sweep my way through—who would dare say anything?”

“I wonder, taking half a year to finally become an alchemist—is that too conspicuous?”

With so many disciples in the Azure Cloud Sect, as long as he didn’t achieve instant success, few would notice such “anomaly.” The larger the pool, the greater the chance of geniuses emerging.

...

“Senior Brother, what kind of pill is this?” Chen Qianru held the porcelain bottle Cao Xuan gave her, poured out a pill, and examined it closely.

After all, this was Senior Brother Cao’s very first batch of pills—a milestone worth commemorating. By rights, with fifteen kinds of ingredients and twice-refined fusion, the pill ought to be fragrant. Yet, the cleansing pill was different; it seemed to lack any scent whatsoever. If she didn’t trust Cao Xuan, she’d suspect this was nothing but a lump of black flour.

Cao Xuan had prepared his explanation well, smiling as he said, “This is a rather rare formula, and quite simple to refine. It’s called the Minor Clarity Pill!”

Among the ingredients was Clarity Grass, which imparted a cooling sensation to the spiritual core, so calling it the Minor Clarity Pill was fitting. After all, who would guess that the subtle coolness was actually the pill’s effect of cleansing the spiritual root?

Chen Qianru, upon hearing this, showed no disappointment that the pill wasn’t for improving cultivation. Instead, she carefully put it away. With a sweet smile, she said, “Thank you, Senior Brother. Today I learned a new method for processing medicinal ingredients…”

She paused, then whispered, “…Would you like to visit my cave abode? No other intentions, of course—just to show you my progress!”

...

The night passed without further words.

At dawn, Cao Xuan stretched his back lightly, feeling refreshed as he returned to his own cave abode.

He glanced at his system panel, which still displayed yesterday’s record.

【Ding~ Successfully gifted Chen Qianru 9 low-grade cleansing pills. Cashback in progress】

【Ding~ Chen Qianru’s multiplier is 10. Cashback: 9 top-grade cleansing pills!】

That’s right—Cao Xuan had expected the usual rule: cashback of 90 low-grade cleansing pills, ready to use quantity to push his fourth-forged spiritual root up to fifth-forged.

“Tch, I wonder if this is a blessing or a curse,” Cao Xuan sighed. The difficulty of refining cleansing pills, even with the profound insights from ‘True Explanation of Alchemy,’ left him unsure if he could produce top-grade cleansing pills during the Qi Refinement stage.

As for the low-grade cleansing pills, with their meager effect of cooling the spiritual root, he’d need at least a hundred or more to see any result.

Thinking thus, Cao Xuan promptly withdrew the 9 top-grade cleansing pills from the system, stored them, and popped one directly into his mouth.

Boom!

His whole body trembled, as if a rush of pure energy instantly swept through his spiritual core.

“What is this?” Cao Xuan was stunned. Under the effect of the top-grade cleansing pill, he could actually sense the spiritual root within his core.

It was a crescent-shaped thing, and under the pill’s cleansing, it was as if a banana had its skin peeled away.

He thought it was over, but then his vision went black, and he lost consciousness.

...

“Hmm? What’s that smell, so foul!” When Cao Xuan awoke, it was already the next day. Seeing the black impurities covering his body, he was dumbfounded.

“I’m already at the sixth level of Qi Refinement—how can I still have so many impurities?”

“And wasn’t I cleansing my spiritual root? How did it turn into cleansing my body?”

Muttering to himself, he gathered his true essence and cast a cleaning spell. With his elevated realm and increased spiritual energy, such convenient little spells were second nature—never a burden to learn more.

Soon, with steam washing over him, the black substance on his skin was enveloped and formed into a watery black sphere, which he tossed out of his cave.

“Refreshing!”

“Wait—what’s this? The spiritual energy around my cave?”

Cao Xuan closed his eyes. If before, he could only sense scattered points of starlight in the surrounding darkness, now those starlights seemed closer, more numerous—like fireflies encircling him.

He opened his eyes and brought up his panel.

【Name: Cao Xuan】

【Spiritual Root Attribute: Five-forged Spiritual Root】

【Talent: Affinity with Plants】

“Five-forged spiritual root—it really is a five-forged spiritual root!”

“So this is the effect of the top-grade cleansing pill?”

“Yes, I understand now. The aptitude of the spiritual root isn’t just about the root itself; it also represents the foundation of the body.”

“No wonder the system’s pills are so extraordinary. If it only cleansed the spiritual root, compared to true five-forged cultivators, the talent would still fall short.”

...