Chapter 6: The Power of Harmony with Nature

He had completely flipped the script!

At this moment, while Cao Xuan was eager to hurry back to the sect to cultivate, Lin Miaoxuan was in no rush at all. She tucked the six bottles of pills safely into her bosom as if they were treasures to be kept close. With a favorability score of ninety, she had become utterly devoted to Cao Xuan.

But devotion was not servitude. The more Lin Miaoxuan looked at Cao Xuan, the more captivated she became—every gesture exuded nobility and charm. As a female cultivator, she had often discussed matters of Daoist companionship with her close friends and senior sisters. Even when seeking an inner disciple or a personal disciple as a future partner, she had never heard of anyone offering cultivation resources so openly.

Most would only support each other modestly; after all, both sides were cultivators who needed resources for their own progress. In the cultivation world, strength was everything. For the sake of resources, even brothers could turn against each other, fathers and sons become enemies, and in extreme cases, there were those who would even murder their wives to further their path, or offer up their families in blood sacrifices.

In short, cultivators as generous as Cao Xuan were virtually unheard of in the world of cultivation.

“Senior Brother, there’s always time for cultivation, but it’s rare to visit Qingshan Market. Don’t you want to stroll around with your junior sister?” Lin Miaoxuan spoke with a hint of endearing vulnerability.

Unfortunately, Cao Xuan’s heart was burning with excitement at the thought of the one hundred Gathering Qi Pills and fifty bottles of Condensing Qi Powder in his spatial storage—he couldn’t wait to return and begin his training. Most importantly, he had not a single spirit stone left on him.

But since Lin Miaoxuan had asked so sweetly, Cao Xuan reluctantly agreed to accompany her for a short walk. Naturally, this time, he didn’t buy a single thing. Lin Miaoxuan didn’t mind at all; the ten Gathering Qi Pills and five bottles of Condensing Qi Powder nestled against her were more than enough to satisfy her.

To win Cao Xuan’s favor, she displayed all her charms: gentle understanding, demure reliance, even the occasional staged stumble—all effortlessly executed. In the end, Lin Miaoxuan even handed Cao Xuan a talisman.

“Senior Brother Cao, this is my Spirit Communication Talisman. Remember to contact me when you have free time!”

…

Back at the sect, Cao Xuan shook his head. When a female cultivator took the initiative, there was little left for the men to do.

As a prospective outer disciple, Cao Xuan did not have a private abode to himself, but shared his quarters with another candidate. However, half a year ago, his roommate advanced to the fourth level of Qi Refinement and was granted his own residence, leaving immediately.

If Cao Xuan failed to advance within the next six months, what was called a “cave-dwelling” but was in truth a thatched hut, would be assigned to two new prospective outer disciples. Upon elimination from the sect, Cao Xuan faced two options: return to the mundane life of the Cao family, or become a menial laborer for the Azure Cloud Sect.

Yes, not a menial disciple, but simply a menial servant—the Azure Cloud Sect had no such thing as “menial disciples.” The Cao family, to which he belonged, was a family of servitors for the sect. For Cao Xuan, there was really only one path available if he failed: to become a servant once more.

“There’s only half a year left. This is my one and only chance!”

Relishing the last months he could spend alone in his humble abode, Cao Xuan retrieved a Gathering Qi Pill and a bottle of Condensing Qi Powder from his system’s storage. His eyes gleamed as he swallowed the pill and took a draught from the porcelain bottle, a satisfied smile curling on his lips.

“There’s no one in the entire candidate outer disciples, no—even including the outer disciples—who can afford to be so extravagant as me.”

The Gathering Qi Pill aided the cultivator in drawing in spiritual energy from the surroundings, while the Condensing Qi Powder facilitated the refinement of that energy within the body. Using both together increased efficiency dramatically.

But few could afford such luxury. Usually, cultivators would spend the first month with Gathering Qi Pills and the second month refining with Condensing Qi Powder. Though slower, this method offered the best value and was the top choice for all those living hand-to-mouth among the outer disciples.

But facing elimination in half a year, Cao Xuan had no choice but to prioritize efficiency. Thanks to his investments, his system’s storage was now stocked with a hundred Gathering Qi Pills and fifty bottles of Condensing Qi Powder. Wealthy as he was, he would not shortchange himself.

The moment the pill entered his stomach, he felt his mind clear and his four-forged spiritual roots flush with warmth, his efficiency soaring to the level of an eight-forged root. That’s right—medicinal aids existed precisely to compensate for a lack of natural aptitude.

A gentle breeze stirred the air—spiritual energy converging to a certain threshold, creating a faint wind.

As Cao Xuan basked in the nourishing flow of spiritual energy, he could not help but sigh at the injustice of every world: some were born with eight-forged spiritual roots and could achieve his level of cultivation without ever needing a pill.

As he cultivated and pondered, Cao Xuan suddenly noticed he could perceive the herbal components within the Gathering Qi Pill in his stomach.

“This is… ten-year Yellow Ganoderma, five-year Ginseng, fifteen-year Gathering Orchid, and… a small amount of flour!”

Cao Xuan was astonished. Instinctively, he controlled his stomach and circulated the Azurewood Art, the sect’s basic cultivation technique for prospective outer disciples.

“My absorption efficiency for pills has increased by fifty percent—this must be the system’s [Affinity with Plants] at work!”

As he felt the medicinal effects, he also became aware of the pill’s composition and the exact proportions of the various herbs.

When the spiritual energy within him reached a certain threshold, the Azurewood Art shifted, beginning to refine it into true essence. The Condensing Qi Powder, clinging to the spiritual energy, accelerated the process of catalysis and condensation.

“Ten-year Yellow Ganoderma, eight-year Ginseng, twelve-year Condensing Grass—no flour!”

“Ganoderma and Ginseng can serve as main ingredients for different pills—so that’s how two different pills can be made!”

As a prospective outer disciple, Cao Xuan’s focus had always been on cultivation—for failing meant being left with nothing. He only knew what the pills did; it was like knowing to take cold medicine for sneezing and digestive pills for a stomachache, but never bothering to learn how they were made.

But now, with Affinity with Plants, not only was his absorption efficiency increased by fifty percent, but he could also discern the proportions of the ingredients.

“No wonder it’s a system reward! Does that mean from now on, every time I take a pill, I’ll know its composition and the ratios of its ingredients?”

Cao Xuan had been cultivating for two and a half years—by now, it was second nature, no longer requiring his full attention. He could easily ponder other matters while training.

“Once I officially become an outer disciple, I should put learning alchemy on my agenda!”

“With someone like Lin Miaoxuan—a beauty worth ten times over—whatever pills I refine will return tenfold. With that kind of return, there’s no reason not to learn!”

“Besides, this time with the pills, it’s clear that gifting cultivation resources is far better than simply handing out spirit stones.”

Earlier, he had given ten spirit stones to Lin Miaoxuan, but her favorability barely changed—granted, it wasn’t a lot. But it also showed that giving cultivation resources was much more direct and effective than just handing out spirit stones.

“In the future, when I need even more precious resources, I can’t just give out piles of spirit stones!”