The wooden box was not large. Though it bore no elaborate carvings, the dark wood, steeped in the passage of time, exuded a restrained sense of preciousness. Gu Shao'an could also clearly smell a faint trace of agarwood lingering beneath his nose.
Facing the wooden box Miejue held out to him, Gu Shao'an looked doubtful, but he still accepted it. It felt smooth and cool in his hands.
Miejue said, "Inside this box are two Bodhi Exquisite Pills. They were refined from Pusi Qu Snake Gallbladders, snake blood, Exquisite Grass, and forty-nine other medicinal ingredients. After taking them, they can strengthen one's original essence and increase inner force."
"One pill alone is equivalent to a martial artist with good bone structure cultivating internal energy diligently for an entire year. It can also increase a martial artist's physical strength."
Gu Shao'an already possessed advanced medical texts, so he was naturally no stranger to a special medicinal ingredient like the Pusi Qu Snake Gallbladder.
Upon hearing Miejue's words, the hand holding the wooden box stiffened slightly.
Gu Shao'an had not expected Emei to still possess something this valuable.
Anything that increased one's original inner force and improved one's physique would be an absolute rarity anywhere.
Not to mention a second-rate force like Emei—even first-rate forces might not possess something capable of increasing original inner force and improving one's physique.
Gu Shao'an had not expected the Emei Sect to have such a thing.
Zhou Zhiruo, standing nearby, was simple-minded.
Even after learning that these Bodhi Exquisite Pills were treasured relics passed down by grandmaster Guo Xiang, she felt no greed whatsoever. She merely studied the wooden box in Gu Shao'an's hands with mild curiosity.
Seeing Gu Shao'an staring at the wooden box in astonishment, Miejue spoke again.
"Shao'an, your comprehension is extraordinary, but your bone structure is ultimately only as good as mine. While that is already quite decent in the martial world, it still cannot compare to those Heavenly Pride martial artists."
"Inner force may very well become your only weakness in the future."
"Fortunately, you have only just begun cultivating. These two Bodhi Exquisite Pills happen to strengthen one's original inner force, making them perfect for laying a solid foundation for you."
"Once your original inner force grows stronger and your foundation becomes stable, combined with your own diligence, you will surely surpass your master in the future and attain True Energy Transformation."
"When that time comes, the Emei Sect will surely shine brilliantly in your hands and return to the ranks of the first-rate sects in the martial world."
It was not only Gu Shao'an.
Even Zhou Zhiruo could hear the profound expectations Miejue held for Gu Shao'an in her words.
Looking at the wooden box in his hands, it would have been impossible for Gu Shao'an to say he was not moved.
From Miejue's explanation just now, Gu Shao'an also understood that these were the last two Bodhi Exquisite Pills in Emei. The refining method had already been lost, making them extraordinarily precious.
Yet Miejue had taken out such precious items for him, a disciple who had entered the sect barely over a month ago.
No matter what Miejue's motives were, he was the one benefiting from it.
Gu Shao'an was not an indecisive person.
People came in different grades, and the same was true for a martial artist's bone structure and comprehension.
Those with superior bone structure could cultivate for one month and achieve what those with poor bone structure needed several months to accomplish.
That was why those Heavenly Pride martial artists of the martial world possessed such deep cultivation at such young ages that even veteran martial artists were astonished.
Gu Shao'an's good bone structure was not poor by martial-world standards, but it could only be considered above average.
Although he could use Achievement Points for draws and might obtain something that improved his bone structure someday,
there was no guarantee when it came to such things.
Being able to strengthen his original inner force sooner would also greatly improve Gu Shao'an's strength.
After nodding, Gu Shao'an slowly opened the wooden box under the watchful gazes of Miejue and Zhou Zhiruo.
The box was lined with soft, bright yellow silk, upon which lay two pills the size of broad beans.
The pills were the size of broad beans and bore faint crimson patterns.
They looked as though crimson lines had been drawn over little clay pellets, and they also carried an aroma resembling coptis.
Taking a deep breath and suppressing his turbulent emotions, Gu Shao'an picked up one of the Bodhi Exquisite Pills without hesitation.
"Take both at once while the momentum is there. Only then will the medicinal effects reach their greatest potency."
Miejue suddenly spoke at that moment.
Hearing this, Gu Shao'an picked up the other pill as well and, following Miejue's instructions, placed both Bodhi Exquisite Pills into his mouth at once.
The moment the pills entered his mouth and touched his taste buds, their bitterness—like concentrated coptis—made Gu Shao'an furrow his brow.
Who said good pills tasted sweet? Medicine was three parts bitter to begin with, much less pills made from a pile of herbs mixed with snake gallbladders.
Grumbling inwardly, Gu Shao'an forced himself to swallow the pills despite the bitterness, his brows still tightly knitted.
Yet after the pills entered his stomach, the intense medicinal energy he had expected did not erupt immediately. It was as if stones had sunk into the sea, causing no ripples at all. Only the bitterness lingered in his mouth.
Boom!
However, ten breaths later, an indescribably vast surge of energy suddenly exploded from Gu Shao'an's dantian.
This energy was not like violent flames. Rather, it resembled magma buried deep underground suddenly beginning to churn—heavy, immense, and carrying a mighty force that seemed ready to burst his entire lower abdomen apart.
"Ugh!"
Gu Shao'an let out a muffled groan. His lower dantian was instantly flooded with an endless torrent of energy, swelling as though it would be torn apart completely the very next moment.
Intense pain and an indescribable sense of expansion struck him fiercely. Stars danced before his eyes, his body shuddered uncontrollably, and fine cold sweat instantly covered his forehead.
"Embrace Origin Guard Unity. Circulate the Emei Nine Yang Skill."
At that very moment, Abbess Miejue's cold yet concerned voice poured over him like an icy spring, instantly jolting Gu Shao'an awake.
Almost the instant Abbess Miejue finished speaking, Gu Shao'an endured the discomfort and sat down cross-legged on the spot. The inner force in his dantian began circulating at full speed almost instinctively.
The inner force that had once flowed through his body like a gentle stream now seemed as fragile as a candle flame in the wind before the vast torrent of medicinal power, on the verge of being crushed and swallowed in an instant.
The energy transformed from the pills was more immense than Gu Shao'an could have imagined.
It was more like a boundless ocean, while he was merely a small boat within it, liable to capsize at any moment.
However, the Emei Nine Yang Skill was originally Emei's finest cultivation method.
Furthermore, Gu Shao'an's Emei Nine Yang Skill First Level had already reached perfection, his inner force condensed into threads and incomparably solid.
With it driven at full force, his inner force was also refining and devouring the medicinal power spreading through his body at an extremely rapid rate.
As streams of medicinal power were refined, every minute meridian and channel in Gu Shao'an's body was forcibly widened. The pain of being torn apart made every bone in his body crackle.
Moreover, part of the medicinal power quietly entered his dantian and merged into Gu Shao'an's original inner force, while another part fused into his body.
It seeped into his muscle fibers, bone marrow cavities, and the essence of his blood.
It was tempering and strengthening Gu Shao'an's sinews, bones, and physique.
During the process, Gu Shao'an could even feel an intense numb itch spreading from deep within his body.
His bones were becoming denser, while his muscle fibers were rearranging themselves, becoming tougher and more explosive.
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