Breakthrough, Breakthrough, and More Breakthrough

"So many Seventh Grade Core Condensation Pills—I don't need that many. I reckon three to five at most will be enough for me to reach the peak of the Core Condensation Realm."

Lin Fan pondered. "Take some of the remainder and place them in the Sect Treasury. Every disciple can claim one each month. With pills like these to aid their cultivation, it will be far more efficient than absorbing Origin Stones."

"That is certainly true."

Li Changshou nodded repeatedly. "Seventh Grade Core Condensation Pills are rare even in first-rate sects. Only Personal Disciples and disciples of the Inheritance Sequence are qualified to take them. Ordinary disciples cannot even get their hands on them."

"One a month is already an immense blessing for those seven little brats."

"It can also help them enter the Core Condensation Realm sooner!"

Core Condensation Pills were not meant to be taken only in the Core Condensation Realm. Their primary purpose was to "assist in condensing the world's origin qi," so cultivators in the Open Profound Realm could take them as well. However, once one reached the peak of the Core Condensation Realm, taking them would no longer have any effect.

"With this, the issue of the disciples consuming Origin Stones can be resolved."

The worry in Li Changshou's heart eased considerably.

As for the formation arrays...

Before he could fully think it through, Lin Fan added, "What about selling the excess?"

Lin Fan mused, "There certainly won't be any lack of buyers for Seventh Grade Core Condensation Pills, and the price should be quite pleasing. Exchanging them for some Origin Stones to meet our immediate needs shouldn't be a problem, right?"

Li Changshou froze. "That won't be a problem, but... such rare treasures are things one can only hope to encounter. If we sell them, it will be nearly impossible to buy them back in the future."

"Why would we need to buy them back? We can refine them ourselves."

Lin Fan smiled.

Xiao Ling'er could refine them, and so could he.

If I weren't afraid of causing too much of a sensation, I'd have you scour the world for ingredients and refine pills right now. Would you believe it?

However, Lin Fan also knew that he could not be careless.

This was not a game. There was no Novice Period. If everyone learned of it, Xiao Ling'er would probably be kidnapped the very next day and forced to become a heartless pill-refining machine for the rest of her life.

As for the Moon Embracing Sect...

It would naturally become history entirely.

Still, Li Changshou hesitated somewhat.

Seeing this, Lin Fan shook his head and sighed softly. "Third Elder, I know your concerns, but do you know what the greatest regret in life is?"

"What is it?"

"It is dying before you've squandered the fortune you earned."

"Then having all that wealth inherited by your enemies, making a wedding dress for them."

"To put it more plainly: your enemies beat you to death, then spend your money, sleep with your Dao companion in your bed, and beat your son afterward."

"But you could have avoided this tragedy. You only needed to spend your money and arm yourself to the teeth."

Li Changshou was stunned.

Then his eyelids began twitching wildly.

"I understand."

"We'll do as the Sect Master says."

Damn it, spending my money and sleeping with my Dao companion—in my bed, no less?! This is utterly intolerable!

"Mm. Take fifty of these Core Condensation Pills. As for who will sell them, discuss it with the other four elders. But remember to conceal your identities and make sure to shake any tails."

"Otherwise, it may spell disaster for our Moon Embracing Sect!"

Though Lin Fan had not spent much time out in the world, he could tell with his ass that a world where strength reigned supreme could not possibly be peaceful.

"Rest assured, Sect Master. I will see it done properly!"

Li Changshou was an old hand.

Anyone who could survive under the Moon Embracing Sect's miserable circumstances and cultivate to the fourth level of the Cave Heaven Realm was naturally no naïve fool.

After Li Changshou left, Lin Fan calmed his mind and began taking pills—three at a time!

If he were still in the Open Profound Realm, Lin Fan would naturally have to proceed with great caution, fearing that the terrifying medicinal power would injure him and cause problems instead. But now that he was at the eighth level of the Core Condensation Realm, he no longer needed to be so careful when taking Core Condensation Pills.

Boom!

The astonishing medicinal power began erupting the instant the pills entered his mouth.

By the time Lin Fan swallowed them into his stomach, it had reached its peak.

He hurriedly closed his eyes and focused, beginning his cultivation as he frantically condensed the origin qi within his body with the pills' aid.

The six Mascots were practicing.

But sudden news left them wildly excited.

Murong Pipa said excitedly, "I just ran into the Third Elder. He said there are Core Condensation Pills in the Sect Treasury, and each of us can claim one every month!"

"I've already claimed mine."

"Hurry and go! With a Core Condensation Pill's help, I should be able to enter the Core Condensation Realm too!"

Qiu Yongqin was instantly overjoyed. "Is that true? I'm going!"

He took off running.

Ye Changyi, Fang Kun, Pei Xiuqin, and Zuo Qingqing followed close behind.

Only Xu Shuyi stared at the pill in shock. "Se-Seventh Grade?!"

"What Seventh Grade?"

Murong Pipa was taken aback.

Xu Shuyi said, "...Never mind, Senior Brother. You cultivate first. I'm going to claim my pill too."

Before long, all Seven Mascots had received their own pills. Casting aside all distractions, they began taking them.

Or rather...

At this moment, everyone in the entire Moon Embracing Sect, aside from the five elders, was taking pills together.

Including Xiao Ling'er herself.

What else were refined pills for, if not to take them?

With the moon high in the sky, Lin Fan opened his eyes, a sharp gleam flashing past them.

"Peak of the Core Condensation Realm."

He murmured, "The Mysterious Origin Realm is no longer far away."

The Core Condensation Realm involved guiding the world's origin qi into one's body. While tempering the physical body, it also allowed origin qi to gather within the Dantian, empowering the body when used.

The Mysterious Origin Realm went a step further.

The condensed origin qi would circulate throughout the body, be strengthened through the body's Mystic Gates, and transform into Profound Origin Qi, which would be stored within the Mystic Gates.

At that point, one's strength would soar dramatically!

For all of this, he had Xiao Ling'er's cultivation art to thank. If he had relied solely on the Moon Swallowing Spiritual Art, he certainly would not have broken through so quickly. Of course, the Earth Core Demonic Fire had also helped.

It further proved that his approach had been right.

Nurture outstanding disciples, then use their strength to feed back into his own.

"The only problem is that there are no quest rewards."

Whenever Lin Fan thought of this, he felt rather speechless.

No matter how he looked at it, it seemed as though he had transmigrated into a world with a game-like setting, yet there were no quest rewards~

Damn game—no, damn world.

That night, cheers rose one after another throughout the Moon Embracing Sect.

Breakthroughs, breakthroughs, and more breakthroughs.

It was not just Lin Fan.

Though the Seven Mascots were less talented than him, they had cultivated longer. Moreover, the Open Profound Realm truly did not demand much talent. After years of cultivation, they had basically opened their eighth or ninth Mystic Gate.

Coupled with the terrifying medicinal power of the Seventh Grade Core Condensation Pills, they soared straight ahead and entered the Core Condensation Realm one after another.

From that moment onward, every disciple of the Moon Embracing Sect had collectively entered the Core Condensation Realm!

The next day, the Seven Mascots wore brilliant smiles.

Their moods had never been better.

And today, Fang Kun and Zuo Qingqing were responsible for guarding the mountain gate.

They were all smiles and in exceptionally good spirits.

However, change was also quietly approaching.