Divine Pill

"System, helping Xiao Ning improve his cultivation actually earns rewards?" Xiao Han was utterly delighted.

"Yes."

"But I'm using him as an experiment, aren't I?" Xiao Han questioned.

"Master, Xiao Ning will fight the protagonist, Xiao Yan, one year from now. By helping Xiao Ning improve his cultivation, Master is disrupting the original Storyline. That is why you received a system reward," System Xiao Ai explained.

"Oh, but the Experience Points from this were so low. Not even a tenth of what I got from Sister Xiao Mei's favorability." Xiao Han gave his honest assessment.

Xiao Han remembered that gaining Xiao Mei's favorability had earned him over ten thousand Experience Points. Yet helping Xiao Ning improve his cultivation had only earned him two thousand Points.

"Master," System Xiao Ai explained, "this system is the Invincible Destroyer King System, dedicated to overturning Storylines. The more important the Storyline you disrupt, the greater the reward you receive. Xiao Ning holds a low status in the Dou Po Plane. Therefore, the Experience Points rewarded for him are lower than for other characters."

"Mm. Got it. Even a mosquito is still meat. Besides, I'm only using him as a test subject." Xiao Han looked smugly at Xiao Ning, who was soaking his meridians in the bath barrel.

Xiao Han could feel that although the reward was only two thousand Experience Points, the Dou Qi Vortex in his Dantian had undergone a tangible improvement. His cultivation had taken a small step forward.

Seeing Xiao Ning in the medicinal bath, Xiao Han did not leave. He remained beside the barrel the entire time.

He was not standing guard for him; he was testing the medicine. Xiao Han feared that some accident might occur.

The facts proved that Xiao Han's worries were unnecessary.

As the sun slanted westward, Xiao Ning awoke from the medicinal bath. Seeing that Xiao Han was still beside him, he was deeply moved.

Xiao Han's cultivation was clearly higher than his, yet he had still stood guard for him.

"How was it?" Xiao Han asked.

"I've reached the peak of the Eighth Stage of Dou Qi." Xiao Ning was overjoyed and praised, "It really is worthy of a Second Grade Foundation Establishment Pill. Give me two more sessions, and I'm confident I can break through to the Ninth Stage of Dou Qi. In two months, I might even be confident enough to become a true Dou Zhe!"

Xiao Ning was extremely excited. His talent was not bad, but the Dou Qi stage was especially difficult to cultivate. He had been stuck at this realm for half a year, unable to make a breakthrough.

Just now—just now, after using the medicinal liquid melted from the Foundation Establishment Pill to nourish his meridians, his cultivation had actually reached the peak of the Eighth Stage of Dou Qi. He could break through to the Ninth Stage of Dou Qi at any moment.

"Looks like there aren't any side effects." Xiao Han sized Xiao Ning up from head to toe. His unconventional approach to alchemy on his first attempt had actually succeeded.

"Xiao Han." Xiao Ning affectionately put an arm around Xiao Han's shoulder and said happily, "From now on, you're my, Xiao Ning's, sworn brother. If you have any orders in the future, I'll go through water or fire for you. If I, Xiao Ning, so much as furrow my brow, tilt my neck, or blink an eye, then I won't be Xiao Ning. Don't worry. One year from now, I'll definitely cripple our common enemy."

The enemy Xiao Ning spoke of was naturally Xiao Yan.

Hearing Xiao Ning say this, a strange thought surfaced in Xiao Han's mind.

Seeing Xiao Ning so excited, he probably had no idea that Xiao Han had merely been using him as a laboratory rat.

"No need to thank me. It's getting late. I should head back."

Xiao Han bid Xiao Ning farewell. Along the way, he quietly pondered. The Fusion ability could only be used three times each day. In other words, he could refine at most three pills a day.

However, that was already enough for Xiao Han. With these, he had gained the ability to take the leading role in the events to come.

Over the next few days, Xiao Han refined pills every day. To his delight, with the Fusion ability, his success rate in alchemy was one hundred percent.

Of course, out of curiosity, Xiao Han also used the Extraction function. The three-month time limit had not yet expired, so he could not travel to other planes for the time being. With nothing better to do, Xiao Han wanted to know whether fusing the attributes extracted from medicinal ingredients would allow him to refine pills.

"Extraction!"

Xiao Han touched a stalk of Purple Leaf Orchid Grass with his index finger.

"Ding dong!"

"Congratulations, you extracted the Toughness from Purple Leaf Orchid Grass. Toughness +2."

After extracting this attribute, Xiao Han did not immediately choose to Fuse it. Instead, he touched a Bone Washing Flower with his middle finger.

"Extraction!"

"Ding dong!"

"Congratulations, you extracted the Bone Washing Attribute from the Bone Washing Flower. Bone Washing Attribute +2."

A drop of golden liquid likewise appeared on Xiao Han's middle finger.

Immediately afterward, Xiao Han touched a Wood Element Magic Core with his ring finger.

"Extraction!"

"Ding dong!"

"Congratulations, you extracted the Life Attribute from the Wood Element Magic Core. Life Attribute +1."

"Fusion!"

"Ding dong!"

"Congratulations, you fused Toughness, Bone Washing Attribute, and Life Attribute, obtaining the pill: Foundation Establishment Pill."

Foundation Establishment Pill: Divine grade. It had miraculous effects on Dou Zhe in the Body Refining Realm. It could strengthen the body, expand the meridians, and increase the cultivator's Dou Qi.

By chance, Xiao Han discovered that using the Extraction ability was far more effective than directly tempering medicinal ingredients with Heavenly Flames. Moreover, the pills refined this way were no longer Top Grade, but Divine grade—an even higher grade than Top Grade.

Although the grade was high, the Extraction ability could only be used three times a day. Refining one Foundation Establishment Pill required three stalks of Purple Leaf Orchid Grass, two Bone Washing Flowers, and one Wood Element Magic Core. In other words, Xiao Han had to use the Extraction ability six times and spend two days to refine a single Divine Pill.

Furthermore, the Extraction ability was unpredictable. Whether he could extract the attributes needed to refine a Foundation Establishment Pill was still a question.

One day

"Ding dong!"

"Congratulations, you successfully fused three types of liquid droplets, obtaining the pill: Healing Pill."

"Master, you don't actually need to refine pills yourself. You can exchange for Red Potions!" System Xiao Ai suddenly said.

Anyone who played games knew that Red Potions were a type of medicine that instantly restored vitality.

"Red Potions?" Xiao Han asked in surprise. "Xiao Ai, are you saying I can buy Red Potions from you?"

"Yes. Not only Red Potions, Master can also spend Coupon Points to buy Blue Potions. Oh, and there are also Skill Books, weapons, and equipment from the Myriad Worlds!"

Xiao Ai brought up a holographic light screen.

The words "Level 1 Shop" were written at the top of the screen. On the shop interface, Xiao Han found some very basic items. There were martial arts and cultivation techniques from the Myriad Worlds. However, both the martial arts and cultivation techniques were of extremely low grades. By the Dou Po standards, they were only Yellow Tier techniques.

As for the weapons, they too were only Yellow Tier. Moreover, their prices were outrageously high.

A Yellow Tier Low Grade Bronze Sword actually cost 1000 Coupon Points.

The shop even carried the Yellow Tier Low Grade Stone Shattering Palm that Xiao Han already possessed. Its listed price was ten thousand Coupon Points.

Then Xiao Han looked at his current Coupon Points: 12100. That meant he could buy twelve Yellow Tier Low Grade weapons, or one Yellow Tier Low Grade Dou Technique.

"Xiao Ai, you sell things so expensively. You really are a Pay-to-Win System," Xiao Han could not help muttering.

Continuing to browse the shop interface, Xiao Han found pills as well. However, there were only the lowest First Grade pills. The prices were fairly reasonable. Perhaps because the shop was only Level 1, everything it sold was low-level.

Xiao Han also found the Red and Blue Potions Xiao Ai had mentioned. Their prices were quite favorable.

A bottle of Blue Potion was priced at 10 Coupon Points. A bottle of Red Potion was priced at 25 Coupon Points. They were the only two cheapest items in the shop.

"Blue and Red Potions are so cheap."

Xiao Han was delighted. He was now even more confident about disrupting the Storyline to come.