Clear Wind Pill

Xiao Xun'er could not help laughing at Xiao Peng's embarrassed look. "All right, then I'll wait to see Brother Xiao Peng's fine skills."

Xiao Xun'er thought Xiao Peng's behavior was quite normal.

Xiao Peng was even younger than she was. Naturally, he would be embarrassed when doing certain things in front of others.

After chatting with Xiao Peng for a while, Xiao Xun'er bid him farewell and went to attend to her own matters.

Once Xiao Xun'er left, Xiao Peng returned to his room, intending to refine some first-grade Clear Wind Pills to aid cultivation.

This kind of pill was suitable for those in the Qi Refining Stage. A Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator like him had no use for it.

Refining this pill was mainly for improving his skills. If talent was lacking, then he would make up for it with practice.

He would give the good pills to Xiao Xun'er and the others, while the ordinary or inferior ones would be sent to auction.

Thinking of his success rate in pill refinement, Xiao Peng decided he should finish reading the book Xiao Xun'er had given him first.

That would keep him from wasting materials.

Although he had quite a bit of money now, buying rare herbs would drain it in no time.

In the blink of an eye, the morning passed.

"Not bad. Twenty Clear Wind Pills in total."

Xiao Peng looked at the bottles before him and spoke with immense satisfaction.

After studying those notes, he had gained a great deal, and his pill-refining skills had improved considerably.

He divided the Clear Wind Pills among five jade bottles, with four pills in each bottle. After giving away four bottles, he would begin his grand endeavor of making money.

Xiao Peng stored the bottles in his Storage Ring and had the servants bring up his food.

Xiao Zhan had specifically assigned the servants to him. There were two of them, dedicated to tending to his daily needs, and Xiao Peng was quite grateful to Xiao Zhan for that.

At first, he had not been used to it, but over time, he adapted to this life.

The food was quickly brought over: four dishes and a soup, a fitting mix of meat and vegetables, all steaming hot.

Xiao Peng sat by the table, picked up his chopsticks, and took a bite of greens.

Once cultivators reached the Foundation Establishment Stage, they could abstain from food and no longer needed to rely on grains and ordinary meals. Yet he always felt that eating let him feel the reality of being alive more vividly.

Why did those old monsters of the cultivation world like to blow on their tea before drinking it?

That was because, to them, drinking tea was no longer about quenching thirst or replenishing energy. Over countless years, it had become a kind of ritual.

That gentle breath was not merely to disperse the heat. It was also a way of connecting with the tea and with that fleeting moment in time.

Just as ordinary people slowly chewed their food to savor its flavor, the old monsters' habit of blowing on tea concealed their appreciation for the present.

After all, having lived for so long and witnessed the changes of seas and lands, they cared even more about such subtle moments.

Feeling the warmth of the teacup beneath their fingertips, breathing in the fragrance of tea, then gently blowing away the foam—it was as if that could grasp a little of the reality belonging to that moment, keeping them from growing numb through endless years.

After lunch, Xiao Peng headed toward Xiao Xun'er's residence.

The first person he had to give pills to was definitely Xiao Xun'er.

Xiao Xun'er had given him those notes, and she had taken especially good care of him over the years. Giving her some pills was only right.

When Xiao Peng arrived outside Xiao Xun'er's courtyard, he saw her seated beside a stone table beneath the parasol tree by the gate, reading an ancient scroll.

"Xun'er," Xiao Peng called softly.

Xiao Xun'er looked up. "Finished refining your pills? Judging by that expression, I suppose you succeeded?"

"Mm, I was lucky enough to make some." Xiao Peng stepped forward, took a jade bottle from his Storage Ring, and held it out to her. "This is for you. Clear Wind Pills. They can speed up cultivation without any side effects."

Xiao Xun'er accepted the jade bottle and pulled out the stopper. A crisp medicinal fragrance immediately spread through the air, carrying the fresh scent of grass and wood.

She poured one into her palm. The pill was round and full, its surface gleaming with a faint luster. It was clearly a high-quality finished product.

Xiao Xun'er was extremely surprised by Xiao Peng's talent. She felt that she would need to find him a good teacher in the future; such talent could not be wasted.

The pill might not necessarily be useful to her, but Xiao Peng's thoughtfulness made her very happy.

And it was obvious at a glance that Xiao Peng had come to find her as soon as he finished refining the pills.

"The quality is far better than the pills sold at auction." Xiao Xun'er looked at Xiao Peng. "It seems you didn't read those notes for nothing. You've improved quickly."

A little embarrassed by her praise, Xiao Peng scratched his head. "It was all thanks to Xun'er's book. Otherwise, I probably would have wasted quite a few materials."

"Being able to apply what you learn is what counts." Xiao Xun'er placed the pill back into the bottle.

Xiao Peng scratched his head and said, "Xun'er, I'll be going now. I'm taking some pills to Cousin Xiao Yan."

"Go on." Xiao Xun'er smiled and nodded. As she watched Xiao Peng's back while he turned away, a trace of warmth rippled through her eyes.

This cousin of hers looked shy, but he was thoughtful. He knew to share his freshly refined pills with family and friends first.

A while later, Xiao Peng arrived outside Xiao Yan's room.

"Knock, knock, knock."

"Cousin, I've come to see you."

Xiao Peng spoke as he knocked on the door.

A rustling sound came from inside, followed by Xiao Yan's somewhat hurried voice. "Coming, coming!"

A moment later, the door creaked open, and Xiao Yan poked his head out.

Seeing that it was Xiao Peng, Xiao Yan opened the door wider and invited him in. "Cousin, why have you come? Is something the matter?"

Xiao Peng took a jade bottle from his Storage Ring and said to Xiao Yan, "Cousin, I refined some pills and brought you a bottle."

Xiao Yan's face filled with surprise and curiosity.

He was surprised that Xiao Peng could actually refine pills, and curious about where Xiao Peng had learned it.

He knew Wu Tan City's situation well. He had never heard of any alchemist settling in Wu Tan City.

Xiao Peng introduced the pill to Xiao Yan. "This pill is called the Clear Wind Pill. It can increase cultivation speed without any side effects. I remembered that you're still at the third level of Dou Qi, so I brought it to help increase your strength."

Xiao Yan was deeply moved by Xiao Peng's words.

He already knew the reason his cultivation had regressed: it was because of a wisp of soul within the Storage Ring.

Xiao Yan accepted the jade bottle and thanked him. "Cousin Xiao Peng, thank you."

Xiao Peng waved his hand. "It's nothing. No need to stand on ceremony between us. I'll be going now. Come find me if you need anything."

With that, he left without looking back.

After Xiao Peng left, Xiao Yan closed the door and poured a Clear Wind Pill from the bottle.

"Not bad. This pill is of extremely high quality. If your cousin wasn't lying, then his talent for pill refinement is monstrous even among monsters."

Old Yao emerged from the Storage Ring. After examining the pill in Xiao Yan's hand, he could not help commenting.

Xiao Yan had told him about Xiao Peng before.

He felt that Xiao Peng's situation was probably the same as Xiao Yan's.

Dou Qi would not disappear for no reason. If no one was deliberately harming him, then something must have been absorbing his Dou Qi.

Old Yao felt that the other party was more ruthless than he was. At least he had left Xiao Yan at the third level of Dou Qi, while that mysterious existence had directly drained all of Xiao Peng's Dou Qi. He truly could not bring himself to do such a thing.