The Huiyuan Sword Art's Favorability didn't budge.
No matter how much he practiced or praised it in his heart, that number seemed dead, firmly stuck at 90.
This only strengthened Gu Chengming's earlier suspicion: 90 Favorability was probably the bottleneck for this Basic Sword Art.
To make further progress, something would have to change fundamentally. With ordinary daily interactions alone, it would be hard to advance even an inch.
[The Huiyuan Sword Art felt rather guilty.]
[It watched you swallow one precious pill after another, yet could only offer the tiniest response in return. Its heart brimmed with remorse.]
[It wondered, am I just too useless?]
[Rather than wasting all these resources on it, you'd be better off learning a more advanced sword art or cultivating a more powerful technique.]
Looking at this train of thought, so full of "primary-wife dignity," Gu Chengming felt helpless.
If only these resources were for body refinement.
Then, even if they didn't do much to improve his cultivation, at least he could raise Hundred Bones' Favorability, and make it soar to the heavens by stepping on its own feet.
Wait...
A sudden flash of insight struck Gu Chengming, as if he'd grasped something crucial.
Thinking carefully, although he'd been taking pills these past few days, his rate of practicing the Huiyuan Sword Art hadn't undergone any fundamental change because of the pills' medicinal power.
What did that mean?
It meant that, fundamentally, the efficiency of his cultivation wasn't absolutely linearly related to the resources themselves.
Instead, it was strongly linked to Favorability!
Thinking back to Hundred Bones' earlier behavior—
Had its Favorability really increased when he used Spirit Rhinoceros Bone Quenching Dew because the medicinal power was so strong?
Not necessarily.
It was more likely that the act of "spending big" itself made it feel valued—or led it to believe Gu Chengming liked it because he'd "felt so good"—and it had talked itself into raising its Favorability.
In other words...
If he could make Hundred Bones think these pills were meant for it, if he could convince it they were actually "divine medicines for body refinement," then...
Could he use these resources, which were clearly meant to cultivate Spiritual Sense, to trick a Body Refining Technique into raising its Favorability?
Just as he was thinking this, Hundred Bones' thoughts appeared on the System Panel.
[Hundred Bones thought, All these high-grade resources are being wasted on a Basic Sword Art. What a crime! But alas, it's only a Body Refining Technique and can't enjoy them.]
But the very next second, its train of thought took a sharp turn.
[Hundred Bones thought again, No, that's not right. When Gu Chengming cultivates a technique, his rate of progress is more strongly linked to his Favorability toward that technique than to the resources.]
[As long as it can convince Gu Chengming that these pills are actually body-refinement pills, and make him think they'll help him refine his body, won't his Favorability toward me soar again?]
[As long as Gu Chengming likes it, won't its cultivation speed take off again?]
[At this thought, Hundred Bones was overcome with joy!]
[It felt that it was truly brilliant, unmatched beneath the heavens!]
[This opportunity was surely meant for me!]
"?"
A question mark slowly appeared over Gu Chengming's head.
The next moment, another interaction from Hundred Bones appeared.
[Hundred Bones tried to explain a brand-new theory to you.]
[Compared to sword practice, the pills in your hand are actually better suited for body refinement.]
"As the saying goes, first train your brain before you train your body..."
"??"
Actually, the crooked theory that "you must train your brain before your body; you must refine your spirit before your body" wasn't entirely made up.
There were traces of it in the theoretical framework of the Immortal Realm, and even in the works of fiction Gu Chengming had read in his previous life.
As everyone knew, Body Cultivators were often "high attack, high defense, low magic resistance."
They cultivated their bodies to sainthood and shattered mountains and rivers with their fists, yet were often extremely vulnerable to Illusion Techniques and mental-control skills.
In classic tales, the strongest and most capable fighter was often the first to be turned against the group by some kind of mental bewitchment from the villain. Then they'd turn around and beat their teammates into the dirt.
So powerful Spiritual Sense really was the key to shoring up a Body Cultivator's weakness.
But those were the words Gu Chengming had originally planned to use to fool Hundred Bones.
He'd already prepared a whole speech about "guiding Qi and Blood with Spiritual Sense" and how "fine control determines your limits," ready to bamboozle the technique into submission.
And yet this technique had actually gone and stolen his lines?
Gu Chengming looked at the lines of text on the System Panel, practically itching to put its plan into action, and felt an absurd sense of disbelief.
Well, regardless of how they'd gotten there, the outcome at least matched his expectations.
Since they were both in agreement, what were they waiting for?
Time to train!
Gu Chengming sat cross-legged and poured a Glazed Pure Consciousness Pill from the delicate Jade Bottle. The pill felt cool in his hand, its entire surface crystalline and translucent.
Without hesitation, he tipped his head back and swallowed it.
Gu Chengming felt a roar in his mind. Then his previously sluggish thoughts became as light as a feather.
He didn't even need to focus deliberately to clearly "see" every meridian and bone in his body. He could even hear the sound of his blood flowing.
This was the power of a Second Realm top-grade pill.
The Glazed Pure Consciousness Pill had no effect on strengthening the body. Its only purpose was to sharpen Gu Chengming's Spiritual Sense and help him "look within" more clearly.
But for Hundred Bones, that was enough.
Gu Chengming could clearly feel that, with the help of this high-definition "inner vision," the route Resonant Qi took through his meridians was being optimized to the utmost.
Of course, Gu Chengming knew full well what was going on.
This so-called "miraculous effect" was ninety-nine percent the result of Hundred Bones pushing itself to its limits.
The Glazed Pure Consciousness Pill's tiny supporting effect was nowhere near enough to account for such a huge improvement.
What was really making a difference was the technique's effort to prove that "my theory is right" and "this pill really works."
It was squeezing every ounce of potential from itself, actively cooperating with that nonexistent "body-refining medicinal power."
As the cycles of cultivation continued, a faint sheen began to spread across Gu Chengming's skin. It was a sign that his skin was growing tougher under the tempering of Resonant Qi.
His bones, meanwhile, trembled continuously, expelling wisps of gray-black impurities.
The process of expelling impurities was usually unbearably painful, but under the Glazed Pure Consciousness Pill's suppression, Gu Chengming only felt a dull ache, as though it were separated from him by a veil. It was entirely bearable.
[Hundred Bones was overjoyed!]
[It thought, It worked! It really worked! Gu Chengming really thinks these pills are for body refinement!]
[It truly is a heaven-sent genius! It found the correct way to use this Golden Finger so quickly!]
Time passed, minute by minute.
When the medicinal power had completely faded, Gu Chengming slowly ended his cultivation and exhaled a breath of turbid air.
He clenched his fist, felt the clear increase in strength within him, and nodded with satisfaction.
This mutually beneficial scam had worked like a charm.
[Hundred Bones greatly appreciated your trust in it.]
[Favorability +2]
[Favorability +5]
[...]
[Current Favorability: 35/Friendly]
As its Favorability crossed the threshold from "Stranger" to "Friendly," a warm current appeared from nowhere and flowed into the depths of Gu Chengming's body.
It was a gift from the technique, an elevation of the very essence of his life.
[Constitution +1]
[Current Constitution: 5]
[Current Remaining Lifespan: 720 days]
His Constitution had only increased by one point, but his lifespan had nearly doubled.
Did that mean his Constitution was almost up to a normal person's level?
At last, one half of the massive weight that had hung over Gu Chengming's heart had finally lifted.
Over the next few days, Gu Chengming's life followed a steady routine.
Eat, sleep, fool Hundred Bones, take pills, and practice.
With Hundred Bones' full cooperation, his Constitution steadily improved. His days were fulfilling, if monotonous.
Until one afternoon, when the quiet of the courtyard was disturbed once again.
"Senior Brother Gu, Jiang Lu is here to visit."
Jiang Lu's somewhat hesitant voice rang out from beyond the courtyard gate.
Gu Chengming opened the door and saw Jiang Lu holding two flasks of Spirit Wine, a slightly sheepish smile on his face.
"Junior Brother Jiang, come on in."
The two sat down beside the stone table in the courtyard.
"Actually..."
Jiang Lu paused, his expression growing even more awkward.
"I mainly came because I still haven't found any definite leads on the body-refinement resources Senior Brother Gu asked me to look for. I didn't feel right showing up empty-handed."
"It's fine."
Gu Chengming waved a hand and poured Jiang Lu a cup of tea.
"Things like this depend on fate. You can't force them. I'm already grateful that you're keeping an eye out for me."
Seeing that Gu Chengming didn't mind, Jiang Lu finally relaxed, and his smile grew more natural.
"By the way, Senior Brother Gu."
Jiang Lu seemed to suddenly remember something.
"Although I couldn't find any particular body-refinement resources, the Marketplace for our sect's disciples is opening soon. Would you be interested in taking a look?"
"You might be able to find something useful there."
As the name suggested, a "disciples' Marketplace" was a place where the sect's disciples organized their own trades.
Unlike the official channels of the Sword Repository Pavilion, whose wares were guaranteed in quality but expensive and limited in variety, with purchases mainly made using sect contribution points, the disciples' Marketplace was more like a huge free market.
Spirit Stones were the main currency there, and the wares on offer were all sorts of things.
There were unidentified ores that disciples had picked up during their adventures, "failed pills" that had unexpectedly produced unusual effects, obscure family manuals, and even bizarre services like writing love letters or fighting demonic beasts on someone's behalf.
In short, the place was a mixed bag. You might unearth a dusty treasure or buy a pile of junk—it all depended on your eye and your luck.
Before you continue