Damn it!
At a time like this, you're still asking me to confirm?
I'm about to be blown to ashes, and you want me to follow procedure?
Zhou Xuan roared furiously in his mind. His instinct to survive left him no time to think, and he let out a desperate shout from the depths of his mind.
"Enlightenment, now! Right this instant!"
[Clink! Command received. 10 Gold Touch Value consumed.]
[Enlightening Inferior Red Flame Pill...]
The instant the thought landed, Zhou Xuan's remaining 150 Gold Touch Value dropped to 140.
At his feet, the Waste Pill had swollen to its limit, as if it could destroy heaven and earth at any moment. Suddenly, it froze!
The piercing whine cut off abruptly.
The crimson fissures that had been about to split across the pill's surface seemed to be smoothed over by an invisible hand. They quickly shrank and healed.
The frenzied fire-element spiritual power, which had been spilling out with enough force to distort the air, receded like the tide and was sucked back into the pill.
It took no more than a breath.
The bomb that had looked ready to explode at any moment now lay quietly on the ground. Its entire surface had turned smooth and warm as jade, its dark-red radiance drawn inward. Not a trace of its violent aura remained.
The crisis was over.
Zhou Xuan's whole body went limp. Only then did he realize that cold sweat had soaked his back through.
He gasped for breath, his heart still pounding wildly in his chest.
For one brief moment, he'd truly thought he was going to die here.
It took him a long while to recover. Then he fixed his gaze on the pill that had been enlightened.
He cautiously crouched down and picked it up with a handkerchief.
It was no longer scorching hot. Instead, it felt faintly cool.
[Clink! Enlightenment successful!]
[Congratulations, host. You have obtained a one-time Dharma Artifact—Blazing Fire Bead (Imitation).]
[Item description: Created by enlightening an unstable Inferior Red Flame Pill. It contains sealed, frenzied fire-element spiritual power. Infuse it with a trace of Spiritual Energy to serve as a fuse, and it will explode with the force of a Body Forging ninth-stage cultivator's full-powered strike.]
[Note: Before throwing it, make sure you are at a safe distance.]
Zhou Xuan read the description on the system panel, his eyes widening as his breathing quickened again.
This thing...
Wasn't this basically a hand grenade from the Cultivation World?
The full-powered strike of a Body Forging ninth-stage cultivator!
He was only at Body Forging third stage!
If he used this thing well, it was a weapon for killing enemies above his level!
Zhou Xuan glanced around the Pill Room, now reduced to utter chaos, and a storm surged in his heart.
This Pill Room was used by Inner Sect Disciples. The walls and floor were carved with basic defensive formations, yet even so, the place had been blown to pieces.
It was obvious just how terrifying the Blazing Fire Bead's power was!
What a haul!
An incredible haul!
Those ten Gold Touch Value had been worth every last point!
With this thing, he finally had a trump card to protect himself!
Wild joy filled Zhou Xuan. He carefully tucked the Blazing Fire Bead close to his body. It was his life-saving charm.
Suppressing his excitement, he continued searching through the rubble of the Pill Room.
Anything made by Explosion Fairy was bound to be a "masterpiece"!
He moved the scattered fragments of the Alchemy Furnace aside one by one, then carefully searched through the ashes in the corner.
Before long, he found five more Waste Pills that looked much like the Red Flame Pill.
Zhou Xuan eagerly tried them one by one.
"System, can this one be enlightened?"
[Clink! This item's energy structure is relatively stable and has no enlightenment value.]
"What about this one?"
[Clink! This item's energy core has been damaged and has no enlightenment value.]
He tried four in a row, and every answer was a cold rejection from the system.
Unwilling to give up, Zhou Xuan picked up the last one.
[Clink! This item has no enlightenment value.]
"Ah."
Zhou Xuan sighed, disappointment written all over his face.
It seemed that chances to turn trash into treasure and pills into artifacts were few and far between.
But he quickly readjusted his attitude.
Even if they couldn't all be turned into hand grenades, these pills were still a good source of Gold Touch Value!
He looked at the five Waste Pills left in his hand, his excitement rising again.
Should he remind Senior Sister Zhang Ling that she might have far more talent for crafting artifacts than for alchemy?
The thought flashed through his mind for barely a second before he smothered it.
Forget it. He didn't want to die.
If Explosion Fairy found out he'd treated the fruits of her labor as bombs, she might blow him up on the spot.
Better to let her keep shining on the path of alchemy.
"System, absorb the rest of the Waste Pills and these medicinal dregs. Take everything you can!"
[Clink! Command received. Beginning absorption.]
[Clink! Absorbed Inferior Red Flame Pill. Metal Touch Value +30!]
A string of system notifications rang out in Zhou Xuan's mind like the sweetest music.
He felt like a mouse that had fallen into a rice jar, so happy he could have fainted.
Once there was nothing left in the Pill Room that contained Spiritual Energy, Zhou Xuan opened the system panel, fully satisfied.
[Metal Touch Value: 335]
Three hundred and thirty-five points!
A massive haul!
Coming to Pill Peak had been the right call!
Zhou Xuan trembled with excitement. All he wanted now was to improve his useless Spirit Root!
Suppressing his excitement, he gave the system an order in his mind.
"System! Show me how to improve my Spirit Root!"
The Azure Light Screen appeared once more.
[Host's current Spirit Root: Five Elements Impure Spirit Root]
[Grade assessment: -5 (the worst of the worst)]
[Next stage: Five Elements Waste Spirit Root]
[Grade assessment: -4 (still useless, but at least you can sense Spiritual Energy)]
[Metal Touch Value required for advancement: 100 points.]
[Would the host like to advance to the next stage?]
"Yes."
[Host's current Spirit Root: Five Elements Waste Spirit Root]
[Grade assessment: -4]
[Next stage: Wasted Four Elements Spirit Root]
[Grade assessment: -3 (still useless)]
[Metal Touch Value required for advancement: 1,000 points.]
"How much?"
The joy on Zhou Xuan's face froze.
He stared at the number "1,000," rubbing his eyes as if he'd read it wrong.
No mistake. One thousand!
It took a thousand points just to go from -4 to -3!
Hadn't it only taken a hundred before?
Did the cost gain another zero every time he advanced?
Would the next stage cost ten thousand?
Then a hundred thousand?
A million?
Zhou Xuan's face fell, and gloom washed over him.
He'd just thought he was rich, and in the blink of an eye, he was broke again.
This Heavenly Path cost a damn fortune!
But though he was disappointed, Zhou Xuan soon rallied.
A thousand was a thousand!
As long as Zhang Ling was around to shower him with riches, earning a thousand Gold Touch Value just meant making a few more trips!
With that thought, he immediately got to work.
He was only a tiny Body Forging third-stage cultivator, but he knew a few basic cleaning spells.
They were essential skills for Chore Disciples.
Breezes swept the dust off the floor, while streams of water washed the stains from the walls.
In no time, he had cleaned the Pill Room, which had looked like it had been shelled by cannon fire, until it was spotless and as good as new.
After finishing everything, Zhou Xuan pushed open the door and stepped outside.
Outside the Pill Room, Zhang Ling was idly kicking pebbles at her feet. When she saw Zhou Xuan come out, her brows shot up.
"Why are you out so soon? Did you clean everything up?"
She eyed Zhou Xuan suspiciously, disbelief written all over her face.
"Whoever was in there before always took ages. And why didn't I hear another explosion this time?"
Zhou Xuan's eye twitched.
Was she seriously hoping I'd get blown to bits in there?
He ranted inwardly, but his face wore a respectful, obedient expression as he bowed.
"Reporting to Senior Sister, I've finished cleaning everything up."
"Really?"
Zhang Ling was unconvinced. With a flash, she darted into the Pill Room.
When she saw that the room was spotless, with not even a speck of dust in sight, she froze.
She inspected every inch of the place, and only after confirming that nothing had been missed did she nod with satisfaction.
She came out of the Pill Room and looked Zhou Xuan over again. At last, her pretty eyes held less impatience and more approval.
"Not bad. You did a pretty thorough job."
"What's your name?"
"Reporting to Senior Sister, this humble one is called Zhou Xuan."
"Zhou Xuan."
Zhang Ling nodded, as if committing the name to memory. Then she said in a tone that brooked no argument, "From now on, you'll be in charge of dealing with the Waste Pills whenever I make pills!"
She took a small porcelain bottle from her Storage Bag and tossed it to Zhou Xuan.
"Here's your reward: three Qi Gathering Pills. As long as you do a good job, you'll get a reward every month!"
Zhou Xuan caught the bottle, speechless.
Without his system cheat, forget coming back every month for a reward. He'd probably have to be carried out of her Pill Room today, feet first.
But for him, this was a godsend!
A steady, efficient, and damn well legal source of Gold Touch Value!
His face instantly filled with gratitude, and his voice trembled with emotion.
"Thank you, Senior Sister!"
"This humble one will do his utmost from now on and help you with your burdens!"
"All right, all right."
Zhang Ling waved impatiently.
"Go on. Don't distract me from researching my next batch of pills!"
"Yes, this humble one will take his leave!"
As if granted a pardon, Zhou Xuan nodded and bowed as he backed away.
He walked down the mountain, brimming with excitement, his mood so good he could have flown.
With Zhang Ling as his long-term meal ticket, a thousand Gold Touch Value was within reach—heck, even ten thousand!
But just as he was about to leave Pill Peak's grounds,
Zhou Xuan abruptly stopped.
He furrowed his brow slightly. The feeling of being watched prickled at his back like needles.
Without drawing attention, he glanced behind him from the corner of his eye.
In the distance, behind a large tree along the mountain path, a pair of eyes were fixed on him.
They were filled with undisguised resentment and ill intent!
What was going on?
Before you continue