Foundation Cultivation Technique Minor Accomplishment

The sun grew increasingly scorching after midday.

The thin paper of the windows outside the side room could no longer hold back the heat from outdoors.

After finishing his meal, Chen Ye rested briefly before rising to splash well water on his face in the courtyard.

The chill seeped from his forehead into his brain, dispelling the lingering fatigue.

At this moment, the courtyard was as quiet as ever.

Gao Qiaoniang remained in her side room, and Zhang Tieyi had not arrived.

He walked alone to a shaded spot in the courtyard and set up his stance to train.

On one hand, he wanted to personally experience the physical changes brought about by the breathing technique while no one was watching.

On the other hand, he did not know if anyone else was in the courtyard, nor was he certain if Gao Qiaoniang was secretly reporting his every move.

To be safe, he needed to maintain the appearance of diligent cultivation to avoid arousing suspicion.

Chen Ye used the breathing technique to circulate his blood and qi, repeating the process until dusk. After a quick rinse, he turned and headed back into the room.

He leaned against the bed frame without lying down immediately, his gaze occasionally darting through the square window to vigilantly observe the movement outside.

It was not until the second half of the night that he finally closed his eyes and drifted into a deep sleep.

The next day arrived.

Zhang Tieyi arrived at the courtyard right on time, handed over a Blood Ginseng Pill as usual, and watched as Chen Ye swallowed it.

Then, just like the day before, he taught the breathing technique and urged Chen Ye to coordinate it with his stance to refine the medicinal power.

Chen Ye discovered that compared to yesterday, the burning sensation brought on by the Blood Ginseng Pill had lessened significantly.

At the same time, he noticed that after the Blood Ginseng Pill entered his stomach, its medicinal power first spread throughout his body, but as he coordinated it with his breathing and the Foundation Cultivation Technique stance, the power gradually began to "converge."

The following few days were a repetition of this routine.

Until the fifth day.

On this day, Chen Ye noticed that Zhang Tieyi was unusually silent.

He did not explain the essentials as he had in previous days, but instead made Chen Ye repeat the stance and breathing technique over and over, his tone much harsher than usual.

Zhang Tieyi stood in the middle of the courtyard with his hands behind his back.

Every time Chen Ye adjusted his breathing and stance, he could feel Zhang Tieyi's gaze landing on him, heavy and oppressive.

"Do you feel anything special in your body?" After Chen Ye finished his practice, Zhang Tieyi asked.

This was the second time he had asked the same question today.

The first time was in the middle of his stance training, and Chen Ye had only replied that he felt a bit feverish.

Zhang Tieyi had said nothing then.

Now, he was asking for the second time.

Chen Ye replied truthfully: "It is the same as before, just a bit feverish."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Tieyi's brows furrowed slightly.

After giving a few brief instructions, he stepped out of the courtyard.

Watching his retreating back, Chen Ye's expression darkened.

He sensed that Zhang Tieyi seemed to be waiting for a specific change in his body.

The combination of the Blood Ginseng Pill and the Foundation Cultivation Technique was likely intended to accelerate the arrival of this change.

Once his body met the conditions, the outcome would be obvious.

When that time came, it might not take a month; it could be tomorrow, or perhaps three days from now, that he would be sent away to be disposed of.

Chen Ye's expression sank further as he pushed this thought to the back of his mind and reset his stance.

That evening, dusk fell.

Gao Qiaoniang brought dinner as usual, and along with it, a bowl of medicinal soup.

The color of the soup was similar to the Blood Ginseng Pill, a pale red, and the medicinal scent was much stronger.

A layer of fine foam floated on top, as if it had just been brewed.

"What is this?"

"Guard Zhang said you worked hard training today, so he specifically ordered this soup for your nourishment," Gao Qiaoniang said, placing the food and the medicine on the table. "Drink it while it's hot."

Chen Ye said: "Leave it there for now; I will drink it after I finish my meal."

Gao Qiaoniang said nothing more upon hearing this and silently retreated.

At night, when she returned to collect the bowls, she found that the bowl of medicinal soup had not been touched at all and remained on the table just as it was.

The medicine had already gone cold.

She stood at the doorway in silence for two breaths, then said: "It doesn't taste good when it's cold. Guard Zhang will check tomorrow."

Chen Ye turned to look at her.

Gao Qiaoniang did not look at him as she spoke.

Her gaze remained fixed on that bowl of medicinal soup, her voice sounding somewhat faint.

Every word she uttered sounded nothing like a prompt for him to drink the medicine.

Chen Ye caught the subtext in Gao Qiaoniang's words.

If he were to pour the soup away and pretend he had drunk it, she likely wouldn't report him.

Chen Ye took the opportunity to ask, "What happened to the one from before that wasn't drunk?"

Gao Qiaoniang kept her head lowered and did not answer, instead gathering the bowl, chopsticks, and the bowl of cold medicinal soup onto the tray, one by one.

Her movements were noticeably faster than usual.

"If you're hungry, tell me; I'll make more food tomorrow morning."

She left as soon as she finished speaking.

Chen Ye closed the door, sat on the bench, and habitually rested his hands on the table, his fingers tapping in turn to create a steady, rhythmic sound.

The bean-sized flame of the oil lamp swayed gently in the breeze, causing his shadow on the wall to rise and fall in tandem.

Gao Qiaoniang neither answered nor denied it, nor did she say that person didn't exist.

This meant that person had indeed existed.

And their situation had not been good.

This was the only answer she could give him.

He would never drink that medicinal soup again.

Chen Ye suppressed his thoughts and, with a shift of his consciousness, pulled up the Pawn System panel.

[Name: Chen Ye]
[Current Martial Arts: Foundation Cultivation Technique (Entry)]
[Realm: None]
[Can pawn lifespan to obtain corresponding cultivation progress]
[After pawning, redeeming lifespan requires double the cost; only talent, luck, and wealth can be used]
[Current Remaining Lifespan: Two years, ten months, and twelve days]

After observing for these past few days, Chen Ye had figured out the patterns in the courtyard.

Zhang Tieyi would not spend the night in the courtyard.

After dinner each night, no one would watch him as he approached this room.

Pawning his lifespan to increase his cultivation at this moment should go unnoticed.

It was time to try.

The Foundation Cultivation Technique might have some issues, but it is currently the only technique that allows me to gain cultivation. Without cultivation, I can only wait for death. With cultivation, there is at least a possibility of turning things around.

More importantly, if he refused to practice this martial art, Zhang Tieyi and the others might immediately grow suspicious.

Once they discovered he was disobedient, his situation would undoubtedly become even more troublesome.

To put it bluntly, he actually had no other choice.

[Pawn. Six months.]

After pondering for a moment, Chen Ye chose to pawn a portion of his lifespan first.

The familiar interface and notification appeared before his eyes once again.

On the golden scales, the blue and red weights descended heavily.

Six months, which was one hundred and eighty days.

It was equal to one-sixth of his remaining lifespan.

Neither too much nor too little.

[Deducting six months of lifespan, providing six months of cultivation.]

The status on the panel changed rapidly.

[Foundation Cultivation Technique (Entry)] → [Foundation Cultivation Technique (Minor Achievement)]

Boom.

The faint ember deep within his dantian first contracted, then suddenly expanded, and a scorching torrent far exceeding that of the Blood Ginseng Pill erupted from the depths of his waist and abdomen.