Looking at the Soul Masters filling the room, all busy absorbing the pill's medicinal power, Li Jingzhe smiled faintly.
He couldn't be bothered to keep an eye on them. Items produced by the system were basically risk-free. If someone could actually eat a Greater Restoration Pill and die from it, then it was just garbage...
And Ye Lingling?
That girl refused to admit defeat. Gritting her teeth, she went back to practicing the Seven Injuries Fist.
"Seven Injuries Fist... To hurt others, you must first hurt yourself. I wonder if you'll be able to stick it out..." Li Jingzhe murmured.
It wasn't going to kill her. Ye Lingling's Martial Soul was the best healing Martial Soul in the world, after all.
The real problem was the pain.
The pain of having one's heart twisted like a knife was only one of the pains inflicted by the Seven Injuries Fist.
This kind of suffering was more than most people could endure.
System, open the mall...
While everyone was still cultivating, Li Jingzhe activated the System Mall with a thought...
Seeing the long string of zeroes in his balance, Li Jingzhe grinned.
What should he buy?
His gaze roamed over the options before settling on the Vermilion Fruit. He couldn't help swallowing.
[Vermilion Fruit: A treasure of the martial world. Clears heat, promotes the production of bodily fluids, astringes the intestines, stops dysentery, strengthens the spleen and stomach, and has powerful medicinal effects... When consumed by an ordinary person, it strengthens the body; when consumed by a martial artist, it immediately adds sixty years of cultivation... Price: 60 million Gold Soul Coins]
Sixty years is a full sixty years!
Sixty years of cultivation is equivalent to Soul Power Level 60!
One fruit could add sixty levels of Soul Power... If he counted the 12.6 levels he already had, wouldn't that take him straight to Soul Saint?
Across the whole Douluo Continent, such a thing was probably unheard of.
If he bought the fruit and put it up for auction... he couldn't even imagine the astronomical price it would fetch!
But...
The best steel should be used on the blade!
When a mortal ate a Flat Peach, they ascended in a radiant cloud and became no more than a Celestial Immortal. But if a Golden Immortal ate one, they might even break through to the Taiyi realm!
Rather than recklessly increasing my power, I should build a solid foundation!
Li Jingzhe shifted his gaze upward, eventually fixing it on the Bosi Qu Snake Gallbladder.
[Bosi Qu Snake Gallbladder: Profound and wondrous. When consumed, it refines the physique, promotes blood circulation, strengthens the bones, and gradually increases strength. The limit is one hundred; each gallbladder adds one year of cultivation... 1 million Gold Soul Coins]
Refines the physique and raises the limit... You're the one!
The next moment, Li Jingzhe decisively sealed off his sense of smell with Soul Power, exchanged for a Snake Gallbladder, and swallowed it whole. It tasted rank and felt warm in his mouth, but soon he could clearly feel a wave of heat spreading through his abdomen. The warmth flowed through his limbs and bones, heating his whole body. His muscles, bones, and meridians seemed to stretch...
The stirring of his inner force—or rather, Soul Power—became especially pronounced. The Muscle and Tendon Classic began running on its own, and Soul Power gradually welled up, accumulating until it broke through the barrier.
He checked the system interface again:
[Soul Power Level: 13.6]
His Soul Power had risen by an entire level!
A hint of delight flashed through Li Jingzhe's eyes. Nothing was more satisfying than clearly feeling his own strength increase!
Again!
As one Snake Gallbladder after another went down, the number displayed under [Soul Power Level] changed every few moments: Level 14... Level 15... Level 17... Level 20!
His meridians felt slightly swollen, and his bones and muscles grew hotter and hotter. The Dragon-Elephant Prajna Technique, Muscle and Tendon Classic, and Lingbo Microsteps had all reached the peak of the first stage.
But...
Before consuming the Snake Gallbladders, his Soul Power Level had been 12.6. Now it was 20, an increase of about seven and a half levels. But he'd consumed thirteen Snake Gallbladders!
If each Snake Gallbladder added a year of cultivation, and one year of cultivation equaled one level of Soul Power, then he should have gained thirteen levels!
"Refines the physique and raises the limit..."
Li Jingzhe mulled over those words again and again... Could the excess "medicinal power" have been used to refine his physique and raise his limit?
Combining that with the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Technique's ability to strengthen his constitution and increase his strength, and the Muscle and Tendon Classic's ability to cleanse his meridians and marrow and improve his innate qualities... Li Jingzhe immediately closed his eyes and focused, carefully sensing the changes within him.
A moment later, delight rose to his brows. His Soul Power had become more condensed, and the speed at which he circulated his cultivation techniques and moved Soul Power had also increased slightly. This was what it meant to refine his physique and raise his limit.
Far from being wasted or lost, the medicinal power had produced twice the results with half the effort thanks to the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Technique and the Muscle and Tendon Classic. It simply hadn't shown up in his Soul Power level.
It seems that the idea that one year of cultivation equals one level of Soul Power is only a rough guide... Inner force and Soul Power may be perfectly compatible, but inner force affects more than just the numbers. It also influences one's limit, innate qualities, physique, and more!
In that case, I don't have to worry about taking in too much medicinal power at once. Even without a Soul Ring, when I can't break through, the excess medicinal power won't burst my body. It'll be put to use in other ways!
If I ate a Vermilion Fruit now... Could the combined effects of the Muscle and Tendon Classic and Dragon-Elephant Prajna Technique make my innate qualities rival the so-called Innate Super Soul Power?
The thought sent a wave of heat through Li Jingzhe.
Innate Super Soul Power meant an innate talent surpassing Innate Full Soul Power. At present, only one person on the Douluo Continent possessed this talent: Qian Renxue, the young mistress of Spirit Hall, who had been born with Soul Power Level 20.
In theory, Innate Full Soul Power was Level 10. The extra ten levels Qian Renxue possessed were said to be a divine gift. Add the ten levels of divinely bestowed Soul Power to ten levels of Innate Full Soul Power, and the result was Innate Super Soul Power.
Higher Innate Soul Power didn't just mean a higher starting point. More importantly, it meant faster cultivation and a higher limit.
If Qian Renxue hadn't chosen to carry out an undercover mission, and had instead devoted herself to cultivating in the Worship Hall, there would have been no Scoundrel to speak of...
Should I eat the Vermilion Fruit now, or wait until I get my First Soul Ring...
Just as he was thinking this—
"Holy crap, my Soul Power went up by about six levels... Pavilion Master, this medicine is amazing!!"
"Six levels? Tch... I went up seven. Do you hear me bragging about it?"
Li Jingzhe followed the voices. Dugu Yan was in high spirits, Ye Lingling looked eager to give it a try, and the other members of the Second Team were all excited... Hmm?
Wait!
Li Jingzhe's gaze snapped back to Ye Lingling's face. Her cheeks were flushed, her expression relaxed, and she even seemed excited. There was none of the weakness she'd shown earlier, when she'd been forcing herself to endure the pain... Had she avoided any hidden injuries while practicing the Seven Injuries Fist?
From the looks of it, had she already mastered the Seven Injuries Fist?
[Beep. Detected that Ye Lingling has practiced the Seven Injuries Fist and gained initial mastery... The host has received a cultivation return and triggered a critical bonus, obtaining: Perfect Seven Injuries Fist Intent]
In an instant, Li Jingzhe's mind was filled with decades of experience practicing the Seven Injuries Fist. Every movement came naturally to him; his mastery was flawless, refined, and expert.
Put simply, "Perfect Seven Injuries Fist Intent" meant he had mastered the Seven Injuries Fist well enough to unleash its Seven Injuries force without suffering any backlash!
In the Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber World, the Golden-Haired Lion King, Xie Xun, had once unleashed the Seven Injuries force with a single punch on Ice and Fire Island, easily smashing a tree so thick that two people couldn't wrap their arms around it. And Perfect Seven Injuries Fist Intent was far stronger than Xie Xun's mastery of the Seven Injuries Fist!
Once he raised his inner force cultivation, he would be able to ignore defenses, break through them with every move, and inflict the Seven Injuries with every punch!
Well, then...
For a moment, Li Jingzhe looked at Ye Lingling in a whole new light!
How long had it been?
In such a short time, she'd advanced her Seven Injuries Fist to this level!
And she'd even given him Perfect Seven Injuries Fist Intent... That was far more valuable than a simple cultivation return!
She was a treasure of a girl, all right!
That comprehension...
That compatibility...
No wonder she was born with the physique of a saint of the Seven Injuries Fist!
Li Jingzhe was still marveling when he saw Dugu Yan striding toward him, a bold, dashing air in every gesture.
"Hey!"
She pulled out the tournament tickets she'd prepared earlier. "Don't forget to come watch the competition."
With that, she walked straight to the front of the group and declared boldly, "Everyone, we're setting out!"
"Oh—!"
At that moment, their shouts rang out in perfect unison, their fighting spirit soaring to the heavens!
Watching Dugu Yan lead the Second Team away, Li Jingzhe rubbed the ticket between his fingers, a smile unconsciously forming at the corner of his mouth. "Dugu Yan at Level 50... Ye Lingling, who has learned the Seven Injuries Fist... And the fully strengthened Second Team..."
"This competition is starting to get interesting!"
After putting away the ticket, Li Jingzhe looked back at the system interface and murmured softly, "The higher the quality of a Soul Ring, the greater the chance of obtaining top-tier cultivation techniques and martial arts..."
"And the stronger one's physique, the easier it is to obtain a higher-quality Soul Ring..."
"Only when my innate qualities and physical strength improve can I vie for a higher-quality Soul Ring..."
"Also... Scoundrel's protagonist group must all be above Level 40 by now... It's time for a huge leap in power!"
Before you continue