One Year

Near Qixia Mountain, Xia Dong tucked away the spirit stones just sent by Qin Wan and, utilizing the token that granted access to the cultivation market, quietly made a trip to the Qixia Immortal Sect market.

This time, his goal was clear: he exchanged one spirit stone for three Bigu Pill.

According to the records in the Cultivation Miscellany, a single Bigu Pill was enough to sustain a cultivator in the Qi Refining Realm for an entire month without food, while ensuring their internal essence and energy did not wane.

Xia Dong was desperate to know how much effect this cultivator pill would have on an "aberrant cultivator" like himself, who relied on blood and energy to nourish his divine sense.

Back at Changchun Medical Hall, after locking his door, Xia Dong swallowed a Bigu Pill.

As the pill entered his stomach, there was no violent surge of heat, only a long, gentle stream of essence and energy diffusing through his gut.

However, three days later, as Xia Dong sat before his desk, his expression darkened.

Only three days.

The essence and energy contained within the pill, which supposedly allowed a cultivator to abstain from food for a month, had been completely consumed by him.

Cultivators could never be like me, relying solely on consuming blood and energy to nourish their divine sense. Xia Dong tapped his fingers lightly on the table, speculating to himself, They must have more profound and direct immortal techniques to absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to nurture their souls.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel suspicious of the Profound Yin Scripture. Since this demonic cultivation technique possessed a secret art to devour vengeful spirits to strengthen the soul, could there be another method to devour flesh and blood to strengthen one's blood and energy?

In all likelihood, there was.

It was just that devouring flesh and blood to strengthen one's blood and energy probably carried side effects, much like devouring ghosts to strengthen the soul.

Following this line of thought, Xia Dong felt a chill in his heart.

If there were side effects, why were there cultivators capturing martial artists? Could it be that the blood and energy of martial artists were purer than ordinary flesh, thus making the side effects negligible?

The Great You Dynasty Court was so kindly implementing new laws and promoting martial arts—could it be?

Xia Dong felt a shiver and dared not dwell on it too deeply.

For now, preserving his life was the most important thing.

Only with life could he continue to move forward.

Xia Dong remained focused on improving his own strength.

On the other hand, while the Bigu Pill was useful, the trade of "one spirit stone for three days of sustenance" was far too extravagant. Xia Dong had also consulted medical texts and discovered that most of the medicinal herbs required for the Bigu Pill were infused with spiritual energy, which was impossible to find in the mortal world; the path of refining them himself was also blocked.

Fortunately, although he could not retain the spiritual energy of heaven and earth within his body, he could use his divine sense to guide the free-roaming spiritual energy in the surroundings directly into the Bronze Ancient Bell within his sea of consciousness.

Although his divine sense was heavily depleted, it could be replenished by consuming mortal flesh and blood.

This meant he could rely on frantic eating to replenish his blood and energy, convert that blood and energy into divine sense, and finally use his divine sense to help the Bronze Ancient Bell absorb spiritual energy, accumulating the spiritual power needed for deduction.

Furthermore, Xia Dong discovered that the concentration of spiritual energy in the secret chamber at the bottom of the dry well was far higher than on the surface. In the secret chamber, with the same expenditure of divine sense, the Bronze Ancient Bell could absorb much more spiritual energy.

Thus, Xia Dong carefully tucked away the remaining spirit stone and two Bigu Pill.

He began a disciplined life of "gluttonous eating and meditating in the dry well."

A new month arrived.

The "soft rice" sent by Sister Wan'er arrived right on schedule.

This time, in addition to the customary two spirit stones, there were actually five full Bigu Pill!

In her letter, Qin Wan mentioned that these five Bigu Pill were not purchased by her, but were casually bestowed upon her by her master, Lone Moon.

Qin Wan also explained a piece of common knowledge in the cultivation world in her letter: Bigu Pill sold for an exorbitant price in the market, but to the inner disciples of the Qixia Immortal Sect, they were actually worth very little.

Moreover, the number of inner disciples in the Immortal Sect had dwindled sharply, and a large quantity of unused Bigu Pill was piling up in the storehouse. This was because, for cultivators pursuing the Great Dao of Longevity, Bigu Pill were merely trinkets used to save time on eating and were of no benefit to improving one's cultivation, far inferior to spirit rice rich in essence.

After reading the letter, Xia Dong felt quite helpless: "So, in the market, I was fleeced by that profiteer like a fat sheep."

But compared to being swindled out of a spirit stone, another piece of information revealed in the letter made Xia Dong's heart tighten.

Lone Moon was paying attention to him!

The matter of the Yin Evil Pill shouldn't have been exposed; otherwise, I would have been dragged up the mountain long ago.

He pondered for a moment, his gaze falling on the token used to enter the market.

This token was crafted by Lone Moon herself. He had taken the token to the market last month to buy Bigu Pill; it must have been that the activation of the token was sensed by Lone Moon. Lone Moon must have learned that he was purchasing Bigu Pill in the market, and thus casually had Qin Wan send him a few.

It seemed to be just a gesture of goodwill from Senior Lone Moon.

After thinking it through, Xia Dong let out a long sigh of relief, though he did not let his guard down.

"The cultivation market, I'd better not go there for the time being."

In any case, he had only been once since parting ways with Qin Wan; not going again wouldn't be considered abnormal behavior.

On the other hand, with the help of the "free" Bigu Pill from Lone Moon, Xia Dong's speed in accumulating spiritual energy for the Bronze Ancient Bell increased.

He settled his mind completely, neither participating in the martial examinations nor intending to take the provincial civil service examinations for the time being.

Currently, he was thriving in Pingyang County.

He was both a renowned doctor and a scholar.

He could handle both the underworld and the authorities. As long as he didn't go out of his way to stir up trouble, he was as secure as Mount Tai within this small Pingyang County.

Spring departed and autumn arrived, with the cold and heat alternating in turn.

For an entire year, he rarely stepped outside, much like a crane hidden deep in the mountains, silently accumulating his foundation.

During this year, he did not return to Yellow Mud Village to capture ghosts for refining Yin Evil Pill.

This was because he knew clearly that the stronger his divine sense became, the more blood energy it consumed daily. Before finding a more efficient method to refine essence into energy, blindly increasing his divine sense placed an immense burden on his physical body.

However, even without deliberately training in martial arts, thanks to the residual medicinal power of the Yin Evil Pill combined with his unceasing hard work over the year, his martial arts realm still achieved a breakthrough as naturally as water flowing into a channel.

Skin Grinding Realm, perfected.

Following this, Xia Dong naturally entered the third stage of martial arts—Bone Forging Realm.

With divine sense, his martial arts cultivation had become exceptionally smooth.

Now, when Xia Dong stood in the courtyard practicing his stance, a faint, muffled thunderous sound could be heard from deep within his bones, and his blood energy felt as heavy as lead and mercury.

At nightfall on this day, Xia Dong sat on his bed, his divine sense turned inward.

Deep within his sea of consciousness, the surface of that mottled Bronze Ancient Bell was already flowing with an extremely lustrous spiritual light.

Over the past year, he had saved every single spirit stone sent by Qin Wan, keeping them all for this very day.

Moreover, with divine sense, he could directly draw the spiritual energy from the spirit stones and inject it into the Bronze Ancient Bell.

Coupled with day after day of using his divine sense to guide the spiritual energy from the ancient well for the Bronze Ancient Bell to absorb, the spiritual energy accumulated within the bell was now immense.

"Crane Stance, Dragon-Capturing Technique, Evergreen Medical Classic... the time has come!"

"Bronze Ancient Bell, assist my cultivation!"