He stared in shock at the two pills in Fei Luo's hand. Dark, mysterious pill markings wound around them, and a faint medicinal fragrance wafted through the air.
"Great Restoration Pills!" Uncle Nine gasped.
Beside them, Wencai came over at the sound of his voice. "Master, what are Great Restoration Pills?"
Uncle Nine glanced at Wencai but didn't answer. Instead, he turned to Fei Luo. "Xiao Luo, where did you get these pills?"
At that moment, Uncle Nine could no longer keep his composure.
Fei Luo had already shocked him time and again. Great Restoration Pills were legendary medicines in this day and age.
What's more, one needed to be at least a Golden Core Realm expert to refine pills.
And the Golden Core Realm was itself a legend in this day and age.
"Master, a few days ago, I found them in a temple on South Mountain. Don't ask so many questions. Hurry up and take them." Fei Luo grinned and made up an excuse.
"Hmm?" Uncle Nine gave Fei Luo a doubtful look. "You mean the Earth God temple?"
Fei Luo nodded without saying anything more.
"Master, you and Senior Brother Wencai can each have one. There's another surprise after you've taken them." Fei Luo pretended to be mysterious and pressed a pill into each of their hands.
"This..." Uncle Nine looked at Fei Luo. He knew that refusing now would be an insult to his disciple's good intentions.
"Wencai, Great Restoration Pills are top-grade healing medicine. They can cure flesh wounds, internal injuries, and even dispel evil toxins. They're one of our sect's finest pills." Uncle Nine took a pill and gave one to Wencai, explaining as he did so.
"Wow, that's amazing!" Wencai gaped, staring at the pill in his hand and swallowing hard.
Ever since Old Master Ren had clawed him, his wounds had itched unbearably, as if ants were crawling over them. Being rid of that pain would be the best thing in the world.
"Thank you, Fei Luo." Wencai thanked Fei Luo solemnly, then tilted his head back and swallowed the pill.
Uncle Nine did the same.
Before their eyes, the wounds on both men rapidly healed. The black blood turned into wisps of steam and vanished on its own.
After the time it took to brew a cup of tea, Wencai and Uncle Nine had fully recovered.
"Master, these are just a small token of my gratitude." Seeing that they had recovered, Fei Luo took out two jade bottles and handed them to Uncle Nine.
"These are..." Uncle Nine pulled out the stoppers and instantly drew in a sharp breath.
Three Marrow Cleansing Pills and two Heaven Origin Soul Gathering Pills?
They were all divine medicines recorded in the sect's classics.
"Fei Luo, these are far too precious. It would be a waste for us to take such pills. You should—"
Before Uncle Nine could finish, Fei Luo interrupted him.
"Master, you've treated me like your own son. These are from the heart. Besides, these pills are useless to me now. I've already taken them. Otherwise, how could my cultivation have advanced so quickly?"
After Fei Luo finished speaking, Uncle Nine studied him closely.
"You... you've already reached the late stage of Foundation Establishment?" Uncle Nine was so shocked that his mouth fell open.
When Fei Luo had fought Old Master Ren just now, Uncle Nine had sensed that he was already at the middle stage of Foundation Establishment. Now, his aura was so deep that even Uncle Nine couldn't sense it.
There was too great a gap between their levels. Naturally, he couldn't sense Fei Luo's cultivation.
"That's right." Fei Luo nodded. "Master, please accept them. You and my two senior brothers can each have a Marrow Cleansing Pill. The two Heaven Origin Soul Gathering Pills should be just enough to help you break through to the late stage of Foundation Establishment."
"Gulp." Wencai stood beside them, eyes wide as he swallowed hard.
Marrow Cleansing Pills?
He could actually take a divine pill like this?
In this age of declining magic, as the spiritual energy of heaven and earth dwindled, people's natural gifts had grown poorer and poorer. With a Marrow Cleansing Pill, wouldn't he be able to leap from carp to dragon?
Uncle Nine's eyes reddened. He patted Fei Luo on the shoulder, then silently put away the pills.
Fei Luo's generosity moved him deeply.
Respecting one's teacher and honoring the Way was a tradition in Great Xia, but that didn't mean everyone was a gentleman.
In this age of declining magic, if someone else had such an opportunity, they would hide it away as fast as they could. Who would quietly share it with others?
Any one of these pills could fetch a sky-high price at auction.
Taking Fei Luo as his disciple was the best decision he had ever made in this life—and the good fortune he must have earned in his previous one!
Fei Luo left. He could never handle being thanked by family. Seeing his master's eyes redden left him at a loss for words.
Fei Luo hadn't mentioned the monstrous fact that he had taken seven Marrow Cleansing Pills.
Everyone knew that a Marrow Cleansing Pill only worked once.
The system had specially made these pills for Fei Luo. Only he could take them multiple times; for everyone else, they would only work once.
"Master, let's wait for Qiusheng. I bet he went somewhere to drink and chase women." With his injuries healed, Wencai turned to Uncle Nine.
"Good." Uncle Nine nodded. "Now that this matter is settled, I'll give each of you a Marrow Cleansing Pill. You must work hard at your cultivation. Look at Fei Luo—he's already surpassed me. If you keep slacking off, the gap will only grow wider."
"Yes, Master." Wencai scratched his head and silently endured Uncle Nine's lecture.
An hour later, Uncle Nine and Wencai heard the sound of a bicycle outside the main hall.
"He's here!"
Uncle Nine and Wencai exchanged a look, then both got up and headed for the door.
"Master, I'm back." Qiusheng came in, somewhat dazed, carrying half a sack of glutinous rice.
When Qiusheng had left, he'd been full of life. Now he looked listless, like someone who hadn't slept for days.
Uncle Nine was about to scold him, but the moment he saw Qiusheng's appearance, his brows furrowed deeply.
Wencai had been about to step forward and give Qiusheng a knock on the head, but he, too, froze at the sight of him.
What was going on?
Why did Qiusheng look so drained?
Just then, Fei Luo heard the commotion, opened the door, and came downstairs.
"Xiao Luo, take a look at Qiusheng. Is something wrong with him?" Uncle Nine asked Fei Luo.
He had no choice. Fei Luo was now stronger than his own master, and Uncle Nine knew Fei Luo would be able to see more clearly than he could.
Fei Luo glanced at Qiusheng and shook his head to himself. "There's a peach blossom on his forehead, but it looks both real and illusory. It seems like a female ghost has possessed him. Senior Brother Qiusheng has been violated by a female ghost."
Uncle Nine nodded. "Looks like I was right. There is indeed ghostly energy around him, and it's a female ghost's aura. His yang essence is also depleted, clearly from excessive intercourse."
"You little Qiusheng! You were gone for hours to buy rice, and you were actually out there fooling around with a ghost?" Wencai rolled up his sleeve and stepped forward, speaking coldly.
At their words, Qiusheng grew even more confused, unable to make heads or tails of the situation.
Possessed by a female ghost?
Fooling around with a ghost?
Could it be...
Qiusheng was instantly terrified. His back went cold, and a chill ran from the soles of his feet all the way to his head.
Then he remembered the amorous encounter from earlier. He really had made love with Dong Xiaoyu, but she hadn't seemed like a ghost at all.
"Qiusheng, go get some rest. It's late," Uncle Nine said when he saw the disbelief on Qiusheng's face.
"Yes, Master." Qiusheng put down the sack of glutinous rice and headed upstairs without another word.
"Wencai, you should go rest, too."
"Yes, Master."
After Qiusheng and Wencai had both left, Uncle Nine looked at Fei Luo. "Xiao Luo, I'll have to trouble you with Qiusheng's situation. I'll be refining the Heaven Origin Soul Gathering Pills over the next couple of days, and I'm afraid it may take me a while to succeed..."
Before you continue