Taking the Pill

Dawn was faint, and the thin mist had yet to fully disperse. Holy Soul Village lay shrouded in tranquility.

Ning Chuan lay on his bed, staring at the roof beams blackened by smoke. His fingers unconsciously rubbed the Foundation Establishment Pill engraved with coiling dragon patterns.

The pill felt warm and smooth to the touch, faintly heated as though alive. Its dark golden surface glimmered subtly in the weak light filtering through the cracks in the window.

He had barely slept all night, repeatedly rehearsing the scene that was about to unfold.

His sister had to take the pill, but he needed a convincing explanation—one that would not arouse any suspicion, especially from Tang Hao, who might be secretly watching the village. He needed to carefully construct a story.

"A strange old man... forced a pill down my throat... said it was fate... gave me another one for a relative... then flew away..." Ning Chuan silently recited the story he had made up once again, ensuring every detail sounded reasonable while retaining the air of an extraordinary encounter beyond ordinary people's reach. Only then could he explain the pill's unusual origin.

When the sky grew brighter, Ning Chuan took a deep breath, carefully put away the pill, and got out of bed.

In the kitchen, his mother, Liu Lan, had already lit the stove and was preparing breakfast for the family.

A pot of thin porridge simmered, steam rising from it along with the plain fragrance of grain.

His little sister, Ning Xiaohe, rubbed her sleepy eyes and obediently sat on a small stool, helping add firewood.

His father, Ning Dazhuang, was chopping wood in the courtyard, the steady thud of his axe sounding at regular intervals.

Everything was as usual, filled with the bustle and peace of a farming household's morning.

After washing up, Ning Chuan went into the kitchen to help as well.

Looking at his sister's small, frail back, his resolve grew even firmer.

Before long, breakfast was ready.

The family sat around a wooden table whose edges had been worn smooth.

Brown rice porridge, a plate of pickled vegetables, and several corn buns—simple, but enough to fill their stomachs.

Ning Chuan ate absentmindedly. Only when everyone had nearly finished did he put down his bowl and chopsticks, take a quiet breath, and force a complicated expression onto his face—part lingering fear, part excitement.

"Dad, Mom, there's something... I don't know whether I should tell you." Ning Chuan spoke in a deliberately lowered voice, with a trace of hesitation.

Liu Lan and Ning Dazhuang both looked at their son, while Ning Xiaohe lifted her head curiously.

"What is it, Xiao Chuan? Did yesterday's trip into town wear you out?" Liu Lan asked with concern.

Ning Chuan shook his head and carefully took the Foundation Establishment Pill, wrapped in a clean piece of soft cloth, from the pocket close to his body.

The moment the cloth was unfolded and the dark golden pill with its dragon patterns was revealed, an exceedingly faint but invigorating fragrance spread quietly through the room. It carried the freshness and vitality of mountain woods after rain.

"This..." Ning Dazhuang's pupils contracted. As a craftsman, he had an instinctive sense for the quality of objects.

One glance was enough to tell him that this pill was no ordinary thing. Its restrained radiance and strange patterns were unlike anything he had ever seen.

Following the script he had prepared, Ning Chuan said in a slightly shaken tone, "Yesterday... yesterday, on my way back to the village, the sun was nearly setting. When I reached that little hill about six or seven li from the village, I ran into a strange old man."

After speaking, he paused to ensure his family was fully drawn in. "That old man wore a tattered gray robe, and his hair and beard were a complete mess. But his eyes were especially bright, as though he could see straight through people. He suddenly came out of the woods by the roadside and stopped me."

Ning Xiaohe nervously edged closer to her mother, and Liu Lan clenched her hands as well.

"He... he didn't make things difficult for you, did he?" Liu Lan asked anxiously.

"No," Ning Chuan continued. "He stared at me for a long time, muttering things like 'decent bones' and 'interesting'—stuff I couldn't understand. Then... then he suddenly grabbed my chin and shoved a pill into my mouth! The pill melted the moment it entered my mouth. I couldn't even spit it out!"

"What?!" Ning Dazhuang abruptly stood up, his expression changing drastically. "You ate it? Do you feel unwell anywhere?"

He grabbed his son and looked him over from head to toe, his eyes full of concern and anger.

"Dad, I'm fine, really!" Ning Chuan hurriedly reassured him. "Not only am I fine, but after taking it, I felt... felt warm all over, like I had endless strength. All the exhaustion from walking to town yesterday vanished at once!"

He moved his arms, trying his best to look energized. "When that old man saw I was fine after taking the pill, he chuckled and said I was fated with him, and that the medicine was a good thing for strengthening the body. Then he took out this one."

After speaking, he pointed at the Foundation Establishment Pill on the table and added, "He said this one could be used by a blood relative, and its effect would be even better. Then he... he vanished like a gust of wind in the blink of an eye! I didn't even see how he left!"

Once the story was over, the kitchen fell silent. Only the occasional crackle of firewood in the stove could be heard.

Liu Lan and Ning Dazhuang exchanged looks, their faces full of shock and disbelief.

He flew away? Had their son encountered one of the legendary Title Douluo? Or perhaps... someone even more powerful?

Ning Xiaohe's eyes widened as she looked from the pill to her brother, her little face filled with wonder.

"Xiao Chuan... is everything you said true?" Ning Dazhuang's voice was somewhat hoarse. The matter was too bizarre, completely beyond anything he had known in his decades of ordinary life.

"Dad, I swear!" Ning Chuan raised his hand, his expression utterly sincere. "I don't know whether that old man was some kind of god or what, but I took the medicine and I'm truly fine. I actually feel better than ever. This pill looks even better than the one I took, and that old man said it was for family..."

His gaze turned toward his sister, Ning Xiaohe, filled with affection. "I was thinking that Xiao He's body is weak. If this medicine really is as good as that old man said, then maybe taking it will make her stronger."

Liu Lan looked at her daughter as well, and longing was clear in her eyes.

As a mother, what she wanted most was for her children to be healthy and safe.

Her son had taken the pill without incident and was even more energetic than before. Could this pill truly be a stroke of fortune sent from heaven?

Ning Dazhuang remained silent, his rough fingers lightly touching the Foundation Establishment Pill and feeling its reassuring warmth and indescribable texture.

He had lived more than half his life and had never seen such a strange treasure, but his instincts told him it was not something sinister.

"Dear..." Liu Lan called softly, her meaning obvious.

Ning Dazhuang pondered for a while longer before finally letting out a long breath, as though making an enormous decision. "Xiao Chuan took it and nothing happened. That old man doesn't seem to be a bad person either... perhaps this truly is our family's fortune." He turned to Ning Xiaohe. "Xiao He, do you... dare to take it?"

Although Ning Xiaohe was young, she was clever and sensible.

She looked at her brother's encouraging eyes, then at her parents' expectant gazes. After taking another sniff of the soothing medicinal fragrance, she nodded firmly. "Brother took it and he's fine, so I dare to take it too! I want to be strong and healthy, so Dad and Mom won't have to worry!"

A great weight lifted from Ning Chuan's heart, and he quickly said, "That old man said you just need to swallow it. It'll melt as soon as it enters your mouth."

Liu Lan carefully picked up the Foundation Establishment Pill from the table and brought it to her younger daughter's lips. "Xiao He, eat it slowly."

Ning Xiaohe opened her mouth and placed the pill, which was about the size of a longan, into it.

Sure enough, the pill instantly transformed into a warm, gentle stream of liquid that flowed down her throat. A lingering fragrance filled her mouth, carrying an indescribable sweetness and richness.

At first, Ning Xiaohe felt little after the medicinal liquid entered her stomach. She blinked and was about to speak when a gentle current of heat suddenly rose from her lower abdomen and swiftly spread through her limbs and body.

The warmth was not scorching. Instead, it was like winter sunlight—warm and comfortable.

She could not help letting out a soft "Mm." She felt every pore in her body open, as though tiny currents of air were slowly flowing within her, washing away certain stagnant places.

"How is it, Xiao He? Does it hurt?" Liu Lan nervously watched her daughter's expression.

Ning Xiaohe shook her head, a healthy flush appearing on her face. "It doesn't hurt, Mom. It feels so good... so warm, like... like I'm soaking in hot water."

As she spoke, she unconsciously straightened the back that had once been slightly hunched from weakness.

Ning Chuan held his breath and carefully observed the changes in his sister.

In his perception, the vast yet gentle medicinal power was like a trickling stream, quietly nourishing every tiny meridian in his sister's body, cleansing impurities from her flesh and blood, and strengthening her most fundamental foundation.

The faint effect of Dragon Qi Body Tempering was like the most delicate hammering, imperceptibly raising her body's potential.

Gradually, grayish-black, foul-smelling sticky sweat began to seep from Ning Xiaohe's skin.

This was the normal phenomenon of the Foundation Establishment Pill cleansing her marrow and expelling impurities from her body.

"Ah, she's sweating!" Liu Lan cried out, hurriedly trying to wipe it away with her sleeve.

"Mom, don't panic. This is a good thing." Ning Chuan suppressed his excitement and explained, "That old man said this medicine can clear the dirty things from the body. It'll be fine once they're expelled."

Liu Lan and Ning Dazhuang were half-convinced, but seeing that their daughter's expression remained normal—and that she even seemed more energetic than ever before—they relaxed slightly.

Ning Xiaohe herself felt lighter and lighter. The fatigue, chilliness, and fear of cold that had always plagued her were rapidly fading, replaced by a sense of ease and strength she had never felt before.

She even felt that the world before her had become much clearer and brighter.

The process lasted about the time it took to burn a stick of incense. Ning Xiaohe stopped expelling impurities, her complexion becoming rosy and full, her eyes bright and spirited. Her whole body seemed to radiate vigorous life.

"Dad, Mom, Brother!" Ning Xiaohe excitedly jumped down from her stool and spun around in place. "I feel so light! I feel like I could run really, really far without getting tired!"

Seeing their daughter's clearly healthier appearance, Liu Lan's eyes reddened. She pulled Xiao He into her arms, her voice choking up. "Good, good! This is wonderful!"

After a while, she looked up at Ning Dazhuang again. "Dear, look at Xiao He..."

Ning Dazhuang, normally a man of few words, was so moved that his lips trembled slightly. He heavily patted Ning Chuan on the shoulder. "Good boy! This stroke of fortune you found... our family must remember it!"

Though he could not say whom they should remember, his gratitude was genuine.

Seeing his sister's lively appearance, Ning Chuan felt immense relief and accomplishment well up inside him.

He had finally taken this step!

The Foundation Establishment Pill's effects were even better than he had expected.

"Xiao He, hurry and wash up, then change into clean clothes." Ning Chuan reminded her with a smile.

"Okay!" Ning Xiaohe answered cheerfully and ran toward the inner room like a little bird.

Liu Lan followed to help her, leaving only Ning Dazhuang and Ning Chuan, father and son, in the kitchen.

Ning Dazhuang looked at his son, his gaze deep as though he wanted to say something. In the end, however, he merely patted Ning Chuan's shoulder again. "From now on... try not to walk alone at night."

As a father, he was ultimately still wary of that mysterious "old man."

Ning Chuan obediently nodded. "I understand, Dad."

The breakfast-time incident passed, and life in the Ning Family seemed to return to calm.

But Ning Chuan knew that some things had already quietly changed.

His sister's body was undergoing a fundamental transformation under the Foundation Establishment Pill's effects, while he himself had laid the first stone for this miraculous change.