Whale Gum Alchemy, Tang Sect's Instant Strike!

After finishing his meal, Qin Qi asked Teacher Zhao to take him to the Dean, and after some shameless pestering, he managed to persuade the man.

Qin Qi successfully received an advance on his scholarship from the principal and took the money to buy medicine.

While shopping at the pharmacy, Qin Qi suddenly spotted something, and after inquiring about it, he discovered it was actually Whale Glue.

I recall this stuff is supposed to be a potent tonic, capable of enhancing physical constitution and increasing the age limit for Spirit Ring absorption.

Qin Qi thought it over and bought it. Whale Glue wasn't expensive at this time; after all, no one had yet discovered its true utility.

After purchasing it along with a few other medicinal herbs, Qin Qi left. As he walked out, the pharmacy clerks looked at him with strange expressions.

"Buying this kind of thing at such a young age!"

"Sigh, we just don't understand the world of the rich."

"Spirit Masters really have wild tastes."

The crowd whispered among themselves.

Once Qin Qi was away, he stored the Whale Glue in his Study Space and then entered it himself.

He showed the Whale Glue to Tang Jiaren and gave him a rough explanation of its uses.

"Hmm, a potent tonic indeed, but you cannot consume it directly. I will write a prescription; go find some herbs to pair with it."

After a brief inspection, Tang Jiaren confirmed the medicinal properties of the Whale Glue and began writing the formula.

Tang Sect pharmacology originated from traditional Chinese medicine, which emphasizes the roles of monarch, minister, assistant, and envoy—the art of combining different herbs.

This maximizes the efficacy of a single ingredient while minimizing its toxicity.

Qin Qi bought the herbs according to the prescription and brought them back to brew. The resulting medicinal liquid was as viscous as jelly.

He added a few ingredients to form them into pills; this single piece of Whale Glue yielded ten pills.

"Take one of these once a day, and immediately begin circulating the Five Treasures Body Protection Method to absorb the medicinal effects."

Tang Jiaren explained the precautions for the pills to Qin Qi, the most important being not to overconsume them.

Good things aren't better just because you eat more; moderation is key. Even tonics can harm the body if taken in excess!

"Granduncle, will I feel feverish all over after taking this?"

Before consuming it, Qin Qi asked. He knew that Whale Glue was often used as an aphrodisiac.

But did it still have that effect after being refined into a pill? If it did, that would be troublesome.

He had no one to vent his pent-up energy with right now.

"No, the prescription contains neutralizing herbs. The medicinal properties are now balanced and mild, making them very easy to absorb," Tang Jiaren replied.

"Oh, then that's fine."

Qin Qi popped the pill into his mouth. It even tasted a bit sweet—quite delicious.

However, not long after swallowing it, Qin Qi felt energy and heat surging through his body.

He sat cross-legged on the ground, activated the Transparent World to perform Inner Observation, and began circulating the Five Treasures Body Protection Method to absorb the energy.

In traditional medicine, not only does the prescription require a balance of ingredients, but there is also a specific method for absorption.

If one simply swallows the medicine and relies on the body's instinctual digestion, most of the efficacy is wasted.

But by circulating a cultivation technique to absorb it, one could utilize the medicinal effects to the maximum extent!

[Five Treasures Body Protection Method (Entry): Cultivation Progress: 18%]

After Qin Qi finished absorbing the effects of that single pill, both his Spirit Power and physical body had improved.

Even the cultivation progress of his Five Treasures Body Protection Method had increased by one percent.

"As expected, cultivation is just a constant cycle of cheating and popping pills!"

Qin Qi couldn't help but sigh.

That night, before going to sleep.

"I'm so bored."

Xiao Wu sat on her bed, looking at the others in the room, and suddenly spoke up.

Tang San was sitting to the side, absorbed in his own cultivation. Ever since he had been spurred on by Qin Qi and Xiao Wu, he had become increasingly diligent, spending his days and nights either working or cultivating, working himself like a beast of burden.

"I said I'm so bored!"

Xiao Wu said, looking toward Wang Sheng, repeating herself.

"Sister Xiao Wu, don't mess with me. I'm about to reach level ten Spirit Power."

"I've been busy studying every day lately; I really don't have time to play with you."

Wang Sheng was burning the midnight oil; he was close to level ten and also nearing graduation.

The previous sixth-graders had left, and he was now part of the current sixth-grade class; in a little while, he would likely have to go hunt for a spirit ring.

Before that, he had to be fully prepared.

"So boring!"

Xiao Wu lay on her bed and began to roll around. Everyone had been so busy lately that she was truly bored out of her mind on her own.

"Sigh, Xiao Wu, your noise helps me fall asleep, but Wang Sheng, the sound of you turning pages keeps me up all night."

"You're all working yourselves to the bone; I'm so unlucky to be in the same dormitory as you lot."

Qin Qi looked at Tang San, who was cultivating, and Wang Sheng, who was reading, feeling that these people were truly too obsessed with grinding.

Couldn't they learn a thing or two from him? Just go to sleep early at night.

"Qin Qi, are you free tomorrow? Shall we go shopping?"

Xiao Wu suddenly sat up, her bright, watery eyes fixed on Qin Qi as she asked.

"No time. I have classes in the morning and work in the afternoon; I don't have time to go shopping."

Qin Qi refused without a moment's hesitation. Just kidding—he was a model student, and he wouldn't give up any time that could be spent studying.

"Tch, and you have the nerve to talk about others? You're the busiest person in this entire dorm."

"Aside from eating and sleeping, I never see you at any other time—oh wait, except for when you're in class."

Xiao Wu couldn't help but retort.

"At the very least, I get to sleep on time every day. Alright, stop talking; I need to get some sleep."

Qin Qi lay down and subsequently entered the Study Space, where one hour in the outside world equaled one day inside.

Waking up with a start from a deathly slumber, it turns out I'm the ultimate grinder!

In the Study Space, Tang Jiaren began teaching Qin Qi the Tang Sect's close-quarters combat technique, Instant Strike, and the evasive movement technique, Catkin Step.

"Instant Strike, as the name implies, is an attack launched in an instant. This technique is specifically designed for close-quarters combat within our Tang Sect."

"It is divided into two stages. The first stage focuses on speed, quantity, and consistency."

"The second stage focuses on power, explosive force, and lethality."

As he spoke, Tang Jiaren summoned a wall within the Study Space and drew a target upon it.

He then struck in an instant; in the blink of an eye, every part of the target on the wall had been hit.

The attack was incredibly dense.

"This is the first stage. When you begin learning this stage, focus on the consistency of your speed and force; precision is not yet that important."

After finishing his explanation, Tang Jiaren struck again in an instant. This time, the force exploded, and a hole was punched directly through the wall!

If the previous strike was like a hail of bullets, this one was like a cannon blast.

"This is the second stage. Once the opponent has adapted to the speed and frequency of the first stage..."

"You catch them off guard with faster, more ferocious power to land a killing blow. To master this move, you must practice it until it becomes instinct!"

"Of course, even though the second stage is a guaranteed kill, it doesn't mean you must use it to kill every time."

"If you can kill them with the first stage, that is for the best."

Tang Jiaren said.