The Limits of the Human Body

The figures of the group vanished around the bend in the road.

The three returned to their room.

After dividing up the sixty Spirit Stones, Xiang Sui collected the five Spirit Stones Zhu Yu owed for purchasing Meditation Fluid. He explained that afternoon lessons would begin again tomorrow, then immediately took Liang Kuan, who was fiddling with his Spirit Stones, to inspect the place where he would teach the large class.

Watching the two leave, Zhu Yu turned and returned inside, taking stock of his belongings.

Forty Low-grade Spirit Stones of various kinds, plus three Soul Dispersing Pills.

Though it was still not much, compared to his previous state of utter poverty, it was already quite good.

Zhu Yu knew full well that Spirit Stones were merely Spirit Stones while kept in hand; only when spent did they become useful. After a brief moment of thought, he rose and walked to the door, pulling the rope beside it.

When the attendant arrived, Zhu Yu did not leave behind a single Spirit Stone.

Thirty Spirit Stones were used to purchase Soul Dispersing Pills. To guard against unforeseen circumstances, he spent ten Spirit Stones on two first-rank lower-grade Blood Qi Pills to nourish his body.

"Eighteen days remain until the deadline. Whether I make it or not will depend on just how effective this stomach lining is..."

The thought flashed through Zhu Yu's mind as he closed his eyes and meditated while waiting.

Before long.

Knock, knock... Someone knocked at the door.

"They're here."

Delight flashed through Zhu Yu's eyes. He got up from the bed and opened the door.

A gray-clothed attendant stood outside, cradling a jade jar the size of a human head. Upon seeing Zhu Yu, he hurriedly bowed and offered the jar with both hands, saying respectfully,

"My lord, this was sent for you at Lord Xiang's instruction."

"Thank you."

Zhu Yu accepted it and gave a slight nod to indicate that he could leave. He then returned to the room and set the jade jar on the table. Looking at the liquid within, nearly filled to the brim, he could not help sighing.

"Senior Brother Xiang truly deserves to be from a Foundation Establishment Lineage. He's remarkably generous."

Based on Liang Kuan's earlier price of three bottles of Meditation Fluid per Spirit Stone, the Meditation Fluid in this jade jar was worth at least thirty Spirit Stones, perhaps even more.

Not long afterward.

The attendant delivered the ten Soul Dispersing Pills and two Blood Qi Pills Zhu Yu had purchased.

"Everything is ready..."

Zhu Yu's gaze swept over the jade jar and pill bottles on the table, the chamber pot on the floor, and the clean water. Taking a deep breath, he opened the jar, filled an empty jade bottle, sealed the jar again, and drained the bottle in one gulp. Then he silently waited.

[The Meditation Fluid has reacted with gastric fluid]

[Warning, large quantities of hallucinogenic, aphrodisiac, diarrhea-inducing, and vomiting toxins have been produced...]

"It's here!"

Zhu Yu felt threads of cool energy shoot from his stomach straight into his mind, and his heart tightened. Yet after waiting several breaths, his vision was only slightly hazy; he did not experience hallucinations as he had last time.

Joy rose within him. "It really works..."

Not long after, the haze before his eyes faded, but his stomach suddenly began to churn.

[Warning, neural toxins have been neutralized. Diarrhea-inducing and vomiting toxins have increased sharply...]

[The body has suffered minor toxin erosion. The stomach and intestines are experiencing discomfort...]

Zhu Yu immediately felt nauseated, and his abdomen was somewhat bloated and painful. Fortunately, it was all bearable. Once he saw the monitoring information from the True Sight Eye, he was completely reassured.

He then closed his eyes, gathered his focus, and immersed himself in meditation.

With a tough stomach lining that could resist diarrhea-inducing and vomiting toxins, he no longer needed to worry about damaging his physique. When the effects of the Meditation Fluid faded, he took out a Soul Dispersing Pill and swallowed it, then downed another bottle of Meditation Fluid.

The next day.

Five full moons rose beneath the dome, while one had only begun to reveal a faint glimmer.

"Ah..."

A pained cry suddenly rang out from one stone room.

Zhu Yu lay on the bed clutching his head, his face deathly pale and his teeth clenched tight. Once the needle-like pain in his mind eased slightly, his abdomen began to riot again.

His expression changed slightly, and he hurriedly climbed out of bed.

Half an hour later.

The stone room was thick with steam. Zhu Yu tossed the wooden bucket aside and stood by the doorway, leaning against the wall. He rubbed his throbbing temples, and with a thought, summoned the monitoring information of the True Sight Eye.

A flood of information poured into his mind. Before long, two lines caught his attention.

[Warning, the body has suffered severe toxin erosion. Damage has appeared in the stomach lining...]

[Warning, abnormalities have appeared in Soul fluctuations. Unknown energy radiation has greatly decreased...]

"The human body has its limits..."

Zhu Yu shook his head slightly and summoned his own status panel.

[Attributes: Body 0.9, Soul 5.5]

After a night of meditation, during which he consumed three bottles of Meditation Fluid and two Soul Dispersing Pills in succession, he had condensed a full nine Soul Particles—comparable to fifth-grade Soul aptitude.

This had also allowed Zhu Yu to determine his own limit.

Even with the aid of two lower-grade pills, the Soul power dissipated from his Soul could at most equal the amount contained in eight Soul Particles. Any more, and he would face the calamity of Soul collapse.

"Eight is enough."

A faint smile surfaced on Zhu Yu's pale face. The haze shrouding his heart silently dispersed. In that instant, it was as though he had shrugged off a crushing burden, and his eyes became brighter and deeper.

"Next, I need to accumulate Soul Particles and awaken Divine Sense..."

Just then.

A carriage pulled by a Spirit Beast Stone-Skin Rhino stopped at the road junction. More than a dozen gray-robed servants each removed several food boxes and entered the lane, beginning to distribute them from stone room to stone room.

"Greetings, my lord."

A servant came before Zhu Yu, bowed, and handed him a food box. He then returned to the lane and headed for the neighboring stone room.

Zhu Yu glanced at the damp room. After some thought, he decided to eat outside instead. Opening the food box, he found three exquisite dishes—two meat and one vegetable—along with a bowl of rice.

He did not take them out, simply setting the box on a chair as he ate and let his thoughts wander.

"I hear Qi Refining cultivators eat Spirit Rice and Spirit dishes infused with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. I wonder what they taste like."

Just as he was thinking this.

A weary voice suddenly came from beside him. "Hey, are you better now?"

"Hm? Better?"

Zhu Yu turned toward the voice and saw a girl standing before the neighboring stone room. She wore black robes, had dark circles around her eyes, and looked as though she had stayed awake for several nights straight. He paused, and memories from the former owner of this body surfaced in his mind.

Her name was Tong Xuan. She and the former owner came from the same mortal dynasty, though they had not interacted much.

Zhu Yu knew she was referring to the medicinal broth he had brewed yesterday. He did not explain, merely nodding slightly as he replied, "Thank you, Junior Sister Tong. I'm better now."

"Who's your junior sister? Have you reached Qi Refining?"

Tong Xuan shot him a glare and muttered irritably. She turned to go back inside, but as she stepped through the doorway, she suddenly stopped. Turning back to look at Zhu Yu, she said seriously,

"There are only seventeen days left until the one-year deadline. Don't become expendable material..."

With that, she yawned and carried her food box into the room.

Watching the door close, Zhu Yu smiled faintly. "She's a kind-hearted fellow countrywoman." After finishing his meal, his complexion improved noticeably, and he slowly paced before the doorway to aid digestion.

Before long.

Six full moons appeared beneath the dome.

Xiang Sui and Liang Kuan appeared before the stone room right on time. Five unfamiliar faces followed behind them, curiously sizing Zhu Yu up.

"Junior Brothers, please."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Zhu Yu beamed brilliantly and gestured them inside.

The group entered the room, and the door closed.

At this moment.

On the lane not far away.

The air suddenly warped and shifted. A young man with an ordinary face, dressed in a spotless white robe, materialized out of thin air. Looking toward the stone room, he shook his head and laughed.

"Zhu... I thought some great figure had come to snatch food, but it turns out he's merely a little fellow who hasn't even reached Qi Refining."