Azureflower Foundation Elixir

When he returned home, Jiang Yuan was watching TV as usual.

The difference was that sounds of Lin Wanqiu chopping vegetables and humming came from the kitchen. It was clear she was in a good mood now that she did not have to work overtime.

"Welcome home, Brother!"

Jiang Yuan gave him a sweet glance before turning back to the TV.

A five-hundred-yuan red packet was only worth that one sentence.

Jiang Ding curled his lip, set down his backpack, and went to the kitchen to help.

"Dingding, you're back."

Humming a tune, Lin Wanqiu said, "The Azureflower Foundation Elixir Yuanwang sent over has arrived. I put it in your room. Remember to take a look later."

"Got it, Mom."

Jiang Ding's heart leaped with joy. This was one of the rare pills that could improve one's aptitude. Without connections through Qianling University's Dao Cultivation Department, even ordinary cultivators would have trouble obtaining it.

After washing a potato clean, he placed it on the cutting board and wiped down his sword blade with a cloth.

Jiang Ding gripped the hilt as internal force circulated through several meridians in his body that had already been initially opened.

Clang!

Sword Unfurling Form!

A bright flash of sword light streaked past. The sword returned to its sheath as though it had never moved, while the potato remained whole and oval, completely unscathed.

Jiang Ding lightly touched the potato with his index finger. Matchstick-sized potato shreds spread apart, uniform in size and thickness—except for the two central layers, whose shreds were as thick as chopsticks and uneven in size.

"My control over internal force is still inadequate."

Jiang Ding frowned, placed another washed potato on the cutting board, and gripped the sword hilt.

Lin Wanqiu secretly clicked her tongue.

She had reached the peak of the Internal Qi realm and had spent more than a decade operating the high-precision Optical Array Etching Machine at Rongcheng Steel Factory, yet even she could not achieve such precision.

Was Fledgling Eagle Internal Qi really that much stronger than ordinary internal qi?

Streak after streak of sword light flashed. Potato after potato became shredded potato, and the kitchen seemed to turn into a battlefield of flashing blades and sword shadows.

"That's enough, that's enough!"

Seeing Jiang Ding had already cut four potatoes and still looked unsatisfied, Lin Wanqiu hurriedly said, "If you keep cutting, we won't be able to finish it all."

Jiang Ding could only put the chopped scallions on the cutting board, draw his sword, and slice them into countless segments. Then came celery, beef, and more.

Once they were done, he washed the blade with dish soap and carefully dried it with a cloth.

Jiang Ding sheathed his sword, sat on the couch with his eyes closed, and circulated his internal force to nourish the ten primary meridians of his fourth primary meridian, the Hand Yangming Large Intestine Meridian.

After dinner, the family went downstairs for a long-overdue walk to aid digestion. Jiang Yuan took the chance to play with her little friends, while Lin Wanqiu chatted with the neighbors.

Jiang Ding practiced swordsmanship gently nearby to help with digestion.

"Dingding, why don't you go play basketball with them?"

Lin Wanqiu pointed toward the basketball court in the distance, somewhat worried about her son's social skills.

Come to think of it, she had never seen her son playing with any friends.

"No."

Jiang Ding shook his head and continued practicing his sword.

Half an hour later,

Seeing Lin Wanqiu deep in conversation with the neighboring women and Jiang Yuan happily playing with her friends, Jiang Ding called out a greeting, returned home alone, and entered his room.

The first thing he saw was a palm-sized, pure black box bearing Qianling University's school emblem—the character "Qian."

Slightly excited, Jiang Ding tore open the seal. Inside were a jade-green pill bottle and a white instruction sheet.

[Azureflower Foundation Elixir]

[Produced by the Alchemy Workshop affiliated with Qianling University's Dao Cultivation Department. Suitable for martial artists below the Innate realm. Has the effect of improving a martial artist's aptitude. Pregnant women and children under seven are prohibited from using it. Drug Administration approval certificate number...]

After carefully checking that there were no signs it had been opened beforehand, Jiang Ding sat cross-legged on the bed and swallowed the spiritual pill in one gulp.

A cool sensation slid smoothly from his throat to his stomach. Then that warm, cool feeling abruptly spread outward, extending from his stomach into his flesh, blood, bones, and especially his meridians.

It felt as though he were soaking in a hot spring. His entire body was incomparably comfortable, as if he had returned to the moment of his birth—utterly clear and unobstructed.

Jiang Ding closed his eyes and silently sensed every minute change within his body.

A full hour later, the medicine's effects had fully taken hold. His stomach suddenly cramped, and he hurriedly sprinted to the bathroom.

After a long while, Jiang Ding returned to his bed, sat cross-legged again, and circulated internal force to nourish his fourth primary meridian.

Moments later, a delighted expression appeared on his face.

"Twice... My cultivation speed has doubled!"

Jiang Ding was deeply shaken. "The Hand Yangming Large Intestine Meridian, which originally needed two days of nourishment, can now be nourished and tempered in just one day!"

"My aptitude now would not rank poorly even among the populace of the Immortal Sect. At the very least, I'm a minor genius. Add to that the Fledgling Eagle Takes Flight Sword Art at the minor mastery level, and an uninterrupted daily supply of Hundred Essences Transform Qi Pills..."

"I should now have the cultivation speed of a genius."

At that thought, Jiang Ding could not help feeling immense gratitude toward his uncle and Lin Yuanwang.

Even within Qianling University's Dao Cultivation Department, such a precious pill was probably not easy to exchange for. His cousin Lin Yuanwang must have spent considerable time and effort acquiring it. It was not as simple or casual as his uncle had made it sound.

Two days later,

In the small courtyard.

Under the morning sun, Jiang Ding rested his sword across his knees, his eyes slightly closed. Internal force circulated through and nourished the ten primary meridians of his sixth primary meridian, the Hand Taiyang Small Intestine Meridian, which was already more than halfway nourished.

Only two short days!

The ten primary meridians of the fourth primary meridian, the Hand Yangming Large Intestine Meridian, and the fifth primary meridian, the Hand Shaoyang Triple Burner Meridian, had already been fully nourished!

Knock, knock, knock!

"Come in!"

Jiang Ding opened his eyes and teased, "Manager Huang, I thought you wouldn't be coming back."

Huang Deyou had always been timid and afraid of trouble. After offending the Wild Wolf Gang, ordinary people would not dare continue working here. That was why Jiang Ding had deliberately given them time off and awarded twenty taels as a bonus—partly as severance pay.

"What are you saying, Boss?"

Huang Deyou said solemnly, "I, Old Huang, was born a man of this shop and will die a ghost of this shop. My heart has never changed!"

In truth, he had considered not returning more than once.

But he simply could not bear to part with the twenty taels of silver that had only just warmed in his pocket. Once the time came, his legs carried him to the shop on their own, and he could not stop them even if he tried.

It had only been a little over half a month!

How much was an ordinary person's life worth, anyway?

If he missed this opportunity, he would regret it every time he thought back on it for the rest of his life.

It was not only him. Of the four shop assistants, every single one had stayed.

Jiang Ding smiled. This was a good sign. It meant the so-called important figure behind Long Shi had given up and would not continue causing trouble.

"Boss, Manager Long San of the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce is here to see you."

Huang Deyou approached Jiang Ding and lowered his voice. "Han Lin said Manager Long also came two days ago. When he saw you were not here, he left. He came again the next day. This is now the third day."

Suspicion filled his eyes.

Just what kind of background did his boss have, to make Long San lower himself like this?

The Four Seas Chamber of Commerce was no minor establishment. Although it was relatively accommodating toward its distinguished guests, it was still a major trading house renowned throughout the Yue Kingdom.

Members of the Dragon clan possessed a natural pride. Even when facing people from the Eastern Pacifying Marquis's Estate, they remained neither servile nor overbearing.

Just as Huang Deyou thought he would once again need to announce that Long San could enter, he saw Jiang Ding rise, straighten his clothes slightly, and fasten his sword at his waist.

"Come with me to welcome Manager Long."