He did not speak immediately, studying Yang Xiao for a while first.
He seemed to be weighing where to begin.
"First, let me make one thing clear. Breaking through to the Core Illumination Realm doesn't depend on how many Pill Patterns you have."
"One or two, either will do." Li Hanguang moved his teacup to the corner of the table. "Numbers aren't what determine whether you cross this threshold."
He raised one finger.
"The advantage of a single Pill Pattern is its purity."
"You can pour all your energy into it, nurturing it until it's deep and stable. Without dividing your attention, you can progress faster."
"Two Pill Patterns offer more variations." He paused. "But those variations come at a price."
"What price?" Yang Xiao pressed.
Li Hanguang traced an imaginary circle over the table with his hand to represent a Mystic Core.
"A Mystic Core has a limited capacity, and every Pill Pattern has to reside on that core."
"With one Pill Pattern, just smoothing out the circulation back and forth takes a very long time," Li Hanguang said. "Ten or twenty years would be considered fast."
"With two Pill Patterns, they have to compete."
Li Hanguang looked at him. "They both have to live on the same Mystic Core. For every extra measure of spiritual power one receives, for every measure by which its true intent grows stronger, the other grows weaker."
"Nurture them well, and you're walking on two legs. Nurture them poorly, and you're limping."
"Let me give you an example," he said. "Shen Jingxian, the deputy general stationed in Azure Mist City."
Yang Xiao's knuckles shifted against his knee.
Shen Jingxian.
He had seen the man's abilities in Azure Mist City. Shen Jingxian had invoked his wind Pill Pattern to empower his arrows, and their