Finally, Li Ping said something that delighted the four apart from Zhang Tie and Gu Musheng. "Oh, right. I recently obtained a few bottles of pills from a good friend that can help early- and middle-stage Qi Refining cultivators advance their cultivation. Take them home and cultivate diligently."
Naturally, Li Ping had refined all these pills himself. He claimed to have obtained them from a friend mainly because he did not want to reveal his skill in alchemy.
Being able to refine first-tier middle-grade pills after studying alchemy for only a few days was simply too shocking.
Of course, in truth, he could now even refine first-tier upper-grade pills with a hundred percent success rate.
However, since he needed to absorb "primordial aura" step by step, he had not rushed to refine first-tier upper-grade pills.
Thus, Zhang Tie and Gu Musheng could only watch longingly as the other four happily accepted the pills from Li Ping.
Bai Qing received two bottles of Qi-Boosting Pills, while the other three each received two bottles of Qi-Gathering Pills.
Qi-Gathering Pills were pills that helped middle-stage Qi Refining cultivators advance their cultivation.
Overjoyed, they hurriedly thanked him. "Thank you, Big Brother."
Li Ping smiled and nodded.
He had given them pills to advance their cultivation in the hope that they would work hard and reach peak Qi Refining as soon as possible.
Once the other six members of the Shared Boat Association had each obtained an opportunity for foundation establishment, his oath would count as fulfilled, and he would no longer be bound by the vow to "achieve foundation establishment together."
The Western Wasteland had no fourth-tier spirit veins and could not support a Nascent Soul cultivator. To travel farther along the Immortal Dao, he would probably have no choice but to leave the Western Wasteland someday.
Ideally, he would finish all of this before leaving the Western Wasteland.
In any case, he had refined these low-tier pills himself, and they had not cost many spirit stones.
Besides, he was not short of spirit stones for the time being, so there was no need to sell these pills.
Although he had previously contributed 300 spirit stones to the foundation establishment fund in one go, seemingly shrinking his wealth considerably.
In reality, however, he managed the foundation establishment fund. If he urgently needed spirit stones, he could simply borrow from it first and replenish it once he had enough.
After all, he had never sworn not to divert the foundation establishment fund for his own use!
Of course, the foundation establishment fund belonged to everyone. He merely kept it safe for them twenty-four hours a day.
In truth, even if he did sell pills, Li Ping had no intention of selling them to the Meng Family. He did not want to reveal his peerless talent for alchemy to them.
He planned to wait a while, then conceal his identity and sell them in the Market Ward.
Because he suspected that Fairy Miao Rou of the Spirit Treasure Pavilion wanted to lure him out of the city, Li Ping had not visited the Spirit Treasure Pavilion in a very long time.
Now, it seemed this might have been a misunderstanding. Perhaps Fairy Miao truly had been unable to get away back then and had no choice but to ask him to help escort a shipment.
Li Ping still had a trace of fondness for this fairy who dared to "boldly show off her figure," and he did not mind remaining on friendly terms with her.
"You two don't need to be envious, either." Li Ping smiled at Zhang Tie and Gu Musheng. "That friend of mine has already begun trying to refine first-tier upper-grade pills. When we meet at the end of the year, I'll ask for a few bottles for you two as well."
Their faces lit up with delight. "Thank you, Big Brother."
After seeing everyone off, Li Ping continued firing up his furnace to refine pills, while also instructing the Meng Family to deliver spirit herbs to him.
The Meng Family knew he had bought an alchemy legacy and an Alchemy Furnace, so there was no need to hide his purchases of spirit herbs. Having the Meng Family purchase them for him also saved him the trouble of running errands himself.
Over the next ten-odd days, as Li Ping refined pills like mad.
The pills in his Storage Bag—Low-Grade First Tier and upper-grade first-tier pills—already filled several hundred bottles.
After absorbing the "primordial aura" from so many pills, his Longevity Art's magical power also began to feel faintly swollen and full.
Clearly, he had already absorbed enough "primordial aura" from Low-Grade First Tier and upper-grade first-tier pills.
It was worth mentioning that, to save himself trouble, Li Ping had refined only one kind of pill each for Low-Grade First Tier and upper-grade first-tier pills.
After all, as far as the Longevity Art was concerned, the "primordial aura" of pills of the same tier had the same effect.
Li Ping sat cross-legged, the blue-green magical power of the Longevity Art coursing constantly through his body, brimming with vigorous life. It restored every meridian, organ, bit of flesh, bone, and strand of hair... to its most perfect state.
He could clearly sense that his lifespan was now fixed at exactly 240 years.
Moreover, nourished by the Longevity Art's magical power, his body would never age and would always remain at its peak.
Only at the moment his allotted lifespan ended would he pass away in meditation.
Until then, as long as he was not killed on the spot, the Longevity Art's magical power could restore him to his most perfect state, no matter how severe his injuries were.
Damage to his vital essence, injured meridians, a maimed Dharma Body, ingested deadly poison... every adverse condition could be completely reversed through the miraculous effects of the Longevity Art's magical power.
Of course, the Longevity Art was utterly helpless against the limit of his lifespan. This seemed to involve some rule of heaven and earth.
Li Ping had originally thought that a Core Formation True Person might possess methods to extend life. Now, however, he knew that where the rules of heaven and earth were concerned, even a Nascent Soul cultivator probably could not extend their own lifespan.
All in all, for Li Ping as he was now.
Unless someone killed him outright on the spot, leaving him no chance to heal, he could rely on the miraculous effects of the Longevity Art's magical power to restore himself to perfect condition.
His ability to stay alive could be considered maxed out.
Of course, since he had currently absorbed enough "primordial aura" only from Low-Grade First Tier and middle-grade first-tier pills, the Longevity Art's recovery speed was still relatively slow.
If someone truly crippled him and continued hunting him down, he probably would not have a chance to stage a "king's return."
However, once he had absorbed enough "primordial aura" from second-tier, third-tier, or even fourth-tier pills, the Longevity Art's recovery speed would increase dramatically. At that point, he reckoned he really might possess an indestructible body.
The Longevity Art's healing effects only work on the physical body. Against insidious methods that target the divine soul, it's completely helpless.
Li Ping silently pondered, Given the Longevity Art's characteristics, what suits me best is actually a secret art that severely damages the body but rapidly boosts combat strength for a short time. Even if it consumes my vital essence and costs me years of life, as long as I can kill the enemy or escape successfully, I can rely on the Longevity Art to restore myself.
Still, even with the Longevity Art protecting me, magic artifacts are mute and spells are merciless. Fighting others with magic is still dangerous.
Soon, Li Ping shook his head again. I'd be better off practicing an Escape Art with enormous side effects that lets me flee hundreds of li in an instant. That way, I wouldn't need to fight the enemy at all. If danger arose, I could simply flee! After escaping, I could rely on the Longevity Art to eliminate the secret art's side effects.
At this thought, Li Ping could not help marveling. If it weren't necessary to study alchemy and absorb the "primordial aura" of pills to break through bottlenecks, its healing effects alone would be enough to place the Marsh Water Life-Nourishing Art among the very finest cultivation methods in this world.
Of course, if that really were the case.
This cultivation method would never have fallen into his hands, nor would he have had a chance to practice it.