Chapter 51: Chapter 51: The Makings of a Hegemon

After Yang Chan became a Pharmacist, his daily Potential Points stabilized at 1.2. Some medicines could now be taken in larger quantities, like the Qi Nourishing Soup and the Strengthening and Nourishing Porridge. Since he prepared them himself, he could take advantage of his position to drink a bit more.

Naturally, Yang Chan wouldn’t pass up such a hidden benefit, so he drank as much as he could.

What truly commanded Yang Chan’s attention, however, was the Void Spirit Pill. He had finally gathered all the necessary ingredients to concoct it, a feat that had once again flattened his purse.

But Yang Chan wasn’t concerned. The next monthly stipend would be arriving soon. As a Pharmacist stationed in a dangerous location, his pay would be much higher than when he was a Pharmacist’s Assistant—almost ten times as much.

He would soon be able to afford to prepare other medicines in addition to the Void Spirit Pill.

The Void Spirit Pill was classified as an elixir pill, but its refining process wasn’t complex. It only required a normal flame for brewing. As long as one had good Fire Control, they just needed to boil it to a thick consistency, wait for it to cool, and then roll it into pills.

A single batch of ingredients could produce around fifty pills, a very generous amount.

So, while it was expensive, the amount of Potential Points reaped from a successful refining was substantial, naturally making it Yang Chan’s top priority.

Taken at a normal pace, one batch would last for nearly two months, making it extremely cost-effective.

Inside the Pharmacy, Yang Chan added the ingredients in sequence, constantly managing the Fire Control and adding new herbs. Soon, the Medicinal Qi began to emerge. Seeing this, Yang Chan covered the pot to seal it for brewing, reducing the flame from high to medium. The heat couldn’t be too strong during the sealed brewing stage.

Prior to refining the Void Spirit Pill, Yang Chan had already practiced the process with a small batch of the ingredients and was thoroughly familiar with every step.

Now, he was methodically following that same procedure.

Once the medium flame had slowly dwindled to a low one, Yang Chan opened the lid and added the juice of the Buddha Armor Grass. He stirred it in while simultaneously removing the dregs that hadn’t dissolved into the Medicinal Liquid. He watched as the remaining liquid thickened, smelling the fragrant medicinal aroma to confirm that everything was proceeding correctly.

The Void Spirit Pill simply required a standard refining process; one just had to manage the Fire Control so as not to destroy the Medicinal Properties. The final step was to mix in the Buddha Armor Grass juice. A rich, fragrant aroma was the sign of success.

Any strange odor would indicate a failed refining. This aroma was identical to the one in his memory and a world apart from the stench of his previous failed attempts.

After the low flame was completely extinguished, the viscous Medicinal Liquid began to solidify, and it wasn’t long before it had cooled completely.

Yang Chan took out a mold and pressed the cooled substance into it. Moments later, two small, cyan-colored vials filled with Void Spirit Pills sat before him.

He took the two vials of Void Spirit Pills back to his residence. There, he picked one up to inspect it. After sniffing the aroma and confirming it was correct, he licked it to check the taste. Once he was certain there were no issues, Yang Chan swallowed it whole. It wasn’t long before he felt a warm current spreading through his body.

This was just as he remembered; the medicinal effects were kicking in.

Yang Chan immediately began to practice the Ox Demon’s Mighty Fist inside his room. As for the final tally of Potential Points he would gain, he would have to wait until the early hours of the morning to check.

The Void Spirit Pill nourished one’s Essence Qi, so practicing his fist technique immediately after consumption was the most effective method. It would accelerate the absorption of the medicinal effects and enhance his Martial Arts Cultivation.

After completing one set of the Fist Technique, Yang Chan found his Qi and Blood weren’t depleted at all; in fact, they felt even more vigorous. He performed several more sets before finally stopping. His performance was about twenty percent better than during his usual practice sessions, and his body was brimming with energy, allowing for greater endurance.

The medicinal effects were remarkably clear. It hadn’t been a waste of so many silver coins.

’I heard Elder Lü and his group have already left Hanlin Mansion. They’re probably starting to make their move. I need to be extra careful in the Pharmacy and at my residence these next few days to avoid getting caught in the fallout.’

’I’d better keep my preparations on me, though I hope I won’t need to use them.’

Yang Chan assumed the Tai Chi Primordial Posture from his Tai Chi Health Cultivation Skill, allowing his body to recover quickly. He chose not to use the Calm Cultivation Skill because the Tai Chi Primordial Posture could also provide an overall enhancement to his body.

He would only resort to the Calm Cultivation Skill for rapid recovery if he were severely exhausted, which wasn’t necessary at the moment.

’My accumulation of Potential Points is almost sufficient. I’ll stick to the original plan and continue to improve my Martial Arts Cultivation.’

’Once I raise my strength to Ancient Bronze, the third step of External Refining Copper Skin, I’ll have a much better chance of protecting myself.’

If Elder Lü Zhenghai and his men began their operation, chaos would likely ensue. In such times, the stronger one was, the safer one would be.

Therefore, Yang Chan had spent most of his time these past few days practicing the Ox Demon’s Mighty Fist, and he wasn’t far from reaching Ancient Bronze, the third step of External Refining Copper Skin.

Yang Chan cultivated in his room until the early hours of the morning. His gaze fell upon the Potential Points section of his status panel; the newly added amount was within his expectations.

He had estimated that a Void Spirit Pill would grant between 0.1 and 0.3 Potential Points, with 0.2 being the most likely outcome.

Yesterday, he had gained 1.4 Potential Points, an increase of 0.2 from his previous baseline of 1.2. This confirmed that a single Void Spirit Pill gave him 0.2 Potential Points. It wasn’t as good as the Lantian Jade Refining Pill, but Yang Chan was very satisfied.

He still had 49 pills on hand, representing another 9.8 Potential Points. This was a considerable harvest. If he could obtain them all, it would be enough to advance his Martial Arts Cultivation from the External Refining Copper Skin stage to the External Refining Steel stage, resulting in a massive boost to his strength.

Seeing the two accumulated Potential Points on his panel, Yang Chan, without a second thought, allocated them all to the Ox Demon’s Mighty Fist. In an instant, his skin and flesh underwent another transformation. His skin took on the color of Ancient Bronze, and the membranes all over his body became even tougher. An ordinary blade would have difficulty even leaving a mark on his skin.

At the same time, it granted him powerful damage resistance, and his strength increased once more. Lifting a dozen or more stone training disks was no longer a problem—it was easy. He could even lift a massive bronze cauldron. In the eyes of an ordinary person, he possessed the might of a legendary overlord.

In the eyes of a Martial Arts External Refining Expert, his strength had reached a respectable level of accomplishment. A person of this level already possessed formidable Combat Power.

A single expert like this could slaughter a thousand soldiers who had not yet grasped how to use Power.

Even if those thousand soldiers were armed with weapons of Ten or Hundred Refinements, they would find it difficult to injure someone at the third step of External Refining Copper Skin. This is because such an expert’s speed and reaction time are incredibly fast; they would have already dodged before an ordinary person’s blade could even connect.

And even if they couldn’t dodge, an ordinary person wielding a weapon of Ten or Hundred Refinements would struggle to inflict serious injury on an expert at the third step of External Refining Copper Skin.

Their skin is simply too tough to be easily wounded; at most, they would suffer a minor cut.

An ordinary sword wouldn’t even leave a scratch.

Martial Arts Cultivation at this stage was already considered an elite level. Only another Martial Arts Expert of a similar caliber could hope to challenge, let alone kill, such a master.

When ordinary people encountered such an expert, they could either be killed while fleeing or be killed where they stood.

The only difference was whether or not they died with dignity.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep