Han Li picked up a jade slip and blew gently on it, revealing its true luster — a rich, dewy jade-green.
He pressed the slip tightly against his forehead and let his consciousness sink slowly into its interior. The method for refining a certain pill suddenly appeared before his eyes. It was actually the very recipe for Foundation Establishment Pills that Han Li had been longing for — the entire process, from raw ingredients to the final pill condensation, was complete without a single step missing. He was both shocked and delighted.
He couldn't be bothered to check the other jade slip for the moment and hurriedly scanned through the entire contents with his mind. But when the words "must be tempered with Innate True Fire to form the pill" flashed through his consciousness, Han Li froze, feeling utterly dumbfounded.
Innate True Fire was a Daoist Celestial Flame that only Foundation Establishment cultivators possessed — a fundamental magical ability that came naturally to a cultivator after reaching that stage. Its power would gradually increase as the cultivator practiced meditation and qi refinement. Once one reached Core Formation, this true fire would transform into the legendary Samadhi Fire, said to be capable of burning anything under heaven.
But how could Han Li, who was still stuck at the Qi Condensation stage, possibly produce such Innate True Fire? Only after Foundation Establishment would he be able to use it.
Yet Foundation Establishment required a Foundation Establishment Pill, and refining a Foundation Establishment Pill required the Innate True Fire that only came after Foundation Establishment. This created an inescapable catch-22 — an endless loop with no way out.
Han Li was so frustrated he wanted to bash his head against a wall!
Asking other Foundation Establishment cultivators to help refine the pill was even more out of the question. That would be tantamount to exposing the secret of the Small Bottle to someone else. And when that happened, the very helper he brought in would likely become the one who took his life.
Han Li stood in front of the table in a state of anxious distraction for quite a while before finally pulling the jade slip away from his forehead and placing it back. Then, somewhat absent-mindedly, he picked up the other jade slip, wiped it a few times, and revealed its fiery red color.
"I'll just have to put the Foundation Establishment Pill matter aside for now! Let me see what's in this one first — maybe there's another remarkable pill recipe inside!" Han Li was, after all, a man of decisive action. He immediately set the Foundation Establishment Pill issue aside and began examining this red jade slip, hoping it would bring him a pleasant surprise.
"Eternal Youth Pill." The moment Han Li's consciousness entered the slip, these three words appeared in his mind. An immediate sense of unease washed over him, though he tried to console himself. "The name may sound like that, but the pill's effects aren't necessarily what I'm imagining — maybe it has some other miraculous use!"
But the next few lines completely shattered this vain hope. "Grants eternal youth, preserves one's appearance forever" — that was the description of this pill's effects. There was nothing else.
Han Li stood there as if frozen in place, perfectly still, without uttering a single word. But inside, the mounting fury that had been boiling up could no longer be suppressed, and he began cursing silently to himself.
"What kind of library is this, anyway? Not a single useful recipe to be found, but a whole pile of useless junk! Things like Golden Needle Secret Techniques, Eternal Youth Pills — what the hell use are these to us cultivators? And they're just sitting here on display like they're something precious…"
Just when Han Li felt that this trip had been almost entirely in vain, that annoying voice floated up to him once more.
"Time's up again. If you don't—"
"I'm coming down!"
This time, Han Li had no intention of throwing another spirit stone away for nothing. He picked up the jade slip containing the Foundation Establishment Pill recipe and prepared to leave.
But just as he reached the top of the stairs, he hesitated. He figured that although the "Eternal Youth Pill" offered no help whatsoever for advancing his magical power, it could probably still be sold to other cultivators. And most importantly, this Eternal Youth Pill didn't require the so-called Innate True Fire — he could prepare it right now with his current abilities.
With that thought, Han Li spun around and rushed back to the table, snatching up the red jade slip as well. Only then did he stride briskly to the stairway and clatter down the steps.
"Well then, my young friend! Did you find anything worthwhile?" The moment the old man saw Han Li coming down, his face broke into a wide, beaming smile. But no matter how Han Li listened, the question sounded utterly insincere.
"Elder Xu, is the upstairs really where our sect keeps its pill recipes? How come it's nothing but junk and trash? There must be another storage room somewhere, right?" Han Li paid no mind to the old man's teasing. Instead, he voiced a question that had been bottled up inside him for a long time, his face wearing a thoroughly disgruntled expression.