ãSeeing Ye Yuâs eager expression, Xiao Yinjian couldnât help but smile.ã
Cultivation requires talent, opportunity, and the right mindset.
âOnly those with perseverance can become great cultivators. Even a thousand years of hardship is just the beginning. You've only been cultivating for two years and have already reached the mid-stage of Qi Condensation. Thatâs quite impressive; what more could you want? Remember, haste leads to waste.â
Ye Yu, hearing these empty words of wisdom, felt a surge of frustration.
Two years! Did he know how important those two years were? Cultivation for centuries was fine for others, but Ye Yu had dream experiences where people reached transcendent levels in just a few decades. For someone used to rapid progression, how could he accept such a slow pace?
âMaster,â Ye Yu said, shaking his head, âI just want to raise my cultivation as quickly as possible, no matter the side effects.â
Xiao Yinjian frowned in disapproval.
He immediately refused Ye Yuâs request. Having high hopes for Ye Yu, he couldnât bear to see him take a path that would eventually ruin him. Now that Ye Yu was his disciple, Xiao Yinjian felt responsible for his life.
Ye Yu was truly in a hurry! Side effects didnât concern him. All he wanted was to reach the Golden Core stage as quickly as possible!
Seeing that Xiao Yinjian was adamantly opposed, he even confined Ye Yu, saying, âTake this time to calm yourself. Shortcuts to quick improvement always come with a price. When youâre older, youâll understand my intentions.â
Ye Yu felt deflated.
Where was the ruthless, bloodthirsty demonic sect heâd heard of? How did he end up with such a responsible master?
After Xiao Yinjian left, a young disciple in a Taoist robe entered Ye Yuâs confinement that very night. This was Du Butong, Xiao Yinjianâs eldest disciple, only two years older than Ye Yu.
According to custom, Ye Yu should call him âsenior brother.â Du Butong had once been Xiao Yinjianâs favored disciple, but since Ye Yuâs arrival, Xiao Yinjianâs attention had shifted, favoring Ye Yu, whose talent surpassed Du Butongâs.
This shift left Du Butong resentful, so he never showed Ye Yu a friendly face. However, Ye Yu didnât care, having no intention of staying long at Yellow Springs View or competing for his masterâs favor.
So, why would Du Butong visit him now?
âSenior brother, what brings you here?â Ye Yu asked.
âI heard you were being punished,â Du Butong whispered, âso I came to check on you. I overheard your talk with Master earlier today. You want to grow stronger, no matter the cost?â
Keeping his voice low to avoid being overheard, Du Butong looked expectantly at Ye Yu.
âDoes Senior Brother have a way?â Ye Yu asked, intrigued.
Du Butong pulled a small bottle from his robe and said seriously, âThis is a Xuantian Creation Pill, refined by the head of the pill hall. Taking it will greatly increase your spiritual power and allow rapid breakthroughs.â
Ye Yu didnât respond immediately, studying Du Butong instead.
What was he up to?
Seeing Ye Yu hesitate, Du Butong grew anxious. âAre you scared? Sure, it has a minor side effect, but itâs nothing serious. Besides, didnât you say earlier that youâd pay any price for strength? Now that Iâve brought the pill to you, donât tell me youâre backing out. What kind of man are you?â
Ye Yu chuckled.
So, it was a pill with side effects. And, fearing he wouldnât take it, Du Butong even used reverse psychology. This was all to sabotage him, so Du Butong could regain their masterâs favor?
Taking the bottle from Du Butongâs hand, Ye Yu tilted it back and downed the entire contents in one go.
Seeing this, Du Butongâs face lit up, and he even gave a thumbs-up. âWell done, junior brother! But donât tell Master about this, alright? Just pretend you didnât see me tonight. Iâll take my leave!â
With that, Du Butong quickly made his way down the mountain, brimming with excitement.
Meanwhile, a notification sounded in Ye Yuâs mind.
âDetected consumption of a harmful substance.â
âCurrent side effect: Premature Burgeoning.â
âIn the short term, cultivation will advance rapidly, but meridians will gradually clog, eventually leading to spiritual depletion.â
âActivate Disaster Redirection?â
Without hesitation, Ye Yu locked onto Du Butong, who was descending the mountain, as his target for Disaster Redirection.@@novelbin@@
In an instant, a surge of spiritual power poured into Ye Yuâs body, rapidly advancing his cultivation.
Mid-stage Qi Condensation, late-stage Qi Condensation, Qi Condensation peakâ¦
Ye Yuâs cultivation only stopped when he reached the early Foundation Establishment stage.
Exhaling a deep breath, Ye Yu marveled at the surge of power. No wonder people are willing to risk ruin on pills like this. The feeling of instant power⦠amazing!
Meanwhile, Du Butong was practically celebrating as he descended the mountain.
The Nine Heavens Creation Pill was a failed product. Though it could boost oneâs cultivation temporarily, it would eventually block the meridians, and after a few years, spiritual energy would slowly drain, causing the cultivator to regress and ultimately rendering them useless.
And Ye Yu had taken the entire bottle? He was digging his own grave!
Du Butong was already envisioning the day when Ye Yu, crippled by blocked meridians, would become worthless, leaving him to reclaim their masterâs full attention. The thought alone thrilled him.
Suddenly, Du Butong felt a sharp pain in his legs and fell to his knees on a large stone.
What was going on?
He looked down to see blood seeping from his legs.
Not only his legsâhis entire body was bleeding, staining his robe red. Then he felt a searing pain in his meridians, and his spiritual energy began draining rapidly.
A gut-wrenching scream tore from his lips, echoing through the night.