Chapter 27: A Dog Never Stops Eating Shit — And the Cultivation World Is No Different

Bai Chen shook his head. His fingers held the Hexu Qi-Drawing Formula seal without the slightest loosening as he focused his mind and continued drawing Qi to refine the medicinal power within his dantian.

A five-element Spiritual Root was like a bottomless pit that could never be filled with Spiritual Energy. To truly draw Qi into the body and step into the first level of the Qi Refining Stage, the amount of Spiritual Energy required was far beyond what a single Qi-Gathering Pill could provide.

The medicinal power of the pill was scraped apart and divided among five Spiritual Roots, vanishing without a trace.

Trying to break through directly with a single pill was simply impossible.

But he had already eaten the Qi-Gathering Pill — he couldn't let it go to waste.

Every bit of Spiritual Energy he could accumulate was worth keeping. Even if he couldn't break through directly, this Spiritual Energy would nourish his meridians and fill his acupoints, making future cultivation a little easier. That was far better than squandering it entirely.

Bai Chen settled his mind, closed his eyes tightly, and turned his inner gaze toward his dantian.

The medicinal power of the Qi-Gathering Pill seemed substantial, but divided five ways, what reached each meridian was pitifully little. Trying to cross the threshold of the first level of the Qi Refining Stage with this much energy was like trying to put out a burning cartload of firewood with a cup of water.

Bai Chen worked to gather the scattered Spiritual Energy toward the center of his dantian. The air inside the wooden cabin gradually filled with a faint fragrance of pills and wispy tendrils of Spiritual Energy mist.

Time passed without him noticing. When the last trace of the Qi-Gathering Pill's medicinal power was exhausted, the meager Spiritual Energy he had managed to gather swayed briefly in his dantian before dispersing into his meridians in thin threads, as if leaving no trace at all.

Bai Chen slowly released the hand seal and let out a long breath.

As expected, a single Qi-Gathering Pill was nowhere near enough to fill the void left by a five-element Spiritual Root.

A five-element Spiritual Root was a "five-bottomed hole." Even with Qi-Gathering Pills, who knew how many it would take just to catch up to someone else's normal progress.

Forget it. Until he copied the "double results for half the effort" Talent Trait, there was no point grinding away at this.

Better to focus on refining Inedia Pills to stockpile contribution points, then combine the Talent Trait with Qi-Gathering Pills for one decisive push to draw Qi into his body.

Bai Chen slept soundly that night. In the morning he got up, went to exchange for Inedia Pill ingredients, and started brewing the medicine.

After a full morning of brewing, he pushed open the door and headed to the Task Hall to turn in his mission, glancing at Zhou Shi and Fang He's doors as he passed.

Both doors were shut tight.

"These two got spooked? I haven't seen them come out for breakfast either."

Bai Chen suspected they had been rattled by Zhang Wenxuan — a four-element Spiritual Root — and were pushing hard to reach the first level of the Qi Refining Stage as quickly as possible.

He shook his head and continued toward the Task Hall.

Passing Zhang Wenxuan's small wooden cabin, he noticed that door was shut tight as well.

"Hey, everyone's grinding so hard — makes me look like a slacker."

He had been meaning to "deepen his bond" with Zhang Wenxuan, but it looked like today wasn't going to be the day for that.

He'd leave it for another time.

Bai Chen tucked his hands into his sleeves, shrugged, and kept walking toward the Task Hall.

For three days in a row, Bai Chen kept to a steady routine.

Eat, refine pills, turn in missions, exchange for ingredients, eat, wander around (searching for Talent Traits worth copying), eat, study pill formulas, sleep.

Every day he would visit the Task Hall once to turn in Inedia Pills and pick up more ingredients. The disciples at the Task Hall and the Medicine Hall had all come to recognize him.

Today, as he returned with his materials, he found Liu Yan standing at his door as if waiting for him.

Bai Chen quickened his pace and hurried over. "Steward Liu? What brings you here — are you waiting for me?"

Liu Yan's body stiffened slightly at the words. He raised a hand to cover his mouth and cleared his throat.

"Mm, nothing major. I was just passing by and thought I'd check if you were in."

His gaze drifted left and right before settling on the bundle of ingredients in Bai Chen's hands. "Are you planning to make Inedia Pills?"

This was the disciple Elder Feng Yang had taken a liking to. Even though he had not yet drawn Qi into his body, there was no telling whether he might soar to great heights in the future.

Liu Yan's attitude toward him had softened considerably.

This left Bai Chen feeling rather flattered.

He let out a small sound of acknowledgment and quickly lifted the bundle of ingredients. "No, these are materials for refining Spirit Clarity Pills. I'm thinking of trying my hand at making some."

He couldn't keep refining the same pill forever, after all.

Spirit Clarity Pills cleared the mind and aided breathing exercises. Once he drew Qi into his body, they would come in handy.

Now was a good time to try, to build up some experience.

"Oh, not Inedia Pills then."

The moment he heard it wasn't Inedia Pill materials, the anticipation in Liu Yan's eyes instantly faded. The disappointment was written plainly on his face, barely concealed at all.

Bai Chen caught every shift in his expression and asked, puzzled, "Steward Liu, do you need Inedia Pills?"

Liu Yan was already at the Mid Foundation Establishment Stage — he had no use for Inedia Pills himself.

Besides, if he needed Inedia Pills, he could just go to the Medicine Hall. As a steward, exchanging a few Inedia Pills would be no trouble at all.

Unless… he wanted some fresh out of the pot?

Watching Bai Chen's puzzled gaze, the tips of Liu Yan's ears turned faintly red, and he looked even more awkward than before.

He instinctively raised a hand to scratch the back of his neck and stammered, "Well, I did want a few Inedia Pills — but not for me. They're for Shifeng."

Even as he said it, he couldn't bring himself to meet Bai Chen's eyes. He felt it was rather embarrassing to come specifically to someone's door to buy human-grade Inedia Pills for his own spiritual beast.

Bai Chen was momentarily stunned, then recalled the image of Shifeng clinging to the pot and refusing to let go. He immediately understood and let out a couple of amused chuckles.

"So that's why Steward Liu came all the way here to wait — it's for Shifeng."

As he spoke, he pushed open the cabin door and invited Liu Yan inside. He set the bundle of ingredients on the table and nimbly dug out the materials for Inedia Pills.

"I happen to still have Inedia Pill ingredients on hand. I'll refine a batch just for it right now — guaranteed to be the flavor it loves."

Seeing that Bai Chen had no intention of mocking him for coming to buy "shit-flavored" Inedia Pills for a spiritual beast, Liu Yan ventured cautiously, "You don't think I'm… strange for this?"

Bai Chen sorted through the ingredients and let out a dismissive sound. "It just shows that Steward Liu really dotes on his spiritual beast. Shifeng is lucky to have you."

Before he transmigrated, plenty of his colleagues had kept pets.

Buying cats and dogs snacks, clothes, and toys — treating them like their own children — was perfectly normal.

Liu Yan was just buying Shifeng some rather unusual little treats. What was strange about that?

Seeing that Bai Chen genuinely didn't mind, Liu Yan finally let out a full breath of relief.

He straightened up, pulled a chair to the table, and couldn't help venting.

"You're right! That wretched beast is spoiled rotten by me, and for the past few days it's been making a fuss nonstop, demanding Inedia Pills."

He furrowed his brow, his tone a mixture of exasperation and helplessness.

"I went to the Medicine Hall and exchanged some for it, but it just sniffed them a couple of times and walked away. Day after day it whines and whimpers at me, won't eat, won't sleep, just pesters me endlessly. It even threatened to drag me to the outhouse."

Thinking of Shifeng pulling him toward the outhouse, Liu Yan's face scrunched into a knot.

"I really had no choice. That's why I swallowed my pride and came to find you."

Over the past few days, many people had witnessed Shifeng throwing a tantrum demanding "shit-flavored" Inedia Pills.

When others asked what was wrong with it, he hadn't had the nerve to say Shifeng wanted to eat "shit." He had only explained that Shifeng had gotten a little addicted after trying a different flavor of Inedia Pill once.

Listening to Liu Yan's venting, Bai Chen pictured Shifeng throwing a fit and couldn't help laughing.

He hadn't expected that the old saying — a dog never stops eating shit — would apply just as well in the cultivation world.