"Whoa!"
As soon as Wang Xun spoke, the two brothers were stunned, secretly amazed. After all, Wang Xun was an immortal descendant of a Golden Core Realm cultivator, and his understanding of spirit roots was on a completely different level compared to the Li Family's.
The Li Family's Snake Dragon Tree was merely between the Embryonic Breathing Realm and Qi Cultivation Realm, while Wang Xun immediately offered a Foundation Establishment Realm item, leaving the brothers speechless.
Wang Xun, seemingly unaware of their amazement, continued to explain nonchalantly, "This Wanglin Blossom has the effect of alleviating worries and sustaining life, and its flowers bloom like red jade. Normally, consuming them can calm the mind, eliminate distracting thoughts, and enhance cultivation... In life-and-death situations, chewing and swallowing the flowers can sustain the body and prolong life. From our family's experience, this can sustain a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator for several days. The more consumed, the less effective it becomes. However, if the quantity is sufficient, it can sustain someone for up to half a month without any issues."
Upon hearing this, Li Yuanjiao was immediately tempted. He stared at the red-yellow almond-sized seed, his thoughts racing, Our Mount Huaqian has a spirit spring... I wonder if it can support this spirit root. The flowers can be consumed for cultivation, given as gifts, or sold to wealthy clans!
Although sustaining life for a few days seemed insignificant for a small clan like the Li Family, it was quite valuable for a large clan. Combined with certain pills and talismans, it could enable a heavily injured Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator to make it home.
For large clans like the Xiao Family, who possessed numerous elixirs, the chances of survival were significantly higher as long as there was still a breath left.
Seeing the two brothers deep in thought, Wang Xun smiled gently.
"As for the Essence Gathering Pill, our Wang Family has those, as well as better pills. However, such items are of no use to me, so I did not bring them. I only have a few bottles of Essence Gathering Pills for rewards."
After saying this, he took out a jade bottle from his storage pouch and flicked his finger. A pill flew out, snow-white and crystal clear, emitting a pleasant fragrance. Wang Xun smiled and said, "This Essence Gathering Pill is of high quality, certainly not inferior! You may inspect it, but merely exchanging your sword intent for these pills might seem like I am bullying you with my status."
The Essence Gathering Pill, when taken for the first time, could greatly enhance the probability of achieving Foundation Establishment Realm and was an excellent cultivation pill. It was not particularly rare, and the materials required for its production were not exceedingly expensive. However, the recipe and materials were monopolized by the three sects and seven gates, only used as rewards for disciples, making it quite rare in the Yue State.
In Wang Xun's eyes, these were merely common supplementary pills and not particularly valuable, hence he felt it was an inappropriate offer.
Li Yuanping carefully inspected it, finding the fragrance delightful. Li Yuanjiao, upon seeing the pill, was startled, his eyes widening in shock. His back was cold, and he exclaimed, "This is an Essence Gathering Pill?!"
The Li Family had seen Essence Gathering Pills before. Li Tongya had taken them in the past, and there were mentions of them in the family records. Li Yuanping, not being well-versed in cultivation, was unaware, but Li Yuanjiao had memorized the records.
The Essence Gathering Pill the Li Family had obtained was white with gray patterns and coiled in shape, causing dizziness with a single whiff. Yet, the pill before them was bright, smooth, and delicate like a jade bead, filling the room with a nice fragrance; completely different from what they had seen before.
Greatly shocked and speechless, Li Yuanjiao's mind was filled with a terrifying question.
If this is an Essence Gathering Pill... what did our ancestor take back then..?
Wang Xun, noticing Li Yuanjiao's reaction, thoughtfully glanced at him and swirled the small cup on the table.
"The Essence Gathering Pill, named for its ability to consolidate one's essence and remove impurities, uses the Azure Amber Spirit Grass as the main ingredient, combined with twelve supplementary herbs, refined with three specific types of flames..."
Wang Xun appeared knowledgeable about medicinal herbs and pill formulas, calmly explaining as he noticed Li Yuanjiao's reaction.
Li Yuanjiao, feeling a chill down his spine, asked in a low voice, "Senior, if the pill has gray patterns, is coiled in shape, and its spiritual qi is intense with effects similar to the Essence Gathering Pill... Can you identify what kind of pill that might be?"
"Gray patterns?"
Wang Xun pondered for a moment, his expression turning cold, and replied in a low voice, "In Jiangnan, there are many different Diverse Mansion Unified Furnace techniques that incorporate human blood qi into pills. When mortal and spiritual energy combine, they can form certain patterns... Those are pills made from other human's essence and qi. Diverse Mansion Unified Furnace techniques produce pills that are far superior in both quantity and quality compared to ordinary pills. If the streaks are gray, it means that some kind of immortal foundation might have been used. These pills are often taken by the core members of devil sects. Consuming it significantly boosts cultivation and has astonishing effects."
Although Wang Xun's voice was not loud, it exploded like a thunderclap. Li Yuanjiao staggered a step backward, looking at the person in front of him in disbelief. He almost couldn't breathe but managed to squeeze a reply out of himself.
"Thank you, Senior... We will choose the spirit root!"
While responding, his mind finally cleared up and many of his doubts were resolved, though such realization filled him with increasing dread.
Granduncle once said he thought his talent was mediocre and that achieving Foundation Establishment Realm would be a life-or-death struggle... He hadn't expected it to happen so smoothly! So it was... it was... because of the pills?!
That's why it was so easy for him to achieve the Foundation Establishment Realm back then! Of course, in order to make my granduncle a bait for Maha, he must succeed in his breakthrough... If he failed and perished, the Maha would simply find another target and the bait would be lost...
Wang Xun continued to chat with Li Yuanping while taking out a jade box, placing the spirit root inside, and handing it to him.
"I will cultivate in this side courtyard for a few days. The Family Head can stay nearby, so he won't have to worry about me running away with the sword..." he reassured softly.
Li Yuanjiao listened to their polite conversation in a daze and unknowingly walked out of the side courtyard, still in a trance. Wang Xun's words kept echoing in his mind.
In Jiangnan, there are many different Diverse Mansion Unified Furnace techniques that incorporate human blood qi into pills. When mortal and spiritual energy combine, they can form certain patterns... Those are pills made from other human's essence and qi...
Wang Xun's words were vague, but his eyes and hints were extremely clear. "Pills made from human's essence and qi" clearly meant Human Pills... made from the blood qi and essence qi collected from annual slaughters!
He walked in a daze to the main hall, where Li Yuanping, looking worried, called out repeatedly. Li Yuanjiao seemed to wake from a dream and hurriedly took off his storage pouch from his waist.
With a grave expression, Li Yuanjiao gently patted the storage pouch, pouring out several jade bottles that clattered onto the table. He picked up one and poured its contents into his palm.
This pill was the most common Jade Sprout Pill , mostly distributed from the Yundan Peak of the Azure Pond Sect. The Azure Pond Sect's pills were of particularly high quality, favored by rogue cultivators, making them easily recognizable.
The Jade Sprout Pill was a pale yellow color, with nothing special visible on the surface. Li Yuanjiao scanned it repeatedly with his spiritual sense and finally found faint, curly patterns.
The alchemist's skill was exquisite, making these patterns almost imperceptible. They were colorless, blending seamlessly with the pill.
Li Yuanjiao's eyes reddened, and he quickly poured out all the pills from his storage pouch, searching frantically. Finally, he found the Snake Essence Pill made by Xiao Yuansi for the Li Family last year and hurriedly poured it into his palm.