Not daring to delay, Xiao Wenbing quickly swallowed a Foundation Establishment Pill.
The time spent creating it wasn't long, and even with his deep thought, it probably didn't exceed half an hour. But it allowed him to profoundly understand the true meaning of a famous saying.
Creation is difficult; destruction is easy.
He can consume a Foundation Establishment Pill without expending any effort, and on the contrary, he can gain immense benefits from it.
However, to create a Foundation Establishment Pill, setting aside the exotic energy and spiritual power required, the energy needed alone would be enough to exhaust an ordinary person to death.
Fortunately, he is not an ordinary person, not before, and certainly not now.
Thanks to the boost in spiritual power from the Foundation Establishment Pill, his physique was vastly different from before. If he were to scan the safe now, he definitely wouldn't collapse from exhaustion.
After a long while, he awoke from his deep meditation. He used his inner concentration technique to observe the changes within his body. Sure enough, his spiritual power had increased somewhat, but the increase was far less than the previous two times.
"Sigh... I knew cultivating immortality wouldn't be so easy," Xiao Wenbing sighed.
By this time, he had long since forgotten his initial ambitions.
Pills can indeed have significant effects on people, but if taken continuously, their efficacy will inevitably decrease gradually.
This is the conclusion he reached. If it weren't so, everyone would be too busy cultivating to achieve immortality. They could simply go out and find materials and methods for alchemy, take one dose every day, and their spiritual power would increase continuously. Wouldn't everyone be able to easily reach the realm of immortals?
I still felt no hunger whatsoever. No wonder those immortals like to sit in seclusion and meditate alone, without eating or drinking. It turns out they all have this thing in their hands. Since they don't feel hungry, they can naturally go without food or drink.
His superpowers have also improved to some extent, but the increase is still not as great as Xiao Wenbing had expected.
If he was right, the spiritual energy he had replenished last time should have been enough to more than double his power. However, in reality, the increase in his power was less than half again.
In other words, the strength of superpowers is actually constrained by spiritual power.
The stronger one's spiritual power, the greater one's supernatural abilities.
As he poured out the last chocolate bean, Xiao Wenbing looked at the ground and his expression suddenly changed. There were three jade bottles neatly arranged on the ground, making a total of four jade bottles, including the one in his hand.
These four jade vases are exactly the same in style, pattern, and size, as if they were poured from the same mold.
Xiao Wenbing felt incredibly lucky. Fortunately, the old Taoist priest Xianyun had gone out to meet Lu Jun; otherwise, once he walked in, his supernatural abilities would have been impossible to conceal.
Immediately picking up the jade bottles, Xiao Wenbing hesitated for a moment, then turned around and saw that his travel bag was still beside him. He took out a change of clothes, wrapped the three jade bottles inside, and smashed it hard against the ground. In no time, the three exquisitely crafted and valuable jade bottles shattered into dust.
After disposing of the stolen goods, Xiao Wenbing used his supernatural ability to scan the green chocolate bean. This time, his movements were incredibly swift, without the slightest pause or hesitation.
The scanning process was completed in one go, which shows how much his abilities have improved.
After swallowing the last Foundation Establishment Pill, he skillfully manipulated the heat flow, controlling its direction of rotation, until it reached his dantian.
Ten days, half a month, twenty days... by the time he emerged from the quiet room, a full month had passed.
After trying for a while, he finally understood that the Foundation Building Pill was indeed a good thing.
Although by the end, each time a Foundation Establishment Pill was taken, the increase in spiritual power was minimal, one thing was certain: the spiritual power was still growing, albeit slowly, but steadily and steadfastly.
However, this is not the most commendable aspect of the Foundation Building Pill.
The more you consume, the stronger your foundation becomes. And the stronger your foundation, the faster you recover.
It's not just spiritual power; it seems even supernatural abilities are affected. If the recovery speed before was like a snail's crawl, now it's definitely like a rabbit's run.
Can the speed of a tortoise and a hare be compared? They are not comparable at all.
Therefore, once he realized this fact, Xiao Wenbing was determined to stay in the quiet room. For a whole month, he spent thirty days alone in the quiet room.
During that month, he didn't know how many Foundation Establishment Pills he had taken.
However, with his current abilities, he could easily create another identical pill with just a moment's concentration, requiring almost no time at all. This demonstrates that his abilities have grown at an incredible pace.
The reason he came out today was twofold: firstly, it was too stifling inside; he hadn't seen any outsiders, spoken to anyone, eaten anything, or drunk a drop of water for a month. His mouth was practically parched.
Another reason is that the effects of the Foundation Establishment Pill have become extremely minor. So minor that he almost doesn't care about it anymore.
As Xiao Wenbing walked, he popped a Foundation Establishment Pill into his mouth.
A surge of heat rose again from his dantian, but Xiao Wenbing no longer paid attention to this level of heat.
He didn't consciously circulate his energy or worry about it at all; the heat naturally transformed into spiritual power and arrived at his dantian. This was his greatest gain over the past month.
His body was already used to these green chocolate beans, as for Foundation Building Pills.
Volume One: Farewell to the Mortal World, Chapter Twelve: Outer Disciple
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Upon exiting the quiet room, the first thing Xiao Wenbing saw was Zhao Feng, who was snoring in a chair.
He was slightly taken aback. Could it be that this person had been waiting here all along?
He stepped forward lightly, his movements as light as a swallow, his steps silent and effortless. However, Zhao Feng's snoring immediately ceased when he was only five steps away from him.
His eyes snapped open, flashing a chilling, menacing light.
Xiao Wenbing felt a chill run down his spine. He sensed an extremely dangerous killing intent suddenly emanating from this seemingly unremarkable old man. When he met the old man's eyes, those cold gazes were devoid of any human emotion, like a ferocious beast poised to pounce on its prey.
In that instant, Xiao Wenbing felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar. For the first time, his mind was exposed to such chilling killing intent. Although he did not lose his mind, he was so nervous that he even stopped breathing.
However, in that instant, the spiritual energy within his body surged forth, automatically forming a protective barrier before his eyes and on his body surface.
Although Zhao Feng's eyes were still sharp, in Xiao Wenbing's eyes they only carried a hint of ferocity, and no longer had the suffocatingly terrifying feeling they had just given him.
Xiao Wenbing was secretly shocked. He never expected that this unassuming old man was actually a rare and super expert.
Zhao Feng was startled awake from his deep sleep. Years of self-preservation instincts instilled in him a murderous aura that threatened any enemy. However, when he realized that the person in front of him was Xiao Wenbing, he was immediately terrified.
His body seemed to spring up from the chair.
The chilling murderous aura had vanished without a trace. At this moment, he looked like an ordinary old man, smiling obsequiously at Xiao Wenbing with humble and fawning eyes.
Without external pressure, the spiritual energy naturally dissipated and returned to Xiao Wenbing's dantian.
Looking at the old man before him, who gave off a servile air, Xiao Wenbing couldn't help but feel a mix of amusement and exasperation. Was this the same person who had just impressed him so much? How could he have become so frail in the blink of an eye?
The image of Ming and Mei's face-changing skill involuntarily surfaced in his mind. The two of them had a similar skill, truly worthy of being fellow disciples from the same school.
"Sixth Senior Brother, you're out."
"Yes, Mr. Zhao... Mr. Zhao."
"Ah... Sixth Senior Brother, please don't stand on ceremony with me. I am already extremely grateful to Master for accepting me as a disciple. According to the rules, those who enter the inner sect first are senior, so please just call me Junior Brother."
Looking at Zhao Feng, whose temples were already turning gray, Xiao Wenbing hesitated for a long time before finally swallowing the words "Junior Brother Zhao" back down his throat.
"When did your master accept you as a disciple?"
"Replying to Sixth Senior Brother, it has been more than thirty years."
"More than thirty years?" Xiao Wenbing exclaimed in surprise, then suddenly remembered something and asked, "How old is Master this year?"
Zhao Feng gave a wry smile. He understood Xiao Wenbing's meaning, and explained, "I only remember that when Master accepted me into the sect thirty years ago, I already looked like this. Now, thirty years later, Master's appearance is still exactly the same, without any change."
“Wow… that would be a monster.” Xiao Wenbing sighed softly.
Although his voice was soft, Zhao Feng beside him heard it clearly. He couldn't help but smile bitterly. If it had been someone else who said those words, he would have already apprehended them and handed them over to Xianyun for punishment. But this person clearly enjoyed the favor and trust of the old Daoist Xianyun, and was someone he absolutely could not afford to offend.
Therefore, he could only lower his head and pretend he hadn't heard.
How long have I been inside?
"It's been a month already."
"What? Thirty days?" Xiao Wenbing exclaimed in surprise.
"Exactly."
Seeing the certainty on his face, Xiao Wenbing knew that Zhao Feng was not lying; he had unknowingly spent a month in the quiet room.
No wonder people in ancient times would practice martial arts for a year or two at a time; it turns out it was true.
"Have Master and the others returned?"
"They haven't returned yet."
"What exactly is the trouble Lu Jun has encountered?" Xiao Wenbing asked curiously.
Zhao Feng hesitated for a moment. He didn't mean to hide anything, but he himself wasn't entirely clear about the matter. However, since Xiao Wenbing had asked, he had no choice but to say, "Sixth Senior Brother, I heard that Eldest Senior Brother explored the ruins of an ancient immortal, and after coming out, he was targeted by disciples from other Daoist sects. So..."
Xiao Wenbing nodded, immediately realizing that the jade bottle in the safe was probably Lu Jun's haul this time.
"Sixth Senior Brother must be bored out of his mind. To be able to go into seclusion for a whole month on your first time, I'm afraid only a genius like you can do it." Zhao Feng flattered from the side, "Truly worthy of having a spiritual root body."
"Oh? Is a month really that impressive?"
"Yes, I remember that after Senior Brother took the Foundation Establishment Pill, he only went into seclusion for three days before coming out. This time, you've been in seclusion for a whole month. If it weren't for Master's instructions that you are exceptionally gifted and should not be disturbed without permission, I would have gone inside to find you long ago."
Xiao Wenbing's heart skipped a beat, and he asked, "You came in?"
Zhao Feng immediately shook his head vigorously, saying, "I wouldn't dare. I was just worried and that's why I was waiting outside the room."
"You waited a month?"
"Yes, I'm relieved to finally see you out."
Xiao Wenbing felt a surge of emotion and gave a sincere smile, saying, "Junior Brother Zhao, you're very kind."
He finally managed to call him "junior brother."
"Sixth Senior Brother, you're too kind. I'll need your guidance in the future," Zhao Feng said with a hearty laugh.
Xiao Wenbing nodded slightly, then suddenly asked, "Junior Brother Zhao, what did you say about a spiritual root body?"
Zhao Feng said with envy, "The so-called spiritual root body is a person with immortal veins. When cultivating immortality, the advantage they have is unimaginable. Moreover, every cultivator with spiritual roots will be particularly outstanding in a certain aspect."
"Exceptionally outstanding? What does that mean?" For some reason, Xiao Wenbing suddenly thought of his own special ability. Could this be the source of his spiritual root?
"For example, some spiritual root cultivators are good at manipulating the wind, some are good at playing with water, and so on. Sixth Senior Brother, you can try it yourself."
"No need," Xiao Wenbing immediately refused. He suddenly understood that the so-called spiritual root cultivators were probably those with obvious special abilities. However, his own special ability was probably unique in the world.
"Sixth Senior Brother, you must be getting tired of being cooped up for a month. How about I treat you to a stroll around and enjoy the scenery of Dongqian Lake?" Zhao Feng said immediately when he saw him deep in thought.