"Yes, that's too generous. Just leave me five, that's enough for my grandparents, my parents, and one for the Yi family." Lin Yao didn't want so many. He had finally found a pill that could quickly improve Xiaocao's strength, so he shouldn't keep them.
"No need, five pills are too few. 980 pills are just enough for me to make twenty sets, with forty-nine pills in each set. The effect of taking them individually isn't good. I also need to cultivate after taking the pills." Xiaocao chuckled softly, feeling that Lin Yao was really good to her.
"Oh, alright then, you should go into seclusion." Lin Yao agreed. He knew that the number seven was highly valued in Chinese tradition and used very frequently, perhaps in accordance with some kind of mystery of the universe.
He was amazed to hear that even grass could cultivate itself. He had always thought that grass was like cabbage, growing by watering it with manure.
"You're the one who eats shit!" the little grass shouted indignantly, startling Lin Yao so much that he shrank back. He had once again forgotten to control his thoughts and mind.
The grass begins to go into seclusion.
Lin Yao scraped the remaining elixir from the alchemy furnace clean and put it into about twenty jade bottles. These things would be considered top-quality medicines in the mortal world, thousands or even tens of thousands of times better than "Life Movement No. 1".
Lin Yao dipped a little into his finger and put it in his mouth. He immediately felt that the dregs were seven or eight hundred times more effective than the super "Life-Giving Pill" in nourishing life force, and at least a hundred times more effective than the super "Heaven-Mending Pill" made purely from wild ginseng in reviving and maintaining life. He guessed that it was because there was still "life force" left in it.
"What a happy day!" Lin Yao thought to himself, and decided to meditate and cultivate in the alchemy room. After scraping away the residue from the elixir, he was even more exhausted and needed to replenish his energy quickly.
The consumption of refining the giant Tai Sui this time was unprecedented. Lin Yao only had a trace of medical true qi left in his body. Within the wisp of true qi in his chest, an even weaker flame flickered. That was pseudo-dan fire.
The pseudo-elixir fire was no longer even red; it had turned into a pale yellow, looking so weak and lacking any warmth, as if it had just settled on the chest with the help of the grass. Back then, Lin Yao had nurtured it for a week before the pseudo-elixir fire stabilized.
I didn't expect the cost of refining the Tai Sui to be so high. Will I have to continue nurturing it for another week? This is really torturous. You know, Minhong is going through a turbulent period, and Lin Yao is worried about many things. What should we do?
Calming his mind and temporarily setting aside his worries, Lin Yao entered a meditative state.
After an unknown amount of time, Lin Yao woke up and felt that his medical true energy had recovered to half its previous level, and the pseudo-dan fire had turned a light red color. He could confirm that he did not need to start nurturing it from scratch. His previous condition was weakness, not a decline in his cultivation level.
Upon opening the door, one sees Yi Fei standing ramrod straight in the doorway.
This guy is always so dedicated. Even after becoming an elder of the Yi family, he hasn't changed at all, always afraid of getting hurt.
"gentlemen……"
"Yi Fei, it's finished. It's called 'Year After Year Pill,' and it's seven hundred times more effective than 'Life-Giving Pill.' However, the quantity is very small, so you need to dilute it before use to avoid waste." Lin Yao knew what Yi Fei wanted to ask and gave him the answer directly.
The residue from alchemy is called "Year-by-Year Pill," and Lin Yao plans to name the nineteen pills that Xiaocao left for herself "Year-by-Year Pill."
Year after year, it sounds good. Lin Yao felt that his naming skills had improved a lot. It was a pity that he couldn't tell others about the existence of "Nian Nian Dan". He was missing something to brag about.
The "Year-Reaching Pill" enhances the cultivation aptitude of the Yi family members, and Elder Yi Potian will probably be overjoyed. The "Year-Reaching Pill" directly increases lifespan, providing a comprehensive boost to vitality—practically making one a "longevity immortal" as described in the Compendium of Materia Medica!
Yi Fei let out a whoosh, and upon hearing the prompt, Yi Zuojun immediately prepared breakfast, or rather lunch, for Lin Yao. At this moment, the sun was already high in the sky, and the time should be a little after one o'clock in the afternoon, because the natural time in the west is about an hour later than Beijing time.
"Elder..." While Lin Yao was eating, Yi Zuojun stood to the side, hesitant and stammering as if he had something to say.
Lin Yao stopped eating and looked at Yi Fei. He knew that the elder Yi Zuojun was referring to was not him. He had always been called "Mr.", which was a more honorable title than "Elder" Yi Fei.
"Don't talk, the master is eating!" Yi Fei glared at Yi Zuojun and refilled Lin Yao's milk.
The table is set with milk, cake, and bread—not breakfast.
Yi Zuojun continued to hesitate, unlike his usual straightforward manner.
Lin Yao put down his chopsticks, stared intently at Yi Fei, and didn't say anything. The smile on his face clearly showed that he wanted to know.
"Sir, it's nothing. I just received a notification this morning that the commander wanted to see me, and the meeting was scheduled for tonight. I don't think it's important, so I told Zuo Jun not to say anything. I didn't plan to go. The commander just misses me because he hasn't seen me for a while. I'll just make a phone call this afternoon to explain."
Yi Fei spoke frankly as always. He dared not hide anything from Lin Yao, but he also dared not tell the truth.
Lin Yao sensed something was wrong from Yi Fei's blinking three times. This cool guy doesn't blink often, especially when he's talking to people.
There must be something going on!
Before Lin Yao could even ask further, Yi Zuojun couldn't contain himself and blurted out, "But, Brother Fei, you're a soldier, this is an order!"
"Zuo Jun!" Yi Fei frowned, glared at Yi Zuo Jun, and looked very serious.
Yi Fei didn't mind Yi Zuojun calling him by his old name. He didn't want to bring up the matter. His own affairs were insignificant; the hopes of the Yi family, which had been striving for many years, rested on Lin Yao. He couldn't slack off on his bodyguard duties.
At this moment, the Yi family has regained acceptance due to its outstanding performance at the last aristocratic family conference. Several elders and above visited various aristocratic families, but they were not allowed to have communication tools when they arrived at the core area of the aristocratic families.
This is to prevent attacks on the core area of aristocratic families from both inside and outside. It is a custom and tradition that has been agreed upon by all parties. When visiting someone's home, one must pay attention to etiquette in this regard. Last time, when the two Heavenly Elders of the Pei family came to Yi Family Town, they did not bring any communication tools.
Therefore, Yi Fei was temporarily unable to contact anyone of the Yi family elder level or above. So, on the one hand, he transferred ten of the most powerful early-stage prefecture-level experts from Yanji to Chengdu. On the other hand, he also prepared himself for retirement.
Giving up one's own future is better than letting the Yi family continue to decline.
“Brother Fei, this won’t do. The commander has summoned you. You have to fly back to Beijing immediately. This matter is more important.” Lin Yao also called Yi Fei “Brother Fei.” Among the Yi family members, only he could freely change how he addressed others. If it were anyone else, they would definitely be reprimanded and punished.
“Sir, it’s alright.” Yi Fei insisted. The family head, Yi Yang, had informed him that certain powerful families had discovered Lin Yao’s identity and were already eagerly waiting around.
"Several family members are in the military. Don't try to fool me. Even if you want to retire, you must abide by military regulations before you do." Lin Yao's smile vanished. "Tell me, what exactly happened?"
Yi Fei stiffened, lowered his head, and then immediately raised it again, looking at Lin Yao. "Sir, the Grand Elder and the Patriarch led all the people above the mid-stage of the Earth Realm to visit other families, but we can't contact them now, so I can't leave."
"What's keeping you here?" Lin Yao thought to himself, "Oh, so that's how it is. It's nothing. I'm not a three-year-old who needs someone to be by my side."
"Don't forget that my defensive capabilities can even handle ordinary top-tier Earth-level cultivators, and my offensive capabilities aren't weak either. The Yi family has just regained its influence, so it's unwise for you to disobey orders at this time; it will put the Yi family in a very passive position." Lin Yao analyzed while reassuring them, "Don't worry, I'm fine. If you're worried, just call a few more people over. I can help them recuperate when I have time."
After pondering for a long time, Yi Fei finally made a decision, "Okay, sir, I have arranged for ten disciples to come over. I will go to Beijing first and should be able to return tomorrow."
Lin Yao's words moved him. This was no longer just a matter of his personal future; he had to consider it comprehensively.
Without finishing his meal, Lin Yao immediately set off back to Chengdu, making phone calls to book a flight as he went. Time was running out, and there couldn't be any more delays.
After Yi Fei left, ten guards arrived in Chengdu that night and stayed with Lin Yao in the staff dormitory of Minhong Pharmaceutical Factory.
The next morning, Lin Yao led eleven members of the Yi family back to Hidden Forest Residence. His cultivation in the city was extremely ineffective, and he couldn't even calm his mind. His speed in entering a meditative state had been getting slower and slower, and he didn't know why.