"Yi Yang, I still want those medicinal herbs from last time. Could you please arrange it?" Lin Yao casually made the request. These medicinal herbs were quite valuable, and more importantly, collecting them on his own was very troublesome; some herbs were even very difficult to obtain. The "Dragon Tiger Pill" also had effects on ordinary people, so of course he wanted to refine some for his family: his parents, Wen Youmin, Wu Jianwei, and all the veterans of the security team. They all needed to enjoy these benefits as soon as possible.
“Sir, I’ll arrange it right away.” Yi Yang readily agreed. He didn’t mind Lin Yao’s changing way of addressing him; on the contrary, he felt that being called by his name made them feel closer.
Yi Yang arranged for dedicated personnel to constantly check the sewers. Previously, there would be medicinal residue being discharged, but later there would be a pile of powdery, dried medicinal residue that people would have to clean directly into the room. This time, when refining the "Dragon Tiger Pill," there was not a single trace of medicinal residue left. Such a large pile of medicinal materials seemed to have vanished into thin air, leaving only a small bottle of pills. This mysterious event had been discussed with Fan Shao, but they were still unable to find a solution.
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Pei Tianzong wore a gentle smile, his vigorous face glowing with a rosy luster. His white hair shone brightly in the warm sunlight, each strand radiating a friendly light. His loose-fitting long robe made him appear detached, like a sage who had glimpsed the Dao, untouched by the clamor of the mortal world.
Aside from his striking appearance, Pei Tianzong looks no different from an ordinary old man. In some scenic small cities in China, you can occasionally find such ethereal old men sitting peacefully by the river or pond.
Yi Potian didn't think so. This was the second time he had seen Pei Tianzong. This elder of the Pei family was a master who had advanced to the Heaven level decades ago. The way he gathered all his true energy and spirit into himself made Yi Potian feel the other's realm as soon as he saw him. It was a realm that far surpassed his own.
Five people accompanied Pei Tianzong. Among them was another old man whom Yi Potian also valued highly. His name was Pei Tianxing, the second elder of the Pei family. He had also advanced to the Heavenly level, but he had advanced several decades later than Pei Tianzong, and had only been at the Heavenly level for fifteen years.
Yi Potian didn't take Pei Tianxing as seriously. Although Pei Tianxing had advanced fifteen years earlier than him, the Yi family's techniques were the most powerful offensive techniques in the world, and he was fully confident in defeating Pei Tianxing, even if it came at a great cost. As for Pei Tianzong, Yi Potian lacked confidence. He couldn't see through Pei Tianxing's true strength; the subtle depth and immense power he possessed made him feel quite uneasy.
"Congratulations on your advancement, Brother Zongshen!" Pei Tianzong clasped his hands in a traditional martial arts greeting. After reaching the Heavenly Realm, age was no longer a factor for them. He could even address Yi Potian, who was more than fifty years younger than him, as "brother," as a sign of respect.
"Zong Shen welcomes you with open arms, thank you for the honor, Elder!" Yi Potian's response was proper and conventional; he lacked the confidence to address the other party by his courtesy name.
"Thank you for visiting Yi Family Town, Second Elder." Yi Potian also greeted Pei Tianxing. A Heaven-level expert would be respected anywhere.
"Elder, you're too kind." Pei Tianxing readily complied, changing his form of address. He smiled, but inwardly he was extremely shocked. Behind Yi Potian were more than a hundred experts from the Yi family, all of whom had reached the Earth-level realm!
The two elders of the Pei family, who were extremely sensitive to the energy of heaven and earth, could naturally see through the background of these Yi family Earth-level experts. Apart from a few Yi family elders who walked in front to greet them, all the Earth-level experts behind them had just advanced and their realms were not yet stable. Their true qi and energy were occasionally leaking out of their bodies, which the elders immediately noticed.
What shocked them even more was that all the Yi family elders before them had only recently advanced, including Yi Potian himself. The advancement and promotion of the entire Yi family had all occurred within a short period of time. This information greatly shocked them, and even Pei Tianzong, who was usually quite composed, couldn't help but lose his composure, and the smile on his face became somewhat stiff.
"Elder, Second Elder, please!" Yi Potian stepped aside to greet Pei Tianzong and Pei Tianxing. As for the other four members of the Pei family, he didn't need to worry about them because of his status; Yi Yang and the other elders would accompany them.
The main house of the Yi family, used for entertaining guests, was simply decorated. After Yi Potian's own residence completely collapsed during his advancement, this area appeared even more spacious. Pei Tianzong did not show the slightest disdain because of the simple decorations. The Yi family has always been known for its hard work and perseverance. The cultivation methods of the Yi family are also the most cruel and difficult among all the aristocratic families. Although their advancement and progress are very rapid, it is obtained at the cost of lives and suffering.
Cultivation techniques? Pei Tianzong suddenly grasped the key point. The Pei family's records contained detailed information about the Yi family, who had consistently ranked high. The "Yi Jin Jue" was a cultivation technique that harmed both the practitioner and others. Historically, there were complementary medicinal remedies that helped the Yi family avoid the immense damage this technique caused, or at least reduce the damage to a level that a person could bear. Rapid advancement was the enviable characteristic of the Yi family's cultivation techniques, but the short lifespan and the immense pain endured by the practitioners were its drawbacks.
Could it be that the Yi family has rediscovered a method for using cultivation aids? The advancement of these more than one hundred Earth-level experts is the best evidence for this explanation.
"It seems we need to re-evaluate our relationship with the Yi family. The rise of the Yi family is unstoppable. The Pei family's future attitude and actions must cooperate with the Yi family in order to achieve the level of good relations we had before." Pei Tianzong made a decision in his heart. In the past, when the Jiang family was cracking down on the Yi family across the country, the Pei family did not actively push for it, but occasionally went along with the situation to restrict the development of the Yi family. This was also the reason why the Yi family eventually declined to the point of barely surviving in both military and political affairs.
Pei Tianzong and Pei Tianxing chatted amiably with Yi Potian, while Yi Dao, who accompanied them, remained mostly silent. Although he had also advanced to the peak of the Earth level, he had no say in front of these three until he crossed the huge threshold of the Heaven level. Everything depended on strength, and at this time, his status as the second elder of the Yi family was not high.
Yi Yang chatted with Pei Haoran, the genius of the Pei family, along with three other members of the Pei family. The atmosphere was very lively, like a gathering of close friends.
"Huh? What's that smell?" Pei Tianzong, who was talking to Yi Potian while carefully investigating the Yi family's situation, suddenly said in surprise, "Why does it smell so good?"
After Pei Tianzong's reminder, everyone stopped talking. After a long while, they asked about the fragrance Pei Tianzong had mentioned. They couldn't help but marvel at how sharp the perception of a Heavenly-level expert was, obtaining this information much earlier than the rest of them.
It smells amazing! It smells so good! It's like being in a roast duck restaurant, or next to a frying pan of delicious food. This aroma is a hundred times more enticing than any of the previous descriptions. It's an aroma that can control your appetite.
Yi Potian was taken aback, thinking to himself, "My great master, why are you refining pills at this crucial moment? You clearly told me that the Pei family would be coming this afternoon. Aren't you just exposing your secrets now?"
Yi Potian never doubted the source of the fragrance. Although the fragrance was different from the one from the previous day, it was still very tempting. It must be Lin Yao refining pills.
"Reporting to the Elder, the aroma is coming from our food processing plant. Recently, my father has noticed a change in his appetite; he doesn't enjoy ordinary food. So, we specially built a small food processing plant in town, and the aroma often wafts out from there." Yi Yang, being a young man, was quick-witted and immediately found a good excuse. The aroma was clearly coming from food, so he had no choice but to explain.
“Yes,” Yi Potian immediately replied, “My state of mind has changed recently, and so has my body. Some things I used to eat are no longer palatable. I wonder if Elder Tianzong is experiencing the same thing?”
"Oh, I see." Pei Tianzong could tell from the aroma that it was indeed coming from food and that there was no trace of medicine mixed in. So he put aside his doubts and answered Yi Potian's question seriously, "I also experienced some changes at the time. I felt that food had no taste, but it was not as obvious as Brother Zongshen's. After a period of time, I was able to accept ordinary food."
"Oh, hehe." Yi Potian relaxed. "Maybe it's because I'm picky about food, or maybe it's because Yang'er is such a filial child that he insisted on setting up a processing plant for me."
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Chapter 144 Bigu Pill
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"Daddy, I'm hungry, I'm hungry!" Little Guli pounded on the door regardless of the situation. Ruan Lingling didn't stop him, and Alina just stood behind and watched without any intention of stopping him. Ge Yong and Banan made up an excuse for themselves because Little Guli was crying, and they couldn't bear to refuse the child's request.
"Uncle Yao, open the door, I want to come in." Nannan was quite sensible and clever; she had already seen through the adults' indulgence and immediately joined in knocking. She was even more anxious, so she pushed Xiao Guli to the door frame. Seeing her father, Ge Yong, snorting angrily, she immediately stuck out her tongue, put her arms around Xiao Guli's neck, and went to the center of the door to knock together.
Lin Yao, who was inside the room, had already heard the commotion outside the door, but he ignored it and continued to rub his pills.
He was moving very slowly, mainly thinking. The amount of liquid in the furnace was pitifully small. All four bags of flour, each weighing fifty catties, totaling two hundred catties, had been used up. However, after being burned and refined by the fire, only a thin layer of liquid remained at the bottom of the furnace, even less than when he refined the "Dragon Tiger Pill." This situation really surprised him.
Lin Yao, of course, smelled the rich fragrance in the room; he was the first to detect it. It's said that "entering a room filled with orchids, one soon ceases to smell their fragrance," but this fragrance didn't dissipate or weaken with the sense of smell; rather, it was a persistent, ever-increasing aroma. The physiological reaction this fragrance triggered was craving and hunger.
Lin Yao also felt a little hungry, but he had already eaten more than thirty hearty dumplings at noon, so it was impossible and he shouldn't feel hungry. It was all because of this aroma. No wonder Ge Yong and the others outside the door let the two little ones knock on the door and disturb them; it seemed they were also affected by their physiological instincts and were hungry.
"So two hundred pounds of flour turned into fragrance? That can't be right?" Lin Yao thought to himself. At this moment, Xiao Cao was in seclusion and hibernating, so he had to resist the urge to disturb her and seek the answer himself. "Maybe the essence of the grain is concentrated in this little bit of elixir, but where did all the starch and protein go? Were they all burned into fragrance?"
A sudden thought struck Lin Yao, and he remembered a post on the internet. Some bored person had posted a thread about food, the gist of which was that humans don't actually lack those nutrients when they eat food, but rather mainly for the stomach, an organ that should practically be removed in large parts.
Humans eat several kilograms of food every day, and aside from water, the amount consumed is essentially the same as the amount excreted. The original poster claims to have studied this carefully and found that the amount of food consumed, excluding water lost through sweating, is almost equivalent to the total amount of urine and excrement. Eating food is practically just a way to relieve stomach discomfort. It's worth investigating how much of this food can actually be absorbed by the human body to turn into fertilizer. According to the original poster, only a tiny fraction is absorbed. The final conclusion is that humans are the most wasteful animals.
Perhaps that makes sense, Lin Yao thought to himself. The effect of the "Bigu Pill" might simply be to deceive the stomach and then control the release of the body's stored energy, allowing the body's physiological functions to consume enough substances.
Of course, Xiaocao wouldn't lie to herself; alchemy definitely had an effect. After being refined by the mysterious alchemical fire, the essence extracted from so much flour seemed to be truly beneficial to the body.