A faint ray of golden sun light filtered through the small window, casting long, silent shadows on the cold stone floor.
The room was still and dim, but the faint trace of herbal fragrance from last night still lingered.
Chen Yuan stirred.
His eyes slowly blinked open, and his pupils dilated with the warm light of the summer morning. His limbs were dull and heavy, and he felt as if his soul was tempered by liquid fire.
He allowed himself a moment to remain still, staring at the ceiling, letting silence fill his bones.
Then it all came back to him.
"The three pills. The success. The breakthrough."
A small smile appeared at the corners of his lips.
He pushed himself up slowly with trembling arms, muscles protesting under the strain. His legs quivered the moment he tried to stand, and he fell once again with a dull thud onto the cold stone floor.
"Still this weak, huh..." he muttered to himself, a dry laugh escaping him throat. "Looks like even in this life, following the heavens comes at a price."
Chen Yuan stood still for a moment, legs slightly stiff, but his strength was beginning to return.
He took in a deep breath, letting the morning air flow into his lungs.
With an easy flick of his wrist, his storage ring flashed with a glow, and the three refined Qi Gathering Pills appeared on his out stretched palm, lying like remnants of power.
He gave them a close look, each pill was round and flawless to look at, glittering in the light of a faint golden tint.
A slight medicinal smell came off their surface, enough to clear a mind and circulate Qi.
"Looks like this is the best pill I managed to make for now..." he said softly, appearing pensive even as he spoke being measured in tone.
"If it wasn't for my understanding of array formation, and my current cultivation level, it would've been impossible to be able to have refined the depletion pills were at my current stage."
He clutched his fingers around the pills a little bit, staring with determination.
"Still... I'll need to sell two to make some money. I need to help Elder Sister. She can't heal her meridians from the last two year ago. I have to take action now."
Then there was an emotional flash across his eyes. Regret, guilt, and determination. In his past life, he had failed to protect many of his companions.
Not this time...
Without a second thought, he picked up the first pill and swallowed it with nothing more than the instincts of someone who had once had great power.
It dissolved in an instant, and he felt an on rush of pure, refined Qi back in the river that flowed through his meridians.
He sat cross-legged and promptly closed his fingers into the Qi Gathering Seal, and took in the Qi with deliberate and steady breaths. The whirlwind of clean energy in his dantian was deep in his body, but it was already quaking with the new supply of spiritual energy.
Unlike before, the Qi entry was smooth and sharp, it pierced through his bottleneck like a knife through a sack of silk.
Thirty minutes later…
BOOM—!
Within his body, he felt the vibrant roar of a muffled clap of thunder.
The stone floor underfoot lightly cracked from the pressure, the furniture shuddered, and the very air around him thickened with spiritual fluctuations.
A golden ripple of Qi burst from Chen Yuan's body like ripples in water and then slowly faded into stillness.
Seventh stage of Qi Gathering Realm.
Chen Yuan opened his eyes slowly, as the familiar dullness in them was gone, and in its place was an exceptionally clear, sharp gleam. His aura was deeper.
"Seventh stage.... not bad." he whispered with a calm smile.
Having broken through two realms in just two days, Chen Yuan had a slight grin on his face. He felt satisfaction welling up in his chest, and he was fully relaxed as he sat there stabilizing his breath.
Just as he was about to stand and get back to the business he had planned, soft knocking came from the wooden gate of his courtyard.
Knock.... knock....!
"Xiao Yuan!"
A distinct voice pleaded from the other side.
"Are you in there?"
Chen Yuan blinked in surprise; there was no calm in his eyes anymore. Instead, confusion crept in.
"Elder sister...? What is she doing here…?" he wondered internally.
He was confused to say the least, but did not hesitate. He brushed the dust off the folds of his robe, walked across his small courtyard and reached for the handle.
Creak...!
He opened the gate slowly.
"Sister you came back….!"
He saw his sister fourteen year old sister in front of him and said.
Standing on the other side was a young woman. She was tall, sleek, and covered in a light-blue robe. She seemed soft yet supple, with her long black hair tied into a simple braid hung over her shoulder, and her large eyes filled with gentleness and concern.
She was Chen Yue. Chen Yuan's older sister.
"Yuan'er... are you well?" Her gaze brushed over Chen Yuan's pale face and thin shoulders.
"I am fine, Sister." Chen Yuan said with a faint smile.
"I just spent some time in cultivating."
Chen Yuan then took his sister's hand again and led her into the house.
"Sit." He helped her into a wooden chair by a low table and made sure she was comfortable before sitting across from her.
He looked at her, and her face was serious, even tense.
"Sister; what are you doing here?" he asked, wary but with concern in his expression.
"Is there something, uh, important?"
After taking a breath her fingers tensed on the edge of her sleeve.
"Yuan'er," she started cautiously, "I came because Father told me something. The Holy Sect's subsidiary sects are coming to Fengling City soon, to recruit new disciples."
Chen Yuan's expression for a fraction, the narrowing of his brow as he considered.
Chen Yue went on, "You know how demanding their standard is. Even among noble second generations, only a few even have a chance at qualifying. So..."
she paused again, "have you considered which sect you want to try for?"