CHAPTER 30: CHAPTER 0030: THE POWER OF THE GATHERING QI PILL_1

The Little Fox shook her head.

"Two hundred years?" Zhang Bin asked again.

But the Little Fox continued to shake her head. Only when Zhang Bin mentioned five hundred years did she finally nod.

"A fox that’s lived for five hundred years?" Zhang Bin was genuinely startled, a look of disbelief spreading across his face.

Without a doubt, the Little Fox was a true Fox Spirit. It was just unclear whether it was due to an insufficient cultivation level or some other reason that she couldn’t transform into a beautiful woman.

Legend has it that foxes need to cultivate for a thousand years before they can take on human form. It’s understandable that Xiao Qian, having cultivated for only five hundred years, can’t become a beautiful woman yet.

Zhang Bin muttered to himself, gradually accepting this reality as his heart pounded with excitement. If Xiao Qian had lived for five hundred years, then the Ginseng and Polygonum Multiflorum in her possession must also be five hundred years old. These were true Spiritual Medicines, which would be a massive benefit to his cultivation.

Immediately, Zhang Bin leaped to his feet and said angrily, "Xiao Qian, so it was you who ate all that Ginseng, Polygonum Multiflorum, and Lingzhi, wasn’t it?"

The Little Fox nodded decisively, her expression clearly stating that it was none of his business; those were her treasures.

"You little wastrel! Do you have any idea how much wealth you’ve eaten?" Zhang Bin exclaimed in exasperation.

The Little Fox rolled her eyes at him. Her demeanor clearly communicated that she had no use for wealth. Her only concern was her cultivation; without eating the Spiritual Medicines, she would have perished long ago.

Zhang Bin was surprised he could understand the Little Fox’s meaning. He was stunned for a moment before sighing. The human cultivator had perished long ago, yet the Little Fox was still alive and well. While humans were considered the spirit of all creation, their lifespans paled in comparison to many animals.

However, I practice the wondrous Qingmu Longevity Technique, which allows me to gather the Spiritual Energy of plants. I don’t necessarily need Spiritual Medicines like Ginseng or Lingzhi to enhance my cultivation level. What I truly value is their medicinal effect, which can help me break through bottlenecks. And I will have a long lifespan. I will definitely reach a very high realm in my cultivation.

With this in mind, he turned a stern gaze on the Little Fox. "Xiao Qian, I acknowledge that these Spiritual Medicines belong to you. However, you must stop eating them from now on. If you finish them all, what will you do then?"

A worried expression immediately appeared on the Little Fox’s face.

Zhang Bin continued, "We can plant and cultivate more Spiritual Medicines in the future, but ones of this age are incredibly difficult to find. Therefore, I plan to refine these into elixirs. That’s the only way to truly maximize their effects."

The Little Fox nodded repeatedly, agreeing with his reasoning.

Zhang Bin let out a silent sigh of relief. He had finally managed to trick the Little Fox into temporarily stopping her squandering of the Spiritual Medicines.

However, claiming these Spiritual Medicines for himself was still going to be a challenge.

After wandering around a bit more and finding nothing else of interest, he took a Gathering Qi Pill from the Jade Vial and asked, "Can I take this elixir?"

The Little Fox nodded.

Still, Zhang Bin was very cautious. He cut off just a tiny sliver of the pill and ingested it. A moment later, a look of delighted surprise appeared on his face. The elixir was truly miraculous. It transformed into a warm current that merged with his blood, which then transported it throughout his body. Then, wisps of True Qi began to generate, actively flowing into his Dantian.

This is great! Maybe I can reach the Late Phase of Qi Cultivation Realm right away, or even the Rushing Pulse Realm! Zhang Bin was overjoyed. He quickly returned to the Cave Mansion, sat cross-legged in the main hall, swallowed a whole pill, and began to meditate with intense focus.

True Qi seemed to appear from nowhere, flowing rapidly into his Dantian. As the amount of True Qi increased, his Dantian slowly expanded. By the time he finished refining the elixir’s medicinal power, his Dantian had grown to the size of a wine cup and was filled with a golden gas—it was all Longevity Qi.

However, Zhang Bin suddenly noticed that he had become much thinner. His muscles had withered as if he had just recovered from a serious illness. "What’s going on?" he thought, inwardly shocked as his expression turned grave. His gaze, sharp as a sword, fell upon the Little Fox. She covered her eyes with her paws, clearly frightened by his questioning stare.

She squeaked, making repeated gestures of eating. Zhang Bin immediately understood. The Little Fox was telling him to eat food right away to replenish his body’s energy. The Gathering Qi Pill was an elixir that couldn’t be taken in excess; it worked by forcibly converting his own muscle mass into True Qi.

He rushed outside at once and began to frantically perform Qi gathering. His body greedily absorbed the surrounding Spiritual Energy, gradually filling out again as his withered appearance vanished.

Thank goodness I know how to perform Qi gathering. Otherwise, my parents might not even recognize me when I get back, Zhang Bin thought, a wave of lingering fear washing over him. No wonder the Little Fox didn’t dare to take this elixir, even after preserving it for five hundred years. It suits me perfectly, though.

Once his body had fully recovered, Zhang Bin took another Gathering Qi Pill and continued to meditate, converting it into True Qi.

He consumed three pills in succession. His Dantian expanded to its absolute limit, becoming as large as two fists and filled to the brim with golden Longevity Qi. At that point, it could expand no further, nor could it accommodate any more True Qi. No matter how he meditated, not another wisp flowed into his Dantian.

Could it be... I’ve reached the peak of the Lianqi Realm? A look of pure ecstasy appeared on Zhang Bin’s face.

After carefully testing his new abilities, he found his strength and speed had increased considerably, reaching the equivalent of two oxen. This meant a single punch from him could now generate 1,000 kilograms of force (with one ox being roughly 500 kilograms), and his speed had reached 20 meters per second.

I’m not going back today. I’m going to stay right here and cultivate. I must break through to the Rushing Pulse Realm! Zhang Bin vowed resolutely to himself.

After his body recovered through Qi gathering, he had the Little Fox pick some fruit for him. He then took a few flatbreads from his bag and ate until he was full before preparing to rush his meridians.

The first meridian Zhang Bin aimed to open was the Lung Meridian of Hand Taiyin.

This meridian originates from the middle energizer in the abdomen and connects downward to the large intestine. It then loops back up, passing along the stomach’s upper opening to penetrate the diaphragm and enter the lungs. From the respiratory system—the trachea and throat—it emerges horizontally from the upper-outer chest wall, travels to the armpit, and descends along the front-outer side of the upper arm. After reaching the center of the elbow, it continues down the radial side of the forearm to the wrist pulse, where the radial artery beats. Finally, it follows the outer edge of the fleshy part of the palm to the tip of the thumb on the radial side. Its branch splits off above the radial styloid process on the wrist, passing over the back of the hand through the web between the thumb and index finger to the tip of the index finger on the radial side.

Once he successfully opened the Lung Meridian of Hand Taiyin, he would be able to send his Longevity Qi through it to probe a patient’s internal condition. He could also transmit Longevity Qi to treat illnesses and save lives.

To become a true doctor, one had to open at least one meridian.

And opening even one meridian signified stepping into the Rushing Pulse Realm, which would bring a tremendous increase in both strength and speed.

If he opened all twenty meridians, reaching the Peak of the Rushing Meridian Realm, his strength and speed would double again from his Lianqi Realm foundation. This meant his strength would reach four oxen, and his speed would hit a frightening 40 meters per second.

Zhang Bin focused his concentration, directing the Longevity Qi in his Dantian to surge into the middle energizer and begin the process of opening the meridian...