Chapter 1553: Chapter 32: Digesting the Gains! (Part 2)

A moment later.

Jiang Ning arrived in front of a building.

"Pills!"

In front of the building, there hung a tall sign.

"Greetings, Marquis!!" The four patrol envoys guarding the pill room entrance saw Jiang Ning’s arrival and immediately saluted him.

"Greetings, Seventeenth Princess!" They then saluted Ji Mingyue, who was behind Jiang Ning. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

Jiang Ning nodded and spoke, "I need to practice in the pill room for a moment, do not let anyone disturb us if there’s nothing urgent!"

"Yes, Marquis!"

"Yes, Marquis!!"

"..."

The four respectfully acknowledged Jiang Ning’s instruction.

Then, Jiang Ning climbed the steps, Ji Mingyue followed him.

Squeak—

As Jiang Ning pushed open the tightly closed door of the pill room, the bearings turned, emitting a sound of friction.

He entered the pill room.

Instantly, a wave of heat rushed towards him.

Feeling this heat wave, Jiang Ning nodded silently.

In the pill room, Ji Mingyue would not feel cold.

He stepped into the pill room and saw the spacious interior, with several rows of pill cabinets against three walls and a bronze pill furnace set in the center. At this moment, the furnace fire hadn’t been extinguished, and flames were still burning below the pill furnace.

It was because the fire was still burning that the room remained warm, dispelling the invading cold from outside.

Following behind him, Ji Mingyue also stepped into the pill room.

"So warm!" She rubbed her hands together, a look of happiness on her face.

Chirp—

The Immortal Crane behind them let out a low chirp, as if to say the two were blocking its path.

Jiang Ning glanced back and couldn’t help but smile.

Then he opened the remaining two doors, leaving enough room for the crane to enter.

The Immortal Crane then half-crouched and came into the pill room.

The two then closed the doors.

The Immortal Crane settled in a corner of the room, letting out a series of contented low chirps.

"Here we can shield against the cold wind. We will stay until tomorrow, and then return to the city if nothing comes up!" Jiang Ning said.

"Alright!" Ji Mingyue nodded, her gaze not on Jiang Ning but on the pill cabinets along the three walls.

Then she continued, "I see these pill cabinets haven’t been touched. There should be some excellent pills inside. I will help you check and see if there are any suitable for you!"

"Alright!" Jiang Ning glanced at the pill cabinets around them, then nodded and continued, "It seems they discovered the pill room and then sealed it, so everything is preserved perfectly, without having been... touched!"

As he said the last few words, he couldn’t help but take a deep breath.

"Cough—cough—"

Then, he let out a low cough.

"Are you okay?" Ji Mingyue hurriedly stepped forward, gently patting Jiang Ning’s back.

After coughing, Jiang Ning took two deep breaths and suppressed the urge to cough again from his lungs.

"No problem!" He waved his hand, then noticed a small hand tightly holding his.

Turning back, he saw Ji Mingyue’s face full of concern.

"Why don’t you stop pushing yourself, no more enduring the pain, you’ve said you have the ability to break this curse!"

As Ji Mingyue spoke, Jiang Ning could feel her grip tightening.

He gently smiled and raised his other hand to brush the hair falling on his forehead.

"Having come this far, retreating would be an endless abyss. I can only advance, not retreat. And you, a member of the Great Xia Royal Family, are not in control of your fate! If I retreat, I won’t be able to ensure your safety in the future."

Upon hearing this, Ji Mingyue’s lips trembled slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but was unable to.

"Don’t worry!" Jiang Ning patted Ji Mingyue’s head. "Don’t worry about me, I will surely reach a level equal to that person’s, or even surpass him!"

"I believe you!" Ji Mingyue nodded earnestly.

Then she leaned into his embrace.

Gazing upon the immensely gentle Ji Mingyue, Jiang Ning silently held her.

A moment later.

They adjusted their emotions.

Ji Mingyue began to check the pills in the cabinets.

Jiang Ning sat cross-legged on the mat in the center and took out the sandalwood box containing the Dragon Blood Green Immortal Vine from the Jiezhi Leaf.

Jiang Ning opened the box, and once again, a green light filled the room. The Dragon Blood Green Immortal Vine lay quietly in the box, its topmost red sprout softly trembling as if alive, emanating an enticing vitality.

He didn’t rush to consume it but first took out a supreme Spirit Crystal and held it in his palm.

Taking the Dragon Blood Green Immortal Vine now would waste the medicinal power, as part of it would go to healing his body.

Holding the supreme Spirit Crystal, the cool blue crystal felt smooth to the touch, clouds swirling within, pure spiritual energy seeping into his body from his palms, nourishing him like sweet spring water.

This effect was from mere contact with the surface.

"Truly worthy of a supreme Spirit Crystal!" he sighed inwardly.

Then, he put the supreme Spirit Crystal into his mouth in one motion.

His Qi-Blood circulated immediately, pores closed, and the crystal inside him began to radiate spiritual energy like a great sun.

Comfort surged through his body.

Wisps of spiritual energy nourished him like spring rain, continuously addressing and repairing his nearly depleted body.

In his Dantian, the immortal seedling that had grown over a foot began absorbing certain materials upon sensing their influx.

The previously halted growth resumed slowly under the nourishment of the supreme Spirit Crystal.

Time quietly passed.

After fully absorbing one supreme Spirit Crystal, Jiang Ning took out a second one.

As the influx of spiritual energy continued, his pale complexion gradually regained color, and his breath steadied further.

After 2 hours, seven of the ten supreme Spirit Crystals had been used.

Jiang Ning opened his eyes, a glint of vitality flickered through.

He examined his Dantian internally; the immortal seedling had silently risen to fourteen inches, having grown an entire inch.

Its leaves were broader, and the veins between clearer.

He looked again at the remaining three supreme Spirit Crystals.

With brief contemplation, he immediately consumed them.

Resources, he didn’t bother saving.

Now was the time to enhance his strength.

As the three crystals integrated into his body.

The Spirit Platform, Dantian, and the heart’s three flowers began forming a seventh, phantom petal.

An additional half an hour passed.

The remaining three supreme Spirit Crystals were all refined.

At this moment, the Essence, Qi, and Spirit three flowers floated within him at the Spirit Platform, heart, and Dantian.

The seventh petal was in a half-real, half-illusion state.

He opened his eyes, lifting a hand in a gesture. As golden light flashed, the Dragon Blood Green Immortal Vine appeared before him.

"The next phase begins with this!" he mused inwardly.

The three-inch-long lush vine, its topmost red sprout glimmering with splendid light in the furnace’s flicker.

He pondered for a moment, then instead of consuming it directly, sliced off the sprout with a finger-blade gesture.

The sprout made a faint humming noise once separated, its light intensifying.

The vine itself dimmed slightly.

"The immortal sprout nourishes the Divine Soul, the vine reshapes the body. Eating them separately prevents waste." Jiang Ning placed the sprout before him, then picked up the vine.

The vine felt smooth and warm in hand, emanating a gentle heat.

Jiang Ning hesitated no longer and put it into his mouth.

The vine dissolved immediately, transforming into a warm stream down his throat.

There was no anticipated heat or pain, instead, it was like a spring sun gently embracing him, as every muscle, every meridian rejoiced.

Jiang Ning felt his pores open, expelling threads of impure energy as the vitality of the vine flowed through his body, healing the subtle injuries caused by using the forbidden technique.

Muscles became firmer, bones tingled with a subtle numbing sensation.

To his delight, even the latent pain in his chest caused by the curse eased by a third under the vine’s nurturing.

Though the curse’s root remained, his bodily strength undoubtedly increased resistance.

"Truly a marvelous thing!" he thought to himself, devoting all his energy to refining the medicinal power to enhance his capabilities.

As the medicinal power coursed through him, he continued to solidify the three flowers.

In three-flower techniques, each added petal multiplies power exponentially.

As time passed, a faint silver light shimmered at his brow, the glow of the Divine Flower.

A faint red light circled his heart, the light of the Essence Flower.

A faint gold light turned in his Dantian, the glow of the Qi Flower.