Reflection 2
"Do not thank him," Su Mu said with a dismissive wave, his face showing a hint of anger.
Su Xuanwu, feeling indebted to Yang Kai, had bestowed such a large quantity of pills. After all, if not for the last-minute intervention of the shopkeeper Meng with the sect master's orders, Yang Kai might indeed have been sacrificed. Su Mu was infuriated by the handling of the situation and had specifically brought numerous pills for Yang Kai.
"Where is Sister Su Yan?" Yang Kai inquired, glancing around.
Su Mu's expression turned peculiar. He had long been aware of Yang Kai's heroic deeds from Li Yuntian and the others, and now he felt a mix of awe and fear. Growing up, Su Yan had felt less like a sister and more like a mother to him. Before her, Su Mu had never dared to take a breath too deeply.
Yet here was Senior Brother Yang, audaciously holding his sister's hand before a crowd of over a hundred and making grand declarations.
That he was not immediately dispatched by his sister was astounding! Not only was he spared, but he was also arranged to recuperate in his sister's private quarters. Such an occurrence was simply unfathomable!
During the two days of Yang Kai's unconsciousness, Su Mu had pondered the matter deeply and still could not fathom the underlying mystery.
Why? Why did this happen?
"Ah! Senior Brother Yang!" Su Mu sighed heavily, patting Yang Kai's shoulder. After a moment of careful consideration, he said, "Grieve not! Throughout history, many have experienced unrequited affections. You must learn to let go."
Yang Kai was momentarily stunned, then couldn't help but smile wryly, realizing Su Mu must have misunderstood his situation. He refrained from further explanation and simply asked, "Where is she?"
Her timely rescue had been crucial; otherwise, Yang Kai might have had to resort to using Yang Liquid to eliminate those Law Enforcement disciples. However, facing them, Yang Kai was uncertain of his chances of success and did not dare to act recklessly. Regardless, once that step was taken, there would be no turning back.
"She went to the Blackwind Trade City after arranging for you here," Su Mu replied.
"Did she say anything before she left?" Yang Kai asked, curious. He had thought Su Yan would have had something to say, especially given his earlier actions.
"No," Su Mu shook his head slowly.
Yang Kai felt a deep respect for her.
Her demeanor was indeed remarkably carefree. Despite the matters affecting her reputation, she had not explained anything to anyone—her integrity spoke for itself!
After conversing with Su Mu for a while longer, Yang Kai took his leave.
Lying in bed, Yang Kai didn't dwell on the situation further; what was done was done. With Su Mu's arrival bringing a plethora of pills, it was an opportune moment to test his previous conjecture.
Half of the pills were for healing, while the other half were for cultivation. Their total value was certainly considerable.
Yang Kai began by taking several of the healing pills, then silently circulated the True Yang Art to help the medicine's effects spread throughout his body, attentively noting the changes.
To his surprise, the healing effects were quite significant. The medicinal force flowed through his meridians, rapidly soothing and mending his injuries, reducing the pain considerably.
However, Yang Kai also noticed that some of the medicinal power seemed to be circulating within his meridians, penetrating his bones.
Realizing this, Yang Kai's brows furrowed, further confirming his suspicions.
To verify this hypothesis, Yang Kai continued consuming various pills throughout the day.
The results indicated that his Proud Bone Golden Body could indeed absorb energies other than Yang attribute energy!
This had been his suspicion since his recent breakthrough to the Open Yuan Realm, though he had no means of confirmation at the time.
The True Yang Art was undeniably a unique and powerful technique. It allowed him to cultivate Yang Liquid without limit, which was immensely destructive in battle. However, its primary drawback was the demanding cultivation environment required.
He had previously worried that the environment might affect his cultivation, but now the inclusiveness of the Proud Bone Golden Body alleviated this concern.
With Yang Qi present, he could practice the True Yang Art; without it, the Proud Bone Golden Body would still absorb any energy.
Thus, his strength would not stagnate due to a lack of Yang attribute energy.
This non-Yang energy absorbed by the Proud Bone Golden Body would also be returned to him during combat, enhancing his fighting prowess.
Yang Kai sensed an enigmatic connection between his Proud Bone Golden Body and the True Yang Art, though the precise nature of this relationship eluded him.
When Yang Kai came back to his senses, he was startled to find that he had consumed a whole five bottles of pills, each containing ten pills. In total, he had ingested fifty pills. Even though these were merely ordinary pills, such a quantity would be unbearable for most people.
Yet, he felt no adverse effects; his injuries had improved significantly.
In the darkness, Yang Kai's eyes glinted ominously as he stared at the remaining seven or eight bottles of various pills. A wild thought surged within him.
This thought, once aroused, was impossible to suppress.
After a moment of contemplation, Yang Kai decided to take a gamble!
He reached for a bottle of pills, uncorked it, and without regard for whether they were healing or cultivation pills, poured the contents into his mouth. He grabbed another bottle and did the same...
Consuming all the remaining pills, Yang Kai licked his lips with a sense of satisfaction.
If others saw this scene, they would likely be horrified! These pills were not poison, but swallowing them in such quantities was reckless. It is known that medicine has its limits, and consuming too much can be harmful, potentially affecting one's health, cultivation, or foundation.
Yet, Yang Kai had ingested seventy to eighty different pills in a single breath.
Smacking his lips, Yang Kai felt his stomach swell, with countless gentle medicinal energies mingling within, soon coalescing into a formidable force.
Prepared for this, Yang Kai immediately began circulating the True Yang Art.
The energy surged within him like a dragon freed from its bonds, churning in his abdomen. Yang Kai groaned, feeling as though his entire abdomen was being torn apart.
The True Yang Art's speed of operation accelerated dramatically, as if drawing endless energy from the dissolved pills into his meridians.
Yang Kai dared not relax, focusing intently.
The dragon-like energy moved through his meridians, clashing with the True Yang Qi. Although they mixed, they did not integrate.
Moreover, the two energies flowed in opposite directions within his meridians: the True Yang Qi clockwise, and the medicinal effect counterclockwise, continually colliding. Each collision resulted in the True Yang Qi burning away the harmful substances in the medicinal effect, leaving only the pure energy.
Yang Kai's body flickered between brightness and darkness, his skin turning red. His meridians seemed to writhe beneath his skin, creating a horrifying sight.
As time passed, the impurities in the immense energy were gradually removed, with the purified energy flowing into his bones. The Proud Bone Golden Body seemed to become a ravenous source, voraciously consuming the incoming energy.
Despite the intense pain, Yang Kai's perception was sharper than ever, as if his body had developed eyes to witness the True Yang Qi refining the energy and the Proud Bone Golden Body absorbing the refined energy.
He felt an inkling of enlightenment!
Recalling his battles after acquiring the Proud Bone Golden Body—those moments of bloodshed and pain, where each surge of pain and indomitable will led to rapid growth in strength, defeating opponents with superior power—he found clarity.
Especially the recent battles in the Forest Prison, the severe beatings from the five formidable opponents were vivid in his mind.
As his blood once again surged, a familiar warmth spread from his bones, the absorbed energy from the Proud Bone Golden Body duly enhancing his strength.
Yet, it was not enough! Yang Kai felt something was still missing to truly grasp the secrets of the Proud Bone Golden Body.
He needed a real battle!
With this thought, Yang Kai abruptly leaped out of bed, breathing heavily. He pushed open the door, glanced around, and marched straight to the opposite room, kicking it open.
Yang Kai suspected that Su Mu might be staying in the opposite room since he had heard noises earlier. He sought a worthy opponent, and Su Mu was a viable choice.
The door swung wide open, revealing a smooth back. Just as Yang Kai was about to issue a challenge, he suddenly swallowed his words.
Under the moonlight, by the window, a graceful and alluring figure stirred his heart.
With her porcelain white skin and icy beauty, every glance and motion was captivating.
The sight was truly breathtaking, nearly causing Yang Kai's soul to escape his body.
The room indeed contained someone, but not Su Mu as Yang Kai had imagined— it was Su Yan!