Chapter 20: The Elixir Hall

The next morning.

In front of the small house, a figure in a gray robe was swiftly practicing various techniques of the Eight-step Breaking Fist.

"Eight-step Breaking Fist, Cannon Fist Power!"

Bang! Bang! Bang!

One after another, the sound of fists breaking through the air exploded.

After having breakfast, Lin Yuan began practicing a set of Eight-step Breaking Fist.

Taking advantage of the bit of Qi-Blood that the dried meat in his body could still provide. He immediately activated his technique to transfer the hard-earned Qi-Blood from the food into his Dantian through the Eight-step Breaking Fist, and then transform and compress it in the Dantian, storing it in the meridians.

Cultivating martial arts is an accumulation over time, only then can it lead to a qualitative change.

Lin Yuan continuously practiced his moves, performing them repeatedly from entry-level to the first transformational stage.

"Hoo!"

Lin Yuan felt the slight dissipation of Qi-Blood power within his body, and the warm sensation in his abdomen disappeared; he gradually slowed down and then completed his practice.

"Slow, too slow." Lin Yuan stopped his movement, slightly closed his eyes, and carefully felt the circulation of Qi-Blood in his body.

The meridians' Qi-Blood accumulation after the first transformation showed no improvement.

Feeling the hardly noticeable increase in Qi-Blood within him, Lin Yuan couldn't help but feel nostalgic about the time when he took elixirs, during which his Qi-Blood increased step by step, a period he found hard to forget.

Now that there's no elixir support, after two sets of Eight-step Breaking Fist, he barely gets warmed up. Then, he can't continue accumulating Qi-Blood and has to stop.

"Enough, I'll head to the Transmission Hall to complete today's martial arts lesson first, then go to the Elixir Hall to wait for a task assignment," Lin Yuan shook his head, putting aside the distractions in his mind.

"Moreover, the Transmission Hall plaza has martial arts explanations, which I need to understand well today. If possible, perhaps I could learn another martial cultivation technique."

Without further hesitation, he opened the door and headed toward the Transmission Hall.

The entire academy can generally be divided into four main institutions related to disciples: Transmission Hall, Supervision Hall, Enforcement Hall, and Service Hall.

The Transmission Hall is a general term for various places for disciples to cultivate martial arts, including various training grounds and martial instruments, as well as a library housing a collection of martial arts techniques.

The Supervision Hall is responsible for student assessments, promotions, or dismissal of disciples. Upgrading from a chores disciple to an elite disciple, and promoting an elite disciple to an inner sect disciple requires assessment registration at the Supervision Hall.

Some disciples with stagnant martial cultivation or who are too old and without potential are expelled from the academy.

The Service Hall mainly handles the distribution of money, items, and cultivation resources to the disciples. The Enforcement Hall is for punishing disciples who have made mistakes.

As for alchemy and artifact refining, these are places where various chores disciples earn rewards; otherwise, the academy wouldn't distribute a portion of Qi-Blood powder to all chores disciples each month.

If a chores disciple is found by the Supervision Hall not to have completed the corresponding task, this month's supply is deducted, and next month, your task will increase.

Soon.

After registration, Lin Yuan arrived at the martial arts plaza of the Transmission Hall. By this time, many disciples had already entered the plaza.

When the time came, a boy in a black robe went up to the stage in the front. He didn't appear much older than Lin Yuan, but wearing a black robe indicated he was an elite disciple. His martial arts cultivation was far superior to the many chores disciples in the plaza.

"The martial cultivation of an elite disciple is quite something; today is a good opportunity to compare the gap between us. If I could learn another martial technique, it would be great."

Lin Yuan was somewhat expectant; he casually found a spot in the front and sat down, watching the boy in the black robe on the stage from a distance, waiting for his martial arts lecture.

Like Lin Yuan, many youths had just joined the academy and had high expectations for martial arts cultivation in the academy. Seeing the elite disciple in black step forward, they craned their necks, eagerly anticipating.

At this moment, the boy in black began to assume a stance, preparing to channel his energy.

"It's starting, it's starting," some youths were very excited.

However, unlike the other newly arrived youths who were excited, some older chores disciples appeared calm and disinterested.

The contrast left people feeling puzzled.

"Senior, the martial arts lecture is about to begin, aren't you excited?" someone in the crowd asked.

Seeing no response, the person who asked was puzzled: "Could it be that you've seen too much and find it boring? Or have you already practiced the martial cultivation technique explained by this senior?"

"Martial arts lecture?"

The older chores disciple smiled and shook his head, not replying further.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

At this moment, the boy in black on the stage moved. He performed move after move, and after finishing a set of martial arts, he slowly completed his practice.

"Not bad. This level of Qi-Blood pressure is almost reaching the perfect stage of the Eight-step Breaking Fist."

"He's an expert."

Being close to the stage, Lin Yuan could feel the burst of Qi-Blood from this person and the resulting force of his martial practice.

Moreover, he only practiced a Qi-Blood technique and hadn't demonstrated other martial techniques. If it were a comprehensive application, Lin Yuan knew he still had a long way to go.

"Within the academy, there are hidden talents, and one must always be cautious." The strength displayed by this boy shook Lin Yuan, making him resolve to be very cautious in all matters.

"Cautious, cautious, more cautious!" Otherwise, carelessly provoking some people could lead to big trouble.

The overwhelming pressure from the gaze of an inner sect disciple left a deep impression.

"Let's see how this cultivation technique is; next, I will carefully dissect the martial technique's forms and the Qi-Blood circulation route, waiting for this senior's explanation." With his mind gathered, Lin Yuan focused back on the black-robed boy slowly ending his practice.

Seeing him complete his practice, everyone also anticipated as Lin Yuan did.

The boy finished his practice and slowly closed his eyes.

The plaza fell into silence.

With everyone's expectant gaze, the boy opened his eyes, looked at everyone in the plaza, and slowly spoke, "Alright, today's martial arts explanation is over. You may disperse."

After saying this, the boy jumped off the stage and headed into the depths of the Transmission Hall.

"What, it's over?" As soon as he finished speaking, everyone looked astonished.

"How is it possible, it's over? No technique breakdown? No Qi-Blood circulation route?"

"Not explaining combat moves? Not discussing how to capitalize on strengths and weaknesses, and counter moves?"

"What kind of lecture is this? There wasn't a bit of an instructive process? We don't accept this!"

The crowd instantly erupted, standing up and loudly questioning.

"Heh heh! Young people, you're thinking too much." The older chores disciples seemed to have anticipated today's scene. They stood up, waved their sleeves, placed their hands behind their backs, and turned to leave the Enforcement Hall.

Lin Yuan's face also showed a hint of astonishment, which soon turned into a gloomy expression.

Ignoring the commotion, he got up and headed to the Elixir Hall, saying nothing more.

"The martial arts explanation of this academy seems far from the expectation, to carefully dissect the essential points of martial techniques and Qi-Blood circulation routes. It doesn't even compare to the explanations given by a traveler in Bull Horn Village."

"Let alone the god-like deduction functions of Nine Chapters, which omits the entire practice process and directly engraves it into the brain in the form of memory."

"This is not a martial arts lecture, it's not even as good as a performance." Lin Yuan gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with anger.

As a chores disciple, he had indeed been played by the academy.

"It's almost impossible to learn martial techniques through the Transmission Hall." Lin Yuan walked towards the Elixir Hall, deeply disappointed in his heart.

"Without explanations of martial techniques, how should I proceed on the path ahead? Not to mention the cultivation method above core formation and the cultivation technique above core formation?"

At this moment, Lin Yuan's understanding of the academy deepened.

"This isn't the kind of school like in the past life where teachers would generously give everything, not afraid of you being unable to learn, but afraid you don't learn enough, offering as much as you can take."

"I can only rely on myself!" Thoughts flashed through Lin Yuan's mind, transforming his various impressions of the Transmission Hall.

"Hoo!" Lin Yuan took a deep breath and then exhaled slowly.

"With the existence of Nine Chapters, what I urgently need is the elixir to accelerate Qi-Blood accumulation. The martial cultivation technique can be set aside for now; I'll consider it after receiving the task from the Elixir Hall."

Calming the turbulent Qi-Blood within his heart and throwing away those distractions, he continued on his way.

*

*

*

Now the climate was almost reaching the end of summer, with the sound of cicadas around and an occasional breeze blowing, adding a hint of coolness to the suffocatingly hot weather.

Lin Yuan stood at the entrance of a grand hall of classical style, looking towards it. In front of him was a long flight of stairs. This hall was precisely the task point he chose as a chores disciple, the Elixir Hall.

He walked up step by step along the stairs.

Another breeze blew out from the Elixir Hall.

The gentle breeze brushed past his face.

The airflow accelerated the evaporation of sweat, taking away the body's heat. The coolness that came was extremely soothing for Lin Yuan, both body and soul.

"Hmm?" Suddenly, as he lightly sniffed, Lin Yuan's expression changed.

The smell of alchemy deep within the Elixir Hall was blown out by the wind. The air was filled with waves of elixir aroma.

"This smell?"

Lin Yuan squinted, raised his head, and deeply inhaled again; the scent from the elixir intoxicated him.

The aroma of the medicine entered his nostrils, then throat, finally dropping into his lungs. In an instant, the pleasure exploded throughout his body, making it almost difficult for Lin Yuan to control his mind.

Soon, he felt the Qi-Blood inside constantly stirred up, belly moving like a starving man incessantly.

"Is it the smell of elixir?"

"I need elixirs so badly." Lin Yuan deeply felt the thirst his body had for elixirs.

Indeed, his body had lacked Qi-Blood for far too long.

Since the Eight-step Breaking Fist was deduced to the Red Spirit State with the help of the Nine Chapters, he had never reached that realm due to insufficient Qi-Blood accumulation. Moreover, after running out of elixirs, his Qi-Blood accumulation speed was almost at a standstill compared to before.

Like a 300-pound fat person, only given a palm-sized bun for a meal. How could he be full?

"I'm in the right place," Lin Yuan's heart was greatly moved.

Deeply inhaling once more, the thirsty meridians in his body seemed like a grizzly bear awakened after hibernation, urgently seeking food to fill the empty stomach.

Lin Yuan calmed his emotions and prepared to walk forward.

Just as he stepped off.

"Dong! Dong! Dong!"

Uncontrollably, Lin Yuan's heart beat again, as if it wanted to jump out of his chest, into the depths of the Elixir Hall, follow the source of the aroma, and find the long-desired elixirs.

"Hoo!"

Lin Yuan had to stop his steps and calm his agitated emotions once more.

Then, in his tranquil eyes, as if a flame ignited, burning towards the depths of the Elixir Hall.

And underfoot, steps were firm, climbing steadily upward step by step.