Pills

The next morning, Alex woke up and stared at the ceiling, thinking about the previous day's events. Although he knew it was the truth, he still found it hard to believe that he could cultivate.

Alex got up from his bed and walked over to his wardrobe, donning his favorite black robe. He then walked downstairs and found his mother in the kitchen making breakfast.

He did not go home yesterday and instead stayed with his parents.

"Oh, you're awake. I've made some breakfast, Alex. Sit and eat," his mother said as she saw Alex walk into the kitchen.

Alex sat down at the kitchen table and started eating the eggs and bacon his mother had cooked for him.

'I guess I'll head over to the Medicinal Pavillion today and get some Qi-gathering and barrier-breaking pills,' thought Alex while eating his breakfast.

The body refinement realm can be shortened by consuming different kinds of medicine. By drawing in the natural energy of the pills, the Qi can be refined and purified, increasing its quality and potency.

After strengthening every part of the body with Qi, it will be the last step in the body refinement realm, at which point one could tackle the Qi gathering realm.

That is why the barrier-breaking pill will aid in breaking down the barriers between each level; Alex is currently in the third stage of body refinement and will benefit from it.

The difference between the third and fourth stages of body refinement is enormous, and moving from the third to the fourth stage takes a great deal of effort; some people even remain stuck at this stage, unable to overcome this barrier.

That is why some people took the barrier-breaking pill to assist them in breaking through the barriers of body refinement and progressing to the next stage, giving them an advantage in their cultivation process.

After finishing his breakfast, Alex bid his mother goodbye before heading out the door and towards the Medicinal Pavillion. He walked for ten minutes before arriving in front of a grand building.

The six-sided Medical Pavilion stood five stories tall with dark red walls and gray eaves. The interior was decorated with carved beams and statues of various Pill Elders of the past.

Each floor contained various medicinal pills and ingredients, with the rarity and price of the items increasing with each floor.

Alex walked into the pavilion and looked around for a bit before he was greeted by a middle-aged man with a friendly face.

"Hello, young master, It's been a long time since I've seen you in here. What brings you here this time?" asked the man with a smile on his face.

"Elder Bearus, it's been a while. I'm here to get some Qi-gathering and barrier-breaking pills," replied Alex.

"Qi gathering and barrier-breaking pills?" Questioned Elder Bearus. Those are for people who have at least reached the 3rd stage of body refinement and are looking to break through to the 4th stage or the 7th. What do you need these pills for?"

"I broke through to the 3rd stage of body refinement recently, and I want to attack the 4th stage of body refinement," replied Alex. Although the Elder didn't need to know the purpose of his pills, Alex felt no need to hide it from him.

"You... can cultivate now? When did that happen?" asked the shocked elder.

"Recently," replied Alex with a slight smile on his face, but he elaborated no further.

The shocked look on Elder Bearus' face slowly faded as he replied, "Well, that's fantastic news for the clan. I'll go gather the standard amount of pills each member uses to break through to another level. Be right back," replied the Elder before heading through a doorway in the back of the building.

Alex started to wander around the first floor, looking at the various items available for purchase. Before long, Alex heard footsteps behind him and turned around. He saw Elder Bearus return carrying a jar.

Elder Bearus handed the jar to Alex before saying, "Ten Qi gathering and three barrier-breaking pills are inside. This should help you break through to the next level."

Alex thanked the elder as he took the jar, but before he could ask how much it cost, the elder stopped him and shook his head, saying, "No need; it's free."

"But..." Alex wanted to refuse, but Elder Bearus stopped him.

"Think of it as a gift congratulating you on your ability to cultivate; simply accept it." Elder Bearus made an offer that Alex couldn't refuse.

Alex hesitated for a moment, then said, "Thank you." Since Elder Bearus wanted to gift him these pills, Alex did not refuse and agreed to take the pills.

After thanking the elder, he browsed the items around the pavilion a bit more before heading outside. Alex walked straight back home and into his bedroom before he sat down in a meditative position.

Alex placed the jar in front of him and calmed his mind. After sitting for a few minutes, Alex took out the first white pill and popped it into his mouth.

As the pill dissolved in his stomach, Alex could feel his body heating up. His blood started rushing, and he felt the energy in his body start to increase.

Alex quietly observed the changes in his body, and after a few minutes, the effect of the pill died down.

"Ding"

[+50 Qi]

Alex's vision flashed with a notification informing him that he had gained fifty points of Qi. He double-checked his status.

[Name: Alex Dracon]

[Cultivation Level: Body Refinement Realm Stage 3]

[Stage 4: 50/450]

[Element: Destruction]

[Bloodline: ???]

[Physique: temporarily sealed]

[Inventory: None]

[Techniques: Non-Dimensional God Refining Technique (1)|Sword Slash(1)| Ending Fist(1)|Force Dodge(1)]

"I got 50 Qi from just one pill, so that means I will get 450 Qi if I take nine pills," Alex thought before he thought of something.

"Hey, system. I have a question for you." The system was called for by Alex.

[Yes?]

"Will it be bad if I take several pills?" Alex wondered. According to what he read in books, taking pills is beneficial for the cultivator, but taking too many can damage the cultivator's foundation, which is why not many people take several pills on the same day.

[Humph, you're underestimating yourself, host.] The system scoffed and continued, [To answer your question, taking multiple pills on the same day is bad for normal cultivators because impurities can accumulate and cause problems with their cultivation.

But for you, nothing of the sort will happen because, first and foremost, you have me, and second, because the host isn't strong enough, you can't see how broken this technique of yours is.

So don't worry; cultivate however you want because your foundation will always be strong.]

Alex didn't hesitate any longer after hearing the system's words and took eight more pills from the jar.

'Although it's the 3rd stage in the body refinement realm, we're going to the 4th stage. All I have to do is eat these eight pills and absorb the Qi in them to strengthen my blood and flesh; after that, I will take the barrier-breaking pill, at which point I'll have reached the 4th stage.' Alex thought excitedly to himself as he grabbed the next pill and popped it into his mouth.

Body refinement was split up into nine stages: the first three stages are for Flesh and Blood Refinement, the fourth to six is for Bones and Muscles Refinement, and the last three are for Organ Refinement.

To progress from the Flesh and Blood Refinement to the Bones and Muscles Refinement, one had to strengthen their flesh and blood to the maximum limit that a body refinement realm could reach, a process that normally took months for each stage. Only Muscle Refinement was able to be tackled in such a direct manner.

Alex continued the same process for the remaining pills, and after all eight pills were consumed, Alex expected to feel an increase in power as his blood was refined and purified.

[+50]

[Stage 4:450/450]

[Host Blood and Flesh has been refined to the limit, the host has reached the requirement to advance.]

After the notification, Alex took a red pill and popped it into his mouth.

"Boom!"

The sound of a muffled explosion escaped Alex's body as he suddenly coughed up mouthful after mouthful of black blood. The smell of the black blood assaulted Alex's nose, smelling like a rotting carcass. After a minute of throwing up black blood,

Alex finally managed to stop and catch his breath.

"I finally succeeded. I finally broke through to the 4th stage of the Body Refinement realm," Alex said to himself, his face full of excitement.

All the black blood was impurities in his blood and flesh, and after Alex removed them, he progressed to the fourth stage.

[Name: Alex Dracon]

[Cultivation Level: Body Refinement Realm Stage 4]

[Stage 5: 0/900]

[Element: Destruction]

[Bloodline: ???]

[Physique: temporarily sealed]

[Inventory: None]

[Techniques: Non-Dimensional God Refining Technique (1)|Sword Slash(1)| Ending Fist(1)|Force Dodge(1)]

To Be Continued...

[A/N: I forgot to put the pill ranks, so I'll put it here; there are 8 Tiers of pills, with each pill divided into Low, Mid, High, and Peak. And the skills and weapons rank would change.

☆Alex Katana is Mid Tier 1 weapon, and the pill Alex took were Low Tier 1 Pills for curious people.

☆Tier 1: Low and Mid------> Body Refinement Realm.

☆Tier 1: High and Peak ------> Qi Gathering Realm.

☆Tier 2: -----> Foundation Realm.

☆Tier 3------> Core Formation Realm.

☆Other tiers will be revealed as the story progresses, and thank you for reading.