When Zhang Ruochen took the green wooden box, he felt a hint of cold on its surface.
The chill came from the pill inside the box, rather than the box itself.
While Zhang Ruochen was opening the green wooden box, the pill emitted a rich fragrance. Strands of white Pill Spirit burst out from the box like baby snakes.
He looked surprised when he saw the eight pills in the box. He exclaimed. “Icing Meridians Pills!”
“Do you recognize this type of pill?” Blackie was shocked.
Zhang Ruochen responded, “This kind of pill was very popular back in the Middle Ancient Times, but it had been monopolized by different powerful parties. No ordinary person could buy it in the market. I can’t believe you can refine such a valuable pill!”
During the Middle Ancient Times, a lot of warriors refined their Meridians by taking Pills. It could enhance the tenacity of their Meridians, increase the activating speed of their Genuine Qi, and generate certain properties.
The Icing Meridians Pill, Fire Meridian Pill, Electric Meridians Pill, Wind Meridian Pill… All these pills were discovered and studied at that period of time and became widely popular among the warriors.
Taking the Icing Meridians Pill not only refined the Meridians but also generated the icy properties inside the Meridians. Once the warriors activated Genuine Qi, their bodies would turn into a frost conduit. They were able to freeze a river or mountain with just one palm.
On the other hand, the Fire Meridian Pill brought on the fire nature in the Meridians. When the warriors opened their mouths, they could spit out a blaze. When they lifted up their arms, they could use Genuine Qi to form a fireball. Some of the mature warriors could even use Genuine Qi to create a pair of fiery wings to fly in the sky.
If Zhang Ruochen became the internal student of the School of the Martial Market, he could exchange merits for the Icing Meridians Pill. However, he was still an external student at the moment, so he was not entitled to exchange many things, even if he had earned enough merits.
Since Blackie had refined the Icing Meridians Pill, it meant a lot to Zhang Ruochen’s cultivation.
“The Icing Meridians Pill is suitable for the warriors with a frosty physique, but my Genuine Qi has a faint power of thunderbolt and a power of Time and Space. If you can refine the Electric Meridians Pill, it would be even better.” Zhang Ruochen closed the green wooden box and put it away.
Even though the Icing Meridians Pill was not as useful as the Electric Meridians Pill, it would still help Zhang Ruochen very much.
“The Electric Meridians Pill? Sure, why not?”
Blackie fell into deep thought as if he was recalling the formula of making the Electric Meridians Pill.
Zhang Ruochen was in no hurry to refine an Icing Meridians Pill. Anyhow, he had to leave for the School of the Martial Market the next day, and he wanted to spend some quality time with his mother, Concubine Lin, tonight.
He went to Jade Palace, where Concubine Lin lived.
“Mother, why don’t you move to the School of the Martial Market with me? I’m worried about leaving you in the palace alone!” Zhang Ruochen expressed his concerns.
Concubine Lin clenched her jaw and stared at Zhang Ruochen, who had grown taller. She shook her head and said, “Chen-er, don’t worry about me! I’m just an ordinary person in the palace. I cannot deny the fact that the Queen hates me, yet she wouldn’t dare to threaten me. I’ve been living here for almost 20 years, I don’t want to leave…”
Zhang Ruochen gasped slightly and asked, “Are you reluctant to leave the king?”
“He is your father!” Concubine Lin said.
Zhang Ruochen had to accept the fact that there was love between Concubine Lin and Yunwu Commandery Prince. If he took her to live at the School of the Martial Market, what would other people think about the Prince?
Zhang Ruochen was silent for a while. Then, he said, “Okay! I respect your choice, Mother.”
Afterwards, Zhang Ruochen took out three jade bottles and a bag full of silver coins and Spiritual Crystals. He handed them over to Concubine Lin and said, “Mother, there are 300 Blood Pills inside these three jade bottles. All of them are First-Class Blood Pills that you can completely digest. It’s probably impossible for you to develop as a warrior. But if you keep taking the Blood Pill, your physical quality will be stronger than ordinary people.”
“Also, there are 500 silver coins and 20 Spiritual Crystals in the bag.”
He could have left Concubine Lin more silver coins and pills. However, it might not be a good thing to leave too many silver coins and pills for her.
Huang Yanchen, who had been standing to the side walked up to Concubine Lin. She took off the phoenix-shaped jade necklace she was wearing, gave it to Concubine Lin, and said softly, “Aunt Lin, this is a Fire Cloud Jade which contains three defensive charms. If you are attacked, it can protect you three times. Moreover, if you wear it all the time, it can enhance your body as well as bring you peace of mind.”
If such valuable gift had been given by any other person, Concubine Lin would not have taken it. But since her son’s fiancee was giving it to her, she accepted it happily.
After leaving Jade Palace, Zhang Ruochen suddenly stopped. He stared at Huang Yanchen and asked, “Senior sister apprentice, what are you doing?”
Huang Yanchen stood nearby and resumed her haughty attitude. She lifted her snow-white chin and said, “It’s just a piece of jade. Why are you so fussy about it? Zhang Ruochen, there’s one thing I need to clarify. I got engaged to you because I didn’t have any other choice. When we go back to the School of the Martial Market, you are not allowed to tell anyone about our engagement. If I find out that there’s a third person who knows about it, I’ll kill you!”
Zhang Ruochen responded, “Too late! The news about our engagement has already spread all over. I’m sure the news has also scattered around the School of the Martial Market.”
Huang Yanchen said, “Even if it has spread around the School, you have to deny it. Other than that, we are only engaged. There are still three more years to go before we get married. You should have known that we can’t really get married. We will both have to cancel our marriage in three years. What do you think?”
“No comment!” Zhang Ruochen replied.
Seeing how straightforward Zhang Ruochen was, Huang Yanchen was not pleased, but angry. She mumbled, “I hope you don’t regret what you’ve said today three years from now.”
The next day, Zhang Ruochen, Huang Yanchen, and Zhang Shaochu made their way back to the School of the Martial Market.
Zhang Shaochu was anxious on the way back to the School. He followed behind them and did not dare to walk in front of Huang Yanchen.
Even though Zhang Shaochu had stayed in the School of the Martial Market for a year or so, the name, “Huang Yanchen,” still hit his ears like a thunderclap. Every single one of the male students who heard her name was scared to death.
The title, “Three Devil Woman,” was no joke.
Yet, Huang Yanchen turned out to be his ninth brother’s fiancee. Zhang Shaochu feelings were complicated. He was happy but scared at the same time.
He was elated that no one dared to bully him in Western Campus anymore.
But his fear was that his ninth brother might not be able to handle Huang Yanchen, a truly formidable woman.
When they arrived at Western Campus, it had laready been 3 days. There were only two weeks left before the Intermediate Relic Exploration Test.
Back to Western Campus, Zhang Ruochen went to visit Duanmu Xingling. When he reached the Black No.1, she was not there. He noticed that the table had a thin layer of dust as if she had been away for awhile.
Zhang Ruochen did not think too much about it. He was sure she would return before the Intermediate Relic Exploration Test.
Then, he went back to the Yellow No.1 and entered the internal space of the Time and Space Spinel. He took out the Icing Meridians Pill from its green wooden box.
The box held eight Icing Meridians Pills. Each of them was a fourth-class pill, which emitted a piercing blast of cold air.
When Zhang Ruochen’s fingertip brushed the Icing Meridians Pill, his finger froze. A thin layer of Ice Crystals fully covered his hand.
“It is indeed a fourth-class pill. How terrific!”
If Zhang Ruochen’s cultivation was only to the Yellow Realm, the chill from the Icing Meridians Pill might have frozen half of his body.
He activated his Genuine Qi where it followed the Meridians into his five fingers.
“Crack!” The frost on his hand shattered.
Under a cloak of Genuine Qi, Zhang Ruochen took one of the Icing Meridians Pills and swallowed it.
An extremely cold Pill Spirit dissolved in his stomach. All of a sudden, he had a stabbing pain in his stomach, as if the Pill Spirit had frozen his five internal organs.
The chill was intense. It was 10 times colder than the first time Zhang Ruochen took the Half-Saint’s Essence.
If other warriors at the Medium State of the Black Realm took the Icing Meridians Pill, they were seeking a certain death. The icy explosion of the Pill Spirit would freeze them to death instantaneously.
Although Zhang Ruochen was also one of the warriors at the Medium State of the Black Realm, his physical quality was far better than the warriors in the same realm. Moreover, when he was cultivating in the Yellow Realm, he had reached the Ultimate Realm and drawn Chord of Gods.
Drawing Chord of Gods had transformed Zhang Ruochen’s Meridians and Qi Lake. Therefore, he could handle the Icing Meridians Pill.
“PHEW!
Zhang Ruochen activated all 36 Meridians and refined the Pill Spirit of the Icing Meridians Pill as fast as he could.
10 days later, he had completely refined the Pill Spirit. His body temperature eventually returned to normal, but his muscles and Meridians were still stiff.
He opened his eyes and let out a foggy breath.
“My body feels so heavy that I can’t lift a finger!” Zhang Ruochen looked like a dead man frozen for thousands of years who had recently been awoken. Pins and needles tingled all over his body, which felt exceptionally heavy. Every movement was painful.
He struggled to stand up for a while and started practicing his palm technique.
By practicing the palm technique, he transferred the frost into his bones and Meridians in order to enhance his physical abilities.
If another warrior attacked him with an ice martial technique, he would be able to resist easily.
Zhang Ruochen released Dragon and Elephant Prajna Palm again and again. He felt that his palm attacks were not only gaining power, they were also becoming faster.
The speed of Genuine Qi flowing through his Meridians had increased 30%.
The faster the Genuine Qi circulated, the stronger it exploded.
Zhang Ruochen spent another five days practicing palm techniques in the internal space of the Time and Space Spinel. He did not stop until the Genuine Qi in his body had been completely consumed. When he stopped, he took some pills to recover his Genuine Qi.
In these five days, Zhang Ruochen had refined the remaining Pill Spirit of the Icing Meridians Pill into his body. He had elevated his Martial Arts Realm to the Peak of the Medium State of the Black Realm.
The Genuine Qi of his Qi Lake was perfectly filled up. He was ready to break through to the Final State of the Black Realm at any time.
Zhang Ruochen spent 15 days practicing in the Time and Space Spinel, which was only five days in real life. He still had enough time to break through to other realms.
“Zhang Ruochen, Duanmu Xingling is here at the Yellow No.1. I’ve told her that you’re in seclusion for refining. Do you want to meet her?” The voice of Blackie called out in the internal space of the Time and Space Spinel.
“Senior sister apprentice Duanmu is back? Maybe she has brought with her some sort of good news. Of course, I have to see her!” Knowing that Duanmu Xingling was back made Zhang Ruochen joyful, because he had a crush on her.
Suddenly, he thought of something.
Although he had spent some time with senior sister apprentice Duanmu since he entered Western Campus, he had never asked which commandery she came from.
Other than knowing that she was one of the external students of the School of the Martial Market, he knew nothing about her.