I took a deep breath, setting the spiritual herbs given by Elder Li aside, and pondered inwardly. I knew that Elder Li's move was by no means out of goodwill; there was bound to be something wrong with these herbs. Yet I was not worried, having long anticipated that he would try to undermine me and made thorough preparations in advance. I took another spiritual herb from my storage pouch. It bore an extremely close resemblance to the one Elder Li had sent, but its medicinal properties were diametrically opposed. I had obtained it at a tremendous cost.
The pill-refining process was long and tedious. I concentrated with every fiber of my being, not daring to slacken in the slightest. Elder Li watched from the side the entire time, his gaze like that of a venomous snake, making me feel thoroughly uncomfortable. But I refused to let him affect me, brimming as I was with confidence in myself. Finally, after forty-nine double-hours of refinement, the medicinal pills emerged!
The pills radiated a dazzling brilliance, and a refreshing fragrance diffused through the air. I picked up a pill, scrutinized it closely, and felt my heart swell with joy. Named the Mirror-Breaking Pill, it was the fruit of many years of painstaking research on my part, capable of helping cultivators break through bottlenecks and elevate their cultivation realm.
Chapter 50