Chapter 39: Forbidden Drugs

The other children immediately turned to look at the group of students by the window who had surpassed Qi Refining Level One, their eyes tinged with hidden envy and jealousy.

Yet none of those students moved, not even changing expression.

It wasn’t that they were all good at pretending.

Rather, they had just realized the vast gap between themselves and those who had not yet broken through Qi Refining Level One.

They had every right to be proud.

Once all the students who had not broken through Qi Refining Level One had left, Master Liu continued coldly: “Do not buy or use any black medicine or forbidden drugs sold on the black market that claim to enhance your elemental roots or your spiritual power.”

Those unverified elixirs and powders may exhaust your potential and shorten your lifespan, and they easily contaminate your soul.

Remember, the demonic races most love to use such despicable methods to eliminate our human race’s outstanding young talents.

Pang Xingchen took a pill from the black market that supposedly boosted spiritual power, and his spiritual power became contaminated by the mental energy of Red Jaw Ants, making it nearly impossible to purge.

That’s why the clan school expelled him.

A good child, now with no future ahead.

Let this be a warning to you all.

Cultivate properly—the clan school has already provided you with the best resources available.

Don’t resort to heretical paths and end up destroying yourselves.”

Master Liu spoke with extreme severity.

The truth is, taking forbidden drugs is simply too damaging.

Though there have always been cultivators who resort to any means to boost their cultivation base, they did so out of desperation—no resources, no background, no opportunities; what else could they do?

If they didn’t improve, would they just wait to die of old age?

But in the Su Clan School, the school has already provided you with the best resources available at this stage.

Even within the sect, aside from the direct descendants of Nascent Soul grand masters, no one receives more support than you do.

You’ve already been given so much—why still fumble around needlessly?

So she hoped her Mu Class wouldn’t have any fools who would ruin themselves.

The ten students each nodded solemnly. Pang Xingchen was the first case of forbidden drug use they had ever heard of.

And the outcome? His soul was contaminated.

Demonic beast mental energy is wild and bloodthirsty; if it contaminates a human cultivator,

that human will never be able to establish a Foundation.

Because once you begin Foundation Establishment, that uncontrollable wild mental energy will completely tear apart your soul and turn you into a fool.

Even if you don’t attempt Foundation Establishment, your contaminated soul will slowly drive you into agitation, perversion, and madness.

Su Lan’s face was especially pale. She had been so close—so close—to taking that drug.

In fact, days ago, the matter of secret medicine (forbidden drugs) had quietly spread through the clan school. No one had explicitly said secret medicine meant forbidden drugs, so Su Lan had always assumed it was a beneficial secret medicine.

Many students like her, whose talents weren’t particularly outstanding, had heard of it.

Pang Xingchen took that soul-power-boosting secret medicine yesterday and broke through Qi Refining Level One today.

The effect was too obvious.

She couldn’t help but be tempted. She had already decided at noon to ask her father to buy her a dose after school.

Who knew that before school ended, Pang Xingchen had already fallen ill?

And the consequences were so terrifying—his soul had been contaminated.

When everyone returned home, the news that a child in the clan school had contaminated his soul with forbidden drugs swept instantly through the entire Su Clan settlement.

Parents of every grade level summoned their children and gave them stern warnings.

Su Jian also called Su Jin and Su Hua to his side after dinner.

“Do you know why I called you here?”

Su Jin and Su Hua both nodded.

Who in the clan school didn’t know about the fool who took forbidden drugs?

“Don’t take forbidden drugs, or you’ll end up like that fool and contaminate your soul. Also, aside from elixirs or medicine packs given to you by your elders or instructors, don’t casually consume or use any given to you by others.”

You must bring them back to me first. Only after I confirm they’re safe may you use them.

When I was about your age, I heard of a fool in the clan who took a pill his classmate claimed could boost cultivation—only to find out his classmate’s entire family were demonic spies.

The medicine they gave him directly turned him demonic. A once top-three student of his year, a true prodigy, ended up being executed by his own family.”

Su Jin and Su Hua both drew in a sharp breath.

“So I hope you won’t be that kind of fool. Don’t harbor ill will toward others, but never let your guard down. Understood?” Su Jian’s gaze was piercing.

Su Jin and Su Hua quickly nodded.

“Xiao Hua, don’t ever take random pills. If you lack anything to boost your cultivation, wait for me—I’ve started learning the technique to extract Wood Essence. Once I master it, I’ll gather several vials of Wood Essence for you. Just use that—no pills needed.” Su Jin warned her.

“Auntie, I won’t take any pills others give me. You be careful too. Your cultivation talent is so exceptional—if any demonic spies are lurking near you, and they try to harm you, it’ll be trouble.” Su Hua said, deeply worried.

Su Jian twitched his lips.

He thought: How many demonic spies could there possibly be?

After that incident, the Su Clan settlement conducted over thirty systematic sweeps.

Not a single spy remained.

“Just keep your eyes open. Don’t think no one in the clan school would harm you,” Su Jian reminded them.

Both nodded.

“Also, Su Jin, what are you raising in the Ginseng Field? I spent all day today crouching in the backyard, watching that little thing shoot out of the ground like a green flash—zip, zip, zip—leaping over every spirit plant in the yard, devouring dozens of different pests scattered across the spirit fields. I couldn’t even do my work.” Su Jian asked.

At first, this powerful creature terrified Su Jian.

He nearly called the patrol squad to his home.

Then he remembered his cousin-grandfather had said: if anything happens, come to him.

So he sent a message directly to his cousin-grandfather.

His cousin-grandfather replied quickly.

“Ask Su Jin if she’s raising it. If she is, tell me what it is.”

Raised by Su Jin?

Su Jian sat alone at home, pondering that message for a long time.