Chapter 362

True Person Guanglong knew he was in the wrong; though he had suffered a loss, he could not demand redress, so he led his disciples away from Biyun Peak.

The atmosphere on Biyun Peak instantly became strange.

Lady Biyun stared at He Pingsheng in shock.

Among the disciples, some wore expressions of awe, others looked uneasy.

After all, when Wuqiong had come to provoke, many of Biyun Peak's senior sisters had spoken with sarcasm; now they had been thoroughly humiliated, and they felt both shame and anxiety.

"Among fellow disciples, mutual care and assistance are obligatory!"

"To undermine me so openly before my very eyes—is that not an invitation to ridicule?"

Biyun's gaze scraped over them like blades: "I shall not punish you this time. You know what you've done—go to the Reflection Cliff on Biyun Peak and meditate on your faults for three months."

She swept her wide sleeves.

Several disciples below immediately showed looks of terror.

Meditating on the Reflection Cliff for three months was even more terrifying than ordinary punishment.

"Elder!" He Pingsheng bowed to Lady Biyun and said, "I have troubled you for many days, and today I have brought even more trouble to Biyun Peak!"

"I have no face left to stay—I take my leave today!"

"You're leaving?" Qiao Huizhu's face showed reluctance.

He Pingsheng said, "I must go—I must cultivate."

Cultivation speed at the Golden Core stage is extremely slow; every moment must be used for cultivation.

Also, He Pingsheng had not yet cultivated his divine technique, 【Five Elements Unified Force】.

To cultivate it, the prerequisite is to comprehend the Five Elements Dao.

Now he had only mastered water, fire, and wood Dao—he still lacked gold and earth.

It was time to seek them out.

After taking leave, He Pingsheng made no formalities—he instantly teleported out of Xiaoyao Immortal Sect, then unfolded his Eight Treasures Boat and flew away.

He suddenly remembered how Jingxin had once ambushed him.

Now that he had mastered this teleportation technique, He Pingsheng could teleport successfully within a single breath.

Perhaps… if he encountered Jingxin again, he wouldn't need talismans to intimidate, nor rely on false authority—he could at least hold his own against a Nascent Soul stage one cultivator for a while.

Though it was merely a small teleportation skill, its boost to combat power was obvious.

One day later, He Pingsheng's flying vessel returned to Hongshi City.

At the elixir shop, he handed over all the pills he had crafted these past days to Xiaohe.

"Master… so many?" Seeing the pile of pills, Xiaohe's eyes lit up.

He Pingsheng said, "There's more—bring me all the materials the shop has stockpiled these past days; I'll refine another batch!"

Back in his small house, He Pingsheng continued refining elixirs.

The pills he refined were still primarily Qi Gathering Pills, Spirit Gathering Pills, and Yuan Gathering Pills.

He rarely refined anything else, unless someone came with materials to commission a custom batch.

He left the shop in Xiaohe's care; besides daily refining, he spent all his time cultivating.

He slowly cultivated by consuming supreme Yuan Gathering Pills.

At the Golden Core stage, cultivation speed had indeed slowed.

He Pingsheng, cultivating all Five Elements simultaneously, took seven full years to raise his cultivation base from Golden Core stage one to stage two.

Yet though he had only advanced one level, his combat power had more than doubled.

Moreover, during these seven years, He Pingsheng had repeatedly forged his Dao techniques with the 【Heavenly Stele of Dao Refinement】; his understanding of wood, fire, and water Dao had deepened further.

In seven years, the little girl Xiaohe's cultivation had also risen significantly—she had now successfully established her Foundation.

Her cultivation had even caught up to her grandfather Cheng Daocai, reaching Foundation Establishment stage two.

One day, He Pingsheng sat behind the counter, engrossed in reading the 【True Cultivation Treasury】, when an elderly man with white hair and beard but a youthful, radiant face entered the shop.

The old man was tall and imposing, radiating an aura of awe.

Behind him followed two young attendants.

He Pingsheng couldn't help scanning the old man with his spiritual sense—and found he could not perceive the man's cultivation level.

This…

He Pingsheng's heart trembled.

His spiritual sense now spanned ten thousand zhang—capable of piercing through Nascent Soul stage two or three cultivators.

If he could not perceive the old man's level, it meant the man's cultivation was terrifyingly high—possibly Nascent Soul stage four or even higher.

"Elder!"

He Pingsheng stepped out from behind the counter and bowed respectfully: "Welcome, Elder!"

"Hmm…" The tall, white-haired old man regarded He Pingsheng with a mild expression. "You are the shopkeeper?"

"Yes!" He Pingsheng nodded.

"Good!" the old man said. "Someone told me your elixir crafting is extraordinary—even with only Golden Core cultivation, you can refine grade-four elixirs. Is this true?"

He Pingsheng smiled. "It is true…"

"Because my spiritual sense is exceptionally strong, I can refine grade-four elixirs."

"Excellent!" the old man nodded. "I have five sets of rare materials. I seek only one batch of mid-grade 【Enlightenment Elixir】. Will you accept this task?"

As he spoke, the old man withdrew the materials from his storage ring.

Five jade boxes.

He Pingsheng's heart leapt with joy.

【Enlightenment Elixir】—a grade-four elixir.

Its sole function: to enhance comprehension.

After reaching the Nascent Soul stage, cultivators no longer rely solely on absorbing celestial spiritual energy—they must also comprehend the laws of nature.

The speed of comprehending these laws varies.

This depends on the cultivator's innate comprehension.

And comprehension is tied to talent.

This cannot be sought or bought.

But one elixir can temporarily boost a cultivator's comprehension: the 【Enlightenment Elixir】.

According to the 【True Cultivation Treasury】, a mid-grade 【Enlightenment Elixir】 doubles comprehension.

Each pill's effect lasts one year.

One batch would grant this old man double comprehension for twelve years.

Thus, 【Enlightenment Elixir】 is invaluable—not only saving time, but crucial in time-limited comprehension scenarios.

What is a time-limited comprehension scenario?

For example… a Dao lecture.

Someone gives a lecture, you attend—it has a strict time limit.

That is a time-limited comprehension scenario.

At such moments, using the 【Enlightenment Elixir】 becomes extremely useful.

Yet even Nascent Soul cultivators dare not casually promise to refine mid-grade ones.

"May I ask your Elder's honorific title?" He Pingsheng did not immediately agree, but asked in return.

The old man said nothing, but one of his attendants replied: "Our ancestral master is the Founder of Ruokai Mountain—【Ruokai Ancestor】…"

Ruokai True Person was pleased with the attendant's response; he smiled at He Pingsheng and said: "Correct—I am Ruokai True Person!"

He Pingsheng had no concept of who this was.

He had never heard of any Ruokai True Person.

Yet he still feigned shock and bowed deeply: "So you are Ruokai Ancestor—my apologies for my ignorance!"

"I will refine the elixirs—but Elder, you must wait a while."