Lu Li helplessly stopped and opened the door to see it was Chen Zhong and Qin Shouren.
Chen Zhong was holding a large basin of steamed buns, looking at Lu Li with a silly smile, "Mud Monkey, I brought you some food."
Only then did Lu Li realize the sky outside had already darkened. He thanked them and invited the two into his room.
"Mud Monkey, you can't cultivate without eating, there's still a long time ahead," Qin Shouren said as they sat around the table.
"I know, I just got the cultivation technique for the first time and was too excited," Lu Li said while eating steamed buns in large bites. "Didn't you two cultivate today?"
"I only cultivated for two hours and found the speed of refining True Qi is really too slow. Plus, my acupoint barrier has a full seven layers, who knows how long it'll take to break through them," Qin Shouren said somewhat dejectedly. "Do you think we'll really end up like Elder Yu Tong said, never reaching the second level in our entire lives?"
Lu Li was startled and comforted, "Don't worry, we're still young, take it slowly."
As he spoke, he seemed to remember something, bent down and secretly took out the pill formula. "Don't we still have this?"
"This is... that pill formula!" Qin Shouren's face lit up with joy upon hearing this. "Quick, look, what's written on it?"
Chen Zhong also hurriedly leaned in.
Lu Li nodded and lowered his voice to read, "First-grade Emerald Bamboo Grass, first-grade Thunderfire Orchid, five-hundred-year Earth Milk Essence, and... what's this?"
Lu Li suddenly stared at the last ghostly scribble-like pattern that looked like a strawberry, but with a few extra strokes that seemed to be drawn like smoke rising.
"I know, it's a strawberry on fire!" Chen Zhong unexpectedly said.
Hearing this, Lu Li and Qin Shouren simultaneously rolled their eyes at Chen Zhong. Lu Li said, "Never mind what it is for now, you two remember the first three items. I remember servant disciples have tasks taking care of medicinal gardens. If there's an opportunity later, you know what to do, right?"
"Understood!"
The two certainly understood Lu Li's words. Their spiritual roots were hopelessly mixed; if they followed the conventional cultivation path, they probably really wouldn't be able to break through to Qi Refinement Second Level in their entire lives.
Seeing this, Lu Li nodded and seriously warned, "I have to remind you, Fan Zhengping said even the major sects don't have this pill formula. If it leaks out, it will definitely bring about fatal disaster. You two must be careful, especially Beast..."
"I know, don't look at my carefree attitude, I have judgment in such matters," Qin Shouren said earnestly.
"Alright then, good."
After eating, Lu Li chased the two out, saying he needed to cultivate, and told them not to slack off in cultivation just because they have the Piercing Acupoint Pill formula, since they have absolutely no clues about it so far.
After the two left, Lu Li directly lay on the bed because he discovered that whether his main body lay or sat wouldn't affect entering the Time Hall.
Moreover, if he sat, he always felt backache after coming out, but lying down was much more comfortable. Also, if others came in, they would only think he was sleeping.
Just now he cultivated for over thirty hours, and the first metal attribute barrier of his second acupoint had already started to loosen. He wanted to strike while the iron was hot and directly break through it.
Just as Lu Li was cultivating.
In the Qingyang Sect's back mountain, on Tianjue Peak, inside a cave dwelling, three old men were happily drinking wine.
One of the blue-robed old men was precisely Second Elder Yu Tong, who tested Lu Li's trio's spiritual roots that day.
Another person, if Lu Li were here, would also recognize him. He was the gray-robed old Taoist who went to Dragon Travel Town to recruit new disciples that day; he was actually Qingyang Sect's Third Elder Fang Buwei.
As for the long-bearded old Taoist sitting in the east position with restrained aura and ruddy complexion, he was the Qingyang Sect's renowned First Elder Xiao Jue.
The three chatted happily, occasionally roaring with laughter.
After a while, several of them showed some signs of drunkenness.
Yu Tong suddenly thought of something interesting, leaned over the table, and said mysteriously, "Brother Xiao, Brother Fang, I encountered something interesting today. Do you want to hear it?"
"What interesting thing?" Xiao Jue and the other simultaneously looked at Yu Tong.
Yu Tong was usually very proper and rarely gossiped, so they were quite curious.
"Heh heh, you probably won't believe it, but I actually encountered a nine-spiritual root today... heavens, nine spiritual roots, I've never even heard of it in my entire life, let alone seen it with my own eyes. You don't know, at the time I was completely dumbfounded, I probed again and again, I still think it's too incredible."
"Nine... spiritual roots?" Xiao Jue rolled his eyes. "Second brother, you can't brag like this. You might as well say you recruited a heavenly spiritual root, I might believe you a bit more."
"Exactly, exactly." Fang Buwei shook his head somewhat helplessly. "Although I recruited a dual spiritual root this time, it's not enough to drive you to this state, is it?"
The dual spiritual root Fang Buwei mentioned was actually the girl named Xiao Yun recruited in Dragon Travel Town. This caused quite a stir in Qingyang Sect at the time, even Headmaster Li Xuanyang, who had been in secluded cultivation for three years, personally came out.
Fang Buwei also gained plenty of attention because of this and received many rewards.
"Yes, third brother recruiting a dual spiritual root this time is also a contribution to the sect. Second brother, your insinuations are somewhat excessive," Xiao Jue shook his head and said.
"Who's insinuating! I tell you, not just a nine-spiritual root, but there are also two seven-spiritual roots with him!"
"Ai..." Xiao Jue and Fang Buwei exchanged a glance and sighed helplessly. They never thought a dual spiritual root would make the dignified Second Elder so jealous.
But speaking of which, he managed external affairs; this was originally the affairs hall's business, but unexpectedly Third Elder beat him to it. No one would feel good about that.
"What sighing! Damn it!" Seeing their expressions, Yu Tong immediately angrily slapped the table. "You don't believe me, right? Fine, tomorrow you go ask at the Affairs Hall. I remember, those three boys, one called Lu Li, and two called Qin Shouren and Chen Zhong. You personally go probe them and you'll understand..."
Keep making it up, keep going...
The two quietly stared at Yu Tong, their faces full of pity.
"Grew cold! Not drinking anymore, damn it!!!"
Seeing their expressions, Yu Tong flew into a rage, repeatedly saying friendship had grown cold. With that, he stepped on the table and whooshed away.
The next instant.
"Aiyo!"
Outside suddenly came a pained cry and a crisp cracking sound.
Xiao Jue and Fang Buwei exchanged a glance and hurriedly ran out, only to see Yu Tong currently headfirst stuck under a banana tree, and that bucket-thick banana tree had already been broken into two pieces.
"Second brother, don't use Sword Flight when drinking, don't drink when using Sword Flight, you..."
Xiao Jue's face twitched wildly, clearly holding back laughter.
"Grew cold, grew cold!" Yu Tong did a carp flip and stood up, stretched out his hand to summon, a long sword whistled out. Ignoring the two shouting behind him, he directly took off into the air without looking back.
The next morning...