Despite Tian Hua’s evident exhaustion from all the physical labor he had engaged in during the day, he found himself tossing and turning throughout the night. By the time Xiang Jun knocked on his door to deliver breakfast, Tian Hua had only managed to sleep for a few hours. Much to his delight, breakfast consisted of rice and roasted chicken this time—no vegetables, Tian Hua had made sure to specify this before retreating to his dwelling.

On his way back to the sect the previous day, while resting on the stone stairs, Tian Hua had come across goji berries, which he promptly collected and stored inside the cauldron.

While not as potent as herbs specifically intended for pill refinement, some common fruits and vegetables had their uses back in his own world (however, Tian Hua wasn’t certain if they held the same properties in this world). This was how he had discovered the existence of other basic talismans that could be crafted using these ingredients, though their power was notably weaker compared to those derived from magical herbs.

After indulging in his meal, he retrieved the manual he had stumbled upon two days prior while browsing through Tian Hua’s assortment of eclectic books and began meditating.

The manual, titled ‘Spring Breeze Blossoms,’ resembled a philosophical novel with its ornate language, which occasionally made it challenging to grasp. However, its content provided insights into the methods of absorbing Qi from nature at a gradual and measured pace. The sensation of Qi enveloping his body like a gentle breeze brought to mind the artificial Qi he was familiar with.

With each deliberate breath, he sensed Qi entering his body, coursing through his limbs at a measured pace. Tian Hua was aware that adhering to this manual wouldn’t lead to rapid progress in his cultivation. However, as an alchemist, he was accustomed to utilizing Qi in this gradual manner.

He focused intently on gathering Qi and channeling it into various parts of his body, especially into his hands. He knew that once he regained the level of control he had in his previous life when using Qi, each step in his journey to resume refining pills would become significantly easier.

When he next opened his eyes, Tian Hua could tell that the sun was nearing the horizon. He stood up and stretched his back leisurely. While there had been some progress, he understood that there was still a bit of work ahead to reach the Early Qi Gathering Stage.

A wooden tray with leftover chicken and rice, accompanied by a cup of cold tea, had been placed on a low table near the entrance. Xiang Jun must have noticed him meditating and chose not to disturb him, leaving his lunch for him to find.

Tian Hua quickly devoured the meal left for him and then began searching for more parchment paper among his shelves. While searching, he also noticed three cultivation manuals placed separately from the rest of his books.

Once he found what he needed, Tian Hua brought over the goji berries and all the tools he had used the other day to make the luck talismans with the Yang Dandelions to his writing table. Then, he mashed the goji berries into a liquid form and dipped his brush into it, proceeding to paint three complex characters on each piece of paper.

These talismans could be used to slightly enhance one’s strength for a short duration, depending on the individual’s current level of physical prowess. Although most enhancement talismans were crafted using blood, goji berries could achieve a similar effect, albeit significantly weaker. While for an immortal with extraordinary abilities such enhancements were trivial, humans relying on their stamina and hard-earned muscles from physical labor might find these talismans incredibly helpful.

After finishing crafting all the talismans, night had already fallen. Tian Hua gathered his tools and headed outside to wash them with the well water that Yang Junchen fetched in the mornings. He even considered taking a warm bath in the large wooden bucket they had, as he was feeling a bit dirty.

The courtyard was empty, with no one in sight. It seemed like the other disciples had retired for the night. Now that he thought about it, yesterday at this time, Xiang Jun had been waiting for him when he arrived back at the sect.

Sometimes I wanna ask him why he’s so trusting, he sighed. I understand that Tian Hua saved him from those traffickers by purchasing him and the others, but if Long Xinyue hates this dude’s guts so much, that must mean Tian Hua gave the group plenty of reasons to get hated. Maybe Long Xinyue takes some things pretty seriously and Yang Junchen just doesn’t care, but what about Xiang Jun? Does he also not care at all?

Tian Hua had grown accustomed to the bustling sounds of his workplace in his past life, especially since he was a teacher. However, the silence that enveloped his home had always brought him a sense of serenity and tranquility. As he listened to the hooting calls of the owls in this new world, he was reminded of the peaceful life he once had in his hometown.

While he had often complained to others about his monotonous life, he found himself yearning for that very monotony now.

At least I didn’t have to worry about anything before, Tian Hua exhaled, feeling the cool night air on his skin, and gazed up at the starry night sky. But, enough of that. I still got things to do….

He walked briskly to the spot where he had seen Xiang Jun roasting the chicken the previous night, which was behind the disciples’ dwelling. A bit farther away, he found the most basic kitchen utilities, a few small buckets of well water, along with a large one, an empty basin, and some burnt firewood left from the fire. Tian Hua was a bit surprised by the simplicity of the setup. That’s all…? Is this the ‘kitchen’?

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Tian Hua could never picture Long Xinyue or even Yang Junchen crouching by the fire, cooking or washing dishes in this area. Whenever he observed them, he noticed a certain refinement in their movements, a sense of ingrained skill. Tian Hua had often suspected that Yang Junchen had been part of a real sect before.

Long Xinyue, however….

He successfully dug a pit and kindled a fire using the last of the firewood. Placing the large bucket over the flames, he patiently awaited the water to heat up.

…They really have gone to sleep, huh?

After a while, Tian Hua carefully extinguished the fire with water and carried the basin, along with the large bucket, back to his dwelling. He poured the hot water from the bucket into the basin, and when he eventually stepped out of his room, his limbs felt a bit shaky from the exertion.

He grabbed another bucket of cold water to mix with the hot water, but he was feeling unnaturally exhausted, the same way he had when he had been hauling that cauldron for hours.

Just from moving those buckets around? Tian Hua could hardly believe it. Have I gotten even more out of shape? Is that even possible?

By the time Tian Hua was undressing to step into the basin, his body was quivering as if he was standing in the middle of a blizzard. Dumbstruck by this, he touched his skin, which was hot. It couldn’t be a simple cold; something more abnormal was at play here.

Maybe I’ll feel better after this warm bath.

As he dipped his foot into the water, he expected relief, but instead, his muscles contracted, and he had to bite back a groan. It felt like his leg was being pricked by countless needles. In a panic, he pulled his foot out, but the pain persisted.

“What the…” Tian Hua managed to mutter before collapsing to his knees, his hands clutching his chest in agony. It felt as if someone had punched a hole through his chest and was now mercilessly squeezing his internal organs. He gasped for air, desperately trying to suppress a scream, but tears flowed down his cheeks uncontrollably.

His thoughts were a jumbled mess of fear and pain. Tian Hua was terrified, trying to regain control over his breathing and utilize the little Qi he had to ease the excruciating pain. However, his attempts only seemed to intensify the agony.

His skin was scratched, shaved, his muscles scrapped off his bones.

As he tried to breathe, he felt a metallic taste filling his mouth. Struggling to keep his composure, he coughed, and with each cough, he saw drops of blood splatter onto the floor from his mouth.

The excruciating pain began to spread to even the smallest of crevices, each wave of agony accompanied by a darkening of his vision. Panic gripped him as he realized that passing out would only worsen his condition. Despite teetering on the verge of unconsciousness, Tian Hua fought to stay awake, his body drenched in cold sweat. However, the torment became unbearable, pushing him to the brink of surrender.

He blacked out.

. . . . .

As he opened his eyes once more, darkness still surrounded him. Tian Hua realized that his lamp had gone out and had to grope through the blackness to sit up, his legs trembling. While he still felt terrible, the excruciating pain had subsided.

However, he found it peculiar that he could see the objects in the room more clearly, which was rather unusual. Also, the persistent pain that had troubled his back for days had vanished entirely.

What’s going on? Tian Hua leaned against the basin, using it as support as he attempted to push himself back up on his feet.

His entire body protested, but he managed to hobble to his bed and burrow himself under the blankets.

A strange warmth pulsed through his veins, and the sensation was rather uncomfortable. He alternated between clutching the blankets closely and pushing them away as he struggled to find a comfortable temperature.

Unable to tolerate it any longer, Tian Hua summoned the strength to rise from the bed and dampen a cloth with the now cold water in the basin. He used it to wipe down his body as best as he could, trying to alleviate the overwhelming discomfort.

Just why is this happening? Each attempt to use his Qi brought a dull, throbbing pain that intensified with every effort. It was as if his body was rejecting his attempts to understand the changes that had occurred within him.

However, there was one particular area that felt even more peculiar than the rest.

His chest.

Tian Hua contemplated everything: the sudden disappearance of his back pain, his enhanced perception in the darkness...

Apart from the pain, this definitely does feel familiar. As if… I have my old artificial core back. But that just can’t be possible, right? After all, when I first transmigrated, there was no core in this body.

But then he pondered about what could be the catalyst for this change—on the possibility that his hunch was correct.

The other day, Tian Hua had meditated to acclimate himself to the sensation of absorbing true Qi, but today he cultivated, concentrating on mastering the control of this Qi throughout his entire body.

If his suspicion was correct, then the true Qi had somehow reactivated his previous core, and the pain he had endured was a result of his body undergoing sudden internal changes to adapt to this new situation. Consequently, the energy within his body was in a state of disarray.

There’s artificial Qi, I can definitely feel it, and it’s clashing against the little amount of true Qi I had within my body, he thought. Was that why my body hurt so much?

If it’s true, then it’s a double-edged sword. The good thing is I can resume refining pills, the bad thing is… true Qi is far superior to artificial Qi in battle. Although artificial Qi has its perks when it comes to alchemy, becoming stronger so I can fight my foes is part of the reason I started cultivating in the first place.

“What a pain,” he mumbled.