CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR: HORSE PILLS

He experimented with his Miyura next, following the Cultivation Sword and a few other techniques.

Previously, when he had tested it at 6090 cultivation years, he managed to extract nearly 13,000 cultivation years and integrate them into his cultivation. Now, with an increase to over 7,000 cultivation years in his cultivation, he pondered how much more he could enhance it.

Setting aside that speculation, he settled into a seated position and activated his Miyura. Before long, his cultivation soared to over thirteen thousand cultivation years, ultimately reaching 13,500.

Filled with enthusiasm, he rose from his spot and departed from the training grounds, heading towards the stables to sample the horse pills. Once again, he mused on the nature of these pills and their potential benefits in the impending battle.

The stables were managed by cultivators, most of whom were around fifty cultivation years. Despite commencing their cultivation journey at a young age, they encountered a cultivation barrier that hindered their progress.

Consequently, they found their calling as stable workers, tending to the horses’ needs.

They greeted Armad and subsequently fulfilled his request for a horse.

He didn’t ask for his favorite horse or one he was accustomed to. Instead, he requested a horse unfamiliar to him, aiming to shield his emotions in case his experiment failed.

The horse was brought forth, and a trough of hay was positioned in front of it. Armad observed as the pill was mixed into a concoction of corn and water, contemplating whether the unusual sight of the pills would arouse suspicion among the men. Ultimately, he concluded that it was safe to entrust them with it.

Assured that no inquiries would arise from his loyal companions, Armad recognized the prevalence of pills and drugs in various forms within cultivator circles and pharmaceutical industries. Hence, he felt confident that his actions wouldn’t draw unwanted attention.

As anticipated, the men accepted the pills without hesitation, blending them into the corn mixture before feeding them to the horse.

Initially, two minutes passed with little indication of success, leaving Armad on the verge of losing hope. However, by the third minute, a remarkable transformation unfolded.

The horse’s coat bristled as if electrified, its breaths becoming labored. Suddenly, black smoke emanated from its fur as it bolted from its stall, colliding with a solid rock wall with such force that it cracked upon impact.

The wall remained standing, albeit with visible marks resembling axe strikes. Remarkably, the horse emerged unharmed, pivoting back towards the men.

Reacting swiftly, Armad raised his hands and erected a cultivation wall. Despite his efforts, one of the stableboys had already been struck. Nonetheless, the cultivation barrier proved effective, shielding the others from harm; without it, they would have undoubtedly faced trampling by the frenzied horse.

Regrettably, the unfortunate stableboy found himself once more in the path of the rampaging horse, which flung him aside amidst the panic of his comrades, who believed their demise was imminent.

However, upon witnessing Armad’s determined stance, a glimmer of hope ignited within them. In the ensuing moments, the berserk horse lunged forward, only to be halted by an unseen force—the protective wall conjured by Armad.

Enduring the impact, Armad braced himself against the immense strength of the horse. Undeterred, the horse attempted another charge, but the cultivation barrier stood firm. Realizing its futile attempts, the horse redirected its charge towards the stone wall.

Armad was drenched in sweat from the exertion of maintaining the cultivation wall. Each charge from the horse sent reverberations through his bones, although he could endure the strain. Yet, the sudden transformation and acceleration of the horse were deeply unsettling.

This baffled him profoundly. The relentless onslaught persisted as the horse relentlessly rammed into the wall until it finally gave way, allowing the frenzied creature to burst through and escape into the palace grounds.

In pursuit, Armad hurriedly flew after it, aiming to prevent further chaos. However, he arrived too late once more, witnessing the horse’s destructive path as it smashed through walls and gates, leaving a trail of devastation in its wake.

Trampling over resting men and breaking through yet another wall, the horse remained unchecked in its rampage.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Finally catching up, Armad conjured a cultivation cage to contain the crazed animal. Despite its possessed demeanor, the horse showed no signs of exhaustion, relentlessly charging at the walls of its confinement without pause.

Hours passed, yet the horse exhibited no hint of weariness. Armad initially hoped it would tire out soon, but as one hour turned into two, then three, it became apparent that the horse was just getting started, showing no signs of slowing down.

Armad’s anxiety mounted. Typically, skills and pills of this nature harness an individual’s strength, amplifying it for a specific duration, but often at a cost to the body’s reserves.

Now, as he observed the horse’s relentless frenzy within the cage, he feared for its well-being. The unpredictable aftermath weighed heavily on his mind.

He remained vigilant as the horse continued its frenzied assault for three uninterrupted hours. Eventually, its movements slowed until it ceased altogether.

As the smoke dissipated from its fur and its eyes gradually lost their fiery intensity, Armad observed its decline. With each passing moment, the horse weakened until it finally collapsed, motionless.

Rushing to deactivate the cage, Armad checked for a pulse, finding none. He knelt beside the fallen horse, silently acknowledging the grim reality. The pill had indeed forced the horse’s strength to its limits, ultimately resulting in its demise.

His suspicions confirmed, that Armad recognized the grim utility of such pills in desperate situations, where conventional methods fail to overcome formidable opponents.

But it always takes a toll on the users once it concludes, much like the fate that befell the horse just now.

Doubt crept into Armad’s mind regarding the wisdom of the System in producing such a pill.

Surely, he couldn’t fathom feeding this concoction to his horses. The inevitable consequence would be their demise. He couldn’t bear the thought of administering it even to horses not under his care. There had to be an alternative solution.

While the strength enhancement held potential utility, the prospect of dosing all the horses and unleashing them upon the enemy, only to face the aftermath of their demise, gave him pause. Moreover, the uncertainty of the bandits’ defeat, especially with skilled cultivators among them capable of conjuring defensive barriers, further complicated matters.

Evading the charging horses was relatively straightforward—simply dismounting or maneuvering to avoid them. Since the horses lacked strategic intelligence, they couldn’t selectively target individuals for elimination.

Furthermore, the frenzy induced by the pill after a few kills would render them uncontrollable.

Armad delved into deep contemplation before deciding to consult the System.

“Is there any way I can neutralize the pills so that the horses don’t become crazed, and the riders can maintain control? Also, I want to ensure the horses survive the battle. Any ideas on how to achieve that?” he queried.

The System remained silent for a while, leaving Armad uncertain if it would respond. Eventually, a reply box appeared.

“Yes, you can dissolve the pills in water. One pill per thousand liters of water. Horses that consume it will gain enhanced strength, but when it wears off, they won’t succumb to death, though weakness and injury may be expected. Using water won’t impair their senses, unlike the current frenzy induced by the pills,” the System explained.

Armad nodded, pleased with the solution. The prospect of using water as a medium for the pills in the upcoming battle seemed a reasonable trade-off, given the relatively low cost of a thousand liters of water.

He turned to his companions and instructed them to fill a large cauldron with water, readying it for the dissolution process.

He dropped a pill into the water, watching as it dissolved, causing the water to foam for thirty minutes before settling.

Taking a cup, he filled it with the diluted solution and requested another horse. Instructing them to administer the water, he observed as the horse’s fur bristled, yet this time, its eyes remained clear, devoid of any bloodshot appearance, and there was no smoke emitting from its coat.

This particular horse wasn’t among Armad’s favorites; it was a dark-haired pony, relatively new to the palace and of small stature, resembling a foal. Despite this, Armad had ridden it on several occasions. Now, he circled it and effortlessly mounted it. Without hesitation, the horse turned and trotted off, obedient to his command.