Staring at the Soul-Forming Pill in his hand,
Although Yu Xiaogang was no longer young and well aware that, given his age and Luo Sanpao's nearly fatal defect, breaking through his current level of 29 soul power in this lifetime was slim to none—practically impossible.
But what if?
What if this pill could truly bring about a miracle?
What if gaining power would allow him to exact revenge on Dai Chengfeng and Liu Erlong, that "disgusting pair"?
This thought drove Yu Xiaogang. He abruptly pulled off the bottle cap.
After carefully confirming the pill wasn't poisoned, he tilted his head back and swallowed the Soul-Forming Pill, which emitted a strange, gentle glow and an intoxicating medicinal fragrance.
At first, there wasn't much sensation as it entered his stomach; only a gentle warmth spread throughout his body.
Yu Xiaogang quickly sat cross-legged on the bed, beginning to guide the pill's energy circulation within him.
Just moments later...
Whoosh—
An unimaginably massive yet incredibly gentle and pure surge of spiritual energy exploded without warning deep within Yu Xiaogang's consciousness!
"Ugh—"
Yu Xiaogang couldn't help but let out a low groan of pain, his body involuntarily twitching slightly.
Simultaneously, a faint, peculiar pink glow began to emanate from his skin. This glow wasn't blinding but enveloped him entirely, filling the crude wooden hut with a soft, feminine aura.
Meanwhile,
The energy fluctuations caused by Yu Xiaogang taking the Soul-Forming Pill had already drawn the attention of everyone in the valley.
Tang San, who had been deeply focused on cultivating the Xuan Tian Technique, opened his eyes first. The acute perception granted by the Purple Extreme Demon Eye allowed him to immediately detect the pure spiritual energy fluctuation.
He looked toward his teacher's hut in astonishment: "Such powerful and pure energy... is it Master?"
Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Oscar were also jolted awake from their meditations, looking in surprise at Yu Xiaogang's hut.
"What's going on? What is Master doing in there..." Ma Hongjun scratched his head, utterly confused.
Oscar shook his head, while Dai Mubai frowned deeply.
Not far away, Tang Hao, who had been sitting steadfastly like a rock, guiding Tang San and the others in their cultivation under his wide-brimmed hat, also raised his head. A flicker of astonishment passed through his lone visible eye.
"Such pure and vast spiritual energy… this isn't something cultivation can trigger! It seems like... some kind of treasure imbued with the essence of heaven and earth has been activated?"
With his extensive knowledge, Tang Hao quickly deduced that Yu Xiaogang must have consumed some kind of top-grade pill.
Thinking this, Tang Hao turned to Flender, who was walking over, and asked gravely, "Flender, what is Yu Xiaogang doing in there? Did he consume something?"
"Replying, Your Majesty,"
Flender shook his head. "I do not know."
Flender also stared at Yu Xiaogang's room, completely baffled since Yu Xiaogang had only told him about Liu Erlong's betrayal and hadn't mentioned the Soul-Forming Pill.
Thus, Flender was entirely unaware of the Soul-Forming Pill.
"So…"
Tang Hao nodded slightly, contemplating Yu Xiaogang's hut thoughtfully. "Such immense spiritual energy infusion… it must be a pill or a natural treasure specifically for enhancing one's spiritual origin."
"I wonder if Yu Xiaogang has any more…"
"After all, Tang San's Purple Extreme Demon Eye needs such treasures to solidify its foundation. If Tang San could consume one, it would be highly beneficial…"
Thinking this, a subtle trace of inquiry and contemplation appeared in Tang Hao's gaze towards Yu Xiaogang's hut.
Time slowly passed amidst everyone's silent waiting and suspicion.
The pink glow inside the wooden hut gradually waned, pulsing like breathing until it eventually faded and fully merged into Yu Xiaogang's body.
The overwhelming spiritual fluctuations also gradually subsided.
Inside, Yu Xiaogang slowly opened his eyes.
The first thing he did was urgently check his soul power—29th level, unchanged!
"Indeed… it still didn't work… a useless spirit… truly remains useless…"
Yu Xiaogang muttered bitterly, clenching his fists tightly, filled with immense disappointment.
But the next moment, he froze!
Because he realized his perception had become clearer than ever before!
The entire world appeared anew in his "eyes"!
The texture of leaves ten meters away, the wriggling of earthworms beneath the soil, the worried breaths of Flender in the distance… everything reflected vividly in his mind, as clear as the lines on his palm!
"My spiritual power has skyrocketed to such a terrifying extent?!"
Yu Xiaogang roughly estimated that its refinement had reached at least the level of a 60th-level soul emperor!
"Though my soul power remains pitifully weak, this surge in spiritual power means that if I can find suitable mental attack techniques or secret arts, even though I cannot directly challenge a true soul emperor…"
"At least I now have the ability to protect myself and escape against even Soul Kings!"
Instantly, the joy of finding salvation erupted like a volcanic eruption.
"Haha… hahaha…"
An uncontrollable proud smile surfaced on Yu Xiaogang's face, his eyes flashing with madness. "Liu Erlong! Did you see that?"
"It's fate! Fate won't let me fall!"
"You think giving me a pill will allow you to comfortably throw yourself into Dai Chengfeng's arms? Will it alleviate your guilt? Dream on!"
"This 'favor', I, Yu Xiaogang, remember!"
"One day, I will make you and Dai Chengfeng kneel before me in repentance!"
"Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river! Don't look down on a poor youth… no, don't look down on a poor middle-aged man! The humiliation you've brought upon me, I, Yu Xiaogang, will return a hundredfold!"
"We'll see about that!"
Thinking this, Yu Xiaogang took a deep breath, trying to calm his trembling body caused by excitement, tidying up his slightly disheveled clothes, then pushed open the wooden door and stepped out.
Outside the door, seeing Yu Xiaogang, Tang San immediately approached first: "Teacher, are you alright? Earlier, the energy fluctuation in your room was very unusual…"
"Yes, Master, what were you just doing?"
Soon, Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Oscar also crowded around, all curiously questioning Yu Xiaogang.
Yu Xiaogang looked at Tang San's concern, then at Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and the others' curiosity, forcing a mysterious and smug smile onto his face.
"No issues."
"I recently had a sudden realization and decided to try a new cultivation approach."
As he spoke, Yu Xiaogang lifted his head slightly, exuding an air of confidence. "Though my path of cultivating soul power is extremely arduous,"
"I discovered that when God closes a door, He always opens a window."
"Therefore, I found another path and pushed my spiritual power to its peak. The earlier phenomenon was due to my breakthrough!"
With that, Yu Xiaogang's expression became slightly serious. "Remember!"
"It's still the same saying! There are no useless martial souls, only useless soul masters!"
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