Chapter Sixty-Four: Accidentally Setting a New Record

Inside a stone chamber.

Qin Feiyang sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion. Three meters before him stood a stone pillar, atop which rested a palm-sized transparent crystal.

Feng Cheng and the elder in black stood beside the pillar.

Feng Cheng asked, “Jiang Haotian, do you know what this crystal is?”

Qin Feiyang pondered for a moment before asking, “Is it a Meditation Stone?”

“That’s right.”

Feng Cheng nodded. “Since you know what a Meditation Stone is, I won’t waste words. Calm your mind and slowly gather your spiritual power. Old Mo, let’s step outside and guard the door. We can’t let those troublemakers come in and disturb him.”

The two of them filed out of the meditation chamber and closed the stone door behind them.

Qin Feiyang withdrew his gaze and fixed his eyes on the Meditation Stone atop the pillar, searching the depths of his soul for memories.

Although he hadn’t dabbled in alchemy before, he understood the basics.

Spiritual power manifests in two forms.

The first is intangible—just like the spiritual force he currently possessed: unseen and untouchable.

The second is tangible—a material substance akin to a flowing current of air, visible and tactile.

To transform intangible spirit into tangible form, one needed the Meditation Stone.

The method was to simply gaze upon it. But the prerequisite was to rid oneself of all distracting thoughts, to maintain a still, tranquil heart, and to enter a state where one becomes one with the stone—a realm of selfless unity.

Even the slightest stray thought would lead to failure.

He exhaled long and slow, quieting his mind and gradually dispelling any distractions.

Outside the meditation chamber, several dozen people had gathered. They were all disciples of the Pill Hall.

“Elders, can you tell us what level of spiritual power Jiang Haotian possesses?”

“Is it similar to Senior Brother Cheng Yi’s?”

“I guess he’s even stronger. When Cheng Yi gathered his spiritual power, the two elders didn’t personally stand guard for him.”

“This kind of treatment is truly unprecedented!”

“Are you saying Jiang Haotian might possess seventh-level spiritual power?”

The youths crowded around Feng Cheng and the black-clad elder, chattering incessantly, eyes brimming with curiosity.

Ling Yan was among them, blending into the crowd.

Feng Cheng scolded with a laugh, “You little rascals, don’t try to wheedle it out of me. I won’t reveal a single word.”

Instantly, disappointment crept into their eyes.

Ling Yan frowned, fanning the flames from within the group. “Elder Feng, Jiang Haotian will soon be our fellow disciple. Is there any point in being so secretive?”

“That’s right!”

“Elder Feng, you’re showing blatant favoritism!”

“I refuse to believe Jiang Haotian’s spiritual power reaches the eighth level.”

The crowd grumbled in dissatisfaction.

The elder in black furrowed his brow and barked, “Don’t you all have anything better to do? Get lost at once!”

The disciples fell silent, the atmosphere instantly subdued.

Feng Cheng patted the black-clad elder’s shoulder, laughing. “Come now, Old Mo, don’t be so stern. You’ll frighten them.”

The old man fumed, “You’re one to talk! If you didn’t spoil them all the time, would they dare behave so cheekily?”

“I disagree. They’re still children—we should give them enough care so that the Pill Hall feels like home, not just scold them all day…”

“Enough. You’re just an old stick-in-the-mud. I’m wasting my breath.”

With a wave of his hand, Feng Cheng pulled out a table from his storage pouch, set it down, and then grinned at the group.

“Same old rules. I’m the house, you place your bets.”

“Let’s wager on how many days Jiang Haotian will take to condense his spiritual power.”

“One day, ten to one odds.”

“Two days, five to one.”

“Three days, two to one.”

At this moment, he looked every inch a gambler.

The disciples’ eyes lit up with joy as they crowded around Feng Cheng.

“Feng Cheng, have you no shame?”

Elder Mo thundered, his face dark and veins bulging.

The disciples hesitated, torn between wanting to place their bets and fearing the elder’s wrath.

Feng Cheng turned to Elder Mo, frowning. “If you can’t bear to watch, then don’t. No one’s forcing you, understand?”

“You—!”

“If you keep this up, you’ll ruin their future sooner or later!”

Elder Mo strode away, so angry that his whole body shook. As an elder of the Pill Hall, he was acting nothing like one. How disgraceful! He was a disgrace to the sect’s reputation!

“Come, come, pay him no mind—let’s continue!”

Feng Cheng beckoned to the disciples.

They exchanged glances, then finally gave in to temptation, crowding forward to place their bets. Laughter and merriment filled the air.

On the other side, Elder Mo stood alone before a flowerbed, fuming in silence.

“Jiang Haotian, you must condense your spiritual power within one day.”

He muttered to himself.

There was another rule to this wager: if the person being wagered on finished ahead of schedule, everyone else would lose, and all bets would be awarded to that person.

In other words, if Qin Feiyang could condense his spiritual power within a day, all the wagers would go straight into his pocket, and Feng Cheng, the house, would get nothing.

But in all the history of Black Bear City’s Pill Hall, no one had ever succeeded in condensing spiritual power within a single day.

Time slipped by.

Half an hour later, with a rumbling sound, the stone door slowly opened.

Qin Feiyang strode out, full of energy, his spirit radiant.

Feng Cheng turned, puzzled. “Why have you come out?”

“Because you were all too noisy.”

Before Qin Feiyang could speak, Elder Mo snorted coldly, turned to him with a smile, and said, “I’ll have them leave at once. Go back in and continue condensing your spiritual power.”

Qin Feiyang glanced doubtfully at the two elders, then looked at Ling Yan and the others. Comprehension dawned on him, and he cupped his hands. “Thank you for your concern, Elder Mo, but that won’t be necessary.”

Elder Mo frowned. “Why not? Have you given up?”

Qin Feiyang was taken aback, his expression odd. If this man knew that the person he was so worried about was the very scoundrel who robbed the herb fields, who knew how he’d react? He might kill him on the spot!

It was absolutely vital not to reveal his true identity now.

Calming himself, Qin Feiyang cupped his hands. “Elder, I’m not giving up. It’s just that I’ve already condensed my spiritual power.”

“Oh, is that so?”

Elder Mo nodded, as if preparing to leave, then suddenly whirled around, fixing Qin Feiyang with a fierce stare. “What did you just say? Say it again!”

Feng Cheng, Ling Yan, and the others were just as stunned at first, but in the next moment, all eyes were fixed on Qin Feiyang in utter disbelief!

“Could it be that I’ve accidentally set a new record?”

Qin Feiyang muttered to himself, still unaware of how astonishing it was to condense spiritual power in just half an hour.

He coughed, fist to his lips to steady his excitement, and then extended his hand, ready to demonstrate with actions rather than words.