Actually, the pills don't necessarily have to be given to us.

It must be said that the improvement in Li Xingtian's physique after refining the Millennium Bone Jade was truly remarkable.

Coupled with a cultivation technique that suited him even better,

At least in terms of progress during the Qi Refining stage, Li Xingtian's cultivation speed had already matched that of Li Yingling, who possessed the "Genius Cultivator" trait.

After several days of intense cultivation, Li Xingtian finally reached the moment to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage.

At this moment, he sat cross-legged, with a refined blood offering placed in front of him—a sticky, dark-red, thick lump of blood.

Once he established his foundation, he wouldn't need to go through the hassle of hunting for blood offerings anymore. After Foundation Establishment, the focus would shift to refining his own flesh and blood.

So, while this cultivation technique seemed troublesome, it was only slightly inconvenient during the Qi Refining stage.

Chu Xingchen reluctantly took out all the remaining spirit stones from his spatial ring to set up a simple Spirit Gathering Array for Li Xingtian, ensuring sufficient spiritual energy for a smooth breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment stage.

These were all the spirit stones he could spare now, and he felt truly drained by his disciple.

He couldn't help but think that no sect in the world could possibly be poorer than his.

Meanwhile, inside the dilapidated temple, Li Yingling was boiling water by a small pot, her expression somewhat peculiar, as if she were anticipating something.

Ning Qianqian had also changed into Li Yingling's clothes—a light blue patterned dress. Though slightly oversized, it was at least a far cry from the dirty, tattered hemp clothes she had been wearing.

Li Yingling, who had a bit of a cleanliness obsession, had thoroughly scrubbed Ning Qianqian earlier. The sound of water from the small hut had echoed from morning until noon, occasionally punctuated by Ning Qianqian's cries of pain, suggesting that Li Yingling had been rather rough.

The results were impressive, though. Ning Qianqian no longer looked like a refugee. Dressed in these clothes, she gave off the vibe of a child from the slums wearing a princess's attire.

However, Ning Qianqian wasn't entirely comfortable in the outfit. She was carefully adjusting the overly large sleeves to keep them from dragging on the ground and getting dirty.

Despite Li Yingling repeatedly assuring her it was fine.

Li Xingtian, who was about to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage, didn't look too pleased. He gazed solemnly at Li Yingling and the pot of water that was beginning to boil.

He took a deep breath and turned to Chu Xingchen, speaking earnestly:

"Master, I'm confident I can do it without taking those pills."

"Good medicine tastes bitter," Chu Xingchen replied, placing the last spirit stone into position. As he did, the dozens of spirit stones began to glow.

"Don't worry, I know the taste of my medicine isn't great, but this time I've researched how to add flavoring to make the pills delicious!"

"Master... are you sure you're talking about pills and not the leftover chicken legs from Senior Sister?"

Chu Xingchen took out the last remaining proper spiritual herbs from his spatial ring, just enough to refine one more batch:

"If you don't trust my alchemy skills, at least don't doubt my cooking skills, dear disciple."

Recalling his master's culinary prowess, Li Xingtian found this statement somewhat convincing and looked at him with hope that he would deliver on his promise.

As he watched, Li Xingtian saw his master employ the same old alchemy technique. When the green liquid started bubbling, Li Xingtian felt his face turning as green as the concoction.

What had changed?

But just as the elixir was about to be condensed, Chu Xingchen quickly retrieved honey and cooked flour from his spatial ring, along with some strange seasonings.

After mixing the flour with honey, he carefully dipped the mixture into the medicinal liquid to absorb it.

Soon, the small amount of liquid was absorbed by the flour, and a greenish pill appeared in Chu Xingchen's hand.

He shook the pill and found it quite solid, with no signs of falling apart.

Excellent! This was a new step in alchemy—using a pot to refine a flawless pill.

Chu Xingchen proudly handed the greenish pill to Li Xingtian:

"Here! Try the taste!"

Looking at the pill, to be honest, while turning it into a solid form made it slightly more acceptable,

The vibrant green color made it look anything but a proper pill. In fact, it resembled a poison that could corrode one's insides.

Sighing silently, Li Xingtian wasn't concerned about whether it was poison. He only cared if it would still be unbearably disgusting.

Under his master's encouraging gaze, Li Xingtian steeled himself and swallowed the pill in one go.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed his senior sister's scrutinizing look.

As for the taste...

Li Xingtian thought—Damn it! Alchemy and cooking truly have nothing in common!

Especially with the addition of that cursed flour!

Perhaps because of the honey, the flour stuck to his throat!

Combined with the horrifying taste of the medicinal liquid—or rather, not just the taste, but the intense rejection from his body—

It was a torture far worse than swallowing the liquid directly, a true form of punishment!

Li Xingtian struggled to clear his throat, his voice hoarse as he forced out the words:

"Water! Master! I need water!"

Ning Qianqian quickly handed a cup of water to the struggling Li Xingtian.

After gulping down several mouthfuls to wash away the sticky dough in his throat, Li Xingtian took a few deep breaths but said nothing more.

Despite the horrific taste, the pill's effects kicked in quickly, and Li Xingtian immediately entered a meditative state, absorbing the spiritual energy from the spirit stones.

It seemed this experimental pill wasn't quite successful. Was the flavor masking insufficient?

Chu Xingchen pondered for a moment, then turned his gaze to Li Yingling, who looked relieved.

Li Yingling quickly shook her head: "...Master, let Junior Brother try such delicacies first from now on."

"You're his senior sister," Chu Xingchen said, stroking his chin.

Li Yingling replied with a pitiful expression:

"Master... if you want me dead, just say it outright."

Li Xingtian's breakthrough went smoothly.

By the time the spirit stones stopped glowing and the sun dipped below the horizon,

Li Xingtian's previously overflowing spiritual energy condensed within his body. He opened his eyes slightly, his aura restrained, and a glint of sharpness in his gaze.

The breakthrough was seamless, almost without any obstacles. The pill's effects, combined with a cultivation technique perfectly suited to him,

Made the process even smoother than his previous life's breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment stage. It could only be described as natural as water flowing downhill.

Chu Xingchen, who was grilling meat for his eldest disciple, noticed Li Xingtian waking up and asked:

"How do you feel?"

Li Xingtian nodded: "Good."

"I meant the pill I refined."

"...It was also good, but Master, if possible, please stop refining them. If you must, I think they'd be excellent for interrogation. There's no need to feed them to me and Senior Sister."

Hearing this, Li Yingling's eyes lit up, and she raised the skewer in her hand in agreement: "Yes! I agree with Junior Brother!"

Chu Xingchen's large hand promptly landed on Li Yingling's small head.

After reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, one could abstain from food, but Li Xingtian still walked over and picked up a skewer to eat.

His gaze briefly fell on Ning Qianqian before he said:

"Master, we can start the plan now."