“Even if some disastrous things happen as a result, I don’t care. Things are already bad enough as it is. What do I have to be scared of? I’m gonna concoct some sort of medicine that prevents hunger long-term! In fact, I already came up with a name for it! Ultra Fasting Aid Pill!!” Eyes bloodshot, he slapped his bag of holding, producing a pill furnace, as well as some flamestones. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he devoted all of his thoughts to the Ultra Fasting Aid Pill he wanted to concoct.
Some people in the world perform better under more pressure, and Bai Xiaochun was just that type of person. In fact, he was extraordinary even among people like that.
The truth was that surviving in this city wasn’t as hard as Bai Xiaochun imagined it to be, especially for Gold Core cultivators. In fact, it was relatively simple. All he had to do was take on a few relatively dangerous missions every once in a while, or do smaller, easier missions on a daily basis. Using either of those methods, it would only take a year or two to save up enough merit points to become a yellow-robed disciple and be promoted to the rainbow district. Of course, it would require a bit of frugality, but it was nothing undoable.
But Bai Xiaochun didn’t like danger, and didn’t want to do any missions. Only when he was so hungry that he could hardly see straight did the pressure build to the point where he finally exploded with creativity and innovation.
For the following four days, he didn’t rest or sleep. He ate what little food he had left, and even nibbled on some spirit plants, until finally, the pill formula for his Ultra Fasting Aid Pill came to be complete in his mind.
“My Ultra Fasting Aid Pill will be a concentration of the quintessence of heaven and earth! Upon consuming it, one will receive temporary replenishment, will be relieved from the pressure caused by the draining of ordinary energy, and will even find that the spiritual power inside of their body has become gentler and easier to work with!” Bai Xiaochun was trembling with excitement, and although he was now quite gaunt, his eyes were shining brightly. Having completed the Ultra Fasting Aid Pill formula, he immediately began to concoct.
Six hours later, his first batch appeared, and although it only contained three pills, the mere odor emanating from them caused Bai Xiaochun’s hunger to lessen!
“Hahaha! I really am a genius. It worked! My Ultra Fasting Aid Pill worked!” Surging with excitement, he took the three pills out of the furnace, and was just about to consume them when he hesitated, and thought back to all the bizarre and strange things which had happened in the past when he had concocted medicine.
“Maybe it would be better to do some tests.” Gritting his teeth, he left his spirit abode, sold a few medicinal plants to get some merit points, and then went and bought a spirit chicken.
Back in his spirit abode, he gave one of the Ultra Fasting Aid Pills to the spirit chicken, then carefully watched to see what happened. After a full day passed, he was convinced that nothing had gone wrong, and that the spirit chicken was fine. At that point, his eyes blazed with excitement.
“Looks like I really did succeed!” He threw his head back and laughed uproariously, then went to work on the next batch. Before long, he had several dozen Ultra Fasting Aid Pills.
“Now that I think about it, it would be a waste for me to consume these pills myself. I actually like spirit food a lot better than medicinal pills.” After some thought, he decided to try to sell some of the pills. Filled with anticipation, he left the spirit abode yet again.
Instead of trying to sell the pills to one particular shop or another, he went to one of the busiest public squares in the east district of the city, and after spending a bit of time, found a suitable location to set up a vendor’s stand. After placing three pill bottles onto the stand, each of which containing a single pill, he sent some power from his cultivation base into a jade slip, causing it to send bright, multicolored light shining up into the air above him. Immediately, four brightly-glowing characters could be seen….
Ultra Fasting Aid Pill!
With that, he settled down to wait for customers.
It didn’t take long. After all, the term ‘Ultra Fasting Aid Pill’ was quite eye-catching. Before long, people began to gather around him.
“Ultra Fasting Aid Pill? I’ve never heard of that medicinal pill before.”
“Considering how things work in Sky City, I almost can’t believe this guy dares to sell a fasting aid pill. He’s either a con artist or a psycho.”
“Hmph. Fasting aid pills don’t do any good here!”
More and more people gathered and began to discuss the matter, but no one was willing to buy a pill. That was even more so considering that Bai Xiaochun’s quoted price was 100 merit points.
Bai Xiaochun soon got nervous, and was even starting to consider dropping the price. However, that was when a certain cultivator appeared in the crowd. He was currently gaunt, but considering his height, he had obviously once been very muscular. Furthermore, he had a cold gleam in his eyes, and a murderous aura that anyone could detect.
He wasn’t alone, either. Walking along next to him was a young boy with a waxen face and listless eyes.
As soon as the big man appeared, the gathered crowd went silent, and many of them even backed up a bit. Apparently, they recognized him, and didn’t dare to do anything to offend him.
“Ultra Fasting Aid Pill? 100 merit points, huh…?” The big man’s eyes narrowed as he looked at one of the pill bottles, then back at Bai Xiaochun. Because of the way that everyone in the city suppressed their cultivation bases, it was impossible for the man to determine Bai Xiaochun’s cultivation level. However, based on his judgement, he placed him at Foundation Establishment or higher. Eyes glittering coldly, he said, “If this thing really works, then it would definitely be worth 100 merit points. But… if it doesn’t, then you’ll either pay me back tenfold, or I’ll teach you a lesson you won’t forget for a long time!” Before Bai Xiaochun could even react, he reached out, grabbed one of the pill bottles and crushed it, then tossed the medicinal pill to his child.
The boy morosely opened his mouth and swallowed the pill.
Of course, everyone was watching closely to see what would happen. As for Bai Xiaochun, his expression was the same as ever, but inside, his nervousness was mounting, although it wasn’t because of the big man. From what he could tell, the man was only in the great circle of Foundation Establishment, and Bai Xiaochun knew that he could stomp the man in a fight even if he were hungrier than he already was.
What had him nervous was his uncertainty about how effective the pill would be….
As everyone looked on, the boy’s expression suddenly flickered. His eyes opened, and he began to shake visibly, causing the audience to crane their necks to see what would happen next.
Gradually, the onlookers’ eyes began to widen, and then cries of disbelief and shock began to ring out.
“W-what’s… what’s going on!?!?”
“Heavens! I can’t believe this Ultra Fasting Aid Pill actually works!!”
“How is this possible?!?!”
As such exclamations continued to fill the air, the young boy’s gaunt frame suddenly began to fill in with flesh. Within only a few breaths of time, he was the picture of a healthy boy. He was even a bit chubby!
Gasps and cries of astonishment could be heard in all directions. As for the big man who had bought the pill, he was shaking, and his eyes began to shine with shock.