immortal pagoda

Chapter 8: A Glimmer of Immortality

Noon on the fifth day.

In the main hall, Zhang Song stared at the small cauldron with red eyes, his face extremely ugly.

Fan Zhengping, controlling the Earth Fire, kept his head down, not daring to look at Zhang Song.

In five days, they had refined twenty-five elixir recipes, but twenty-four were either useless due to conflicting ingredients or exploded. Fortunately, the cauldron was sturdy.

Only one recipe remained. If it failed, Zhang Song's efforts would be wasted.

"Why are you shaking? Be careful!" Zhang Song snapped at Fan Zhengping, who was trembling.

"Yes," Fan Zhengping said, forcing himself to calm down.

After a while, a medicinal fragrance drifted out.

Zhang Song's face lit up. He rushed over and opened the lid. Seeing three dark green pills, he sighed in relief. "Okay, okay."

Fan Zhengping checked. "Master, this is the best one in three years, and there are three!"

"Yeah," Zhang Song said. "While better, it still looks dull. It might be the heat or ingredients. Go get that child and try it."

Fan Zhengping nodded, then frowned. "Master, the other three awakened their spiritual roots. You see..."

He wanted to plead for them but hesitated.

"Spiritual roots?" Zhang Song asked suspiciously.

Fan Zhengping stammered, "I… I gave them five soul-awakening pills. They… all awakened, with mixed spiritual roots…"

"You bastard! So you're the reason my ingredients are off!" Zhang Song roared, slapping Fan Zhengping, who flew across the hall and landed heavily.

Zhang Song stood at the door. "I'll deal with you later. Bring those three children here now!"

Fan Zhengping paled. He realized he was less valuable than the pill. He struggled to his feet and went to the room where Lu Li and the others were held.

Lu Li stood up when he heard the door open. Seeing Fan Zhengping's troubled face, he was surprised. "Senior Brother Fan?"

Fan Zhengping shook his head. "The master's back. I couldn't help you. He wants you to test the medicine. Good luck."

"Test the medicine!" Lu Li's mind raced. "It's finally here?"

He walked out, seeing the fear on Qin Shouren and Chen Zhong's faces.

Fan Zhengping sighed. "Let's go. The elixir looks good. You might escape and even benefit."

Seeing them hesitate, he added, "Don't even think about escaping. Look what my master did to me…"

"Let's go," Lu Li said, leading the way.

"I… I don't want to die," Qin Shouren trembled.

"Don't be a coward! We'll die together. Maybe in eighteen years, we'll have good spiritual roots," Chen Zhong said, trying to be brave.

Lu Li said, "Fat Chen's right. Maybe we'll get lucky."

He knew they wouldn't survive even if the test succeeded. Zhang Song wouldn't let them live.

In the hall, Zhang Song waited impatiently.

He grabbed Lu Li, forced the pill into his mouth, and said coldly, "Swallow it."

Lu Li felt a chill. He swallowed the pill.

Zhang Song gave pills to Chen Zhong and Qin Shouren. "Eat them."

Fan Zhengping watched, conflicted.

As the medicine took effect, Lu Li felt a powerful force surge through his dantian.

After awakening, practitioners manifest Qi meridians connected to the dantian. The first acupoint is on the dantian barrier. Fan Zhengping said the pill helps open acupoints.

Lu Li used his spiritual consciousness to guide the power toward the dantian acupoint.

Ah!

Agonizing pain struck him. He felt like he was being stabbed. The force retreated and crashed into his dantian.

Lu Li focused and tried again.

Ah!

Another scream.

Zhang Song saw Lu Li's pained face and despaired.

Qin Shouren and Chen Zhong also screamed.

Moments later, Lu Li heard a pop. He saw a hole above his dantian, connected to the Qi channel.

It was open!

Lu Li couldn't believe he'd reached the first level of Qi training.

The first acupoint is the hardest. He'd opened the crucial one. Ninety-nine more remained, but he'd entered Qi training.

Lu Li staggered, then composed himself.

Zhang Song, surprised, approached Lu Li.

Lu Li paled, then fell back, feigning extreme discomfort and rolling on the ground.

Chen Zhong, who had also broken through, saw Lu Li's winks and followed suit.

Qin Shouren, focused on the medicine's power, didn't notice and laughed. "Hahaha, I'm an immortal!"

Lu Li…