The medicines across the Celestial Spirit Continent all contained spiritual power, differing only in magnitude and attribute. The ground floor of the Elixir Hall housed medicines that had only undergone rudimentary processing, lacking refinement, thus possessing weaker medicinal efficacy. Upon retrieval, they could be chewed raw or decocted into a medicinal soup for consumption.

All the remedies were meticulously categorized: some to enhance physique, others to temper internal organs, or to increase spiritual power—the applications were numerous. Nie Kong walked past the medicine shelves, his brow furrowing deeper as he scanned the names inscribed on the wooden crates.

He had barely heard of most of these medicines, recognizing only a few vaguely, yet knowing absolutely nothing about their specific properties. Of course, this wasn't the fault of the body’s original owner; he hadn't possessed the requisite qualifications to enter the Elixir Hall back then. Usually, people purchased finished, refined elixirs from outside sources, and given his obsession with cultivation, the original host had neither the time nor the opportunity to study these raw materials. Moreover, any youth entering the Elixir Hall for supplies would typically be meticulously instructed by their elders on precisely which herbs to select. For Nie Kong to arrive here alone, acting so rashly, was utterly unprecedented.

Could it be that he would leave empty-handed today?

Nie Kong gave a dry, inner chuckle. Only through rational combination could the medicinal power contained within these herbs be maximized. Yet, lacking knowledge of their properties, if he haphazardly chose a few physique-enhancing ones, while some effect might occur, it would certainly be negligible—perhaps failing to meet even one-tenth of his requirements.

“Eh? Tianxinzi?”

Reaching the fifth row of shelves, Nie Kong’s heart skipped a beat upon seeing the name on one of the wooden crates. He had finally encountered something familiar.

It was a pity this particular ingredient belonged to the 'Demon God' catalogue.

In the game, Nie Kong’s chosen life profession was Alchemy, and he was intimately familiar with its ingredients. Tianxinzi, for instance, was used to concoct the low-tier potion, 'Muscle-Strengthening Bone-Hardening Soup,' which granted players an instantaneous boost of one hundred Constitution points, lasting for half an hour. In Demon God, one point of Constitution translated to four points of health, making the soup quite valuable for lower-level players.

This place, however, was not a game. What effect would this 'Tianxinzi' have in reality?

A flicker of apprehension touched Nie Kong’s mind. He took a deep breath and lifted the lid, gazing intently inside. An instant later, an expression of unfeigned joy crossed his face. The crate was filled entirely with granular medicines, similar in size and shape to rice grains, their surfaces a vivid crimson. Nie Kong plucked one out, holding it in his palm for close examination. He quickly discerned that the texture and markings on its surface were an exact match for the Tianxinzi in the Demon God game.

“Wonderful.”

Nie Kong’s spirits soared. He grabbed a handful of the herbs, wrapped them in the sheet of white paper beside him, and then continued his search through the crates. Although he remained uncertain whether the game’s 'Muscle-Strengthening Bone-Hardening Soup' would work in reality, Nie Kong was currently flying blind. Trying it was better than nothing; even if it failed to enhance his physique, it wouldn't harm his body, as all the herbs here were safe for direct consumption.

Xudie Căo! Shuijing Yulianzǐ!

Having traversed the majority of the shelves, Nie Kong found the other two ingredients required for the 'Muscle-Strengthening Bone-Hardening Soup' recipe, leaving only the final component, 'Chimo Hua'. During this search, Nie Kong had spotted dozens of other herbs that appeared in the Demon God game, though he had no immediate need for them.

Glancing around, Nie Kong’s gaze drifted toward the final two rows of shelves. These were clearly marked with the ominous labels: "Slightly Toxic" and "Highly Toxic," indicating collections of poisonous substances.

Nie Kong approached the shelf designated "Slightly Toxic."

“Chimo Hua!”

The name on the third crate caught his eye, and Nie Kong let out a silent sigh of relief. This time, he opened the box and scooped out two handfuls. According to the Elixir Hall's rules, one could take up to one jin of a single type of herb, provided the total number of varieties did not exceed five and the total weight did not exceed one jin.

Carrying the four bundles of herbs, he approached the bald old man stationed by the door.

The elder still possessed his usual listless, half-dead demeanor. He held a small packet under his nose, continuously reading out the names and weights: “Tianxinzi, two liang… Xudie Căo, two liang… Shuijing Yulianzǐ, two liang…”

The old man finally lifted his eyelids, a hint of surprise in his gaze. He clearly hadn't expected Nie Kong’s selections to be so precise, unaware that this accuracy was the result of more than twenty years of rigorous training from his previous life. After a slight pause, he picked up the last packet and intoned, “Chimo Hua, four liang.”

As he uttered 'Chimo Hua', the elder glanced at Nie Kong once more but said nothing further. Setting the packet down, he promptly lapsed back into a drowsy state.

Nie Kong bowed slightly, collected the herbal bundles along with his clan token, and left the hall. After exchanging brief words with Nie Qingfeng, he hurried toward home, impatience urging him on.

...

Inside the kitchen, Nie Kong sat cross-legged in a large wooden tub filled with steaming hot water, nine golden needles embedded in his body, his face intermittently visible through the rising mist. Hua Mei crouched by the small medicinal furnace near the doorway, gently fanning the flames with a rush fan, occasionally glancing back, her cheeks rosy and a touch shy.

“Sister-in-law, you can pour the medicine now.”

Nie Kong’s voice broke the silence. Hua Mei hurriedly lifted the medicine pot from the furnace and walked to the tub, her cheeks flushing even deeper. Lowering her gaze in bashfulness, Hua Mei exerted force with her jade-like hands. The scalding medicinal liquid surged from the spout, pouring continuously into the tub. Crimson, like blood, it instantly dyed the entire volume of water a deep red.

This dose incorporated one liang of Tianxinzi, one liang of Xudie Căo, one liang of Shuijing Yulianzǐ, and two liang of Chimo Hua. The herbs Nie Kong had brought back were sufficient for two such decoctions.

At this moment, Nie Kong’s entire skin surface was already flushed crimson from the hot water.

As the potion poured in, the fingers manipulating the Heavenly Needles trembled violently. The acupuncture points resonated intensely, spiritual energy rippling outward like water waves. Simultaneously, all thirty-six thousand of his pores snapped open, allowing tendrils of the reddish medicinal liquid to penetrate Nie Kong’s body, as if alive, flowing in from every direction through the pores.

The golden needles vibrated rapidly, allowing the medicinal power of the 'Muscle-Strengthening Bone-Hardening Soup' to seep bit by bit into his muscles and bones. The water in the wooden tub gradually paled. Through the spiritual energy radiating across his body, Nie Kong could distinctly feel his withered muscles slowly swelling and his brittle bones continuously hardening.

The 'Muscle-Strengthening Bone-Hardening Soup' truly possesses marvelous efficacy!

Nie Kong was exhilarated. If the three herbs—Tianxinzi, Xudie Căo, and Shuijing Yulianzǐ—were consumed separately, some of their power would eventually convert into spiritual energy, while much of it would dissipate before it could even manifest; enhancing the physique would only be a side effect, its effect minimal. But once decocted with Chimo Hua into the 'Muscle-Strengthening Bone-Hardening Soup,' the medicinal power neither converted into spiritual energy nor wasted; nearly all of it was absorbed directly by Nie Kong’s muscles and bones.

The spiritual medicines of the Celestial Spirit Continent were fundamentally tied to cultivation, where spiritual energy could essentially cure all ailments. When faced with a condition like Nie Kong's, where spiritual energy was ineffective, these medicines were rendered useless. There was no concept of "treating the root cause" here; just as with the medicines Nie Kong’s predecessor had consumed for over a decade, all their power was geared toward spiritual cultivation. That residual power clung to his meridians, vast and immense. If Nie Kong absorbed it himself, his physique would certainly strengthen gradually, but the majority of the power would ultimately transform into spiritual energy, never achieving the remarkable therapeutic effect delivered by the 'Muscle-Strengthening Bone-Hardening Soup.'

The maxim of 'treating the root cause' was not merely spoken in passing.

After about half an hour, once the last trace of medicinal power had been absorbed, the water, previously dyed red by the potion, returned to clarity. By then, little warmth remained in the tub, but Nie Kong did not rise. He continued to vibrate the golden needles, dispersing the residual power and allowing it to meld more deeply with his body.

Another half hour passed, and the water in the tub grew completely cool. Nie Kong opened his eyes, smiling broadly as he extracted the nine golden needles and placed them carefully on the stove counter.

“Good, good, a truly magnificent Muscle-Strengthening Bone-Hardening Soup!”

Nie Kong chuckled with satisfaction, kneading his own body. The muscles in his chest, legs, and arms had visibly swelled, and the ridges of his ribs were far less pronounced. Looking down into the water, he saw that his sunken eye sockets and cheeks had filled out considerably.

The Nie Kong currently visible bore no resemblance to the skeletal figure he had been just an hour ago.

—————————————————————————————————————————————— Hua Mei waited outside with growing anxiety. Finally, seeing Nie Kong emerge from the kitchen, she froze, completely stunned. Her crimson lips parted slightly, her eyes wide, her expression a mixture of utter disbelief.

“Sister-in-law.”

Seeing Hua Mei’s dumbfounded state, Nie Kong couldn't help but smile.

“You… you are Uncle?”

Hua Mei stammered, her gaze darting back and forth over Nie Kong’s frame. The disbelief on her face slowly gave way to surprise and elation, as she exclaimed softly, “It really is Uncle! You really are Uncle! You got so strong so quickly.” An unconcealable joy danced in the corners of her eyes.

Seeing Hua Mei unable to contain her happiness, Nie Kong couldn't help but grin. “Sister-in-law, if I soak in that medicinal bath one more time in three days, I should look close to a normal person.” The effect of absorbing the 'Muscle-Strengthening Bone-Hardening Soup' a second time would certainly be far less dramatic than this first time, but it would be sufficient for Nie Kong.

“Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.”

Hua Mei circled Nie Kong repeatedly, nodding excitedly as if observing a rare treasure. The events of the past few days felt like a dream to her: first, Nie Kong’s apparent resurrection startling Wu Tong and the others away; then, him using those nine golden needles to heal himself; then, his cultivation, stagnant for ten years, suddenly surging to the third stage of Spirit Gathering; and now, becoming robust through the 'Muscle-Strengthening Bone-Hardening Soup.'

It was miraculous!

If she hadn't spent three years living with Nie Kong and witnessed his awakening with her own eyes, she would have sworn her uncle had been replaced by someone else. Now, finally, she no longer had to live in fear that Nie Kong would suddenly collapse and pass away from his illness. Hua Mei felt an extraordinary sense of ease.

Hua Mei’s joyful smile filled Nie Kong’s heart with warmth. He absolutely could not allow that scoundrel Nie Fengxing to succeed with such a good girl. If, upon waking, Nie Kong had harbored some worry, now he felt no fear. Since the potions from the Demon God game proved effective, one formula for 'Muscle-Strengthening Bone-Hardening Soup' was equivalent to a bottle of 'Rejuvenation Dew.' While this soup held little value for Spirit Communicators above a certain level, for those in Spirit Gathering, especially children just beginning their cultivation journey, it was an invaluable elixir.