Chapter 14 - Brother Leon Fei
Waking up, he set out to make another Revitalizing Pill for later that day. The Burning Mongoose's core could still be used two more times before it would no longer be useful. Aster Wen performed the process once without the core to warm up, the refining producing a failure. Using the core in the process, he succeeded in one attempt. Deciding it better to make as many as he could now, he removed the core again and tried without it. With close to ten attempts, he had gotten better at controlling the temperature, and using the core had given him some insights as well. Without the core, he failed once, but then succeeded. Using up all the Fire Yang Grass he had gathered while refining Revitalizing Pills, he made another five pills, leaving him with seven. He had also used the Burning Mongoose's core, making it useless. He still had one more Burning Mongoose core, but he hoped to use it when trying to refine the body tempering pill.
Leaving his room, he headed to the contribution hall as a medicinal fragrance wafted from his being. Entering into the contribution hall, the clerk smelled the medicinal fragrance.
"Have you been refining pills?" the clerk asked.
"I just refined seven Revitalizing pills over the last many hours," Aster Wen said.
"Seven? That's quite impressive. Why do you need so many, though? I can't imagine you'd be injured so heavily, given what monster beasts you've fought," the clerk asked.
"The martial technique I exchanged seems to be too taxing on my body. I practiced the second movement four times, and one of the bones in my forearm cracked. But, this technique is the only reason I've been able to kill Foundation Body sixth stage monster beasts, so I don't plan to stop," he explained.
"Ah, I see. Guess we'll have to note that down. You're actually the first disciple to ever choose that technique," the clerk said.
"Really?"
"Yep. The name typically dissuades people," the clerk said.
"Huh. I picked it because of its name," Aster Wen said.
"I guess it's fated to be, then."
After talking with the clerk, Aster Wen looked at the catalogue of manuals, techniques, and various other things that could be exchanged. Looking through the catalogue, he stumbled up something relating to the theory of alchemy, a book titled Foundation Body Alchemy Theory. It went for five thousand contribution points, meaning it would be most likely be a few weeks before he could exchange for it. Asking the clerk how long he would be able to take it out for, he learned he could take it out for two months, as only people who were seriously pursuing the dao of alchemy would exchange for it.
Leaving the contribution hall, he headed to practice the second movement, a large portion of the day already used up by refining the Revitalizing Pills. Getting in position, he started to practice the second movement, and realized that a few people were watching him at this time.
"Hello?" Aster Wen asked.
"Hello, sorry, it's just... Since you're the top of our year, we were curious. We've seen that you come to practice under this tree, so we thought we would observe," a boy in the group said.
"Oh, um, alright," Aster Wen said.
It seems practicing the Looming Blossom Martial Technique under the same tree each day made people pick up on it. Well, they were all part of the same sect, and they could just as easily exchange for the technique. He didn't have to keep his practice a secret.
Getting into position again, he started to perform the second movement. Once again, power surged through his arm, causing discomfort, and he became immobile for fourteen seconds. The people watching were confused when they saw him being still for that long, but then he performed the movement again, making them realize the technique caused him to become immobile.
"Isn't being still that long detrimental when fighting?" Another boy in the group asked.
"Very. But the period of immobility gets shorter as I practice it more. Though, I wouldn't recommend this technique if you don't want to constantly make Foundation Forming Pills to restore your natural qi, or Revitalizing Pills to heal you when the bones in your arm break," Aster Wen responded.
"What? That happens?" They seemed shocked.
"Yes. But, the first movement doesn't have such problems at first. Even when I advanced to the Foundation Body second stage, it only consumes an eighth of my natural qi. Using it once can kill a Foundation Body sixth stage monster beast, though. From how I progressed in the first movement, it should take fourteen days for me to get the second movement down to no mobility penalty," he said.
"Can't only Body Foundation seventh stages use natural qi in their techniques?" One of them asked.
Aster Wen nodded. "Yes. Sorry, I should've explained a bit better. The technique doesn't use the natural qi in the attack. I'm not entirely sure what happens to it. It's absorbed by something behind me that looks like a lotus. The natural qi doesn't disappear, as I can still feel it in the lotus when practicing the technique. But at my current stage, I don't know how to retrieve it, or even why it's being absorbed. However, the technique does increase the power of my natural qi, and when refining the Foundation Forming Pill, it goes up to the maximum amount of power it should have from my practice of the Looming Blossom Martial Technique."
"So, we should think of these drawbacks and benefits before choosing this technique?" The initial one who spoke asked.
"Yes. If you do choose to practice it, I'd recommend learning alchemy yourself instead of just buying the pills. I'd also just recommend learning alchemy, even if you don't. But that's just my opinion. Up to you to listen to it or not," Aster Wen said.
He performed the second movement two more times with the group watching. The group heard his bone break as he performed it for the fourth time, and their eyes widened. They knew that he said it would happen, but seeing is different from hearing. This seemed to dissuade many of the group who were contemplating learning the technique. The only one who didn't seem dissuaded was the boy who initially responded to Aster Wen. In fact, he seemed even more resolved to learn the technique. After all, wouldn't following in the footsteps of the top of the new disciples give benefits?
Aster Wen had kept one of the Revitalizing Pills and Foundation Forming Pills on him, so he sat down to refine them while the group was still there. Swallowing both of the pills, he began to refine them, feeling a warmth spread throughout his body while natural qi began to flood in his dantian and wash his meridians. After two minutes, all his meridians were washed in the natural qi, and after eight more minutes the power of the natural qi was at its peak. Refining both pills at the same time seemed to allow the Revitalizing Pill to work faster, and he was healed within thirty minutes from swallowing it.
Standing up and stretching, the group who was watching him dissipated except for one boy. Walking forward, he greeted Aster Wen.
"Brother Leon Fei greets Brother Aster Wen," he put his hands together.
"Brother Aster Wen greets Brother Leon Fei," Aster Wen put his hands together.
"I wonder if Brother could touch me the first movement of your martial technique?" Leon Fei asked.
Aster Wen was a little surprised, given that he told them the drawbacks of the technique, and saw it themselves. However, he had no qualms in teaching Leon Fei, and even thought that it might be good to have someone else who cultivates the technique. Everyone could have different insights about the same technique, and if both of them shared their insight with each other, both of them would help the other to progress in their cultivation. He could also use the help in collecting alchemy ingredients, such as the Yang Fire Grass. If they alerted the Yang Fire Bulls, hopefully they could use the technique to at least escape them.
"Of course. You're sure you want to learn it, though?" Aster Wen asked.
"I'm certain. I haven't found a technique I wanted to practice yet, but I think I want to practice this one," Leon Fei said.
"Alright, then I'll explain the first movement," he said.
Aster Wen explained how to circulate the natural qi during the first movement, and then how you should move your body to perform the technique. Leon Fei was able to perform the first movement on his third try, which was much better than when Aster Wen started practicing. He supposed that Leon Fei had the help of watching him perform the second movement, which allowed him to follow the movement easier. He performed the movement four times, and was immobile for ten seconds after each time. Aster Wen also explained that the technique used a different energy from physical energy, so he could exhaust himself from working from the day and still perform the technique. Leon Fei thanked Aster Wen, and they parted ways for the night. Aster Wen lied down on his cot and fell asleep, satisfied with that day.