Chapter 427: Chapter 394: Acupoint Opening Pill (Part 1)

The Acupoint Opening Pill could forcibly condense Spiritual Power, sharpening it like a blade or a sword. While this was beneficial for breaking through Spiritual Acupoints, it also caused immense damage to them.

The slightest carelessness could leave one’s Spiritual Acupoints riddled with holes.

Among the many cultivators who used the Acupoint Opening Pill, seventy percent suffered varying degrees of damage to their Spiritual Acupoints, and nearly half of those sustained permanent injuries.

Even if one was lucky enough to avoid injury, taking a second pill would increase the chance of getting hurt to ninety percent.

There was even a tragedy where someone took three Acupoint Opening Pills at once, resulting in all their meridians shattering and their cultivation being completely lost. Unable to accept such a devastating blow, they took their own life.

When the sect discovered this, it immediately halted the use of the Acupoint Opening Pill and banned its formula.

The Alchemist who created it knew he had caused a great disaster. Fearing retaliation, he fled overnight, changed his name, and vanished without a trace.

Many years later, the Alchemist died, and with him, the method for refining the pill was lost.

However, this pill hadn’t completely disappeared!

Back then, many cultivators had bought the Acupoint Opening Pill. After learning the truth, they didn’t dare take it themselves but were reluctant to throw it away. So, they held onto it or secretly resold it to others.

The Acupoint Opening Pill was harmful, but the anxiety of cultivation was ever-present.

There were always those willing to take the risk, buying the Acupoint Opening Pill with the thought, ’My cultivation is already at a dead end. What if I get lucky and open just one more Spiritual Acupoint?’

Zhao Lin had reached the peak of the Qi Refining Fourth Layer over three months ago, but he had been unable to advance any further.

He knew very well that this was due to the limits of his talent.

No matter how much external help he used, his Spiritual Root was only of medium grade. Trying to reach the Qi Refining Fifth Layer in three years defied common sense, and the resistance he faced was extraordinary.

After much thought, he decided to try his luck at the market.

Besides the pills refined by the Alchemists of the local commandery, there were also some brought in from other places. Perhaps he would find something unexpected.

Zhao Lin walked a full circle around the market. Whenever he came across a shop selling pills, he would go inside to ask if they had any pills that could help someone break through the Middle Stage of Qi Refining.

But the answers he received were either "no" or suggestions of the Qi Condensing Pill and the Yellow Valley Pill.

Zhao Lin, of course, knew of these two pills. He had already taken them, and they weren’t suitable for his current situation.

As he reached the end of the market, he suddenly saw a shop named "Harmony Hall." Beside the door was a couplet.

The top line read: "Immortal medicines and spirit formulas, the essence of natural herbs."

The bottom line read: "Virtue perfumes the years, harmony brings wealth."

’A new shop?’

Zhao Lin remembered this shop wasn’t here last year, so he strolled inside.

The shop was empty except for an assistant and a Shopkeeper.

To Zhao Lin’s surprise, the assistant was also a cultivator, and at the Middle Stage of Qi Refining no less. This was unlike most shops, which only employed mortals or cultivators with Mortal Spirit Roots to save on costs.

The Shopkeeper was an elderly man in his sixties with a ruddy complexion and very refined clothing.

When Zhao Lin entered, both of them looked up at the same time.

The assistant was visibly stunned for a moment before quickly walking up to him. "What kind of pills do you need, sir? For health, healing, or cultivation?"

"Cultivation. Preferably something that can help me break open the first Spiritual Acupoint of my next layer..."

Zhao Lin briefly stated his needs while glancing at the shelves on either side.

He noticed the prices of the pills here were steep, at least twenty percent more expensive than elsewhere. He couldn’t help but frown inwardly. ’No wonder they have no customers.’

Before the assistant could reply, the Shopkeeper came out from behind the counter, clasped his hands, and bowed. "I am Tian Daozhong, the Shopkeeper of Harmony Hall. May I ask for your esteemed surname?"

Zhao Lin politely returned the gesture. "My surname is Zhao."

Shopkeeper Tian smiled faintly. "My shop is in a poor location. For Fellow Daoist Zhao to find your way here, you must have already asked at many other places, I presume?"

Zhao Lin replied frankly, "That is indeed the case. If your shop only has pills like the Qi Condensing Pill or the Yellow Valley Pill, then there’s no need to mention them."

"Well, I do have something..."

Shopkeeper Tian paused deliberately before saying unhurriedly, "I wonder if you might be interested in a ’private’ pill?"

"A private pill?"

Zhao Lin’s brow rose. "Which one?"

The so-called "private pills" were the opposite of "official pills."

"Official pills" were those recognized by the sect, widely used, and proven to be effective, such as the Blood Replenishing Pill, the Yuan Condensing Pill, and the Foundation Establishment Pill.

Private pills, on the other hand, were those personally refined by Alchemists that had not been appraised by the sect, or simply could not pass the appraisal.

Private pills usually had very unstable medicinal properties. Some were too potent and had extreme side effects; others were so weak they had almost no effect at all; and still others were addictive, causing various withdrawal symptoms once a user stopped taking them.

The sect forbade the sale of private pills, but many cultivators who had hit a dead end on their path would pin their hopes on them.

"The Acupoint Opening Pill."

Shopkeeper Tian slowly uttered the four words.

Zhao Lin’s heart skipped a beat. He said in a low voice, "Hasn’t that pill been banned for a long time?"

He was no longer a rookie just starting his cultivation journey. He had naturally heard of the infamous Acupoint Opening Pill. The first time he’d heard of it, he had even felt a pang of regret.

The Acupoint Opening Pill damaged one’s Spiritual Acupoints, making it extremely risky for ordinary cultivators. But he possessed the Pipa Catfish Essence Soul, which could instantly heal his wounds, so he had nothing to worry about.

Unfortunately, the pill was nearly extinct and almost impossible to find on the market. Therefore, Zhao Lin was highly suspicious of the shopkeeper’s claim.

"Indeed, it was banned."

Shopkeeper Tian smiled faintly and lowered his voice. "My Acupoint Opening Pills come from an outside sect."

With that, he led Zhao Lin to a seat, ordered the assistant to serve tea, and then explained the origin of the pills to him.

It turned out that back when the Acupoint Opening Pill was all the rage, its price had skyrocketed, making a single pill difficult to obtain.

Some unscrupulous merchants saw a business opportunity and used various means to collect Acupoint Opening Pills, preparing to hoard them and drive up the price.

Who would have thought that as soon as the sect’s decree was issued, the price of the Acupoint Opening Pill would plummet? Furthermore, anyone caught selling them would have all their pills confiscated and would be severely punished.

Unwilling to let the pills be a loss in their hands, these unscrupulous merchants came up with a devious plan.

Because the Acupoint Opening Pill was only famous within the Chenghua Sect, many surrounding sects were unaware of the details.

So they transported the pills to outside sects to sell them. Under the guise of a "miracle pill," they offloaded their entire stock and made a huge profit before anyone discovered the harm it caused.

But you can’t wrap fire in paper. The outside sects soon discovered the problem and also listed the Acupoint Opening Pill as a banned substance.

At this point, Shopkeeper Tian stroked his beard and looked at Zhao Lin. "Although there are no Acupoint Opening Pills within our sect, a small number have survived overseas. My pills came through this route."

’So it was a case of re-importing an export...’

The explanation was plausible. Zhao Lin thought for a moment, then stared at Shopkeeper Tian and said, "I’ve heard the Acupoint Opening Pill damages Spiritual Acupoints."

The damage to Spiritual Acupoints was a problem for others. While Zhao Lin wasn’t worried, he had to understand the shopkeeper’s angle.

Shopkeeper Tian laughed heartily and picked up his teacup. "That’s not for me to say. On the path of cultivation, who doesn’t have to cut through thorns and briars and overcome great dangers?"

"If Fellow Daoist Zhao is interested, we can continue our discussion. If you have concerns, I will not force the matter."

Zhao Lin deliberately pondered for a long time before asking, "The Acupoint Opening Pill has been banned for many years. No one knows its shape or properties anymore. How can one verify if the pill is genuine?"

"Fellow Daoist Zhao has a point."

Shopkeeper Tian nodded. "It’s true that no one can verify its authenticity. However, I can guarantee that the source of these pills is absolutely legitimate."

"If you don’t believe me, Fellow Daoist, you may come to the inner hall for a look."

After speaking, he walked to the entrance of the inner hall and made a welcoming gesture to the side.

Zhao Lin released his Divine Sense to probe the area. Confirming there was no one in the inner hall and no Arrays had been set up, he stood up and walked inside.

"Please wait a moment, Fellow Daoist Zhao. I will be right back."

Shopkeeper Tian invited Zhao Lin to sit, then clasped his hands and departed.

A short while later, Shopkeeper Tian reappeared before Zhao Lin, now holding a brocade box.

"Fellow Daoist, please take a look."

Shopkeeper Tian placed the brocade box on the table, opened it slowly, and then turned to Zhao Lin.

Zhao Lin focused his gaze and saw a smooth, round, purple gourd inside the brocade box.

"Is this a Wuliu Gourd?"

The Wuliu Gourd comes from a type of Spirit Wood native to Jiaoyue. Its fruit is shaped like a gourd, has a hard texture, and possesses strong regenerative abilities.

Cultivators often used it to store precious pills. They would cut off the top of the gourd, place the pills inside, and in less than two hours, the top would automatically heal, sealing the pills within.

The Wuliu Gourd had a balance of the five elements. Pills stored inside would retain their medicinal properties as if they were brand new, even after several hundred years.

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