"I see… come inside." Chao Shuying gestured for them to enter her room.
Once inside and seated, Chao Shuying continued, "Now, can you elaborate on the situation for me? What was different from when you consumed it?"
Kulas proceeded to explain the situation—how Tian Yang's cultivation had increased by nearly two realms while his own cultivation had only improved by barely half a realm.
"My first thought was that the ingredients used in his pill were simply of higher quality than those I had," he said, voicing his conclusion.
"That is impossible," Chao Shuying responded immediately, her tone firm and assured.
"I was there when the pill was concocted. In fact, I even assisted, so I'm fully aware of the potency of its ingredients. They were certainly superior, and the pill was undeniably of higher quality than yours, but not to a degree that would create such a drastic difference."
"Then what do you think is going on?" Kulas asked.
Chao Shuying turned to look at Tian Yang and replied, "I'll have to check his body first."
"Go ahead." Tian Yang extended his arm toward her.
Chao Shuying immediately began examining his body with Divine Sense, then Divine Gaze.
After a long minute of silence, she released his arm and spoke in a puzzled voice, "His body… there's nothing wrong with it. If anything, it's in perfect condition. As for the pill he consumed, I can still feel its energy, even though it should've been long gone by now."
"What does that mean?" Kulas asked.
"In situations like these, it means he managed to absorb a higher-than-normal portion of the pill's effects," she explained. "Even if a pill is created at full efficiency, people usually absorb only ten to fifty percent of its effects while the rest are discarded. The exact amount varies greatly depending on their talent and whether they possess a unique physique."
"However, Senior Tian has somehow retained the portion of the pill he wasn't able to absorb, and it's continuing to strengthen his body even now. As for how much he absorbed from the pill… I'd say anywhere between eighty to ninety percent…"
"That… sounds like a good thing?" Ren Xia remarked.
"That's more than good! This is literally unprecedented! I have been an Alchemist for almost my entire life, and I have never encountered anyone who could refine more than half of a pill's full effect!"
"Do you have some kind of heavenly physique?" Kulas asked while looking at Tian Yang with a surprised face.
Tian Yang shook his head and responded confidently, "Of course not. If I were born with such a divine physique, I wouldn't have struggled so much in the past. Even now, my talent is only above average."
"Above average? According to what criteria?" Kulas asked. "From my perspective, you're already a monster. No one who is merely above average could defeat me. If that were the case, then the rest of the world would be considered below average at best."
"..."
Chao Shuying stared at Kulas in bewilderment. She had never seen him praise anyone to such a degree—not even his own children.
"Have you ever even checked to see whether you have a unique physique?" Ren Xia asked, cutting into the conversation.
"I did, shortly after joining the Immortal Monastery. They examine all new disciples to ensure there's no hidden diamond," he said.
"The Immortal Monastery? Never heard of them." Kulas said.
"Ah. Wait. I have," he quickly corrected himself. "Weren't they attacked by the Immortal Clans while you were still at war with each other?"
"Yes… They tried to draw me out by using the Immortal Monastery as bait. I nearly died on that day."
"I've been curious about that ever since I heard what happened, but why did you take the bait?" Kulas asked.
"That's…"
A certain figure surfaced in Tian Yang's mind.
"I had no real attachment to that place, and I even lost a friend there. But something good did come out of it—Elder Sun."
"Elder Sun…?"
"Do you remember the woman I shouted at outside Han Zexian's Tomb?" Tian Yang asked.
"Oh, that pretty lady? Of course. I even remember her bewildered expression."
"That was Elder Sun, an elder of the Immortal Monastery. Though she is not my master, she has always looked after me and saved my life several times when I trained recklessly as a disciple. If I were to describe our relationship, it would resemble that of siblings, with her as the elder sister."
"I see… so you went back to save her. Well? Did you?" Kulas asked.
Tian Yang shook his head.
"No. She wasn't there when I returned. Many people had died long before I showed up, and I searched through every corpse… but she wasn't among them. After going through every corpse I could, I eventually gave up and left."
"So there's a good chance that she wasn't at the sect at that time and is still alive," Kulas remarked.
"I hope that's really true since I still owe her an apology for that day," Tian Yang sighed.
After a short pause, Kulas resumed,
"Now then, back to our main topic. Although your body was examined at the Immortal Monastery, it's possible they failed to do so thoroughly because their equipment wasn't sufficient. Not all sects have the proper tools, and only high-grade treasures can identify high-grade physiques, especially back then."
"Considering it's been hundreds of years since your last examination, I'd say there's a very high chance that's the case."
"So I should evaluate my body again?" Tian Yang asked. "Where can I go to do that?"
Kulas smiled and replied, "Fortunately for you, we have just what you need already available here."
"You really have everything here, don't you?" Tian Yang smiled.
"Of course. This is the only way we can survive such a secluded life."
"I can do the examination for you right now if you want," Chao Shuying said.
"Then I'll have to bother you a little longer." Tian Yang nodded.