"Junior brother, how are you feeling now?"
Shangguan Yue Ling’s voice was low and gentle, her palm still resting lightly on Langtian’s bare back. A steady stream of warm qi flowed from her hand, gently circulating into his damaged meridians and calming the chaotic energy within.
Langtian’s breathing had evened out, his chest rising and falling in a slower, steadier rhythm.
"I’m much better now. Thank you, Senior Sister Shangguan..."
Yue Ling released a quiet breath, a faint hint of relief visible in her expression.
"Good," she said softly. "But don’t let your guard down just yet. Keep breathing. I’ll help you absorb the rest of the pill’s energy."
Langtian nodded obediently.
"Alright. Deep breath in. No talking for now," Yue Ling instructed, her voice calm and gentle, just as Langtian remembered from years past.
She resumed channeling qi into his body, carefully helping mend his meridians and regulating the inner flow of energy. Langtian followed her instructions without resistance, just as he always had.
And somehow... it reminded him of old times.
Back when he was younger, whenever he had gotten injured during training, it had always been Senior Sister Shangguan who treated him, just .
But back then, he was only a boy of twelve or thirteen—innocent, unaware of the softness in a girl’s touch.
Now, he had become a grown man.
And her skin, warm against his own, sent a strange heat crawling up his spine. His thoughts wavered, and his heart quickened slightly.
"Focus. Your breathing’s becoming chaotic," Yue Ling gently scolded him.
Langtian stammered, cheeks reddening a bit, and forced himself to truly concentrate this time.
The effect of the pill, enhanced by Yue Ling’s guidance, grew steadily stronger. A comforting warmth gradually spread throughout Langtian’s body.
Yet, thanks to the Tranquil Heart Breathing technique and Yue Ling’s careful control, the side effects remained safely suppressed.
Soon, more than half of Langtian’s injuries had recovered.
The pain was nearly gone.
"Alright," Yue Ling said after checking his qi flow one final time. "Your meridians are flowing smoothly again, nearly as good as new. Your bones still need some time to heal completely, so you’ll have to rest, avoid any strenuous movement for a few days, and refrain from circulating spiritual energy for now. But overall, nothing serious. Don’t worry, there’s no long-term damage."
Finally withdrawing her hand, she exhaled softly and wiped away the thin sheen of sweat from her forehead.
At last, Langtian was allowed to speak.
There had been so many questions swirling in his mind since he arrived. Now, it was just a matter of deciding which one to ask first.
"But Senior Sister... what exactly was that pill?"
He pressed a hand against his abdomen, where a faint warmth still lingered.
"It was powerful... but the side effects were terrifying. I was going mad just moments ago—I wanted to destroy, to kill, to tear everything apart. It felt as if I... I was—"
"Like your mind was corrupted by demonic energy, correct?" Yue Ling calmly interjected.
"Well," Yue Ling said with a casual shrug, "it was only a Crimson Vitality Pill."
Langtian’s eyes widened in disbelief.
"A Crimson Vitality Pill? Impossible! Aren’t those just Mortal Tier pills? How could a mere Mortal Tier pill have such absurdly strong medicinal effects?"
In this world, pills, martial techniques, and even equipment were ranked according to the same classification system.
From lowest to highest, the tiers were:
Within each tier, items were further divided into four distinct grades:
The Crimson Vitality Pill was an ordinary pill, commonly used to treat minor injuries and replenish qi. It was typically crafted from simple ingredients such as Bloodroot Vine, Scarlet Lotus Petal, and Boneflame Resin, sometimes enhanced by a drop of mystical beast blood.
Yet no matter the skill of the alchemist, even a Peak Grade Crimson Vitality Pill refined by the most talented alchemist in the Celestial Dragon Kingdom could never possibly possess even one-tenth of the potency Langtian had just experienced.
No wonder he was skeptical—half of him expected that Yue Ling was simply teasing him.
But then, she reached forward and opened her palm.
Resting within it was a round, scarlet-red pill, gleaming with a faint luster, its surface etched clearly with the familiar patterns of a Crimson Vitality Pill.
Langtian’s eyes widened even further.
"Wait... that’s... that’s truly a Crimson Vitality Pill! But... how is this possible?!"