Xiao Feng listened attentively.
"It is similar to sword cultivators comprehending Sword Intent," Shi Bodong continued.
"A form of understanding that goes beyond technique, allowing one to resonate with the very concept of what they create. Only those who grasp Pill Intent can be considered true alchemists."
He raised a finger slightly.
"Beyond that… is the Pill Heart."
His tone grew heavier. "And above all… lies the realm of Pill Bone."
Xiao Feng's gaze sharpened slightly.
Shi Bodong extended his left hand and lifted two fingers—the ring finger and the little finger.
In the next moment, those two fingers began to glow faintly.
A soft, heavenly aura surrounded them, and beneath the skin, something seemed to shimmer, as if the bones themselves had transformed into something extraordinary.
Xiao Feng's eyes flickered with surprise.
"These," Shi Bodong said calmly, "are acquired Pill Bones."
He lowered his hand slightly.
"Most supreme alchemists who reach a certain level will refine their own bones through countless years of practice, gradually transforming them into Pill Bones. This is what is known as acquired."
He paused briefly before looking directly at Xiao Feng.
"But there are exceptions."
"Some rare individuals are born with Pill Bones from the very beginning."
"Those… are called innate type."
Xiao Feng's thoughts moved slightly.
He knew very well that his Pill Bone had come from the system, not from birth.
Yet whatever the system had given him was flawless, perfectly integrated into his body as if it had always belonged there.
Still, he asked, "What is the difference?"
Shi Bodong glanced at him and answered without hesitation, "Innate Pill Bones possess far greater potential and purity than acquired ones.
The quality, the control, the compatibility with alchemy… all of it surpasses the latter by a wide margin."
Xiao Feng subconsciously glanced at his own arm.
The Pill Bone within him was located in his radius bone—far larger than the two fingers Shi Bodong had shown.
For a fleeting moment, a thought crossed his mind.
So small…
Before he could continue—
Smack!
Shi Bodong lightly smacked the back of his head.
"Brat, what are you thinking?" he said with a slight glare. "Do you think acquiring a Pill Bone is easy?"
Xiao Feng rubbed the back of his head, his expression turning a bit awkward.
"Do you even understand how rare this is?" Shi Bodong continued, his tone carrying a hint of impatience.
"Even comprehending Pill Intent is something one in a million might achieve. It is rarer than a phoenix feather! As for transforming bones into Pill Bones…"
"Countless alchemists spend their entire lives and fail."
He lifted his hand again, the two glowing fingers faintly shining.
"With just these two fingers, I have already stood at the peak of alchemy in the Central Region."
His gaze sharpened. "And you dare think it is 'small'?"
Xiao Feng immediately shook his head, like a pecking chicken, completely denying it.
"Not small. Not small at all," he said seriously.
"Your case… is different."
"An innate Pill Bone of this level is so rare that it is not even included in the standard rankings of heavenly physiques."
He paused, then added meaningfully,
"But if it were to be ranked…"
"It would be comparable to the top five heavenly physiques."
Xiao Feng's heart stirred slightly at those words.
Shi Bodong leaned back, his tone returning to calm.
"Since you are now my disciple, I will not treat you poorly."
With a wave of his sleeve, a jade slip appeared in his hand, floating gently before Xiao Feng.
"This is my cultivation technique."
Xiao Feng's eyes focused.
"This technique has nine stages," Shi Bodong continued. "I will give you the first three. That is more than enough for you to cultivate up to the Saint Realm."
His voice remained steady, but the meaning behind it was immense.
"This technique is called 'Nine Resolution Nirvana Art', comparable to a half-Emperor rank cultivation method."
Xiao Feng's breathing slowed slightly.
Half-Emperor rank.
Even among top sects, such techniques were treasures.
Shi Bodong looked at him deeply.
"However this technique is deeply resolute with alchemy. With your Innate Pill Bone, you may take this technique even further."
His gaze carried a faint glimmer, "to the Emperor level."
The wind rustled softly through the leaves.
And for the first time since arriving in this world, Xiao Feng truly felt the path beneath his feet begin to open.
Xiao Feng extended his hand and caught it.
The moment his fingers touched the jade slip, a subtle warmth spread across his palm, seeping into his meridians like a living thing.
He straightened his back, calming his mind, before sitting down cross-legged on the spot.
A thin strand of spiritual energy flowed from his dantian, traveling along his meridians and gathering at his fingertips before entering the jade slip.
Buzz—
The moment contact was established, his consciousness trembled.
Countless ancient symbols, runes, and streams of information surged into his mind like a roaring flood.
Nine Resolution Nirvana Art — First Chapter: Qi Resolution.
Every line contained not only cultivation guidance but also deep alchemical principles.
The merging of spiritual energy, the refinement of qi like a pill furnace, the tempering of meridians as if they were ingredients in a grand elixir.
It was cultivation, yet at the same time, it transcended the very definition of cultivation Xiao Feng had come to understand.
As if this technique did not merely guide spiritual energy through meridians, but instead treated the entire human body as a living furnace.
Xiao Feng's brows slowly drew together, a faint crease forming between them.
The overwhelming influx of information poured into his mind like a boundless ocean.
Each line of the technique containing layers upon layers of profound meaning.
Intertwining the principles of cultivation with the mysteries of alchemy in such a seamless manner that it was both awe-inspiring and suffocating at the same time.
For an ordinary cultivator, even touching the surface of such a method would require immense effort, let alone comprehending its essence.
Yet—
this moment of difficulty lasted only briefly. At that moment, a cold mechanical voice sounded within his mind.
[Detected a compatible cultivation technique.]
[Analyzing compatibility with host physique, foundation, and innate constitution…]
A subtle tremor passed through Xiao Feng's mind, yet his focus did not waver in the slightest.
[Compatibility: Perfect.]
[Evaluation: This technique is completely synchronized with the host's physique. Efficiency increased by 200%. Risk of deviation: negligible.]
A flicker of astonishment rose within Xiao Feng's heart.
Perfect compatibility.
It was as if this technique had been created solely for him, or perhaps— someone like him, possessor of Innate Pill Bone.
Before he could dwell further on that thought, something even more astonishing occurred.
His body began to move on its own.
His breathing shifted into a steady, profound rhythm, each inhale drawing in vast quantities of spiritual energy from the surrounding environment.
While each exhale refined that energy to a level of purity far beyond what his previous cultivation had ever achieved.
The spiritual energy in the surroundings stirred violently.
From Elder Shi Bodong's perspective, faint streams of qi began to gather around Xiao Feng, forming subtle currents that twisted and converged toward his body.
It created a phenomenon that was both beautiful and shocking.
"This…"
Elder Shi's eyes narrowed slightly, a trace of surprise appearing for the first time.
Such a natural gathering of spiritual energy was not something that could be achieved through technique alone—it required an innate harmony between the cultivator and the heavens.
Yet what he was witnessing now.
Within Xiao Feng's perception, everything became extraordinarily clear.
He could sense every strand of spiritual energy entering his body, feel its temperature, its density, even its impurities, as if his perception had expanded to a completely new level.
The qi flowed through his meridians—
but instead of merely circulating, it was being refined..
Just like medicinal ingredients within a pill furnace.
His meridians acted as pathways, yet also as refining channels, stripping away impurities layer by layer, condensing the essence into something purer, stronger, and more stable.
Time passed quickly as Xiao Feng remained seated, unmoving like a statue.
Yet the aura around him continued to rise steadily, like a tide that refused to recede.
His cultivation began to break through from the seventh stage of Qi Refining to the eighth.
The transition was smooth, almost effortless, as if there had never been a barrier to begin with.
The spiritual energy within his dantian grew denser, more refined, carrying a faint sense of compression that hinted at explosive power beneath the surface.
Yet it did not stop.
The cycles continued, one after another.
Before long, he stepped into the ninth stage of Qi Refining.
The air around him trembled faintly, disturbed by the steady rise of his aura, while the gathered spiritual energy formed subtle ripples that spread outward in all directions.
Elder Shi stood not far away, his hands clasped behind his back, his gaze fixed firmly on Xiao Feng.
At first, his expression remained calm.
But as time passed, that calm began to fracture.
A full three hours had gone by.
And within those three hours, Xiao Feng had comprehended the first chapter of the Nine Resolution Nirvana Art.
"Such talent…"
Elder Shi murmured softly, his voice barely audible.
Who was he? and what's his status? There would not many things in this world that he had not seen.
But even he was shocked with his disciple's talent. You can imagine what kind of genius he is?