Ning Qi had no idea how similar the Core Condensation Pill recipe he reverse-engineered was to the original, but the result spoke for itself—as long as it could produce the pill, it worked.
Without the slightest hesitation.
Ning Qi began refining pills.
Batch after batch of medicinal herbs were used up, and one freshly refined Core Condensation Pill after another emerged.
Ning Qi was like an emotionless pill-refining machine, with a terrifyingly high success rate.
But don't go thinking refining Core Condensation Pills was easy. In truth, even the few forces capable of refining this pill had a very high failure rate. Often, it was considered normal to succeed just once out of ten attempts.
The reason Ning Qi could be so successful, naturally, was due to his extraordinary comprehension. He could easily spot potential points of failure and refine the process.
Not only that.
His Myriad Phenomena Force also played a key role, allowing him to precisely control the heat exactly as he wanted, without the slightest deviation—accurate like a machine.
It's no exaggeration to say, if others saw Ning Qi's performance, they'd probably revere him as a god of alchemy.
Yet Ning Qi remained calm inside.
Alchemy was, after all, just a supplementary path. He only spent time on it because it could boost his martial arts at certain times, helping him pursue immortality.
A few days later.
The Zhenwu Sect's related medicinal herbs were used up, replaced by ten Core Condensation Pills.
Looking at those aromatic pills, Ning Qi felt a sense of satisfaction. A natural feeling of achievement welled up in his heart.
"Ten Core Condensation Pills. Seven go to my senior brothers and sisters, one each. The remaining three can be given to Master as part of the Zhenwu Sect's foundation."
Ning Qi had it all planned.
As for himself?
He didn't need them.
Ning Qi had never encountered a bottleneck in his cultivation. When the time was right, breakthroughs came naturally. He might face obstacles in the future, but definitely not now.
Besides.
Given how abundant his Internal Energy was, even if he needed Core Condensation Pills to condense Qi Force, a single pill wouldn't even be enough to plug the gap between his teeth.
He was about to advance to the Second Fold Realm and was very likely to reach the Qi Origin Realm before the Heaven-Man Ceremony. The reverse-engineering process had deepened his understanding of that breakthrough. He felt it wouldn't be hard to achieve the Qi Origin Realm around the age of eight.
"Just in time for this year's Zhenwu Peach Gathering. I'll hand the Core Condensation Pills and the Dreamsleep Art and Dreamsleep Pills to the senior brothers then."
A smile tugged at the corners of Ning Qi's lips.
Around this time last year, the eight of them made a promise. Technically speaking, this year would be the first official Zhenwu Peach Gathering.
...
Outside the Seeking Dao Courtyard, the peach blossoms had long since bloomed in brilliant color.
Then they gradually withered.
This time, the peach fruits that grew were fuller than ever. Just one bite made your mouth water and left a sweet taste all around.
They didn't disappoint. Luo Wentian and the others showed up on time at Ning Qi's little courtyard.
"I thought you'd all forgotten."
Ning Qi joked with a smile.
The Zhenwu disciples had all been focused on training this year. He originally thought a few senior brothers might forget, but to his surprise, everyone showed up. It was clear they all truly cherished the promise. 𝐫𝘼₦ȫʙÈＳ
Ye Qinghe held up her Peach Blossom Wine and giggled:
"Of course we wouldn't forget! This time I'll blow your minds—this was brewed by yours truly!"
She patted her chest with a bright, excited face.
Ning Qi chuckled helplessly. But there was one thing that was true—this time, Ye Qinghe didn't get White Ape to cheat for her.
The True Disciples all laughed as they took their seats.
White Ape poured the Peach Blossom Wine for everyone, one by one.
The Seventh Disciple, Song Cheng, wore a mischievous smile and shut his eyes with righteous flair:
"I'll go first!"
As the wine hit his stomach, his eyes shot open in surprise.
"Huh? Third Senior Sister, did you have an epiphany?"
Everyone looked at each other in confusion, then downed their drinks in one gulp.
The wine was pretty ordinary, but at least it wasn't bad.
In a way, this was Ye Qinghe's first successful batch.
Even Luo Wentian gave a rare thumbs up and said:
"Qinghe, that's quite an improvement!"
Ye Qinghe beamed with pride:
"Obviously! I seriously consulted Tiansheng this time. You guys are in for a treat! A real master brewer is about to be born—right, Tiansheng?"
She winked exaggeratedly at White Ape.
White Ape scratched his head and replied honestly:
"It's all because Master Aunt is so clever."
Everyone stared dumbfounded at White Ape.
Most of them hadn't interacted much with him, and since he rarely used ventriloquism around others, they didn't even know he could talk!
Ye Qinghe burst into laughter.
It was precisely because White Ape could speak now that her winemaking had advanced so quickly.
Ning Qi explained with a smile:
"No need to be surprised, Senior Brothers. It's just ventriloquism. Tiansheng is really smart. After awakening his bloodline, he could speak using ventriloquism—he's just not very used to it."
As long as it didn't expose Stance Training or other martial techniques, everything else didn't matter.
Exotic Beasts would try to learn human combat techniques too—they just couldn't engage in martial cultivation. That was far too difficult. Ning Qi had never heard of any Exotic Beast developing a cultivation system for their own race.
Everyone clicked their tongues in amazement.
White Ape scratched his head awkwardly, uncomfortable with all the attention.
Ning Qi just kept smiling. He never planned to hide White Ape. Sooner or later, White Ape's talents would be revealed—it was just a matter of time.
Luo Wentian and the others didn't dwell on it.
Today's Zhenwu Peach Gathering.
Was for bonding among fellow disciples. No topic was off-limits.
Everyone brought out what they had prepared. There were pastries from famous Qingzhou chefs—only sold once a year—along with famous paintings and calligraphy for viewing, curious tales and news from the martial world...
They had come prepared this time, making it far livelier than the previous gatherings. Everyone brought something.
Time flew by.
Ning Qi brought out the peach fruits at the right moment.
He had set aside this batch in advance. It was the best part—the peaches were plump and glistening, instantly mouthwatering.
Xiong Shi couldn't wait and grabbed one to taste. The fragrance lingered on his lips and teeth, and he felt a warm flow inside him—his body even felt a little more relaxed.
He was stunned.
"Little Junior Brother, these peaches of yours..."
Everyone watched and followed suit, each one eating a peach. Then, one by one, they turned to Ning Qi in shock.
Compared to last year's, these peaches were completely different. It was as if they now slightly enhanced the physical body. While the effect was negligible for cultivators of their level, it was still remarkable.
For someone in the Body Tempering Realm, it would definitely help stabilize the body and strengthen their foundation. The effect wasn't top-tier, but with consistent use over time, it couldn't be underestimated.
They already had some qualities of a Spiritual Fruit!
Ning Qi smiled slightly:
"I had some free time, so I used a few herbs to nurture them a bit. Didn't expect this kind of surprise harvest this year."
A deep sense of fulfillment welled up in his heart. At this rate of evolution, it might only be a few years before the peach trees outside his courtyard could bear true Spiritual Peaches.