Chapter 148 Breakthrough!
"Thank you, Mr. Chen!" Hei Hu struggled to get up, suddenly clutching his chest, his face contorting in pain.
"Don't move around. The wound on your chest only appears to be healing well, but it still needs time to recover," Chen Xuan said calmly.
Hei Hu nodded, rubbing his chest, and slowly lay back down.
"Take it."
Chen Xuan took out a pill, flicked his finger, and it landed in Hei Hu's palm.
Hei Hu held the pill, his gaze fixed upon it.
The pill was covered in intricate runes, appearing exquisite and extraordinary.
"What is this?"
Hei Hu had a guess and immediately held his breath, looking up at Chen Xuan.
"It's a Bu Ling Dan, a pill I refined last night," Chen Xuan explained.
Upon hearing this, Hei Hu's expression turned incredibly excited.
Chen Xuan had told him that this Bu Ling Dan could help him become an Neijin martial artist, individuals who were highly revered in the martial world.
"Thank you, Mr. Chen, for the bestowed pill!"
Although Hei Hu's chest still ached faintly, he still struggled to get up and kowtowed to Chen Xuan in gratitude.
Chen Xuan accepted it with composure.
After all, this single pill might change a person's destiny.
The leap from an ordinary person to an Neijin martial artist was an insurmountable chasm!
"You deserve it."
Hei Hu was about to kneel again, but Chen Xuan waved him off.
Hei Hu's desperate protection had earned Chen Xuan's trust.
Next, Hei Hu carefully put the pill away, intending to find an opportune moment to take it.
Seeing this, Chen Xuan said, "Take the pill now. I'll guard you."
Hei Hu glanced at Chen Xuan and said excitedly, "Alright!"
Soon, Hei Hu nervously swallowed the pill.
The pill melted in his mouth, and immediately, a series of cracking sounds echoed from Hei Hu's body, as if his bones were grinding against each other.
A warm current surged out, traveling through his meridians, and finally slowly gathered in his lower abdomen.
Chen Xuan looked at Hei Hu, a hint of joy appearing on his face.
Generally, fifteen or sixteen years old was the prime time for cultivation. Hei Hu was older, and opening his dantian would be risky, which was why he offered to guard him. He hadn't expected it to go so smoothly. If nothing unexpected happened, Hei Hu would safely and officially become an Neijin martial artist!
Half an hour later, Hei Hu suddenly opened his eyes, a look of excitement in them. He clenched his fists, feeling the unprecedented power within him. "Is this the strength of an Neijin martial artist?"
"Did it work?" Chen Xuan asked.
Hei Hu looked at Chen Xuan excitedly and nodded heavily. "Mr. Chen, Mr. Chen! I feel strength coursing through my entire body; I could kill a cow with one punch!"
"Good, good. You are now an Neijin martial artist," Chen Xuan said with a smile.
"Thank you for your cultivation, Mr. Chen."
Hei Hu got up and again kowtowed to Chen Xuan.
"You're welcome. By becoming an Neijin martial artist, you'll be better able to serve me, such as selling Bu Ling Dan," Chen Xuan said with a smile.
Hei Hu immediately swallowed hard.
The small Bu Dan was already selling like hotcakes, generating immense profits. If the Bu Ling Dan were to appear, it wouldn't be long before Chen Xuan became the richest man in Jiangnan Province!
Not only that, but the Bu Ling Dan would have enormous appeal to Neijin martial artists, and perhaps countless people would be willing to follow Chen Xuan!
At this moment, he felt incredibly fortunate that he had guarded Chen Xuan on the mountain and, at the critical juncture, hadn't prioritized his own safety but had decisively chosen to stand with Chen Xuan.
Suddenly, Hei Hu remembered something and looked at Chen Xuan, tentatively asking, "Martial artists are divided into Neijin martial artists, Neijin masters, and above them are Neijin grandmasters, Neijin great grandmasters... and it's said there are even mythical levels above that. Mr. Chen, what is your realm?"
Chen Xuan smiled wryly and shook his head. "I don't know what realm I'm in."
Hei Hu's eyes widened in disbelief.
Chen Xuan genuinely didn't know his realm. To be precise, he wasn't a martial artist at all, because he was a cultivator!
His old leader had taught him a longevity immortality technique, but a mistake occurred during cultivation. Normally, after the ninth level of Qi Refining, one would enter the Foundation Establishment stage. The Qi Refining realm was equivalent to the level of an Neijin martial artist. However, he had reached the two hundred and eighty-ninth level of Qi Refining without any intention of entering Foundation Establishment.
As for his specific strength, he himself was not entirely sure. Regardless, Neijin masters and Neijin grandmasters were insignificant in his presence.
It was for this reason that when Su Qian and Wei Chang Geng asked about his realm, he had answered as he did. Others thought he was being mysterious, but Chen Xuan was telling the truth.
"Alright, you should rest first. If you're bored, try circulating your Neijin. I'll teach you the cultivation mantra later," Chen Xuan instructed.
"Yes, Mr. Chen."
Hei Hu found that after becoming an Neijin martial artist, even the pain in his chest seemed to have lessened.
Chen Xuan turned and left the room.
Hei Hu muttered to himself, "Mr. Chen must be an immortal; otherwise, how could he not know his realm? Yes, it must be so."
Chen Xuan was unaware of Hei Hu's mysterious adoration.
Chen Xuan was also quite troubled by matters of cultivation. Seeing Hei Hu become an Neijin martial artist today made him quite envious.
Chen Xuan had been stuck at the two hundred and ninety-eighth level of Qi Refining for over a year. Despite various elixirs and secluded cultivation, there were no signs of breaking through the bottleneck, as if it were a bottomless pit.
When would he be able to cultivate?
"Chen Xuan, is this the thing you brought over?"
As Chen Xuan reached the hall, Su Yunxi walked over with a black briefcase by her side, her voice soft.
Chen Xuan glanced at the black leather case.
This black briefcase seemed to have been brought from Master Cui's car. He hadn't had a chance to examine it, as he was busy saving Hei Hu.
"Is this what you brought back?" Su Yunxi asked.
"Yes," Chen Xuan nodded.
Su Yunxi breathed a sigh of relief. "The servants almost threw it away. Fortunately, I remembered you were carrying a briefcase like this when you returned."
"It's fine; it's nothing important," Chen Xuan chuckled.
"By the way, Chen Xuan, there's something at Yishen Pharmaceutical. I'll head over to handle it. See you tonight." Su Yunxi waved and turned to leave.
Chen Xuan picked up the briefcase and walked towards the bedroom.
He had spent all night refining pills and should get some rest.
He casually tossed the black briefcase aside and climbed onto the bed.
However, lying on the bed, Chen Xuan felt wide awake and couldn't fall asleep. His gaze drifted to the black briefcase, and his heart stirred.
He remembered that the briefcase brought by Elder Wu last time was identical to this one. It contained five semi-spiritual herbs and the formula for Bu Ling Dan. Could this black briefcase contain something good?
Chen Xuan got up and picked up the black briefcase, opening it.
Inside the black briefcase, he saw a jade box and a broken piece of jade. The jade box contained many dark brown pills, which were likely cultivation pills similar to Bu Ling Dan, though their quality was far inferior to Bu Ling Dan.
Although these pills were ordinary, they would likely cause a frenzy in the martial arts circle.
Chen Xuan put them away, planning to have Hei Hu sell them or recruit some Neijin martial artists.
Chen Xuan's eyelids twitched, his gaze sharply turning to the broken jade fragment, and he frowned.
What is this?
He keenly felt that this broken jade fragment must be something extraordinary, otherwise, it wouldn't be placed together with these pills that could cause a frenzy among Neijin martial artists.
He picked up the broken jade fragment, and a strand of dark blue energy flowed into it.
After a moment, a pure surge of spiritual energy entered his body.
A crisp sound seemed to be heard. Before Chen Xuan could react, that pure spiritual energy was completely refined. His cultivation, which had been stagnant for over a year, had broken through so easily!
Qi Refining, level two hundred and ninety!
Even Chen Xuan was stunned.
His cultivation, stagnant for over a year, had broken through?