Duan Ke could not believe her ears when she heard Lin Mu reveal that he was at the twelfth stage of the body tempering realm. It was not just because she couldn't sense any vital energy from his body but also because of the stage itself.
'How did he even?… Why is he still cultivating in the body tempering realm, if he's already a cultivator? And how did he even break past the tenth stage?' Multiple questions were currently stirring within Duan Ke's mind.
Jing Wei too was frozen upon hearing what Lin Mu had spoken and a shocked expression was on his face. He was lucky that he was facing away from the two of them right now or they would have seen it. He definitely did not want to break his composure again and show them and unsightly look. That would definitely not suit someone of his stature.
"Yes, I did say that. Why, is there a problem?" Lin Mu inquired with a curious expression.
At this point, Duan Ke did not know how to respond to his question. She did not know whether to praise him for accomplishing this or to call him a fool to waste his time like this.
'Even the disciples of the top sects only cultivate till the tenth stage of the body tempering realm and stop. There is no reason for them to continue on as they only do this because of the minimum requirements of the cultivation techniques. Why is he still trying? And where would he even get a tempering technique that would let him exceed the tenth stage? Aren't they obsolete now?' Duan Ke thought to herself.
"I'm sorry, but we can't help you in that aspect." Jing Wei suddenly spoke upon seeing that his granddaughter was unable to respond in time.
"Ah, why is that? Do you not have the pills for this stage?" Lin Mu questioned as he tilted his head in confusion.
"No it's not that, but rather that alchemical pills of that level do not exist. Honestly, we don't even know how you managed to even exceed the tenth stage of the body tempering realm. According to my knowledge, all the tempering techniques now only allow one to reach the tenth stage at the maximum. It has been more than five thousand years since they became obsolete." Jing Wei explained.
Lin Mu was now more confused than at the start and was now wondering if he had made a mistake, perhaps.
"WHAT FOOLS!" Xukong shouted.
Lin Mu was startled, to say the least upon hearing the voice of Senior Xukong suddenly, that too one that was so loud.
"What's the matter, senior?" Lin Mu asked with concern.
"They are fools, I say. All of them. Calling body tempering technique obsolete when they have no basic understanding of them. Seems like this world becoming sealed had more bad effects than were probably intended. The cultivators of this world have lost their view." Xukong replied.
"Is it really that bad senior?" Lin Mu questioned.
"Indeed, it is. While it is fine for them to not cultivate past the tenth stage as they can progress to the qi refining realm before that, it is absolute stupidity to call something that had been existing for thousands of years and was created by the ancestors that came before them. Body tempering techniques are very important and should not be neglected this way." Xukong answered.
Lin Mu now knew that Senior Xukong had been agitated by this, and perhaps it was best for him to change the topic for now. He certainly did not want to stay silent like this on the surface while talking to Senior Xukong in his mind. Otherwise, the two people in front of him may find him strange.
"Alright, I understand." Lin Mu spoke, both to Xukong and Jing Wei.
Jing Wei could sense that it would not be good to ask how Lin Mu accomplished this either thus he did not ask further. He could guess that it was probably because of his master and did not want to invite trouble.
"Though we can offer you other resources that can help you in cultivation." Duan Ke spoke up, seeing that Lin Mu seemed a little disappointed to her.
"Ah yes, that would work too. Do you perhaps have spirit stones?" Lin Mu questioned.
Duan Ke had a complex expression on her face as she sent her grandfather a gaze. As if asking him to help her out.
~Ahem~
"Umm, we do indeed have spirit stones, but I'm afraid we cannot give you as many. Though if you're intending to use them for cultivating directly, we have a better option. You can use the basic qi pills for that very thing." Jing Wei spoke up.
Lin Mu didn't know why they didn't have spirit stones, but he didn't want to pry either. He would be happy even if he gets other resources.
'Senior, what are basic qi pills?' Lin Mu secretly questioned.
"They are what their name means. Their function is to supply the cultivator with spirit qi." Xukong answered.
"Umm, then they are the same as spirit stones?" Lin Mu questioned.
"No, they are different. While spirit stones can be used for cultivating, they can also be used for countless other things. Spirit stones are perhaps one of the most versatile resources, which in turn makes them more valuable than basic qi pills.
The basic qi pills which Jing Wei is speaking about are made from some basic spirit herbs which have the sole purpose of providing you with qi. Although they provide the same amount of spirit qi as a low grade spirit stone, their main drawback is that the process is not as fast as like that with the spirit stones.
Another hidden problem with them is the Pill toxins. These pill toxins are naturally created upon the refinement of the pill and are the impurities present in them. While they do not cause any damage in low quantities, they can be a harm to the cultivator's progress if they accumulate too much.
In fact, there is even a chance that the cultivator may get qi deviation if too many pill toxins accumulate in their body." Xukong explained.
Lin Mu felt enlightened after hearing Senior Xukong's explanation and felt like he could make do with it for now.
"Alright, that will work too."
