Chapter 25: The Wondrous Use of the Incense Burner

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Xia Ningshang entered the Contribution Hall and sneaked a backward glance. Finding that Yang Kai had already left, she couldn’t help but quietly breathe a sigh of relief. Perhaps because of what had happened that morning, she still felt a guilty conscience, like a thief caught in the act.

Just as her mind was in a tangled mess, she heard Shopkeeper Meng sighing heavily behind the counter.

"What’s wrong, Master?" Xia Ningshang asked.

"I feel sorry for that boy just now," Shopkeeper Meng lamented. "He’s a good kid. He’s willing to endure hardships and work hard, has a good character, and his temper isn’t bad either..."

Hearing her master praise Yang Kai so highly, Xia Ningshang was immediately annoyed. She thought, "You have no idea what he did to your disciple this morning. He stripped completely naked, defiling my eyes and giving me a huge fright."

Shopkeeper Meng kept talking. The more Xia Ningshang heard, the more annoyed she became, until she finally reached out and slammed her hand onto the counter.

CRACK! The sound of something shattering rang out.

Shopkeeper Meng fixed his eyes on the spot. His face instantly twisted, and he howled in agony, "My Earth-Level Lower Grade Blood Lingzhi, worth twenty contribution points..."

"This is a Blood Lingzhi?" Xia Ningshang looked at the powdery remnants on the desk. She wondered if her master’s eyesight was failing him in his old age. How could this be a Blood Lingzhi?

"No, no, I was mistaken." Shopkeeper Meng blew softly. The powder on the counter instantly flew out, as if pinched by an invisible hand, and scattered outside the door without a single speck falling along the way.

"Right, what brings you to see me today?" Shopkeeper Meng composed his expression, appearing uncharacteristically serious.

"I broke through."

Shopkeeper Meng’s face twitched. He carefully inspected Xia Ningshang’s realm and couldn’t help but nod repeatedly. "Good, good! I wasn’t mistaken after all. Only a physique like yours is truly suitable for this Cultivation Technique. Here, eat this Elixir; it will stabilize your realm."

"Okay." Xia Ningshang took it. She hesitated for a moment before asking softly, "Master, how are your injuries?"

Shopkeeper Meng smiled faintly. "Don’t worry about me. I’ve made it through all these years; it’s nothing serious."

Yang Kai hurried back to his small wooden cabin with a feeling of excitement and anticipation.

Now that the Three-Leaf Soul Flower and the Desolate Dried Wood Grass were ready, and in considerable quantities, they should last him for quite a while.

With everything in place, all he needed was the final piece to fall into action. Yang Kai was eager to know if that Incense Burner could truly assist his Cultivation.

His cabin was located in the most remote and desolate corner of Lingxiao Pavilion, a place basically no one ever visited. Therefore, Yang Kai wasn’t worried about his secrets being exposed. He walked inside, summoned the Wordless Black Book, flipped to the third page, and then took out the Incense Burner and placed it by his bed.

He retrieved the Three-Leaf Soul Flower and Desolate Dried Wood Grass, stuffed both herbs inside, and then closed the lid.

In an instant, a faint Exotic Fragrance filled the wooden cabin. Yang Kai took a deep breath and carefully felt its effects. He found that although the scent was somewhat unique, there wasn’t anything particularly noteworthy about it. Moreover, after taking that breath, his body didn’t feel any different.

However, the fragrance continuously pouring out from the holes in the Incense Burner’s lid relentlessly drilled into Yang Kai’s nostrils. Like slender little snakes, the bizarre scent slithered through his nose and mouth, entering his body.

It was as if something extra had suddenly appeared within him. Through his flesh and blood, inside his meridians, and even deep within his bone marrow, waves of numbness and tingling spread throughout his entire body.

Not daring to slack off, Yang Kai hastily grabbed the Incense Burner and ran outside to prepare for Cultivation.

Taking a single step, Yang Kai was instantly astonished. His foot felt as if it had been filled with lead, incredibly heavy. Furthermore, with that step, his physical strength was rapidly draining away.

Taking another step, Yang Kai actually felt the illusion of complete bodily collapse. A cold sweat suddenly broke out all over him, and his muscles tensed up. The Qi Sensing he had only recently cultivated throbbed erratically within his meridians, and the bones all over his body began to pop and crack.

As he took his third step, Yang Kai’s legs gave out. He fell straight to his knees on the ground, and the Incense Burner in his hands rolled far away.

With both hands propping him up against the ground, Yang Kai remained Immovable as a Mountain. However, his heavy panting sounded like a broken, pumping bellows, and his chest heaved violently. The flesh and blood throughout his body twitched. His meridians, internal organs, and bones swelled and contracted in waves. The tingling numbness grew increasingly intense. Yang Kai wanted to roar, but he suppressed it with all his might.

His current condition was clearly a state of extreme overexertion. Having experienced this a few times before, Yang Kai was fairly familiar with it.

But he had clearly only walked three steps! How could he have exhausted all of his physical stamina? Not only was his physical strength depleted, but his mind was also exhausted, as if he hadn’t slept for days on end. A wave of weariness washed over him, and his vision grew blurry.

It could be said that his Essence, Qi, and Spirit had plummeted to their lowest points. He didn’t even have the strength to move a single finger.

In that instant, the medicinal effects of the Three-Leaf Soul Flower and the Desolate Dried Wood Grass surfaced in Yang Kai’s mind.

Both herbs contained a mild toxin. The toxicity wasn’t strong, and an ordinary person would be fine even if they ate a few stalks. However, the former harmed the mind, while the latter harmed the body. Combined with his current physical condition, Yang Kai started to understand.

This was likely happening because he had inhaled the Exotic Fragrance from the Incense Burner. But neither the Three-Leaf Soul Flower nor the Desolate Dried Wood Grass could possibly possess such potent effects. The profound mechanism definitely lay within the Incense Burner itself. It could infinitely amplify the medicinal properties of these two herbs.

He had obtained the Proud Bone Golden Form, giving him an incredibly strong recovery ability. He hadn’t felt tired even after cultivating for a long time that day. Naturally, he couldn’t reach his limit, and without reaching his limit, he couldn’t force out his potential.

But things were different now. He had exhausted himself just by taking three steps. Since reaching his limit state was now this simple, did he still have to worry about being unable to cultivate in the future?

Yang Kai had always firmly believed that human potential was limitless; the key lay in how to unearth it. Although aptitude could dictate a martial artist’s growth, personal effort was also an indispensable factor. That was why over the years, even knowing his aptitude was poor, he had remained tireless and never given up on his Cultivation.

At this thought, Yang Kai’s spirits soared!

Gradually exerting strength into his hands, he pushed up his exhausted body. His thighs trembled violently. Veins bulged on Yang Kai’s forehead, and his eyes widened to the point of tearing as he propped himself up bit by bit, inch by inch.

Almost all the physical strength in his body had been drained dry, and his consciousness was on the verge of blurring. Yet, an obsession fiercely erupted in his heart. Never in his life had he felt such a strong desire—the desire to win!

He had to stand up! Stand up exactly where he had fallen! Standing up meant breaking through his limits; it meant victory!

Time had never passed so slowly. It took a full quarter of an hour for Yang Kai to half-straighten his body. His feet planted onto the ground, and his slightly bent legs shook uncontrollably. Yet, his upward momentum was unyielding. Though slow, it never wavered.

Finally, accompanied by an angry roar, Yang Kai’s body rose tall and straight. He stumbled slightly before his feet planted themselves firmly on the spot.