Chen Yang intended to stomp down a couple more times.
But a voice rang out beside his ear:
"Go ahead and keep stomping! Unless… you want to die!"
Chen Yang's raised foot hung suspended in midair, and he ultimately held back from bringing it down.
The shattered remains of the earthworm — especially its still-writhing head — issued a threat laced with an unnerving certainty, one that gave him genuine pause.
"What do you mean by that?"
Chen Yang withdrew his foot, his gaze sharp as a blade, fixing unblinkingly on the dark-red "earthworm head" lying on the ground:
"Speak plainly! What do you mean, 'unless I want to die'?"
The "earthworm head," seeing that Chen Yang had stopped, seemed to let out a breath of relief, but its voice still carried pain and weakness, though it struggled to maintain an air of profound mystery:
"Have you been… eating a lot of Pills? Pills you duplicated with that broken bowl of yours?"
The moment those words left its mouth, Chen Yang's entire body shuddered violently, his pupils contracting sharply!
It knew!
It actually knew that the clay bowl could duplicate Pills!
That was the deepest secret in his heart — something he had never breathed a word of to anyone!
How could this bizarre creature possibly know?!
Could it be…
That it truly was the Vessel Spirit of this mysterious clay bowl?
That when the clay bowl was damaged and its shards merged into a body, it had manifested in this form?
Or was it some ancient being that had always dwelt within the clay bowl?
For a moment, Chen Yang's thoughts raced, his mind a storm of shock and suspicion.
He forcibly suppressed the crashing waves of alarm within him and, half-believing, half-doubting, asked in a probing tone:
"You… could it be you're trying to say that the Pills duplicated by this clay bowl… are poisonous?"
"Poisonous?"
The earthworm head let out a sound resembling a snort of derision, though it came out somewhat twisted with pain:
"Not at all! This bowl is profoundly wondrous — it is the Vessel of Creation, capable of perfectly duplicating all things in the world that contain Spiritual Energy. How could it ever duplicate something poisonous? The problem is not the bowl — it is you!"
It paused, as if gathering its thoughts, or perhaps sensing Chen Yang's condition:
"The problem is that your cultivation is too low and your foundation too shallow! I can see that your qi and blood and spiritual energy are turbid and impure, with signs of medicinal buildup lurking within. Every low-ranking cultivator who obtained this bowl in the past — wasn't every single one of them just like you? The moment they got their hands on a treasure, they went wild with excitement, frantically duplicating Pills, desperate to stuff themselves full overnight. Be honest — by now, mixing all kinds of Pills together, have you eaten seventy or eighty of them?"
Chen Yang did a quick mental count — Pure Origin Pills, Spirit Origin Pills, Minor Vitality Cultivation Pills… and actually more than that — and gave a nod:
"Roughly… if anything, more rather than less."
The earthworm head's voice rose slightly:
"Don't tell me… you're approaching a hundred?"
Chen Yang thought for a moment, then answered honestly:
"Not counting the demon cores from demon beasts, the Pills I've consumed number somewhere around one hundred twenty or thirty."
"Hiss—"
The earthworm head seemed to draw in a sharp breath, then pressed on urgently:
"And the Demon Cores? Don't you dare say you haven't eaten any!"
Chen Yang hesitated briefly, then said:
"Demon Cores… I've eaten some of those too. Around three or four hundred, I'd say. As for the varieties… there must be at least a dozen or so."
"…"
The "earthworm head" fell silent. A full few breaths passed before it spoke again in a tone of utter speechlessness — as though it were staring at some incomprehensible freak of nature:
"You people who come along later… how is it that every single one of you, the moment you get your hands on this clay bowl, can't wait to turn yourself into a Medicine Jar? Aren't you afraid of stuffing yourselves to death, or having conflicting medicinal energies tear your body apart?!"
Chen Yang's heart stirred. He seized on the key piece of information buried in those words and asked at once:
"In the past… others have obtained this clay bowl before?"
The earthworm head still seemed stunned by Chen Yang's "appetite," and answered reflexively:
"Of course there have been. A treasure born of heaven and earth's creation — why would it favor only one person?"
Chen Yang's heart leaped into his throat, and even his voice carried a trace of tension:
"Then… what became of them?"
The earthworm head answered cleanly and without hesitation:
"They all died."
"What?!"
Chen Yang's face drained of color. A chill shot from the soles of his feet straight to the crown of his head!
Could it be that this clay bowl truly harbored some dark, unknown curse?
That everyone who used it was doomed to a bad end?
The earthworm head seemed to sense his fear, and its tone carried a hint of contempt:
"Why are you looking so frightened? Don't overthink it! When their lifespan ran out, they naturally passed on in meditation — that's all. And some of them, just like you, gorged themselves recklessly. The spiritual energy from Pills and Demon Cores of different attributes clashed inside their bodies, and when they failed to harmonize it properly, they blew themselves up. Who else is there to blame?"
Hearing this, Chen Yang finally let out a small breath of relief.
So it wasn't a problem with the clay bowl itself, but with how it was used…
Still, the "blowing themselves up" it mentioned was indeed something he had quietly worried about.
"But you don't need to worry!"
The earthworm head shifted its tone abruptly, its voice suddenly turning "enthusiastic," tinged with a self-satisfied pride:
"Those people died because they had no guidance from me! They stumbled along blindly, only knowing how to take and take, never knowing how to sort things out! Now that I've awakened, I can properly guide you! I guarantee your body will feel smooth and unobstructed — no matter how many Pills you eat, you'll absorb them perfectly, with no ill effects whatsoever!"
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"Perfect absorption?"
Chen Yang latched onto those words, and his heart stirred involuntarily.
Didn't all Pills have a tolerance effect?
Eat too many and the effects would diminish greatly — that was common knowledge in the Cultivation World.
"That's because your body isn't up to the task! Your foundation is too poor, there are too many impurities, and your meridians can't withstand the repeated flushing of pure medicinal energy!"
The earthworm head lectured:
"Think about it — when an ordinary person eats rice, why is there no 'rice tolerance'? Three meals a day, year after year — has anyone ever heard of someone eating rice until it stopped working, until they couldn't feel full anymore? The fact that you develop tolerance to Pills proves that your body is the problem — it can't contain or convert the energy. The Pills themselves are fine!"
Crude as this analogy was, when Chen Yang thought it over carefully, it seemed…
Actually somewhat reasonable?
Chen Yang fell into deep thought.
If a body were sufficiently "powerful" and "pure," capable of absorbing and converting all medicinal energy without obstruction, then tolerance might indeed cease to exist.
"Then… how would you guide me?"
Chen Yang was tempted.
If this could truly solve the tolerance problem, his cultivation speed would increase dramatically!
For someone who desperately needed to grow stronger within three months to face Yang Tianming, the temptation was enormous!
The moment the "earthworm head" sensed Chen Yang's interest, it perked up immediately, its voice brimming with barely-suppressed excitement and… a certain strange anticipation:
"Simple! Simple! Don't you have openings on your body? Let me in! Inside your body, I'll loosen the soil, clear the passages, sprinkle some water, do a bit of irrigating! Once your meridians are thoroughly expanded and loosened, I guarantee you'll feel completely at ease — whatever you eat will go down smoothly, and your cultivation will speed along beautifully!"
"Openings?"
Chen Yang blinked, not quite following what it meant.
"Yes, openings!"
The earthworm head explained eagerly, even with a coaxing, persuasive tone:
"Count them up — how many openings on your body lead inside? Eyes, ears, nose, mouth… and then there's… heh heh, I'll go through all of them, one by one, and give each a thorough treatment! I guarantee comprehensive service!"
As it spoke, its mangled remains even wriggled with excitement, and the eager anticipation in its voice instantly made Chen Yang break out in goosebumps all over!
Chen Yang instinctively counted the openings on his face:
Two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, one mouth… exactly seven.
The earthworm head seemed to sense what he was thinking and added hastily:
"There are more! There's also the ones down below… mm—"
It hadn't even finished speaking!
Chen Yang's expression darkened in an instant, a flash of cold severity crossing his eyes!
Without any further hesitation, with a speed that left no time to react, he reached into his Storage Bag and produced an empty jade vial that had previously held Pills. He yanked out the stopper, then shot out his other hand like lightning, using two fingers to precisely pinch the still-babbling "earthworm head" off the ground. Ignoring its slick, slimy texture, he shoved it roughly into the jade vial!
"Snap!"
The stopper was jammed in hard. Still not satisfied, Chen Yang channeled his spiritual energy and applied several layers of simple sealing restrictions over the mouth of the vial!
"I knew you were trouble from the start!"
Chen Yang growled through gritted teeth at the jade vial:
"What a filthy, lowlife creature — nothing but foul words coming out of you… you disgusting thing!"
From within the jade vial came the "earthworm head's" furious yet muffled voice, somewhat muted by the barrier:
"Let me out! Let me out! What I said was just one cultivation method — the fastest and most effective one! I don't have to burrow into you! I have other guidance to offer! I know so much! Formations, talismans, alchemy, Artifact Forging…"
Chen Yang couldn't be bothered to listen to its nonsense any further.
He simply unscrewed the cap and poured a handful of salt inside.
The earthworm head let out a few agonized shrieks before going completely silent.
He then tossed the jade vial into the farthest corner of his Storage Bag, making sure it wouldn't roll out easily.
The world was finally peaceful.
Chen Yang let out a long breath, but his brow remained tightly furrowed.
He turned the matter over in his mind:
"This thing's origins are far too strange. It knows the secret of the clay bowl, and its words suggest it has some knowledge of the bowl's past. It claims it can guide my cultivation and solve the tolerance problem — but its words are a mix of truth and lies, impossible to untangle. Is it truly a Vessel Spirit born from the clay bowl? Or some ancient being sealed within the clay bowl's shards? Or… something else entirely — some malevolent entity?"
He didn't dare trust much of what it had said, especially the "burrowing" method — that sounded utterly sinister and dangerous.
But this thing did seem to genuinely know certain secrets.
Perhaps…
In the future, under safe conditions, he could carefully extract some information from it?
He shook his head and pushed those tangled thoughts aside for now.
The most pressing matter was still to strengthen himself.
He turned his attention back to the Startled Swan Step he had just learned.
He began practicing in the open courtyard, following the circulation routes and force-application techniques he had memorized, going through the motions again and again.
At first his movements were stiff and his reactions slow, and he often failed to respond in time when imagining a crisis bearing down on him.
But his will was unyielding, and he refused to be discouraged, continuously adjusting the flow of his spiritual energy and refining the coordination between his body and his divine sense.
The sun gradually sank in the west, stretching his shadow long across the ground.
Only when night had fully fallen and stars dotted the sky did Chen Yang finally pause his practice. His clothes were soaked through with sweat, yet his eyes shone brighter than ever.
The Startled Swan Step was truly wondrous. Though he had not yet gained entry to it, he could already faintly sense the potential it contained.
He walked to the edge of the courtyard and inspected the protective restrictions that had been damaged by the flames earlier in the day.
Fortunately, the core formation base was intact. He spent some spiritual energy and materials carefully repairing and reactivating the restrictions.
A faint light screen rose once more, sealing the courtyard off from the outside world.
With all of that done, he stepped into the small room next door — the one that belonged to Liu Yiyi.
The room was simply furnished, yet it gave him a rare sense of calm.
He sat cross-legged on the clean meditation cushion inside, and once again took out the clay bowl.
The moment he looked at it, Chen Yang froze, his pupils contracting sharply.
"The… the crack. Where did it go?"
The crack from earlier in the day had vanished without a trace. Chen Yang examined it several times over and still couldn't find it.
Had the crack healed on its own?
Chen Yang was puzzled — though what truly concerned him wasn't the crack itself, but whether the bowl's duplication ability was still intact.
He took a deep breath and decided to run a test.
He poured clean water into the bowl, let it transform into spirit liquid, then took out a Spirit Origin Pill to duplicate.
The familiar faint glow flickered within the bowl. The process was smooth, without the slightest hitch.
A short while later, a round, lustrous Spirit Origin Pill, exuding a rich medicinal fragrance, appeared quietly at the bottom of the bowl.
Chen Yang carefully retrieved the Pill and examined it closely. In appearance, scent, and the spiritual energy fluctuations within, it was indistinguishable from the ones Shen Hongmei had given him.
He placed it in his mouth. The Pill dissolved, and pure medicinal energy flowed through his limbs and bones, bringing the familiar warmth and growth of spiritual energy — not the slightest abnormality.
"Good… the clay bowl still works."
The great weight in Chen Yang's heart finally settled, and he let out a long, slow breath.
He still didn't know why the crack had healed on its own, but as long as the core duplication function was undamaged, all was well.
He gathered his focus and began guiding the spiritual energy within his body, preparing to fully digest the Spirit Origin Pill's medicinal power and consolidate his newly broken-through seventh level of the Qi Refinement Realm cultivation.
The night deepened.
The small room was utterly still, filled only with Chen Yang's slow, even breathing.
Time passed — how much was unclear, but it was perhaps around midnight.
Suddenly, the protective restrictions around the courtyard — only recently repaired — rippled with an extremely faint disturbance, like the gentle rings spreading across still water!
The disturbance was so subtle that had Chen Yang's divine sense not been far beyond that of cultivators at the same level, nourished as it was by his cultivation and the Yimu Immortality Art, he would have barely noticed it!
Someone had triggered the restrictions!
Chen Yang jolted out of meditation, a sharp light flashing in his eyes.
He suppressed his presence and rose without a sound, slipping through the courtyard like a cat, peering out through the courtyard gate.
Outside, moonlight lay like water across a scene of perfect stillness — not a single figure in sight.
"A false alarm?" The thought had barely formed in Chen Yang's mind.
Suddenly, a cool and familiar voice came from behind him:
"What are you looking at?"
Chen Yang's entire body went rigid. He spun around!
A slender, silver-haired figure stood silently in the courtyard — he had no idea when she had appeared — gazing at him quietly.
Moonlight poured down from above, casting a pale luminescence over her. It was Shen Hongmei!
"Se— Senior!"
Chen Yang was both startled and delighted. He quickly bowed in greeting:
"You… didn't you say you wouldn't come for three days?"
Shen Hongmei swept her gaze over him, her tone calm and even:
"The sect's affairs were resolved early, so I came to check in."
A warm current surged through Chen Yang's heart.
Senior… she truly thought of him so fondly — the moment her business was done, she had come in the dead of night to look in on him.
This consideration left him both touched and a little overwhelmed.
Shen Hongmei's gaze lingered on him for a moment, as if assessing his condition, then she said:
"I was also a little worried. That palm Yang Tianming struck you with yesterday — how are your injuries? Take off your shirt and let me have a proper look."
Chen Yang immediately waved his hand. "Thank you for your concern, Senior! But there's no need to trouble yourself — the injuries are already fine, I've fully recovered."
What he said was the truth. Lin Yang's Minor Vitality Cultivation Pill had been remarkably effective, and combined with his own strong recovery, the hairline fracture in his chest and the internal organ shock had indeed fully healed.
However, the moment his words fell, he keenly noticed that Shen Hongmei's previously calm and expressionless face seemed to…
Cool ever so slightly.
Those clear, cold eyes appeared to take on a faint glaze of frost as they rested on him in silence.
"Since your injuries have healed, I'll take my leave then."