Chapter 18: The Drawbacks of Elixirs

As evening slowly approached, Chen Lin set aside his manual on artifact refining and walked over to the rabbit cage. He found the rabbit still hopping around energetically, showing no signs of abnormality.

Only then did he finally feel at ease.

The pill he had refined smelled quite similar to the Enlightenment Pill described in the book from the women of Shuiyue Pavilion, though the physical description was somewhat different.

However, he had no time for more meticulous verification now; regardless of how the pill looked, as long as it wasn't poisonous, it would suffice.

"I spent over three hundred spirit stones on this. I hope you can be of some use!"

After confirming the pill wouldn't poison him to death, Chen Lin swallowed it in one gulp.

It was pungent, sour, and bitter.

Even swallowing it whole left Chen Lin's taste buds feeling ravaged.

But soon, a profound sensation enveloped his mind, leaving him no room to dwell on the taste.

As this mysterious feeling emerged, Chen Lin felt his thoughts become exceptionally active. Many things he had previously forgotten came flooding back, and his reasoning became orderly and logical, allowing him to identify key points in the shortest amount of time.

This?

He was startled at first, but then overcome with wild joy. He hurriedly pulled out the *Detailed Explanation of Basic Spells* and flipped to the page on Object Manipulation to begin reading.

This time, he immediately felt a difference.

Previously, he had believed he had studied this spell thoroughly, but looking at it again now, he discovered he had missed many hidden nuances.

And just as he had suspected, while his previous deductions using scientific theories were rigorous enough, they had ignored the fundamental differences between a scientific system and a cultivation system.

After re-understanding the principles, Chen Lin took out the Xiaoyao Sword and continued to comprehend the spell while practicing.

This time, he was like a fish in water. He could quickly master many difficulties, finally experiencing what it felt like to be a genius.

Fifteen minutes later.

While Chen Lin was immersed in his joyful cultivation, his body suddenly shuddered, and the profound sensation receded as quickly as a tide.

Immediately following this, he let out a scream and collapsed to the ground, clutching his head.

He rolled around while screaming, his head feeling as if it were being pierced by countless steel needles. It took quite a while before the splitting headache slowly dissipated.

"Could there be something wrong with this pill?"

Tortured by such intense pain, Chen Lin couldn't help but doubt the reliability of the pill.

Yet, that profound sensation just now had been real, and it truly possessed the effect of increasing comprehension.

In just fifteen minutes, he had basically mastered Object Manipulation to the point where he could use it proficiently.

With a mere thought, the Xiaoyao Flying Sword hovered in mid-air, moving as flexibly as a small fish under the control of the spell, obeying his every command.

It seemed the effect of the pill was quite good.

If he had used slow, painstaking effort, it would have likely taken him several months, or even half a year, to reach this level of Object Manipulation.

But now, it had only taken fifteen minutes.

Of course, such speed was also related to the extensive practice he had done previously.

But the effect was still exaggerated.

While the effect was good, the side effects were also very obvious; that heart-wrenching headache was truly unbearable.

"Forget it. As long as it doesn't kill me with pain, I have to keep using it. The more spells I learn, the higher my chances of survival."

As he muttered to himself, Chen Lin's gaze became determined.

More than the torture of pain, he feared the eerie state of this place.

Glancing at the rabbit, which was still hopping around in the cage, Chen Lin rested for a while before beginning to craft talismans.

Early the next morning, he took his newly refined Fireball Talismans to the market. After selling them, he purchased another batch of materials for refining Enlightenment Pills.

Upon returning, he began the alchemy process.

After a full day of repeated refining, he finally obtained two more pitch-black, pungent, and irritating pills.

After cleaning the iron cauldron, Chen Lin stared at the two pills for a long time. Finally, gritting his teeth, he picked one up and swallowed it.

Following the pungent and sour taste, the profound sensation appeared once again.

Daring not to delay, he immediately began to comprehend the Wind Control Spell.

Sure enough, as his comprehension increased, he gained a new understanding of the spell, feeling a sense of sudden enlightenment.

Suppressing the wild joy in his heart, he focused all his attention on his comprehension.

Fifteen minutes later.

"Ah!"

Agony struck, and Chen Lin once again collapsed to the ground clutching his head.

This time, the pain lasted longer than the last, and the intensity had increased significantly.

After the intense pain subsided, Chen Lin's expression turned grim.

He never expected that the side effects of this pill would change and become increasingly severe!

At this rate, he didn't know how many more times he could endure it. His previous plan to rely on this pill to cycle through every spell he could afford was now in jeopardy.

What frustrated him even more was that the duration of this pill's effect was not enough to allow him to master the Wind Control Spell to a proficient level.

Circulating his spiritual power, Chen Lin's body slowly drifted off the ground, but after rising less than half a foot, he lost momentum.

Not only that, but while in this floating state, he was completely unable to maneuver his body to move.

His current progress could only be described as merely scratching the surface; he hadn't even reached a basic level, let alone mastery.

"No, since it's a Wind Control Spell, it should rely on the wind. I shouldn't be practicing inside a room!"

Suddenly, Chen Lin realized something. He slapped his forehead, tidied himself up, and pushed the door open to head out.

As the weather warmed, the ice and snow had gradually melted, and incidents of demon beasts attacking the city were decreasing.

Even so, Chen Lin did not dare to venture too far from the city. Instead, he went to a deserted area on the edge of the shantytown to practice the Wind Control Spell.

Just as he expected, the effect of the spell was much better in an open area. It happened to be slightly breezy today; by utilizing the wind, he could already make his body float about three feet high and move slowly with the wind.

This was a novel experience for someone who had never experienced levitation, and he spent a moment enjoying it immensely.

However, after playing for a while, he stopped.

Because even in this state, it was still useless.

He hadn't learned this spell to perform acrobatics; he needed it for combat and escape, and the current effect clearly fell short of that.

Therefore, he had to continue increasing his comprehension of the spell.

Moreover, since this was a flight-type spell, he wouldn't dare use it recklessly without reaching proficiency. If he were to fall halfway through a flight, it would be disastrous.

After resting for a while, he took a small bottle from his pocket, pulled off the stopper, and poured out the remaining Enlightenment Pill.

Self-study wasn't enough; he had to take the medicine.

After checking his surroundings once more to ensure there was no danger, he closed his eyes and popped the pill into his mouth.

Then, he began to practice with intense focus.

He was somewhat clumsy at first, but as his practice increased and his comprehension deepened, the height of his levitation began to climb steadily, and his movement speed in the air began to accelerate.

By the end of his practice, he could even hover more than twenty feet off the ground, though he was still somewhat awkward, only able to fly in straight lines. His speed depended on the wind, and he could not yet achieve the agility of a bird.

But this was already the limit of the Wind Control Spell; after all, it was only a low-level spell, and he could not expect too much.

Sensing that enough time had passed, Chen Lin hurriedly returned to the ground.

A moment later, he habitually clutched his head and leaned against a large tree, twitching uncontrollably.

The pain this time was even stronger, causing Chen Lin to dig his hands into the tree bark until they were covered in blood.

It took a long time before he returned to normal.

Chen Lin shook out his sweat-soaked robes and dazed for a moment before preparing to return to his quarters.

But in the next instant, his entire body tensed up, and his eyes narrowed as he looked toward a spot not far away.

A person was standing there!

"Old Yu?"

As soon as his hand touched the hilt of the Xiaoyao Sword, Chen Lin cried out in astonishment.

He recognized this person; it was Yu Yuehai, the elderly man who lived in the same courtyard and usually kept to himself.

"Why are you here?"

Although they lived in the same courtyard, Chen Lin did not know much about him and had very little contact with him, so he remained extremely vigilant.

"Heh, Fellow Daoist Chen is indeed a man of great perseverance. To be able to endure such mental torture... I suppose I underestimated you before."

A trace of a smile squeezed from Old Yu's weathered face as he continuously scrutinized Chen Lin, giving Chen Lin a sense of creeping dread.

"What do you mean? What exactly are you trying to do? I advise you not to play tricks, otherwise, don't blame me for being impolite!"

Chen Lin's tone turned sharp. Before the other man could speak, the Xiaoyao Sword, which he had been gripping, suddenly shot out, heading straight for the man!

Having lived two lives, he understood the principle of striking first. Moreover, it was impossible for the man to appear here at this time without a motive, so he struck directly.

However, he was not a ruthless person and did not wish to disregard another's life. This strike was aimed at the man's shoulder rather than a vital organ; even if he had mistaken the man's intentions, there would be room for reconciliation.

But his expression changed instantly.

With a mere slight lift of the man's hand, his flying sword was easily caught between two fingers, emitting a buzzing vibration.

"Tsk tsk, quite decisive, but unfortunately not ruthless enough. Such feminine compassion!"

With a flick of the old man's wrist, the flying sword snapped into two pieces with a loud *crack*.