Chapter 48: Spiritual Burst Pill **

Time trickled by, and soon dusk fell over the Lin courtyard. The skies darkened, casting a deep indigo hue over the town, while streetlights powered by intricate formation arrays flickered to life, their soft glow illuminating the cobblestone streets. This was the hour when those fortunate enough to secure work began returning to the Lin estate, their steps steady and faces wearied by the day's labor.

Those less fortunate, unable to find employment, had long since trudged home, their disappointment heavier than the setting sun. Inside the main hall of the two-story Lin residence, old man Lin Moyi sat serenely, a steaming cup of winter leaf tea cradled in his hands. The soft light of a nearby lantern outlined his weathered face, its deep lines speaking of years of experience and untold struggles.

The faint aroma of roasted meat lingered in the air, complementing the sharp, refreshing scent of his tea. He sipped slowly, savoring the stillness of the evening, a stillness soon to be interrupted.

The doors creaked open, and Jiang Feng staggered in. His clothes were torn and dirtied, clinging to his bruised body, and his hair hung in disarray. Yet, despite his battered appearance, a spark of excitement burned in his eyes. The day's events had been anything but uneventful. Crossing paths with the arrogant Bia clan and clashing with Bia Zhen had been far from ideal, but the thrill of practicing his blacksmithing skills and learning about the Obsidian Battlegrounds had left his spirit ablaze.

As he entered the hall, the rich, tantalizing aroma of roasted meat hit him with full force, overpowering the faint scent of tea. His stomach growled loudly, and hunger, deep and gnawing, rose within him like a beast. For a moment, it eclipsed everything else, even his excitement. 'Why am I this hungry?' he wondered, the thought growing louder with each step.

Jiang Feng made his way to the table and slumped into the seat opposite Lin Moyi. Before he could utter a word, his body trembled violently. A wave of dizziness washed over him, and his vision blurred. Hunger, raw and unrelenting, seized him entirely, dragging him to the edge of unconsciousness.

Lin Moyi set his cup down, his calm demeanor replaced by a sharp frown as he observed the boy's deteriorating state. "You should remember," he said, his tone measured and firm, "that you carry something others desire. Whatever that thing is, it clearly demands a great deal of energy to sustain itself. Perhaps it's drawing on your body to strengthen itself, or it may need a constant supply of resources, herbs, pills, and the like."

Without another word, Lin Moyi rose and ascended the wooden staircase. His movements were steady despite the urgency in the situation. After five minutes, he returned, holding a small, ornate wooden box with a golden seal glimmering faintly on its surface. Carefully breaking the seal, he opened the box, revealing a single pristine white pill resting inside. As the lid lifted, an intense medicinal fragrance filled the room, sweet and sharp, instantly sharpening the senses.

"I've kept this Spiritual Burst Pill for fifty years," Lin Moyi said, his voice tinged with regret. "It was meant to aid Lin Rou's breakthrough to the Golden Core realm. But it seems its use has come sooner than I intended."

Jiang Feng's body convulsed slightly as he teetered on the brink of collapse, unable to process what was happening. Lin Moyi acted swiftly, prying the boy's mouth open and placing the pill on his tongue. The moment it touched, the pill melted into a cool liquid that slid down Jiang Feng's throat, spreading a soothing chill throughout his body.

A moment later, a torrent of spiritual energy erupted from within him, surging through his veins like a flood breaking free of a dam. The energy was overwhelming, far beyond what his body could normally withstand. The energy moved swiftly, threatening to tear his body apart from the inside out!

The Spiritual Burst Pill, created from hundreds of rare spiritual herbs, was no ordinary medicine. Chief among its ingredients was the Snow Lily, an herb renowned for easing the strain of high-energy pills on the human body. Despite its gentler properties, the sheer force of the energy was enough to threaten Jiang Feng's life due to his low cultivation. But before he could cry out in pain, a ferocious suction force erupted from his chest, pulling the rampant energy inward.

The dragon within him stirred. Its ethereal form, coiled around his heart at this moment, opened its maw wide and began devouring the spiritual energy with a ravenous hunger. What should have been an unimaginable boon for Jiang Feng, a pill capable of aiding breakthroughs to the Golden Core realm, was consumed by the dragon as though it were nothing more than a light snack. With each passing second, the dragon grew more substantial, its body becoming clearer and larger.

Lin Moyi stood to the side, his eyes wide with astonishment. The Spiritual Burst Pill was a grade-three Human Rank pill, teetering on the edge of grade four. In Axina, pills were ranked according to the cultivation level they supported. Human Rank pills were sufficient for cultivators up to the Golden Core realm, the third stage of cultivation. Beyond that were Earth Rank pills.

Earth Rank pills were required for those in the Nascent Soul stage and were considered as fourth rank. The Nascent Soul Stage was worlds apart from the Golden Core stage, as it was commonly known that from the Foundation stage to the Golden Core Realm, mortals classified it as being in the Human Realm.

But once one attained the level of Nascent Soul, which was an entirely different league of power, one would be considered as a soul entity. Their soul would be strengthened, and grew closer to the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, becoming something more spiritual than human.

To see a mere Foundation Stage boy consume such a powerful pill without exploding on the spot was unheard of. Yet, here Jiang Feng was, his body devouring the pill's energy with terrifying efficiency. Lin Moyi's shock deepened as he realized the implications.

"That draconic aura..." he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. "Whatever resides within him is no ordinary thing at all, I had my assumptions that he could handle but not to this degree. Its demands for resources are insatiable, and the more it consumes, the stronger it becomes. If this continues, there may be no limit to what he can achieve."

Even so, Lin Moyi couldn't suppress a shiver. Witnessing the boy's body absorb a grade-three pill like it was a casual meal was a sight he wouldn't forget for the rest of his life.

Lin Moyi stood silently, his mind racing as he watched over Jiang Feng. The dragon within him grew larger, its ethereal scales shimmering faintly like starlight in a dimly lit sky. The once abstract form of the beast was becoming more defined with every passing moment, its long serpentine body coiling tighter around Jiang Feng's heart.

Each wave of energy the dragon devoured seemed to strengthen not only itself but also Jiang Feng's body, fortifying his meridians and stabilizing the surging energy within him. It was as though his body was undergoing a transformation, one that would undoubtedly place him far beyond his peers.