The Spiritual Pivot of Mortal Cultivation

The wind blowing from the back mountain lately has been carrying a bitter smell, like something that's been soaking in a medicinal pool.

Bai Xuanxin stood at the edge of the forest, completing the "Luoyan Step" three times in one breath before slowly coming to a stop. The fallen leaves under his feet didn't disturb much, but his shoulders and back were already soaked with sweat. Judging by his appearance alone, he seemed more composed and calmer than before, like a thin knife just pulled from the furnace of medicine and sweat, its edge yet to be revealed, but its chill already seeping into his bones.

He's been practicing very hard these days.

Urgent, but not chaotic.

During the day, first walk the smoke trail, then dismantle the wooden stakes;

After nightfall, go to the medicinal pool and take the internal medicine.

After returning to the room, he would repeatedly go over the deadly situation at Shenshou Valley in his mind.

The bird has already been spotted.

Qu Hun has already been drawn into the game.

Next, only Han Li remains as a lead, and he's still half a step away.

This half-step is not about friendship.

Bai Xuanxin knew better than anyone that on the night Shenshou Valley truly turned against him, what he needed most was not a Han Li who would be grateful to him, but a Han Li who, in the face of life and death, would trust him even a little and be willing to give him a break.

This half-line cannot be exchanged for anything else.

The only thing we can do is gradually press it into his heart.

So on this day, Bai Xuanxin still went to Shenshou Valley.

He was still carrying a bamboo basket, which contained some common medicinal herbs and a bag of coarse sugar bought from the foot of the mountain. As he reached the mouth of the valley, the wind slowly blew out, carrying a heavier, more intense smell of herbs that made his chest feel suffocated.

Bai Xuanxin's nose twitched slightly, and her eyes turned cold.

The taste was even more chaotic than it had been a few days ago.

It was no longer just a mixture of fiery heat and cold, but had an added layer of acrid bitterness from being repeatedly stir-fried, as if several batches of medicine had been ruined in succession, the aroma of the medicine floating on top, but the essence of the medicine had dissipated. As soon as this smell came out, Bai Xuanxin knew what was going on—Han Li had most likely been secretly forcing the medicine to be taken away these past few days.

That's not surprising.

With Mo Juren already back in the mountains, every day Han Li delayed meant a further decrease in his lifespan. If he were still the fourteen or fifteen-year-old village boy from the original story, he would likely have been driven to distraction by this pressure. But Han Li is Han Li; the more desperate the situation, the more composed he became. However, this composure was ultimately forced upon him; even the steadyest bow, if stretched too long, will eventually become stiff.

Bai Xuanxin walked along the medicine shelf and sure enough, she saw Han Li squatting next to the stone table.

Scattered on the table were four or five small bowls, each containing a different concentration of medicinal liquid, with a pile of blackened, sticky dregs beside them. Han Li held a pestle in his hand, slowly grinding something, his movements steady and deliberate, seemingly no different from usual. But Bai Xuanxin could tell that this "no difference" was itself a difference that was almost too much to bear.

When Han Li looked up, a hint of instinctive alertness flashed in his eyes, which he quickly suppressed.

"Senior Brother Bai."

Bai Xuanxin placed the bamboo basket aside, but his gaze didn't fall on Han Li first; instead, it landed on the small bowls and the dregs of medicine. After a glance, the corner of his lips twitched slightly.

"With the medicinal fragrance so strong, it will be difficult to let it penetrate further."

Han Li paused for a moment while holding the pestle.

Not big.

Only half a breath.

If it were anyone else, they would probably just think he was tired. But Bai Xuanxin saw it very clearly: during that pause, Han Li's right hand clenched very slightly, as if someone had suddenly pressed down on the most important line in his heart.

"Senior Brother Bai has a keen eye," Han Li said calmly. "It's just that two batches of miscellaneous medicines were ruined; it's nothing."

Upon hearing this, Bai Xuanxin did not refute it, but simply took a few steps closer and looked down at the dregs of the medicine.

The first batch was dark in color and sticky, but when broken, it had a hollow, burnt aroma, as if the outer layer was fully cooked, but the inside hadn't been properly roasted.

The second batch of herbs dispersed, their aroma was strong, and one could tell from the nose that the medicinal power was entirely contained in the fragrance.

The third pile was the most obvious; the color was correct, but the heat was wrong—the medicine added later broke apart first, while the medicine that should have been pressing down on the base was forced to disintegrate by the heat.

A thought flashed through Bai Xuanxin's mind, and a faint glimmer appeared in his eyes.

These past few days, Han Li has probably not only been brewing medicine, but he's also been risking his life.

The path he wants to take is probably to "force the medicine to enter the meridians first, and then use the medicine's power to break through that barrier."

The idea isn't wrong.

However, the technique was still a bit clumsy.

Bai Xuanxin then reached out and picked up a small pinch of dregs of medicine, gently rubbed them between her fingertips, and then brought them to her nose to smell before speaking slowly and deliberately:

"The problem with this batch isn't the herbs, it's the order in which they were prepared."

Han Li raised his eyes but did not reply.

Bai Xuanxin seemed to be casually discussing medicine, her expression indifferent.

"If you add this fiery ingredient first, the aroma will come out first. Once the aroma comes out, it will smell like the medicine is ready, but in reality, the aroma inside hasn't been properly contained. In traditional Chinese medicine terms, the superficial fire overpowers the essence of the medicine; pharmacologically speaking, the first layer of active ingredients will evaporate first, leaving only a concentrated appearance in the soup, which is actually weak."

As he said this, he stirred the second pile of dregs next to him.

"As for this ingredient, it should be roasted first and then decocted. But you just pushed it directly into the pot. The dryness from the first ingredient hasn't subsided yet, and when it goes in, it will only push away the other ingredients. The aroma will certainly be strong, but most of it will just float on the surface. When people smell it, their chests will feel warm, their limbs will feel warm, and they may even feel as if their meridians have opened up for a short time, but it will all dissipate after a while. Why? Because it didn't really sink down."

This time, Han Li truly put down the pestle.

The defensiveness in his eyes remained, but there was a deeper layer of something within them, as if he were measuring how much Bai Xuanxin had actually seen, and how much he could truly understand.

Bai Xuanxin was not in a hurry to approach. She gently separated the pile of dregs on the stone table and picked out the medicinal herbs one by one according to the texture.

"Let this ingredient simmer at the bottom first, don't rush it."

"Add this ingredient last, and remove it from the heat as soon as it's turned off; do not simmer for too long."

"The middle ingredient is the most troublesome. If you want it to not overpower the first one, you have to suppress it first. The method is simple: first blanch it to remove the scum, then simmer it."

He paused briefly, then finally looked up at Han Li.

"Medicine is also a person. The more you try to make it exert all its strength right away, the faster it will run out of power. On the contrary, you should first let it guard its roots, and then force it later, so that the medicine can penetrate deeper."

This sentence, on the surface, refers to medicine.

Bai Xuanxin didn't intend to ask Han Li whether he understood the other meaning behind it.

Because some things are best left for the other person to ponder.

Han Li remained silent for a moment, then suddenly spoke:

"According to Senior Brother Bai, to avoid the clash of fire elements, we should proceed cautiously first and then force it?"

Bai Xuanxin's heart stirred slightly.

now it's right.

If Han Li had truly been wary of him, he wouldn't have continued the conversation at all. The fact that he was willing to respond to this question shows that his trip today had not been in vain.

"Slow down first, then force it, that's one aspect." Bai Xuanxin withdrew her hand, her voice still calm. "What's more important is to prevent the medicine from clashing and killing each other right away. You want to be aggressive, that's fine. But aggressiveness and chaos are only a step apart. The problem with your current batch of medicine is that you're too eager to speed things up."

Han Li did not refute.

He just looked down at the piles of medicine residue that Bai Xuanxin had separated. After a moment, he suddenly raised his hand and moved the medicine bowls aside. Then he picked up the medicine again, separated the piles, and started the furnace again.

As soon as this set of actions was performed, Bai Xuanxin felt a little relieved.

Because Han Li is not the kind of person who will agree with something just by talking.

If he truly finds you useful, the first thing he'll do isn't say "thank you," but rather try your method directly.

The fire was reignited, the flames leaping and dancing beneath the clay furnace, casting flickering light on Han Li's profile. Bai Xuanxin stood by, offering no prompting, simply watching quietly.

Soon, the first ingredient was put into the pot.

This time, Han Li didn't rush things like before. Instead, he let the breath rise slowly, allowing the medicinal aroma to settle before adding the second ingredient in a very light dose. After that, he lifted the lid, turned off the heat, and added the powdered medicine, each step more steady than before.

This half-point is not much.

But in the eyes of the person actually brewing the medicine, it's a matter of "whether or not a batch of medicine will be wasted".

The scent of the medicine gradually changed.

The previously overly lively, superficial aroma gradually faded, replaced by a deeper, richer, and more inward-flowing fragrance. It was as if something that had been scattered in the wind had finally been gathered back inch by inch, pressed to the bottom of the pot, and embedded in the medicinal ingredients.

As Bai Xuanxin looked at the fire in the furnace, the thread in her heart slowly began to sink.

That's enough.

He came today not to become Han Li's master, nor to bestow any favor. He simply wanted to instill something more in Han Li's heart before Divine Hand Valley truly exploded.

Let him know—

Bai Xuanxin is more than just a talker.

When it really comes down to it, they can indeed lend a hand.

This is the most valuable part.

The aroma of the medicine on the stove gradually stabilized, and the wind, passing through the medicine rack, slowly pushed the sinking scent deeper into the valley. Bai Xuanxin's nose twitched, and suddenly she smelled another, colder, and more mixed scent coming from the stone house, as if Mo Juren was also brewing something. The two medicinal smells collided across the courtyard, and it was impossible to say which one sounded more like a death knell.

A slight chill ran through Bai Xuanxin's eyes, but she didn't show it.

He knew very well that what he was doing now was not for winning any pharmacological battles, nor was it to show off his superior skills in front of Han Li.

What he truly wanted to fight for was only one thing—

Before Mo Juren turns against him, he should raise his martial arts skills and his connection with Han Li by half an inch.

Because when that night truly arrives, what will determine whether they can win the battle against Godhand Valley will not be any pretty words, but rather:

Whether I can get into the game.

Han Li wouldn't believe it even a little bit.

Could the two of them kill that old ghost Mo Juren and Qu Hun in the shortest possible moment?

Therefore, martial arts skills must be seized.

Resources must be seized.

We also need to push Han Li's storyline forward little by little.

These three things are essentially the same thing.

Thinking of this, Bai Xuanxin finally withdrew her gaze, as if she had seen enough of the medicine and heard enough of the wind, and then raised her hand to pat her sleeves, preparing to leave.

Just before he turned around, Han Li suddenly spoke:

"Senior Brother Bai."

Bai Xuanxin stopped and turned around.

Han Li stood by the stove, still holding the medicine spoon in his hand. The firelight illuminated his eyebrows and eyes, revealing a hint of his usually well-hidden gaze. He looked at Bai Xuanxin with a calm expression, devoid of gratitude, warmth, or even the sudden realization that comes with being enlightened.

Yes, it is, but it is an extremely cold and clear reassessment.

It was as if only now was he truly willing to move Bai Xuanxin from her original spot and place her in a more important one.

He didn't say anything more, just nodded slightly.

But that nod was enough.

Upon seeing this, Bai Xuanxin's lips twitched only slightly.

"The worst thing about medicine isn't that it's not potent enough," he said, "but that it looks potent but is actually weak."

"If you really want to simmer it, don't let it just have a thin layer of aroma left."

After saying that, he didn't linger any longer. He picked up the bamboo basket, turned around, and left Shenshou Valley.

The wind at the valley entrance was cold, making the corners of her clothes tighten slightly. Bai Xuanxin walked back, her steps unhurried, but her heart was heavier and more composed than when she came.

This step has finally pushed things forward by half an inch.

However, half an inch, in a deadly situation like the Valley of the Divine Hands, is often enough to be fatal.