Chapter 86: Suggestion
Chapter 86: Suggestion
Contrary to what its name might imply, the astral equipment designed to enhance human healing wasn't some bulky contraption. In fact, it was surprisingly small and designed to be worn as a ring. Despite its diminutive size, it had remarkably fast healing properties.
Not long after Li Pin and Fang Lingjue received their numbers, they entered a fully enclosed room that was clean and tidy, resembling an operating room. Inside, an Astral Cultivator operated the astral equipment. He treated everyone equally.
Upon seeing Li Pin enter, that Astral Cultivator immediately activated the equipment without saying anything.
A tranquil light shot out from the astral equipment, illuminating Li Pin's body. In an instant, Li Pin felt as though his entire being had come back to life.
The Astral Cultivator explained, "Your tendons and bones have been injured. The wounds will require two to three treatment sessions, each lasting one to two hours. During this period, eat plenty to replenish your nutrition. For any further inquiries, please refer to the notice posted outside."
After that, he called out, "Next!"
The entire process took less than two minutes.
Li Pin left the treatment room and headed toward the nearby resting area.
"How did it go?" Fang Lingjue asked.
Quietly assessing the changes in his condition, Li Pin replied, "The effect lasts for one to two hours, but the recovery achieved during this time is roughly equivalent to half a month's worth of healing."
"The astral equipment only significantly enhances the body's natural healing ability. You will still need to replenish the necessary nutrients during this period. If you don't take the prescribed herbs, you might just feel weak and powerless if you're lucky. If not, you could end up depleting your primordial qi."
"I understand."
Li Pin took out a porcelain bottle, poured out a few medicinal pills, and swallowed them. Then he quietly focused on the healing effects. As he concentrated, he soon noticed some subtle changes, but that was the extent of it.
The power of the astral equipment seemed to work at an atomic level. That was far beyond Li Pin's reach, which barely extended to the cellular level.
All he could do was carefully note the sensations of the healing process and hope that, even without the astral equipment's assistance, he could replicate its effects to some degree in the future.
After an hour, the healing effect began to weaken. Li Pin had gained a basic understanding of how the astral equipment's healing function worked, though his grasp was superficial due to his inability to perceive it at the atomic level.
To quantify it in terms of qi and blood, when an Astral Cultivator used the equipment, it could restore fifteen to twenty points of qi and blood in a single day. With Li Pin's current physical condition, he could fully recover from severe injuries within two to three days. In contrast, the equipment's effect on Li Pin was limited to restoring just two to three points of qi and blood, which was only marginally better than his body's natural healing ability.
"If I could use the astral equipment for recovery, I could push myself to the limits repeatedly during my training sessions, significantly boosting my cultivation progress," Li Pin mused to himself.
Suddenly, someone chimed in from the side, "Hehe, otherwise, how would those young disciples from prominent clans attain Aura Force or even reach the Aura Cultivation realm at such a young age?"
It was then that Li Pin noticed Jiang Qingyue, Cao Tianyou, Luo Baihe, and an unfamiliar man had been waiting outside his resting room for some time. He had been so focused on sensing the astral equipment's healing effects on himself that he hadn't noticed them earlier.
Glancing at them, Li Pin couldn't help but feel surprised, especially when he saw Cao Tianyou. Cao Tianyou had very clearly stated that they wanted to draw boundaries with Li Pin, so shouldn't Cao Tianyou have kept his distance from Li Pin?
"Chairman Jiang, Sect Master Cao, Grandmaster Luo," called out Li Pin.
"Hahaha, Master Li, let me introduce you to the other chairman of the Jiang Province Martial Society, Grandmaster Lian Hongchen," Cao Tianyou said with a smile.
Lian Hongchen smiled warmly. "Master Li, how are you feeling? Treatment with the astral equipment must be gradual. You shouldn't rush it."
"Thank you for your concern. I am aware of my own condition," Li Pin replied.
"Healing your injuries with the astral equipment will greatly deplete your primordial qi. Here's a bottle of Essence Primordial Pills. It's very beneficial for nourishing your primordial qi. Use it for now, and if you need more, I can get you additional supplies," Lian Hongchen offered.
"Using the Five Elements Unity at the Aura Force level has a profound impact on your internal organs. If you had informed me earlier about reaching this stage, I would have prepared more Five Qi's to Primordiality Pills for you," Cao Tianyou added, handing over a box. "Take it. It will accelerate the rate at which you temper your organs."
Li Pin looked at them thoughtfully.
It was clear that Cao Tianyou was trying to mend their relationship. As for Lian Hongchen, was he planning to use Li Pin's situation against Lin Yuzhi?
Li Pin had never considered becoming an enemy of the chairman of the Jiang Province Martial Society, yet the chairman now stood in his way.
Li Pin nodded. Having accepted their offerings, he decided to show his appreciation.
"The Solar Vermillion Sect has suffered losses with two Core Formation Disciples and an Aura Cultivation expert associated with them. I doubt they will simply let this go. My suggestion is to use me as bait to draw them out," Li Pin proposed.
After all, the Solar Vermillion Sect still had a grandmaster and a formidable Martial Saint capable of maintaining his strength at the Internal Aura realm. Not to mention their numerous Core Formation and Aura Cultivation disciples. The sheer scale of their power was staggering!
Just thinking about it...
Cao Tianyou laughed. "Zhou Chaoguang's death was his own doing. Since he dared to ambush you during your match with another contestant, he brought it upon himself. We will take legal actions and initiate investigations into Zhou Chaoguang and those involved to see if we can uncover any interference with the martial competition."
Cao Tianyou smiled as he continued, "Putting other matters aside, considering that a martial society referee actually attacked a competitor, it's not just the Solar Vermillion Sect that will be facing trouble, Chairman Lin will have his share of issues as well. He surely won't have the energy left to deal with you"
"Trouble?" mumbled Li Pin.
Given that the Solar Vermillion Sect and the martial society had audaciously allowed Zhou Chaoguang to intimidate him with his fist intent, they surely had plans in place for when things went wrong. They might even investigate internally. Even if external investigators came, without their cooperation, there was nothing they could uncover.
"Master Li, you underestimate yourself." Lian Hongchen smiled. "With the strength you have demonstrated today, even if you haven't reached the Aura Cultivation realm yet, you're certainly not far from it.
"With this level of skills, you have the potential to excel not only in the Jiang Province Martial Competition but also to secure a top-ten finish in the national competition! With such potential, your future is boundless. How could the investigation team afford to overlook you?"
Luo Baihe chimed in with a smile. "Moreover, given your youth, if you manage to win a round or two in the national competition, you'll become a rising star in Jiang Province's martial arts community. The attention alone will deter any nefarious schemes."
Li Pin listened and fell into deep thought.
Youth? Doesn't that mean that I'll be a target for elimination? After all, how could a dead man be a threat?
"Rest well, Master Li. Call us if you need anything."
After ensuring that Li Pin was fine, Lian Hongchen, Cao Tianyou, Jiang Qingyue, and the others left.
Cao Tianyou suggested keeping Zhao Yuan behind to assist Li Pin, but Li Pin declined the offer. He preferred the company of Fang Lingjue alone, believing that adding another person would only make things inconvenient.