The next morning, the Medicine Hall courtyard buzzed with energy. Rows of formation pillars gleamed faintly, their inscriptions glowing with rhythmic light. In the center stood Li Ming, his sleeves rolled up, vial in hand — the medicine he’d refined yesterday gleaming faintly with pale gold light. Bai Guo perched on a nearby pillar, yawning. "Descendant, this looks suspiciously like one of those things where you get punched to ’test your progress.’" Li Ming frowned. "It’s a controlled combat simulation." "Controlled," Bai Guo echoed, "until someone explodes." Lan Yue crossed her arms. "He’s not wrong. Try not to blow up the courtyard this time." From the opposite end, Xue Yan stepped forward, her robes fluttering slightly in the morning wind. A faint smirk curved her lips. "You’re going to spar against me, Li Ming. The master said it’s the only way to test how your medicine interacts with live Qi circulation." Li Ming’s expression froze. "Wait— you? You’re at mid Core Formation! That’s not a spar, that’s a punishment." "Don’t worry," she said sweetly. "I’ll hold back. Probably." Bai Guo whispered, "Descendant, that’s the same thing you said to the Marsh Python." Li Ming sighed. "Great. At least I’ll die healthy." The master raised his hand from the viewing platform. "Begin." The formation around them flared to life. Instantly, Li Ming felt the shift in air pressure — the dense Qi pressing against his skin. Xue Yan moved first, a blur of red and silver as her palm strike whistled through the air. Li Ming barely dodged, his feet sliding across the stone. Fast. He could feel the faint burn of her Qi pressing into the ground even after she withdrew. He uncorked the vial and swallowed a single drop. The golden liquid slid down his throat like lightning turned to silk — warm, pure, alive. His Qi flared instantly, steady but sharp, every movement of energy smoother than before. Bai Guo squawked, half-impressed. "Oh, he’s glowing again. That’s either a good sign or imminent combustion!" Li Ming ignored him and dashed forward. Lightning crackled under his boots as he swung his palm in a controlled arc — a blend of Thunder Flow technique and the medicine’s stabilizing rhythm. Their palms met — boom! — a shockwave rippled through the courtyard. Dust spiraled around them, the formation symbols flickering from the impact. Xue Yan’s eyes glimmered with surprise. "You’re faster." "Refined energy," Li Ming said, steadying his breath. "It’s smoother... easier to guide." She smiled faintly. "Then let’s push it further." Her next attack came layered — three strikes chained with perfect rhythm. Li Ming countered the first, redirected the second, and used a burst of lightning Qi to deflect the third. His stance was more stable than ever before. Each time her Qi pressed against his, he could feel his internal energy responding fluidly, adjusting instead of clashing — the exact effect the medicine was designed to create. Lan Yue called from the side, "Your rhythm’s good — but don’t rely on the medicine too much! Let your own Qi guide it!" Li Ming nodded mid-movement, sliding back as Xue Yan unleashed a spinning kick. He met it with a surge of lightning from his palm, the impact crackling through the air like a thunderclap. The two separated, a faint scorch mark between them. The master’s eyes narrowed in approval. "The medicine balances aggressive and defensive flows. His Qi flow has stabilized almost perfectly." Bai Guo flapped once, muttering, "Stable? He’s glowing, sparking, and bleeding enthusiasm. That’s not stable." Li Ming grinned despite the sweat on his brow. His movements felt sharp, alive. Each breath carried power. For once, his lightning didn’t threaten to spiral out of control — it pulsed in rhythm with him. He wiped the corner of his mouth, eyes gleaming. "Let’s test its limit." Xue Yan tilted her head. "You’re serious?" The air cracked. Lightning and flame Qi collided midair as they charged simultaneously. The entire courtyard flashed white for an instant. When the light cleared, the ground was cracked — but both of them were still standing. Xue Yan exhaled, brushing her hair back. "Not bad... for someone who nearly set himself on fire last week." Li Ming smirked. "Progress is progress." The master stepped forward, his tone even but approving. "Enough. The medicine works — its refinement level has reached intermediate mastery. You’ve balanced Qi circulation and medicinal essence successfully." Li Ming lowered his stance, chest heaving. "Then... it’s a success?" "Partially." The master’s gaze sharpened. "Next, you’ll learn to enhance it — merge it with your own lightning essence. Only then will it truly belong to you." Bai Guo muttered, "Here we go again. Descendant, congratulations on surviving the warm-up." Li Ming exhaled, a grin spreading across his face. "Good. Then let’s see how far I can push this art." The courtyard hummed faintly with leftover Qi, sunlight reflecting off the faint shimmer in his hands — a sign that medicine and lightning were beginning to resonate. The courtyard was still humming with faint traces of Qi when Li Ming bowed lightly toward the master and the others. His pulse was steady, but he could feel the drain beneath his skin — that hollow ache every cultivator knew too well after burning through their reserves. The master’s gaze followed him quietly. "You’ve pushed your limit for today. Go. Recover properly." Li Ming nodded, still feeling the subtle rhythm of energy flowing through him. Even as he walked away, the lightning in his veins felt different — calmer, deeper, as if the medicine had stitched his power together. Inside the Medicine Hall, the scent of herbs and spirit grass filled the air. Rows of cauldrons glowed faintly, some bubbling softly, others radiating quiet heat. Li Ming rolled his sleeves and exhaled. "A simple recovery elixir. That’s all. Nothing complicated this time." Bai Guo, perched near the window, tilted his head. "That’s what you said before the marsh started glowing last week." Li Ming didn’t reply. He focused. He gathered several mid-grade herbs — Spirit Willow, Frost Ginseng, and an Azure Petal. Each pulsed faintly as he placed them into the cauldron. A thin layer of lightning Qi wrapped around his fingertips, refining them carefully. The medicine began to blend, forming a pale blue mist. The scent was crisp — cooling, rejuvenating. Li Ming’s eyes narrowed. "Perfect flow. Just a little more Qi..." He adjusted the heat formation and reached for a ladle. As he leaned forward, the jade pendant hanging around his neck slipped loose — unnoticed — and fell directly into the pot with a quiet plop. A faint surge pulsed through the cauldron. The color shifted instantly — from blue to gold, then to blinding white. The hall filled with radiant light, humming like thunder trapped in glass. Li Ming froze, instinctively backing away, his hand shielding his face. When the glow subsided, the liquid inside shimmered like molten jade — soft, dense, alive with spiritual energy. "...That wasn’t supposed to happen." He stared at it for a long moment. The jade necklace had disintegrated completely, its energy now flowing through the liquid. For a cultivator’s pendant that enhanced Qi tenfold, that much power condensed into a single vial was — insane. Still, his body trembled slightly from exhaustion. He hesitated... then exhaled. "One sip." He took a careful drink. Instantly, the world roared. Qi exploded through his meridians — not violently, but with overwhelming density. Every channel burned with light. His veins pulsed with raw lightning, his core vibrating like a thunder drum. The air around him warped. The cauldron cracked. Li Ming gritted his teeth, forcing his breathing to steady. "Control it. Guide it." He sat cross-legged, circulating his Qi, merging the incoming power with his own lightning essence. The hall trembled softly — shelves rattled, herbs shimmered. A streak of lightning arced from his body to the ceiling, vanishing into the air. Moments stretched. The flow stabilized. Then — a deep boom resounded within his dantian, and his aura surged upward like a wave. Lan Yue burst through the door, eyes widening. "Li Ming—your cultivation—!" Xue Yan followed, her own spiritual sense flickering in disbelief. "He’s... breaking through again?!" Li Ming opened his eyes slowly, lightning flickering faintly in his pupils. His presence had deepened — his aura steadier, sharper, far more profound than before. He stood, the faint hum of power still echoing in the room. "From mid-stage... to advanced mid-stage Core Formation." Bai Guo blinked from the window, speechless for once. Lan Yue frowned, still sensing the traces of Qi in the air. "What did you drink?" Li Ming glanced at the cauldron, then at the faint shimmer where his jade necklace once hung. "...A mistake that worked too well." Tʜe sourcᴇ of thɪs content ɪs 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹✶𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲✶𝗻𝗲𝘁 Xue Yan crossed her arms, smirking. "Only you would turn an accident into a breakthrough." Li Ming smiled faintly. "Maybe it wasn’t an accident." He turned his palm over, lightning quietly coiling between his fingers. "Medicine, Qi, lightning — they’re not separate paths. Just different rhythms of life." Lan Yue nodded slowly. "Then keep walking it. You’ve found your balance." The sunlight streamed through the hall windows, illuminating the faint glow still radiating from the cauldron. Li Ming gazed at it, eyes calm but burning with purpose. If medicine could amplify cultivation ... then perhaps the next step wasn’t just healing or fighting — but forging power itself.