The Circular Bottleneck

Han Li picked up a jade slip and gently blew on it, revealing its true, emerald-green surface.

He pressed the slip against his forehead and slowly sank his mind into its interior. The method for refining a specific pill appeared before him. It was the coveted Foundation Establishment Pill, a complete set from raw materials to final condensation. Surprise and joy welled up inside him.

For the moment, he set aside the other slip, eager to scan through the entire content first. But when his mind brushed against the line, “this pill can only be condensed by using True Yang Fire,” Han Li froze. A feeling of utter stupor washed over him.

True Yang Fire was a kind of Daoist flame that only Foundation Establishment cultivators could wield. It was a fundamental ability that arose naturally in any cultivator who had established their foundation. Its power would grow gradually as the cultivator sat in meditation and refined their qi. At the Core Formation stage, this flame would transform into the legendary Tripartite Fire, said to burn all things under heaven.

But how was Han Li, still at Qi Condensation, supposed to produce such a flame? He could only use it after he had established his foundation. Yet to establish his foundation, he first needed to refine the Foundation Establishment Pill. And to refine that pill, he needed the True Yang Fire of a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

A perfect, inescapable loop.

Han Li felt a surge of frustration so intense it made him want to slam his head against a wall.

Finding another Foundation Establishment cultivator to refine the pill was completely out of the question. That would be equivalent to handing over the secret of the little vial to that person. The very ally he invited would likely become the murderer who took his life.

He stood before the table, his mind in turmoil for a long while before he finally pulled the slip away from his forehead and put it back in its place. Distractedly, he picked up the other jade slip, wiped it clean, revealing a fiery red color.

“I’ll have to think about the Foundation Establishment Pill later,” he told himself. “Let’s see what this one holds. Maybe it contains some other miraculous pill.”

Han Li was decisive by nature. He immediately set aside the Foundation Establishment Pill matter and focused on inspecting the red jade slip, hoping for a pleasant surprise.

“Countenance Pill,” the words appeared in his mind as soon as his spirit sense entered. A bad feeling crept into him, but he tried to comfort himself. “The name might be that, but the pill’s effect might not be what I think. Perhaps it has other wondrous properties.”

But the next few sentences shattered that hope. “Preserves youthful appearance forever,” was the description of the pill’s sole effect. There was nothing else.

Han Li stood frozen, unable to move or speak. But inside, he could no longer suppress the raging fire of resentment. He silently cursed.

“What kind of library is this? None of the formulas I need, but they hoard a bunch of useless garbage! Things like ‘Golden Needle Techniques’ and ‘Countenance Pills’—what use are they to cultivators? And yet they sit here so arrogantly…”

Just as he was resigning himself to a wasted trip, that irritating voice drifted up from below.

“Time’s up again. If you still…”

“I’m coming down!”

Han Li had no intention of throwing another spirit stone away for nothing. He grabbed the jade slip containing the Foundation Establishment Pill formula and prepared to leave.

But as he reached the top of the stairs, he hesitated. The Countenance Pill, while useless for advancing his cultivation, might still be sold to other cultivators. More importantly, refining it didn’t require True Yang Fire. He could make it now.

With that thought, he turned back, snatched the red jade slip from the table, and hurried back to the stairs, thumping his way down.

“How was it, young friend? Any luck?” the old man asked, his face plastered with a smile as soon as he saw Han Li. But to Han Li, the smile felt utterly insincere.

“Elder Xu, is this truly where our sect stores its pill formulas? It was full of trash. You don’t have another storage room, do you?” Han Li ignored the old man’s teasing tone and voiced the question that had been gnawing at him, his face a mask of frustration.

The old man let out a sly cackle at Han Li’s expression.

“Young friend, you are not the first to ask that question since I took over this post. Almost every newcomer who visits the upper floor of Yuelu Hall asks me the same thing. But if you want to know the full story…” Elder Xu deliberately drew out his words, his meaning regarding payment unmistakable.

Han Li was speechless at the man’s shameless greed. Was this really a Foundation Establishment cultivator before him? He looked more like a crafty merchant from the mortal world, a miser to the core.

Now Han Li understood why the man had insisted on being called ‘Elder Xu’ rather than ‘Uncle Xu’ earlier. This fellow clearly thought that if he were addressed as a senior, he couldn’t openly demand bribes. Such a transparent little trick.

Han Li raised an eyebrow, said nothing, and slapped the two jade slips down on the man’s table.

“I had planned to copy both, but it seems I don’t have enough spirit stones. So, I’ll only copy one. I’ll return the other.” Han Li hadn’t spent all that time in the mortal world for nothing. This was a small counterattack to prevent the man’s appetite from growing too large.

“Young friend wants to copy both?” Elder Xu’s eyes widened with delight.

“I did, but now I’d also like the answer to my question. It seems I won’t have enough.”

“Hehe, since young friend is so generous, that question is free of charge. Let me copy them for you first!” The old man hastily snatched the two slips, grabbed two white jade blanks from the shelf behind him, and began copying with frantic speed, as if afraid Han Li would change his mind.

“Done. Take them.” The old man’s movements were incredibly quick. Before Han Li could even register what happened, the copies were finished and tossed down in front of him. Then, the man stared at Han Li with a look that clearly said, “Now pay up.”

Han Li’s mouth twitched. He wanted to say something but held back. After a moment of silence, he cleanly produced twenty low-grade spirit stones from his storage pouch and handed them over without a word.

The old man took the stones with a beaming smile, unable to close his mouth in delight. He counted them three or four times before he noticed Han Li still waiting for his answer.

Only then did Elder Xu, satisfied, put the stones away and look at Han Li with new eyes, as if appraising a wealthy patron.

“Appearances can be deceiving. I wouldn’t have guessed, young friend, that you were so well-off. But while I love money, I also keep my word. Ask whatever you like today, and I will ensure you leave satisfied.” The old man’s expression shifted into one of solemnity.

A little surprised, Han Li took him at his word and pressed his earlier question.

“The answer is simple. Most pill formulas have been lost long ago. This is true not just for our Yellow Maple Valley, but for the other sects, and even for the entire cultivation world.” The old man spoke slowly.

Han Li was stunned, looking at the man in confusion.

“Think about it, young friend. What is a pill formula’s value? It allows us to transform rare spiritual materials into pills we can ingest for cultivation.”

“But have you considered that the rare spiritual herbs in this world are limited? Each one takes hundreds, even thousands of years to mature. Yet the number of cultivators never decreases; it only increases year by year. So, the ingredients listed in the formulas gradually become rarer, until they eventually go extinct. By the time cultivators realized how serious the problem was, the world’s spiritual treasures had already been stripped clean. A few remnants survive in certain dangerous places, but even for accomplished cultivators, those are perilous grounds not worth the risk.”

“With the source of ingredients gone, the formulas lost all value. Who would care for them? After an immensely long time and several great calamities that shook the cultivation world, the formulas gradually faded into history. Only a handful remain, and the Foundation Establishment Pill is one of the survivors.”