Cultivating with Bragging System

And then there was the Supreme Soul-Nourishing Elixir.

As a Great Power Remnant Soul, Jiang Yourong’s insight was far beyond that of ordinary people. She could clearly sense that the medicinal effect of each of the twelve elixirs was equivalent to half a Nourishing Soul Lotus. In other words, Wang Xiu had refined twelve Supreme Soul-Nourishing Elixirs in a single batch, amplifying the medicinal effects of the Nourishing Soul Lotus by more than six times.

It was worth noting that even many Emergence Stage Great Ability alchemists could only enhance the properties of the main medicinal ingredients by about two or three times. This batch of elixirs from Wang Xiu was so masterfully refined it would make countless "Alchemy Great Abilities" shudder and curl their toes.

This kid... What kind of monster is he? And why is that Luo Binglan girl so blessed? It’s truly maddening! No. I have to get on good terms with this boy. Perhaps in the future, I’ll find an opportunity to snatch him away from Luo Binglan, kekekeke~ I refuse to believe I can’t best a woman lying in a coffin!

"Ling’er!" Jiang Yourong took a deep breath and produced a Nourishing Soul Lotus. "I, Jiang Yourong, never take advantage of others. The value of your supplementary herbs can’t compare to a full Nourishing Soul Lotus. Take this to that boy and tell him it’s my payment for his services. I’m going into seclusion to absorb the medicinal power, so I won’t go with you."

After speaking, a faint blush appeared on Jiang Yourong’s aged face as her soul-form passed through the wall and flew towards her chamber.

Staring at the Nourishing Soul Lotus floating before her, Jiang Ling’er smiled thoughtfully.

Hehe. Auntie is clearly embarrassed. She’s too shy to thank Senior Brother Wang Xiu in person, so she’s sending me to do it for her? Still, Senior Brother Wang Xiu is so gentle. Even though Auntie has such a fiery temper, he forgives her and is so tolerant. How wonderful~ Having such a gentle Senior Brother is a true blessing for me and Auntie.

Putting away the Nourishing Soul Lotus, Jiang Ling’er pushed open the gate of Orchid Courtyard and trotted toward Wang Xiu’s residence.

The thought of sneaking over to find Senior Brother behind Master’s back is so exciting. Why does this feel like such a forbidden thrill!

Just as Jiang Ling’er left Orchid Courtyard, Jiang Yourong’s voice once again echoed in her mind via sound transmission.

"Ahem~ While that boy’s alchemy skills are still a bit inferior to my own, I am busy absorbing the medicinal power and have no time for refining. So, ask him if he’s willing to refine the rest of the Nourishing Soul Lotuses. We’ll provide the pill furnace and the ingredients. As for the Soul Nourishing Pills produced, I’ll give him half."

[Ding!]

[Braggart detected. Congratulations to the Host for gaining Mana +66.]

***

「Ten days passed in the blink of an eye.」

During this time, Wang Xiu spent most of his days in his small courtyard, chanting the Rebirth Mantra to guide the departed. He had already successfully liberated nearly ten thousand souls, and in return, the Heavenly Dao had once again bestowed upon him a Merit Rain. His aptitude and comprehension grew further, likely surpassing most geniuses by now.

In terms of his Cultivation Level, although the bragging frequency in the Golden Core demon cultivator group had dropped since the Asura Sect’s Saintess joined, the group was far from dead. The intermittent boasts from the demon cultivators helped Wang Xiu’s cultivation progress by leaps and bounds, breaking through from the second level of the Core Formation realm to the fourth.

Additionally, in his spare time, Wang Xiu helped Jiang Yourong refine the remaining twenty-odd Nourishing Soul Lotuses, producing over two hundred Supreme Soul-Nourishing Elixirs. Jiang Yourong insisted on giving more than a hundred of them to Wang Xiu as a fee for his hard work. The rest she kept for her own consumption.

By my estimation, once she finishes all these elixirs, Jiang Yourong’s spirit strength should be mostly recovered. The thought of interacting with her then is quite exciting. An Emergence Stage, ferociously powerful remnant soul constantly bragging for my benefit? It’ll be absolutely amazing!

As for the hundred-plus elixirs he received, Wang Xiu had initially planned to sell them through Xiao Qingyu, but he couldn’t come up with a plausible excuse on short notice. After all, a disciple from the Divination Sect selling over a hundred Supreme Soul-Nourishing Elixirs on Dragon Head Peak—pills of a higher quality than even those from the Alchemy Sect’s First Seat—wasn’t just selling medicine. It was a slap in the face to the entire Alchemy Sect.

The Divination Sect already attracted enough animosity within the Sanqing Immortal Sect. Wang Xiu was no Luo Binglan; always courteous, easy-going, low-key, and prudent, he had no desire for the spotlight. Yujing Peak could handle being the Sect Leader’s workhorse for alchemy. Spirit Turtle Peak might as well remain the shame of Sanqing.

It’s better to be scorned by the other branches than to have the Sect Leader clinging to my leg every day, shamelessly begging for free elixirs! As for these Soul Supplement Pills... I’ll just have to find a suitable opportunity to sell them later.

It was also worth mentioning that after liberating the Banner of Ten Thousand Souls, Wang Xiu had stared at the empty demonic artifact and considered destroying it. But he couldn’t bring himself to do it. The materials used to refine the banner were simply too precious; destroying it would be a terrible waste. Perhaps it could be repurposed.

Later, a flash of inspiration struck him. If the Mingxue Executioner Sword can drink pig blood for every meal, could the Banner of Ten Thousand Souls humble itself and nibble on some Pig Spirits? Think about it. Pig blood at least costs a little money, but Pig Spirits are genuinely free. He Daren’s pig farm raises a full 100,000 pigs, slaughtering three to four hundred a day in a continuous cycle. At that rate, he could gather 100,000 Pig Spirits within a year! If the Banner of Ten Thousand Souls can actually digest them, perhaps quantity can make up for quality. Its power might not be any less than when it was refined with Human Souls!

With this thought, three days prior, Wang Xiu had tied the now-purified Banner of Ten Thousand Souls to the Mingxue Executioner Sword and had Nie Linglan pilot the flying sword to Maple City. Since the Sword Spirit was originally a ghost from Maple City, she knew the way well, sparing Wang Xiu the trip.

Two days later, a message returned from the Sword Spirit. At first, the Banner of Ten Thousand Souls was quite resistant to the Pig Spirits, instinctively projecting feelings of refusal and shame. But after a few "friendly" slashes from the Mingxue Executioner Sword, it was forced to try something new. That single attempt was like opening the door to a whole new world.

So fragrant~

Now, every lingering Pig Spirit near the He Family’s pig farm has been devoured by the Banner of Ten Thousand Souls, numbering a full five thousand. With a single wave of the great banner, a sinister wind howls as five thousand massive, black, spectral boars charge forth. The stampede is overwhelming, a truly hair-raising spectacle. Its intimidating presence is in no way inferior to the blood sea of the Pig Immortal Sword. In fact, if the Pig Immortal Sword and the Banner of Ten Thousand Souls were used together, they could achieve a blood-and-spirit joint attack. One could play the good cop, the other the bad cop, utterly dominating their foes.

Today, the Mingxue Executioner Sword, with Nie Linglan as its Artifact Spirit, drinks pig blood daily at the He Family pig farm, its might growing with each passing day. The Banner of Ten Thousand Souls, with the remnant soul of a Qiong Qi refined by Wang Xiu as its Artifact Spirit, gnaws on Pig Spirits daily at the same farm, its once-fragmented soul gradually healing.

Although... the Qiong Qi’s remnant soul originally took the form of a majestic, winged tiger. Now, after eating so much, it has become increasingly plump, its appearance growing more and more pig-like. A single phrase could describe its current form: a winged tiger disguised as a pig! But while its appearance was lacking, its power was immense. When the Qiong Qi roared, the five thousand Pig Spirits within the banner roared with it, creating a truly earth-shattering sound.

A little piggy paired with a Qiong Qi... fiercely cute~! An ordinary Golden Core Stage expert facing such a thundering stampede would have their very soul torn asunder.

According to Nie Linglan’s reports, among the three remaining major families in Maple City, the Qian Family and Sun Family now deferred to the He Family, and the three powers had begun to integrate. With the permission and support of the Sanqing Immortal Sect, they started promoting the work-for-bran disaster relief program in other cities. If all went smoothly, the He Family’s pig-slaughtering frequency would soon increase dramatically.

Both the Pig Immortal Sword and the Banner of Ten Thousand Souls had a bright future ahead of them.

***

「On the tenth day of Wang Xiu’s seclusion on Spirit Turtle Peak.」

Four streaks of sword light tore across the sky, landing in front of Wang Xiu’s small courtyard.