Old Mu’s territory was behind the S-grade alloy door.
It was the lab for researching medicinal pellets and was huge with a large number of personnel.
All of them turned towards Jiang He when they saw him, appearing rather curious since the lab for researching medicinal pellets was a restricted area and not just anyone was allowed to enter.
Meanwhile, Old Mu led Jiang He straight to his own office, where a security vault stood.
Old Mu opened the vault door and everyone was greeted by the sight of innumerable racks welded on the alloy walls with over a thousand porcelain bottles kept over them.
“Ever since we obtained the medicinal pellets, we’ve broken a lot of them in our research. These are all that’s left.”
Old Mu went up and took a porcelain bottle off the rack, pouring out one rather shriveled pellet, its medicinal effect having faded entirely.
Jiang He noticed the appearance of the medicinal pellets and asked hesitantly, “This pellet…is it a qi pellet?”
“That’s right. Our qi pellets are developed according to the recipe of these medicinal pellets.”
Old Mu introduced it to Jiang He, saying, “There are now 1,800 medicinal pellets left with a total of 24 types left. Most of them are qi pellets, blended qi pellets, and yuan pellets, totaling over 1,700 pellets. Aside from those are several initiation pellets, as well as other medicinal pellets that heal injuries and aid cultivation.”
Jiang He frowned. “Elder Mu,” he said, “I know about the qi pellets and the blended qi pellets, but what are the initiation pellets and the yuan pellets?”
The bearded professor smiled. “It makes sense that you wouldn’t know. Both of those pellets are still under clinical trials and not in use.”
Though the professor felt like a shut-in and looked rather dispirited, his eyes lit up at the mention of the initiation pellets and the yuan pellets, saying, “We developed the initiation pellets by improving on an old pellet recipe. Martial artists who consume it can initiate some of their orifices, hence quickening their cultivation.”
Jiang He was completely perplexed and completed did not understand.
Orifices?
He knew about those since many novels depicted cultivation systems that unlocked one’s orifices, but did real-life cultivation actually need initiating?
Seeing that Jiang He had many questions, the professor smiled and explained, “Mister Jiang, being a martial elite yourself, it’s natural that you would know martial cultivation requires the absorption of Yuan Qi to refine one’s Blood Qi, physique and even True Qi.”
“That said, how do martial artists go about absorbing that?”
“Naturally, it is through their orifices.”
“And thanks to our research, we’ve noted that humans have over 1,700 orifices including those in their nerves, but usually only use around 361 of them. Of those, some people are born with a lot of them initiated, while others less so.”
Jiang He understood with a start at that and said, “So, does that means people with more initiated orifices cultivate quicker, while those with few would cultivate slower?”
“That’s right.”
The professor replied, “We’ve even picked some non-martial artists to test and have found that their naturally-initiated orifices were less than that. In other words, only those with ten or more than ten orifices initiated could cultivate martial arts.”
“Moreover, the greater the number of orifices initiated, the stronger the power one is able to unleash in combat. For those with fewer orifices opened, forcing themselves to unleash more power than what their body can take would harm one’s orifices and nerves.”
“As such, our initiation pellets would clear out any stuffed orifices, so those who cannot cultivate martial arts would initiate ten or more orifices, hence assuming the path of martial arts!”
“Likewise, martial prodigies born with over a hundred orifices opened would initiate even more orifices and hence cultivate even quicker!”
Jiang He appeared thoughtful at that, and smiled, “If that’s the case, wouldn’t everyone be able to cultivate or become martial prodigies once the initiation pellet goes on sale?”
The professor chuckled bitterly at that. “However, the materials needed for initiation pellets are too expensive and its manufacturing cost alone reach ten million. How can normal people afford it? Moreover, I believe that users would develop an immunity if they use this pellet excessively and would have a hard time initiating more orifices in the future.”
“That’s true.”
Jiang He’s eyes lit up, being one of the most experienced people in that front. “Like the qi pellets and the blended qi pellets, since their effect diminish over time after consuming them over time.”
“Have you used our other products before, Mister Jiang?”
The bearded professor’s eyes lit up once more as he asked with a smile, “What do you think about the effects of the qi pellets and the blended qi pellets developed by the Superpower Research Department?”
“Well…”
Jiang He mused to himself for several seconds, and scratched the back of his head awkwardly, saying, “Actually, I didn’t take that many qi pellets or blended qi pellets since I cultivated relatively quicker and use them less frequently eventually. That said, my cat and my dog had a lot of them, and the effect was quite good.”
There was an abrupt silence in the security vault at that.
The professor’s eyes widened as he exclaimed in shock, “You feed your pets qi pellets and blended qi pellets?”
He was a little angry at that, since he had overseen and was involved in the entire development process of both pellets.
Us researchers developed those medicinal pellets, working day in day out without sleeping or eating occasionally, and yet you feed our work to a cat and a dog?
Indeed, it was not just him—Old Mu and the other researchers were a little upset too.
Jiang He frowned as he realized what they were thinking, but then smiled. “What?”
“Are you belittling my pets?”
“They have accomplished great things, including working together to kill the Sixth Elder of the Sky Demon Cult. Wouldn’t it be normal for me to groom them by feeding them some medicinal pellets?”
The scientific researcher traded glances in disbelief, while Mu Wanqiu quickly came forward to explain, “Mister Jiang is actually a beast-tamer as well and his pets are actually powerful Ferals. As a matter of fact, Mister Jiang had helped me capture the rank-seven advanced Feral we have at Lingzhou City.”
“Oh?”
The researcher’s interests were piqued at once.
They were aware that the research branch at Lingzhou City had a rank-seven advanced Feral, although they did have living rank-nine Ferals here at the Superpower Research Department headquarters as well.
Still, Jiang He turned out to be a beast tamer as well?
The bearded professor immediately put on a smiling face at that, saying, “So you were a powerful beast tamer too, Mister Jiang. Forgive me for being blind, Master Jiang… I wonder if our department could make a deal with you…”
Jiang He grinned.
Meanwhile, the professor continued, “Since you are both powerful and a beast tamer, Mister Jiang, I wonder if you could tame a Feral King? As a matter of fact, our research regarding initiation pellets is in the latter phase and we just lack a Feral King’s essence as a catalyst. We have seen many failed attempts, but Elder Mu has hypothesized that the Feral King’s essence must be animated to some extent.”
Jiang He’s gaze changed.
The initiation pellet needed the essence of a Feral King?
No wonder the manufacturing involved costs exceeding ten million…
That said, since it did need the essence of Feral Kings, was it not an indication that the initiation pellet was very high-level?
With that, why should he resort to planting the useless medicinal pellets? He could definitely use the initiation pellets to earn Farm Points…not only were the useless medicinal pellets waning in medicinal effect, the important thing was that most were low-level and would not earn Jiang He that many Farm Points.
Beside them, Old Mu sighed. “Are Feral Kings that easily captured? Moreover, I heard that every other Feral King in the country has run off to hide deep in the forests. Finding them would be extremely hard, let alone capturing them.”
“That’s not a problem.”
Jiang He chuckled. “Where could they hide? The wildlands are only that vast, not to mention that there are many other Feral Kings in the seas and on foreign soil that even those in the country have hidden themselves away.”
Pausing, he then added, “That said, I’m not too familiar with foreign Ferals, so I would need some data from the military and the Martial Arts Department to ascertain their specific location…how about this? I’ll have my pets come by for a bit and you could take some of their blood to experiment while I try to capture a live Feral King when my schedule frees up later?”
The many researchers were delighted, with the bearded professor first to thank Jiang He before saying, “Mister Jiang, you don’t have to bring your pets. The catalyst for the initiation pellets would definitely need to be Feral King essence.”
“Well…”
Jiang He mused to himself.
Did it really have to be Feral Kings?
That was a little hard-pressed, and he said hesitantly, “Does it have to be Feral Kings? Both my cat and dog have assumed another path for evolving on Daemonic Pellets. Logically speaking, they are equal in rank to Feral Kings and would only be stronger, not weaker.”
There was once again silence in the vast security vault, followed by waves of cold gasps. Mu Wanqiu was especially shocked and could not help exclaiming, “Is your Dumbo Feral King already, Jiang He?”
“Not Feral King, but Daemonic Pellet—equal to Feral King in tier, but in a fight, Dumbo could easily handle three average Feral Kings.”
“Mister Jiang!”
Old Mu stepped up and grasped Jiang He’s hand in agitation, thanking him repeatedly and almost nonsensically. As he conveyed that he had no repayment to offer, the others teased him, saying that he could just betroth his granddaughter off to Jiang He.
Jiang He said nothing, but Mu Wanqiu flushed and dashed out of the security vault.
What the heck.
Jiang He was stunned.
Are you…
Blushing?
Are you embarrassed?
What’s on your mind???
Could you be having thoughts about me?
Old Mu then suggested that he would send someone immediately to bring Dumbo and Trumbo to Lingzhou City, but Jiang He turned him down with wave, smiling, “No need, that would be too slow. I’ll have them fly over, although I do have a condition…every initiation pellet and the yuan pellets in the first batch must be provided to me.”
Jiang He took out his phone and called Sora, saying, “Pass the phone to Dumbo, Sora.”
***
On the other end, Dumbo was standing upright in his baggy pants and holding his phone on his ear with one paw, asking, “You’re looking for me, Master?”
“Come to Jingdu City and bring Trumbo with you. I’ll have someone wait for you outside Jingdu City.”
Dumbo was delighted.
Getting to go on a stroll outside was great news.
