Another month slipped by in the quiet sanctuary of the hidden residence.

Under Yuan Jingtian’s cautious vigilance and Chen Ping’s daily efforts to soothe his parents’ shattered systems with gentle Qi, Chen Dashan and Lin Shi finally drifted back to the world of the living.

They had remained in a deep, death-like slumber for nearly ten days. When they finally opened their eyes, they were at their absolute nadir. Even lifting a finger felt like moving a mountain.

Their bodies throbbed with a lingering agony—a phantom sensation of being shredded and pulverized by blunt knives.

Yet, beneath the pain, a spark flickered. Deep within their Dantians, a faint but warm current began to circulate. Wherever this warmth touched, the bone-deep aches retreated, if only by a fraction.

Chen Ping did not rush them into Cultivation. Instead, he maintained a strict regimen of Qi nurturing, supplemented by bowls of warm Spirit Grain porridge and diluted medicinal essences.

Only when they could walk unassisted and their eyes regained a spark of clarity did he decide the time was ripe.

At dawn, as the first rays of sunlight warmed the earth, Chen Ping entered the Jade Pendant space. He walked directly to the Cold Star Grass tree.

What had once been a mere blade of grass had undergone a majestic transformation. Standing nearly ten feet tall, its gnarled branches were draped in deep, emerald leaves.

The edges of each leaf shimmered with silver specks that resembled a cluster of fallen stars, radiating a crisp, invigorating herbal Qi. Eighty years of concentrated medicinal potency had turned the tree into a living Spirit Node.

Simply sitting beneath its canopy could double the efficiency of one’s Cultivation. Chen Ping reached out with his Divine Sense, precisely plucking nine leaves where the silver starlight was densest.

They were ice-cold to the touch, their potency far eclipsing any ten-year-old specimen found in the wild. Today, he would refine a fresh batch of Marrow Cleansing Pills to rebuild his parents’ foundations from the ground up.

Exiting the space, he approached the waiting Alchemy Furnace. With practiced ease, he ignited the flame, added spirit spring water, and stabilized the internal temperature.

One by one, he added the supplementary herbs. The moment the eighty-year-old Cold Star Grass leaves hit the water, a massive wave of botanical essence exploded within the room, nearly extinguishing the furnace fire with its sheer vitality.

Chen Ping focused entirely. His Divine Sense acted as a microscopic eye, guiding the swirling medicinal liquid and adjusting the flame to the precise degree of heat required.

Marrow Cleansing Pills were a Tier 1 recipe, simple in structure but requiring absolute purity. Within an hour, a refreshing fragrance filled the room, signaling the condensation of the pills.

The fire died. The lid flew open.

Nine blue-green streaks of light shot from the furnace, but Chen Ping was faster. His jade vial swept through the air, capturing every single one.

Inside the vial, the results were staggering. Three High-grade pills sat at the bottom, deep blue and glowing with an inner luster. Four Mid-grade pills showed a uniform texture with a steady brilliance, while the remaining two were Low-grade.

A full Success Rate—and three High-grade results. This was a feat that would leave most veteran Tier 1 Alchemists speechless.

“The eighty-year-old tree… its effects are even better than I imagined,” Chen Ping whispered.

He summoned his parents. Handing the two most potent High-grade Marrow Cleansing Pills to them, he spoke with a gentle but firm tone.

“Father, Mother, swallow these. Do not fight the heat. Focus on the warm current in your Dantian and guide it through the first Circulation Cycle of the Evergreen Art I taught you.”

The couple took the pills without a moment’s hesitation. Over the past month, Chen Ping had drilled the theory of the Evergreen Art into them until it was instinct.

As the pills dissolved, a massive, gentle heat surged through their limbs. It latched onto the tiny, vine-like Spirit Roots in their Dantians, amplifying the nascent Qi within.

Waves of tingling comfort replaced the old aches as the medicinal power began its work of Marrow Cleansing, flushing out the last of the toxic blockages.

Chen Ping watched like a hawk, his Divine Sense enveloping them both. He saw the vine-like Spirit Roots tremble and begin to greedily drink in the surrounding spiritual energy.

The process was slow and clumsy. To his parents, it felt like pushing a heavy boulder through a narrow, thorn-filled tunnel. Every inch of progress brought a stinging heat to their Meridians.

Two hours passed.

Suddenly, Chen Dashan’s frame shuddered. A look of realization smoothed the lines of pain on his face. The air around him rippled.

Faint wisps of Heaven and Earth Qi began to spiral toward him, sinking through his skin and merging into his internal stream. Moments later, Lin Shi experienced the same breakthrough.

Drawing Qi into the Body—they had succeeded.

Chen Ping’s shoulders finally dropped. A rare, genuine smile tugged at his lips. The hardest hurdle had been cleared.

In the weeks that followed, Chen Ping became a man possessed by Alchemy. He refined batch after batch, feeding his parents a steady stream of High-grade and Mid-grade Marrow Cleansing Pills.

One month later, fueled by a mountain of premium pills, Chen Dashan and Lin Shi shattered their first Bottleneck. They opened three Spirit Nodes and stabilized their Cultivation at the 1st Level of Qi Condensation.

Their skin regained a healthy glow, and their eyes shone with the vigor of youth. The years of skeletal frailty from the mines were being washed away by the power of the Immortal Path.

After a month of observation, Chen Ping found no hidden side effects. The Pseudo Spirit Roots were functioning perfectly.

With his parents’ safety secured, Chen Ping finally turned his gaze toward his own progress. Moving from the 9th Level of Qi Condensation to the Great Perfection required a slow, grinding approach.

It was a matter of total saturation. The Evergreen Art dictated that Great Perfection was reached only when all twenty-seven Spirit Nodes were fully unlocked and the Circulation Cycle was seamless.

It was a grueling grind, but for Chen Ping, it was the only way to ensure his Foundation Establishment would be unshakable. He didn’t just need to succeed; he needed to be superior.