The weeks passed in a blur of flavors, fumes, and occasionally—full-body hallucinations.
Han Yu, true to his word, became Li Mei's exclusive pill tester. Every day brought a new concoction, and every day he swallowed it without complaint (or at least without much complaint). In return, his cultivation progressed at a steady, if absurd, pace.
By the end of the first month, Han Yu had reached the mid stage of the Qi Refining Realm. His dantian, once a shallow pool of wispy Qi, now resembled a misty cavern. Over half of it was filled with dense gaseous spirit Qi, and a small corner had begun to liquefy—marking the critical transformation toward higher cultivation.
But none of that changed the fact that, to achieve this, Han Yu had suffered more than most would dare.
Test #12: The Gravity Gumball.
"Side effects?" Han Yu asked.
"Weight fluctuation," Li Mei replied casually.
"What does that mean, exactly—?"
He didn't finish the sentence.
Because he immediately sank into the floor.
