Chapter 633 No Hope for a Breakthrough
After about half an hour, when the liquid in the pot had completely turned into a thick, light golden substance, James finally let go of the pot and placed it on the ground.
"Now this is the good stuff!" James couldn't help but crack a sly grin, his expression downright mischievous. He dipped a finger into the mixture, gave it a quick taste, and his face lit up with pure satisfaction. Sidney raised an eyebrow, his mind conjuring up some bizarre imagery. His look at James shifted, equal parts impressed and mildly concerned.
After about a minute, James opened his eyes. "Sweet, it worked. Why the face?"
Sidney snapped out of it, saying, "Mr. Smith, you're into using your fingers, huh?"
James froze for a second, then kicked Sidney. "You're into using your fingers! I didn't bring any damn utensils!"
But as soon as James finished, Sidney pulled out two tiny spoons from his bag. James' face dropped, and he barked, "Why the hell didn't you pull these out sooner?"
Sidney chuckled nervously, "You looked like you were having a blast with your fingers—didn't wanna ruin it!"
James shot him a look. "Go on, try it. You'll get why it's addictive."
Sidney passed James a spoon, scooped up a bit of the mixture, and took a deep whiff of the potent medicinal scent. He could already feel his energy buzzing just from the aroma. Curious, he took a small taste.
Instantly, the rich, earthy flavor exploded in his mouth, the thick paste transforming into a warm, soothing stream that slid down his throat and settled in his stomach. Sidney's eyes widened, and without even pulling the spoon out of his mouth, he immediately dropped into a meditative stance, channeling the sudden surge of energy.
Seeing Sidney's reaction, James smiled, took out two small bottles, filled them, and then ate a few spoonfuls himself before starting to cultivate as well.
About half an hour later, Sidney and James almost simultaneously opened their eyes, and two powerful auras burst from their bodies, causing the surrounding grass and trees to rustle.
"How do you feel?" James asked.
Sidney, still clutching the spoon in his mouth, yanked it out and blurted, "This stuff's magic—total miracle drug. Feels like the wall I hit at mid-level stage four just cracked. Can I keep going?"
James tossed a small bottle to Sidney and said, "This is our reserve. During battles, this stuff can be used to restore energy. The pot is enough for our cultivation."
Sidney carefully put it away like a treasure. Then the two of them began to cultivate while taking the medicine.
By the time the sun peeked over the horizon the next morning, the pot was empty, every last bit of the mixture devoured by James and Sidney. Sidney's energy was off the charts, his aura flaring up like a storm. A powerful burst of energy erupted from him, sending gusts of wind whipping through the air, knocking over the campfire and flattening the surrounding grass and trees.
The chaos lasted for a few seconds before everything settled down. As the energy subsided, Sidney's eyes snapped open, a sharp glint flashing in them before fading back to their usual calm.
"Congratulations, you've broken through!"
A faint voice sounded, and Sidney turned to see James lying on a tree branch with one hand under his head. Sidney was surprised and asked, "You're done already?"
James shrugged. "Been done. This stuff doesn't do squat for me."
Sidney's jaw dropped. He knew how intense the energy was in James' concoctions. Every time, Sidney could only handle a single spoonful—any more and his body would've freaked out. But James? He'd downed multiple spoonfuls like it was nothing.
Downing fast, cultivating fast, and yet claiming it did nothing? Sidney stared at him, baffled. "Are you even human? You ate way more than I did, and it's useless for you? I'm at the advanced fourth stage now. If I'd had that much, I'd have leveled up ages ago."
James shrugged and said, "Who knows? Maybe reaching the extreme level isn't just about accumulating energy. Anyway, it's not without benefits; the energy in my body is now more than twice as thick as before, which is a good thing."
"That's not bad. This time, I really owe you. I'll thank you properly when we get back!"
"It's nothing, let's go. We need to get this stuff back first, then we can go deal with the Godslayer Organization."
Sidney quickly followed, "If you trust me, I can have the National Security Agency help us get it back first. What do you think?"
James hesitated for a moment, then smiled, "Okay!"
That simple word represented James' trust in Sidney, and Sidney didn't expect James to agree so readily, he was stunned.
"What? Surprised?" James smirked. "Yeah, the NSA's got its bad apples, but their methods? I can roll with that."
Sidney stopped, stepped back, and gave James a deep bow. "Don't worry. If anyone at the NSA tries to pull a fast one, I'll make it right—even if it kills me."
James smiled, patted Sidney on the shoulder, and said, "Alright, I'll leave this to you. Get it done quickly so we can join the others."
Back at the hotel, Sidney handled the cleanup while James headed straight to his room to meditate.
Sure, all that energy he'd consumed the night before had left its mark, but when James checked his energy core, he was stunned. The energy core—where all his power was stored—was supposed to be a swirling, dynamic force. The denser the energy, the stronger he'd become. But now, it looked more like a still, cloud-covered sea, calm and unmoving, as if frozen in a painting.
"What is going on?"
Even though James felt his strength had leveled up, his energy core was acting all kinds of weird.
Shaking off the confusion, James looked wiped. Sure, he could meditate, but it was a total brain drain.
"Whatever. I'll hit up Sword God when I get back and keep grinding."
James wasn't about to waste a second. He dove right back into cultivation. Meanwhile, Sidney, after sorting everything out, shot James a text about the next moves and then holed up in his room to lock in his energy.
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