The Saiyan In The Cultivation World.

In the world of alchemy, star grades were used to measure the quality and potency of pills:

Zero-star pills were the domain of mortals, relying on the basic properties of herbs without any connection to the heavens—something you might find back on Earth.

One-star pills corresponded to the Body Tempering realm.

Two-star pills equaled the Qi Tempering realm.

Three-star pills matched the Soul Tempering realm.

Four-star pills aligned with the Foundation Establishment realm.

Five-star pills were on par with the Core Formation realm.

Six-star pills corresponded to the Nascent Soul realm.

Seven-star pills reached the Spirit Ascension realm.

Each star grade was further divided into Low, Mid, High, Peak, and Perfection levels. For instance:

Low-grade pills were effective for levels 1 to 3 of the equivalent cultivation realm.

Mid-grade pills were suitable for levels 4 to 6.

High-grade pills benefited levels 7 to 9.

Peak-grade pills catered to level 10 of their corresponding realm.

Perfection pills had no flaws, offering 100% purity and power. Even cultivators above the pill's equivalent realm could gain immense benefits from a Perfection-grade pill.

And this pill? It wasn't just perfect—it redefined what a six-star pill could be. Even Nascent Soul cultivators would tremble in excitement at its power, and those above them would find it invaluable. The sheer magnitude of what I had created sent ripples through the heavens themselves.

In other words, the pill I had just created would be useful for anyone below level 4 Spirit Ascension. Well, not anyone... nothing was absolute. 

That alone was impressive, but consider this: I had only used a herb equivalent in grade to the Core Formation realm. Just one herb, and I had birthed a pill that even Spirit Ascension cultivators would find extremely valuable. It took me an entire day of effort, and yes, it was a lot of work—but still, my Dao of Absolute Combat had only just been born. This was nowhere near my limit.

Boom.

The heavens roared as the pill floated out of my hands. Pills of such high grade had to undergo their own tribulations, and this one was no exception. Thankfully, the pill hadn't yet developed a spirit. At this level, pills sometimes gained a will of their own, which could complicate matters.

"Let's go," I said, grabbing Ling Xue, who had been lounging nearby, lazily watching me work. She'd already experienced the extra lives and absorbed the benefits from the leaf I'd given her, so now she was simply passing the time. The initial shock of my talent had long faded from her eyes. Be amazed enough times, and eventually, nothing seems surprising anymore.

I teleported us above ground, just as the pill burst from the ground, drawn upward by the heavens to face its tribulation.

Above, dark clouds swirled ominously, and bolts of lightning began raining down upon the pill. To my surprise, the pill seemed to glow brighter and stronger with each strike, as though the lightning was tempering it. My brow furrowed as I observed closely with my Observation Haki. I could feel it—the pill was beginning to form a will of its own.

'So, that's how pills gain wills,' I thought, understanding the process. By bathing in the concentrated energy of the heavens and earth during their tribulation, high-grade pills had the potential to develop their own consciousness. The higher the pill's grade, the more likely it was to form a spirit.

I could also sense another benefit: the quality of the pill was steadily improving. Each strike of lightning enhanced its power, making it even more extraordinary. This pill, born of my effort and Dao, was becoming something truly exceptional.

"What type of pill did you create?" Ling Xue asked, her voice tinged with unease as she watched the powerful tribulation unfold. The sheer might of it made the entire dimension seem as though it were on the verge of collapse.

"I have no—" I began, before catching myself. With a gentle smile, I added, "Cough, I mean, you can try it out. A gift from your master."

Ling Xue's expression froze, and a chill ran down her spine. She quickly shook her head, clearly unwilling to take me up on the offer. I pretended not to notice her reaction and instead turned my attention back to the tribulation. The storm was finally beginning to subside.

"Come here," I commanded coldly, just as the pill attempted to flee. The pill, now possessing a will of its own, trembled in the air before reluctantly flying into my outstretched palm. Its new spirit clearly understood one thing: I wasn't someone it could defy.

"It's too valuable for me to take. You should give it to someone else," Ling Xue said, her voice trembling as tears welled up in her eyes. I simply smirked and, without a word, forced the pill into her mouth.

The moment the pill entered, it dissolved into pure energy, which her body eagerly absorbed. Ling Xue's eyes widened in horror, her panic growing as she noticed me stepping back as if I were afraid. I wasn't scared, I just didn't want to get caught in what was about to happen.

'It seems the properties of the herb used to create the pill spilled over into its effects,' I thought, watching her carefully. 'That was the Soul Flower, and the pill appears to be a Soul Strengthening Pill. But with this much energy flooding someone as weak as her, the effects are spilling over into her cultivation.'

I smirked faintly as I observed the process. 'She should break through to the Nascent Soul realm, and if the energy integrates fully, her soul's strength might even rival that of a Spirit Ascension cultivator.'.

I stood back with my arms crossed, watching as her tribulation began to brew, waiting to see just how far the pill's effects would push her.

Ling Xue's eyes were filled with pure horror as she stared at the dark tribulation clouds gathering above her. She turned to me, her eyes pleading desperately for help. I ignored her entirely, summoning a comfortable chair and sitting back to watch the spectacle unfold.

She looked like she might cry, but she held herself back. Her gaze snapped upward as lightning swirled within the black clouds, and a massive lightning dragon's head emerged, its glowing eyes glaring down at her. A chill ran down her spine, but before she could react, the lightning struck with blinding speed.

The impact was catastrophic. The sheer force of the strike turned the whole desert into glass, the heat radiating in waves. Ling Xue's pained cries filled the air as her body was torn apart.

As a plant human, lightning was her greatest weakness. Parts of her body were missing, burnt away by the lightning, but plants began to sprout from her wounds, regrowing her limbs and organs. The process wasn't seamless, though—it was slow and agonizing.

Thanks to the Logia technique I had given her, she could survive almost anything. As long as a single piece of her body remained, she would eventually recover. But the process of being burned alive and regenerating was excruciatingly painful, as evidenced by the trembling in her voice.

"Try doing something instead of standing there like a dumbass," I said flatly, watching her struggle.

Her lip quivered, and she glanced down at her hand—or what was left of it. The hand that had once held her storage ring was now nothing more than ashes, the herbs and items within destroyed along with it. Her shoulders slumped, and she looked like she might break into tears, but the tribulation wasn't done with her yet.

With tears brimming in her eyes, Ling Xue looked up at the sky, where two massive lightning dragons now swam, crackling with destructive power and preparing to strike. She didn't hesitate. Clapping her hands together, wood burst forth from her body, rapidly expanding and transforming into a colossal Buddha statue. This was one of the techniques I had taught her.

"Wood Art! True Thousand Hands!" she roared.

The Buddha statue, towering over 3,000 meters tall, with countless hands ready for battle, swung its mighty palms toward the lightning dragons. The collision was catastrophic. The statue's thousand hands clashed with the dragons, creating an explosion so powerful it shook the very dimension we were in.

'She's capable of displaying power at the Spirit Ascension realm... I'm the GOAT,' I thought smugly, watching the spectacle with pride.

Ling Xue, her eyes now blazing with hatred, glared at the heavens as though they had personally wronged her. She wasn't done. The more she pushed herself, the more energy she refined from the pill coursing through her.

"Wood Art! Wood Clone Art!" she roared again. This time, a wooden figure split from her body, morphing into an exact replica of herself. Without hesitation, the clone summoned its own Thousand Hands Buddha statue, the massive figure rising alongside the first.

I grinned, thoroughly impressed. "Good, don't just be overpowered—be overpowered squared," I said, giving her an exaggerated thumbs-up.

Veins bulged on Ling Xue's forehead as she registered my comment, clearly holding herself back from retaliating. Oh, how she must've wanted to punch me, but she didn't dare to act on the thought.