Chapter 382: Paying a Visit

Chapter 382: Chapter 382: Paying a Visit

On Mi Mountain, the tidal roar lasted for five days before gradually subsiding.

Bai Mo still didn’t dare to rashly open the furnace. Instead, he pulled the firewood out from under the Pill Furnace.

The flames died down, but the Pill Furnace’s residual heat lingered.

Only after the Pill Furnace had cooled did Bai Mo press his ear against it. Confirming there was no sound from within, he carefully opened the lid.

Several round Pills, marked with blue and white wavy patterns, lay at the bottom of the furnace.

Bai Mo counted them. There were a full seven.

’This isn’t something I should share with others.’

These Pills were rare, and it was unlikely he would be able to find the materials for them again.

Having received a large sum of Spirit Stones from Gong Gui, Bai Mo wasn’t exactly short on them for the time being.

The Fire-Extinguishing Water Element Pill belonged to the water element. It was a classic five-element Pill from ancient times, popular among many powerful Cultivators.

Taking it allowed one to gain mastery over water.

That was how the Pill Book recorded it. To what extent one could achieve this "mastery" was still up for debate.

But it was highly sought after in the Pill Book, so it couldn’t be too far from the truth.

With Ah Er away, Bai Mo had to clean up the post-Alchemy mess himself, clearing out all the wood ash.

All the tasks were tedious, and doing everything himself for a time reminded Bai Mo of his old days, toiling away all alone.

However, his current skill in the Alchemy Dao was far beyond what it had been in the past.

He popped a Fire-Extinguishing Water Element Pill into his mouth. A cool, snake-like sensation slithered from his mouth and through his body.

Bai Mo then took a book and sat on the threshold to read.

There were specific requirements when taking this Pill. First and foremost, one could not go near fire.

This meant that for the next few days, he would be unable to start up the furnace for Alchemy.

「A few days later」

A messenger goose from the Foreign Affairs Hall flew by, dropping off a letter for Bai Mo.

The letter was from Immortal Arrival City, written by one of the shop clerks.

The letter described the shop’s recent situation, stating that another twenty thousand Spirit Stones had accumulated in the accounts and could be withdrawn at any time.

The letter went on to mention other matters, saying there had been a lot of recent activity in the Celestial Barrier Mountain, and that people had heard beast roars coming from its depths.

Many never-before-seen Demon Beasts had also appeared in the mountains. They seemed to have migrated from elsewhere and were more aggressive, frequently fighting with the Demon Beasts that originally occupied the area.

The Loose Cultivators in the city had it much easier now; they no longer had to constantly risk their lives fighting in the mountains.

For a time, far fewer people went into the mountains, but disputes within the city increased.

Only the larger Demon Hunting Teams could seize this opportunity to encroach on others’ routes, thereby enhancing and consolidating their own status.

Lanshan and his group were a case in point.

News from the sect had not yet arrived, but these Loose Cultivators, who lived off the mountain, had already received word.

However, it probably wouldn’t be so easy for the Loose Cultivators in Immortal Arrival City to simply wait out this turmoil.

The sect’s approach to the Celestial Barrier Mountain range was clearly a long-term one.

The Loose Cultivators had to make a living, so sooner or later, they would have to return to the mountains.

It was unknown where the three great sects had entered the Celestial Barrier Mountain range, but the effects were even being felt in Immortal Arrival City.

It took Bai Mo three days to completely refine the medicinal power of a single Fire-Extinguishing Water Element Pill.

Afterward, he inspected his body but could not detect any changes.

The Pill’s medicinal power couldn’t be fake.

’This Pill is definitely effective. Could it be that I haven’t taken enough for the change to be obvious?’

With that thought, he took out another Pill and tossed it into his mouth.

’After I take all seven of these Pills, maybe I can try that water refining method...’

Alchemy wasn’t just about dealing with furnace fires, smoke, and flames.

There were also those who used water refining methods, which were said to be quite elegant.

Bai Mo could try such a technique now, but he was not as skilled with it as he was with the Fire Refining Skill. It would be a waste of effort for very little gain.

...

「Three months later」

Bai Mo emerged from the black prison.

The member of the Aquatic Race imprisoned inside became extremely agitated upon seeing him now. It was always screaming something while ramming into the wall. THUD. THUD.

Bai Mo couldn’t understand it, so he paid it no mind and simply continued his inspection.

Back in his stone house, he stuffed firewood under the Pill Furnace and lit it to preheat.

He had already refined three Fire-Extinguishing Water Element Pills. By the third one, the cooling sensation had become very faint.

He looked through the Pill Book again and found a rule: "no more than three."

A person could only take three Fire-Extinguishing Water Element Pills in their lifetime; any more would be useless.

The Pills had likely, in fact, changed Bai Mo’s aptitude for the water element.

When he used a qi-gathering technique to draw in the misty Spiritual Water vapor, Bai Mo could feel the lightness of each wisp, and his heart would stir.

But since he had never cultivated a water-elemental art, he was unable to experiment further for the time being.

The Pill Furnace wasn’t hot yet.

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

A series of forceful knocks rang out.

In the past few months, aside from occasional visits from Foreign Affairs Hall disciples, Mi Mountain had received no other guests.

This knocking, however, didn’t sound like it was from the Foreign Affairs Hall.

With a flicker of his will, the massive door swung open with a dull thud.

The visitor outside took a step back.

"Is Brother Bai of Mi Mountain here?"

"I am Dong Min, and I’m here to see you."

Bai Mo stepped outside and saw a clean-cut young man with short hair waiting respectfully, a female disciple standing beside him.

"You are..."

"I am Dong Min," the young man repeated, cupping his hands.

"I was referred here by Yin Zhen, Brother Yin."

After exchanging an almost imperceptible glance with the female disciple beside him, Dong Min asked tentatively,

"Pardon my asking, but are you...?"

Bai Mo nodded.

"I’m probably the only Cultivator on Mi Mountain."

"What brings you here, Brother?"

Dong Min hurriedly explained,

"My young master was injured in the Celestial Barrier Mountain. On Brother Yin’s recommendation, we came to you, Brother, hoping to acquire a Pill."

’Another one who brought his family retainers into the sect to cultivate,’ Bai Mo thought. ’And he’s already been to the Celestial Barrier Mountain range.’

Bai Mo smiled.

"The Celestial Barrier Mountain is perilous. For an Inner Sect Disciple, injuries sustained there are most likely physical."

"For such injuries, it would be more appropriate to find someone in the sect who practices the healing arts..."

Dong Min said, "It’s not for the injuries themselves."

"To be frank, half of my young master’s body was devoured by a vicious Demon Beast. He’s lucky to be alive."

"However, we fear that once he recovers, his cultivation aptitude will be affected."

"We heard that Brother Yin suddenly grew a ’vortex ear,’ allowing him to absorb Spiritual Qi at a speed far surpassing that of an ordinary person. That’s why we sought him out to ask how..."

Hearing this, Bai Mo understood their purpose, and his interest was piqued.

"That... can be done."

"What happened with Brother Yin... the treasure he obtained was a fortuitous encounter, not something one can seek out."

"Since you’ve come all this way, I’ll be blunt. As the saying goes, ’even the most skilled housewife can’t cook without rice.’ Items that can alter a person’s cultivation aptitude are all exceptionally rare. You will have to find them."

"Now, tell me about your young master’s current condition, and I’ll see what kind of Pill might be suitable..."

This wasn’t an empty boast; Bai Mo was genuinely confident he could succeed.

Among the ancient Pill Formulas, there were quite a few for reconstructing the body—perhaps because the Cultivators of old had to blaze their own difficult trails.

Bai Mo currently lacked the ability to refine such miraculous Pills.

However, making a Pill that could alter a person’s constitution by adding a few ’tricks’ during the process of reconstructing their physique—that was much simpler.

In the old days, stories of Cultivators undergoing a nirvanic rebirth after a near-death experience were common, and most were the result of taking such Pills.

The worried looks on the faces of Dong Min and the female disciple eased.

"In that case, we’ll have to trouble you, Brother Bai."

Bai Mo waved his hand dismissively.

"Let’s get a few things straight first. What I can do is one thing, but how effective the Pill will actually be is something no one can guarantee. You two need to be aware of that."

"Of course!" Dong Min nodded.

Bai Mo then said slowly, "And as for the price, we should settle that first..."