Chapter 163 - 103: A Noble Lady as an Attendant, Holding a Bow and Leading a Spirit Deer, Soaring Dao Skill, Master’s Sect and Senior Brother, Celestial Blade School

Chapter 163: Chapter 103: A Noble Lady as an Attendant, Holding a Bow and Leading a Spirit Deer, Soaring Dao Skill, Master’s Sect and Senior Brother, Celestial Blade School

The Fire Seed of the Celestial Blade School...

’Is it about to be rekindled!?’

The next moment, as Ji Xiu’s gaze fell upon him, Qin Zhuo took a deep breath and put on a friendly smile.

"Junior Brother Ji."

"I am Qin Zhuo, the Great Robe Inheritor of the Celestial Blade School from Jiangyin Prefecture!"

"I come by order of my master, Grandmaster Chen He, to register you and formally induct you into our school!"

...

「The next day.」

At the Wind and Cloud Association’s Medicine Hall, Medicine Hall Master Huang Xuan’s eyes lit up as he watched Xu Li, a Great Pill Master from a medicine shop in the Prefecture City, settle in. He immediately began to fawn over him, even calling his own disciple, Zheng Jun, to bustle about and attend to the guest.

He looked old, but only because he was tormented by a chronic illness. In reality, he was only about fifty—much younger than Xu Li.

Moreover, Huang Xuan had been born a Family-Born Son of the Huang Family’s medicine shop, and he had learned his Alchemy Dao skills from this very elder since childhood. It was only natural that he treated him with the utmost respect.

At the same time, he couldn’t help but carefully probe for information.

"Pill Master Xu, you’ve come to Anning this time...?"

"I’m here on behalf of a noble from the prefecture. I need to find an Earth Treasure, the Jade Marrow Cold Lotus, to refine a pill."

Jade Marrow Cold Lotus!

A Spiritual Material on the Earth Treasure List, its effect was to cure chronic ailments and wash away all taints!

Huang Xuan’s heart jolted at his words, and an irrepressible look of longing crossed his face.

A Secret Medicine refined from this Earth Treasure could free him from the suffering of his chronic ailment, curing the root of the illness he’d contracted years ago while testing medicine for his master’s family.

However, he knew his status meant it was destined to be out of his reach. Huang Xuan gritted his teeth.

"I see."

"Pill Master, I’ve knocked around Anning County for many years... I have some connections. I can help you get into the Earth Dragon Cave to search for the Earth Treasure."

"However..."

"I have a young man here, Ji Xiu. He learned his Alchemy Skill from me, and his talent in the Martial Dao is truly remarkable. He recently found a Thousand-Year Demon Pill, but its Qi Charm is fading."

"I haven’t become a Qi Dao Pill Master and have never cultivated a Divine Soul Secret Technique, so I can’t refine such a Treasure Material into a Foundation Establishment Treasure Medicine..."

"So, I’d like to ask you to refine it for him—make a Treasure Pill for Bone Tempering and Skin Refining. I’ll cover the cost of all supplementary ingredients."

"What do you say?"

Xu Li, who had been sitting calmly, paused abruptly upon hearing the name.

"Ji Xiu?"

He looked at Huang Xuan’s confused expression and nodded.

He thought of Flying Immortal Temple Master Fan Nansong, and his expression turned strange. However, out of respect for Huang Xuan, he ultimately nodded.

"Alright."

"The boy is quite fortunate. To have so many people looking out for him... his background must be significant."

Huang Xuan just chuckled without replying, though in his heart, he agreed.

’If it weren’t for Ji the kid’s sterling character, would I have gone to the trouble of preparing medicinal baths, explaining the secrets of Golden Muscle and Jade Veins, and even begging someone to perform Alchemy for him?’

’In this world, Cause and Effect are of your own making.’

’You reap what you sow.’

’It’s all preordained.’

...

「The next day, at dawn.」

After all the commotion the previous night—being introduced by Master Duan, taking on Ye Ningzhi as an Attendant, meeting Qin Zhuo, and finally establishing contact with his Master’s Sect, the Celestial Blade School—Ji Xiu hadn’t slept for the latter half of the night. Instead, he sat cross-legged on his bed, entering a meditative trance for Visualization.

And so, for the entire night!

[The Tutor is cultivating the ’Ten Thousand Laws Dao Seal Visualization Map,’ immersed in the Dao Seals, deciphering the text. Progress has soared. Advanced Progress +7!]

[The Tutor is cultivating the ’Ten Thousand Laws Dao Seal Visualization Map,’ immersed in the Dao Seals, deciphering the text. Progress has soared. Advanced Progress +9!]

[Ten Thousand Laws Dao Seal Visualization Map: (333/800)]

Reading the Dao Seals left him feeling refreshed and clear-headed!

As Ji Xiu rose from his cross-legged position on the bed, he felt exceptionally vigorous.

’So this is the benefit of cultivating the Divine Soul and strengthening my thoughts!’

’Before, I still needed sleep.’

’But now...’

’I can go around the clock, 24/7, without stopping!’

’Martial arts during the day, Dao Skill at night!’

’What’s more, it replenishes my Essence and benefits my Qi. It’s more effective than several hours of sleep for others, and when I circulate my Qi and Blood, I get twice the results with half the effort!’

’If this keeps up...’

’What prodigy could possibly compare!?’

’Cai Ling’Er once told me that there’s an Earth Treasure in the mountains, in what might be a ’Qi Dao Grand Tomb.’ The terrain she described perfectly matches the place where Lu’Er used to live.’

’The new year is in a few days. I have to find that treasure site before then. Otherwise, with the mountain sacrifice, the temple fair, County Yamen business... everything will require me, the Boss, to be present. I’ll be too busy to get away.’

With this in mind, Ji Xiu rose and gave his orders.

While Cai Ling’Er had yet to even climb out of bed, Ye Ningzhi was already bright-eyed and ready. Hearing that he was going Mountain Hunting, she shouldered a bow, led the deer, and even brought a sword for herself.

When Ji Xiu saw this, he couldn’t help but mutter:

’Maybe I should replace that attendant?’

’She’s so lazy!’

His mind churned with these thoughts as he washed up. A moment later...

Zheng Jun, the pharmacist from the Wind and Cloud Association’s Medicine Hall, came rushing over. Ji Xiu had previously helped him become a disciple under Huang Xuan. Panting, Zheng Jun knocked and stepped inside. The moment he saw Ji Xiu, he held up a sandalwood Treasure Box.

"Brother Ji, Master Huang told me to bring this to you! He said he asked an Alchemy Master to mix supplementary materials and successfully refined a Foundation Establishment Treasure Medicine for you. One pill is worth several years of effort in Bone Tempering and Skin Refining!"

"It was refined using the Thousand-Year Demon Pill as the main ingredient! The pill was originally only at the Seventh Grade, but he managed to refine it all the way up to a Sixth-Grade Spirit Pill!"

"Quick, look!"

As Zheng Jun spoke, he opened the box. In that instant, a whiff of bloody Demon Qi escaped, but it couldn’t conceal the dense Qi and Blood within. A Great Treasure Pill, its Essence and Qi as vigorous as a Dragon and Tiger, lay gleaming inside. The sight stunned Ji Xiu.

’Although this single pill is useless for my Bone Tempering Extreme Realm...’

’...but for reaching the Skin Refining stage...’

’It could likely advance my progress significantly. A pill like this would be hard to find even for a hundred gold coins!’

"Old Huang... has really gone out of his way."

Ji Xiu took the medicine box and sighed softly.

At the same time, he recalled the old man’s many afflictions and couldn’t help but think:

’Giving the old man Hundred Herbs Pills and Cold-Relieving Pills all the time only treats the symptoms, not the root cause.’

’If there’s a way...’

’I must find a true cure for him!’