Chapter 362: Setting Out
This year's Pill Master assessment was a rather bleak affair.
It was likely because the presiding Pill Masters had already gauged the cultivators' skill levels and, filled with disappointment, were unwilling to waste any more effort.
The dejected cultivators spilled out onto the streets, their hearts heavy and unable to find peace.
Meanwhile, inside the Pill Hall, a group of Pill Masters listened to the exchange between Bai Mo and Xu Wucai, their minds also reeling.
The exchange between the Pill Sect masters had ended an hour ago.
Aside from those who had urgent matters to attend to and had hurried away, the remaining Pill Masters stayed behind in the underground Pill Hall, their discussions blending into a low buzz.
The scratching of brush tips, wielded by Pill Masters trying to recall and record the words exchanged between the three, was completely drowned out by the noise.
Some even went so far as to peer into the Pill Furnace Bai Mo had used, examining the white substance congealed at the bottom.
A single touch revealed it to be a fine powder.
Bai Mo's assessment to become a Pill Sect master had, of course, been a success.
This was truly momentous news, and it would be spread far and wide by these Pill Masters who had come from all corners of the land.
As soon as the assessment concluded, the youthful-looking Pill Sect master named Ren Hong seemed to receive some news, and he departed with a helpless expression on his face.
His attainments in the Alchemy Dao were profound, and he was a master in the art of balancing medicinal properties.
During his exchange with Bai Mo, Ren Hong had mentioned that he once refined a grand pill, blending over ten thousand medicinal ingredients together without any conflicting properties.
The group had left the Pill Hall and were now walking through the bustling city streets.
Jing Heng gave a light cough.
"Be careful, Ren Hong. There might be scoundrels from the Seven Beasts Sect prowling about."
Ren Hong nodded at him, said nothing more, and simply turned to leave.
Xu Wucai revealed Ren Hong's background.
"He's the Second Ancestor of a major family. He certainly has treasures on him and has no reason to fear common thugs."
"It's a shame he's always caught up in family affairs. Otherwise, it would have been good to get to know him better."
'So all of these masters have impressive backgrounds,' Bai Mo thought.
The white-haired master said gently, "For all of us to gather here today is a mark of fate."
"From now on, we must stay in touch when we're free. Working in isolation gets you nowhere; we need to communicate more with our peers."
The others all nodded in agreement at his words.
He then noticed the weariness showing on Bai Mo's face.
Jing Heng spoke up, "Young Friend Bai, you've expended a great deal of energy today. You should go and rest first."
"None of us are idle folk. We'll handle that matter with the West Pole Sect, show them what we can do, and then we should be heading back."
As he spoke, a sharp glint appeared in his eyes.
"I never thought I'd get to see a Pill Ghost on this trip. Such a thing is a rare find indeed."
Afterward, the group dispersed.
The Alchemy Dao flourished in Celestial Mountain City. After many years of development, it had its own deep heritage. Even Pill Sect masters couldn't take this city lightly.
Xu Wucai had come not only for the Alchemy Dao exchange but also for cultivation matters. With a wave of his great sleeves, he disappeared to some unknown destination.
The white-haired master and Elder Gai, having had a pleasant chat, decided to wander through the city together.
Bai Mo bid farewell to Jing Heng, found an inn, and settled down to meditate and rest.
He rested for two full days.
The people from the West Pole Sect were well-connected. It's unclear how they found out, but they suddenly sent an invitation to Bai Mo.
That evening, Bai Mo and the other masters gathered in a private room at Fushan Tower, a famous establishment in Celestial Mountain City.
It turned out the West Pole Sect was hosting a banquet for them.
Facing five Pill Sect masters, Yin Lang was under considerable pressure, and his words were full of courteous pleasantries.
"It's only because the Sect Leader was tied up; otherwise, he would have definitely come tonight."
On the table, the wine was excellent—a five-hundred-year-old vintage. The meat was also top-grade, the choicest cuts from a Demon Beast, brimming with Spiritual Qi.
A feast like this would cost no less than two thousand Spirit Stones.
Bai Mo had already discussed this with the others, and they had made up their minds. Without any pretense of refusal, they ate, drank, and relaxed.
Amidst the clinking of cups, they eventually turned to the matter at hand.
Yin Lang said cautiously, "The Pill Ghost is trapped in our sect's ancestral grounds. Its power is extraordinary. An ordinary Core Formation cultivator is no match for it whatsoever."
"To be honest, subduing it isn't the hard part. The problem is that the creature is practically immortal. It's consumed so many Pills that its reserves are incredibly deep. No one can outlast it..."
The white-haired master swallowed a mouthful of food, thought for a moment, and said:
"It sounds like this Pill Ghost has been around for a long time."
"It probably wasn't created by the cultivator who borrowed your sect's grounds for alchemy. More likely, he found it somewhere and brought it here."
Yin Lang nodded repeatedly.
"That... that person... we have no idea what he was thinking."
"He just left the Pill Ghost behind after his alchemy. It's not guarding any treasure or opportunity; he just let it be, and now it's become a nuisance for us."
Bai Mo looked around at the others. Since he was the one they had sought out, bringing everyone else into this, he was the one to speak.
"In that case, shall we set off tomorrow?"
"Fine by me."
"We'll do as the young friend says."
Elder Gai picked his teeth with a toothpick and said with a grin,
"I could go on ahead, you know. I'm fast. I could scout things out for you all first..."
In the end, his wish was not granted.
Xu Wucai said coolly, "I paid another visit to the Xuandao Sect's post. My original intention was to visit their Nascent Soul grand cultivator."
"But I was also informed that they have since suppressed and killed another dozen or so cultivators from the Seven Beasts Sect."
Jing Heng was startled.
"How many of them came?"
Xu Wucai shook his head.
"Who knows what they're plotting?"
"They ranged from Foundation Establishment to Core Formation. It's likely some old master brought his disciples and their disciples along."
According to Xu Wucai, though Elder Gai was fast, he was still only at the Core Formation realm.
If they truly wanted to target him, there were plenty of methods they could use.
Yin Lang cupped his fists solemnly.
"I have already rented Spirit Beasts. Tomorrow, we will travel with the Xuandao Sect's expedition, so I can guarantee you will not be disturbed."
...
「The next day.」
Outside Celestial Mountain City, flocks of giant birds took to the sky, their flapping wings stirring up great gales.
Bai Mo and his group followed closely behind the Xuandao Sect's Spirit Beasts.
The ones ahead were all Inner Sect Disciples.
Bai Mo had asked before they left; they were all from the War Hall.
He had assumed it was because of the Seven Beasts Sect, but upon asking, he learned they were actually heading out to deal with a corpse-refining sect to the west.
"No matter what, this is our sect's territory. How can we let the Seven Beasts Sect steal the show?"
"It's a trivial concern, nothing more."
So said the War Hall disciple who had spoken with Bai Mo.
"There's trouble brewing in the west. Several sects are locked in a bitter struggle with great bandits. Everything outside Jade Spring Pass has been ground to dust, and some are using the chaos to make their own trouble."
"Tsk, tsk..."
This attitude made Jing Heng feel slightly relieved.
'If even the people from the Xuandao Sect are saying this, does it mean the members of the Seven Beasts Sect who came here won't amount to much of a threat?'
Of all the Pill Sect masters who had hurried here, his journey had been the most perilous. He didn't want to face the same dangers on his way back.
The Spirit Beasts traveled through the air for a month before finally arriving at the gates of the West Pole Sect.
The giant birds beneath their feet slowed their pace.
The War Hall disciples up ahead noticed and called out their farewells to Bai Mo.
"See you later, Warden! We'll come visit you at Mi Mountain someday!"
Bai Mo shouted back at them in response, though he wasn't sure if they heard him.
The entrance to the West Pole Sect wasn't large, occupying only a single mountain peak, but it was magnificently constructed.
In just over a hundred years since the new Sect Leader took charge, he had managed to revitalize the sect to its current state.
This was already considered quite impressive.
According to Yin Lang, there were over a thousand disciples coming and going within the sect.
Among the sects subordinate to the Xuandao Sect, the West Pole Sect was one of the most prominent.
Knowing that Bai Mo and the others didn't want to delay, Yin Lang led them straight to the ancestral grounds.