Chapter 104: The Arrival of the Gu Master, The Opening of the Alchemy Contest

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Lin You held the prescription for the Yellow Sprout Pill and, with a brief glance, had already grasped its contents thoroughly.

The full name of the formula was Yellow Sprout Jade Core Pill. Unlike the Nourishing Essence Pill, this pill did not serve to increase magical power but rather to accumulate the foundational spiritual essence of cultivators.

Once a cultivator’s true energy was fully refined throughout their body, they needed to begin opening the Mysterious Gate—a vital acupoint—to refine the Dao seed. Only then could they generate and manifest their divine consciousness to communicate with heaven and earth.

However, breaking through this Mysterious Gate acupoint required more than just a body of true energy; it demanded a powerful spiritual soul force.

Thus, the core of foundational Dao techniques lay in the secret art of soul refinement.

For those unwilling to painstakingly hone this soul refinement technique themselves, it was essential to consume soul-nourishing pills like the Yellow Sprout Jade Core Pill.

In this prescription, the principal ingredient was the Yin Zhi Ma—neither herb nor beast—usually found only in extremely yin places, born from the spirit energy of the moonlight attached to the Zhi grass.

Even without being refined into a pill, directly ingesting and assimilating it had a remarkable effect on enhancing the soul.

This prescription held considerable value for Lin You. Should he gather all the required spiritual herbs and refine a few batches of these pills, it would save him an immense amount of time.

However, the current Yin Zhi Ma plant had already been purchased by Qing Suo for the price of three talismans plus a bottle of elixir. To find this key ingredient again, he would need to consult Lord Tiger Mountain.

He was not worried that there was only one such Yin Zhi Ma in the world, for unlike other spiritual herbs that remained stationary in one place, these appeared in small groups, roaming through extremely yin caves with a speed surpassing ordinary cultivators, making them difficult to capture.

The trading continued in the marketplace. Lin You also acquired several spiritual herbs and some personal items that appeared to belong to ancient cultivators.

Altogether, he spent only five pills.

Yet the goods that followed were mediocre at best, and several cultivators even began selling martial arts manuals, evidently having nothing better to offer.

Lin You refrained from further purchases, content to observe the ongoing transactions.

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At this moment, a sturdy young man dressed in a beast-skin jacket tightly gripped a golden tail feather, hesitating about whether to join the trade.

This tail feather was brought back at great risk by his father and several uncles from the legendary Yang Valley, and they had sustained serious injuries as a result.

His clan had sent him out this time hoping he could exchange the feather for some elixirs to stabilize the injuries of several powerful clan members.

Originally, he had heard that the Alliance of the Unusual possessed elixirs, so he planned to come to Jin Prefecture to participate in the grand gathering and trade the feather for elixirs.

Ideally, he hoped to invite that immortal alchemist to come out of seclusion and treat them.

But now it seemed that this mysterious senior, Yu Chen, was more reliable than the alchemists of the Alliance of the Unusual!

Not only was his mastery of alchemy far superior to Daoist Hu Sheng, but he was also generous and modest, without the slightest trace of arrogance.

If he could secure this alchemist’s aid, perhaps his father and the others might have a chance to recover.

Just as he was about to stand and seek a private trade with Lin You, a brazen laughter suddenly rang out from outside the mountains, infused with overwhelming magical power that instantly spread through the entire Red Pine mountain range.

“Daoist Yu Chen! Refusing to admit us—does this reflect your hospitality? Or are you afraid of us? Ha ha ha!”

The voice carried a subtle charm that muddled the minds of many wandering cultivators present, making them feel dizzy, as if witnessing a blooming blood-red lotus.

However, a clear sword’s hum suddenly sounded outside the Red Pine mountains, dispelling the haze from their minds and restoring their composure.

A streak of azure sword light cut across the rising sun, illuminating the entire valley. Then, it sliced through the sky with an extraordinarily sharp sword intent, aiming at the seductive blood lotus in the distance.

The brazen laughter had come from that very lotus.

“You seek death!” Zhang Yuan’s eyes glinted coldly, emanating a deadly intent.

To insult his master, one must first face the sword in his hand!

Yet despite the overwhelming might of the sword, the blood lotus remained unmoved, radiating an eerie aura of “invulnerability through all calamities.”

As the sword light neared, the lotus slowly opened its petals, releasing a thick blood-red mist that exuded a filthy force, completely eroding the sword’s intent.

Zhang Yuan’s expression tightened; he had not expected the lotus to withstand his strike.

Though he had not used full force, the sword had carried the power of heaven and earth, something no ordinary being could endure. Clearly, this blood lotus was no ordinary phenomenon.

Just as he prepared to strike again, a calm voice echoed from Red Pine Mountain: “Yuan Yi, let them ascend the mountain.”

Lin You sat high upon the Cloud Terrace, his gaze profound, as if perceiving the myriad changes of the world. Like a transcendent immortal, he overlooked the scene below.

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Upon seeing the blood-red lotus on the horizon, a faint smile lifted Lin You’s lips.

This person sought to hide behind pawns, testing him from the shadows.

But he would insist that this person enter the stage personally.

At Lin You’s command, Zhang Yuan, though puzzled, lowered his ancient sword.

The blood lotus then emitted a low, resonant laugh.

Turning to the members of the Alliance of the Unusual, it said, “Daoist Ling Xu, Daoist Hu Sheng, I shall remain here to hold this place. You two may duel in alchemy.”

Upon being named by the blood lotus, Ling Xu and Hu Sheng’s faces darkened.

When the Gu master had visited and asked them to probe Daoist Yu Chen, both had greedily accepted, enticed by the rewards of the Unborn Sect.

From the information provided by the Listening Wind Tower, the opponent was merely an ordinary Daoist who had stumbled upon some fortune.

Yet now they understood how deep the waters of the Red Pine Dao Palace ran.

This trip had yielded no benefits at all. The Alliance of the Unusual had likely become a laughingstock among all cultivators.

But with no way to retreat, if they withdrew now, even without the Unborn Sect’s intervention, the Gu master alone could annihilate their entire alliance.

Thus, Daoist Hu Sheng had no choice but to grit his teeth and continue the alchemical duel. Victory could at least restore some honor to their alliance and the Pill Refining Sect.

Ling Xu cast a deep glance at the Gu master, then, together with Hu Sheng, transformed into beams of light, flying up to the Red Pine Cloud Terrace.

Upon the terrace, it felt as if a gathering of immortals was taking place, with the young Daoist at the head like a celestial lord, looking down upon them.

The moment his clear gaze fell upon them, both felt their souls tremble, as though confronting the entire cosmos itself.