Chapter 3: Pill Hall
In Qiyuan Prefecture of the Kingdom of Chu, an elder of the Xuanyuan Sect arrived with newly promoted disciples. The news had already spread throughout the entire sect, and even some cultivation families at the foot of the mountain had caught wind of it. In recent days, the entire sect had been abuzz with discussion of the matter.
What was the standing of the Xuanyuan Sect?
The truly preeminent sect of the Kingdom of Chu, the only seventh-grade sect.
Founded thousands of years ago, the sect’s heritage went without saying. On the surface alone, they possessed three Core Formation experts. Looking back at the recent generations of the Chu Kingdom’s cultivation world, among the current six major sects, only the Xuanyuan Sect had managed to have a Core Formation elder presiding over every generation.
In comparison, the Dongyuan Sect was merely an upstart that had established itself only a few hundred years ago. Though they also had a Core Formation elder and their strength was passable, their heritage was ultimately lacking. Among the six major sects of the Kingdom of Chu, they ranked last.
“Elder Shen, I shall return to the Pill Hall now. Disciple, show Elder Shen and the others around.”
Inside the Dongyuan Sect, Dragon Head Peak.
Outside the Changqing Hall, Elder Shen Yu of the Xuanyuan Sect emerged from the hall with a young man and a young woman. The one who had spoken was Hu Zheng, elder of the Dongyuan Sect and master of the Pill Hall.
“There is no need for formalities, Elder Hu. This old man has visited your Dongyuan Sect before. Roughly seven or eight years ago, I had the honor of paying a visit.”
“Seven or eight years ago… ah.” Elder Hu Zheng seemed to recall something. “That’s right, that’s right. Back then, when we were hunting down those two remnants of the demonic path, our two sects contributed the most effort.”
“Haha…” Shen Yu let out a bitter laugh.
He could now be certain that Hu Zheng had absolutely not been involved in that matter at the time. Otherwise, he would never have brought it up.
Because that hunt had ended in failure.
“That being the case, it is fine. Disciple, come with me to the Pill Hall to prepare. Elder Shen, young friends, please feel free to stroll about the sect for a while. I will send you a voice transmission, Elder Shen.”
“That is of no concern.”
Hu Zheng departed with his disciple Zhou Wen, transforming into a streak of rainbow light and flying toward Dao Inquiry Gorge.
The warm smile on Shen Yu’s face slowly faded, his expression turning calm.
With a flick of his fingers in a dao incantation, a sound isolation technique took effect around the three of them.
“Wang Xi, in your estimation, how do these two true disciples of the Dongyuan Sect measure up?”
The three walked along as they spoke.
“…”
The youth curled his lip slightly, his tone tinged with contempt. “Yu Nanxi and Wang Renming are indeed considered extremely strong among their peers in the rest of the Kingdom of Chu.”
“But if placed in the Xuanyuan Sect, they would be merely above average.”
“As for that Song Zhenzong who is still in closed cultivation and hasn’t shown himself, he is likely about the same.”
“The next Nine Veins Grand Competition requires no attention.”
The young woman merely followed along, her expression calm, and did not speak.
“Elder Shen, a minor sect like the Dongyuan Sect, picking the tallest from among the dwarves—one could politely call them one of the six great sects, but in reality, everyone in the Chu Kingdom’s cultivation world knows the truth.”
Wang Xi’s tone was matter-of-fact. “The Dongyuan Sect has only one presiding Core Formation elder. If our Xuanyuan Sect desires that spirit vein at Yan’ou Mountain, why shouldn’t we simply take it? There is no need to beat around the bush and resort to such concealment.”
Shen Yu waved his hand and spoke as they walked. “Indeed. With any other small sect in the Kingdom of Chu, that would be the case.”
“But this Dongyuan Sect is the most troublesome. Their Sect Master, Daoist Lijun, is not a clever man. One might even say he is a lunatic.”
“What?”
Wang Xi was stunned, finding it incredible. Even the young woman looked up, her eyes filled with bewilderment.
“In any case, simply find some pretext. Otherwise, if that dog goes mad and starts biting people indiscriminately, it will be problematic.”
“Just pick some unimportant outer disciple. If one of the true disciples he has taken a liking to were to die, there is no telling what madness he might unleash.”
“The sect is currently preparing for the Immortal Reception Assembly. For such a trivial matter, let us not create unnecessary trouble.”
“Come, let us go to the Pill Hall.”
…
Inside his cave dwelling, Song Yan sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, refining spiritual qi.
The cultivation technique he practiced, the “Qi Condensation Chapter,” was not particularly complex. Even where there were abstruse and unclear points, there were handwritten annotations by senior disciples of the sect nearby.
Moreover, having learned medicine since childhood in the village, he was thoroughly familiar with meridians and acupoints. This alone had significantly reduced the difficulty for him.
After one cycle of cultivation, his spiritual energy state was restored to its peak.
“Once I complete the Pill Hall chores for these next few days, I will begin the breakthrough.”
Song Yan withdrew from his cultivation and walked slowly out of his cave dwelling.
The ninth day of the third month.
Spring greens on the mountains, gentle winds and warm sun.
Mountain mist swirled in a haze, wreathing the distant immortal mountains—a true immortal landscape.
He stretched and strode toward the Pill Hall.
Regarding that mysterious stone bead, his mind was full of questions with no one to ask.
Where had it come from? Whose hand had made it? Why had there been signs it was recently opened, yet it was still discarded…
Unfortunately, not a single question was one he could answer.
Since he couldn’t figure it out, he would stop thinking about it. Work came first. Outer disciples and inner disciples were entirely different. If one did not perform some menial tasks, the sect would not give you even a single spirit stone.
Song Yan had taken on the Pill Hall chore mission approximately two months ago. The chore mission lasted three months, and there was still one month remaining before he could claim his reward.
Below the sixth level of the Qi Refining Stage, one’s spiritual energy was meager, making sword flight difficult. Thus, he walked to the Pill Hall on foot.
The Pill Hall, like the other three major halls, was situated in Dao Inquiry Gorge.
Walking from the outer disciple peak, he passed the Spirit Plant Hall.
In the distance, pavilions stood in rows. Jade tiles and glazed tiles, grand halls and temples, strange mountains and unusual rocks—all of it made Song Yan’s chest feel expansive.
On the mountain path, several small figures in lotus-leaf hats suddenly darted out.
“Hee hee hee… you can’t catch me! Ha ha ha…”
“Slow down! Wait for me!”
“Wait, wait, you’re too slow.”
The tiny translucent figures ran about playing and chasing, drawing a smile from Song Yan.
“Eh? Junior Brother Song?”
Approaching from ahead was a tall young man in a green robe, smiling as he looked toward him.
The ginseng fruit sprites were playing rough, and the most boisterous one climbed up along the young man’s daoist robe in a few deft moves, settling on his shoulder.
Whether the other two small sprites did not know how to climb trees or were simply more polite, they were spinning anxiously on the ground.
“Are you also going to the Pill Hall for the lecture?”
The newcomer was named Lin Qing, also an outer disciple, and someone Song Yan was fairly familiar with.
“Play all you want, but do not trip Junior Brother Song.”
His tone was gentle. He let the small ginseng fruit on his shoulder play to its heart’s content, and even bent down to pick up the other two small sprites as well.
“Lecture?”
Song Yan’s eyes lit up.
Normally, the four great halls of alchemy, talismans, artifacts, and formations were places where disciples of each hall cultivated. The menial chores of each hall involved assisting these disciples in their practice.
For example, the Pill Hall chores typically meant assisting the Pill Hall disciples in refining pills.
Beyond the rewards for completing the tasks, it could not truly be said that there were no benefits, for there was an invisible advantage: one could take the opportunity to observe the techniques and methods of the various hall disciples.
Furthermore, there was another benefit: when a Pill Hall elder came to give a lecture, the disciple on duty for the chores could listen from a relatively close distance.
“Might I ask, Senior Brother Lin, which elder is giving the lecture this time?”
Song Yan’s rudimentary alchemy skills had been barely formed through observing disciples refine pills, listening to elders expound the dao, and the street-stall alchemy book Granny Qin had gifted him.
Alchemy was a profound and complex art. The more he studied, the more he felt he knew nothing.
Lin Qing’s smile took on a mysterious air. “Today’s lecturer is not an elder of our sect, but Elder Shen Yu of the Xuanyuan Sect.”
“…”
Song Yan nodded thoughtfully.
However, in truth, he had never heard of Shen Yu at all.
But the name “Xuanyuan Sect” carried great renown. Even a bitter cultivator like him, who kept his ears closed to the outside world, had at least heard of this sect.
“Senior Brother Lin, Senior Brother Lin, when will you come play with us again…”
One of the ginseng fruit sprites asked.
Lin Qing considered for a moment, then said with a serious expression, “Hmm, probably tomorrow.”
“Oh…”
“Oh…”
“Burp~”
“Eww, what did you eat? It stinks…”
“I didn’t eat anything! I just ate some of Old White’s golden dirt…”
“It stinks, it stinks! I’m going to beat you!”
The three small figures in his arms fought wildly, creating utter chaos. One of the sprites’ lotus-leaf hats was even knocked flying.
Lin Qing smiled wryly, set them back on the ground, and let them run off until they disappeared from sight.
“Junior Brother Song, I happen to be going to the lecture as well. Shall we go together?”
“Good.”
Song Yan nodded.