Immortal Cultivation: Starting from a Pharmacy Apprentice

Chapter 270: Chapter 270: Found

The group traveled without rest, only stopping when night fell.

Someone found a bear cave nestled among a pile of boulders—a place that was easy to defend and difficult to assault.

As soon as they approached, its master shot out. It reared up on its hind legs, towering half a man’s height taller than any of them.

The giant bear was covered in scars, and its glossy fur was marred and torn.

Seeing so many visitors, the giant bear turned and fled. Bounding away on all fours, it vanished into the forest in an instant.

"Well now, isn’t this perfect."

The tall man grinned, tossed a lit fire-starter into the bear cave, and got a clear look at the messy scene inside.

The cave was quite spacious, just large enough to squeeze everyone in.

The only problem was the sheer amount of bones and pelts inside, which gave off an unbearable stench.

The tall man was the first to crawl in. He scooped up everything inside in a big armful and tossed it out.

"This is perfect. The smell of this junk should scare off any timid creatures."

Everyone filed in one by one, blocking the cave entrance and leaving only a crack.

A campfire was lit, and Bai Mo tossed in the medicinal herbs he had prepared. A moment later, the foul odor in the cave dissipated.

Qin Wen let out a breath.

"Up ahead, the ravine narrows. There’s a protruding stone platform. Cultivators familiar with the area can use grappling hooks to cross from there."

"We need to be careful."

Hearing this, everyone’s expression turned grim, and they slowly nodded.

They took out the wild boar Demon Beast they had killed earlier, carved strips of meat from it, and roasted them over the fire. Only after eating did everyone fall into a deep sleep.

The roars of beasts and cries of birds echoed throughout the night. It was clear that the world outside was far from peaceful. The men standing guard didn’t dare shut their eyes for even a moment.

They didn’t get to rest until their replacements woke to take over.

Fortunately, the night passed without incident. As soon as it was light, the group set off again.

Not long after they had left, the giant bear with the sleek fur snuck back and dove into its cave.

Bai Mo didn’t have to walk far before he saw the platform Qin Wen had mentioned.

The platform extended from the side of the ravine, shortening the gap to several dozen feet.

"Let’s go," Qin Wen urged.

And so the group crossed over.

Bai Mo kept an eye out along the way but found no trace of the Clearwater Jadeblossom.

’That Liu Yaozi is a tough one.’ ’How far did the current carry him?’

Qin Wen shook his head.

"According to him, he hadn’t reached the Barren Pool, so it should be somewhere up ahead."

As they continued forward, Qin Wen also kept an eye on any movement behind them.

Fortunately, Qi Long and his men had not caught up.

They searched like this for two days before finally making a discovery.

"Look! What is that!?"

Everyone looked in the direction the man was pointing.

A cluster of small, white flowers with blue patterns swayed in the breeze stirred up by the stream, scattering a fine, shimmering white powder.

Bai Mo took a sniff, and a look of delight appeared on his face.

That cluster of flowers, hanging halfway over the ravine, was exactly what he was looking for.

Moreover, judging by its growth, the flower was thriving.

The other men, however, all drew their weapons. Their eyes were calm, their breathing controlled, and they exuded a dangerous aura.

The game they had bagged along the way was tossed aside.

Bai Mo turned his head, looked behind them, and said in a clear voice,

"You’ve been following us for quite a while, friend. You can come out now."

There was the sound of snapping twigs as the bushes rustled.

After a moment, Qi Long and his entire group rushed out.

Panting, they looked toward the Clearwater Jadeblossom and collectively sighed in relief.

"So Brother Qi’s method didn’t work after all. We still had to rely on a real expert to show us the way."

The leader, Qi Long, looked at Bai Mo, a flash of surprise in his eyes.

"I never expected it to be you, Alchemist Bai!"

Bai Mo nodded.

"We meet again."

"Are you also here for the Clearwater Jadeblossom, friend? We’ve all put in the effort, so how about we split it fifty-fifty? To avoid any bad blood."

Qi Long held his saber. A small snake was winding its way up from his ankle—this was the creature that had tracked Bai Mo’s party.

He smiled.

"Alchemist Bai, you must be joking."

"And I have all my brothers here."

The moment the words left his mouth, the men behind him drew their sabers and hurled their spears.

A Pill Furnace suddenly materialized and slammed down over Qi Long’s head, giving him a genuine shock.

But the man’s resolve was extraordinary. Blinded, his first instinct was to retreat.

His men who were charging forward immediately moved to cover him.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

After a few blows from their saber pommels, the Pill Furnace shattered and vanished into thin air.

Qi Long’s vision returned. He shook his head violently to clear the dizziness, only to see that his opponents had already vanished from the clearing.

Bai Mo had only been making a gesture; he had no intention of truly negotiating with the man.

With Qin Wen at his side, Bai Mo pointed casually, and a Pill Furnace clamped down on the head of a charging Cultivator.

No matter how dazzlingly the man flourished his saber, Qin Wen broke through his guard with both hands and ran him through the chest with a short blade.

This tactic was impossible to defend against, and Qi Long’s men were simply not skilled enough to counter it.

The sounds of brutal, close-quarters combat reached his ears, followed by pained cries.

In one-on-one fights, Bai Mo’s dozen or so men were no match for their opponents.

They ducked into the jungle, but even there, they were on the losing end of most skirmishes.

Before long, the scattered men regrouped.

The dozen men formed a defensive circle, struggling to fend off the onslaught of their encircling opponents.

After Bai Mo and Qin Wen took care of two more men, they emerged from the jungle to this scene.

Qi Long was approaching the Clearwater Jadeblossom. Now, seeing the bloody short blade in Qin Wen’s hand, his gaze couldn’t help but harden.

Qin Wen noted that the man was completely ignoring the fight, focused only on inching his way toward the Clearwater Jadeblossom, and he couldn’t help but remark on it.

"Now that’s a man with a purpose!"

He took the Five Obstacles Pill from his robes and was about to throw it but was stopped by Bai Mo.

"Shopkeeper?"

Bai Mo shook his head.

"Let’s wait and see. A rare flower like this must have a Demon Beast guarding it."

"Besides, the effect of the Five Obstacles Pill would probably damage the flower itself."

It was for this exact reason that Qi Long was also hesitant and hadn’t tried to grab the flower yet.

As Bai Mo spoke, he raised a hand. A Pill Furnace materialized over an attacking Cultivator’s head, slamming down with a CLANG.

Across from him, the tall man gritted his teeth. Willing to take a slash to his own arm from another attacker, he drove his elbow into his opponent’s throat.

KRAK!

The Cultivator’s neck twisted at an unnatural angle. It was an injury that would have been impossible to recover from without the unnatural abilities of a Demonic Cultivator.

Seeing their companion fall, horror filled the eyes of Qi Long’s men, and they all turned to glare at Bai Mo.

"Everyone!"

"Those are sect techniques! This person is trouble! Let’s deal with him first! It’ll be like cutting off a limb for the Demon Hunting Teams in the city!"

"Kill!"

Many responded, and a dozen or so men immediately broke off and charged toward Bai Mo.

"How dare you!"

The tall man, enraged, knocked away the person in front of him, only to be forced back by another’s saber.

Qin Wen, however, remained perfectly calm. With a single stride, he stood in front of Bai Mo.

Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly heard a sharp whistle.

THWACK!

It was followed by the dull thud of impacting flesh.

Turning to look, they saw Qi Long flying through the air, a section of his chest caved in.

Yet, he seemed unaffected.

As he flew past an old tree, he reached out a hand, swung his entire body around the trunk, and landed steadily on a branch.

Cold sweat beaded on Qi Long’s forehead. He took two sharp, panting breaths as the caved-in part of his chest slowly rose back to normal.

Bai Mo’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Opposite Qi Long stood a cloaked figure, so completely shrouded that their face was hidden.

But it was definitely humanoid.

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