Immortal Cultivation: Starting from a Pharmacy Apprentice

Chapter 280: Chapter 280: Recognizing the Road

The horses from Beast Taming Peak had always been top-notch, likely because the horse business was a lucrative one.

They had truly put in the hard work when it came to breeding them.

The horse pulling Bai Mo’s carriage had Demon Beast blood in its veins. It was in the prime of its life and moved so swiftly it seemed to generate its own wind.

Bai Mo didn’t think it was any slower than the An family disciple’s Shilongzi. After all, the Shilongzi had a massive body and was also pulling a carriage, which made it cumbersome.

As he drove the horse, he began to see more and more of his fellow disciples.

Occasionally, he’d spot someone looking lost and bewildered at a crossroads, clearly a disciple who hadn’t returned to the sect in a long time.

One such bold, travel-worn disciple saw Bai Mo’s carriage approaching and flagged him down.

"Could you give me a ride?"

Bai Mo had no objection.

"Please, get in."

This disciple’s skin was deeply tanned, and his face had a weather-beaten look from exposure to the sun and rain, yet it was different from that of an old farmer.

He thanked Bai Mo and asked with a cupped-fist salute:

"I haven’t asked for your name yet."

Bai Mo casually handed him a piece of flatbread, inviting him to eat with him.

"Bai Mo. I officially joined the sect last year."

"Oh, then you’d be my junior brother."

The man took the flatbread and said:

"I joined six years and eight months ago. My name is Jin Jiang."

Bai Mo laughed.

"Brother Jin, did you get lost?"

Jin Jiang took a bite of the flatbread, eating with relish, and sighed.

"I haven’t been back in three years, and I’m not exactly great with directions. I’ve been wandering around in that stone forest for half a day already."

"Junior Brother, do you know how to get to Weapons Peak?"

Bai Mo truly didn’t know. He had been to a mountain that towered like a furnace once, but Brother Shui Ziming had been the one to lead him.

He hadn’t paid attention to the way.

"I’m afraid you’ll have to figure that out yourself, Brother Jin."

Jin Jiang shook his head.

"It’s fine. Once we get deeper in where there are more people, I’ll be able to find my way."

Bai Mo chatted and laughed with him, noticing the signs of battle on his body.

The scars that occasionally peeked out on his hands and neck were impossible to hide completely.

"Brother Jin, have you been away for all three years? Was it for a sect mission?"

Jin Jiang thought for a moment.

"You could say I was traveling, yes. I was indeed on a sect mission."

"I spent a long time fighting on the battlefield against heretics and demons. The three years passed in a daze."

Bai Mo was startled, his expression immediately turning solemn.

"You’re an incredible man, Brother!"

Jin Jiang smiled.

"Not many in the sect have been to that kind of battlefield. It’s usually only disciples from my Weapons Peak who cultivate the Dao of battle formations that go to places like that."

"People say it’s brutal, but it’s not that much more difficult than exterminating rampaging Demon Beasts and other vile creatures."

Bai Mo shook his head.

"I wouldn’t say that. I know a senior brother who also served on the front lines."

"From the little he said about it, the front lines are a true hell on earth..."

"It’s manageable," Jin Jiang said, his expression unchanged.

"By the way, what’s that fellow disciple’s name?"

"Perhaps I know him."

So Bai Mo told him.

"Hou Mingsheng. He’s in Immortal Arrival City now, helping coordinate provisions and resources for the Cultivators on the front lines."

"I know him!" Jin Jiang suddenly broke into a smile.

"We met back then, but he was transferred away pretty quickly..."

The two of them continued to talk. Neither was difficult to get along with, and the conversation was pleasant.

Along the way, more lost people appeared—some were traveling alone and didn’t know the way, getting more confused the more they asked for directions;

others had failed to meet up with their companions and were just wandering in circles in the stone forest.

Before long, three more people had ended up on Bai Mo’s carriage.

"Sigh, all this fuss about the Jade Plate Secret Realm... I was having a great time out there, things were really heating up with a female cultivator, and then my Master just had to call me back."

Judging by his tone, this one wasn’t very ambitious and cared only for beautiful women.

Another person, tinkering with a Magical Artifact, said loudly:

"Don’t complain. The Jade Plate Secret Realm is going to be a massive event this year."

"Just the spiritual pressure from the leaking Spiritual Qi is enough to make my Magical Artifact malfunction. That just goes to show how powerful it is. The opportunities this year are sure to be immense!"

Everyone agreed with this statement.

"It’s a grand event for the sect! I just hope we can get a piece of the pie and advance our cultivation."

"But my cultivation level isn’t high. I even need someone to back me up when fighting Demon Beasts."

"No problem, there are other ways to get involved. It’s going to be a huge deal in the sect. If you don’t know how, you can find me later. I have my ways..."

But Jin Jiang leaned over to look at the Magical Artifact the disciple was fiddling with and pointed something out:

"Your Magical Artifact wasn’t damaged by the spiritual pressure."

The disciple looked up at him, confused.

Jin Jiang said, "Look here. This golden thread shouldn’t be exposed like this."

"Over time, even without exposure to the elements, it would break down from natural wear and tear in less than two years."

From his time on the front lines, he had become quite skilled at repairing Magical Artifacts and could spot the problem at a glance.

"I’m afraid you’ve been scammed!"

The disciple holding the Magical Artifact’s face darkened. Seeing the sincerity on Jin Jiang’s face, he became indignant.

"Damn it! We’re disciples from the same peak, yet he cheated me!"

As the group laughed and chatted, the misty fog grew thinner and thinner.

Bai Mo took a deep breath of the Spiritual Qi and felt his spirits lift.

’It really is much richer!’

Now that they were in a more populated area, the passengers on the carriage began to recognize the way, some even running into disciples from their own peaks.

One after another, they got off the carriage.

Jin Jiang was the last to leave, as his path was the same as Bai Mo’s for a while.

Before he left, Bai Mo leaned out and asked him, "Brother Jin, are you planning to enter the Jade Plate Secret Realm?"

Jin Jiang nodded.

"After fighting on the front lines for three years, I feel I’ve consolidated my foundation enough."

"It’s good to come back and try my luck for some opportunities in the Secret Realm. If nothing else, I can find some things to trade for cultivation resources."

Bai Mo immediately understood.

’He’s also back to prepare for Foundation Establishment.’

’But his approach to Foundation Establishment is different from mine.’

’People like An Caiwei and myself aren’t the type to spend long periods consolidating our foundations in the Qi Refining realm, hoping to soar to the heavens the moment we reach Foundation Establishment.’

’Those who can achieve such a feat are all people of either great talent or great perseverance.’

Bai Mo admitted to himself that he didn’t have that kind of energy.

’The path of cultivation is a long one; there’s no need to compete in everything or push things to the absolute extreme.’

"To be honest, Brother Jin, I have some skill in alchemy. I’d say I’m quite accomplished, my fees aren’t expensive, and I’ve taken on many jobs from other senior brothers."

Bai Mo said with a smile.

"If you ever need anything, Brother Jin, you can look for me at Broken Blade Peak. Even if you can’t find me there, you’ll be able to find out where I’ve gone."

"Broken Blade Peak?"

Jin Jiang was stunned. He didn’t know the disciples of Broken Blade Peak could produce an Alchemist.

"That’s right, Broken Blade Peak."

Bai Mo smiled, bid him farewell, and with a flick of the reins, the horse galloped away.

Jin Jiang didn’t think much of it. He got his bearings and set off on his way.

’Still, since this junior brother is familiar with Hou Mingsheng, that makes him one of us.’

’It wouldn’t hurt to give him a bit of business.’

As for Bai Mo, not long after parting ways with Jin Jiang, he saw the familiar sight of Beast Taming Peak.

The Cultivators of Beast Taming Peak were bustling about. Even from a distance, he could see Spirit Beasts ascending and descending, a clear sign they intended to take advantage of the occasion to make a huge profit.

Shaking his head, Bai Mo didn’t go and disturb them, instead heading straight back to Broken Blade Peak.

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