Immortal Cultivation: Starting from a Pharmacy Apprentice

Chapter 281: Chapter 281: Choosing a Location

Broken Blade Peak hadn’t changed much, but its martial aura had only grown stronger.

Waves of scorching energy washed over the peak. If the disciples weren’t intentionally holding back, none of the mountain’s vegetation would have survived.

Disciples were practicing with blades and spears, their auras fierce and dangerous. The towering ancient trees struggled to survive the onslaught of their techniques.

As Bai Mo made his way up the mountain, he noted the well-trodden path, a clear sign that the disciples of Broken Blade Peak traveled it frequently.

"Huh!"

"With a build that small, are you really a disciple of our Broken Blade Peak, Junior Brother?"

A burly senior brother put down the stone weight he was holding and spoke with a grin. His rock-hard muscles emanated an intimidating pressure.

Bai Mo, completely unfazed, stopped his horse and bowed respectfully.

"I only joined the peak last year. Greetings, Senior Brother."

"Haha!"

Hearty laughter rang out as Wei Xianxing, the man who had first brought Bai Mo to Broken Blade Peak, strode over.

He was a warm-hearted senior brother who had helped Bai Mo a great deal.

"Junior Brother Bai, you’re back!"

"How have things been?"

Regardless of how Bai Mo himself had been, one look at the healthy glow on Wei Xianxing’s face told him that his senior brother was doing exceptionally well.

"Thanks to you, Senior Brother, everything has been fine."

Wei Xianxing shot a glare at the disciple who had just been teasing Bai Mo.

"You have time to be teasing a junior? We’re in the final stretch—shouldn’t you be catching up on your training!?"

The burly senior brother pouted, then grabbed an iron rod as thick as a man’s arm and began to swing it, his movements powerful enough to stir the air.

Wei Xianxing sighed and turned to Bai Mo.

"The Jade Plate Secret Realm is about to open, and so many disciples have returned that the mountain is getting a little crowded."

"We have to use this opportunity to push some people into the inner sect!"

’So he wants to push people to break through to Foundation Establishment,’ Bai Mo thought. ’But I wonder where he gets his confidence from.’

"Junior Brother, are you planning to enter the Secret Realm this time?"

Bai Mo shook his head.

"I have other business to attend to."

Wei Xianxing glanced at the Pill Furnace on the carriage, marveling at how steadily the horse from Beast Taming Peak had made the climb, then gave Bai Mo a knowing smile.

"With your Alchemy Skill, Junior Brother, you certainly have more options."

Bai Mo smiled. "If any of the senior brothers need pills, feel free to come find me."

"Of course! We’re all brothers from the same peak. Why let outsiders profit when we can do business together!?"

After chatting for a while longer, the two went their separate ways.

Bai Mo arrived at the edge of Suspended Blade Cliff and found his small hut.

He had lived here ever since he first joined Broken Blade Peak.

He hadn’t been back in half a year. Inside, the hut was a bit damp and had grown some more moss, but otherwise, not much had changed.

He unloaded his luggage and patted the horse on the rump. The animal let out a whinny and trotted down the mountain path with a CLIP-CLOP.

The rental fee, paid in Spirit Stones, had already been settled, so there was no extra cost.

Bai Mo cleaned the hut and moved his luggage inside. It didn’t take long before he was heading back down the mountain.

With all the sect disciples growing restless, it was the perfect time to open for business.

Bai Mo set out, planning to first visit some old acquaintances in the sect before checking on the storefront.

The disciples he was friendly with were all bustling about, most of them preparing for the Jade Plate Secret Realm.

Not everyone had Alchemy Skill to fall back on. They usually had to rack their brains to earn cultivation resources, so they couldn’t afford to not give this great opportunity their all.

Even Shui Ziming, the most senior brother of the outer sect, wore a thoughtful expression.

However, with his level of strength, people like him had no need to rush.

"According to the sect’s higher-ups, people like us shouldn’t delay any longer. We’re expected to break through and enter the inner sect soon."

"I suppose the outer sect is too crowded. The higher-ups can’t stand it anymore and want us to make way for the newer disciples."

Shui Ziming asked,

"You don’t have deep roots in the sect and you’ve been working hard on the outside, so you might not be familiar with everything. Is there anything I can help you with?"

Bai Mo shook his head and replied respectfully,

"I won’t be entering the Secret Realm, Senior Brother. I’ll just be focusing on my business outside."

"There’s nothing to worry about. Senior Sister An is handling the arrangements for the shop."

Shui Ziming was surprised, but his expression quickly softened with understanding.

"Caiwei!?"

"She certainly has her ways within the sect."

Bai Mo explained his business partnership with An Caiwei, then asked,

"Brother Shui, there’s something I don’t understand regarding Foundation Establishment..."

’With this senior brother’s profound experience, guiding a novice like myself would be a simple matter.’

’Plus, he’s the type who enjoys teaching, so of course I should ask for his guidance.’

"Senior Sister An mentioned that I should take this opportunity to reach Foundation Establishment here in the sect."

"I’m thrilled about the idea, of course, but I’m not sure if it’s feasible..."

Shui Ziming listened, his gaze slightly lowered in thought.

"Hmm..."

"That’s certainly possible. The sect has Spiritual Apertures, and cultivating within them provides a heavenly boost."

"But are you sure you want to be in such a hurry, Junior Brother? Are you certain you don’t want to build up your foundation a bit more? After all, at your age..."

Bai Mo waved his hands dismissively.

"I’m not aiming for anything extraordinary, Senior Brother. I was just wondering, how does one use the Spiritual Apertures?"

Shui Ziming explained, "Go to the Spirit Vein, find the deacon in charge of rentals, and pay the fee in Spirit Stones."

"It costs five thousand Spirit Stones to rent for one month, so you’d better be prepared, Junior Brother!"

Bai Mo’s eyelid twitched violently.

’I’ve heard that the time it takes for a Cultivator to reach Foundation Establishment varies, sometimes taking as long as two or three months.’

’In that case, the cost in Spirit Stones would exceed ten thousand.’

Marveling at the sect’s ability to rake in money, Bai Mo decided not to disturb the senior brother any longer and finally took his leave.

’No wonder An Caiwei suddenly took an interest in business,’ he thought. ’With a powerful aid like the Spiritual Aperture available, I bet she plans on using it.’

’Even with her family’s help, it probably won’t be easy for her once you factor in all the other expenses.’

With so many disciples returning to the sect, the marketplace within the gates was unusually bustling.

Bai Mo strolled through the market, spotting many medicinal herbs he had never seen before.

He then found an inn to spend the night. The next day, as arranged, he met with An Caiwei.

"Are the Cultivators you brought all settled in?"

Bai Mo asked.

An Caiwei waved her hand dismissively.

"They’re all settled. What’s there to worry about?"

"Right now, they’re listening to a lecture about experiences in the Secret Realm!"

The two had met, of course, to discuss the storefront for their business.

"If you’re going to be doing Alchemy, the sect’s disciples will have high standards, so the location has to be just right."

An Caiwei pulled Bai Mo out the door.

"Most of the good spots have already been claimed by disciples from Pill Peak and others."

"But I know a place. It’s a bit remote, but its advantage is that it has access to extremely high-quality Earth Fire."

Bai Mo’s eyes lit up.

"It actually has Earth Fire!? That would be perfect."

An Caiwei smiled smugly.

"It used to be a place for forging Magical Artifacts. I’ve already rented it for a year. With a few modifications, it’ll be ready to use."

After they had walked a short distance, Bai Mo realized An Caiwei had arrived in a carriage pulled by a Shilongzi.

The two of them boarded the carriage, and the Shilongzi set off with its four legs, carrying them toward a forest of stone pillars.

Judging by the direction they were heading, Bai Mo realized the shop’s location was likely even more remote than he’d imagined.

Sure enough, after half a day’s travel, they arrived in a valley.

The grounds of the Xuandao Sect, apart from its exceptional number of stone pillars, were characterized by tall, scattered peaks that served as cultivation grounds for its disciples.

Standing in the valley, they could see three peaks of varying heights in the distance. The scenery was quite nice.

The valley itself, however, was somewhat desolate, dotted with only patches of yellow grass.

Bai Mo felt the dry air and knew it was a result of abundant fire-aspected energy.

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