Immortal Cultivation: Starting from a Pharmacy Apprentice

Chapter 309: Chapter 309: Closed-door Cultivation

The Jade Plate Secret Realm held a great opportunity for Foundation Establishment.

Bai Mo had heard that prodigies like Shui Ziming and Mo Tianshu were all going for that very opportunity.

They were fighting tooth and nail to build a flawless foundation.

Bai Mo didn’t understand the affairs of prodigies. He knew even less about the attention and special treatment they received in the sect.

It just went to show how narrow-minded and short-sighted Loose Cultivators were. Just handling the tasks at hand was already an achievement.

When Bai Mo emerged from the Stone Lodge, he couldn’t hide the exhaustion on his face.

He glanced at the bamboo tube that had once been filled with bamboo tallies; it was now empty.

Then, he took out the Pill Formula the yellow-robed elder had given him. After checking to make sure it was free of smudges, he folded it and put it away.

It was the original Pill Formula, and he had to return it.

He went to his own thatched hut next door to rest. Inside, there was nothing but a bed, a chair, and a table.

Bai Mo washed up casually. He had just sat down to catch his breath when he heard An Caiwei calling for him in a flurry.

"Junior Brother, Junior Brother!"

"The Foundation Establishment Skill! I found it!"

Bai Mo leaned halfway out of his hut and waved at her.

An Caiwei ran over and spread the Foundation Establishment Skills she had onto the table.

There were five in total, but each was only half of a complete volume.

"It’s seven hundred Spirit Stones for a complete one. Make your choice, and I’ll go borrow the full version."

Bai Mo opened the covers and began to look them over.

"’Tianshu Life-Locking Sutra.’ Uses Star Power for Foundation Establishment, condensing a stargazing platform inside the body. Each new layer is a new heaven, allowing one to borrow Star Power."

"’Dragon-Tiger Symbiosis Method.’ A coiled dragon and a crouching tiger, condenses draconic and tigerish visions. An excellent choice for Body Tempering..."

These were all top-tier Foundation Establishment Skills passed down by the sect.

There were better ones, but their requirements were much higher, demanding both talent and external assistance. Otherwise, they were nearly impossible to master.

Disciples like Shui Ziming entered the Secret Realm precisely to find a favorable location for their Foundation Establishment.

"Military Dao Godslaying Skill... Life-Borrowing Death-Avoiding Method..."

Bai Mo’s gaze shifted, finally landing on a tome with a bright yellow cover.

"’Netherworld Soul-Inviting Chapter.’ A method to connect with the underworld. Builds a sutra platform, suppresses the Heart Demon, strengthens the Divine Soul, and sharpens the senses."

Without hesitation, Bai Mo picked it out.

"This one."

An Caiwei wore an expression that said, ’I knew it.’ Each of the Cultivation Techniques had its own focus, so there really wasn’t much of a choice to be made.

Bai Mo asked curiously, "Senior Sister, which Foundation Establishment Skill did you choose?"

An Caiwei said, "The Tianshu Life-Locking Sutra."

"Those of us with weaker foundations must choose a method that can supplement our reserves. At the very least, it can’t leave behind any flaws."

The two settled the matter of the Foundation Establishment Skill.

An Caiwei then asked, "I saw that the Stone Lodge has been cleaned up. Has your work come to an end, Junior Brother?"

Bai Mo nodded.

"I also finished refining the elder’s Pill."

As he said this, Bai Mo couldn’t help but shake his head and smile.

"That Pill has no name. It’s an auxiliary pill for Foundation Establishment."

After hearing this, the pieces clicked into place in An Caiwei’s mind, and her eyes widened in an instant.

"Huh? Tsk, tsk, tsk!"

"Junior Brother, your luck is pretty good!"

A look of envy flashed across her face.

An elder could have just requisitioned such a Pill from the sect. There was no real need to have Bai Mo refine it.

An act like this was undoubtedly meant to help a junior.

Bai Mo couldn’t help but mock himself.

’I never thought someone like me, a former Loose Cultivator, could receive such an opportunity.’

"When can we enter the Spiritual Aperture? Before I go, I should deliver the Pill and Pill Formula to the elder first."

An Caiwei waved her hand.

"Not for another half a month. The previous disciples cultivated in the Spiritual Aperture for a long time, so they inevitably left behind some residual energies."

"We have to wait for the impure qi to be cleared out before we can go in and cultivate."

"For the next half-month, you should focus on studying the Foundation Establishment Skill."

After saying that, she shared some stories about their senior brothers with Bai Mo, all concerning their excellent performances in the Secret Realm.

Their deeds had earned the admiration of many disciples.

「That night」

That night, Bai Mo went to the same Stone Peak as before.

Just as he leaped to the top, he saw the yellow-robed elder standing there with his hands behind his back.

"Greetings, Elder."

Bai Mo stepped forward respectfully and presented the Pill Formula and the Pill.

"The Pill has been refined."

The yellow-robed elder casually took the two items, tucking them into his sleeve without a second glance.

"Not bad. To do this in such a short time shows your dedication."

"How was the Alchemy Dao opportunity you received? Look at those kids from Pill Peak, they were so jealous they almost tried to snatch it away."

Bai Mo said solemnly, "It was an ancient Pill Method. To call it eye-opening would be an understatement."

"It contained some rarely seen theories that have benefited this disciple greatly."

Bai Mo bowed and cupped his fists.

"This disciple will never forget the elder’s guidance and support!"

The yellow-robed elder flicked his sleeve and waved it off.

"Don’t make it sound so serious. This old Daoist didn’t help you for free."

Bai Mo gave a wry smile.

’An elder like you, asking a disciple to refine a Foundation Establishment Pill... It’s better not to say anything!’

The yellow-robed elder couldn’t help but nod.

"You’ve got some sense about you, kid."

He thought for a moment, then said:

"If you truly want to repay this favor, then you can do something for this old Daoist."

"Please, tell me!" Bai Mo quickly replied.

"If you manage to enter the inner sect, volunteer for the assignment at the Mi Mountain Black Prison."

"The disciple who was originally guarding the prison gate is going on a long journey with me. You have to take over his watch."

"If you let any of the fiends inside escape, forget you—many people, high and low, will suffer for it!"

...

’Mi Mountain Black Prison? Fiends?’

On the way back, Bai Mo mulled over the name.

’Sounds like a cushy job...’

But that was something to worry about after entering the inner sect. For now, he had to focus on the tasks at hand.

He still hadn’t had the time to properly examine the things he obtained from the Secret Realm. First, he needed to fully master the Netherworld Soul-Inviting Chapter.

That day, An Caiwei delivered the complete manual.

Bai Mo then went into seclusion, dedicating himself to studying the book.

This technique involved Divine Thought, which would seem obscure to an ordinary person.

But for Bai Mo, it was actually manageable. Plus, the fact that it didn’t require any additional heavenly treasures really appealed to him.

During his breaks, Bai Mo also wrote a letter and gave it to a disciple from Beast Taming Peak, asking him to deliver it.

The letter was for his staff in Immortal Arrival City. It instructed them to look after the shop’s affairs while he was away and not to cause any trouble.

He also mentioned to a few of his employees that if they ran into any trouble they couldn’t solve, they should go to the Mountain View Tower and seek help from the Sect Disciples.

Given Bai Mo’s current reputation, the other disciples would be more than willing to help.

At the end of the letter, he warned his staff not to slack off on their pill-related duties, as he would be testing them upon his return.

’This seclusion will probably last for more than half a year. By the time I’m done, the grand event in the Jade Plate Secret Realm will be long over.’

This was the first time in Bai Mo’s life he was entering seclusion for so long, so naturally, he had to arrange all miscellaneous matters properly.

’No wonder those powerful cultivators all take on apprentices. If you don’t have someone to manage your affairs, how can you cultivate in peace?’

「Half a month later」

Half a month later, Bai Mo and An Caiwei set off.

The so-called Spiritual Apertures were points above a Spirit Vein where Spiritual Qi erupted.

Within the sect’s territory, a Spirit Vein was exposed to the open, coiling along the ground to form a mountain range that stretched for eight hundred li.

Skilled craftsmen had identified the ideal locations and carved caves into the mountain range, naming them Spiritual Apertures.

Because of the dense Spiritual Qi, the vegetation on the mountain range was lush and verdant.

’Spiritual Aperture Bing-Xu...’

Bai Mo found his assigned Spiritual Aperture, which was less than twenty li from An Caiwei’s.

It was a downward-sloping cave with a tightly sealed entrance.

Kicking away the pile of fallen leaves at the entrance, Bai Mo took out his rental Token and used it to open the door.

As soon as he saw the scene inside, Bai Mo knew he had been deceived by the rumors.

In the crudely dug-out space, the marks from chisels and axes were still visible, illuminated by the dim, yellow light of an ever-burning oil lamp.

What part of this looked meticulously carved?

It was barely large enough to fit a person. However, the Spiritual Qi churning within the cave was indeed rich and seemingly endless.

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