Immortal Cultivation: Starting from a Pharmacy Apprentice

Chapter 333: Chapter 333: Evaluation

They arrived at Yi Si’s cell.

The prisoner was awake but weak and listless, looking as if he were barely clinging to life.

As Bai Mo had expected, the man hadn’t pulled out the Two Qi Flower on his head. In fact, the two sprouted leaves looked even sturdier.

The short disciple moved closer to the cell bars and stared for a moment.

"Hiss! Junior Brother, your methods are quite ruthless."

"It’s true it won’t kill him, but as a future sacrifice, this man’s quality has certainly dropped."

He looked thoughtful.

"Junior Brother, how did you learn such a technique? Acting like this... it’s really no different from the Demon Dao."

Despite his words, Bai Mo saw that he didn’t take out any shackles and secretly sighed in relief.

"I ask for Senior Brother’s guidance."

Glancing at his companion, who showed little reaction, the short disciple said:

"If you were to stop now, Junior Brother, that would be the simplest solution. We could just pretend nothing happened..."

Bai Mo shook his head.

"This is a shortcut to exploring the mysteries of Qi. I haven’t found a more suitable method yet."

"I don’t wish to stop. I ask again for your guidance, Senior Brother."

The short disciple pondered for a moment, then said:

"He is, after all, just a prisoner, a fiend meant to be a sacrifice to fill the Sea Eye. There’s no need to make a big deal out of what you’re doing, Junior Brother."

"However, I am worried you might get in too deep and lose sight of your true self. For your own good, how about we assign you a deputy to serve as a supervisor..."

Bai Mo was taken aback. This decision didn’t seem like it was made on the spot.

"I don’t mind an extra person, but there’s no spare room on Mi Mountain."

The short disciple waved his hand dismissively.

"There’s precedent for this. The person we send won’t be stationed here permanently. They’ll just visit occasionally."

"There are many disciples in the sect who cultivate Demon Dao techniques. You just need to guard your own heart."

As he spoke, his expression turned serious.

"You may not know this, Junior Brother, but when the Core Formation tribulation comes, the karmic tribulation is especially severe."

"For Cultivators who have committed great sins and taken many lives, the karmic tribulation will immolate them, burning them to ash without a trace of life."

"This is why only one in ten Demonic Cultivators survives their breakthrough to Core Formation. Their sins are simply too heavy."

Bai Mo cupped his hands, his face sincere.

"I will remember your guidance, Senior Brother. If my actions go against the harmony of heaven and earth, I alone will bear all the sins."

The short disciple couldn’t help but be satisfied.

"If you didn’t have this level of awareness, I’d still be worried. Now, I feel much more at ease."

He and the tall disciple walked a lap around the prison.

The restrictive formations in the prison were layered one on top of another, interwoven like a spiderweb, thick and impenetrable.

The few-and-far-between breaches were a drop in the ocean and had little effect. They could wait for the annual repairs.

The two disciples from the Foreign Affairs Hall were about to leave.

Bai Mo saw them to the door.

The short disciple seemed to remember something and turned back to ask:

"Regarding your deputy, Junior Brother, do you have anyone in mind?"

Bai Mo thought for a moment.

"Preferably someone strong, with a good temperament."

"Alright."

And with that, he saw the two off.

Before leaving, the short Cultivator, with a flourish of his brush, still gave Bai Mo an ’Excellent’ rating.

This rating determined his monthly stipend. Since there were no actual mistakes, there was no need to give him a lower score.

The short disciple hopped onto the Flying Ship.

"Senior Brother, did you see the state of that Core Formation Cultivator in the cell?"

"I saw."

The tall Cultivator stood behind him as the Flying Ship slowly rose, carrying them away.

"I just have an eye condition. I’m not actually blind."

The short disciple gave a wry smile.

"What do you think of it?"

"I don’t think much of it. While the methods to seek the Dao aren’t completely without taboos, being overly constrained is just tying your own hands and neglecting your path."

"The ones being used to grow herbs are all fiends from the prison. What’s the harm in that?"

The short disciple nodded.

"That said, it’s quite surprising that this Junior Brother Bai has the ability to use a Core Formation Cultivator like that."

"If I weren’t afraid of being misunderstood and seen as some lowly person coveting another’s techniques, I would have definitely asked him about it."

The tall Cultivator was unconcerned.

"Didn’t you see the Pill Furnace in his room?"

"Those Alchemy Cultivators... if they achieve something in the Alchemy Dao, it’s not surprising what they’re capable of doing..."

...

「Two days later.」

Bai Mo was receiving a messenger goose from the Foreign Affairs Hall.

It had brought a letter in response from Immortal Arrival City.

The bird finished pecking the Feeding Pill from Bai Mo’s palm, stretched its neck, let out a cheerful cry, and flew away on outstretched wings.

Having not been back to Immortal Arrival City for a long time, Bai Mo was concerned about his shop and was about to open the envelope on the spot to read its contents.

But before he could, a bright yellow, gilded light streaked down from the distance.

It was Yin Zhen.

He hadn’t arrived on a Flying Ship, but by Sword Control, his bearing as extraordinary as a banished Immortal.

The moment he landed, he staggered.

Bai Mo quickly stepped forward to steady him.

Only then did Yin Zhen catch his breath.

Recalling his Gilded Radiance Flying Sword, Yin Zhen noticed the letter in Bai Mo’s hand and understood.

"Is that a letter from outside?"

"It is." Bai Mo invited him inside, but was refused.

"I have urgent business, so I can’t stay long."

Yin Zhen took out a palm-sized, round white stone and handed it to Bai Mo.

"Junior Brother, do you recognize this?"

The white stone was heavy, weighing over sixty pounds.

At first, he thought it was an ore, but after a second look, Bai Mo’s pupils contracted.

"A Primordial Beast Egg?"

"Brother Yin, where did you get this?"

Legend had it that Primordial Beasts were Demon Beasts born deep within Spirit Stone veins. Undisturbed by external Qi, their own Qi was naturally pure.

If one hatched, a newborn Primordial Beast would already possess the power of Foundation Establishment, and with a little growth, it would be equivalent to the Core Formation Realm.

Seeing that Bai Mo recognized it, Yin Zhen said:

"This is a dead egg. I acquired it while exterminating a band of thieves."

"I’ve heard that the essence within a Primordial Beast Egg is incredibly rich. If refined into a Pill and consumed, it can easily save a person ten years of arduous cultivation. Is that true?"

Bai Mo held the white stone up to the sunlight, observing the gray speck inside.

"This egg was nurtured deep within a Spirit Stone vein. Someone used some method to extract it, and it was probably tainted by a foul aura at that time, causing it to lose its life force."

Bai Mo narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Coincidentally, I’ve recently made some progress in my Alchemy Dao. I can make the most of this egg."

"Just saving ten years of cultivation would be a waste. I have a method to refine it into a Pill that can improve a person’s aptitude."

After speaking, he looked directly at Yin Zhen.

"What do you think, Brother Yin?"

"This..."

A look of shock flashed across Yin Zhen’s face, and then he fell into thought.

Ordinarily, he wouldn’t have hesitated to choose the option Bai Mo offered.

But now he was in a hurry, and the words "ten years" were extremely tempting.

A moment later, Yin Zhen gritted his teeth.

"Junior Brother, give me three days. I’ll give you an answer in three days."

"I just don’t know, to have it refined into a Pill, how many Spirit Stones will I have to pay?"

Bai Mo opened his palm and wiggled his five fingers.

"Five thousand Spirit Stones?"

"Correct. And if you, Senior Brother, give up the ten-year shortcut and choose my method, you’ll have to give me a heavenly treasure as well."

Bai Mo stated his price: "It needs to be a treasure that was buried underground, absorbing the dense earth Qi for at least a hundred years."

Yin Zhen’s face twitched.

Even he had to hesitate at such a price.

But he knew Bai Mo’s character. For him to demand such a price, it must be for an extraordinary Pill.

"Fine. I’ll be back in three days. Wait for me, Junior Brother!"

He threw out his Gilded Radiance Flying Sword and hastily departed. The streak of light wavered in the distance, looking somewhat unstable.

The previous fight with the thieves had not been easy for him. He was still injured.

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