Bab 13: Chapter 13 Are Grade 7 Elixir Pills Really Rare?
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A mass of black mist swept over the valley, startling countless birds into flight. The terrifying divine sense of Black Tiger Daoist scanned the entire canyon but found no trace of Lu Changsheng and Xia Ningxue before finally departing.
The valley fell silent.
An hour later, the black mist returned; Black Tiger Daoist had doubled back on himself.
"It seems they're indeed not here."
Muttering to himself, Black Tiger Daoist rode the clouds and mists away from the area.
"Black Tiger Daoist is truly treacherous. Actual villains are much more cunning than those in TV dramas. Let's not leave the cave for the time being."
Inside a secluded cave, Lu Changsheng held his breath and concentrated, sensing the oppressive aura of Black Tiger Daoist fade away before finally letting out a sigh of relief.
Among the loose cultivators of Huang State, Black Tiger Daoist was notorious for his cruelty and cunning personality. Lu Changsheng and Xia Ningxue had narrowly escaped his pursuit.
Worried about encountering Black Tiger Daoist if they went out now, Lu Changsheng decided to stay in the cave for some more days.
Lu Changsheng sat in meditation, regulating his breath.
The sound of Xia Ningxue's breathing echoed in the cave.
Xia Ningxue had been injured by Black Tiger Daoist and was resting to recover.
"When Black Tiger Daoist's Dao technique shattered my soul, was it you who used the Seventh-grade elixir 'Nine Nether Soul Gathering Pill' to help me reconvene my soul?"
Xia Ningxue opened her bright eyes, looking at Lu Changsheng with a mixture of emotions.
The Nine Nether Soul Gathering Pill was a Seventh-grade elixir, something not even the elders reached in the Dao Palace, and even the Pavilion Master of Inquiry Immortal Pavilion couldn't produce many.
Yet, Lu Changsheng had administered it directly to her, dissolving Black Tiger Daoist's Dao technique and saving her life.
"Are Seventh-grade Elixir Pills very rare?"
Lu Changsheng was puzzled.
He knew that Seventh-grade elixir pills were valuable, but wasn't clear on just how scarce they were.
After all, it was a reward from the Disciple Apprenticeship System, something he took for granted; he could always fleece the system for more in the future.
"You..."
Xia Ningxue's pupils quivered. From what Lu Changsheng said, were Seventh-grade Elixir Pills insignificant to him?
Even her own master wouldn't dare to say such a thing, would he?
"Here is a Fifth-grade Elixir Pill 'Scarlet Blood Consolidating Essence Pill,' which can heal wounds and restore vitality."
Seeing that Xia Ningxue's injuries hadn't yet fully healed, Lu Changsheng flicked his fingers, sending out a pill.
"A Fifth-grade Elixir Pill... are you really giving this to me?"
Xia Ningxue caught the Elixir Pill, incredulous.
Lu Changsheng's face remained calm, as if to him a Fifth-grade Elixir Pill was nearly as insignificant as trash.
"You need to recover your vital energy as quickly as possible so that we have a chance to escape. Otherwise, with my power alone, facing Black Tiger Daoist would only lead to a dead end. Consider it a mutual benefit."
Lu Changsheng knew that if both of them restored their strength to the first level of the Dao Palace Realm, they could together stand a chance against Black Tiger Daoist, which is why he offered her the Scarlet Blood Consolidating Essence Pill.
"Alright."
Xia Ningxue understood that in their current predicament, they needed each other. Dropping any pretense, she consumed the Scarlet Blood Consolidating Essence Pill, closed her eyes to meditate, refining the pill's power as her wounds visibly healed at an remarkable rate.
Lu Changsheng also consumed a Fourth-grade Elixir Pill 'Earth Spirit Pill' to restore his own spiritual energy.
Fortunately, the Disciple Apprenticeship System had rewarded him with a bunch of superb elixir pills before they descended the mountain, enabling Lu Changsheng to narrowly escape this disaster.
Lu Changsheng and Xia Ningxue stayed in the cave for three days. Xia Ningxue's injuries fully healed, and Lu Changsheng's spiritual energy was also restored to its full capacity.
"Black Tiger Daoist hasn't doubled back within three days. We can go out now."
Lu Changsheng planned to return to Mount Shu to report to his senior brother about the situation in Huang State.
Lu Changsheng and Xia Ningxue led a group of disciples from Inquiry Immortal Pavilion, breaking through the encirclement. The other disciples, with lesser skills, perished while being chased by Black Tiger Daoist and the Reincarnation Hall.
As for Elder Ku Mu and Elder Luo Feng of the Inquiry Immortal Pavilion, their whereabouts were unknown.
Had it not been for Lu Changsheng revealing his Dao Palace Realm cultivation, Xia Ningxue might have been annihilated by Black Tiger Daoist as well.
Thinking about the outcome of their journey, a hint of worry crossed Xia Ningxue's delicate features, "Elder Lu, I owe you my life. How do you want me to repay you?"
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"If you wish to repay me, why not take me as your master?"
"Are you serious? But I have sworn a poison oath to my sect, never to betray it, apart from this, I can agree to anything you ask."
Xia Ningxue was taken aback; she thought that Lu Changsheng was only joking, and she didn't expect him to bring up the matter again.
"Apart from this, I can't think of anything else at the moment; we'll talk about it another day."
Lu Changsheng indeed lacked nothing in terms of magical treasures or cultivation techniques.
The proper course of action was to find a way to return to Mount Shu.
"Understood."
Xia Ningxue wasn't in a hurry to repay the favor. Both were members of the six Orthodox Sects and young elders; they would inevitably cross paths again.
Lu Changsheng and Xia Ningxue left the cave where they had been hiding.
Suddenly, Xia Ningxue gasped in doubt when she saw a strange pattern on a huge rock at the entrance of the cave.
"This is a secret signal used by the disciples of Inquiry Immortal Pavilion to communicate. A disciple from the Huang State branch is still alive; this is the signal she left."
Xia Ningxue's expression gradually cleared.
The Huang State branch had not been completely wiped out; there were survivors!
"She fled to the north, I hope Black Tiger Daoist hasn't encountered her."
"Let's hurry and catch up."
Lu Changsheng and Xia Ningxue flew north, skimming the ground on their Flying Swords.
The next day, when Lu Changsheng and Xia Ningxue arrived at a desolate village, they enveloped the village in their Divine Sense and detected two auras, one strong and one weak.
"Come out!"
Lu Changsheng shouted.
"Demon Sects, I'll fight you! We'll perish together!"
From inside the village, a Flying Sword was thrust at them, initiating a desperate move that would result in mutual destruction!
"Stop, I am Xia Ningxue of Inquiry Immortal Pavilion!"
Xia Ningxue, sensing the other was one of her own, softly scolded.
The Flying Sword hovered in midair, and the person wielding the sword was a female Golden Core Realm disciple of Inquiry Immortal Pavilion.
"Disciple pays respects to the Holy Maiden!"
The female Golden Core Realm disciple, upon seeing Xia Ningxue, was overwhelmed with emotion and hurriedly retrieved her sword to pay respect.
Holy Maiden?
Lu Changsheng looked at Xia Ningxue with a strange expression. This person's status in Inquiry Immortal Pavilion was indeed not low.
But Xia Ningxue still owed him a favor...
"Evil Sword from Reincarnation Hall and Black Tiger Daoist from the Demon Race joined forces to massacre our branch, I was the only one who managed to escape through a tunnel, the others..."
The female disciple choked up and her eyes reddened as she mentioned this.
"We've also encountered Evil Sword and Black Tiger Daoist."
"Then, Holy Maiden…"
"Apart from the two of us, the rest are either dead or missing."
"That makes sense, the Holy Maiden has not cultivated for long, and is not a match for Black Tiger Daoist."
"Why did Black Tiger Daoist attack our Inquiry Immortal Pavilion branch?"
Xia Ningxue regained her composure; the ultimate purpose of this journey was to uncover the truth behind the events in Huang State.
"There's another person involved in this matter. Black Tiger Daoist and Reincarnation Hall probably came for this person, come out."
The female disciple wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes and called out to another person hiding in a stone house.
Lu Changsheng looked towards the stone house, only to see a little girl with her face covered in mud hiding behind the wooden door, peering out at them nervously.
"Ding, the system has found a suitable candidate for discipleship… one has been found."
Hadiah
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