"Master, I really feel that my soul power has changed somewhat. As the number of times I've refined pills increases, it seems to have become stronger, and my state of mind has also calmed down considerably."
"You're not bad, kid. You can feel the change in your soul power so quickly."
"Master, I feel my soul power is being consumed quite severely. Can you give me a pill to nourish my soul?" Zhang Ergou said with a cheeky grin, his face shamelessly bared.
"Get lost. What I refined, I refined through my own hard work. If you want one, refine it yourself."
"But I don't have a refining recipe!" Zhang Ergou said with a wry smile, his eyes fixed on Qiao Yunyun without blinking.
Qiao Yunyun gave him a helpless look and took an ancient book from his sleeve, handing it to Zhang Ergou.
Zhang Ergou quickly reached out and took it.
Flipping open the ancient book, Zhang Ergou took a cursory glance and found that the pill recipe Qiao Yunyun had given him was also a first-grade pill, named the Soul Nourishing Pill. From its description, it was more complex to refine than the Qi Replenishing Pill.
"Remember, the recipe I gave you must never be shared," Qiao Yunyun warned Zhang Ergou sternly. "For alchemists, recipes are our lifeline. Never be careless." Su Dan Novel Network
"Disciple understands. I will keep it firmly in mind," Zhang Ergou quickly nodded in agreement, then continued to study the recipe.
"Look carefully. You must grasp the details in the recipe, and then refining will be smoother."
Qiao Yunyun reminded him again as he was about to leave, then tossed Zhang Ergou a jade token.
"This token is specifically for picking medicinal herbs from the herb garden. If you're missing anything, you can directly use it to pick them."
Zhang Ergou took the jade token, his eyes shining. "This is simply a treasure."
That night, Zhang Ergou took the jade token given by Qiao Yunyun and went to the herb garden alone. This time, he did not feel guilty as he had before.
Arriving at the pavilion outside the herb garden again, he heard a strange sound.
Zhang Ergou coughed dryly. Hearing such a sound, he understood what the people inside were doing. Zhang Ergou reached up and touched his nose.
He coughed loudly.
"Quick, tidy up! Someone's here," came a panicked voice from inside the pavilion.
Then, a male disciple walked out, his clothes disheveled, a large portion of his skin exposed.
The male disciple walked up to Zhang Ergou and, feigning composure, asked, "What business do you have in the herb garden late at night?"
"My master, Elder Qiao, asked me to come and collect some medicinal herbs." As he spoke, Zhang Ergou showed the jade token given by Qiao Yunyun.
"Elder Qiao? Senior brother, please..." Taking Zhang Ergou's jade token and looking at it closely, the male disciple's face immediately broke into a smile. He bowed and gestured to guide Zhang Ergou.
The Precious Pill Pavilion had immense influence in the Misty Sect. Zhang Ergou's status as Qiao Yunyun's disciple caused a great stir in the heart of this herb garden disciple.
Consequently, his address also changed.
"You can attend to your own business. I'll just look around myself," Zhang Ergou said, not wanting someone to follow him and hinder his actions. He dismissed the disciple.
Entering the herb garden, he was greeted by vast stretches of medicinal herbs, enveloped in spiritual energy. The rich aroma of the herbs was invigorating.
Zhang Ergou took out the recipes for the Qi Replenishing Pill and the Soul Nourishing Pill and began picking herbs according to the recipes.
This time, he had plenty of confidence in picking herbs, with no worry of anyone catching him. Therefore, he specifically took out two storage rings with larger capacities. As he walked past each patch of land, the herbs there were swept clean.
If an unknowing observer were to see this, they would think the herb garden had been raided by demonic beasts.
Suddenly, Zhang Ergou's internal spirit fire trembled once more.
"What's going on? Could there be another treasure?" Zhang Ergou looked in the direction indicated by the spirit fire.
This time, the spirit fire's tremor was even more intense than when he discovered the Xuanlong Art. It seemed there must be something valuable in the herb garden.
Thanks to the token given by Qiao Yunyun, Zhang Ergou no longer worried about being caught.
He walked without hesitation towards the direction indicated by the spirit fire. By then, the two storage rings were almost full.
Following the spirit fire's guidance, Zhang Ergou found himself at the deepest part of the herb garden, only to find his path blocked ahead.
Before him lay a bottomless abyss.
Zhang Ergou tentatively peered down. The sight made him feel as if he were about to be swallowed by the cliff.
He hastily withdrew his gaze. With his current cultivation, he had no way to descend.
According to the spirit fire's guidance, the treasure should be at the bottom of the cliff. Zhang Ergou looked around but found no path down.
This herb garden was already at the edge of the Misty Sect, the outermost perimeter. Not only were powerful restrictions in place, but there was also this bottomless abyss. Even a Nascent Soul stage cultivator would not be able to guarantee their safe descent from here.
Zhang Ergou looked back, then picked up a large stone and threw it into the abyss.
After a long while, Zhang Ergou still heard no sound.
Just as Zhang Ergou thought there would be no response, the spirit fire within him began to tremble violently.
"If you want to go down, you go down yourself. I have no ability to. It's so deep, I'd be smashed to pieces if I went down."
Zhang Ergou said irritably.
As if it could understand him, the spirit fire shot out of his body, descending into the abyss like a golden streak.
"Uh!"
Zhang Ergou was dumbfounded. He had only said it casually, but he never expected the spirit fire to actually go down.
Soon, the spirit fire disappeared from Zhang Ergou's sight.
Zhang Ergou had no choice but to sit cross-legged by the edge of the cliff and wait. He couldn't see, so he could only gaze at the misty clouds and wait in silence.
After a long time, about half an hour, Zhang Ergou heard a roar faintly in the distance.
Then, a golden light flashed from below the cliff. Wasn't this the spirit fire?
At this moment, the spirit fire was no longer playful; it had become much more docile. It zipped back into Zhang Ergou's sea of consciousness and fell silent.
"What was down there?" Zhang Ergou was greatly astonished by the change in the spirit fire. It was the first time he had seen the spirit fire in such a state.
It was as if it had been scared by something terrifying.
The spirit fire remained silent. Zhang Ergou, helpless, could only turn and leave.
Returning to the herb garden, Zhang Ergou continued his picking until both storage rings were packed to the brim. Only then did he end his trip.
Satisfied with the two storage rings, Zhang Ergou hummed a tune as he walked out of the herb garden.
Shortly after Zhang Ergou left, a pair of illusory eyes materialized in the depths of the abyss.
Not long after, those illusory eyes vanished as if nothing had happened.
Of course, no one noticed any of this, and Zhang Ergou was unaware.