Chapter 487: Chapter 487: Paying a Visit

On his way back, Bai Mo took a detour to Divine Dao Mountain.

He had no guide this time, but fortunately, the disciple guarding the mountain recognized Bai Mo and allowed him to ascend.

Following the path from memory, Bai Mo wound his way up.

Whispers from sprites echoed from within the thick fog, their intentionally intimidating tones growing louder, as if they were drawing near.

Ren Aher bared his teeth, rousing all the blood and qi in his body, but even that failed to scare them away.

It seemed they were dead set on tormenting outsiders.

However, Yuan Chu had held such things in utter contempt, which showed how truly insignificant they were. Bai Mo had no intention of letting them bully him.

After a moment’s thought, Bai Mo took out the Fire Essence and walked forward, holding it in his palm.

The Fire Essence came from the Suanni Ancestor, formed from the flames of its own body. It was the pinnacle of yang and rigidity.

Just as expected, the moment Bai Mo took out the Fire Essence, a miserable shriek echoed from the fog before him.

The approaching sprite seemed to have been genuinely burned and leaped back in retreat.

RUSTLE!

The sound of rustling leaves.

Bai Mo tilted his head slightly, looking toward the treetops beside the mountain path.

The leaves there were still trembling. Amid the branches, a monkey-like shadow moved with vivid life, though it was obscured by the thick fog and foliage.

A wary, undisguised gaze pierced through the leaves.

Bai Mo had no time to spare it a second glance and continued straight toward the mountainside.

...

The familiar pool appeared before him, its water exceptionally clear.

Bai Mo took a few steps forward and spoke respectfully toward the murky bottom of the pool,

"Disciple Bai Mo, I have accepted Dharma Protector She’s commission and have come to pay a visit..."

A few bubbles rose from the depths of the pool, bursting on the surface and sending out ripples.

The old turtle did not appear immediately, making Bai Mo wait for quite some time.

After a while, a large, green-shelled turtle the size of a millstone slowly crawled out from the pool.

Without a glance at Bai Mo, it slowly clambered onto the mountain path and gradually moved away.

GLUG!

The sound of churning water.

Bai Mo turned to see a turtle shell like a block of green stone emerge from the pool.

Then, Sheqing Shan poked its head out. Just like before, it rested its head on the stones at the bank, which seemed to make it comfortable.

"So you’re the kid who took my commission?"

Bai Mo cupped his hands in a fist-and-palm salute.

"Indeed. However, I have heard that all previous attempts to refine the Seven Orifice Pill have failed, leading to suspicion that the Pill Formula is flawed."

"Therefore, I have come specifically to ask about the full story."

Sheqing Shan fell silent upon hearing this. After a moment, it spoke.

"The Pill Formula is undoubtedly authentic. I found it in a water mansion outside."

"But whether the formula has been tampered with, or if it’s complete and without missing parts, that I do not know."

’It’s being surprisingly honest.’

Bai Mo thought for a moment, then pointed behind him.

"Was that your nephew just now, Dharma Protector?"

"Is this Pill for him?"

Sheqing Shan nodded.

"That’s right. Can you refine it? A higher price is not a problem."

It had heard about Bai Mo from Yuan Chu and knew of his background.

"I’m about seventy percent confident."

Bai Mo replied, "To be honest, Dharma Protector, this disciple has done some research into the ancient Alchemy Dao."

"Give me a month, and I should be able to deliver the Pill to you..."

Sheqing Shan didn’t respond. Instead, it raised its head and sized Bai Mo up from head to toe.

"Such attentiveness."

"Speak. What else do you want?"

Bai Mo was overjoyed.

"Could the Dharma Protector bestow upon me a Divine Technique again? There’s no need for any other premium."

"Granted."

Sheqing Shan glanced at him, slowly spoke that one word, and then sank back into the water.

Bai Mo once again felt that marvelous sensation in his body. He activated it, and when he reached into the mountain rock beside him, his hand passed through as if it were air.

’Dharma Protector She is easy to talk to, after all.’

Bowing toward the pool, Bai Mo left Divine Dao Mountain with Ah Er.

On the way down the mountain, the troublesome sprite did not appear again.

It seemed the Fire Essence had given it quite a scare.

After leaving Divine Dao Mountain and bidding farewell to the disciple on guard, Bai Mo went to visit the sources of his other commissions.

One of them was Kongliu Valley, the best producer of the sect’s Flying Ships.

A disciple there had been forging a ship’s hull when he failed to pay attention to the ore being smelted nearby. He was accidentally injured by a burst of toxic fire.

Half of his right palm was burned away on the spot, and fire poison entered his body. His condition was utterly wretched.

"Junior Brother, are you really confident you can refine that Fire-Dispelling Pill?"

The disciple—his face pitted and discolored with purple and red, his severed palm yet to grow back—asked while pulling a bellows with his left hand.

Bai Mo sized him up. His exposed chest and shoulders were also covered in burns of varying severity.

Because the fire poison had entered his body, none of the injuries had healed properly.

He was so terrifying to look at, it was said he could stop a child from crying at night.

Bai Mo’s expression didn’t change as he nodded.

"I’ll give it a try. There shouldn’t be any mistakes."

"Senior Brother, what kind of toxic ore were you injured by?"

The horrifying-looking disciple turned his head, picked up a purple stone from a nearby basket, and casually tossed it to Bai Mo.

"Here. It’s this stone."

’He doesn’t seem to mind it or feel any aversion.’

Bai Mo praised him inwardly. ’Truly the bearing of an expert.’

Even after his injury, he had only slipped from the top ten craftsmen in Kongliu Valley to thirteenth. He clearly possessed true skill.

"Junior Brother, do you have a Flying Ship?"

"I do."

"Heh, if you can really refine that Pill, I’ll help you do a maintenance check on it, free of charge. No Spirit Stones needed..."

Bai Mo left, holding the piece of ore that was said to be extremely toxic.

After visiting two more places, he finally returned to Mi Mountain with Ah Er.

As soon as he got back, he saw Li Wuji seeing off two disciples from the Hall of Combat.

"I’ve been busy with alchemy lately. I’m afraid I’ll have to ask Brother Li to help out a bit more."

Li Wuji nodded and picked up several Cultivation Technique manuals from the ground.

"I’m free anyway. Just call me when you need me..."

Bai Mo saw him off, then turned and told Ah Er to watch the door. He entered the stone house and shut the door behind him.

With practiced ease, he refined the mountain-traversing Divine Technique and transferred it into the straw man.

The dizziness hit him again.

Bai Mo staggered back to his room, stuffed several Pills into his mouth, and fell into a deep sleep.

Ah Er pressed his ear to the door and listened for a moment. Only after hearing the creak of the bed did he move away.

He went up the mountain to feed the chicken-mice, loosen the soil, and prune the flowers, busying himself happily.

Two days later, when the flowers and plants on the mountain had been pruned so badly they looked like they’d been chewed by a dog, Bai Mo finally woke up.

The moment he sat up, Bai Mo felt his mind was empty and dazed.

His body also felt weak, with no strength to speak of.

’I can’t do this again. If I use this method on myself too often, I’m afraid it will damage my foundation...’

Calling Ah Er over, Bai Mo sat and directed him as his assistant. It took them seven days to refine another Outer Pill.

He had Ah Er shatter the previous pill in his stomach and consume the new one. After this, his mountain-traversing ability was clearly much more stable.

Bai Mo felt as if he had taken a calming pill.

The new Outer Pill used fewer materials; he had simply improved the quality of the ingredients and incorporated some of his own new insights.

But its effect was better than the previous one, proving he was on the right path.

Stopping Ah Er, whose body was sinking into the shallow rock of the mountain, Bai Mo instructed:

"For the next three months, you focus on guarding the house. I have to handle these commissions. Don’t call me unless it’s important."

"If we don’t get the income from these jobs, we’ll be drinking thin porridge for days after we buy the next batch of materials..."

Hearing this, Ah Er immediately understood the priorities and nodded repeatedly, giving his assurance.

Bai Mo nodded in satisfaction and closed the door to the stone house. Inside, an intense fire blazed to life.

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