Danxia Mountain

Next, Lin Xuan began putting all his effort into improving his cultivation. Using medicinal pills as support and working as diligently as before, he indeed reaped great rewards.

The records in the ancient books had not been wrong. Even a Mortal without a Spirit Root could sweep aside the obstacles to cultivation, so long as they had enough medicinal herbs to support them.

Having confirmed this, Lin Xuan consumed Marrow Cleansing Pills in large quantities. If the medicinal texts had not stated that no more than nine could be taken per day, he truly would have eaten spiritual medicine like meals.

As for the method of consuming spiritual medicine, Lin Xuan gradually summed up some insights as well. He should not take them one pill at a time; the medicinal potency would be limited that way, and the results unsatisfactory.

Of course, swallowing nine pills at once as he had when breaking through the bottleneck was also wrong. Though it did not exceed the limit, the medicinal potency was too fierce. Not only would it make him suffer, but it would also be difficult to absorb all at once, and the excess medicinal power would disperse on its own.

That was clearly wasteful and not to be encouraged!

The proper method was to take three pills at a time, once each in the morning, noon, and evening, then sit down and circulate his cultivation art. That produced the best results.

Other low-ranking disciples received only two Marrow Cleansing Pills per month, while Lin Xuan consumed nine in a single day. Propelled by such nearly extravagant use of spiritual medicine, his progress was extremely swift. Though it could not be called a thousand miles in a day, he could feel his spiritual power growing every day.

However, good times did not last. A week later, Lin Xuan had run out of Marrow Cleansing Pills, though he still had two higher-grade pills he had seized from Zhang Yu.

They were red pills the size of peas, which Lin Xuan had never seen before. Naturally, he could not ask the sect elders about them; that would be tantamount to confessing that Zhang Yu and Zhou Yan's disappearance had something to do with him. Privately, Lin Xuan quietly went to the Library Pavilion to consult the records and learned that they were a kind of spiritual medicine superior to Marrow Cleansing Pills.

Foundation Establishment Pills!

Disciples of the Spirit Movement Stage had no use for them. They were used by experts in the Foundation Establishment Realm to increase their cultivation.

With this understanding, Lin Xuan carefully hid them away for later use. His most urgent task now was to obtain more Marrow Cleansing Pills so that he could continue cultivating.

Lin Xuan set his sights on the Waste Pills considered "trash."

To the west of Floating Cloud Valley stood a small mountain. Yet the entire mountain belly had been hollowed out, with a massive tunnel leading straight into the depths underground. This was the mouth of an active volcano, but it had been sealed by the great Supernatural Powers of generations of patriarchs. Only the Earth Fire had been channeled into rooms along the mountain walls for pill refining.

Danxia Mountain, one of Floating Cloud Valley's most important forbidden grounds, was no less important than the Library Pavilion that housed all manner of secret manuals and cultivation arts.

Spirit Beasts patrolled, experts stood guard—those who trespassed would be killed without mercy!

Even disciples of the sect were not permitted to enter at will. If they had business there, a building stood in front of Danxia Mountain, where outside visitors could be received.

Before coming, Lin Xuan had already inquired into every detail. Thus, brimming with confidence, he entered the building.

The interior was very spacious, covering several hundred square meters. Several young attendants sat there in bored idleness. When Lin Xuan entered, one attendant from nearby hurried forward, bowed respectfully, and called out, "Immortal Master."

These attendants were not cultivators of Floating Cloud Valley, but outer sect disciples.

So-called outer sect disciples were those who lacked Spirit Roots but possessed talent in other areas, and were thus admitted by Floating Cloud Valley. They would not be taught cultivation arts, but could obtain other benefits.

In the eyes of Mortals, cultivators were beings like immortals. Thus, even for the chance to become outer sect disciples, applicants crowded in until they nearly broke their heads, while the sect selected only the best among them.

For instance, these attendants had no Spirit Roots, but they came from families of renowned physicians and were well acquainted with all kinds of medicinal herbs and their properties. They could be sent to Danxia Mountain to help with miscellaneous tasks.

Based on their performance, the sect would reward them with precious medical texts or martial arts manuals—the very books Lin Xuan had seen on the first floor of the Library Pavilion.

Though such books were worthless in the Cultivation World, little more than trash, they were supreme treasures to Mortals. After serving as outer sect disciples in Floating Cloud Valley for seven or eight years, they could descend the mountain. By then, they would have learned enough to become either renowned physicians of their generation in the mortal world or great men possessing peerless martial arts.

The benefits spoke for themselves.

One had to know that people like Lin Xuan, who lacked Spirit Roots yet were accepted as formal disciples, were few and far between. Being an outer sect disciple was already quite good. Lin Xuan had received such blessed fortune only because he had once saved a highly influential elder of Floating Cloud Valley.

Though the attendant did not recognize Lin Xuan, he could tell from his clothing that he was a cultivator of Floating Cloud Valley. Naturally, he did not dare show the slightest disrespect.

The other party's respectful attitude stirred a trace of emotion in Lin Xuan's heart. Over the past three years, because of his slow cultivation progress, he had endured ridicule and cold stares from his fellow disciples until he had nearly forgotten his own status.

Although he had no Spirit Root and was an ordinary, unremarkable person, he was still a member of the cultivators—one of those immortal-like beings in the eyes of ordinary people.

The feeling of standing high above others and being respected was not bad. It further strengthened Lin Xuan's resolve to cultivate, yet his face remained utterly impassive. "Is your steward here?"

The attendant nodded upon hearing this. "The steward is here. Please take a seat, Immortal Master. I will report to him at once."

The attendant respectfully led Lin Xuan to a side hall nearby and served him fragrant tea. As Lin Xuan sipped his tea and considered what he should do, an old man entered the room before long.

His hair was completely white, and he appeared to be over seventy years old. He too was a low-ranking cultivator. The immortal path was difficult; possessing a Spirit Root did not guarantee success. Spirit Roots varied in quality, and each person's opportunities and efforts were different as well.

Taking Floating Cloud Valley as an example, ninety percent of its members were still low-ranking cultivators. Like the old man before him, he was already seventy years old, yet his cultivation remained at the late Spirit Movement Stage, still some distance from Great Perfection. There was even less chance of Foundation Establishment. As far as the immortal path was concerned, he could be said to have reached its end. So he simply stopped striving in cultivation and requested from the sect an easy position as a steward responsible for receiving visitors at the pill chambers, to spend his old age in peace.

At this moment, he was sizing Lin Xuan up from head to toe.