A Return Visit to Alchemist Geng, News of Bitter Silence Temple

After carefully putting away the talisman, Xiao Chen turned his gaze to the two letters.

The first letter, unsurprisingly, contained a mission from Jin Luan.

Commander ' Tong Fu ' temporarily set aside his task.

First, carrying the Sars Averting Secret Method and the Bing Fire Treasure Gourd, they rushed to Zhi Yi Cave to collect Sha Qi and send it to the so-called old place.

"Another gourd?"

Upon hearing the name ' Bing Fire ', Xiao Chen suddenly had a whimsical thought, "Could the Sea Race possess a whole set of gourds like this?"

But it doesn't matter, he just happened to get a bigger Storage Ring, so he can fit any more in.

The second letter describes ' Tong Fu's' original mission.

The main content is divided into three parts.

The first part still focuses on the main task, which requires him to refine a massive amount of Transformation Pill and deliver the first batch to Jin Luan before mid-February.

The Transformation Pill is indeed important to the Sea Race.

After all, as far as Xiao Chen knew, there were a very small number of Great Demon species that, even after breaking through to the fourth rank, were unable to achieve perfect human form on their own.

Even if it has multiple horns on its head or multiple tails behind it, not necessarily anyone will dare to laugh at it.

But there is always this demand.

The second part serves as a reminder of the action.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, the action plan targeting the Ink Barrier Sect will be postponed until next year.

However, the letter specifically stated that the previous promise to leave the Pill Refining Hall to ' Tong Fu ' was still valid, reassuring him.

The specific timing of the operation will be announced separately after a decision is made.

The third part is a concluding message of encouragement.

I don't know if it's a different person here or what, but the tone of voice is no longer that of someone coldly assigning tasks to subordinates.

He seemed to have adopted a gentler tone.

Tell ' Tong Fu ' not to overthink things because of the changes in the plan. His Highness and His Venerable One both cherish talent, especially someone as capable as him.

Their influence has not yet fully spread.

Firstly, it's inconvenient to redeploy manpower, and secondly, we don't want to alert the enemy.

However, at the latest, after taking over Universal Salvation Temple, he will definitely send someone to deal with that old bastard Alchemist Geng as soon as possible.

Furthermore, they will try their best to seize the Fourth-tier Alchemy inheritance from the other party to cultivate him.

"Who? Alchemist Geng?"

Xiao Chen blinked, making sure he wasn't mistaken. "They shouldn't be people with the same surname, right?"

To be honest, there aren't many Fourth-tier Alchemist; in terms of total numbers, they are even fewer than Fourth-Order Cultivator.

Moreover, he remembered that when he last visited Alchemist Geng, the other party seemed to have mentioned three wishes.

"Could it be that..."

Xiao Chen immediately returned to the cave and removed the Bronze Mask from ' Tong Fu's ' face.

Sure enough, they saw a handsome young man whose face was exactly the same as the one in the portrait that day.

"Oh, what a coincidence?"

Xiao Chen was a little surprised. "So, does this mean I've already fulfilled my first wish?"

"If that's the case, does that mean we won't need to go all the way to Armored Dragon Island to hunt Dragon Turtle anymore?"

If he remembered correctly, Alchemist Geng had promised that he could have any one of his three regrets fulfilled.

"Forget it, what's the point of me just daydreaming here? I might as well take him there and ask him directly."

Xiao Chen immediately took out a previously empty wooden box and put ' Tong Fu's' head into it.

Anyway, after I came out of the New Ruin, I originally planned to go to the market to deal with all the odds and ends I had accumulated.

I might as well go ask while I'm at it.

Whether it works or not, let's give it a try.

If the other party doesn't agree, we'll just think of another way.

Finally, there are those two Spirit Accumulating Treasure Box.

Xiao Chen opened the first one and looked inside. Inside was a red gourd, which was the Bing Fire Treasure Gourd.

There's nothing much to see here; it's almost identical to Xin Metal Treasure Gourd.

He picked up the second Spirit Accumulating Treasure Box, opened the lid, and took a look.

"Um?"

Xiao Chen frowned slightly, noticing that the box contained a peculiar stone.

Its entire body gleamed with a faint white light, but it was actually pitch black.

It has no clear shape; it is neither square nor round, neither triangular nor rhomboid, and it is completely asymmetrical in all directions.

However, it possesses a strange charm.

This unique charm makes anyone who sees it immediately feel that this stone is definitely not naturally formed, but rather has been artificially polished.

To be honest, this feeling made Xiao Chen very uncomfortable.

Because if it had truly undergone artificial processing, it wouldn't likely have such an irregular shape.

When held in my hand, it didn't feel like a spiritual object; it didn't seem to contain much Spiritual Power.

"What a strange stone! Could it be some kind of keepsake?"

Xiao Chen couldn't find anything amiss. "But, does a token made of stone need to be stored in Spirit Accumulating Treasure Box?"

But since ' Tong Fu ' did this, he must have had his reasons.

"Let's just take them together and have them appraised."

Xiao Chen took another look at the unusual Strange Stone before putting it back into his Storage Ring.

They then left without stopping and returned to the seabed along the passage.

Using the Formation Flag provided by Zhang Shouquan, they easily passed through the buoys again without alerting the Arhat above.

Although the reason for the closure of Universal Salvation Temple is unknown.

But at least the celestial artifacts and Sha Qi inside are now completely gone.

To be on the safe side, Xiao Chen deliberately distanced himself several thousand miles underwater to ensure he wouldn't arouse suspicion.

It then emerged from the seabed again.

"Splash!"

A large splash suddenly erupted on the calm sea surface.

It was nighttime outside, and the bright moon illuminated the splashing waves, making them look like large clusters of fireflies.

Then a tall, slender figure leaped from the sea, creating huge waves, like Flood Dragon emerging from the water.

However, this was a remote place, so this scene was not seen by outsiders.

"Finally out! That feels great!"

Xiao Chen took two deep breaths and immediately felt much clearer.

He wasn't Sea Race after all, and despite the help of Law Technique, he was still somewhat unaccustomed to being underwater for almost two months.

Upon reappearing, he immediately mounted his Flying Sword and soared freely through the heavens and earth for quite some time.

It must be said that to truly experience the feeling of freedom and unbridled freedom between heaven and earth, one must ride the wind while wielding a sword.

"Hey, something's not right, why is the wind getting stronger?"

Xiao Chen was initially riding the wind on his sword, but as he flew, he felt the wind around him getting stronger and stronger.

Especially as he approached Listening Wave Market, he almost caused visible waves to surge on the sea.

"Could I have accidentally wandered into some disaster zone?"

Xiao Chen had not forgotten that in the past two years, a new dangerous area had been added to the Compassion Sea from time to time.

To avoid any strange accidents, he deliberately took a detour.

However, even after he had gone around for about 10,000 miles, the wind did indeed weaken considerably.

However, as soon as he starts to approach Listening Wave Market, he will face increasingly bigger storms.

As you venture a little deeper, the whooshing sound of the wind fills the air.

Why did the wind suddenly start blowing so strong?

After thinking for a moment, Xiao Chen decided not to take a detour, but instead continued forward against the wind.

Fortunately, they did not encounter any strange dangers along the way and arrived at Listening Wave Market smoothly.

Clang!

As soon as they landed on the island, a red lantern with the word "Fu" on it, which was not fastened, rolled to Xiao Chen's feet.

He then suddenly realized that this included the time spent traveling and taking detours.

Before we knew it, today was already the 27th day of the twelfth lunar month.

"Wow, it's almost Chinese New Year already!"

Xiao Chen remembered that when he returned to Secluded Doom Island from Wu Mausoleum, he stopped at Ink Stone Market for a day to celebrate the New Year.

It's hard to believe that another year has passed in the blink of an eye.

Wow, that was fast!

"Whew!"

A strong gust of wind blew by, instantly lifting the Red Lantern into the air, where they swirled and drifted away to who-knows-where.

"Crackling and popping!"

"Clang!"

Several rapid-fire sounds rang out.

Unlike before when Xiao Chen was at sea, where only the wind and waves howled.

Upon stepping onto the island, the wind whipped around all sorts of things—doors, windows, decorations, and so on—making a piercing noise.

"Snap!"

One branch even broke off and was carried away by the strong wind like an arrow.

Xiao Chen's gaze sharpened; he naturally recognized that it was a spirit tree.

In other words, this strong wind could potentially threaten some cultivators in the early stages of Qi Refining.

In this environment, the number of cultivators on the streets has decreased significantly.

In particular, almost all the Qi Refining Cultivator, who usually make up the largest number of cultivators, have hidden themselves away, with only a few Foundation Establishment Cultivator still coming and going despite the strong winds.

Fortunately, they didn't get mixed up with other dangerous things.

Strong winds alone are not enough to affect Xiao Chen's actions.

He skillfully found the relatively secluded alleyway by relying on his memory.

But as soon as they approached, they heard an old, stern voice from inside. "Stand still, what are you doing, swaying your shoulders?"

"You can't even withstand this little breeze? Have you been slacking off when I teach you stance training?"

"Hold back your Law Power! No secretly borrowing power!"

Upon entering the alley, one could see a young man dressed in a gray martial arts uniform practicing his stance against the strong wind at the entrance.

The white-haired Alchemist Geng was holding a smooth, long wooden stick, supervising and scolding people at the same time.

Without either of them using Law Power or true essence, he stood more steadily than the boy.

It's not surprising at all. Even without specifically practicing Body Refining, the bodies of Golden Core cultivator are naturally much stronger than those of the Qi Refining Realm Body Cultivator.

However, as Xiao Chen walked over, his tall figure indirectly blocked some of the wind.

The boy immediately felt much more relaxed and his body stabilized.

Upon seeing this, Alchemist Geng frowned slightly and stared at Xiao Chen.

But instead of speaking, he questioned her with a sharp gaze—What are you doing here?

"My name is Xiao Chen, and I have come to pay my respects to Alchemist Geng!"

The other person remained silent and unresponsive, continuing to stare intently into his eyes.

"Ahem, regarding what the Alchemist mentioned last time, I have already completed one of the tasks."

Xiao Chen looked at the young man. "I wonder if it's convenient to talk outside?"

Upon hearing this, Alchemist Geng's expression changed slightly, and he said, "A Cheng, go back to the backyard first. According to the formula I taught you yesterday, get a portion of the Spirit Herb for the Qi Nourishing Pill."

"Daoist Xiao, please come in!"

He then stepped back, gesturing with his hand in a gesture of welcome.

"There are no outsiders here, fellow Daoist, you can take out your items now."

Upon entering the guest hall, Alchemist Geng took out Formation Flag and instantly deployed two different arrays.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Chen immediately took out the wooden box. "The Alchemist's request is inside. Please inspect it!"

"Um?"

Alchemist Geng frowned slightly, not understanding why it was a wooden box.

Until he twitched his nostrils and caught a whiff of blood.

His eyes widened instantly, his pupils contracted sharply, and he rushed to the box, his hands trembling as he opened the lid.

Hahaha, hahahahaha!

Upon seeing ' Tong Fu's' head, Alchemist Geng immediately gripped the box tightly and burst into laughter.

"For over sixteen years, you traitor have finally received your just deserts."

"Cang Lang!"

As he spoke, he actually drew his Flying Sword and cleaved the head in two on the spot.

Then he pointed at the wreckage lying on the ground and launched into a tirade of angry curses.

Most of them contained phrases like "betraying one's master and ancestors" and "karmic retribution."

He speaks very quickly, but his word order is jumbled and difficult to understand.

He cursed for a full quarter of an hour before finally igniting his Spirit Fire, burning the wooden box and all.

He then picked up the teacup beside him, his hand still trembling, and took a sip of tea.

He finally calmed down and steadily placed the teacup back on the table.

Turning to Xiao Chen, he bowed slightly and nodded, "I apologize. I was too emotional upon seeing this traitor and couldn't control myself. I hope you'll forgive my embarrassment."

"Fellow Daoist, please have a seat. I have truly been impolite today."

The two sat down facing each other.

Alchemist Geng finally breathed a long sigh of relief, and his complexion became a little rosier.

Having gotten rid of a long-standing worry, she looked much more energetic.

"I remember you; you came here about six months ago."

He smiled slightly at Xiao Chen: "You brought me a Moon-Dyed Jade Marrow Mushroom back then, but you didn't grant my first wish."

"But it's alright. Since you've helped me get rid of this wicked disciple, I naturally won't bother with such trivial matters. I'll just help you refine a batch of spirit pills."

"Did you bring the Main Ingredient with you this time?"

Goodness, just from the first half of the sentence, Xiao Chen thought he was going to reject him.

He naturally carried the Main Ingredient with him, so he immediately took out the Spirit Sealing Jade Box again. "Of course I brought it, please take a look, Alchemist."

"If there's anything else you need to prepare, just let me know."

This mainly refers to some auxiliary drugs.

Normally, when independent cultivators ask someone to refine pills, they have to gather the medicinal materials themselves and prepare the Pill Fragrance for the alchemy.

Alternatively, you can pay a fee for auxiliary medicines and Pill Fragrance.

Given the current market situation, the latter is the most common scenario.

"No need. Since we have the Main Ingredient, I have everything else."

Alchemist Geng took the Spirit Sealing Jade Box and opened it to examine it on the spot. He then frowned slightly and said, "Hmm?"

Um?

Xiao Chen had originally intended to give some Spirit Stone as a token, but seeing this, he couldn't help but ask with concern, "What's wrong? Is there a problem with the Main Ingredient?"

He had always thought this was the most certain step.

Don't wait until now to tell him there's a problem with the Main Ingredient.

"This spirit medicine herb has some special characteristics."

Alchemist Geng took out a pair of Silk Gloves, put them on, picked up the Moon-Dyed Jade Marrow Mushroom, and sniffed it. "How strange, the medicinal properties are well preserved."

A glint of light flashed in his hand, then he sighed twice, "Strange, very strange."

"It looks like a substandard product that hasn't been aged long enough, yet it's brimming with vitality inside, and its condition is even better than those spirit medicine that are almost fully ripe."

Xiao Chen breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.

Oh, that's what you meant! You startled me.

As long as the medicinal properties are fine, that's all that matters. As for the age, this thing was matured by Blood Crystal, so of course it's not old enough; he already knew that.

"There's nothing wrong with the medicinal herbs themselves."

Alchemist Geng put the Moon-Dyed Jade Marrow Mushroom back into the jade box and stored it away.

Then he looked at Xiao Chen and said, "There are some things that I, as Alchemist, shouldn't have said."

"However, Daoist Xiao has helped this old man resolve a long-standing worry, and even though we are not close friends, I feel compelled to say a few words today."

"This spirit medicine herb was most likely accelerated to maturity using Secret Method."

"It contains an abnormally dense vitality, and it is very likely that it uses the legendary Demonic Method."

"It's indeed not easy for us independent cultivators to find cultivation resources, but we must still be careful."

"Firstly, to prevent being exploited by evil cultivators who could use the opportunity to plot against us; secondly..."

Alchemist Geng paused here, but continued, "Secondly, we must also be careful to distinguish between the righteous and the demonic, so as not to go down the wrong path."

The underlying meaning of the words was actually a warning not to stray onto the demonic path in pursuit of breakthroughs.

Xiao Chen certainly wouldn't do that. "The Alchemist is right, I'll remember that."

But he readily agreed without offering further explanation or engaging in pointless arguments.

Regardless of what the other party thinks, as long as they are willing to help me refine pills, that's fine.

"That's good."

Alchemist Geng nodded. "The strong winds these past few days have made it difficult to start the furnace."

"It is said that the strong wind will dissipate in two days, at which time I will immediately help you refine pills."

"Then let's agree on the third day after the wind stops, and you can come here to collect the spirit pill."

Five more days?

Xiao Chen himself knew a little about Pill Dao, so he knew that the wind outside had little impact on alchemy inside the house.

However, this varies from person to person. Some Alchemist even have quirks that normal people cannot understand, which can inexplicably affect the success rate of Pill Formation.

Therefore, he did not urge him.

Instead, he readily agreed, "Alright, then I won't disturb you any longer, Alchemist. Farewell."

It's just a couple of days later; it's not like I'm short of time.

Besides, with the Lunar New Year just around the corner, Alchemist Geng might want to take a break.

Since Xiao Chen had been traveling around for so long, he decided to take the opportunity to relax in the market for a couple of days.

I'll also take this opportunity to organize the information I have and think about my action plan for next year.

However, to formulate a plan, corresponding intelligence support is naturally indispensable.

After leaving Alchemist Geng's place, Xiao Chen turned around and went to the Spirit Communication Pavilion.

Although Spirit Communication Pavilion's intelligence is notoriously unreliable, having a lot of rumors and gossip is better than nothing.

If you're willing to analyze carefully, you can get some useful information.

In stark contrast to the desolation of the outside world.

As soon as Xiao Chen pushed open the door, he heard all sorts of shouts and calls.

Some people are drinking and making merry.

"Oh, Daoist Liu, may I offer you a toast!"

"Daoist Wang, this way please! We've been waiting for you!"

Some people were also venting their frustrations to each other.

"The wind was really strong last night; it blew all night long."

"Absolutely! All sorts of clutter are making a racket, it's so noisy I don't want to sleep at all."

In the middle of the stands, storytellers were still recounting the latest news.

"Furthermore, the Bitter Gourd Arhat was once a very famous High Monk in the east."

"Especially when paired with a Round Head Shovel, he was a formidable figure in his early years who could fight three Golden Core Great Demon single-handedly without being at a disadvantage."

"Sigh!"

"It's a pity that this time they were surrounded by ten thousand demons in the Bitter Silence Temple and attacked them all at once."

"I barely managed to block the Crab Demon's pincers head-on before that fish monster ambushed me from behind."

"A thorn that was eight feet long pierced right into my Heart Aperture, leaving a hole the size of a large bowl."

"How can the word 'tragic' even begin to describe it..."

Xiao Chen was just passing by when he suddenly heard the name of the Bitter Silence Temple.

So I paid a little attention to it.

Just two months ago, he had seen the Bitter Gourd Arhat in the New Ruin.

The man looked strong and sturdy; I even thanked him before I left.

From what I heard, it seems he actually got into trouble?

This doesn't make sense, does it?

With the Sect Protecting Great Formation in place and the Bitter Silence Zen Master in charge, how could Bitter Silence Temple be so easily captured?

However, in the next instant, Xiao Chen immediately remembered that the Sea Race had set up an array specifically for Bitter Silence Zen Master.

Could it be that there wasn't enough time to give a reminder?

Hiss~!

He gasped in shock.

Could it be that even Bitter Silence Zen Master got into trouble?

That's Fourth-Order Cultivator comparable to Nascent Soul True Lord!

Thinking of this, Xiao Chen subconsciously quickened his pace. "Give me all the important intelligence from the past six months."

"Especially the events of the last two months, in the most detailed possible way."

The manager of the Spirit Communication Pavilion remained calm and skillfully picked up a stack of prepared intelligence reports from his left. "There's been a lot of new information lately, so we'll have to sell them for a higher price."

"These will cost you two hundred Spirit Stone."

"Please wait, senior!"

Seeing that the other party was about to leave after throwing down two hundred Spirit Stone, he quickly called out, "We also have a piece of gossip circulating in the streets, which should be what you want to see."

As he spoke, he picked up another intelligence report from his right side.

With a smile, she handed it to Xiao Chen: "The shopkeeper said this item sells for one hundred Spirit Stone on its own."

"As for the content, you can flip to any page and take a look; it shouldn't disappoint you."

Xiao Chen frowned. "Is there any other information? If so, bring it all out. I don't need yours."

Why are you hiding this?

"Please calm down, senior. The higher-ups are cracking down on these kinds of reports and won't allow them to be sold as intelligence."

The manager quickly put on a smile and waved his hands frantically, "So I specially prepared a little insider report, it's all here, nothing else."

Are they checking too closely?

Nine out of ten statements in the things sold at the Spirit Communication Pavilion are pure fabrication. Does that even need to be investigated?

Hiss~!

Xiao Chen gasped again. Just how serious was the situation?

He immediately threw down one hundred Spirit Stone, not even thinking about looking for another place.

He simply found a less crowded spot nearby, sat down, and immediately began examining the intelligence report.

The first page contains three large lines of text.

In mid-November, rumors circulated that someone had witnessed the Bitter Silence Zen Master trapped in a formation and being attacked by Great Demon.

Later that month, Bitter Silence Temple was besieged by an unprecedentedly large Sea Fish.

As of the 22nd day of the twelfth lunar month, no new reliable information had been released.