Divine Pills

So Li Fan registered his temporary residence at the Lou Guan branch on Yuntai Peak and also paid back Kun for his meal. Real Person then pushed Li Fan in his wheelchair and brought him into the temple, where he was given a quiet room for cultivation, along with Qi Refinement Stage robes, talismans, paper, and brushes.

Since Real Person's legs are not very mobile now, he can't lead the way like a traditional NPC in a main city, so he just verbally explained the origin and layout of Yuntai Peak to Li Fan.

Just as Xuan Tian mentioned, this immortal mountain was seized by the Xuanmen from the Immortal Emperor's throne. Going back further, its core is the mercury-like liquid metal sphere that Li Fan saw outside before, which is said to have been a treasure passed down by the Spirit Race.

Throughout history, the Ling King have revered that sphere as an ancestor. Some say it's the demon core of a certain great god, others say it's the eyeball of a certain great god, and still others say it's the egg of a certain great god. In short, it appears in many mythological murals of the Spirit Race Demon Race. Unfortunately, the Spirit Race's lineage in the Central Plains was long ago wiped out, and few people know the details anymore.

In short, this treasure later fell into the hands of the Immortal Palace and was used as a symbol of the Celestial Emperor's establishment of his rule over the world, and was developed into the Celestial Emperor's throne.

This thing can not only teleport and levitate, but also generate its own gravity. Theoretically, even if Immortal Palace and Daoist temples like Yuntai Peak are built at the bottom of the sphere, they will not fall to the ground.

However, the immortal emperors and Dao lords of this world are still beings bound by the earth, so during the transformation, they defined the Ancient Immortal Palace ruins as the 'front side'. On this basis, they expanded Yuntai Peak into its current form by accumulating wood.

Therefore, the ancient Immortal Palace ruins, along with the facilities that could control various functions, are all hidden at the foot of Yuntai Peak, in the underground city of the Immortal Palace ruins. The outermost celestial peak is now the headquarters of various sects of the Xuanmen.

The Xuanmen sect also added various magic arrays and barriers, with defensive facilities around Yuntai Peak. The pigeon-cage-like metal honeycomb structures in the middle are actually expansion slots or interface sockets, which can be used as a basis for further expansion and modification.

Real Person led Li Fan into a secret chamber on the ground floor of the Daoist temple, where they would see a door, the 'Mysterious Gate'.

Of course, this wasn't a real door. The 'Mysterious Gate' looked more like a mirror, with crystals inside shimmering with star-like light. Li Fan tried to probe it with his Divine Sense and could feel that it was actually the cross-section of some kind of transistor. One end of the transistor was connected to the Lou Guan Palace, while the other end went deep into those cliffs and was connected to one of the metal honeycomb structures.

"You can enter a state of mental projection here. Your primordial spirit can pass through this mysterious gate and directly enter the illusionary realm of Yuntai Peak on the other side."

Real Person flicked his finger and lit the candlesticks in the cellar, revealing the array of protective formations surrounding the body.

"Although the various sects have joined forces to rebuild Yuntai Peak, they all keep some secrets hidden in their own Daoist palaces, which are inconvenient for outsiders to visit. If you want to exchange for any magic treasures or pills, or borrow any magic treasures, you can use your primordial spirit to go there to make the transaction. For things that are not particularly confidential, you can have a Yuntai Peak attendant fetch them to the temple. I will keep the items for you once they are delivered. Alternatively, you can transfer them to your own warehouse and retrieve them using your Storage Jade if you fly a distance away."

Li Fan began to understand. So, immortals could use Xuanmen magic treasures and a 'direct connection' method to use their primordial spirits to leave their bodies and directly access the spaceship's database to reach the primordial spirit illusion of Yuntai Peak. Wasn't this the system's technology, somewhat like a virtual world?

Li Fan had visited the site once before, and now, after listening to Real Person explain the treasure vault, trading, and the Spirit Coins, he naturally understood it quickly and didn't need to repeat himself.

"How much longer will we stay in the north at Yuntai Peak? When will we return to Ink Bamboo Mountain?"

"The inspection of refugees and the screening of Demon Race Devil Embryo caused a delay of about a month. The Immortal Palace has only been able to relocate the soldiers and civilians of one town. However, things will be quick from now on. Once the other flying ships bring the remaining people, after about four or five days of preparation, we can teleport Yuntai Peak back to the Central Plains. If you are not in a hurry, you can wait until Yao the Supervisor comes out of seclusion and then take a flying ship back to Ink Bamboo Mountain together."

Real Person calculated for a moment, then looked at Li Fan and said, "By the way, you haven't been to the Three Realms, have you? Be careful. That place looks prosperous, but it's actually a den of dragons and tigers. Your skills haven't recovered yet, so it's best not to wander around on your own."

This is a bit troublesome...

Li Fan frowned. It seemed that Yuntai Peak would be teleported in a few days, but his Qiongqi clone would definitely not be able to sneak up the mountain in time. Now, separated by Yinshan Mountain, the two clones could hardly communicate. If they were separated by the Central Plains, wouldn't he suffer from a split personality? It seemed that exploring Yuntai Peak would have to be put on hold for now, and he should work on obtaining some divine cultivation methods as soon as possible.

Thinking of this, Li Fan casually asked, "Real Person, do you know the secret method of cultivating with a divided mind in my Ink Bamboo Mountain?"

But Real Person's reaction was a bit strange. He neither said yes nor no, but instead turned his wheelchair around and looked Li Fan up and down, staring at him for a while before speaking.

"Qingyue, although you also follow my Lou Guan's talismans and learn the ancient methods of internal alchemy, you consider yourself a disciple of Moshan, right?"

Of course! If he doesn't take on the karma of Mo Shan, wouldn't that mean another ancient sect is about to be wiped out?

Li Fan assumed that Real Person was the kind of person who cared about the inheritance of his sect and advocated that the secret methods of Lou Guan should not be easily passed on to outsiders. He nodded and said, "Qingyue was being presumptuous."

Real Person shook his head, "The ancient way of cultivation aims at single-mindedness and dedication to one's own life. The worst thing is to be distracted and have one's mind wander."

No matter how many tricks you use to create clones to survive, they are all unorthodox and heretical techniques. Becoming obsessed with them will only delay your cultivation progress. I, Lou Guan, have never advocated those tricks of splitting the mind, and I don't know them either. If you really want to learn, ask the Abbot yourself."

Wait a minute, wasn't I using the Five Luo Sword Ghosts the whole time? So my cultivation progress has actually been delayed??

Xuan Tian said, "He was just reminding you because he was worried you'd waste your energy cultivating your clone. Although being distracted and multitasking does lead to a detour in cultivation, as long as you can achieve surprise and break through the tribulation with your sword, you won't lose out in the end. The main problem is that you started cultivating your sword embryo too late; otherwise, the improvement you gained from the killing tribulation would have been even greater."

Can it go even higher? Actually, the system's mood cap is already ridiculously high... But besides the Five Luo Sword Ghosts, doesn't the Sword Sect have any other methods for cultivating the split spirit?

Xuan Tian said, "Each school's method of cultivating the split spirit has its own emphasis, and most of them involve the energy points in the brain. Cultivating too many of these methods can easily lead to conflicts, and in severe cases, even demonic possession and a drastic change in temperament. Therefore, one should not divide the spirit too much, otherwise one's Dao heart will become unstable."

Our Sword Sect emphasizes embodying the sword and controlling it with divine power. Since you have already cultivated the Five Luo Sword Ghosts and the Tai Sha Sword Embryo, there is no need to repeat them. As for Mo Shan's transformation of the Dao body, it is a standard example of entering the demonic path. You should not be greedy for more or faster results. Refining one or two of them is enough. Practicing too many unorthodox methods is of no benefit.

"Furthermore, in my current state, it's inconvenient for me to enter or leave the forbidden area of the primordial spirit on Yuntai Peak. If our enemies figure it out, it will be troublesome. I'll stay outside and guard your physical body. Go and try your luck yourself. You don't need me to remind you again. Don't go to the Sword Sect's area for now; it's too dangerous. There are countless eyes watching."

So Li Fan went to the illusion of Yuntai Peak again. This time he came as Qingyue, a disciple of Lou Guan. Unlike the tunnel of the Golden Silver Treasure Tree last time, this time he felt like he was passing straight through a mirror, as if he had passed through a rain curtain and then through a hidden door, and came out from another Lou Guan cellar.

Of course, this is not a secret door, but rather a transition from the real world into the primordial spirit illusion.

Li Fan turned his head to look at the Xuanmen passage behind him. He could see his current appearance as Gui Xu Nascent Soul in the Xuanmen crystal. His silver deer antlers were gone, and not a single epiphyllum flower remained. Moreover, his Gui Xu Nascent Soul was not only emaciated, but also covered with a dense array of crimson swords, making him look like a hedgehog!

Li Fan tried to change his primordial spirit, but the sword wound was too painful to bear. He had no choice but to smear his face with blood and transform it into Qingyue's face. With his body covered in blood and sword wounds, he left the Daoist temple.

Emerging from the Lou Guan branch, one is not greeted by the scene of a pigeon loft. Instead, one finds a Daoist temple situated on an independent flying island, surrounded by celestial palaces and Fourth Department. Not far overhead stands the imposing headquarters of the Nine Great Xuan Sects Gates.

However, Li Fan only sensed the aura of Xu Daojun; the others were all cultivators at the Divine Transformation Nascent Soul Realm. He didn't know whether those who had manifested had already returned to Penglai or were hiding in the shadows plotting against him.

Li Fan, being quite familiar with the place, went to find someone he knew first.

"Jia Gui!"

"Young Master Jia Gui of Yuntai Peak, what are your instructions, Master...? Good heavens!"

The boy Jia Gui, who had once sold Li Fan many unofficial histories of the Sword Sect, looked up suddenly and was so shocked by the sight of the other party's primordial spirit being pierced by a chaotic array of swords, resembling a tragic death on the battlefield, that he was speechless for a long time.

"Ahem, I recently sparred with someone and suffered a few minor injuries. Don't make a fuss about it. I've heard you sell books here; do you have any methods for cultivating by distraction?"

Jia Gui didn't know why this person was so familiar, addressing him by his name right away. But seeing that the other person was still alive despite his appearance, he was clearly a ruthless person, so he dared not be negligent. After a moment's thought, he replied...

"If the immortal has come seeking cultivation Cultivation Method, this junior truly has none on hand. However, there is a gathering of immortals today, so why not go there and inquire?"

Li Fan readily agreed, and so he followed Jia Gui to visit a garden. Inside, many immortals were drinking and making merry. Jia Gui explained...

"The arrival of Qingyue is quite opportune. Today, Ming Sheng of the Fangxian Dao of Mount Nine Yi Mountain is hosting a pill-making banquet. Ming Sheng Lord Mingsheng is a disciple of Daoist An Qiu of Mount Jiuyi and has already been designated to succeed as the sect leader of Nine Yi Mountain. He is also a person with profound affinity for immortality."

Li Fan was startled. "Nine Yi Mountain... this place doesn't seem to be among the Nine Great Xuan Sects, does it? Yet they have a Dao Lord in charge?"

Jia Gui was quite clear about it. "This sect used to be a major sect. I heard that they lost a lot of people when they destroyed the Demon Sect. Even An Qiu lost his cultivation and is recovering his strength in Chaozhen Taixutian."

"Now, all matters Nine Yi Mountain are under the control of Ming Sheng. I heard he just refined a batch of Golden Liquid Pill, which he will probably use to exchange for some magical treasures. I imagine many Immortal Real Person will come to exchange for treasures."

Li Fan followed Jia Gui in. Although his appearance attracted attention along the way, no one stopped him. He actually made it to the garden and saw many immortals and Daoists looking at the things on the table.

On the table were three large, vermilion wine dishes placed side by side. Each dish contained a shallow pool of something resembling gold dust, looking somewhat like shimmering golden clay. A Daoist priest, holding a silver chopstick, tapped the wine dish three times. The clay-like gold dust then gathered as if alive, condensing into tiny pills that danced and leaped joyfully in the wine dish, tinkling and clattering merrily.

The surrounding cultivators marveled, exclaiming in amazement, as if they had gathered a group of cats.

Li Fan, also intrigued, couldn't help but ask, "What is this Golden Liquid Pill? What's so special about it? How does it compare to the Mysterious Purple Gold Pill and the Donghua Changchun Pill?"

Before Jia Gui could answer, a fair-skinned, oval-faced immortal with a mustache and ruddy complexion, dressed in purple robes, immediately seized the opportunity presented by Li Fan's role as a straight man and stepped forward to promote his work.

"This is a good question, fellow Daoist. This Golden Liquid Pill is an ancient elixir formula passed down in our immortal path. It is made by condensing and mixing cinnabar to form silver, and then using cinnabar sand to form gold. Once the gold is formed, one will ascend to heaven in broad daylight, grow wings of crimson sun, and possess extraordinary radiance. When one soars, one will reach the heavens, enter the Netherworld, control flying dragons to traverse the eight directions, and ride white swans to circle the nine heavens..."

This mustache must be Ming Sheng. Li Fan listened to him boast for a long time, feeling impressed but not understanding what it was all about. He turned to look at Jia Gui.

Jia Gui whispered, "This pill is an ancient formula, extremely potent, and highly toxic. Ordinary people will die if they take it, and those who have reached the Foundation Establishment will be crippled. Those who have reached the Golden Core stage will have their essence and energy rise and will not feel tired or fatigued, but they must rest quietly for three to five months before they can walk."

However, if a true person takes the medicine, they will be bathed in divine light, their power will surge, almost as if they ascend to heaven in broad daylight. But the effects will wear off quickly, and if one's foundation is too weak, there is a risk of going into qi deviation...

Li Fan looked at him with some suspicion, then pointed to the crowd surrounding Ming Sheng, who were trying to exchange their magical treasures and divine skills for divine pills.

"Do they seem unconcerned about the risk of going astray in their cultivation?"

Jia Gui smiled wryly, "Besides being taken in critical moments to fight desperately, this pill can also be used to break through bottlenecks and reach the Nascent Transformation Stage when one's cultivation is at its peak."

I've heard that a method of taking medicine has recently come from the Three Realms. It's said to be used to make Golden Elixir Divine Wine, which is then mixed with Five-Stone Powder and taken together. I've heard it's especially beneficial during dual cultivation...

Holy crap! What kind of miraculous Indian medicine is this?!

Li Fan was speechless. This thing was probably some kind of stimulant, perhaps Oldest One used to stimulate combat potential. It was mainly targeted at cultivators in the Nascent Soul Realm, and its effects were probably even stronger than the Dragon Fetus Feathering Pill. However, its potency was so great that these stimulants were abused by Nascent Soul Stage cultivators.

Li Fan frowned, noticing that among those scrambling to buy the Golden Liquid Pill were actually some disciples of the Xuanmen sect, and even some disciples of Mount Emei and Mount Heng, judging by their immortal robes and uniforms.

"How come even the elites of the Xuanmen sect are getting obsessed with dual cultivation?"

Jia Gui, however, knew quite well. "Oh, no, that's not it. Taking a small amount of this pill can also refresh the mind. The Xuanmen curriculum is extremely demanding, and many people do take pills to catch up on their studies before exams. It's even said that it can sweep away depression and benefit one's Dao heart. I don't have the money to take this, so I don't know if it's true or not."

It seems the elites are the same in every world: once they've exhausted their natural talent, diligence, and hard work, they start taking drugs and working themselves to the bone...