Azure Jade Snake

"Pfft!"

No sooner Zuo Shuiyun Zhou Siyi couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"You're the most cunning person. You can fool Zuo Shuiyun, but you can't fool me. Confess honestly, have you already successfully refined the Essence-Nourishing Pill?"

Song Wen shook his head, "Senior Sister Zhou, I really don't know how. Elder Wei only gave me ten portions of Essence-Nourishing Pill spirit medicine. With my talent in Dao of Alchemy, how could I possibly learn to refine a second-tier pill, even the simplest one, using only ten portions of spirit medicine?"

"Ten portions of spirit medicine aren't enough. Can't you go to Spirit Medicine Peak to buy more?"

"Too expensive! A single dose of Essence-Nourishing Pill spirit medicine costs a full two hundred Spirit Stone."

Song Wen had a greedy and stingy appearance.

In fact, he wasn't lying; he genuinely didn't know how to refine the Essence-Nourishing Pill.

After using up ten portions of the Essence-Nourishing Pill spirit medicine, he went to the Spirit Medicine Peak more than once, but instead of buying the Essence-Nourishing Pill -Nourishing spirit medicine, he bought several Yellow Essence Fungus.

The price of Yellow Essence Fungus within the Beast Taming Sect is very cheap; a fifty-year-old one only costs two hundred Spirit Stone.

For the past month, he has spent most of his time holed up in his cave abode, researching and developing the Bloodburst Pill.

The Jade Slip containing the Evil Cultivator Alchemy, particularly the improvements to the Blood-Melting Pill, greatly inspired Song Wen.

Song Wen had a premonition that he would soon be able to successfully develop a new Bloodburst Pill.

Under these circumstances, he had no mind to refine the Essence-Nourishing Pill.

Zhou Siyi stared with her big eyes and moved closer to Song Wen.

"You really don't know how to refine the Essence-Nourishing Pill?"

Absolutely true!

"Junior Brother Wu, are you short of Spirit Stone? Senior Sister can lend you some."

"Thank you, Senior Sister Zhou. I still have some savings. If I ever run out of Spirit Stone, I will definitely ask you for help."

Within the Beast Taming Sect, the years of cultivation were peaceful, and a year passed in the blink of an eye.

During this period, Wei Ding taught Song Wen and three others the methods of refining six types of second-tier pills.

Zuo Shuiyun and Wei Ding grew closer and closer, and Zuo Shuiyun was able to obtain private orders for elixirs from Wei Ding from time to time.

Of course, these orders were beneath Wei Ding's notice, but they still earned Zuo Shuiyun a considerable amount of Spirit Stone, as evidenced by the new magic robe she was wearing.

Zhou Siyi always carried a True Qi of curiosity. Every day, besides Alchemy, she would wander around the Alchemy Chamber. Thanks to her father's status as the deputy Peak Master of the Spirit Beast Peak, she became familiar with all the second-level Alchemist on the Pill Peak.

Huo Ding devoted himself to the study of Alchemy every day and paid no attention to anything else.

Song Wen Dao of Alchemy's talent for alchemy was confirmed to be poor, at least the worst among the four.

That year, he was engrossed in researching and improving the Bloodburst Pill, and paid little attention to Wei Ding's teachings, only learning the Essence-Nourishing Pill and a second-tier pill called the Beast Essence Pill.

Beast Essence Pill, as the name suggests, is used to stimulate the essence of spirit beasts and has an aphrodisiac effect. Any Demon Beast or spirit insect of the second rank or below will go into heat within a short period of time after consuming the Beast Essence Pill.

The Beast Taming Sect refines this elixir primarily to promote the reproduction of spirit beasts.

Wei Ding often receives private orders, most of which are for Zuo Shuiyun to refine for him.

Of course, Song Wen, this outsider Rogue Cultivator with no background, was also exploited twice, and he refined more than a hundred Essence-Nourishing Pill for him.

Three months after joining the sect, the sect will assign Alchemy tasks every month. Upon completion of the tasks, the sect will give certain rewards.

Song Wen, who only knew how to refine Essence-Nourishing Pill and Beast Essence Pill, didn't receive many tasks, and consequently, he received few rewards.

On this day, Wei Ding summoned Song Wen and the other three together.

"The sect has an external mission that requires two people to go together. Which two of you are willing to go?"

Song Wen kept his eyes down, seemingly oblivious to everything around him.

His most important reason for coming to the Beast Taming Sect was to escape the Corpse Demon Sect's purge; in addition, the improvement of the Bloodburst Pill had reached a critical juncture; unless it was a matter of life and death, he would not easily leave the sect.

Zuo Shuiyun hesitated, wanting to accept the task but worried about the risks involved.

Wei Ding did not specify what kind of overseas assignment it was, in case it was risky.

Huo Ding and Zhou Siyi also acted rather coldly, as if they were detached from the matter and had no interest in the mission.

Zhou Siyi's large eyes were filled with confusion, and she looked completely bewildered.

"But Elder Wei, according to sect rules, disciples can only undertake missions three years after reaching the Foundation Establishment. Senior Brother Huo Ding and I have both been at the Foundation Establishment for less than three years. Junior Brother Wu joined the sect as Rogue Cultivator, so the three-year period is calculated from the date he joined the sect."

"How could the sect possibly assign us missions outside the sect?"

This mission was actually Wei Ding's personal mission.

He didn't want to travel thousands of miles to a mortal place with scarce Spiritual Qi, so he wanted Song Wen and a few others to do it for him; but he was also worried that if only one person went, he would mess up the mission and the sect would blame him, so he asked two people to go together.

Exposed in public, Wei Ding looked embarrassed and couldn't save face.

Wei Ding's composure was excellent; his complexion quickly returned to normal, as if he hadn't heard Zhou Siyi's question at all.

"You don't need to worry about your safety. This mission is very safe and there is no risk whatsoever. If you successfully complete the mission, you will also receive a reward of three thousand Spirit Stone."

"Within the mortal realm of the Great Yan Kingdom, the sect has established a Spirit-Nurturing Workshop to raise the Azure Jade Snake. Recently, some problems have arisen in the breeding of the Azure Jade Snake. It is initially suspected that the Beast Essence Pill are unsuitable for the Azure Jade Snake and cannot arouse their desires."

The Azure Jade Snake is a type of water snake, belonging to the first-tier Demon Beast, and its strength is not considered particularly powerful.

However, the Azure Jade Snake is extremely resilient; even if it is cut in two, it will not die easily. On the contrary, it will gradually grow a new tail and internal organs.

Seeing that the task seemed risk-free, Zuo Shuiyun was about to accept it when Zhou Siyi spoke first.

"Elder Wei, count me in."

Upon hearing this, the other four people couldn't help but turn their attention to her.

Zhou Siyi doesn't usually accept any missions. In her words, she doesn't lack Spirit Stone, so there's no need for her to go through the trouble of doing missions to earn Spirit Stone.

Just now, she was also dissatisfied with Wei Ding's decision to assign the task to four people.

But now, they're scrambling to take on this task.

Her contradictory behavior is somewhat puzzling.

Seeing that Zhou Siyi was going to carry out a mission, Zuo Shuiyun gave up the idea of taking on the mission herself. She didn't get along with Zhou Siyi and didn't want to go with her.

Wei Ding nodded, which was considered as agreeing to Zhou Siyi's request.

His gaze shifted to Song Wen and the other two, but seeing that Zuo Shuiyun was unwilling to participate, it finally settled on Song Wen.

He announced in an unquestionable tone, "Wu Sheng and Zhou Siyi will go together on this mission."

Song Wen's lips twitched, but he ultimately remained silent.

But Wei Ding noticed Song Wen's small movement. He stared coldly at Song Wen and asked,

"Wu Sheng, do you have any objections to my arrangements?"

If they can't afford to offend Zhou Siyi and Huo Ding, surely they can handle you, Wu Sheng?

Song Wen hurriedly replied, "I wouldn't dare; it's entirely up to Elder Wei to decide."