Beast Tide

"Today's batch of pills is rather large. Help me prepare all of these."

The moment Jiang Lu entered the alchemy room, she heard Huang Mei's instructions.

She nodded, but Medicine King Pavilion's daily pill production was always fixed. Why had it suddenly increased today?

The question was written too clearly across her face. Seeing her hesitate, Huang Mei asked:

"Do you have a question?"

Jiang Lu nodded.

"It is normal that you do not know these things, especially since you are new here."

Jiang Lu's background was no secret among them. Everyone in Medicine King Pavilion had an open identity. When Jiang Lu's talent had revealed itself that day, everyone had gone to inquire about her.

It was perfectly normal for someone who had come seeking the Dao from the Mortal Realm to know nothing of the Immortal Cultivation Realm. Besides, her arrival at Medicine King Pavilion had truly been a stroke of luck. Who would have thought that a cultivator from the Mortal Realm would possess a greater sensitivity to spirit plants than so many other cultivators?

"You know about the dense forest outside West River City, right? Deep within it lies a forest. The time for the beasts' unrest is almost here. During this period, demon beasts will surge into the dense forest in great numbers. Whether cultivators go there to fight, seek fortuitous opportunities, or simply gain experience, pills are indispensable."

Jiang Lu suddenly understood. So that was why.

She immediately followed Huang Mei's requirements and began sorting the spirit plants. Several of them were ingredients for refining third-grade pills.

In Medicine King Pavilion, alchemists who had refined pills for over two years and maintained a pill formation rate above ninety percent were granted two chances each month to attempt pills of a higher grade.

If they successfully refined five kinds of pills of the corresponding grade ten times in a row, they would automatically be recognized as having reached the new alchemy grade and become a higher-ranked alchemist.

This was an unspoken rule acknowledged throughout the Immortal Cultivation Realm. However, alchemists, like artifact refiners and array masters, still needed to undergo examinations.

Within the Crimson Wasteland Spirit Domain, the Three Upper Sects, the major clans, and Medicine King Pavilion all possessed examination qualifications. Those who passed received a grade token.

The examination fees were not high. The beginner level cost ten low-grade spirit stones, the intermediate level ten middle-grade spirit stones, and the advanced level ten high-grade spirit stones.

If one had not even taken the examination, no one would be convinced by the things they refined.

Huang Mei had begun trying to refine third-grade pills last month, but every attempt had ended in failure.

It seemed she would continue trying this month.

Every grade of pill required different techniques. One had to master the order in which the spirit plants were added, but more importantly, one needed sufficient strength and spiritual power to support the process.

Otherwise, failure would usually come at the step of condensing the pill.

Jiang Lu's hands never stopped moving. As her thoughts returned, she looked at Huang Mei, who was earnestly refining pills, and wondered whether Senior Sister Huang Mei could break through and become a third-grade alchemist.

Although second-grade and third-grade alchemists were both collectively known as beginner alchemists, crossing that threshold was still exceedingly difficult.

Looking at the pills inside her space, Jiang Lu nodded in satisfaction. She was now a first-grade alchemist as well. According to her previous plan, she could begin learning sword techniques!

And besides...

A Beast Tide?

If possible, she could go and investigate it herself.

"Junior Sister Lu, will you be going to resist the Beast Tide?"

Huang Mei suddenly asked. After all, most of the demon beasts arriving here were first- or second-level beasts, with third-level beasts being the highest. There were quite a few Foundation Establishment cultivators in West River City now, so they would certainly go.

Many ordinary cultivators would go to pick up leftovers. Calling it a chance to get rich overnight would not be an exaggeration.

Jiang Lu nodded. "Senior Sister Huang Mei, if I have the opportunity, I would naturally be willing to go."

"Of course there is an opportunity. You do not know yet? Medicine King Pavilion organizes disciples to go every time. If you are interested, you may as well sign up."

Jiang Lu truly had not known about this. After nodding and asking for a few details, she immediately headed over.

Although she was Senior Sister Huang Mei's dedicated spirit plant cultivator, she was still free to take part in such training expeditions.

The registration site Jiang Lu arrived at was the City Lord's Manor. The Beast Tide carried a high level of danger, so local forces generally organized the expedition.

Whether one became cannon fodder or a pillar holding up the middle depended entirely on a faction's conscience and capabilities.

West River City had a long history. The fact that the City Lord tested Spiritual Roots for free showed that this City Lord was not a heinous villain. That little bit of selfishness was insignificant before the truly great matters of right and wrong.

When she arrived at the City Lord's Manor, Jiang Lu found a sea of bobbing heads. At a glance, there were even more people than when disciples had gone to the secret realm before.

Besides Qi Refinement cultivators, there were also Foundation Establishment cultivators. This was the first time Jiang Lu had encountered so many Foundation Establishment experts in West River City.

There were far more than she had imagined.

After registering and receiving her identity token, she squeezed through the crowd and left. Only after getting out of the line did she let out a breath.

There were really so many people!

Though they had come to register, they were also divided according to their affiliated factions.

Private action was not permitted during the Beast Tide. Everyone who registered had to obey orders, ensuring the highest possible degree of safety.

If someone went alone or formed their own team, there was no need to register. Likewise, none of the various factions would offer assistance.

Jiang Lu belonged to Medicine King Pavilion's team. There were plenty of Medicine King Pavilion disciples who had registered, more than enough to form a team. Their strongest member would serve as captain. She did not know who it was, but she would meet them on the day they gathered.

The smaller factions, meanwhile, would combine several factions into one team and follow orders.

The captains of each team would communicate with one another and divide resources. Teams would hand over a fixed portion of their gains to the City Lord's Manor, while the remaining resources could be divided among themselves.

This way, every team would discuss matters beforehand, preventing anyone from dragging the team down midway through the expedition.

Jiang Lu returned to her room and took out her pill furnace to continue refining pills.

She now knew how to refine more than ten kinds of pills. Every furnace produced ten high-quality pills.

Now, she needed to refine more Essence-Stabilizing Pills and Qi-Replenishing Pills.

Perhaps it was due to her spiritual power or some other reason, but although the pills she refined were also high-quality pills like Senior Sister Huang Mei's, they were fuller and had stronger medicinal effects.

Other than lacking the pill patterns of an ultimate-grade pill, it would not be wrong to call them ultimate-grade pills.

She had read many pill formulas and techniques in the Scripture Pavilion. Once she returned from the expedition, she could attempt to refine second-grade pills.

As for taking the grade examination, there was no need to rush. The Immortal Cultivation Realm allowed one to directly test for an alchemist grade without advancing one level at a time.

She did not need to make a living by selling pills now, so there was no hurry. Everything could wait until she returned from cultivation.

At present, she had merely learned many techniques and had never had an opportunity to use them in practice. This expedition was precisely the chance to test her cultivation.

Several days later...

After sorting out everything she needed and placing it into her storage pouch, she followed the disciples out to the city gates.

Because the Beast Tide did not come all at once but attacked in several waves, the teams from the various factions were likewise divided into several batches.

As one of the top forces, Medicine King Pavilion charged into the first wave. There was not much difference in strength between the beasts in each wave, and Qi Refinement disciples could handle them completely.