Mortal: The Path to Immortality

The man looked at the spirit beast pouch offered by Lu Nanzhu, hesitated for a moment, then reached out and took it. He scanned it with his divine sense, and his previously furrowed brows twitched slightly.

The dozens of golden rats were strolling leisurely in the bag, their fur glossy and smooth, and the trace spiritual energy within them seemed to have stabilized.

"You're saying you captured these beasts to protect the medicinal herbs?" The man's voice remained cold.

"Yes, Senior. These strange rats are cunning, so I used a homemade sleeping potion to knock them unconscious. They were still alive after they fell into a coma, so I didn't kill them. I just took them in for the time being." Lu Nanzhu lowered his head and spoke steadily. He kept the fact that Xiao Yantai had deduced a new variety of "Bewitching Grass" a secret.

The man gave a soft "hmm," reached into his bag, and pulled out a golden rat, placing two slender, white fingers on its belly. A moment later, a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes.

It turns out that she had fed these rats "Breakthrough Pills" before, so their spiritual energy should have been chaotic and disordered, but now it has been neutralized and mostly restored.

"What have these animals been fed?" the man suddenly asked Lu Nanzhu.

"Yes. I noticed that these strange rats had bellies swollen like drums and eyes that gleamed strangely, so I casually picked some black sesame roots and ten-day flowers to feed them. These herbs are neutral in nature and can eliminate stagnation and blood stasis, so I thought they would be of some benefit to them."

The man fell silent. He stared intently at Lu Nanzhu for a long time before slowly speaking:

"Lu Nanzhu, do you know who these rats are?"

Before Lu Nanzhu could answer, the man continued, "These 'Spirit-Seeking Rats' may not have long lifespans, but they can communicate with spiritual energy and condense it into their bodies. Although they are not as powerful as ordinary demonic beasts, they reproduce extremely quickly, making them ideal for verifying some medicinal formulas suitable for cultivators like us."

The man withdrew his hand and handed the spirit beast pouch back to Lu Nanzhu: "You... you've inadvertently saved me a lot of trouble."

He turned around and re-examined Lu Nanzhu. This junior in the Qi Refining stage could not only grow medicinal herbs of excellent quality, but also see the abnormalities in the "Spirit-Seeking Rat" and prescribe the right medicine. This talent in pharmacology made him a promising candidate.

"Young man, I am an elder alchemist from our sect, surnamed Xiao. These 'Spirit-Seeking Rats' were tamed here to verify the improved alchemy formula. There are many wild medicinal herbs left here, enough to feed these animals." As he spoke, Alchemist Xiao took out an array plate from his storage bag and pushed it in front of Lu Nanzhu.

"As an alchemist, I am responsible for refining pills and have no time to attend to this matter. Since you understand pharmacology and have taken such good care of the 'Spirit-Seeking Rats,' then leave them in the Abandoned Spirit Valley under your care. This formation is called the 'Earth Sealing Formation,' which can be used to trap these beasts, so you won't have to worry about your herb garden."

From now on, I will regularly send you some 'Spirit-Seeking Rats' that have been given elixirs. You only need to record their condition every few days. If you do a good job, I will certainly not be stingy with rewards.”

At this point, he abruptly changed the subject, his previously calm divine sense suddenly sweeping over Lu Nanzhu:

"But if you interfere, or let others know about this... then attacks on disciples by demonic beasts frequently occur on Spirit Beast Mountain. Do you understand?"

Lu Nanzhu sensed the threat in the words and bowed his head respectfully, replying, "This disciple understands. It is already a blessing that Senior Uncle Xiao has taken a liking to my meager skills. This disciple will certainly do his best and dare not ask for any reward. I only hope not to delay the important matters of the sect and Senior Uncle."

Seeing that he was so sensible and knew his place, Elder Xiao casually flicked a white porcelain bottle, which landed on the stone platform.

"This bottle of 'Nourishing Essence Pill' can help you break through the bottleneck of the late stage of Qi Refining as soon as possible." After speaking, he put away the herbs on the stone platform, released the spirit bird, and was about to leap onto it when, as if sensing something, he turned back and used his divine sense to examine Lu Nanzhu, muttering to himself:

"The 'Wind Spirit Body'? With three spiritual roots, it's a bit of a pity... It's tasteless to use but a waste to throw away."

Then, he rode a flying bird, transformed into a wisp of green smoke, soared into the sky, and disappeared.

Lu Nanzhu stood by the stone platform, picked up the bottle of Qi-Nourishing Pills, and sighed slowly with a hint of helplessness. "I chose this place hoping for some peace and quiet... Now I'll have to do another job."

He reached out and touched the 'spiritual embryo' in his storage bag, and only then did he feel at ease.

White mist billowed as a spirit bird flashed past among the peaks of Spirit Beast Mountain, finally landing in a side hall behind the main hall.

Manager Yan had been waiting for a long time. When he saw the figure in the green robe land, the wrinkles on his old face immediately turned into a flower, and he ran up to greet him.

"Senior Brother Xiao, you're finally back. This is a trivial matter of confiscating spirit plants; any disciple could have easily handled it. Why bother you to make the trip to Abandoned Spirit Valley yourself?"

The cultivator surnamed Xiao remained indifferent, casually tossing the bundles of withered medicinal herbs onto the table. He said calmly, "Since I have nothing else to do, I'll go for a walk. That new disciple named Lu Nanzhu, is he the three-spiritual-root rogue cultivator you mentioned before?"

"Exactly, that kid is strange. I originally wanted to recommend him to my senior brother's sect. But he declined and chose the evil place 'Abandoned Spirit Valley' instead. The spiritual energy there is thin, and I'm afraid he'll have a hard time even reaching the Foundation Establishment stage in this lifetime." Steward Yan chuckled, a hint of regret in his tone.

The cultivator surnamed Xiao nodded slightly but did not reply.

Seeing that no one else was around, Steward Yan's eyes flickered. He took out an exquisite long box made of black wood from his bosom and presented it with both hands: "Senior Brother Xiao, I recently came across a three-hundred-year-old 'Blood Essence Mushroom' in the market. Knowing that you are studying alchemy, it would be a waste for me to keep such a rare item. So I came to present it to you."

Xiao Suqing took the wooden box, flicked it slightly with his fingertips, and smelled the rich medicinal fragrance. A strange light flashed in his eyes. A three-hundred-year-old Blood Essence Ganoderma was indeed rare in Tiannan these days.

"Junior Brother Yan, you are very kind. I am also aware of the situation of those younger members of your clan. I will make sure to reserve a few high-grade pills for them when the Pill Hall distributes them next month."

Manager Yan was overjoyed upon hearing this and bowed repeatedly. He had been stuck at the early stage of Foundation Establishment for decades without making any progress, and now all his hopes rested on the younger generation of his clan.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries with Steward Yan, the cultivator surnamed Xiao returned directly to his cave.

Back in his residence, he activated all the protective formations, sat down at a stone table, and opened a yellowed, ancient book covered with numerous annotations and revisions.

On one page of the book was the recipe for "Malaria-Breaking Pill". He hesitated for a moment, then picked up his pen with a self-deprecating smile and added the words "Black Earth Root, Ten-Day Flower" heavily at several key points.

"The Miasma-Breaking Pill aids in refining the soul, and its medicinal properties are compatible with my cultivation method. It is a crucial aid for my breakthrough in Core Formation and overcoming bottlenecks. It's lamentable that I, who pride myself on being the orthodox successor of my sect's alchemy, have been outdone by a mere Qi Refining rogue cultivator."

Looking at the names of the few extremely common auxiliary medicines on the paper, she couldn't help but shake her head and smile bitterly. Recalling the examination she had conducted on the "Spirit-Seeking Rats" in the Abandoned Spirit Valley, she realized that these extremely simple ideas could actually neutralize the side effects caused by the Breakthrough Pill made according to the new prescription.

"Simple pharmacological principles are the easiest to overlook," he murmured to himself, a complex emotion in his eyes.

"Tiannan is resource-poor, and trying to gather all the medicinal herbs from the original formula is nothing short of a pipe dream. The only option now is to replace the herbs in the formula and use the 'Spirit-Seeking Rats' to test these newly improved formulas, forcing our way out. But this is far too exhausting, and without a helper who understands pharmacology, I fear I might die before I've even formed my Golden Core..."

Thinking of this, he closed the book, silently got up, and walked to a secluded spot in the cave. There, two simple altars were enshrined.

His thin figure stood before the altar.

"Father, Mother... your child will do everything in his power to avenge you!"