Immortal Mortal

The Heaven Seeking Palace Pill Pagoda was really a pagoda, but it wasn’t a pagoda fit for living.

The Pill Pagoda had a total of 10 levels. It was rumoured that each level represented a Pill Dao realm. Every year, the Heaven Seeking Palace’s pill refiners would borrow the power of the Pill Pagoda to assess their attainments in the Pill Dao. A Tier 1 Mortal Pill Refiner would never be able to climb up to the second level. Similarly, a Tier 3 Mortal Pill Refiner could not ascend to the fourth floor.

At the same time, this was the five great empire’s alchemy certification pagoda.

In the five great empires, there was only one place with the rights to certify the abilities of a pill refiner, that was the Heaven Seeking Palace Pill Pagoda. Every three years, there would also be a large group of pill refiners who would pay the fees and head into the Pill Pagoda and obtain a certification. A pill refiner certified by the Pill Pagoda would be able to enjoy a 90% discount when they purchase spiritual herbs and pills.

For two pill refiners of the same tier, with one certified by the Pill Pagoda, while the other wasn’t, then the one without the certification could only look at the other with envy. The amount of gold the certified pill refiner would earn was significantly higher.

From afar, Mo Wuji could already see the Pill Pagoda standing erect in the Pill Refiner Plaza. However, this was not the period for certification, so the people in the Pill Refiner Plaza was little.

Across Pill Refiner Plaza was an unfathomably deep and wide stream. The deep stream was shrouded with clouds, and from time to time, it would emit a whistling noise.

Above the stream, there were many various kinds of streams connected to the Pill Refiner Plaza. Just like rays of light from the sun, these bridges went in all different directions. Some bridges were simply an iron chain, some were constructed with wood, while some were wide enough to fit a carriage.

Even though Mo Wuji had never visited the Pill Pagoda before, he knew that the bridges atop this steam would lead to to the residences of the peerless pill refiners of the sect.

A white whiskered elder sat on a boulder by the side of the river with a fishing rod in his hand. His fishing rod hung over the deep stream, as though he was trying to hook some fishes. However, Mo Wuji could not even see a fishing line from the rod, much less a fish. Furthermore, this stream was like a deep abyss, and not a fish pond, what fish could he catch?

”Senior, junior here wishes to visit Granny Linglong. May I ask which bridge leads to her residences?” Mo Wuji bowed and asked respectfully.

The white whiskered old man swept his eyes across Mo Wuji before saying with much difficulty, ”The one that cannot be seen.”

With that, he concentrated back into the stream. Regardless of what Mo Wuji said or asked, he did not even mutter another word.

Mo Wuji was truly helpless and could only stand and wait by the side.

After some unknown length of time, the elder suddenly jerked the fishing rod in his hands. Mo Wuji gasped in astonishment as he discovered that this elder was really fishing. The fish’s entire body was clear, just like a silver fish.

The elder excitedly placed this transparent fish into a wooden bucket he had prepared. Mo Wuji could only take a rough glimpse at the fish’s appearance before the elder covered the wood bucket.

How could he catch a fish without a fishing line? Moreover, this deep stream was so deep, you can’t even see its bottom, where did the fishes come from? These two impossibilities actually actually ended up turning into reality?

Mo Wuji could not hold it in any further as he used to spiritual will to scan the elder’s fishing rod. Immediately, he discovered that it wasn’t a case where the fishing rod was without a fishing line. It was just that the fishing line could not be seen with his physical eyes.

Mo Wuji suddenly recalled the elder’s previous sentence, and had his eureka moment. He used his spiritual will to scan across the deep stream. In ten breaths’ time, he found a bridge which could not be seen with his physical eye, but could be discovered with his spiritual sense.

Even though this bridge was actually a chain, the chain was not thin. Not only wasn’t the chain thin, it even had the thickness of an adult’s thumb. Mo Wuji was unable to see it previously as this chain did not seem to have any color, and it camouflaged and blended perfectly with the surroundings.

No wonder why the elder claimed that it was the bridge which could not be seen. He was truly unable to view this bridge with his physical eyes.

At the instant Mo Wuji started using his spiritual will, the white whiskered elder suddenly raised his head and stared at Mo Wuji’s back for a good while.

”Many thanks senior.” By the time Mo Wuji turned back to face the old elder, he had already looked down towards his precious wooden bucket. Mo Wuji knew that the other party didn’t talk much, so after expressing his gratitude, he immediately stepped onto that unseeable chain bridge.

Even though the wind was strong, and this chain bridge was constantly shaking, Mo Wuji did not face much difficulty traversing it with his Channel Opening Stage Level 10 cultivation.

The bridge was very long; Mo Wuji walked for at least a good half an hour before he reached the opposite bank.

Welcoming him on the bank was a hexagonal pavilion; it looked a little like a pavilion from ancient times.

Pass the pavilion, was a bluestone staircase. The steps were evenly spaced and led to a grand and majestic hall.

Mo Wuji followed the bluestone staircase to the outside of the hall where he met someone familiar, it was the red robed female cultivator who first brought him to meet Granny Linglong.

”This senior apprentice sister, I would like to see Yan’Er…” Mo Wuji bowed and said courteously.

”Follow me,” The red robed female cultivator did not even question Mo Wuji, nor did she mention anything about reporting to Granny Linglong. She directly brought Mo Wuji to bypass the hall over to a small loft surrounded by spiritual herbs.

Mo Wuji had learnt a little about arrays; seeing the dense spiritual energy encompassing over this loft, he knew that there was definitely some high grade spirit gathering array here. Cultivating in this small loft would be more than 100 times better than his puny District D.

”Greetings senior apprentice sister.” As Mo Wuji arrived outside the loft, he immediately recognised the young lady watering the spiritual herbs - it was one of the twins serving Granny Linglong.

”Pill Master Mo, you’re here to see Yan’Er?” The young lady stopped watering and asked lightly.

Mo Wuji eagerly replied, ”Yes, may I request senior apprentice sister to help me inform her.”

The young lady was a little hesitant, and this was immediately picked up by Mo Wuji, ”May I ask, is it inconvenient?”

The young lady bit her lips and said, ”It’s not exactly inconvenient, but because Granny Linglong had just repaired Yan’Er’s spirit channels, Yan’Er is now cultivating behind closed doors. However, if Pill Master Mo must meet her, I will immediately report your presence.”

”Yan’Er’s spirit channels are already repaired?” Mo Wuji asked in surprise.

The young lady nodded, ”Yes, Yan’Er’s spirit channels are all good now. It’s just that she is in a critical point of her cultivation. If Pill Master Mo comes 3 months later, she would have passed this critical moment. Of course, Granny has also instructed us to allow Pill Master Mo to meet Yan’Er whenever you visit…”

”That’s good, that’s good…” Mo Wuji muttered, he felt his eyes getting wet. Yan’Er had suffered for so long, and now she can have a new life of her own. In his heart, Mo Wuji only had immense gratitude towards Granny Linglong - gratitude for saving Yan’Er’s life. Whether or not Yan’Er could recognise him was secondary. As long as Yan’Er was alright, nothing else was important.

”It’s okay, I won’t disturb Yan’Er’s closed door cultivation. I will go off first, I’ll come visit Yan’Er in the future…” As Mo Wuji replied, he stared intently at the loft. It was only after some time that he slowly turned back and walked away. He had this premonition that when he visited here again, Yan’Er would already be a complete stranger.

After Mo Wuji’s figure disappeared, the other twin walked out from the loft, and looked towards the direction he left. She sighed as she said, ”Danqi [1], wasn’t that a little too much? Granny did instruct us to allow Pill Master Mo and Yan’Er to meet when Pill Master Mo visits. She even told us to let them interact more often.”

The young lady, Danqi, bit her lips and said, ”Danxiang [1], Yan’Er is now in a key moment of her cultivation. Granny’s heart is soft, but I truly believe that allowing Yan’Er to meet Pill Master Mo would waste all of Granny’s efforts. Remember the large amounts of effort Granny sacrificed to save Yan’Er? Even her cultivation regressed significantly.”

Danxiang went silent. Danqi was right; if Yan’Er’s condition recurred and required Granny to save her again, Granny might over-expend her elemental energy, and it would be intensely difficult for Granny to recover from that.

”Ai, I’m worried that with Yan’Er’s peerless talent, she would already be in Spirit Building by the time Pill Master Mo comes again,” Danxiang lamented.

Danqi lowered her head and did not say anything. Danxiang’s worries were not unfounded, but definite. She was sure that by Mo Wuji’s next visit, Yan’Er would have successfully built her spirit. If Yan’Er successfully entered the Spirit Building Stage, all her memories would completely disappear, and the Mo Wuji who would appear before her would only be a complete stranger.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to help Mo Wuji, but Granny really couldn’t afford to help Yan’Er out again.

…

When Mo Wuji returned, the fishing elder had already disappeared. Mo Wuji was feeling a little despondent so he wasn’t really in the mood to ask about where the elder went, or what kind of fish he was trying to catch.

He did not even have the mood to return to the outer sect mountain, but went to the Ancient Texts Depository instead.

He had two goals at the Ancient Texts Depository; one was to learn how to open the elemental storage channel, the other was to learn how to build his spirit.

The Heaven Seeking Palace Ancient Text’s Depository was a total of five levels. As Mo Wuji arrived at the entrance of the depository, he presented his outer disciple identity token and asked, ”May I ask how many spirit stones would I need to pay to take a look at some cultivation-related scriptures and manual?”

The caretaker of the Ancient Texts Depository was a stern looking man. The man used his eyes to size Mo Wuji up before saying coldly, ”The Ancient Texts Depository doesn’t accept spirit stones, only sect contribution points. Level 1 requires 100 contribution points a day, Level 2 requires 300 contribution points a day, Level 3 requires 1000 contribution points a day…”

”What about Level 4 and 5?” Mo Wuji hurriedly asked.

The man continued in an icy cold tone, ”Outer disciples don’t have the rights to enter Level 4 and 5.”

Mo Wuji left the Ancient Texts Depository with a bit of disappointment. Now, it was impossible to not accept sect assignments. If he didn’t do them, he wouldn’t be able to earn sect contribution points; without sect contribution points, he naturally wouldn’t have the rights to enter the Ancient Texts Depository.

All sects were the same, they all had an Assignments Hall where disciples accept quests and assignments. Even though the Heaven Seeking Palace had disciples from sects from all five empires, and was more like a place for higher learning, it was still run like a sect.

Disciples have to earn contribution points to exchange for items they required. Mo Wuji needed contribution points, so he needed to visit the Assignments Hall and accept assignments.

[1] The Dan in their names actually mean pills. I’m looking forward to seeing whether these girls are actually some sort of pill spirit?