The disciples from the Xuandao Sect arrived quickly.
They arrived at his door before the sky had brightened, while the dew was still fresh on the ground.
Bai Mo looked at the three Cultivators before him. They were dressed in black robes, with swords hanging at their waists.
Their gallant appearances radiated youthful vigor and a sharp, untempered edge.
They had the classic look of Sect Disciples, though they didn’t seem to be proficient in the Alchemy Dao.
"This would be Junior Brother Bai?"
one of them asked.
Shui Ziming, who stood beside Bai Mo, nodded.
"This is indeed Junior Brother Bai. The three of you must protect him well. Don’t let him co to any harm in the mountains."
The cultivators in black nodded.
One of them stepped forward.
"Junior Brother Bai, I’m Liu Tong. Looking forward to our ti in Celestial Barrier Mountain."
"Bi Ming. A pleasure, Junior Brother Bai..."
"Li Dao..."
Seeing that the three weren’t arrogant or overbearing, Bai Mo breathed a sigh of relief. His impression of them improved greatly.
"I’m Bai Mo. It’s a pleasure to et you three, Senior Brothers!"
Shui Ziming glanced at the sky and said,
"None of you seem difficult to get along with. You can talk on the road."
"Don’t keep the others waiting."
Hearing this, Bai Mo quickly turned, went back to his room to grab his pack, and left with Liu Tong and the other two.
"First Senior Brother, I’ll see you back at the Sect!"
Shui Ziming nodded, watching them leave.
Only after they were far in the distance did he return to Bai Mo’s Alchemy Room. He took out a bamboo scroll, unrolled it, and began to read at his leisure.
He had discovered the previous night that this was an excellent location—well-ventilated, with good airflow.
He wondered what kind of Pills his junior brother had been refining here; a faint, refreshing aura lingered in the air.
It was a good place to clear one’s mind and read in peace.
The thick walls could probably block out most of the construction noise from outside as well.
Just about an hour later, a knock sounded on the Alchemy Room’s door.
A hesitant voice ca from outside.
"Alchemist Bai?"
Shui Ziming lifted his head and spoke softly.
"Co in!"
The person outside went silent for a mont. A few breaths later, the door opened.
It was a big, burly man with coppery-dark skin.
One look was enough to tell he was a lifelong laborer.
"You are..."
The burly man glanced around the Alchemy Room. Not seeing Bai Mo, he was taken aback.
After all, this was a Pill Master’s Alchemy Room, not a place for just anyone. An outsider shouldn’t be here under any circumstances.
He looked at Shui Ziming, who sat perfectly still. Though his posture was relaxed and his deanor casual, he inexplicably radiated imnse pressure.
Shui Ziming chuckled, his expression serene.
"Looking for Junior Brother Bai?"
"He had so business in Celestial Barrier Mountain, so I’m looking after the shop for him in the anti."
As he spoke, Shui Ziming stood up, took a letter from his sleeve, and handed it to the burly man.
The man took one look and saw it was undoubtedly Bai Mo’s handwriting, and he imdiately let out a breath of relief.
He didn’t know why Bai Mo would leave for the mountains at such a critical ti,
but the letter said he could speak directly to the man before him if anything ca up.
So, the man explained.
"It’s like this: we’re rging the two storefronts, but the guys are a little unsure about so of the details. We were hoping to get Alchemist Bai’s input..."
Shui Ziming placed the hand holding the bamboo scroll behind his back and led the way outside.
"What’s the issue?"
"Uh, it’s about the style and the materials."
Shui Ziming pondered for a mont, then said,
"Hmm, I don’t know much about this sort of thing. Are there other prominent shops or businesses in the city?"
"How do they do it?"
The man hurriedly replied,
"There are all sorts of considerations, and the costs vary wildly!"
Shui Ziming waved his hand dismissively.
"Just do it like the highest-quality ones. You’re the experts, you should know how to handle it."
The man froze.
"But, procuring the lumber, and all the other things..."
Shui Ziming said casually, "Don’t worry about it. Since Junior Brother Bai isn’t here, just co to for anything that requires Spirit Stones."
The man’s spirits lifted. He added, "The city is in turmoil right now. I’m worried troublemakers might show up."
It was ant as a warning, but Shui Ziming remained completely unperturbed.
"Let the petty thugs co."
...
On the road to Celestial Barrier Mountain, Bai Mo led the way.
Among the group, only he could be considered a local, so the duty of guiding them was his to bear.
’Even though I’ve only walked this path once myself.’
"Tsk, tsk," Liu Tong said with admiration.
"Pill Masters truly are a different breed from us ordinary Cultivators."
"At Junior Brother Bai’s age, we were just greenhorns focused solely on cultivation. Who had this kind of wealth to their na?"
Bai Mo, who was busy trying to recall the path, waved his hands dismissively upon hearing this.
"You flatter . It was just a bit of luck, and I made a small profit of Spirit Stones by selling so Pills to the Demon Hunting Teams in the city."
But Liu Tong and the other two simply exchanged a smile.
"That’s not what our junior sister said."
"Junior sister?" Bai Mo paused, confused.
He imdiately recalled the young woman who had arrived with Shui Ziming.
Liu Tong said, "Though this is the first ti we’ve t, we’ve heard your na from her quite a few tis."
"She spoke very highly of you. It seems your Pills are truly special, Junior Brother Bai!"
As they walked, other Cultivators on the road would catch sight of Liu Tong and his two companions and give them a wide berth.
That kind of aura ant one of two things: they were either spoiled brats from a wealthy clan, or they were genuinely powerful experts!
The Cultivators who frequented Celestial Barrier Mountain were sharp enough to tell the difference.
Only a few Cultivators from the Demon Hunting Teams who recognized Bai Mo hesitated for a mont before calling out a greeting.
"Alchemist Bai!"
"You... heading into the mountains?"
Bai Mo smiled and nodded.
"Have so business to take care of. Looks like you had a good haul?"
"Ha!" The n were always thrilled to get a response.
"It was decent, decent enough!"
After witnessing this a few tis, Liu Tong couldn’t help but ask,
"Junior Brother Bai, you seem to have a good relationship with the Cultivators from the Demon Hunting Teams."
"I do," Bai Mo said wistfully.
"In the past, most of my business ca from them."
As they spoke, the group arrived at the great tree stump at the foot of the mountain.
Bai Mo stepped forward, plucked a stalk of grass, wove it into a circlet, and placed it on the stump.
Liu Tong and his companions were greatly intrigued.
"What’s that for?"
So, Bai Mo explained.
"The souls of Cultivators who die in Celestial Barrier Mountain can follow the grass circlet to return ho... so they don’t have to wander and suffer in the mountains..."
That was what Lanshan and his group had told him.
Hearing this, Liu Tong and the other two found it interesting and copied him.
But afterward, they still patted the swords at their waists.
"Don’t you worry, Junior Brother Bai. With us here, we guarantee not a single hair on your head will be hard!"
"Besides, our fellow disciples who went ahead have already swept the area clean once."
Bai Mo just shook his head and led them into the mountain.
The sun vanished, blocked by the canopy.
The unique dampness of the forest washed over them, and a sea of green spread out before their eyes.
"Senior Brothers, do you have a route to the Sky-Azure Great Flower?"
With a flick of his sleeve, Liu Tong produced a map. The lines were simple, clearly sketched by so Cultivator in passing.
He turned the map around a few tis, studied it for a mont, and then confird their direction.
"This way! I’ll lead from here!"
Liu Tong announced confidently, taking the lead and forging ahead.
Bai Mo hurried to keep up.
Bi Ming and Li Dao moved to flank him, vigilantly keeping Bai Mo protected in the center.
They might have talked a big ga, but they didn’t lack for caution.
Bi Ming said in a low voice, "Our other fellow disciples are coming from different directions."
"We just need to rendezvous with them at the location of the Sky-Azure Great Flower."
At that point, it would be up to the Alchemy Cultivators like Bai Mo.
Up ahead, Liu Tong kept his eyes on the map, offering a quiet reminder,
"The Sky-Azure Great Flower is no trivial matter. First Senior Brother will definitely compensate you for this afterward, Junior Brother Bai."
"Work a little harder, Junior Brother Bai. Once you reach the Qi Refining Fifth Layer and can formally enter the Sect, you’ll find no shortage of rewards!"
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