Kehendak Abadi (Yi Nian Yong Heng) 41-50

Tidak ada tikus atau mencit di Puncak Awan Harum. Hal-hal seperti itu tidak mungkin ada di lokasi kultivasi seperti ini, kecuali jika mereka sebenarnya adalah makhluk spiritual. Namun, semut adalah hal yang umum di gunung itu. Semut adalah bagian biasa dari alam, dan biasanya hidup di celah-celah bebatuan yang tersebar di seluruh pegunungan. Mereka tidak menimbulkan masalah bagi para petani, dan pada dasarnya hanyalah bagian biasa dari kehidupan pegunungan. Karena itu, hanya sedikit orang yang memperhatikan mereka. Namun, hari ini, para murid yang bertugas di sekitar Paviliun Peracikan Obat terkejut menemukan bahwa semut yang tak terhitung jumlahnya berbaris di tanah menuju paviliun itu sendiri. Para murid yang sedang bertugas tersentak; ada begitu banyak semut sehingga mustahil untuk menentukan jumlahnya. Pemandangan itu saja sudah cukup membuat kulit kepala mereka mati rasa. "Apa... apa yang terjadi!?" Pada saat yang sama, banyak murid di berbagai bengkel pembuatan pil berteriak ketakutan, dan suara ledakan yang disebabkan oleh kegagalan pembuatan pil dapat terdengar. Meskipun bengkel pembuatan pil dilindungi oleh formasi mantra, bengkel-bengkel tersebut juga dibangun di lereng gunung, yang berarti semut dapat dengan mudah masuk ke dalamnya melalui berbagai celah kecil yang tersebar di gunung tersebut. Mereka semua menuju ke satu bengkel tertentu. Tentu saja itu adalah bengkel yang ditempati Bai Xiaochun, yang memasang ekspresi penasaran sambil melihat pil obat berwarna hitam. Kira-kira pada saat itulah dia menyadari keributan di luar, dan tiba-tiba menyadari bahwa bengkel tempat dia berada ternyata dipenuhi semut. Semut-semut itu tampak seperti sudah gila, dan semuanya menuju langsung ke arahnya. “Kiamat semut telah melanda Puncak Awan Harum!” teriak Bai Xiaochun sambil melompat berdiri. Tanpa diduga, bahkan saat Bai Xiaochun melompat berdiri, semut-semut itu pun ikut melompat, langsung menuju pil obat hitam yang dipegangnya. Kulit kepala Bai Xiaochun benar-benar mati rasa, dan hal pertama yang terlintas di benaknya adalah membuang pil obat itu. Hampir segera setelah pil itu lepas dari tangannya, semut-semut itu mengubah arah dan menerkamnya. Pil itu langsung ditelan, berubah menjadi bola semut, pemandangan itu membuat Bai Xiaochun merona. Sesaat kemudian, gumpalan semut itu tiba-tiba runtuh, dan semut-semut itu bergegas kembali ke celah-celah dan retakan. Tidak ada jejak pil obat yang tersisa. Faktanya, tidak ada seekor semut pun yang tersisa di seluruh Paviliun Pembuatan Obat. Semut-semut itu datang dengan cepat, dan menghilang secepat itu pula. Tentu saja, banyak murid yang kehilangan obat-obatan spiritual yang sedang mereka kerjakan merasa sedikit sedih atas apa yang telah terjadi, tetapi tidak ada yang bisa mereka lakukan. Lebih jauh lagi, para murid yang bertugas, setelah memastikan bahwa tidak ada kerugian besar yang terjadi, memutuskan untuk tidak melaporkan kejadian aneh tersebut. Bai Xiaochun tahu persis mengapa semut menjadi gila, tetapi bagi orang lain, satu-satunya yang mereka lihat adalah sekumpulan semut yang lewat. Hati Bai Xiaochun masih berdebar ketakutan. Sepertinya tidak ada sesuatu yang aneh dengan pil yang baru saja dia buat. Namun, dia sangat fokus untuk melakukan pekerjaan dengan sempurna, bahkan pekerjaan yang lebih baik dari upaya sebelumnya. Sekarang dia memikirkannya, dia menyadari bahwa dia sebenarnya telah membuat beberapa penyesuaian pada rasio dalam kumpulan Pil Pengisian Roh terakhir. “Mungkinkah Pil Pengisian Roh yang terakhir adalah sesuatu yang sangat bermanfaat bagi semut?” Bai Xiaochun menggelengkan kepalanya saat memikirkan betapa luar biasa dia. Dia tidak hanya bisa meramu pil obat yang mengejutkan, dia juga bisa meramu pil yang membuat semut menjadi gila. Saat meninggalkan bengkel, dia mendengar gumaman tertekan dari murid-murid lainnya, dan merasa sedikit bersalah. Menundukkan kepalanya, dia segera bergegas pergi. Beberapa hari berlalu, di mana Bai Xiaochun mengkonfirmasi bahwa insiden di Paviliun Meramu Obat tidak menimbulkan gelombang apa pun di sekte tersebut. Akhirnya, dia kembali, membayar poin prestasinya, lalu memilih bengkel lain untuk meramu obat. Kali ini, dia mulai mengerjakan Dupa Panjang Umur. Meramu dupa dan meramu pil adalah dua hal yang berbeda, dan memerlukan penggunaan teknik yang berbeda. Pil dikonsumsi, sedangkan dupa dihirup. Tentu saja, bentuk akhirnya juga berbeda, yang satu berupa pil, yang lainnya berupa dupa. Mengingat apa yang terjadi terakhir kali, Bai Xiaochun sangat berhati-hati dalam mengerjakan Dupa Panjang Umur. Dua bulan berlalu, dan setelah menggunakan sepuluh kumpulan bahan, dia mendapatkan tujuh porsi. Dia pergi dengan perasaan cukup puas, tujuh porsi Dupa Panjang Umur di tangan. Kembali ke kabin kayunya, dia melakukan peningkatan semangat tiga kali lipat, setelah itu Dupa Panjang Umur berubah menjadi warna ungu tua. Meskipun desain roh rangkap tiga agak samar, namun masih terlihat. Terlebih lagi, perasaan yang dia rasakan saat melihat dupa itu benar-benar berbeda dari sebelumnya. Bai Xiaochun memandang Dupa Panjang Umur dengan serius, dan menyadari bahwa dia sendiri juga sangat berbeda dari sebelumnya. Sebelumnya, dia tidak mengerti banyak tentang pengobatan roh, tapi setelah meramu sendiri, dia jauh lebih berpengetahuan. Misalnya, dia tahu bahwa segala jenis obat roh pasti memiliki kotoran, kotoran yang tidak boleh diserap ke dalam tubuh, namun sulit dipisahkan. Kotoran semacam itu dapat menumpuk di dalam tubuh dan akhirnya menjadi racun obat. Itulah sebabnya banyak anggota Sekte Dalam yang berpengalaman ragu-ragu untuk merekomendasikan murid yang kurang berpengalaman untuk mengonsumsi pil obat. Secara teoritis, sebagian besar racun obat dapat dikeluarkan dari tubuh. Namun, jika seseorang mengonsumsi terlalu banyak pil obat dan mengumpulkan terlalu banyak racun obat, hal itu dapat mempengaruhi budidaya mereka di masa depan. Oleh karena itu, tergantung pada berapa banyak pengotor yang ada dalam obat roh tertentu, obat tersebut akan diklasifikasikan sebagai salah satu dari enam tingkatan yang berbeda. “Rendah, menengah, tinggi, unggul, premium, tertinggi….” gumamnya sambil menatap Dupa Panjang Umur. Jika obat tersebut lebih dari sembilan puluh persen tidak murni, maka obat tersebut akan dianggap sebagai obat beracun, dan tidak akan diklasifikasikan dalam hierarki. Selain itu, obat-obatan tersebut tidak akan pernah dikonsumsi kecuali benar-benar diperlukan. Jika obatnya sekitar delapan puluh persen tidak murni, obat tersebut akan dianggap bermutu rendah, yang merupakan jenis obat roh yang paling umum. Enam puluh persen pengotor dianggap kelas menengah, dan obat-obatan semacam itu tidak umum. Faktanya, hanya apoteker ahli sejati yang diketahui memproduksi obat-obatan tersebut. Obat-obatan yang hanya empat puluh persen tidak murni bermutu tinggi, dan jarang ditemukan. Adapun obat-obatan yang dua puluh persennya tidak murni dianggap bermutu tinggi, dan jika hanya sepuluh persen tidak murni maka termasuk bermutu premium. Itu adalah obat-obatan yang biasanya hanya muncul di lelang besar. Lalu ada obat-obatan roh yang tidak memiliki kotoran apa pun, obat-obatan legendaris tingkat tertinggi. Sebelumnya, dia tidak benar-benar mengerti apa yang dia lakukan ketika dia melakukan peningkatan semangat pada obat-obatan roh. Tapi setelah memeriksa Dupa Panjang Umur dengan cermat, dia menyadari bahwa dupa itu tidak membuatnya lebih kuat, seperti yang terjadi pada benda sihir. Sebaliknya... itu justru meningkatkan kualitas obat roh! Dupa Panjang Umur yang dia pegang sekarang hanya empat puluh persen tidak murni, artinya itu adalah obat bermutu tinggi! Begitu dia menyadari hal ini, Bai Xiaochun menjadi sangat bersemangat. Kemudian dia mempertimbangkan masalah ini lebih jauh, dan memutuskan untuk melakukan perjalanan ke Violet Cauldron Peak. Tujuannya bukan untuk mengunjungi Zhang Gemuk Besar, melainkan mengunjungi satu-satunya Aula Peningkatan Jiwa yang ada di tepi selatan Sekte Aliran Roh. Di sana, murid-murid Sekte Luar dapat menggunakan poin prestasi untuk mendapatkan bantuan dari para tetua di Aula Peningkatan Roh untuk melakukan peningkatan roh. Meski masih ada kemungkinan gagal, banyak murid yang sering mengunjungi tempat itu. Setelah melihat-lihat Aula Peningkatan Roh, dan juga melakukan beberapa penyelidikan rahasia, Bai Xiaochun dapat memastikan bahwa melakukan peningkatan semangat pada pengobatan roh memang mengurangi kotoran dan membuatnya lebih efektif. Setelah kembali ke Fragrant Cloud Peak, Bai Xiaochun menatap penuh semangat pada dupa yang dibuatnya, lalu akhirnya menyalakan satu batang kayu dan menarik napas dalam-dalam. Hampir seketika, dia merasa kenyang seperti baru saja makan besar. Terlebih lagi, saat aura dupa menyebar di dalam dirinya, dia merasa hangat dan nyaman. Seolah-olah nyala api kekuatan hidupnya telah menyala, dan sekarang membara sedikit lebih panas. Sambil terus menghirup dupa, dia melanjutkan untuk mengolah Teknik Hidup Selamanya yang Abadi. Begitu rasa lapar melanda dirinya, dia menarik napas dalam-dalam, dan perasaan itu dengan cepat memudar. Tujuh batang Dupa Panjang Umur memungkinkan Bai Xiaochun untuk mengolah Teknik Hidup Selamanya yang Abadi selama setengah bulan. Selama waktu itu, dia bisa merasakan Kulit Besi Abadinya semakin kuat. Merasa sangat bersemangat, dia mengatur tas miliknya, lalu pergi ke pasar dan menjual beberapa barang yang dia peroleh dari Chen Fei dan teman-temannya. Dengan menggunakan keuntungannya, dia membeli sepuluh set bahan lagi untuk Dupa Panjang Umur, dan sekali lagi mulai meramu obat. Berkat kehati-hatian dan perhatian terhadap detail, tingkat keberhasilannya dalam meramu Dupa Panjang Umur meningkat, meningkat dari tujuh puluh persen menjadi delapan puluh, dan akhirnya mencapai seratus persen. Namun, dia masih belum puas. Meski tingkat keberhasilannya telah mencapai seratus persen, kualitas obat roh yang dihasilkan hanya bermutu rendah. Keahliannya bukanlah sesuatu yang bisa diubah dalam waktu singkat, sehingga dia hanya punya satu pilihan: menggunakan peningkatan roh untuk menghilangkan kotoran. Ketika dia menggunakan Dupa Panjang Umur dalam berkultivasi, dia akan menarik napas dalam-dalam dan merasakan kebahagiaan sejati yang bisa dicapai di Langit dan Bumi. Teknik Hidup Selamanya yang Abadi meningkat setiap hari, begitu pula basis budidayanya, yang sekarang mendekati lingkaran besar Kondensasi Qi tingkat keenam. Kemajuan terbesarnya adalah dengan Teknik Hidup Selamanya yang Abadi ini. Dengan hanya sedikit usaha lagi, dia akan mampu mencapai kesuksesan besar dengan Kulit Besi Abadi miliknya. Tubuh Bai Xiaochun jauh lebih tangguh dan lebih tahan lama dari sebelumnya, dan ketika dia menggunakan Genggaman Penghancur Tenggorokan, jari-jarinya memiliki warna hitam yang lebih pekat dari sebelumnya. Namun, pada saat itu, Dupa Panjang Umur mulai kehilangan efektivitasnya secara perlahan. Pada akhirnya, itu tidak menghasilkan apa-apa, menyebabkan Bai Xiaochun menghela nafas. Dia sadar bahwa jika Anda mengonsumsi cukup banyak obat roh, tubuh pada akhirnya akan beradaptasi dengannya, dan akan kehilangan efektivitasnya. Jika dia ingin melanjutkan kultivasinya, dia akan membutuhkan obat roh yang bahkan lebih baik daripada Dupa Panjang Umur. Sayangnya formula obat roh seperti itu dikontrol dengan ketat. Tidak mungkin membelinya di pasar; mereka hanya dapat diperoleh dengan poin prestasi setelah dipromosikan menjadi apoteker pekerja harian. Satu-satunya pilihan lain adalah pergi ke pasar yang lebih besar, tetapi tempat-tempat seperti itu agak jauh dari sekte tersebut. Setelah mempertimbangkan hal itu, Bai Xiaochun dipenuhi tekad. “Aku akan dipromosikan menjadi apoteker ahli!” Mengingat pengalamannya meracik obat-obatan, serta keahliannya dalam mengolah tanaman dan tumbuh-tumbuhan, seharusnya tidak terlalu sulit untuk memenuhi syarat promosi. Namun, untuk berjaga-jaga, ia menghabiskan beberapa hari berikutnya membeli beberapa formula obat acak lagi. Setelah meracik masing-masing beberapa kali, lalu menganalisis kegagalannya, ia merasa jauh lebih percaya diri, dan pergi mendaftar untuk ujian promosi apoteker tingkat mahir. Tentu saja, ujian promosi bukanlah sesuatu yang diadakan untuk satu individu saja. Ujian hanya akan diadakan ketika sudah cukup banyak orang yang mendaftar. Setelah menunggu satu bulan lagi, bahkan saat ia merenungkan beberapa hal mengenai obat-obatan spiritual, medali identitasnya di dalam tas penyimpanannya mulai bergetar. Ketika ia mengeluarkannya, sebuah suara kuno memenuhi pikirannya. “Besok subuh, datanglah ke Aula Apoteker Pemula, tempat ujian untuk promosi menjadi apoteker pemula akan diadakan.” Aula Apoteker Pemula terletak di sisi selatan Puncak Awan Harum. Tempat itu dikelilingi oleh pepohonan dan vegetasi yang rimbun, dan hanya dapat diakses melalui jalan setapak batu kapur sempit yang berkelok-kelok dari salah satu jalan utama yang membentang naik dan turun gunung. Kecuali ada ujian promosi yang sedang berlangsung, hanya sedikit orang yang akan berjalan di sepanjang jalan itu. Namun, ketika tiba waktunya untuk ujian, tempat itu akan penuh sesak. Selain para murid yang datang untuk mengikuti ujian, ada juga teman-teman yang datang untuk mendukung para peserta ujian, atau bahkan orang-orang yang tidak cukup percaya diri untuk mengikuti ujian tanpa terlebih dahulu mengamati pelaksanaannya beberapa kali. Dari kejauhan, Balai Apoteker Pengrajin itu sebenarnya tampak seperti seseorang yang duduk bersila sedang bermeditasi. Di depan orang itu terdapat tungku pembuatan pil, di bawahnya terdapat lorong yang mengarah ke alun-alun utama. Di alun-alun utama itu terdapat dua puluh tungku pembuatan pil, yang semuanya tampak identik. Di samping setiap tungku pil tersebut terdapat sebuah tas berisi berbagai jenis tanaman dan tumbuh-tumbuhan yang dapat digunakan dalam pembuatan obat. Saat itu fajar menyingsing, dan Bai Xiaochun, khawatir tersesat, datang sangat pagi. Namun, ketika tiba, ia mendapati ada orang-orang yang datang lebih awal darinya. Ada puluhan orang berdiri berkelompok dua atau tiga orang, mengobrol dengan tenang, dan bahkan beberapa orang berdiri terpisah dari yang lain sendirian, menunggu dengan duduk bersila sambil bermeditasi. Bai Xiaochun bukanlah tipe orang yang duduk-duduk seperti orang bodoh bermeditasi. Setelah melihat sekeliling, ia melihat Xu Baocai dan berjalan menghampirinya. Ketika Xu Baocai melihatnya mendekat, ia berjabat tangan sebagai salam, dan keduanya mulai mengobrol. Dengan cepat menjadi jelas bahwa hampir tidak ada yang terjadi di sekte itu tanpa sepengetahuan Xu Baocai. “Kakak Bai,” katanya, “apakah kau mendengar bahwa sekitar setengah tahun yang lalu, Chen Fei dan teman-temannya dipukuli hingga babak belur secara misterius? Mereka terbaring di tempat tidur sejak saat itu, dan entah mengapa, sama sekali tidak mau membicarakan apa yang terjadi.” Bahkan saat berbicara, dia menatap Bai Xiaochun dengan saksama untuk melihat reaksinya. Bai Xiaochun menguap dramatis, dan baru saja akan mulai membual tentang apa yang telah terjadi ketika tiba-tiba, riuh rendah percakapan terdengar di antara kerumunan. Pada saat yang sama, Bai Xiaochun merasa seolah-olah seseorang tiba-tiba melihat ke arahnya. Ketika dia menoleh, dia melihat seorang wanita muda berjalan ke arahnya. Ia mengenakan pakaian panjang murid Sekte Luar, tetapi itu sama sekali tidak menyembunyikan lekuk tubuhnya yang menggoda. Pinggangnya ramping seperti pohon willow, yang semakin menonjolkan lekuk tubuhnya yang lain, dan membuatnya tampak sangat cantik. Ia memiliki kaki yang panjang, dan bokong yang seksi, dan saat ia mendekat, orang-orang tak henti-hentinya menatapnya. Dengan wajahnya yang cantik, dan kulit putih bersih yang tampak begitu halus sehingga bisa pecah hanya karena hembusan angin sepoi-sepoi, dia memancarkan daya tarik yang dengan mudah bisa berakibat fatal bagi hampir semua pria. Bai Xiaochun was a bit disgusted to hear people gulping dramatically, even Xu Baocai. Xu Baocai licked his lips, and his eyes shone with infatuation “That’s... Elder Sister Du, Du Lingfei!” he whispered excitedly. “She's one of the five hottest women on the south bank! She’s the immortal beauty of my heart.... Oh my goodness, she just looked at me!!” “She’s looking at me!” Bai Xiaochun said derisively. He simply watched as Du Lingfei got closer. Suddenly, her phoenix-like eyes flickered with a murderous aura as she glared straight at Bai Xiaochun. She had long since come to admit that Bai Xiaochun’s skill with plants and vegetation exceeded hers. However, she was still filled with complete and utter revulsion for him. With a slight snort, she walked off to the side. Xu Baocai stared at her in a daze, completely oblivious to Bai Xiaochun’s derision. In fact, he seemed more infatuated than ever. “So Du Lingfei is going to take the test too....” Bai Xiaochun thought. After looking over the twenty pill furnaces, he calmed himself down and focused. “Ah, whatever, it doesn’t matter. I’m not here to compete with her. This is an exam administered by the sect, not a contest. Everybody has a chance to get promoted.” Soon, Chen Zi’ang appeared, and when he noticed Bai Xiaochun, he hesitated for a moment, then grinned and called out a greeting. Bai Xiaochun smiled and clasped hands in response, after which Chen Zi’ang sat down off to the side to wait. Eventually, even Zhao Yiduo showed up, whom Bai Xiaochun had first encountered outside the Missions Offices. Then, more and more people began to appear, and a good-sized crowd built up. Before too much time passed, the main door of the Journeyman Apothecary Hall creaked open, and an old man walked out. He had a full head of white hair, and piercing eyes, and as soon as he appeared, everyone quieted down. The old man’s expression was calm as he strode forward with hands clasped behind his back. He came to a stop at the front of the square, looked around at all the Outer Sect disciples, then nodded his head and began to speak. “I am surnamed Xu, and I shall preside over this test for promotion from apprentice apothecary to journeyman apothecary. “The test will consist of one portion regarding plants and vegetation, and another regarding medicine concocting. To pass the portion regarding plants and vegetation, simply walk through the passageway.” Elder Xu didn’t seem to want to offer any further explanations. After speaking only three sentences, he simply closed his eyes and ignored everyone. Even as Bai Xiaochun blinked in response, a long-faced young man walked out from the crowd. After clasping hands and bowing to Elder Xu, he strode toward the passageway leading under the giant pill furnace. As entered the doorway of the passageway, a beam of light appeared, which surrounded him, then vanished. A moment later, the pill furnace trembled, then let out a five muffled reverberations. Xu Baocai leaned over and whispered, “Five reverberations means that his skill with plants and vegetation encompasses the fifth volume....” He definitely deserved his reputation of knowing about everything in the sect. Bai Xiaochun blinked again. Before coming, he'd had no idea of how exactly the test would be carried out. Having heard Xu Baocai's explanation, he examined the huge stone pill furnace, and suddenly had the feeling that it must be connected to the stone steles outside the 10,000 Medicines pavilion. “What do I do now...?” he thought hesitantly. “Zhou Xinqi’s fans are still combing the mountain for me.” Soon, more people approached, most of whom received five reverberations. However, one of them only received four reverberations, upon which Elder Xu flicked his sleeve, sending that disciple spinning away. “Elder Xu!” the disciple exclaimed, face flickering. “I thought volume four of plants and vegetation was the minimum requirement to be able to take the test!” “The rules have changed. Now it's the fifth volume.” “But....” The young man stared in shock, then bitterly clasped his hands and bowed. Not daring to say anything further, he left. This turn of events caused the sound of whispered conversations to swell. Xu Baocai’s eyes flickered with surprise, and he suddenly produced a tiny notebook, within which he began to take notes. Bai Xiaochun looked over and saw a page filled with lines of handwriting, each character as small as the head of a fly. Apparently it was a record of all matters pertaining to the sect, large and small alike. Bai Xiaochun couldn’t help but admire how seriously Xu Baocai took the whole matter. It was at this point that Zhao Yiduo stood up and entered the passageway. The reverberations echoed out six times, after which Elder Xu opened his eyes and nodded slightly. Zhao Yiduo clasped hands and then stepped out of the passageway. Chen Zi’ang’s eyes flickered. He and Zhao Yiduo had never gotten along, so he snorted coldly and walked into the passageway, after which six reverberations could be heard. After giving Zhao Yiduo a meaningful stare, and sat back down cross-legged off to the side. The fact that both Zhao Yiduo and Chen Zi’ang had received six reverberations caused a buzz of envious conversation to rise up. At the same time, Du Lingfei’s eyes flickered, and she walked through the passageway. As she did, six reverberations could be heard, which caused even more envious gleams to appear in the eyes of the onlookers. Murmured conversations instantly broke out. “Chen Zi’ang, Zhao Yiduo, and Du Lingfei are all persons of outstanding talent within the Outer Sect. Not only have they mastered five volumes of plants and vegetation, but they also have command of the first volume of spirit creatures. I would say that they have a seventy to eighty percent chance of passing the test and being promoted to journeyman apothecary.” “Historically speaking, anyone who takes the journeyman apothecary test having already mastered six stone steles will pass, as long as that disciple’s performance in medicine concocting isn’t lacking.” Even as everyone discussed the matter, Bai Xiaochun gritted his teeth. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do about Zhou Xinqi’s fans. Just as he was about to take a step forward, a figure suddenly appeared off in the distance, speeding along the mountain path. It was a middle-aged man, his hair completely disheveled, but his eyes sparkling with life. Even before he arrived, his voice echoed out to be heard by all. “I, Han Jianye, having spent seven years in secluded meditation, and have finally made a huge breakthrough in my skill with plants and vegetation. Finally, I have emerged once again into the world, not just be promoted to journeyman apothecary, but to become the top journeyman apothecary in the entire test!” Looking very proud and lofty, he flickered through the air toward the giant pill furnace’s passageway. Elder Xu didn’t pay the man any heed, not even deigning to open his eyes. However, everyone else in the crowd seemed astonished to have heard the name Han Jianye. “Han Jianye? Who’s that? I’ve never heard of him before.” “Considering how old he is, he must be an Outer Sect disciple from seven or eight years ago.... He wants to be the top journeyman apothecary, which isn’t a very easy thing to do.” Even as everyone expressed their shock, Han Jianye stepped into the passageway, looking extremely proud and confident. Almost immediately, powerful reverberations began to echo out into the air. One reverberation, two reverberations... five, six, seven... before anyone in the crowd could even react, eight reverberations echoed out from within the pill furnace. Elder Xu’s eyes snapped open, and he looked over at the middle-aged man, a broad smile of praise on his face. “Five volumes of plants and vegetation, and three volumes of spirit creatures,” he said. “Excellent!” Looking very excited, Han Jianye clasped hands and bowed to Elder Xu. Then he turned, and when he looked at Du Lingfei and the others, the pride in his eyes was very clear. Swishing his sleeves, he sat down confidently in front of the center-most of the pill furnaces. Finally, gasps could be heard from the crowd, as well as the clamor of conversation. “Eight reverberations! Not only did he master everything about plants and vegetation, he even got through three volumes of spirit creatures!” “It seems he might be able to do exactly as he said and become the top journeyman apothecary!” When Bai Xiaochun witnessed what happened, he was left feeling quite underwhelmed. Therefore, when everyone in the crowd started getting excited, he almost couldn’t believe it. “He only mastered three volumes of spirit creatures, right?” he asked of Xu Baocai. “Why is everyone making such a big fuss?” If he remembered correctly, when it came to the third stone stele of spirit creatures, over a thousand people were listed as having passed it. Even the tenth stone stele had been passed by hundreds of people. Xu Baocai rolled his eyes, feeling more contemptuous than ever of Bai Xiaochun. Of course, he didn’t dare give voice to that contempt, and instead cleared his throat and said, “Elder Brother Bai, you just don’t understand. To master all five volumes of plants and vegetation is hard enough as it is. The volumes of spirit creatures are even harder! Even mastering one of them is enough to make you the subject of much envy. Obviously, to master three is even more shocking. Do you think everyone can be consummate Chosen like Zhou Xinqi or the little turtle? Look, just forget about those two. On all of Fragrant Cloud Peak, there are probably less than fifty people who have passed the stone steles of all five volumes of plants and vegetation plus all five volumes of spirit creatures! “Each and every one of those people are dragons and phoenixes among mortals. Think about it! There are a lot of names on those stone steles, but those name lists are thousands of years old. Plus, many of those people have already moved on to the Inner Sect, leaving only their names behind here in the Outer Sect! “Furthermore, you only need to master five volumes to take this test. This guy has eight! Just as he said, he’s definitely going to become the top journeyman apothecary, which will earn him the 5,000 merit point prize.” Although Xu Baocai’s words were actually a bit contemptuous if you paid close attention, Bai Xiaochun didn’t really notice. Eyes gleaming with elation, he looked at Xu Baocai and said, “Did you just say that Zhou Xinqi and the little turtle are consummate Chosen? Are they really that awesome?” “Of course! Especially the little turtle. He's completely shocking. He's the first person in a thousand years to get first place in all ten stone steles. Elder Brother Bai, I have to say, you really shouldn’t aim too high.” Even as the contempt in Xu Baocai’s heart rose to new heights, Bai Xiaochun laughed heartily. The more he was around Xu Baocai, the more he liked him. Clapping him on the shoulder, he suddenly strode forward. Xu Baocai gaped in shock as Bai Xiaochun walked toward the passageway. Of course, Bai Xiaochun was somewhat well-known for his skill with plants and vegetation, considering that he had defeated Du Lingfei. It was a given that he would eventually take this test. However, what happened next caused Xu Baocai’s eyes to bulge. Bai Xiaochun strode proudly into the passageway, after which a flash of light could be seen, and the muffled reverberations began. One, two, three... six, seven, eight! Semua orang terdiam kaku. Namun, gema itu tidak berhenti. Gema kesembilan bergema dan kemudian... yang kesepuluh! GEMURUH! Ketika gema kesepuluh terdengar, mata Tetua Xu terbuka lebar, dan bersinar dengan kecerahan yang belum pernah terjadi sebelumnya. Dia menatap Bai Xiaochun, benar-benar terkejut. Harus ditegaskan bahwa sangat jarang ada satu dari ribuan murid Sekte Luar di Puncak Awan Harum yang menguasai kesepuluh jilid tersebut, termasuk lima jilid untuk tumbuhan dan vegetasi, dan lima jilid untuk makhluk spiritual. Hampir semua dari mereka pasti sudah mengikuti ujian ini. Seseorang yang begitu sabar menunggu hingga menguasai kesepuluh jilid tersebut adalah sesuatu yang belum pernah dilihat Tetua Xu, hingga hari ini. Bahkan Zhou Xinqi pun mengikuti ujian setelah hanya menguasai sembilan mata pelajaran. Mata Du Lingfei membelalak saat menatap Bai Xiaochun yang berdiri di lorong itu. Meskipun dia sudah tahu bahwa Bai Xiaochun jauh lebih mahir darinya dalam hal tumbuhan dan vegetasi, dia tidak pernah membayangkan bahwa Bai Xiaochun akan mencapai tingkat yang begitu menakjubkan. Tidak hanya menguasai tumbuhan dan vegetasi sepenuhnya, dia juga memiliki kemampuan luar biasa dalam hal makhluk spiritual. Pikirannya berputar-putar, dan dia hanya bisa ternganga kosong. Dia teringat bagaimana dia pernah menuntut untuk berkompetisi dengannya dalam keterampilan menanam dan mengolah tumbuhan, dan bagaimana dia dengan hati-hati dan bahkan gugup menanyakan peringkatnya. Kemudian dia teringat betapa cemasnya dia terlihat ketika setuju untuk berkompetisi. Saat itu juga dia menyadari bahwa kegugupan Bai Xiaochun saat itu hanyalah pura-pura, menyembunyikan senyum lebar yang telah mekar di hatinya. “Bai. Xiao. CHUN!!” pikirnya sambil menggertakkan giginya. Chen Zi'ang dan Zhao Yiduo juga tersentak dan menatap Bai Xiaochun dengan heran. Adapun Han Jianye, yang telah menghabiskan bertahun-tahun dalam meditasi terpencil, ia mulai gemetar. Ia menatap Bai Xiaochun dengan tajam, pikirannya berputar, gelombang kejutan menghantamnya saat ia menyadari bahwa Bai Xiaochun benar-benar musuh bebuyutannya seumur hidup. “Bagian terpenting dari ujian apoteker magang adalah meracik obat!” pikirnya. “Dia mungkin kuat, tapi aku menolak untuk percaya bahwa dia bisa mengalahkan aku dalam meracik obat. Aku menghabiskan tujuh tahun bermeditasi di tempat terpencil hanya untuk meraih posisi teratas dalam ujian ini!!” Pada saat yang sama, para murid Sekte Luar di sekitarnya terengah-engah dan bahkan berteriak kaget. “Itu tadi... sepuluh resonansi! Itu berarti dia juga menguasai kelima volume makhluk spiritual! Dia melewati semua prasasti batu di luar Paviliun 10.000 Obat! Bahkan tidak ada lima puluh murid di seluruh Sekte Luar yang bisa melakukan itu!” “Pria ini memiliki kesabaran yang luar biasa! Dia menunggu hingga kesepuluh prasasti batu itu dilewati sebelum mengikuti ujian promosi!” “Jangan bilang… dia kura-kura kecil itu!?!?” Kerumunan pun gempar. Tentu saja, yang paling tercengang di antara semua orang adalah Xu Baocai, yang menatap Bai Xiaochun dengan mata terbelalak hingga seolah-olah akan keluar dari kepalanya. Beberapa saat yang lalu, dia membenci Bai Xiaochun karena tidak terlalu memikirkan penguasaannya atas tiga jilid makhluk spiritual, tetapi sekarang, dia jelas berhak untuk bersikap seperti itu.... “Penguasaan atas tumbuhan dan vegetasi serta penguasaan atas makhluk spiritual.... Bai Xiaochun jelas hanya mempermainkanku!! Tapi ini sungguh tidak bisa dipercaya. Dia baru beberapa tahun berada di sekte ini! Mungkinkah... dia benar-benar si kura-kura kecil?” Sambil terengah-engah, Xu Baocai mengeluarkan buku catatan kecilnya dan mulai menuliskan perkembangan terbaru. Dalam hatinya, ia merasa senang karena telah memilih untuk menyelesaikan masalah dengan Bai Xiaochun, dan juga senang karena tidak mengatakan sesuatu yang terlalu meremehkan sebelumnya. Saat semua orang mengungkapkan keterkejutan mereka, Bai Xiaochun berjalan keluar dari lorong sambil menghela napas. Sebenarnya, jika ada cara untuk menyembunyikan prestasinya terkait sepuluh prasasti batu itu, dia pasti sudah melakukannya. Lagipula, masih ada murid Sekte Dalam di antara para penggemar Zhou Xinqi. Sayangnya, tidak ada yang bisa dilakukan. Dia tidak bisa begitu saja menyerah pada promosi tersebut. Meskipun dia terpaksa mengungkapkan kebenaran, ketika dia melihat betapa antusiasnya penonton, dan ketika dia mendengar orang-orang meneriakkan namanya, dia sebenarnya cukup terharu. “Sungguh murid-murid yang luar biasa. Ah, seandainya semua orang seperti itu!” Sambil mendesah haru, dan di bawah tatapan semua orang yang hadir, ia memilih sebuah tungku pil dan duduk. Tetua Xu menatap Bai Xiaochun dengan penuh pertimbangan. Senyum sekilas terlintas di wajahnya, tetapi cepat menghilang. Setelah kembali tenang, dia berkata dengan tenang, “Tas di depanmu berisi sepuluh set tanaman obat, yang dapat kau gunakan untuk meracik sepuluh obat spiritual tingkat 1, khususnya, Dupa Roh Tinta!” “Anda akan dinilai berdasarkan tingkat keberhasilan Anda, dengan minimal dua keberhasilan sebagai syarat untuk lulus. Siapa pun yang memiliki keberhasilan terbanyak... akan mendapatkan 5.000 poin prestasi! Anda dapat mulai segera.” Para murid Sekte Luar yang hadir langsung mulai bersemangat menanggapi penjelasan Tetua Xu. “Kali ini ujiannya adalah meracik Dupa Roh Tinta!” “Dupa Inkspirit bukanlah obat tingkat 1 yang paling sulit diracik, tetapi juga tidak mudah.... Ini tidak seperti Dupa Spirit Condensation atau obat-obatan roh lainnya, yang banyak apoteker pemula sudah berpengalaman membuatnya.” “Hmph. Mereka hanya menyempurnakan cara menguji kualifikasi seseorang dalam meracik obat. Tidakkah kau lihat apa yang terjadi? Sebelumnya, mereka membutuhkan empat jilid tumbuhan dan vegetasi, sekarang lima. Mereka bahkan meningkatkan tingkat kesulitan ramuan obat roh yang harus diracik. Mungkin, segalanya akan terus menjadi lebih sulit di masa depan.” As everyone discussed the matter, the group sitting in front of the pill furnaces in the square had very serious expressions on their faces. Although some of them smiled bitterly when they heard that the test involved Inkspirit Incense, they didn't allow themselves to be distracted, but instead opened the bags and began to inspect the medicinal plants. Xu Baocai had mentioned the matter of the 5,000 merit points earlier. Now that Bai Xiaochun heard confirmation from Elder Xu, his heart was thumping. He was already running low on merit points, which he needed to get medicine formulas and medicinal plants. “If I can get those 5,000 merit points, it will save me a lot of time and effort.” With those thoughts on his mind, Bai Xiaochun opened the bag, within which were the ten sets of medicinal plants, plus a jade slip, which was none other than the medicine formula for the Inkspirit Incense. He didn't immediately begin to concoct the medicine, but instead settled his qi and cleared his mind, then began to study the formula. He took his time, which was how he had grown accustomed to concocting medicine. Even the slightest question about anything needed to be analyzed completely until he felt completely confident. His initial research alone took him two hours. By that time, Du Lingfei and everyone else had already finished inspecting the plants, and were beginning to actually concoct the medicine. In fact, most of them were more than half finished with their first batch. It didn’t take long before everyone except Bai Xiaochun was already in the middle of medicine concocting. Bai Xiaochun was the only one who was sitting there, looking thoughtfully at the jade slip. That sight left Xu Baocai somewhat shocked. By now, the first batches of spirit medicine were coming out. Rumbling sounds began to emanate from the pill furnaces of everyone except Bai Xiaochun. Most of them had long faces as black smoke rose up, indicating that their first batches were failures. Han Jianye, on the other hand, threw his head back and laughed loudly. His pill furnace was trembling, and a medicinal aroma began to spread out. Shockingly, a three-inch-long stick of Inkspirit Incense appeared. The surrounding Outer Sect disciples all craned their necks to look. “He succeeded with his first batch!” “This Han Jianye sure has talent in medicine concocting!” An excited expression appeared on Han Jianye’s face as he glanced around at the other test-takers. His gaze lingered for a moment on Bai Xiaochun, and when he realized that he was still studying the medicine formula, a look of disdain appeared in his eyes. Finally, he pulled out the second set of plants and began concocting a second batch. Du Lingfei and everyone else all had unsightly expressions on their faces, and gritted their teeth as they began to work on a second batch. Time passed. By the time the fourth hour of the test had passed, most of the group was finished with their second batch. Muffled rumbling could be heard as... not a single test-taker succeeded. It was at about this time that Bai Xiaochun put the jade slip down. His mind was now permeated with the medicine formula for Inkspirit Incense. However, just when everyone thought he was about to begin, they were stunned to see him take out one of the medicinal plants and begin to study it closely. “What is Bai Xiaochun doing? He already studied the medicine formula for four hours! What's the point of studying the plants?” “I know this is a test, but does he really have to go so slow...?” Xu Baocai’s eyes were wide with disbelief as he watched everyone else starting their third batches. The audience waited in befuddlement as the sixth hour of the test arrived. By now, eighteen of the test-takers had all consistently failed. Soon eight hours had passed, then ten. Eventually, four people succeeded in concocting the Inkspirit Incense, including Du Lingfei, Chen Zi’ang, and Zhao Yiduo. The aura of the incense spread out in all directions. Han Jianye was chuckling proudly at being the first person to concoct a second stick of Inkspirit Incense. Looking around proudly, his contempt for Bai Xiaochun grew. At this point, Bai Xiaochun was studying the fourth of the medicinal plants. Occasionally he would even tear a perforation into the plant itself, which left the audience shocked. Even Elder Xu had noticed. Time flew by. Soon, twelve hours had passed. Everyone failed in their sixth batch of spirit medicine, except for Han Jianye, who was the only person to succeed. That caused quite an uproar, and even elicited a slight nod from Elder Xu. “This Han Jianye has already concocted three sticks of incense! Nobody else even has more than one!” “In tests past, two successes meant you passed the test, and four successes made you a Chosen. All Han Jianye has to do is concoct one more stick to become a Chosen!” As everyone discussed the matter, a gleam of self-confidence could be seen flickering in Han Jianye’s eyes as he murmured, “I’ll definitely concoct a fourth stick of Inkspirit Incense. I'm going to be Chosen, and I'm going to be the top journeyman apothecary!" Swishing his sleeve in grand style, he began to work on his seventh batch. Du Lingfei’s face was ashen as she gritted her teeth and began working on her own seventh batch. When the fourteenth hour arrived, Du Lingfei’s eyes shone with elation as a medicinal aroma began to spread out from her pill furnace. Even as black smoke rose up from everyone else's seventh batches, she produced the only success! “I've met the minimum, but mere promotion is not enough!” Du Lingfei constrained her excitement, taking a deep breath as she, along with the ashen-faced Han Jianye, began work on another batch. In the sixteenth hour, more rumbling sounds could be heard as yet again... everyone met with failure. As of this moment, of the nineteen other people besides Bai Xiaochun who were taking the test, Han Jianye had three successes, Du Lingfei had two, Chen Zi’ang and Zhao Yiduo both had one, and everyone else... had nothing but failures. As for Bai Xiaochun, he was studying the last of the medicinal plants. “This test is so hard....” That was the thought running through the minds of the Outer Sect disciples in the audience. They could feel the anxious pressure building up. Most of the test-takers only had two sets of ingredients left. With the exception of Du Lingfei and Han Jianye, who had already met the minimum requirement, and Chen Zi’ang and Zhao Yiduo, who both had one success already, the other test-takers had to succeed with both sets of ingredients, otherwise they would fail completely. Those remaining disciples were now extremely nervous. Essentially, this ninth batch was the most crucial batch; if they failed, then Elder Xu wouldn't allow them to waste the ingredients set aside for the tenth batch. If that ninth batch failed, then... their test-taking effort would be a complete failure. Filled with apprehension and nervousness, everyone focused completely on their ninth batches.... Each and every step received complete and utter attention; those who had already met the minimum requirement wanted to get a better final score, and for those who hadn't met the minimum, they had to do everything they could right now to pass. Bai Xiaochun, on the other hand... was sitting there holding the final medicinal plant. Apparently, he was considering some important question about that plant, as his brow was furrowed thoughtfully. By now... few people were paying attention to him. The eighteenth hour seemed to pass very slowly. This was the moment everyone had been waiting for. Soon, rumbling sounds echoed out. As for the disciples who had not succeeded at all, they rose to their feet, faces pale, chuckling bitterly. After clasping hands to Elder Xu, they dejectedly left the square. One by one, the disciples left, until soon, only six people remained concocting medicine. Soon, rumbling sounds echoed out from the six test-takers’ pill furnaces, and yet a medicinal aroma emitted from only one of those furnaces, the one belonging to Zhao Yiduo. Zhao Yiduo’s hands were clenched tightly into fists, he was panting, and his eyes were completely bloodshot. He was more excited right now than he had ever been before; he had met the minimum requirements. With two successes, he passed! Some people were excited, some were depressed. Five people had failed, two of them being disciples who hadn’t succeeded a single time. Sighing, they rose to their feet and left. Chen Zi’ang couldn’t be more on edge. He was glaring at Zhao Yiduo, heart filled with bitterness and anxiety. Then he looked with bloodshot eyes at the final set of medicinal plants. Du Lingfei mengerutkan kening, lalu menutup matanya untuk berpikir. Han Jianye merasakan tekanan paling sedikit di antara semuanya, namun, dia tidak senang hanya memiliki tiga keberhasilan. Dia ingin menerobos untuk menjadi Yang Terpilih. “Gelombang terakhir!” Orang-orang menarik napas dalam-dalam sambil memandang ke alun-alun, dan lima orang yang tertinggal. Han Jianye. Du Lingfei. Zhao Yiduo. Chen Zi'ang. Dan tentu saja... Bai Xiaochun. Tiga di antara mereka sudah memenuhi persyaratan minimum. Chen Zi'ang hanya punya satu kesempatan lagi untuk melakukannya. Adapun Bai Xiaochun... orang-orang bahkan tidak memperhatikannya, dan malah mulai bertanya-tanya mengapa dia datang. Setelah delapan belas jam, yang dia lakukan hanyalah mempelajari formula obat dan tanaman obat. Beberapa orang bahkan bertanya-tanya... apakah dia hanya datang untuk ikut meramaikan acara. Dengan keseriusan yang belum pernah terjadi sebelumnya, Du Lingfei dan yang lainnya mulai sepenuhnya fokus pada ramuan obat spiritual kesepuluh dan terakhir mereka. Saat semua orang memperhatikan dengan tatapan tajam, jam kedua puluh perlahan berlalu. Kemudian terdengar suara gemuruh dari tungku pil Zhao Yiduo, diikuti asap hitam yang mengepul. Dia menghela napas. Dia gagal dalam batch terakhir, tetapi setidaknya dia masih memenuhi persyaratan minimum. Hampir pada saat yang bersamaan ketika Zhao Yiduo gagal, tungku pil Chen Zi'ang mulai mengeluarkan aroma obat. Bukan hanya miliknya. Aroma obat juga menyebar dari tungku Du Lingfei dan Han Jianye! Pada saat itu juga, ketiga wajah mereka berseri-seri gembira karena menyadari bahwa mereka telah berhasil! “Aku berhasil! Empat batang Dupa Roh Tinta! Aku meraih posisi teratas!!” Han Jianye langsung berdiri dan tawa gembiranya menggema ke segala arah. Du Lingfei menghela napas lega. Meskipun dia belum mencapai level Terpilih, tiga keberhasilan tetaplah menakjubkan. Chen Zi'ang merasa seolah-olah ia telah bangkit dari kematian, dan mulai tertawa terbahak-bahak. Pada saat ini, perasaan yang telah mereka berempat pendam selama dua jam terakhir akhirnya meledak. “Ujian yang sangat sulit! Fakta bahwa Han Jianye mampu berhasil empat kali meskipun menghadapi tingkat kesulitan seperti ini menunjukkan bahwa dia benar-benar seorang Terpilih!” “Du Lingfei mendapat tiga keberhasilan, Chen Zi'ang dan Zhao Yiduo masing-masing mendapat dua keberhasilan.... Mereka semua memenuhi persyaratan untuk dipromosikan. Aku yakin jika ujiannya tidak begitu sulit, mereka semua mungkin bisa mendapat empat keberhasilan!” Bahkan ketika semua orang mulai mendiskusikan masalah itu, ketika teman-teman para peserta ujian bersorak memberi dukungan, ketika Tetua Xu mengangguk setuju kepada Han Jianye dan hendak mengumumkan bahwa ujian telah selesai... Bai Xiaochun bergerak. Setelah mempelajari tanaman terakhir secara saksama, dan menyelesaikan semua masalah yang dihadapinya, Bai Xiaochun terus mengabaikan semua keributan di sekitarnya. Dia telah berkonsentrasi penuh pada informasi dalam gulungan giok, telah sepenuhnya tenggelam dalam Dao tumbuhan dan vegetasi, dan bahkan memasuki semacam trans. Hanya suara gemuruh guntur dan kilat yang mampu mengganggu konsentrasinya, dan dia bahkan tidak melirik hasil upaya rekayasa orang lain. Tentu saja, hal itu menarik perhatian sebagian penonton, termasuk Xu Baocai. Ekspresi penasaran terlihat di wajah mereka saat mereka menoleh, jelas bertanya-tanya mengapa Bai Xiaochun menghabiskan waktu begitu lama dalam pengamatan awalnya. “Bai Xiaochun ini terlalu lambat. Semua orang sudah selesai dan dia baru mulai. Bukankah seharusnya ujiannya sudah selesai sekarang?” “Hmm. Begini, kurasa aku belum pernah mendengar tentang ujian promosi apoteker magang... yang memiliki batas waktu....” Tidak jelas siapa yang mengucapkan kalimat terakhir itu, tetapi ketika orang-orang mendengarnya, mereka mulai menoleh ke arah Tetua Xu, dengan ekspresi kosong di wajah mereka. Tetua Xu ragu sejenak, tetapi kenyataannya ujian kenaikan pangkat apoteker magang memang tidak memiliki batas waktu. Karena itu, dia terus berdiri di sana menyaksikan Bai Xiaochun meracik obat. Han Jianye sama sekali tidak khawatir, bahkan tertawa dingin, matanya berbinar-binar penuh penghinaan. Awalnya, dia khawatir Bai Xiaochun akan menjadi lawan yang tangguh, tetapi setelah bagian ujian ini berlangsung, dia yakin Bai Xiaochun tidak mungkin bisa melampauinya. Du Lingfei mengerutkan kening; Bai Xiaochun selalu membuatnya kesal, apa pun yang dipikirkannya. Gerakan Bai Xiaochun sangat cepat, dan matanya bersinar terang. Baginya, seluruh dunia hanya terdiri dari tungku pil itu. Berbagai tanaman obat dengan cepat berubah bentuk saat ia menguleninya menjadi pasta, menghancurkannya menjadi bubuk, atau membuat ramuan lainnya. Kemudian, setelah memasukkan semua bahan ke dalam tungku pil, ia melakukan gerakan mantra dengan tangan kanannya dan menunjuk ke tungku pil, menyebabkan api bumi di bawahnya menyala terang. Dua jam berlalu begitu cepat, dan tak lama kemudian aroma obat yang kuat tercium dari tungku pil. Bai Xiaochun melambaikan tangannya, menyebabkan sebatang dupa Inkspirit sepanjang empat inci terbang keluar. Begitu mendarat di telapak tangannya, dia memeriksanya, lalu mengerutkan kening. Semua orang di antara hadirin memasang ekspresi serius di wajah mereka, dan mata Tetua Xu berkedip-kedip. Namun, tepat ketika semua orang mengharapkan Bai Xiaochun untuk memulai sesi kedua, mereka menyadari bahwa ia malah... sedang mempelajari dupa. "Apa yang dia lakukan??" “Dia berhasil! Mengapa dia belum memulai gelombang kedua?” Semua orang menyaksikan dengan tercengang. As for Bai Xiaochun, he was looking at the Inkspirit Incense, feeling quite unsatisfied. Although he had indeed succeeded, he knew that based on the ingredients he had used, the incense should have been seven inches long. “What went wrong?” he thought. Then he contemplated the matter... for six hours. Just when everyone was getting to the point where they were running out of patience, Bai Xiaochun’s eyes glittered, and he produced a second set of ingredients and began to concoct. Everyone in the audience anxiously watched him work. Yet again, two hours passed. This time, the medicinal aroma was even stronger than before as a five-inch-long stick of Inkspirit Incense flew out. Du Lingfei’s face flickered, and shocked expressions could be seen on the faces of both Chen Zi’ang and Zhao Yiduo. As for Han Jianye, his eyes flickered, but his expression remained calm. Only he knew that, inwardly, he was starting to get anxious. Of course, what made him anxious was not just that Bai Xiaochun had succeeded two times, but that... he might continue to succeed! Under the shocked gazes of all present, Bai Xiaochun flicked his sleeve, sending the third set of medicinal plant ingredients out. His third batch was now beginning, and all of the Outer Sect disciples were watching closely. Two hours passed in silence. Suddenly, the pill furnace shuddered, and a medicinal aroma even stronger than before filled the area as a six-inch-long stick of Inkspirit Incense appeared! “Three times in a row! How... could this be happening!?!?” “How is Bai Xiaochun doing this? Could it be that he has actually concocted Inkspirit Incense before?!” Cries of astonishment could be heard because of the successive successes; people could hardly believe what they were seeing. Du Lingfei’s breath came in ragged pants as she glared at Bai Xiaochun, waves of shock battering her heart. Chen Zi’ang and Zhao Yiduo were both gaping dully. “Three in a row....” Han Jianye thought, clenching his hands into fists. His eyes were now completely bloodshot. “He must already be familiar with Inkspirit Incense. Well, he got lucky with this batch, but the next batch will be a different story!” Just when everyone was expecting Bai Xiaochun to start his fourth batch, he held up the six-inch-long stick of Inkspirit Incense, then frowned and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Then everyone waited... for ten hours. If this sort of thing had happened with the first batch, everyone would have left. But after having seen Bai Xiaochun succeed three times in a row, they knew that a fourth success would push him past everyone else to the same level as Han Jianye. That was something everyone was itching to see happen. “Bai Xiaochun takes way too long! It’s only a tier-1 spirit medicine! Why does he need so much time to think about it!?” Of course, Du Lingfei and Han Jianye were the most invested of all, and were staring dead at Bai Xiaochun, completely unwilling to leave. It was at this point that Bai Xiaochun’s eyes glittered brightly. His eyebrows shot up as he waved both hands, sending plants and vegetation flying out as he began his fourth batch. Everyone was now looking on in complete excitement. Two hours later, rumbling sounds could be heard, but not the type that indicated a failure had been met. Instead, a powerful blast of medicinal aroma spread out, filling the entire area in the blink of an eye. Then, astonishingly, a seven-inch-long stick of Inkspirit Incense appeared! The fourth batch was another success! The audience went wild. “Four in a row!” “I can’t believe something like this actually happened.... Just how many times will Bai Xiaochun actually succeed!?” “Two successes are the requirement to pass, and four makes you Chosen! If I remember correctly, Elder Sister Zhou Xinqi got seven successes back when she was promoted!” As the crowd clamored, Du Lingfei’s face turned very unsightly. Although she was aware that Bai Xiaochun’s skill with plants and vegetation far surpassed her own, to see that such a vast gap existed between them in terms of medicine concocting filled her with mixed emotions. As for Han Jianye, he was grinding his teeth, and his hands were clenched tightly into balls. He was trembling, and couldn’t bear to believe what he was seeing. And yet, everything was happening right in front of him, making it impossible for him to deny it. “Four successes! Four successes has to be his limit. The rest will definitely be failures!” Everyone in the audience was now buzzing with speculation regarding how many total successes Bai Xiaochun would achieve. But then, they realized that Bai Xiaochun was simply staring at the Inkspirit Incense. “What is this guy doing? He’s doing more studying?!” Although they were a bit chagrined, the audience members weren’t about to leave now. Instead, they sat there, waiting and watching, looking forward to seeing the results of Bai Xiaochun’s next study session. Sixteen hours passed before Bai Xiaochun finally took a deep breath. His eyes were completely bloodshot. Although no one else realized it, the fourth batch he had just produced had come very close to failing. “This Inkspirit Incense is much, much harder than any of the other spirit medicines I've concocted in the past.” Bai Xiaochun was prudent and meticulous. After thinking back to all the other batches he had produced so far, he identified what the problem was, and after confirming that he could prevent it from happening, began a fifth batch. He was completely oblivious to any of the conversations around him; when he was concocting medicine, his level of focus exceeded imagination. It didn’t matter what anybody said, he wouldn’t begin to concoct unless he was absolutely confident in succeeding. Everyone in the audience had been sitting here for so long that they were completely exhausted, and were having trouble staying focused, and yet they were now all craning their necks to see what was happening. It didn't take long before more rumbling sounds could be heard, and a medicinal aroma spread out in all directions, a fragrant odor that sent shock into the hearts of everyone present. The fifth batch was a success! Han Jianye sat there dumbfounded, heart overwhelmed with bitterness. After a long moment, he simply sighed quietly. This was the moment the crowd had been waiting for. Bai Xiaochun waved his sleeve and began the sixth batch. Before long, more rumbling could be heard, and smell of incense spread out. The sixth batch was a success! Bai Xiaochun’s eyes glittered. Not pausing for even a moment, he pulled out more medicinal plants and started his seventh batch. However, in almost the exact same instant that he started the seventh batch, an acrid odor suddenly wafted out. It was very faint, and could only be detected by Bai Xiaochun, and yet it caused his heart to begin pounding. He performed an incantation gesture with his right hand and pointed out, reducing the earthflame temperature. After manipulating the ingredients with the greatest care, he succeeded with the seventh batch! However, this stick was only three inches long, and contained many impurities, leaving it on the verge of being low-grade, almost toxic. However, as far as the audience was concerned, that still counted as a success! At this point, the audience was completely and utterly wrapped up in what was happening. Everyone was panting in excitement, especially Xu Baocai, whose eyes glowed with disbelief. “Seven successes.... Heavens! Bai Xiaochun actually succeeded seven times!” “He’s just as good as Elder Sister Zhou Xinqi! I remember hearing that the only person to ever exceed eight successes was a disciple from years ago named Wang Qingshan, an Elder Brother who is now in the supreme position of being in the legacy echelon!” “Succeeding nine times... is completely unheard-of. Nobody has ever done it!” The audience was in an uproar, but Bai Xiaochun was sitting there quietly, looking at the pill furnace. His eyes were bloodshot, and by this point, he wasn’t even thinking about the test. He was immersed in thoughts of concocting medicine, and was analyzing the near failure from all angles. Next, he pulled out the ingredients and began to examine them again to try to determine the cause. “This spirit plant is called inkfruit, and the ink elements within each one are slightly different....” He held the inkfruit in his hand and continued to observe and analyze it. Time passed, and more wry smiles could be seen on the faces of the audience as they realized what was happening. Although they were excited, Bai Xiaochun was so thoughtfully slow in medicine concocting that it could make one bristle with anger. And yet, nobody was willing to leave. The Outer Sect disciples all sat there cross-legged, some of them meditating as they waited for Bai Xiaochun. Others were so exhausted that they leaned up against nearby boulders to sleep. Ekspresi aneh terlihat di wajah Tetua Xu. Sambil batuk kering, dia duduk bersila, menunggu. Tentu saja, Du Lingfei dan Han Jianye tidak akan pergi. Meskipun Bai Xiaochun membuat mereka kelelahan secara fisik dan mental, mereka tidak punya pilihan selain duduk di sana dengan tenang. Semuanya sangat sunyi, kecuali sesekali terdengar dengkuran. Namun, orang-orang masih menunggu dan memperhatikan Bai Xiaochun. Xu Baocai termasuk di antara mereka. Berjam-jam berlalu, beberapa orang terbangun dari tidur mereka dan mendapati Bai Xiaochun duduk di sana merenung. Mereka tak kuasa menahan napas. “Aku tak percaya dia masih kuliah.” “Matahari sedang terbit....” Akhirnya, setelah lebih dari dua puluh jam berlalu, Bai Xiaochun tiba-tiba mendongak, dan matanya benar-benar merah. Bai Xiaochun terengah-engah. Saat itu, dia sudah sangat fokus hingga mengabaikan segalanya. Dia bahkan tidak khawatir apakah dia akan berhasil atau tidak. Matanya merah, dan pikirannya hanya terfokus pada satu hal: bagaimana caranya agar benar-benar percaya diri! Kecuali jika dia benar-benar yakin, dia tidak akan memulai batch berikutnya! Ketika tiba waktunya meracik obat, kepribadiannya yang berhati-hati dan bijaksana terlihat jelas. Namun, bahkan setelah semua pemikiran yang telah ia curahkan, ia masih belum bisa menemukan cara untuk menyelesaikan masalah tersebut tanpa terlebih dahulu menstandarisasi unsur tinta di dalam Buah Tinta. Meskipun itu tidak akan dianggap sebagai perubahan formula obat, itu akan menjadi sedikit penyesuaian. Setelah berpikir sejenak, mata Bai Xiaochun berbinar penuh tekad. “Satu-satunya cara adalah menyesuaikan rumusnya berdasarkan kasus per kasus!” Dia dengan cepat menghancurkan Buah Tinta itu. Terdengar suara mendesis saat sari buah mengalir keluar, meskipun Bai Xiaochun tidak memasukkannya ke dalam tungku pil. Sebaliknya, ia membekukannya di udara di depannya, lalu mulai melakukan penyesuaian di sana-sini. Sebagian besar orang di antara penonton terkejut, tetapi sebenarnya tidak mengerti apa yang sedang dilakukannya. Bahkan Bai Xiaochun sendiri tidak benar-benar menganggap tindakannya sebagai sesuatu yang istimewa; dia hanya merasa bahwa ini adalah tindakan terbaik mengingat keadaan yang ada. Namun, Tetua Xu telah membuka matanya, dan secercah keterkejutan terpancar di dalamnya. Meskipun dia sedikit terkejut bahwa Bai Xiaochun telah berhasil tujuh kali berturut-turut, apa yang dilakukannya sekarang jauh lebih mengejutkan. “Bai Xiaochun ini ternyata sedang mencoba memodifikasi formula obat! Luar biasa! Pantas saja pemimpin puncak menyuruhku mengawasinya saat dia pergi dari gunung!” Tetua Xu terus mengamati Bai Xiaochun dalam diam. Sesaat kemudian, Bai Xiaochun melambaikan tangannya, membersihkan sisa elemen tinta, menyisakan setetes seukuran kuku jari. Setelah memasukkannya ke dalam tungku pil, dia menghasilkan sisa bahan tanaman obat dan kemudian memulai pembuatan batch kedelapannya! Tungku pembakaran pil itu seketika berubah menjadi merah terang. Kali ini, tidak sampai dua jam. Setelah cukup waktu berlalu untuk dua batang dupa terbakar, tungku pembakaran pil itu bergetar, dan aroma obat menyebar. Batch kedelapan telah berhasil! Tetua Xu melihat ke arah tungku pil, dan yang dilihatnya adalah sebatang dupa Roh Tinta sepanjang tujuh inci yang berwarna hitam dengan bintik-bintik ungu! “Itu hampir kelas menengah!” pikir Tetua Xu, matanya berbinar-binar. Bai Xiaochun juga bisa merasakan bahwa dupa roh tinta ini berbeda dari yang lain. Meskipun awalnya bingung, dia tiba-tiba menyadari mengapa semua obat roh yang pernah dia buat sebelumnya berkualitas rendah. “The medicine formula isn’t standardized.... If you adjust things based on your current needs, you can concoct... mid-grade spirit medicines or higher!” Bai Xiaochun suddenly felt as if the world had been opened up to him. Feeling very excited, and before even waiting for the crowd to break out into an uproar, he started his ninth batch! Everyone was panting, and nobody was talking. They were all completely and utterly shaken. They might have been excited before, but now that they had personally witnessed Bai Xiaochun succeed eight times in a row, they were in a state of complete and utter incredulity. Not only had he surpassed Zhou Xinqi, he was now on almost the exact same level as the legacy echelon cultivator Wang Qingshan! Before everyone could recover from their shock, Bai Xiaochun rapidly went about concocting the next batch. He only used the time it takes an incense stick to burn before rumbling sounds could be heard from the pill furnace, and a powerful blast of medicinal aroma spread out. The ninth batch... was a success! “This is unheard-of!!” “Nobody has ever succeeded nine times, and especially not with Inkspirit Incense! Bai Xiaochun spent an infuriatingly long time thinking, but... but his success rate is completely astonishing!!” Xu Baocai’s mind was spinning, and his jaw hung wide open. Du Lingfei felt her heart being battered by waves of astonishment, and couldn’t help but think back to the competition, and how Bai Xiaochun had analyzed that grafted plant. Han Jianye simply sighed bitterly. Although he was disappointed, he was no longer enraged. If Bai Xiaochun had surpassed him by a small amount, he might have continued to pursue a grudge, but now, he had to admit that he had lost.... “With only one more success, Elder Brother Bai will do something nobody has ever done, not even in ancient times! He... is going to pull off a miracle!” “Boy was it worth it to come watch the test this time. We got stuck here for a few days, but it was definitely worth it!” As of this moment, Bai Xiaochun was the center of all attention. Everyone was panting, and their eyes gleamed with intense anticipation. Even Elder Xu felt completely shocked, and was staring with wide eyes. Finally, Bai Xiaochun moved. His eyes shone with focus as he produced the final set of ingredients. After organizing them into the order that he would use them, he began to feed them into the pill furnace, then performed a double-handed incantation gesture to stoke the earthflame. Time passed in complete silence. The only thing the audience could hear was the beat of their own hearts as they waited for the time it takes an incense stick to burn.... An intense rumbling sound could be heard from within the pill furnace. No smoke of failure poured out, and yet, neither did a medicinal aroma. Everyone was shocked. “Did he fail?” Xu Baocai thought, so nervous that his tongue was sticking to the roof of his mouth. Bai Xiaochun stared in shock, but then he suddenly realized what was most likely happening, and his eyes began to shine. It was at this point that everyone watching could see a scintillating light shining out from the joints and cracks in the pill furnace. Elder Xu suddenly leapt forward to peer into the pill furnace, within which was a one-inch-long stick of Inkspirit Incense that was completely violet. His eyes danced with elation. “Mid-grade!” he said, laughing loudly. Flicking his sleeve, he collected up all of the pill furnaces and sticks of Inkspirit Incense which had been concocted. “The final round of the test is over. Bai Xiaochun, Han Jianye, Du Lingfei, Chen Zi’ang, Zhao Yiduo, you five have all been promoted to journeyman apothecary! Bai Xiaochun, you take the top spot and... are awarded 5,000 merit points!” The crowd dissolved into wild commotion, the sound of which echoed out in all directions. “Ten successes! He got ten successes!!” “Plus, the final batch produced... a mid-grade product! He’s only a journeyman apothecary, but can already concoct mid-grade spirit medicine!!” Xu Baocai, Du Lingfei, Han Jianye, and everyone else present were completely stunned. It was somewhat grudgingly that Bai Xiaochun watched the only mid-grade spirit medicine he had ever concocted be whisked away by Elder Xu. He was of a mind to give voice to his discontent, but Elder Xu seemed too imposing, and was clearly not going to return the incense. Bai Xiaochun sighed and left the square, exhausted. As he walked through the crowd, people looked at him with excitement and admiration. Obviously, the fact that he had succeeded ten times in a row was no fluke, and was something that an ordinary disciple could never do. “Congratulations on pulling off a miracle, Elder Brother Bai! This is completely unprecedented!” “Congratulations, Elder Brother Bai, I truly admire you!” “Elder Brother Bai, I have some questions about plants and vegetation, do you think you could help a Junior Sister out....?” Bai Xiaochun blinked. He had been so engrossed in medicine concocting that he had completely tuned everything else out. After seeing what a commotion he had caused, he quickly clasped hands and bowed to the audience. At the moment, he felt nothing short of elated. Back when no one knew who the little turtle was, he had never been able to find the right opportunity to make a big debut. Now that he had, he was experiencing exactly the feeling he had hoped for. As for the female disciples who were asking for his help, Bai Xiaochun instantly nodded in agreement. Furthermore, as for all of the disciples who were calling him Elder Brother Bai, he asked them to call him Bai Xiaochun, lest people be unaware of his full name. Just as he was feeling exceptionally proud of himself, he suddenly caught sight of a young man in the crowd, glaring at him. Bai Xiaochun instantly recognized him as one of Zhou Xinqi’s devoted fans. Bai Xiaochun’s face flickered, and he quickly extricated himself from the crowd and sped off. After hurrying all the way back to his log cabin, he realized that he was feeling a bit dizzy. Having spent days concocting medicine, he was completely drained, and instantly fell asleep on his bed. He slept for two days straight. In the afternoon of the third day, he opened his eyes, feeling completely refreshed. Then, he thought back to how he had personally concocted a mid-grade spirit medicine, and how Elder Xu had then taken it away. Sighing, he took a look at his identity medallion to confirm that 5,000 merit points had been added, and then felt a little bit better. With those merit points, he could continue to work at concocting medicine, which would also help him cultivate the Undying Live Forever Technique. Next, he made a quick trip out of his residence to retrieve seven or eight medicine formulas from the sect. After picking one for vital energy replenishment, he spent some merit points to get a large quantity of medicinal plants. The entire process went quickly, but he was jumpy with fear the entire time. Wherever he went, it seemed people recognized him, and he even noticed some of Zhou Xinqi’s fans, who glared at him with cold smiles, then produced jade slips to transmit messages to their cohorts. Bai Xiaochun nervously got all the medicinal plants he needed, then headed, not to his courtyard residence, but to the Medicine Concocting Pavilion. Using the remainder of his merit points, he bought an entire year’s worth of time, and then holed up. “I was a bit careless this time.... Hmph. Just wait ‘til I come out. I'm going to make a big breakthrough in my Undying Iron Skin, and if you people mess with me.... Well, if you come at me one at a time, I’ll take you out. If you gang up... then I’ll just call for the peak lord!” Snorting coldly, he began to concoct medicine there in the workshop. He could well imagine how, during those two days in which he had slept, word of him being promoted to journeyman apothecary had spread. In fact, it wouldn’t take long before the entire Fragrant Cloud Peak was talking about it. And of course, that was exactly what happened. Furthermore, many people were already speculating that Bai Xiaochun... was the little turtle! There were too many coincidences for there to be any other explanation. Not only had he shown amazing talent with both plants and vegetation and spirit creatures, but Bai Xiaochun had concocted a mid-grade spirit medicine. He had even passed the journeyman apothecary test with ten successes in a row. Para penggemar Zhou Xinqi segera bertindak, begitu pula para penggemar Du Lingfei. Namun, tak seorang pun dari mereka menyadari betapa berhati-hatinya Bai Xiaochun, sampai-sampai ia tidak pernah kembali ke kediamannya, melainkan tinggal di Paviliun Peracikan Obat. Kemudian mereka mengetahui bahwa ia telah membeli waktu penggunaan salah satu bengkel selama setahun penuh, dan mereka langsung marah. Namun, Paviliun Peracikan Obat bukanlah tempat yang bisa mereka masuki begitu saja. Terlebih lagi, status baru Bai Xiaochun menanamkan rasa takut di hati mereka. Meskipun mereka tidak bisa berbuat apa-apa padanya, jika mereka menganiayanya untuk memberinya pelajaran, sekte itu tidak akan peduli. Lagipula, orang yang memprovokasi orang yang kemampuannya lebih tinggi akan mendapatkan balasan yang setimpal. Namun, tak ada lagi yang bisa dilakukan, sehingga kelompok yang berkumpul untuk menangkap Bai Xiaochun bubar dengan berat hati. Akan tetapi, ada satu dari mereka, seorang pemuda berwajah bopeng, yang memandang Paviliun Peracikan Obat dengan senyum dingin. “Kau pikir bersembunyi di sana akan membuatmu aman dariku? Aku tidak peduli kau memukuli sepupuku Chen Fei. Namun, kau menindas Adikku Zhou yang kusayangi, dan juga Adikku Du yang paling kusayangi. Ditambah lagi, Adikku Hou yang paling kusayangi, tidak berhenti membicarakanmu. Bai Xiaochun, kau mungkin berbakat dalam bidang tumbuhan dan vegetasi, tetapi membunuhmu sama sekali bukan masalah bagiku!” Pemuda itu tertawa dingin. Dia tak lain adalah murid Sekte Dalam yang bermarga Qian, Qian Dajin! Bai Xiaochun menghabiskan hari-harinya dengan riang di Paviliun Peracikan Obat, baik meracik obat-obatan maupun berlatih Teknik Hidup Abadi. Seiring berjalannya waktu, ia benar-benar mengalami kemajuan pesat dalam Teknik Hidup Abadi. Kulitnya menjadi lebih keras dan lebih tahan lama, dan dia bisa bergerak lebih cepat dari sebelumnya. “Dua hari lagi, dan Kulit Besi Abadi-ku akan sempurna!” Bai Xiaochun menarik napas dalam-dalam, dan matanya berbinar gembira. Namun, tepat pada malam itu saat senja, tiba-tiba seberkas cahaya hijau melesat dari Kantor Misi menuju Paviliun Obat. Cahaya itu sepenuhnya melewati perisai pelindung yang mengelilingi paviliun, dan muncul tepat di dalam bengkel Bai Xiaochun. Bai Xiaochun ternganga kaget melihat medali komando yang kini melayang di depannya! Medali komando itu berwarna hitam pekat, dan di tengahnya terdapat karakter "Keadilan," yang memancarkan aura suram dan muram. Bahkan saat Bai Xiaochun menatapnya dengan kaget, sebuah suara dingin bergema di dalam bengkel. “Murid Sekte Luar Bai Xiaochun. Setelah penyelidikan yang dilakukan oleh Balai Keadilan, telah dipastikan bahwa setelah berada di sekte selama beberapa tahun, Anda hanya menyelesaikan satu misi, yaitu membesarkan tanaman spiritual. Karena pelanggaran aturan sekte ini, Anda harus berpartisipasi dalam misi wajib di luar sekte, yang dimulai tiga hari dari sekarang!” Dari nada suara yang dingin dan menyeramkan, tampaknya jelas bahwa jika Bai Xiaochun menolak untuk patuh, dia akan menerima hukuman yang paling berat! “Aula Keadilan!” Mata Bai Xiaochun melotot, dan jantungnya mulai berdebar kencang. Pada saat yang sama, medali komando berubah menjadi cahaya hitam, lalu menghilang. Semuanya hening mencekam. Wajah Bai Xiaochun menunjukkan berbagai emosi saat ia mengeluarkan medali identitasnya. Benar saja, ia menemukan bahwa ada misi wajib yang ditambahkan. Dia benar-benar lupa tentang aturan mengenai jumlah minimum misi yang dibutuhkan murid setiap tahunnya. Namun, kedatangan medali komando secara tiba-tiba dari Balai Keadilan adalah sesuatu yang membuat Bai Xiaochun merasa sangat aneh. Setelah berpikir sejenak, dia meninggalkan bengkelnya, berjalan keluar dari Paviliun Peracikan Obat, dan menuju ke puncak gunung. “Ada yang tidak beres di sini. Mengapa aku merasa seperti angin dingin menerpa punggungku...? Yah, aku sudah berada di sekte ini selama bertahun-tahun, dan belum pernah berinisiatif untuk menemui pemimpin puncak. Sebaiknya aku pergi memberi hormat dan mencari tahu apa yang sedang terjadi.” Bai Xiaochun tenggelam dalam pikiran-pikiran penting sepanjang perjalanan mendaki gunung. Akhirnya, ia menemukan asisten Taois Li Qinghou, hanya untuk mengetahui bahwa Li Qinghou telah meninggalkan sekte selama beberapa bulan. Bai Xiaochun merasa sangat kesal dan gugup. Alih-alih kembali ke Paviliun Peracikan Obat, dia pergi mencari Xu Baocai. Lagipula, Xu Baocai tahu semua yang terjadi di sekte itu, jadi mungkin dia memiliki petunjuk tentang apa yang sedang terjadi. Xu Baocai masih seorang murid Sekte Luar, dan tinggal di bagian gunung yang berbeda dari Bai Xiaochun. Saat itu sudah malam, dan tidak banyak orang yang berkeliaran. Tak lama kemudian, Bai Xiaochun tiba di luar halaman kediaman Xu Baocai. Kediaman ini tidak terpencil seperti kediaman Bai Xiaochun, dan berkelompok dengan tujuh atau delapan kediaman lainnya. Sekarang hari sudah gelap, cahaya api terlihat bersinar dari beberapa halaman. Bai Xiaochun menundukkan kepalanya agar tidak mencolok. Alih-alih mengetuk gerbang utama, dia terbang melewati tembok, setelah itu dia melihat Xu Baocai sedang membungkuk di atas sebuah buku catatan kecil, menulis. “Xu Baocai,” bisiknya. Xu Baocai terkejut, tetapi begitu melihat siapa yang datang, dia berkata, "Oh, hai Kakak Bai." A bit confused, he rose to his feet and invited Bai Xiaochun into his room. “Elder Brother Bai, weren’t you in secluded meditation in the Medicine Concocting Pavilion?” he asked curiously. “What are you doing out here?” “Xu Baocai, what do you know about the Hall of Justice?” Bai Xiaochun asked immediately. Seeing the grim expression on Bai Xiaochun's face, Xu Baocai could tell that something was wrong, and quickly responded, “The Hall of Justice? Well, there’s a southern hall and a northern hall, who administer the two different parts of the sect. They oversee the Outer Sect disciples and servants, but usually don’t do anything unless there’s been a serious violation of sect rules. “If a violation does occur, they have a lot of power. There are all sorts of punishments they can enforce. In fact, they even have the power to execute traitors. Essentially, the Hall of Justice is like a sword hanging over the necks of the Outer Sect disciples, ensuring that none of us ever dare to violate sect rules. “If someone does, and gets noticed by the Hall of Justice, they’ll receive swift and severe punishment.... “Of course, although the Hall of Justice has a lot of power, that power is limited. As long as you don’t violate sect rules, then you don’t really have to worry about them at all.” As usual, Xu Baocai went on to give a very detailed description of the Hall of Justice to Bai Xiaochun, based on everything that he knew. He even went on to tell Bai Xiaochun the grisly fates of some of the disciples who had run afoul of the Hall of Justice. “Five hundred years ago, a traitor rose up within the Spirit Stream Sect. The Hall of Justice tracked him down for seven days before finally killing him and wiping out his soul! “Three hundred years ago, an Outer Sect disciple flagrantly violated sect rules. Although the Hall of Justice gave him a chance to repent, he ignored it. In the end, the Hall of Justice reported the matter to the sect, and the disciple was punished in the Blackwind Abyss, where to this very day, he is constantly scourged by biting winds. “A hundred years ago, the Mount Zhou Society planned an armed rebellion. Despite warnings from the Hall of Justice, they refused to back down. When they finally made their move, the Hall of Justice executed all the cultivators from the Mount Zhou Society, sparing only the mortals.” As Bai Xiaochun listened to all of this, his expression grew more unsightly than ever, and his heart began to pound. “Are you telling me that normally the Hall of Justice gives a warning first, and resorts to serious punishment only if you don’t repent?” “Yeah, exactly. That’s one of the limitations placed upon the Hall of Justice. Otherwise, they would have far too much power.” By this point, Xu Baocai had guessed that the Hall of Justice must have set their eyes on Bai Xiaochun. However, matters pertaining to the Hall of Justice were sensitive, and Xu Baocai was intelligent enough to look out for his own interests. Therefore, although he told Bai Xiaochun what he knew, he didn’t dare to get any more involved than that. In the end, just before Bai Xiaochun was about to leave, Xu Baocai hesitated for a moment as he thought about Bai Xiaochun’s skill with plants and vegetation, and then suddenly lowered his voice and asked, “Elder Brother Bai, do you happen to know an Inner Sect disciple from Green Crest Peak named... Qian Dajin? He’s Chen Fei’s older cousin, and he also happens to be a member of the Hall of Justice.” After the time it takes an incense stick to burn, Bai Xiaochun left. As he walked along the path in the sect, he looked up at the moon and thought about everything Xu Baocai had said, which only served to confirm what he had already surmised. In the end, he sighed. “I didn't offend anyone in the sect!” he thought, clenching his jaw. “Other than Chen Fei, there’s only the fans of Zhou Xinqi.... Qian Dajin. Qian Dajin!” After returning to the Medicine Concocting Pavilion, he sat down cross-legged in the workshop and looked at the pill furnace. Then his face twitched. “It’s pretty obvious that me failing to complete a sect mission every year is just an excuse. Something like that wouldn’t be noticed unless someone specifically looked into it, and even still, it isn’t a very big deal. Besides, I couldn’t possibly be the only person in the sect who has done that. Since Qian Dajin is a member of the Hall of Justice, he’s using his public office to avenge private grudges!” After more thought, Bai Xiaochun’s eyes were growing increasingly bloodshot. “If I go on this mission, he’ll definitely make sure something happens to me at some point. Why else would he go through all the trouble of setting this up? However, he would still have to be careful to make sure the sect doesn’t find out. Overall, I still have the initiative. “If I ignore the mission order, then I would be falling right into his hands. He would be able to take control of the initiative, using his status in the Hall of Justice to directly punish me!” Bai Xiaochun thought about it from many directions, but there was no perfect solution. Eventually, he took out his identity medallion and examined the mission. It only took a moment before he realized there was a familiar name in the mission description. “Hou Yunfei?” Bai Xiaochun’s eyes went wide as he thought back to when he had first become an Outer Sect disciple, and the detailed introduction to the sect Hou Yunfei had given him. Then, he closed his eyes to think more. [1] This mission didn't seem to be a difficult one. A few years ago, Hou Yunfei had accepted a mission outside of the sect, and would check back in every month with news. That was a common arrangement for disciples who took on long-term missions. However, two months ago, contact was lost, and no news had come back. Therefore, this new mission had been handed down. Three Outer Sect disciples would be sent to investigate, with no specific instructions regarding the clues they were to gather. Search missions like this were common within the sect. All the disciples had to do was investigate a bit, turn up some clues, and then come back to the sect to let someone follow up further. Furthermore, for an Outer Sect disciple to go missing wasn’t a very important matter as far as the sect was concerned. Of course, they were still disciples, so the matter had to be handled eventually. That was why missions like this existed in the first place. Bai Xiaochun thought about it further, and after weighing all the options and facts, clenched his teeth. “Fine, I’ll take the mission.” Panting, eyes bloodshot, he immediately began to concoct more medicine. If he was going to go out of the sect on a mission, then he needed to have a major breakthrough with his Undying Iron Skin. Two days later, Bai Xiaochun’s body was shaking, and his skin was vibrating. Suddenly, a wave of blackness spread out across him, which quickly vanished. However, if you looked closely, you could just barely see red streaks of light flashing across him. “The black is iron, the red is bronze!” When he pushed down on his skin, a sound like ringing metal echoed out. Next, he shot to his feet and confirmed that he was much faster than before. After a few more tests, he leaped up into the air and pinched his thumb and index finger together. There were no cracking sounds this time, but rather muffled booms. They weren’t very loud, and yet Bai Xiaochun could tell that this move of his was at least twice as powerful as before. “Breakthrough with my Undying Iron Skin!” he thought excitedly. As of this moment, he was a bit more confident regarding the mission. “It's too bad I can only concoct tier-1 spirit medicine appropriate for the fifth level of Qi Condensation and lower.” Bai Xiaochun stood there in the workshop feeling a bit disappointed. However, time was limited, and he simply couldn't produce the type of tier-2 spirit medicine appropriate for the eighth level of Qi Condensation and lower. Because of that, his cultivation base couldn't progress very much, and remained in the great circle of the sixth level of Qi Condensation. “Besok subuh aku akan meninggalkan sekte....” pikirnya cemas. Ini akan menjadi kali pertama dia benar-benar meninggalkan sekte sejak bergabung, dan dia sama sekali tidak merasa aman. Bahkan, dia mengeluarkan perisai yang didapatnya dari Chen Fei dan melakukan peningkatan spiritual tiga kali lipat padanya. Namun, itu pun tidak membuatnya merasa aman. Selanjutnya, dia melakukan peningkatan spiritual pada mantel kulit yang dikenakannya dalam kompetisi. Setelah berpikir lebih lanjut, ia keluar di tengah malam dan menemui Zhang si Gemuk Besar, untuk meminjam wajan hitam besarnya yang konon memiliki formasi mantra api bumi di dalamnya. Meskipun begitu, ia masih merasa tidak tenang. Namun, tidak ada lagi yang bisa dilakukan. Dengan wajah cemas, ia kembali, bukan ke Paviliun Peracikan Obat, tetapi ke halaman rumahnya, tempat ia menunggu matahari terbit. “Qian Dajin, tunggu saja sampai aku mencapai Tahap Pendirian Fondasi. Lalu aku akan menunjukkan beberapa hal padamu!” Bai Xiaochun lebih gugup dari sebelumnya, dan matanya benar-benar merah. Bagaimanapun, dia takut mati, dan sekarang dia bukan lagi pendatang baru di sekte itu, dia sangat memahami bagaimana dunia kultivasi bekerja. Sepanjang malam, imajinasinya melayang-layang memikirkan semua hal buruk yang bisa terjadi, hingga akhirnya... matahari terbit. 1. 1. Hou Yunfei menunjukkan Bai Xiaochun seputar sekte di bab 14 ☜ Saat fajar menyingsing, ketika sinar matahari pertama menembus langit, Bai Xiaochun merasakan liontin identitasnya bergetar. Dia berdiri di depan halaman rumahnya, menoleh ke belakang melihat tempat yang telah menjadi rumahnya selama dua tahun terakhir, dan menghela napas panjang. “Aku benar-benar harus sangat berhati-hati. Aku sama sekali tidak boleh kehilangan nyawaku yang malang ini....” Wajah Bai Xiaochun tampak sangat cemas. Ia mengenakan delapan lapis mantel kulit, dan membawa wajan hitam besar milik Zhang si Gemuk di punggungnya. Meskipun sebenarnya ia relatif kurus, berdandan seperti ini membuatnya tampak hampir bulat. Dengan ekspresi sangat serius, Bai Xiaochun meninggalkan Puncak Awan Harum dan menuju gerbang utama yang menandai perbatasan tepi selatan. Di sepanjang jalan, banyak murid yang memandanginya semuanya menatap dengan terkejut melihat penampilannya yang tidak biasa. Ia cemberut dengan sedih sepanjang waktu, dan setiap kali bertemu orang yang dikenalnya, ia hanya melambaikan tangan sebagai ucapan selamat tinggal. Tak lama kemudian ia mendekati gerbang utama, dan di sana ia melihat dua orang yang telah tiba lebih dulu. Salah satunya adalah seorang pemuda yang duduk bersila bermeditasi. Yang lainnya adalah seorang wanita muda yang mondar-mandir di depan gerbang, tetapi saat itu membelakanginya, namun tampak familiar. “Du Lingfei?” pikirnya, ekspresi terkejut muncul di wajahnya. Saat itulah Du Lingfei juga melihatnya, dan rahangnya ternganga. Kemudian dia memperhatikan apa yang dikenakannya, dan alisnya berkerut. “Kau orang terakhir di tim yang akan menyelidiki keberadaan Kakak Hou?” tanyanya. “Ya, kebetulan sekali....” jawabnya sambil terbatuk kering. Kemudian dia mengalihkan pandangannya dari Du Lingfei ke arah pemuda itu. Meskipun wajahnya tanpa ekspresi, aura pembunuh terpancar darinya, dan begitu Bai Xiaochun menoleh ke arahnya, dia membuka matanya dan balas menatap, dengan senyum setengah misterius di wajahnya. Jantung Bai Xiaochun berdebar kencang. Setelah menganalisis masalah tersebut, dia sampai pada kesimpulan bahwa cara termudah bagi Qian Dajin untuk melakukan sesuatu padanya adalah dengan menempatkan seorang teman di dalam kelompok misi. Kemudian, setelah mereka semua meninggalkan sekte, teman itu dapat menyerangnya secara diam-diam. Saat itu, ia merasa Du Lingfei dan pemuda itu sama-sama patut dicurigai. Namun, ia bersikap tenang dan bahkan tersenyum lebar kepada pemuda itu. “Bai Xiaochun siap melayani Anda,” katanya. “Kakak, Anda siapa…?” Pemuda itu membalas senyumannya dan menjawab, “Feng Yan dari Puncak Green Crest.” Bai Xiaochun dengan cepat menyatukan kedua tangannya sebagai tanda hormat. “Oh, Kakak Feng, seharusnya aku sudah tahu itu kau. Sekilas, kau jelas-jelas individu yang luar biasa. Ini misi pertamaku di luar sekte, jadi aku sangat berharap kau bisa menunjukkan padaku bagaimana caranya, Kakak Feng.” Hanya butuh sesaat bagi Bai Xiaochun untuk menilai bahwa tingkat kultivasi Feng Yan berada di level ketujuh Kondensasi Qi. “No problem. You flatter me.” A flicker of scorn passed through Feng Yan’s eyes. The only reason he’d agreed to take the mission was that Inner Sect disciple Qian Dajin had promised him a lucrative reward to secretly kill Bai Xiaochun. As far as he was concerned, that wouldn't be difficult at all. All he had to do was be careful and make it look like an accident; Bai Xiaochun was as good as dead. The only thing he had to be careful about was to make sure that Du Lingfei didn’t see. Of course, he was mostly convinced that Du Lingfei had taken the mission for the same reason he had, because of Qian Dajin. As for Du Lingfei, she was currently frowning. She had never imagined that accepting a mission outside the sect would result in her being stuck with one of the people she despised the most. After all, no one had forced her to take this mission; she had selected it on her own. Although there might be some danger associated with it, it was a relatively simple mission with a hefty reward of merit points. She had been stuck in the great circle of the fifth level of Qi Condensation for some time now, and needed some Cloudsoaring Incense to break through, which of course required merit points. As soon as she thought about Cloudsoaring Incense, her revulsion for Bai Xiaochun stirred. “The lily-livered rat!” she thought, glaring at Bai Xiaochun in disgust. She especially despised his sphere-like appearance with all the clothes and the black wok, which made it more obvious than ever that he feared death. Snorting coldly, she completely ignored Bai Xiaochun and turned toward Feng Yan to clasp hands and bow. “Elder Brother Feng, now that we're all here, please produce the windskiff. The sooner we get this mission done, the sooner we can come back.” Feng Yan gave a slight smile, then slapped his bag of holding, causing a white beam of light to fly out. A blast of wind could be felt as the beam transformed into a small white ship, about six meters long. Fluctuations of spiritual power emanated off of the ship, transforming into an extraordinary pressure. Bai Xiaochun looked it over and immediately blurted, “Elder Brother Feng, what’s that?” This was his first time seeing anything like this. As the ship hovered there in midair, it was obvious that it was some type of vehicle. Even as Du Lingfei’s eyes flickered with scorn, Feng Yan smiled. “This is a windskiff. When missions require us to go some distance away from the sect, we can rent ships like this from the sect to make things easier. We can save some of our own spiritual power, at the cost of some spirit stones.” With that, he leaped up into the air and settled down into the ship. Du Lingfei quickly followed, as did Bai Xiaochun. The ship wasn't very big, and was somewhat cramped, but there was still plenty of room for the three of them. Bai Xiaochun sat down in the very back and began to study ship even more closely. The more he looked at it, the more he realized that it truly was an incredible item. “One of these days,” he murmured, “I’m going to get one of these for myself.” Seeing Bai Xiaochun looking like a complete country bumpkin, Du Lingfei couldn’t hold back from sarcastically remarking, “Even if you sold yourself into slavery you couldn't afford one!” Bai Xiaochun looked over at Du Lingfei, measured her up, then nodded. “True. But if I sold you, I could definitely afford one.” “YOU!” Du Lingfei’s phoenix-like eyes went wide, and she was just about to say something more when Feng Yan sent the windskiff flying off into the distance in a beam of prismatic light. As they sped along at top speed, whistling through the air, a shield sprang up around the ship, creating a barrier against the wind. Although they could hear the wind buffeting the shield, the inside of the ship was very calm. Meanwhile, back on Fragrant Cloud Peak, in the Journeyman Apothecary Hall, Elder Xu, who had been in charge of the promotion test, was looking at a jade slip and frowning slightly. “The Hall of Justice circumvented Fragrant Cloud Peak to force Bai Xiaochun into accepting an outside mission?” After examining the jade slip a bit further, his frown faded away. After examining the details of the mission, he realized that although there might be some danger involved, it was nothing deadly. Then he thought about what Li Qinghou had mentioned about Bai Xiaochun’s personality. “If the kid’s a bit lazy, then some punishment isn’t uncalled for.” Finally, he put the jade slip down and continued to concoct medicine. At the same time, Qian Dajin stood outside his immortal’s cave in the Inner Sect, watching the ship flying off into the distance, and a cold smile appeared on his face. “With Feng Yan’s cultivation base, secretly killing Bai Xiaochun should be as easy as flipping over his hand. Bai Xiaochun... you might have exceptional skill with plants and vegetation, but unfortunately, you’ll never have a chance to do anything with it. You’re dead!” A sinister gleam appeared deep within Qian Dajin’s eyes. Smiling, he turned and headed back into his immortal’s cave. The azure sky stretched out in all directions. Bai Xiaochun sat there on the ship, feeling somewhat nervous, but at the same time looking out excitedly as the scenery changed. Off in the distance he saw numerous mountain peaks that looked like swords sticking up into the sky, part of a mountain range that looked like a slumbering dragon. There was also... a massive, shocking river! “The Heavenspan River....” he said, taking a deep breath. After becoming an Outer Sect disciple, he had done a lot of research, and had learned that the entire cultivation world relied on the Heavenspan River. It was actually the source of all spiritual energy. That was why all of the sects were located in areas near it. Furthermore, the further you went into the Upper Reaches of the river, the stronger the spiritual energy was. Although the Spirit Stream Sect was technically in the Lower Reaches, even that position had allowed them to stand strong and tall for ten thousand years. According to what Bai Xiaochun had read, the Spirit Stream Sect hadn’t always existed in its current position. It had previously been located in the delta region. But then an extraordinary patriarch had appeared among the countless sects and cultivator clans there. After distinguishing himself in intense fighting, he gained the approval of a higher ranking sect, and thus earned the qualifications to establish his own sect in the Lower Reaches. “Supposedly, the sects in the Upper Reaches of the Heavenspan River are so powerful that the Spirit Stream Sect can’t even compare to them. Furthermore, according to the legends... there are even more terrifying sects at the source of the river.” Bai Xiaochun forced himself to calm down, and reminded himself that he needed to be extra careful in this mission. Off in the distance, the Heavenspan River looked golden, almost like a huge churning sea. Furthermore, hugging the river were four towering mountain peaks. “That must be the north bank of the Spirit Stream Sect,” Bai Xiaochun thought. Also visible was the main peak of the Spirit Stream Sect, which arched over the Heavenspan River like a huge bridge! “Mount Daoseed!” Bai Xiaochun had actually seen all of this when Li Qinghou had first brought him to the Spirit Stream Sect. However, at that time he had been a mere mortal. Now that he was an Outer Sect disciple, he got a completely different feeling when looking at it. The ship shot away from the sect at top speed, following the rippling water beneath as they headed deeper into the Lower Reaches. “Junior Sister Du, Junior Brother Bai, I presume both of you have already examined the details of the mission,” Feng Yan said coolly, his voice so light that it was almost hard to hear. “We're heading to an area in the Lower Reaches of the Heavenspan River called the Fallenstar Mountains. Junior Brother Hou’s last message came from that area. The Fallenstar Mountains mark the boundary of the Spirit Stream Sect’s sphere of influence. The rest of the mountains count as the territory of the Blood Stream Sect. “We might find ourselves in some danger on this mission. However, by preparing ourselves mentally, and also being as cautious as possible, we will likely avoid any major problems. “However, our final destination is quite a distance away, and will take quite a few spirit stones to get there. Most of our time on this mission will be spent traveling, but with our windskiff, we will be able to bypass some of the more difficult terrain.” With that, a cold gleam flickered in his eyes before he closed them in meditation. Du Lingfei ignored Bai Xiaochun and began to perform breathing exercises. Bai Xiaochun felt more vigilant than ever. Despite also sitting cross-legged and closing his eyes, he was really pondering which among these two had been sent by Qian Dajin. “Sepertinya bukan Du Lingfei,” pikirnya. “Artinya... ada kemungkinan delapan puluh hingga sembilan puluh persen bahwa itu Feng Yan!” Sehari kemudian, ketika batu spiritual pertama telah habis sepenuhnya, Feng Yan menyimpan perahu angin itu, dan mereka bertiga berdiri di puncak gunung di bawah langit senja, menyaksikan matahari perlahan terbenam di cakrawala. Tak lama kemudian, kegelapan menyelimuti daratan. Di kaki gunung, hutan lebat bergema dengan raungan hewan dan binatang buas. Udaranya sangat lembap. “Setelah kita melewati hutan ini, kita bisa beristirahat,” kata Feng Yan dengan tenang. “Bagaimana menurut kalian berdua?” Dia menatap Du Lingfei dan Bai Xiaochun. “Gelap sekali,” kata Bai Xiaochun. “Hutan itu mungkin dihuni binatang buas yang berbahaya; kenapa kita tidak terbang di atasnya saja dengan perahu angin?” “Beristirahatlah sendiri jika kau mau,” kata Du Lingfei sambil mendengus dingin. “Itu hanya beberapa pohon.” Tanpa menyembunyikan rasa jijiknya terhadap ketakutan Bai Xiaochun akan kematian, dia bergerak cepat, langsung menuju hutan. Secercah rasa jijik muncul di mata Feng Yan, tetapi dia tetap tersenyum lalu melesat menuruni gunung. Bai Xiaochun mengerutkan kening saat melihat keduanya pergi. Akhirnya dia menghela napas, dan mengikuti mereka menuruni gunung menuju hutan, dengan kewaspadaan yang lebih tinggi dari sebelumnya. Kelembapan meningkat saat mereka memasuki hutan, dan bahkan ada beberapa tempat yang berupa rawa atau lahan gambut. Hewan-hewan muncul sesekali, tetapi mereka bertiga adalah kultivator Pengembunan Qi. Mereka sama sekali tidak memperlambat langkah mereka saat melanjutkan perjalanan, secara bertahap menapaki jalan mereka semakin dalam ke dalam hutan. Waktu berlalu. Akhirnya, malam semakin gelap. Saat bulan terbit, mereka sudah berada sekitar setengah perjalanan menuju sisi lain. Sejauh ini mereka belum bertemu dengan binatang buas. Perjalanan berjalan sangat lancar. Bai Xiaochun berada di posisi belakang, dan bahkan suara atau gerakan sekecil apa pun akan membuatnya melompat ketakutan. Rasa jijik Du Lingfei semakin kuat. “Awas!” Bai Xiaochun tiba-tiba berseru, berhenti di tempat dengan ekspresi sangat gelisah di wajahnya. Du Lingfei tertawa dingin, dan baru saja akan mengatakan sesuatu yang sarkastik ketika tiba-tiba, angin kencang menerpa mereka, disertai bau yang menyengat. Wajah Du Lingfei berkedut, dan dia melihat ke dalam hutan untuk melihat banyak sekali mata yang menatap balik. Warnanya merah terang, dan hampir pada saat yang bersamaan ketika dia melihatnya, terdengar suara kepakan sayap. Banyak kelelawar muncul, masing-masing seukuran telapak tangan, terbang ke arah mereka. “Kelelawar berkepala dua!” seru Feng Yan. “Racun mereka mengeringkan darah dan menutup tenggorokan! Mereka berpencar dan bertemu di puncak gunung di seberang hutan.” Wajahnya meringis, Feng Yan langsung bergerak, melesat dengan kecepatan tinggi. Pupil mata Du Lingfei menyempit, dan dia melambaikan tangannya di depannya, melemparkan jimat kertas. Saat terbakar, cahaya biru menyebar, melindunginya dengan perisai dan juga meningkatkan kecepatannya. Dia memilih arah lain dan melesat pergi. Melihat ke belakang saat pergi, dia terkejut mendapati Bai Xiaochun sudah lama menghilang. Bai Xiaochun had begun fleeing as soon as the wind kicked up. Of course, Bai Xiaochun was very careful and perceptive, and was extremely attuned to danger. Even as he fled, the bats approached, causing a droning sound to fill the air. They quickly split up into three groups, which began to pursue the three disciples. A cold smile appeared on Feng Yan’s face as he sped through the jungle, and he quickly put away the stick of incense that he had just been holding. That stick of incense was what had attracted the bats, and was also why he had chosen to pass through this jungle on the way to their mission. He had sensed that this would be a likely location to contain two-headed bats. “The weakest of them are at the third level of Qi Condensation. Bai Xiaochun, don’t blame me that someone wants you dead.” Laughing coldly, he slapped his bag of holding to produce a wooden stick. After blowing a breath of air onto the stick, it ignited with black flames that caused the bats to let out piercing shrieks. Apparently, they hated those flames, and thus instantly dispersed. Feng Yan smiled and then continued onward, feeling much more at ease. As for Bai Xiaochun, he was speeding along through the jungle being pursued by numerous bats. However, the bats couldn’t match his speed, and before long, there was quite a distance between the two of them. Occasionally, a beam of sword light would flash out, and a bat would scream and fall out of the air. Bai Xiaochun ran along, and after enough time had passed for an incense stick to burn, he looked over his shoulder and frowned. “It sure was strange for all those bats to suddenly show up,” he thought. He walked back a bit and found one of the bats he had killed with a flying sword, and after examining it closely, his eyes gleamed. “These aren’t ordinary two-headed bats, they’re violetvein bats! They’re just as venomous, but they’re different from common two-headed bats in that their fangs are the main ingredient for the tier-2 spirit medicine Bloodburning Incense! “Back in the sect, you can sell fangs like this for fifty merit points apiece.” Bai Xiaochun was immediately delighted. Not very many people would recognize that these bats were actually listed in the fifth volume of spirit creatures. Feeling very excited, he began to collect the corpses of the bats. It didn’t take long before he had ten bats, from which he began to extract the fangs. “These bats aren’t that strong after all....” he said, chuckling. Soon, a shield sprang up around him, and he began to search through the jungle. Before long, an entire group of violetvein bats was flying toward him. He quickly performed an incantation gesture with his right hand, sending a flying sword bursting out toward the bats. Its speed was incredible, and before they could even get close to him, miserable shrieks filled the air, and numerous bats began to fall to the ground. The few that made it past the sword slammed into his shield and were sent spinning away. Bai Xiaochun collected the dead bats. Realizing that he was actually in no danger, he felt more at ease than ever. Puffing his chest out proudly, he continued to search through the jungle. It was in that fashion that he made his way along, collecting more and more fangs.... Four hours later, Feng Yan made his way out of the jungle to the appointed meeting spot on the mountain peak. There, he sat down cross-legged, a slight smile on his face as he waited. Another two hours passed, and Du Lingfei shot out from the trees, looking very bedraggled. As she sped up the mountain, she looked back anxiously at the dark jungle. Eventually, she reached Feng Yan, and realized that Bai Xiaochun was nowhere to be seen. “Bai Xiaochun hasn’t come out yet?” she asked. Feng Yan sighed and shook his head. “I wish Junior Brother Bai all the best. Unfortunately, two-headed bats are most active at night. If we go back in looking for him, we would be in a lot of danger.” In order to make things look even more realistic, he didn't rest, but instead craned his neck anxiously toward the jungle, as if he were waiting for Bai Xiaochun to appear. Du Lingfei maintained her silence. Although she hated Bai Xiaochun, she didn’t hate him so much that she wished him dead. After all, they were fellow members of the same sect. Finally, she sat down cross-legged and looked down at the jungle, sighing. Time passed, and soon it was almost dawn. After waiting through the entire night without seeing Bai Xiaochun, Du Lingfei was getting a very uneasy feeling. Feng Yan rose to his feet. After having stayed up the entire night, his eyes were bloodshot as he looked dejectedly toward the jungle. “If he hasn’t appeared by now, I'm afraid it means that Bai Xiaochun... has met with disaster. It's all my fault. If I hadn’t suggested to go through the jungle, Junior Brother Bai wouldn’t have... ai.” “Elder Brother Feng, don’t blame yourself,” Du Lingfei said. “Who would ever have thought that there would be two-headed bats in this place? Maybe Bai Xiaochun isn't dead yet. Besides, if he is dead, then as fellow disciples, we should go retrieve his corpse!” She was unsure of exactly what sort of emotions she was experiencing, which was a very strange sensation. Although Bai Xiaochun annoyed her, she somehow felt disturbed. After all, there was no deep grudge between the two of them. Feng Yan sighed and nodded seriously. “You’re right, Junior Sister Du. No matter what has happened, we can’t give up on him.” With that, the two of them prepared to head back down the mountain to begin the search. However, it was only a moment later that they caught sight of Bai Xiaochun strolling out from within the trees, yawning. As soon as he was out of the jungle itself, he stretched lazily. Du Lingfei’s eyes went wide, and Feng Yan almost couldn’t believe what he was seeing as Bai Xiaochun casually began to walk up the mountain path. He almost looked like he had just woken up from a good night’s sleep. He seemed excited and energetic, as opposed to Feng Yan and Du Lingfei, who were weary from a night without rest. Soon, Bai Xiaochun was at the top of the mountain. When he caught sight of Feng Yan and Du Lingfei, he hurried over and called out, “Good morning! Elder Brother Feng, Elder Sister Du, that jungle is way too scary! I almost lost my little life.” Bai Xiaochun truly had rested well that night. After clearing the entire jungle of bats, not only had he profited handsomely, he'd found the bats’ cave, where he had experienced wonderful night of sleep. An unsightly expression could be seen on Du Lingfei’s face as she glared at Bai Xiaochun. Snorting coldly, she thought back to the complicated feelings she had felt, and suddenly felt even more annoyed with Bai Xiaochun. A cold glitter passed through Feng Yan’s eyes, although his expression was one of joy. “Junior Brother Bai! I'm so glad to see you safe. We worried about you the entire night.” Bai Xiaochun chuckled, and although his expression seemed normal, deep within his eyes, a cold gleam flickered. Soon, the three of them were on their way again, seated in the ship. Considering what had just happened, Bai Xiaochun suggested that they fly on the ship at night and proceed along on foot during the day. In rare fashion, Du Lingfei agreed, and as for Feng Yan, after a moment of thought, he nodded. Thus, they proceeded along down the Heavenspan River as they headed through the Lower Reaches. A month passed. This was the farthest Bai Xiaochun had ever traveled in his entire life. He saw numerous mountains and jungles, places where there was no sign of human habitation at all, and everything was like a huge wilderness. At one point in their travels, the ground began to quake, and Bai Xiaochun looked off into the distant mountains to see something completely astonishing. It was an enormous giant covered in thick fur, which caused the ground to shudder with each step it took. The sight of the giant caused Bai Xiaochun to gasp. One night when they were flying along, lightning crashed off in the distance, and Bai Xiaochun saw... an enormous bird that was just as large as Fragrant Cloud Peak. As it whistled along through the air, countless bolts of lightning danced across its body. The mere sight of such a creature flying along in the middle of the night was completely astonishing. The most memorable thing Bai Xiaochun saw was during the daytime when he caught sight of a beast on the south bank of the river. It had four stumpy legs, and a head as huge as a mountain. Suddenly, a huge 30,000-meter golden crocodile burst out from within the Heavenspan River and gobbled up the first creature. As the crocodile sank back down into the water, it cast a cold glance at Bai Xiaochun and the others. Sekilas pandang itu membuat pikiran mereka kacau, dan darah mengalir dari sudut mulut mereka. Rasa sakit yang menus excruciating menusuk mata mereka, dan butuh waktu lama bagi mereka untuk pulih. Bai Xiaochun menggigil lalu bergumam, “Mengerikan. Suasana di luar sangat menakutkan!” Meskipun Feng Yan telah melakukan banyak misi di luar sekte, ini adalah pertama kalinya dia melakukan perjalanan sejauh ini. Bahkan kulit kepalanya pun terasa kebas setelah kejadian itu, apalagi Du Lingfei, yang sampai membeku. Untungnya, tak satu pun dari makhluk-makhluk yang sangat kuat yang mereka temui menunjukkan minat untuk menyerang mereka. Paling-paling, mereka hanya akan melihat dengan rasa ingin tahu. Rupanya, aura yang dipancarkan oleh kelompok bertiga itu menyebabkan makhluk-makhluk tersebut menjauh dari mereka. Bai Xiaochun merasa bahwa itu karena mereka adalah murid Sekte Aliran Roh. Meskipun daerah ini jauh dari sekte, namun masih berada dalam lingkup pengaruh mereka. Meskipun diliputi rasa takut, kelompok itu terus melanjutkan perjalanan. Setelah bulan pertama perjalanan, mereka berhasil menghubungi sekte tersebut pada hari yang telah ditentukan, dan memberitahukan lokasi mereka saat itu. Hal yang sama terjadi setelah bulan kedua. Sekitar waktu itulah mereka mencapai daerah di Pegunungan Fallenstar yang merupakan perbatasan wilayah Sekte Aliran Roh. Di sepanjang perjalanan, Feng Yan sempat mempertimbangkan untuk melakukan serangan rahasia terhadap Bai Xiaochun, tetapi hal-hal yang dilihatnya sepanjang perjalanan membuatnya gelisah. Dia tidak ingin bertarung, dan ditambah lagi dengan betapa berhati-hatinya Bai Xiaochun, dan betapa dekatnya dia dengan Du Lingfei, Feng Yan menjadi terlalu khawatir dan tidak menemukan kesempatan untuk bergerak. Pada akhirnya, dia terpaksa hanya menunggu waktu yang tepat. Saat Feng Yan menatap Bai Xiaochun, kilatan kesuraman yang tak terlihat dapat terlihat di matanya. “Jadi, dia benar-benar bertekad untuk membunuhku, ya....” pikir Bai Xiaochun, matanya menyipit. “Sangat membenciku....” Bai Xiaochun mulai khawatir. Dia adalah orang yang jeli, dan sekarang sangat yakin dengan apa yang terjadi di dalam pikiran Feng Yan. Pegunungan Fallenstar membentuk rangkaian pegunungan yang membentang dari utara ke selatan. Pegunungan itu tampak tak berujung, seperti naga raksasa yang tertidur dan membelah daratan. Bahkan, langit di atas pegunungan pun tampak berbeda, seolah-olah ternoda oleh darah. Menurut legenda, bertahun-tahun yang lalu, sebuah bintang jatuh dari langit dan menghantam bumi, menyebabkan sebagian tanah runtuh, dan bagian lainnya terangkat membentuk rangkaian pegunungan ini. Pegunungan itu ditutupi hutan lebat dan dipenuhi binatang buas. Namun, banyak jenis tumbuhan dan vegetasi langka dapat ditemukan di sana. Karena itu, selalu ada para petani yang bersedia masuk dan menantang bahaya, betapapun menakutkannya hal itu. “Ini adalah Pegunungan Bintang Jatuh,” kata Du Lingfei. Perjalanan panjang telah membuatnya kelelahan, jadi melihat tujuan akhir mereka setelah sekian lama membuatnya menghela napas lega. “Pesan terakhir yang dikirim ke sekte oleh Adik Muda Hou berasal dari daerah ini,” kata Feng Yan, sambil mengeluarkan sebuah alat magis dari tasnya: kompas Feng Shui . Kompas Feng Shui itu memiliki jarum perak yang saat ini berputar-putar dalam lingkaran. “According to sect rules, disciples on outside missions are supposed to notify the sect of their location every month. This Spirit Stream Compass should help us locate Junior Brother Hou’s last known position.” Even as he spoke, the silver needle on the Feng Shui compass suddenly pointed off in one particular direction. “Got it!” Feng Yan said, flashing into motion. Du Lingfei’s expression flickered as she followed along behind him. Bai Xiaochun looked out over the Fallenstar Mountains, and the thick vegetation which covered them. It was like a sea of plants, within which could be heard the cries of various beasts. Even the occasional roar echoed out. Bai Xiaochun had a very serious expression on his face as he activated the shield from his jade pendant. With that in place, not even the slightest breeze would get past him unnoticed. Only then did he cautiously follow after Feng Yan. Feng Yan and Du Lingfei proceeded along without pausing for a moment, speeding along through the Fallenstar Mountains until they found themselves deep in a valley. The valley was filled with trees that had been growing together for so many years that their branches were all interlocked. The knotted and gnarled bark added to the effect; if it were nighttime, the entire scene would be extremely terrifying. After proceeding along through the valley for two hours, they suddenly came to a stop. Feng Yan looked down at the Feng Shui compass, the needle of which was pointing toward a tree with a trunk so wide that ten people could circle around it with arms extended. Feng Yan looked at Bai Xiaochun and then pointed toward the huge tree. “Junior Brother Bai, please go investigate.” Bai Xiaochun hesitated for a moment, then looked the tree over. Seeing nothing initially suspicious, he tapped the jade pendant hanging at his waist, causing the green shield to grow a bit stronger. He also placed some paper talismans onto his body before finally edging closer. “So afraid of dying, and yet you still want to practice cultivation?!” Du Lingfei gave a cold harrumph. She have never liked Bai Xiaochun, so even though she herself was afraid of the dangers they had witnessed, to see him so incredibly terrified of dying made her look down on him even more. Bai Xiaochun didn’t have the time to worry about Du Lingfei. Cautiously approaching the tree, he noticed a portion of bark that seemed to have grown recently. Taking out a flying sword, he cut away that portion of the tree and found that a jade slip was hidden inside. After removing the jade slip from the tree, Bai Xiaochun scanned it with divine sense, whereupon his expression flickered, and he tossed the slip over to Feng Yan. Within that jade slip was a single fragment of information. I found some other clues, and I’m going to the Luochen Clan to get proof.... After looking at it for a moment, Feng Yan frowned, and then handed the jade slip to Du Lingfei. Du Lingfei looked at it, whereupon her expression turned grim. “The Luochen Clan....” she murmured after a long moment. Then she turned to stare deeper into the Fallenstar Mountains. These mountains were very large, and filled with numerous natural resources. Considering that this place was on the very edge of Spirit Stream Sect territory, where it bordered with the territory of the Blood Stream Sect, it was only natural that the Spirit Stream Sect would have the area guarded. Those guards were none other than... the Luochen Clan. The Luochen Clan was a relatively large clan, which had stood guard in the Fallenstar Mountains for a thousand years. Every generation of the clan had Foundation Establishment patriarchs. Generally speaking, the mere threat posed by such people was more than enough to help them in their duties of guardianship. In fact, the mission instructions even said to make contact with the Luochen Clan if they ran into any danger. However, Hou Yunfei’s jade slip seemed to indicate that the Luochen Clan... was where he had been heading to find some sort of evidence. After that was when he lost contact. “What do you guys think?” Feng Yan asked. “Should we go check out the Luochen Clan?” Feng Yan glanced over casually at Bai Xiaochun and Du Lingfei. Bai Xiaochun immediately said, “Elder Brother Feng, Elder Sister Du, having found this jade slip, our mission is complete.... We should put safety first. What’s the point in going on?” This entire place made Bai Xiaochun feel as if an invisible pressure was weighing down on him. Du Lingfei hesitated for a moment. If they went back now, they would only be able to acquire the minimum amount of merit points. However, if they investigated further, they might be able to get more. Feng Yan could see that Du Lingfei was hesitating, and he frowned, thinking about how going back now might reduce the chances he had to kill Bai Xiaochun. After a moment, he said, “I think we should go to the Luochen Clan and look around. We've come all the way here, how could we simply go back now? After we find out exactly what befell Junior Brother Hou, we might even be able to get help from the Luochen Clan in finding him. If we do, we’ll be rewarded with many more merit points. “Furthermore... as long as we don’t go into the depths of the Fallenstar Mountains, we should be relatively safe. Besides, if you’re worried about the Luochen Clan, don’t forget that all of the cultivator clans in Spirit Stream Sect territory have special seals placed into their blood, making it impossible for them to turn traitor. How could they possibly treat us with any disrespect?” After he finished speaking, Feng Yan looked over slowly at Du Lingfei. She nodded. After all, what he said made sense. “Very well. We’ll go to the Luochen Clan to look around. Who knows, maybe Junior Brother Hou left the Luochen Clan, and then went missing.” Seeing that she had agreed, Feng Yan smiled. Then he turned to look at Bai Xiaochun, and his gaze grew a bit colder. Sambil mengerutkan kening, Bai Xiaochun bertanya: “Kita sudah menyelesaikan misi, mengapa kita harus terlibat dalam masalah sampingan?” “Jika kau begitu takut, lebih baik jangan ikut dengan kami,” kata Du Lingfei sambil memalingkan muka dari Bai Xiaochun saat ia pergi. “Adik Bai,” kata Feng Yan, “Saya bertanggung jawab untuk mengevaluasi kinerja kita dalam tugas ini. Kita seharusnya mengambil keputusan secara bulat. Jika kau tidak ikut bersama kami, akan sulit bagi saya untuk membuat evaluasi.” Dengan senyum penuh teka-teki, ia mulai mengikuti Du Lingfei. Menurutnya, Bai Xiaochun pasti akan ikut. Jika tidak, Du Lingfei akan dapat membuktikan bahwa ia telah melakukan kelalaian tugas. Jika itu terjadi, Balai Keadilan pasti tidak akan membiarkan hal itu begitu saja. Wajah Bai Xiaochun memerah, dan darahnya mulai bergejolak di pembuluh darahnya saat dia menatap Feng Yan yang berjalan pergi dengan mata merah. Dia mungkin takut mati, tetapi pada titik ini, dia sampai pada kesimpulan bahwa dia perlu mengambil kendali situasi. Hanya dengan menyelesaikan masalah dengan Feng Yan dia dapat memastikan bahwa posisinya sendiri stabil. “Feng Yan, kau memaksaku!” pikirnya. Setelah berdiri di sana dengan ragu-ragu selama beberapa saat, dia menundukkan kepalanya sejenak, lalu melangkah maju untuk mengikuti Du Lingfei dan Feng Yan. Tak lama kemudian, mereka menghilang ke dalam hutan. Empat jam kemudian, mereka masih bergegas. Malam mulai menjelang, dan matahari terbenam, memastikan bahwa hutan perlahan-lahan menjadi semakin gelap. “Kita sudah sampai!” seru Feng Yan tiba-tiba. Mereka bertiga berhenti berjalan dan memandang ke arah hutan. Di depan, pepohonan semakin jarang, dan banyak bongkahan batu kapur terlihat menonjol dari tanah. Terlihat banyak rumah berhalaman, yang tersusun membentuk bangunan besar seperti sebuah rumah besar yang tampaknya dapat menampung ratusan orang. Pada waktu senja seperti ini, sebuah klan biasanya sangat aktif, tetapi secara tak terduga, rumah besar itu benar-benar gelap dan sunyi. Mengingat gelapnya langit, seluruh tempat itu tampak hampir seperti tempat yang ditinggalkan. Satu-satunya penerangan berasal dari dua lentera yang tergantung di gerbang utama. Meskipun tidak ada angin, kedua lentera itu bergoyang maju mundur, memancarkan bayangan yang berkedip-kedip ke patung singa batu penjaga di bawahnya. Pemandangan itu membuat wajah Feng Yan dan Du Lingfei berkedut. Adapun Bai Xiaochun, begitu ia melihat rumah besar itu, perasaan bahaya yang mengancam langsung muncul di hatinya. Rasanya setiap inci daging di tubuhnya ingin berteriak. “Ada yang aneh tentang--” kata Feng Yan, jantungnya berdebar kencang. Namun, sebelum dia selesai berbicara, gerbang utama terbuka dengan keras, dan angin jahat berhembus keluar. Pada saat yang sama, sesosok muncul tanpa suara melalui gerbang. Gerbang halaman terbuka, dan Du Lingfei, Feng Yan, serta Bai Xiaochun benar-benar waspada sambil mengintip ke dalam. Bai Xiaochun sangat gugup sehingga ia mulai menempelkan jimat kertas ke seluruh tubuhnya. Sosok yang baru saja muncul itu memegang lentera di tangannya, dan berdiri di gerbang yang terbuka, diselimuti bayangan sambil menatap mereka bertiga. “Boleh saya bertanya, mengapa kalian bertiga datang ke Klan Luochen pada malam yang gelap ini?” Cahaya lentera yang berkelap-kelip itu hanya sedikit menampakkan seorang pemuda yang berdiri di sana menatap mereka dengan tenang. Ia mengenakan jubah hijau panjang, dan wajahnya pucat tanpa sedikit pun warna darah. Setelah menyadari bahwa yang muncul adalah seseorang, Feng Yan dan Du Lingfei menghela napas lega. Entah bagaimana, perasaan menyeramkan yang mereka alami beberapa saat lalu sedikit mereda. Feng Yan menyatukan kedua tangannya dan berkata, “Halo, Sesama Taois. Kami adalah murid Sekte Aliran Roh, berkunjung untuk mengajukan beberapa pertanyaan.” Pada saat itu, Du Lingfei telah memperhatikan banyaknya perisai yang berkelap-kelip di sekitar Bai Xiaochun, dan alisnya berkerut sebagai respons. Bai Xiaochun tidak memperhatikan tatapan Du Lingfei. Entah mengapa, kemunculan seorang pemuda sama sekali tidak mengurangi perasaan bahaya yang mencekam yang dirasakannya. “Ah, sesama Taois dari Sekte Aliran Roh,” kata pemuda itu. “Silakan masuk, dan kita bisa membahas berbagai hal....” Cahaya lentera yang berkelap-kelip menaungi wajah pemuda itu, sehingga sulit untuk melihatnya dengan jelas saat ia berbalik dan berjalan pergi. Gerbang halaman kemudian terbuka lebar untuk memungkinkan ketiga murid itu masuk. Feng Yan ragu sejenak, lalu berjalan melewati gerbang. Du Lingfei mengikutinya dari belakang. Adapun Bai Xiaochun, ia melihat sekeliling sejenak sebelum menggertakkan giginya dan dengan hati-hati memasuki halaman. Bahkan saat gerbang besar itu tertutup di belakang mereka, kedua singa batu di bawah lentera di luar tiba-tiba menoleh ke arah gerbang, mata mereka berkedip-kedip dengan cahaya berwarna merah darah. Di dalam halaman terdapat jalan setapak dari batu kapur hijau yang berkelok-kelok melewati berbagai tanaman dan bebatuan hias. Cahaya bulan yang redup menyinari, membuat semuanya tampak sebagian gelap. Satu-satunya cahaya berasal dari lentera, yang bergoyang-goyang di tangan pemuda itu. Mereka berempat berjalan menyusuri jalan setapak, dikelilingi oleh keheningan yang suram. Tempat ini hampir tampak seperti dunia yang berbeda dari dunia di balik gerbang. Di sisi kanan jalan setapak terdapat beberapa pohon buah-buahan yang sarat dengan buah merah. Anehnya, meskipun tidak ada angin sepoi-sepoi di dalam halaman, dedaunan di pohon-pohon itu tiba-tiba berdesir. Du Lingfei dan Feng Yan tampak lebih waspada dari sebelumnya, dan Bai Xiaochun, yang berada di barisan paling belakang, melihat sekeliling dengan hati-hati ke segala arah. Entah mengapa, gemerisik pepohonan buah itu tampak sangat aneh. Lambat laun, tercium aroma seperti darah segar, samar, namun sekaligus jelas. Bai Xiaochun’s heart began to thump, and he was just about to say something when, all of a sudden, fruit began to fall off of the fruit trees, landing on the ground and rolling toward Bai Xiaochun and the others. Strangely, faces could be seen on the fruit, child-like faces with broad smiles that almost seemed to have been painted on. “La la la! Hello!” Arms and legs sprouted out of the fruit, and as they ran toward Bai Xiaochun and the others, they clasped hands and then began to skip in circles around the shocked group of three. At the same time, the fruits began to cry out in excited voices: “Auntie said to be good and not cry! We can only laugh! Ripe fruit is the best fruit!” Their voices were very charming and sweet as they danced around and began to sing children’s lullabies. Now that they were so close, it was possible to smell a sweet fragrance wafting about. It was so sickly sweet, in fact, that upon inhaling it, Bai Xiaochun and the others felt as if they were about to puke their guts out. When the fruit got too close to the young man with the lantern, he completely ignored them, and even stepped on some of them, crushing them. However, the crushed fruits simply crawled back to their feet, smiling as they continued to dance and sing. “What the hell are these things?!” Feng Yan exclaimed, eyes flickering. He waved his sleeve, causing a gust of wind to kick up and send some of the fruits flying away. After splatting onto the ground, they lurched back to their feet and re-joined the circle, laughing just as loudly as before. Bai Xiaochun felt goosebumps rising up all over him, and by this point he was fully surrounded by flickering shields. Du Lingfei looked at the fruits all holding hands and singing, and her facial expression flickered with fear. Pushing down the disgust in her heart, she gritted her teeth, and her phoenix-like eyes flashed with anger. She was just about to perform an incantation gesture when suddenly, the fruits’ faces fell in terror. “Auntie’s coming!!” they cried, running pell-mell back to the tree and leaping up into their original positions. Soon, their laughter and singing had faded away, and they looked like nothing more than ordinary fruit. The young man from the Luochen Clan didn't look back at them, but they could hear his voice as he said, “Those are some spirit fruits the patriarch brought back from the depths of the Fallenstar Mountains. What do you think of their singing, Fellow Daoists? They love to sing.” Unsightly expressions appeared on the faces of Feng Yan and Du Lingfei as they followed along. Bai Xiaochun was still in the very back. Suddenly, the cold feeling of fear rose up inside of him as he realized that... another set of footsteps could be heard! Step, step, step.... It was impossible to determine when exactly this development had occurred, but as of this moment... there were clearly five people walking along the path! Perhaps those footsteps had been mingled in with theirs from the moment they had entered the courtyard, and they hadn’t noticed because of the strange fruits. But now, in the silence that followed the fruits’ outburst, the sound of the additional footsteps was extremely conspicuous. The echoing footfalls caused Bai Xiaochun to shiver. What was most frightening was that the footsteps were coming from right behind him. Suddenly, an icy breeze seemed to run down his back, as if someone were behind him, breathing on him. “Hey guys…” he said, “did any of you realize... there’s another set of footsteps!?” As the hairs on the back of Bai Xiaochun’s neck rose up, Feng Yan’s face flickered as he also detected the footsteps. Du Lingfei’s pupils constricted, and she began to pant. The three of them suddenly stopped walking, and as they did, the sound of the other footsteps vanished. Bai Xiaochun’s heart was pounding. Gritting his teeth, he slowly turned his head to find himself staring into the eyes of a young woman wearing a red robe! Her robes swayed gently, and her face was as ashen, as if she were dead. She smiled oddly at Bai Xiaochun for a moment before her lips twitched, and she said, “This fire won’t do, help me.” The suddenness of what had just occurred caused Bai Xiaochun to leap into the air and scream. The red-robed young woman suddenly transformed into a streak of light that vanished in the blink of an eye. Bai Xiaochun’s face was pale white as he looked around, but nothing was there... except for the echoing sound of his own scream. Du Lingfei and Feng Yan looked around in fright. Although they didn't see any unusual figure like Bai Xiaochun did, their hearts were still pounding. Then, a woman’s voice suddenly rang out, singing a song. The lyrics drifted throughout the courtyard, strange and mysterious, almost like a lullaby being sung to soothe a baby. The mere sound of it caused the darkness to seem even more spine-tingling than before. “Good little baby, it's time to sleep; the wind is blowing and the flames do leap; don’t you weep and don’t make a peep....” “Enough with the parlor tricks!” Feng Yan blurted, clearly nervous. He instantly performed an incantation gesture, summoning a flying sword, which began to swirl around him. Simultaneously, the young man with the lantern turned around to look at them. The flickering light from the lantern made him appear stranger than ever. “What are you standing there for? Come on, let's keep going.” He smiled, a smile that was somehow very abnormal. Feng Yan took a deep breath, and then his eyes glinted with a fierce light as he said, “No, we’re not going anywhere. Look, we’re here to investigate the disappearance of one of our fellow disciples. Fellow Daoist, do you happen to remember anyone like us coming around here about five months ago?” Du Lingfei had already pulled out a magical device, and her eyes were shining in concentration. “No, I don’t think so,” replied the young man. His softly spoken words floated out into the air and seemed to harmonize with the woman’s singing voice. “Fellow Daoist,” Du Lingfei suddenly said, “how come none of your fellow clan members are around?” The young man’s smile widened to the point of looking unnatural. “Oh they're out on business. Are you done with your questions?” “Yes, we’re done here,” said Feng Yan. “We’ll take our leave now.” With that, he turned to walk the other way back down the path. Du Lingfei followed suit, and as for Bai Xiaochun, he had long since taken to flight, and was further on ahead of them. The young man’s smile was now so wide that the sides of his mouth began to rip open, almost as if his head were about to be torn in half! “If you don’t want to go any further, the least you could do is stay behind... stay behind to keep us company....” The lantern suddenly turned a greenish color, making the entire courtyard even darker than before. Even as the words left the young man’s mouth, he began to float through the air toward Feng Yan. Feng Yan’s face fell, and he performed an incantation gesture and pointed out, sending his flying sword speeding toward the young man. A boom rang out as the young man let the sword stab through him. Then, his smile widened even further as he shot toward Feng Yan. Panting, Feng Yan fell back, simultaneously pulling out a black medicinal pill, which he threw down onto the ground. A rattling boom echoed out as the pill then exploded. The charging young man was hit by the blast and sent tumbling backward, his body riddled with wounds. However, he apparently didn’t feel any pain whatsoever. Smiling the same as ever, he arced through the air as fast as a kite on a windy day, to once again charge toward Feng Yan. In the spot where the medicinal pill had exploded, numerous glowing lines were now visible, all of which emanated a strong aura of death as they began to form together, as if they were repairing themselves. As soon as he saw the designs on the ground, Feng Yan cried out in alarm, “There’s a spell formation here! It's a Shadowhell Formation!!” At the same time, the green limestone beneath Du Lingfei’s feet began to vibrate, and then eyes popped open upon them. Emaciated, corpse-like arms as skinny as twigs stretched out. Just beneath the surface of the skin of those arms were countless, worm-like creatures, wriggling and writhing. Those arms… grabbed Du Lingfei’s right leg. Voices rose up from the green limestone, sinister, fear-inspiring voices. “It hurts when you step on us....” “Come. Come be with us....” Du Lingfei’s face was ashen. She quickly performed an incantation gesture and pointed out, causing a flag to fly out from her bag of holding. It instantly transformed into two mist beasts, which swirled around her defensively. Simultaneously, a flying sword appeared, and the sword light that shimmered out severed the hands which had grabbed onto her leg, allowing her to fall back. Adapun Bai Xiaochun, suara nyanyian wanita itu tiba-tiba terdengar lebih keras di telinganya. “Jangan menangis dan jangan bersuara....”