"It turns out you are an alchemist," Jin Yu said, sipping her tea. She seemed to realize that the low-grade nurturing pill had been concocted by Chen Xun himself. "I know little about it, but I've heard that in ancient times, alchemists who took such pills could explode and die."
Holy crap!
Chen Xun and the big black ox exchanged glances, their expressions filled with meaning. This situation was more or less what they had imagined.
If it weren't for their fear of breaking through in areas with high spiritual energy, they would also be quite intimidated by the power of the breakthrough pills with pill patterns, as the medicinal power was simply overwhelming.
Most importantly, these pills attracted heavenly tribulations. Thankfully, they had enhanced their defenses; otherwise, how could ordinary cultivators withstand it?
"Thank you for the clarification," Chen Xun said, cupping his hands, feeling much clearer in his mind.
"You're welcome," Jin Yu replied with a gentle smile.
"Jin Yu, do you know of any pills that can enhance Nascent Soul stage cultivation?" Chen Xun pondered for a moment, then looked towards the distant, icy lake. "I have searched far and wide but found none."
"Of course, heavenly root cultivators must rely on nurturing pills to break through; otherwise, they won't have enough time due to their limited lifespan. But this also means their path forward is cut off." Jin Yu's gaze also turned distant, filled with a sense of loss. "Now, in the cultivation world, there are only some pills and spiritual herbs that can enhance early Nascent Soul stage cultivation..."
"Which means?" Chen Xun hinted.
"Chen Daoist, you're right. The strongest cultivators in the current cultivation world are only at the mid-Nascent Soul stage!"
Jin Yu nodded heavily, her eyes solemn. Lifespan was like a knife hanging over the heads of many cultivators. The longer they lived, the more desires they had; no one wanted to die meaninglessly.
Chen Xun nodded thoughtfully, combining all the information Jin Yu had provided. The great battle in the Northern Territories seemed inevitable.
"Moo~~" The big black ox seemed to understand, letting out a deep breath.
The world's spiritual energy concentration was gradually decreasing, and various rare treasures were becoming extinct, while the number of cultivators was increasing.
"Chen Xun Daoist, since we have come to this point, I have a request."
"Please, go ahead."
Chen Xun and Jin Yu locked eyes; both of their expressions were calm. Even the falling snow outside the pavilion seemed to freeze in that instant.
Jin Yu took out several medicinal herbs from her storage ring, a total of thirty stalks, all over a thousand years old, and a detailed alchemical recipe.
She spoke slowly, "These are the ingredients for the Shangqing Ancient Pill. There are three sets in total, which can enhance early Nascent Soul stage cultivation."
Chen Xun remained silent, not asking any questions, simply looking at the herbs on the table, none of which he recognized.
"Since you are an alchemist, Chen Daoist, I gift these herbs to you. Please, do not refuse." Jin Yu spoke sincerely, without any sign of reluctance. "These herbs are not particularly rare, just a token of my gratitude and unrelated to Moon Tower."
"Moo?" The big black ox nudged Chen Xun, its eyes filled with excitement. These herbs were not even available in sects.
Damn, Chen Xun thought, taking a sip of his health tea, feeling it burn his mouth.
These thousand-year-old herbs used for the Nascent Soul stage were incredibly precious, and who knew how much effort Moon Tower had put into gathering them.
To have offered them so freely was overwhelming.
"Alright, I won't be polite then!" Chen Xun agreed decisively, his voice firm, "Old Ox, take out the special storage ring and store them."
"Moo~" The big black ox opened its mouth, producing a small storage ring from within, instantly storing all the materials on the table.
Seeing them accept, Jin Yu's smile deepened.
She observed closely and noticed that their storage ring was the smallest and most ordinary type, giving her even more to ponder.
"But..." Chen Xun smiled and cupped his hands. "Jin Yu, after you produce the pills, they should all go to Moon Tower. We won't take more; I'm only interested in alchemy."
"That..."
"Jin Yu, please don't make it difficult for us."
Before Jin Yu could finish her words, Chen Xun interrupted her objections directly.
"Hehe, I understand. If the alchemy fails, it's no matter; consider it a gift to you."
Jin Yu leaned on her cane. The difficulty of refining the Shangqing Ancient Pill was even higher than that of the nurturing pill, so it wasn't easy to succeed. She didn't think too much of it, expecting that it would likely fail and thus be considered her gift, a matter of courtesy.
"However, I am still quite interested in the techniques." Chen Xun shifted the topic back, pulling out some local specialties. "Jin Yu, I want to look into some five-element root Nascent Soul techniques."
"Chen Daoist, what I said earlier was heartfelt and not meant to harm you." Jin Yu's brows furrowed deeply. How could someone with a heavenly root research five-element root techniques? "Moreover, five-element root techniques are of little use. Although there are many, they are not refined."
Chen Xun and the big black ox were secretly thrilled but kept their composure.
"I understand, but this is also a regret from my former sect. I had an old friend who was a five-element root. Sigh..." Chen Xun spoke with a heavy tone, pausing with a hint of sorrow in his eyes. "I hope Jin Yu won't mind."
"Moo~~" The big black ox quickly placed a hoof on Chen Xun's shoulder, as if to comfort him.
Seeing their reaction, Jin Yu felt a surge of happiness. It seemed that these seemingly useless things were quite important to them.
She took out a jade tablet, inscribed with the word 'Seal,' and explained, "Chen Daoist, you can take this jade tablet."
"What is this?"
"This is the sealing token. It contains various techniques and spells collected by Moon Tower over the years, though it's quite disorganized." Jin Yu slowly stood up, extending a smooth, delicate hand. Her voice was ancient and steady. "I know you are unwilling to practice the inherited techniques, so this should be quite suitable for you."
"Thank you, Jin Yu." Chen Xun stood up and cupped his hands, then accepted the jade tablet.
"Moo moo~~" The big black ox went over to Jin Yu, bowing its head in thanks. They indeed needed this place.
"There's no need for thanks, Ximen Daoist." Jin Yu's wrinkles deepened a bit. "I will have the disciples stationed there withdraw, so they won’t disturb you."
Chen Xun took a deep breath and nodded in gratitude.
"Since you are now practicing Nascent Soul techniques, remember to avoid a few taboos." Jin Yu began explaining on her own. "Never use mid-grade spirit stones for cultivation; they should only be used for recovering spiritual energy."
"Why is that?"
"Moo?"
Chen Xun and the big black ox began taking out small notebooks, preparing to jot down the crucial points.
"You have a fire attribute spiritual root, but most mid-grade spirit stones with a fire attribute have mixed spiritual energy and are not purely fire attributes."
"Nascent Soul cultivation emphasizes precision, unlike Golden Core. The Nascent Soul, as the entity within that absorbs and exhales spiritual energy, can leave hidden dangers if it absorbs too much mixed energy."
"Although high-grade spirit stones can be used for cultivation, they are already exhausted in the cultivation world. So, remember this while you cultivate."
Jin Yu gave a detailed reminder, and Chen Xun and the big black ox listened intently, quickly noting down the key points and preparing to ask more questions.