"Ah, explaining it to you would be pointless; you wouldn't understand. The intricacies involved are very complex. Just watch and learn from the master attentively."
"Oh, I see." Li Huowang pretended to be in thought, but his mind was actually on other matters.
The Elixir that Master Danyang had given himself was clearly useful, which also meant that the laws of this world were completely different from his own.
If he wanted to contend with Master Danyang, he needed to understand much more about this strange world.
Cultivators from the novels? That doesn't seem right. Which cultivator uses people as ingredients for Alchemy? Which one still enslaves mortals to aid their own ascension to immortality?
Moreover, according to tradition, shouldn't an ordinary Cultivation Sect have given me a Foundation Establishment Cultivation Technique? Why haven't they?
The more Li Huowang learned about the place, the stranger he found the Taoist Temple to be; it didn't resemble his concept of what Taoist cultivators should be like at all.
"That's right, Brother Xuan Yang, let me give you a tip. You'd best have everything prepared before the master even opens his mouth."
"Take yesterday's Elixir for example, because of your hysterical outburst, you missed the auspicious hour. If you deliver the Medicinal Guide before the hour of the Son of Heaven the day after tomorrow, wouldn't it be like offering an apology to the master?"
"Don't let the master's unpredictable mood fool you. If you can make him happy, you'll surely reap benefits."
"Yesterday's Alchemy Ingredient?" Li Huowang was taken aback.
"Yes, what's wrong, you forgot? What did the master tell you to deliver yesterday?"
"Bai.... Bai Lingmiao." Li Huowang's pupils shrank to pinpoints in an instant. So much had happened before, but this matter wasn't over yet.
If he didn't come up with a solution before the day after tomorrow, the albino girl would end up like all the Medicinal Guides before her, ground into a pulp!
Li Huowang didn't know how he made it back to his abode. He laid on his stone bed, the golden anklet bound with a red thread weighing on his chest like a red-hot iron, pressing him to come up with a plan.
But now, not only was Master Danyang's strength far superior to Li Huowang's, but the entire Taoist Temple was filled with his people.
The cautionary tales of his senior disciples who had died before also proved that blind flight was futile.
As he tossed and turned, the night passed him by.
Just before the morning lessons, Li Huowang dressed and walked out of the cave.
He wanted to visit the Pill Room to see if there was any other way out of this.
He had barely stepped out with the lantern when a sharp, monkey-like face popped out of the darkness, startling him. It was Gouwa's face.
"Hehe, Brother Li, it's nothing. I was just worried because I didn't see you at the ingredient storehouse all of yesterday, so I came to check on you."
"Is Sister Bai alright?" Li Huowang asked, taking a step back.
"All's well, all's well. Since you personally asked Sister Bai to manage the ingredient storehouse, who would dare to disobey? Hehe, Brother Li, you're formidable. Ever since you took over the storeroom, not a single person has been taken away."
Hearing Gouwa's words, Li Huowang felt extremely irritated. He pushed the guy aside with his lantern and strode off.
When Li Huowang arrived at the Alchemy Room, he found that some early rising apprentices had already started cleaning the Pill Furnaces and the floor with burlap.
One apprentice was even inside a mortar, vigorously scrubbing at the remnants of flesh on the stone walls with a pig-bristle brush.
As Master Danyang's disciple, his entry into the Alchemy Room went unquestioned by anyone.
Li Huowang pretended to amble casually around, his eyes meticulously scanning the surroundings.
The entire Alchemy Room was incredibly sparse, apart from the massive black Pill Furnace that took up one-third of the space, only a stone mortar and pestle that Master Danyang used to smash ingredients remained.
Forget about books on alchemy, there wasn't even a single painting or calligraphy on the walls, and the entire room was extremely empty, without any place to hide.
"What are you looking at?" A familiar yet hair-raising voice suddenly sounded behind him.
Li Huowang turned around to see who it was and quickly performed a respectful gesture with both hands. "Master."
"I asked you, what are you looking at?"
Li Huowang quickly thought for a second and immediately thought of an excuse. "Disciple admires Master's profound alchemy skills, so I was wondering when I can reach such a level."
Master Danyang was very pleased with the change in Li Huowang's attitude, it seemed that the youngster had finally seen the light.
With his hands clasped behind his back, he circled around the black pill furnace. "It's good to be ambitious, but it's not that I don't want to teach you, the path of external alchemy is not that simple."
"Ordinary elixirs are manageable, but if you wish to become immortal through the Alchemy Dao, you must cultivate both external and internal cores simultaneously. This Taoist Master has almost reached Mahayana after much effort."
A look of pride and excitement appeared on Master Danyang's face, as if reveling in the lifestyle of an immortal after becoming one.
"Master... are you about to become immortal?"
As soon as Li Huowang said this, the expression on Master Danyang's face faded. "Becoming immortal is not that simple, the journey is long, but this Taoist Master will definitely become immortal, do you know why?"
"I do not know."
Master Danyang's expression became somewhat agitated. "Because the method to become immortal is written in the Heavenly Book by the Elder Lord himself, and what's more, he personally delivered it to my hands. Who else in the entire world could become immortal? He said I could become immortal. I will definitely become immortal!"
"The Elder Lord? Who is that? One of the three deities in the statues?" Li Huowang was a bit baffled by this myth-like description.
Despite not understanding a bit, Li Huowang still flattered him, "What Master said is absolutely true, you will surely become immortal and live as long as the heavens and the earth!"
Master Danyang was clearly delighted to hear these words, and a smile blossomed on his homely face.
"Haha, very good, since you want to learn alchemy, then I will teach you a simple Red Pills recipe. Take notes. Twelve ounces of Red Pills, half a pound of Cyperus, two ounces and four qian of Yangqi Stone..."
Although it was an unforeseen windfall, Li Huowang certainly wouldn't say no to it.
He quickly looked around for writing materials to take notes, but there were none in the entire pill room.
In his urgency, he picked up a piece of charcoal from underneath the pill furnace and decided to record it on the hem of his Taoist robe.
"... Start the furnace at the third quarter of the Hour of Chou when bathing is appropriate; watch with a silent gaze, breathe with supportive breath, steam with concentration, and nurture it with a gentle fire. Open the furnace at the fourth quarter of the Hour of Mao."
"Take this pill recipe and practice it at your leisure, Taoist Master will first see what kind of talent you have."
Li Huowang discarded the piece of charcoal and held out the hem of his robe with both hands towards Master Danyang. "Master, could you see if the disciple has missed anything?"
But when he presented the hem covered in charcoal characters in front of Master Danyang, the jovial expression on his face instantly turned to one of stormy clouds.
With one lift of his right foot, he sent Li Huowang flying out, crashing into the pill furnace with a buzzing sound, then thudding heavily onto the floor.
Master Danyang stomped off with a steely face and harsh mutterings, leaving Li Huowang all alone where he was.
As the rush of anger gradually dissipated in his heart, Li Huowang felt that there was something very strange about this situation. He hadn't done anything wrong; why had his master's attitude suddenly changed?
Li Huowang looked down at the pill recipe in his hand, pondering. His handwriting might be ugly, but it was still clearly legible.
Suddenly, Li Huowang thought of something. He remembered the alchemy room with no writings or paintings and recalled that during the morning classes, no one had any scriptures.
An unexpected thought popped into Li Huowang's mind, "Could it be that this scabby-headed man is illiterate and can't read?"