The message was sent by Soft Feather as she volunteered, "Senior Northern River, leave the issue of providing Senior Song with foundation establishment technique to me! Although I’m only of Third Grade Realm, it is definitely not a problem for me to impart this technique! Coincidentally, I’m thinking of heading to Jiangnan District!"
She wanted to experience the process of Song Shuhang using an induction stove to refine body tempering liquid—and more importantly, she wanted to take advantage of her father not being at home to secretly slip out and play for a few days. There was something called, once you eat it, you’ll love the taste—this lady was completely attracted by the teeming world outside and was constantly thinking of leaving.
Just when Soft Feather’s message was sent, Thrice Reckless Mad Saber immediately replied. "Obediently wait for me to return to Spirit Butterfly Island. I’ll be setting out in an hour’s time and reach Spirit Butterfly Island in the evening."
The one who used this manner of speaking was naturally Venerable Spirit Butterfly. Looking at it, he did not immediately return and was still tormenting Thrice Reckless Mad Saber.
Soft Feather stuck her tongue out and lurked around, not daring to speak anymore.
Northern River’s Loose Cultivator sent a 😁—this was to ridicule Thrice Reckless Mad Saber.
Song Shuhang also smiled and typed a few words after relaxing. "Sorry to inconvenience you, Senior Northern River, I want to request for..."
Before he finished typing, "Ding," another message popped up within the group.
This was from Medicine Master. He sent a simple message of two words, "Let me!"
One was unable to make head or tails of this message, and even Northern River’s Loose Cultivator could not guess what he was trying to convey.
After a long time, Medicine Master replied. "Brother Northern River, leave the matter of imparting little friend Shuhang with these techniques to me."
Then, after a long time...
Medicine Master: "Little Friend Shuhang, I used magic to simulate the process of you refining Body Tempering Liquid and thought of some interesting possibility during the process. This will be beneficial for me to improve the Simplified Body Tempering Liquid recipe. There are some matters I am unable to clearly explain over the net, so I would like to personally witness you refining the liquid and hope that you can spare some effort to assist me in perfecting this Simplified Body Tempering Liquid. Yes. Regardless if my experiment will be successful or not, I will gift you a pretty good remuneration as thanks for your trouble—I have a set of body refining sword technique and meditation technique with me."
Pausing for a moment, he typed once again. "My sword technique and meditation technique are slightly better than Senior Northern River’s."
This was obviously a bare enticement.
"If Brother Medicine Master intends to give little friend Shuhang some pointers, this will be for the best!" Northern River’s Loose Cultivator smiled. "Little Friend Shuhang, hurry and respond to Brother Medicine Master? There’s a free teacher to guide you through the foundation and this chance can absolutely not be missed!"
Northern River’s Loose Cultivator felt that Song Shuhang’s luck was indeed extraordinary.
Generally speaking, for a loose cultivator to become a true cultivator, the hardest steps were ‘Body Tempering Liquid’ and ‘Foundation Establishment’.
The Foundation Establishment was hard because when loose cultivators enter the cultivation world, they mostly would have inherited one or two scrolls of cultivation techniques they would have to learn by themselves at most. Due to the lack of a mentor’s guidance or incomplete techniques, it was easy for loose cultivators to make mistakes during their foundation establishment, wasting their time and effort.
Body Tempering Liquid doesn’t require any particular explanations either. Loose cultivators had to personally search for ingredients if they wanted Body Tempering Liquid. Not only that, they had to personally refine it as well, and a certain Northern River’s Loose Cultivator who had lost his entire fortune was unwilling to recall that grueling process.
Whereas for Song Shuhang, firstly, Soft Feather had gifted him the medicinal herbs, while secondly, there was Medicine Master who wanted to guide him in his foundation establishment as remuneration—the two hardest steps for loose cultivators, looking at the situation, had been easily cleared by him.
"Thank you, Seniors." Song Shuhang gratefully replied. People in Nine Provinces Number One Group were indeed nice people!
And so, a ‘nice guy’ card was sent to the group.
❄️❄️❄️
"Shuhang, address?" Medicine Master asked.
Song Shuhang swiftly replied. "Jiangnan District’s Jiangnan College Town. I am currently staying in the student dormitory."
At the same time, Song Shuhang’s gaze unconsciously fell upon the small plant pot beside his computer. Growing in it was a stalk of a curved plant, similar to a coiling dragon; a row of thorns grew on its tip and it had purplish black stem.
It was Poisonous Dragon Grass, the medicinal herb Medicine Master had previously inquired about within the group.
Does Senior Medicinal Master still require this Poisonous Dragon Plant? Song Shuhang thought.
"Contact details?" Medicine Master asked again.
Song Shuhang immediately sent his mobile number.
Medicine Master: "Arrival tomorrow afternoon, will find you!"
Soon after, Song Shuhang did not even have a chance to speak before Medicine Master quickly went offline.
Originally, he had wanted to bring up Poisonous Dragon Plant to Medicine Master, but forget it, he’d mention it when Medicine Master arrived.
‘Tomorrow afternoon?’ Song Shuhang thought. He should have a lesson on tomorrow afternoon, no?
Forget it, worst case scenario, he’d request for an afternoon leave. After all, the number of leaves he took in this period was not low and one more afternoon would not make a difference.
Within Nine Provinces Number One Group.
Soft Feather, who was intimidated by her father, stealthily reappeared. "Senior Song, are you sure you intend to walk the path of a loose cultivator? Even with Nine Provinces Number One Group’s help, being a loose cultivator is really tough."
"That is more suited for me right now." Song Shuhang smiled and replied. "Other than that, thinking back right now, hospitalization of both professors the day before yesterday shouldn’t be a coincidence?
"Wahaha, Senior Song, what are you saying, it’s definitely a coincidence, a coincidence! I have never lied since young age!" Soft Feather rapidly replied. "Oh right, my senior brother’s calling me, there should be some matters. Seniors, do continue chatting and I shall go first~"
While she finished speaking, she didn’t even give Shuhang a chance to reply before going offline.
Shuhang touched his jaw and pondered. Sure enough, it wasn’t a coincidence. As I guessed, where would there be such coincidental occurrences in this world? For two professors to be hospitalized at the same time due to leg injuries...
He felt somewhat guilty towards Teacher Renshui and Professor Smith. Should he visit them in a few days when he had time?
After all, it was due to their injuries that he accompanied Soft Feather to Luo Xin street area, obtained two boxes of medicinal ingredient as remuneration, and finally, had the chance to get in touch with the world of cultivation.
Speaking of which, the process of chatting within the group earlier on was simply like a dream.
Originally, he was thinking that he had to go through all kinds of trials given by the group’s seniors in order to become a cultivator, similar to Xuanzang journey to India on a quest to obtain the Buddhist scriptures experience, and suffer untold hardships before he could attain the method of prolonging his life.
He had not expected that not only would the seniors within the group not make him suffer arduous trials, they would even offer various kinds of help instead.
If this was a dream, then he truly wished he wouldn’t wake up.
Within Nine Provinces Number One Group, Northern River’s Loose Cultivator sent another message to instruct Shuhang. "Little Friend Shuhang, if you encounter any questions during your cultivation, feel free to ask us in the group.
Since you’ve chosen the path of a loose cultivator, it means that you will not have any mentor guiding you in cultivation. Therefore, once you have any questions, immediately inquire, especially in terms of cultivation. You must not be embarrassed by all means, otherwise, if you take a wrong step, it will result in countless wrong steps. In light cases, you will waste the time you spent on cultivation, while in serious cases, you might be, and draw a great calamity to yourself."
"Thank you for Senior’s reminder." Speaking of questions, Song Shuhang immediately thought of one. "Oh right, Senior Northern River, I would like to inquire, can Body Tempering Liquid be consumed by other people like my parents and relatives? Are there any taboos in this aspect within the group?"
Song Shuhang was not a selfish person.
Body Tempering Liquid’s effect was indeed that good, and the process of tempering body would remove numerous ailments. Therefore, he immediately thought of Father Song and Mother Song, as out of all virtues, filial piety was the most important.
"We do not have any taboos in this aspect. As long as you have excess medicinal liquid, it doesn’t matter if your kindred consume it. After all, medicine and techniques are different, techniques cannot be easily divulged to any outsiders but there’s no such restriction for medicine," was the reply.
Northern River’s Loose Cultivator started speaking again. "However, I have to remind you that the medicinal ingredients in this world are not as plentiful as you think. Furthermore, people as generous as Soft Feather are not many, and perhaps you will be unable to obtain any more medicinal ingredients in a short period of time. With thirty-two sets of refining ingredients, even if you successfully refine it every time, you can only obtain thirty-two sets of Body Tempering Liquid. This amount is not even enough for your Hundred Days Foundation Establishment requirements." Northern River’s Loose Cultivator gently explained.
He did not dislike Shuhang thinking of giving his family members to consume the medicinal liquid and instead, he admired his thought.
After experiencing Body Tempering Liquid’s effects, people who think of their own kindred at the first moment were to his liking. People that possessed benevolence, righteousness, and filial piety were those he could treat as true friends on his road of cultivation with ease.
After all, not many would like to be life-and-death best friends with fickle-minded people who repeatedly committed evil deeds.