Immortal Cultivation: Starting from a Pharmacy Apprentice

For the next two days, the rain never stopped.

Qin Yu used cultivation as an excuse to avoid speaking much.

Shui Ziming watched him refine the medicinal power in his body and cultivate. Seeing his rapid progress, Shui Ziming was happy for him.

"On this trip, not only did you not fall behind in your cultivation, you actually made great progress. The sect’s assessment will certainly be no problem for you."

The young girl was also diligent. These past few days, she rarely rested, spending most of her time in meditation.

Neither of them had a lazy bone in their body.

It was a rare occasion for a senior brother from the sect to visit, and one who loved to teach, at that.

Bai Mo certainly wasn’t going to let such an opportunity pass him by.

Ever since Bai Mo brought up his first question about the path of cultivation, Shui Ziming hadn’t stopped talking.

He had walked the traditional path of cultivation, one steady step at a time, building a solid foundation.

When it came to questions about the lower realms, he answered them with ease, speaking eloquently and transitioning from simple to profound concepts, revealing their subtleties.

This left Bai Mo utterly astonished.

What’s more, Bai Mo’s comprehension was so high it made Shui Ziming take notice. Whatever Shui Ziming taught, Bai Mo absorbed.

Shui Ziming’s enthusiasm soared, and he began to cite various sources and examples, his explanations becoming ever more profound.

It was almost getting to the point of cramming.

The gazes of the young man and woman were also drawn in.

Time always flies when one is seeking the Dao.

「That day.」

The masked man pushing the handcart arrived as usual, undeterred by the wind and rain.

Wearing a straw raincoat, he knocked on Bai Mo’s door.

Bai Mo opened the door, taking a moment to gauge the rain outside.

The dark clouds in the sky had thinned considerably.

"Shopkeeper Bai, do you have any waste for me?"

the man asked loudly, rainwater streaming down his straw coat and hat.

"Yes, one moment."

Bai Mo turned and tossed the waste from the past few days of Alchemy onto the man’s cart.

The tattered cloth bag rolled a few times before the man snatched it up.

"Whatever you do, don’t touch what’s inside. Just bury it."

Bai Mo instructed.

Hearing this, the man quickly stuffed the bag amongst the other junk, careful not to let the rain get it wet.

"Shopkeeper Bai, a few days ago, we found some crispy shells in the things you threw out..."

Those were the shells that encased the Pills Bai Mo created using his pill-within-a-pill technique.

"They’re not poisonous, but they don’t have much medicinal effect either. Better than nothing, I suppose."

Bai Mo said faintly.

The man instantly grew excited. "That’s good enough, good enough! Another small sum to be made..."

Seeing his reaction, Bai Mo said:

"When you pass by the pastry shop, could you trouble the attendant to bring me some freshly baked ones? A portion for five people..."

The man smiled, nodded, and went on his way.

While Bai Mo was inside listening to Shui Ziming’s teachings, it wasn’t long before the pastry shop attendant came running through the rain.

Bai Mo took the pastries, paid for them, and added a tip for the trouble.

’It’s not easy for a young kid like that to be out making a living.’

"Thank you, Shopkeeper Bai!"

The attendant left gratefully.

"As for pastries on this street, their shop is an old, established brand. Brother Shui, have a taste!"

The gorgon-fruit cake was soft and fragrant. As it entered his mouth, Shui Ziming couldn’t help but nod in approval.

"The rain has delayed us for a few days. If nothing unexpected happens, we should be leaving around noon."

Shui Ziming said.

Bai Mo quickly replied, "I know you have matters to attend to, Brother Shui. I wouldn’t dare keep you. Please be careful on the road!"

Shui Ziming smiled.

"It’s nothing. We’re just tracking a Demon Beast. It’s not very strong, but it’s good at running."

"If we don’t catch up soon, I’m afraid we’ll lose its trail."

Bai Mo asked curiously:

"May I ask what Demon Beast you are looking for, Brother Shui?"

The young girl quickly interjected.

"It’s a very special Demon Beast! Even my mother says it’s rare. It’s called a Diting!"

Her face was flushed, and she seemed to be quite fond of this Demon Beast.

Bai Mo shook his head. "I’ve indeed never heard of it."

Shui Ziming said, "It escaped from a secret realm. This creature rarely appears in the world, so it’s not surprising that you haven’t heard of it, Junior Brother."

In the end, they didn’t finish the pastries for five.

Shortly after noon, Bai Mo saw the three of them off.

"Stay here, Brother Bai."

Shui Ziming flicked a finger, and an invisible spiritual barrier immediately rose above the three of them.

The fine raindrops couldn’t break through, merely flowing to the sides and dripping down.

"The path of cultivation is vast and profound, and the Alchemy Dao is obscure."

"Brother Bai, remember this: guard your original intentions, persevere, and I will wait for you at the Xuandao Sect."

Qin Yu looked quite relieved, eager to escape this awkward place.

The young girl, however, waved at Bai Mo.

"For Eldest Brother to say that means you have a great chance of becoming an outer disciple, Junior Brother."

"If he recommends you, it’s a sure thing! But with your status as a Daoist Child, you’ll need to reach the fifth layer of Qi Refining!"

Bai Mo watched them walk towards the city gate.

Then he let out a breath, returned to his room, gobbled down the few remaining pastries, took a sip of water, and lay down on his bed.

The information he had gathered over the past few days swirled in his mind. It took Bai Mo a full quarter of an hour to fully process it all.

’Brother Shui is a good person. His words should be trustworthy.’

Bai Mo immediately got up and pushed open his window.

He looked around and found a clod of dirt that had fallen off some medicinal herbs.

BANG!

The clod of dirt shattered.

His good neighbor’s window opened in response.

"Eh! Shopkeeper Bai, it’s rare for you to seek me out. What’s the matter?"

He looked quite energetic, unusually full of vigor, and was even wearing a brocade robe.

Bai Mo frowned.

"In this kind of weather, you still have the mind to go frolicking among the flowers?"

"Ah! Shopkeeper Bai, you just don’t understand the pleasure of admiring the rain with a beautiful companion..."

The good neighbor was about to say more, but Bai Mo cut him off.

"Enough idle talk. That Pill you gave me last time—I’ve had a breakthrough with it!"

The good neighbor was instantly jolted with excitement.

"A Tier Two Pill, with results this quickly!? Shopkeeper Bai, you’re a genius! Quick, let me see the quality."

His eyes shone so brightly it made Bai Mo a little uncomfortable.

"Let’s get this straight first." Bai Mo poured cold water on his enthusiasm:

"You know it’s a Tier Two Pill. It’s not cheap."

"And its main effect is for cultivation. Cultivators who practice fire-aspected or yang-aspected qi-guiding techniques are the most suitable for consuming this Pill..."

Over the past few days, by periodically checking on Qin Yu’s condition with Shui Ziming, Bai Mo had managed to completely figure out the Pill’s effects.

The good neighbor rubbed his hands together.

"Of course, of course. Even if I don’t understand Pills, I know that one must be full of fire!"

Bai Mo snorted coldly and held up two fingers.

"Twenty Spirit Stones for one Pill."

The good neighbor’s breath caught in his throat.

"I know it’s a Tier Two Pill, but isn’t this a bit..."

Bai Mo said directly, "This Pill is perfectly suited for a method that seals its medicinal power."

"The medicinal power will remain in the body to aid cultivation, and it won’t be fully depleted even after four or five days!"

"This is the judgment of a Qi Refining Eighth Layer Cultivator."

The good neighbor gasped.

’Pill Masters are really on another level, to be able to find a Qi Refining Eighth Layer Cultivator to test a Pill.’

’His connections are that good!?’ 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

He was convinced.

"If the medicinal effect can be preserved for that long, then of course it’s a different matter."

"I’ll ask around for you tonight and see how many people are willing to buy this Pill."

Bai Mo nodded.

"The cost of ingredients is quite high, after all. Just give me a rough number, and I’ll start gathering materials for Alchemy."

"This Pill aids cultivation far better than even a Qi Absorption Pill. For those who are dedicated to the path of cultivation and have a suitable technique, it’s definitely not a loss to buy one."

He was also a little surprised by his good neighbor’s connections.

People willing to spend twenty Spirit Stones on a Pill were not your average Loose Cultivators struggling just to get by.

"Don’t you worry, Shopkeeper Bai. I know plenty of fellow Daoists who are obsessed with the path of cultivation!"

Seeing his neighbor’s less-than-serious expression, Bai Mo felt a little helpless.

"Right, there’s something else I wanted to ask you about."

"Go ahead!"

Bai Mo pointed behind him.

"If I wanted to take over that place, what’s the procedure?"