https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-242-How-to-Break-the-Decade-Cataclysm-Black-Aojiao-Awakens-Part-2-/12964445/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-243-Internal-Strife-in-the-Pill-Tower-Hastening-the-Decade-Cataclysm-Part-2-/12964447/
Chapter 243: Internal Strife in the Pill Tower, Hastening the Decade Cataclysm! (Part 1)
Chapter 243: Internal Strife in the Pill Tower, Hastening the Decade Cataclysm! (Part 1)
The Inferno Pill Tower was founded by Yao Mu.
Although she herself didn't get to 'enjoy' it for long, and Han Feng had been the one calling the shots in recent years, the 'secret passages' were still left untouched, whether it be the Inferno Pill Tower or Han Feng herself.
After all, only those on the inside knew of these passages, and with Yao Mu's death, there was no harm in keeping them.
As long as the secret remained, the passages could still be used.
Thus, Yao Mu, along with a few others who had transformed into Inferno Pill Tower disciples, traveled through the familiar passage with ease and soon entered the inner sanctum of the Inferno Pill Tower, continuing their journey deeper.
Along the way...
Lin Fan couldn't help but feel a sense of melancholy.
In truth, his true body would have been the most suitable for this task.
But if his true body came directly, it would expose his identity, and besides, his true body was too busy.
Busy with improving the Celestial Master's Path as soon as possible, so he truly didn't have the time.
Thus, he had no choice but to send this straw man version of himself.
However...
Lin Fan had a backup plan.
He dispatched another straw man carrying a Barrett to stand guard in an uninhabited area in the Southwestern Domain, just in case.
It's worth mentioning that previously, through Su Yan, he had purchased a significant amount of high-quality materials with his remaining points. Now, the Barrett had been further enhanced to the level of a mid-grade Dao Weapon.
Although it was just a minor 'realm' improvement, the increase in power was quite remarkable.
...
"The exit is just ahead."
Yao Mu sighed, "If it hasn't been altered, beyond this point lies the Inferno Pill Tower's Scripture Repository."
"The reason I chose this location was to ensure that in case of an emergency, the disciples could escape with various Techniques, Secret Arts, and Alchemy Formulas, safely preserving the inheritance."
"But I never imagined..."
Yao Mu fell silent.
The world is ever-changing.
The secret passages were originally prepared for the Inferno Pill Tower, out of fear that something unexpected might happen to the tower.
But after so many years, not even a hint of an accident had occurred in the Inferno Pill Tower. Instead, they had not only maintained their legacy but also continued to thrive.
The only one who had experienced an accident, it seemed, was the very founder of the Inferno Pill Tower herself.
The one who truly made use of these secret passages was none other than Yao Mu herself.
The boomerang she had thrown out years ago had, after thousands of years, found its way back, piercing her buttocks.
Such a feeling...
Was truly melancholy.
At the entrance, the secret passage was sealed, leaving no trace, and could only be opened with a special technique.
Yao Mu pondered, "I wonder if there's anyone in the Scripture Repository now. Perhaps we should wait until midnight..."
"There's no need," Lin Fan said, and he proceeded to use the Octuple Mirror Technique.
Recently, he had 'improved' the Octuple Mirror Technique.
To be precise, he had learned lip-reading, so the Octuple Mirror Technique now had a subtitle function, though it was temporarily useless.
He just wanted to see if anyone was inside.
There was no need to know what they were saying.
The others were amazed, as they had never seen Lin Fan use such a technique before.
But Long Ao Jiao's attention was rather peculiar...
"Such a peeping secret art!"
She stared at Lin Fan, her face filled with vigilance and disdain, "You little brat, you're disgustingly shameless!"
"Tell me, have you ever peeped on this girl bathing?!"
The others: "???"
Lin Fan's face turned pale, "I'm sorry, I'm not interested in male girls."
Long Ao Jiao was taken aback.
These words...
Seemed somewhat familiar! But she couldn't help but continue her retort, "Hmph, I know, I know, I know. But didn't you peep on me a few days ago?"
"If you're not interested in me, does that mean you're interested in other girls?"
"Who?"
"Xiao Ling'er?"
"That little girl?"
"Or this old hag?"
The three women: "???"
Can you just act like a normal person?
Lin Fan was at his wit's end.
Damn it!
This Long Ao Jiao, she's great in every way, but when it comes to 'using' her, she's just too convenient. The problem is that her debuff skill doesn't differentiate between allies and enemies, and on top of that...
After becoming Long Ao Jiao, her mouth became even more venomous!
It was ridiculous.
Lin Fan felt like tearing her a new one.
"Don't tarnish my reputation!"
"Is that the kind of person my master is?!"
"Master wouldn't do that." Fortunately, Ya Ya trusted Lin Fan and shook her head, "If master wanted to, he would just need to say the word, why would he need to sneak a peek?"
"Moreover, Fen Ningna and Sister Tian'ana are still untouched, master isn't that kind of person."
At first, Ya Ya was on guard.
She harbored hostility towards Fen Ningna and Tian'ana.
But later, she realized that perhaps it wasn't necessary.
Hearing her defend him, Lin Fan was deeply moved, "Ya Ya speaks the truth."
"You understand me the best..."
"A little girl like you wouldn't understand." Long Ao Jiao scoffed, "You don't know the saying, 'Wives are inferior to concubines, concubines are inferior to mistresses, and mistresses are inferior to secret mistresses'?"
"Some people, you know, they just love sneaking around."
"How can you be sure he isn't one of them?"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk."
"In the future, we all need to be more careful. We should devise some techniques to prevent being spied on during bathing, changing clothes, and such moments. We must be extra cautious and never let anyone peep on us."
Xiao Ling'er: "..."
Yao Mu: "..."
Ya Ya: "..."
Lin Fan rolled his eyes, "Long Ao Jiao, you're unbelievable!"
At that moment, inside the Scripture Repository, there were Pill Tower disciples studying Alchemy Formulas, and even an Elder was writing down a newly developed formula.
As they had infiltrated, it wasn't appropriate for them to reveal themselves at this time.
Hence, they didn't rush to take any action and instead engaged in idle chatter.
But Long Ao Jiao's words made Lin Fan feel an unprecedented urge to rip someone's mouth apart.
Back then, even when facing the Crooked-Mouthed Dragon King, he had endured without such an urge! It was just too outrageous!
Lin Fan almost blurted out, "Do you want me to peep on you?"
As her eyes flickered with the power of her Illusion Technique, the clothes on the five seemed to disappear.
Cough, cough, cough.
Half an hour later, the Scripture Repository within the Inferno Pill Tower was empty.
Yao Mu immediately made her decision and opened the secret passage, leading the five into the tower without anyone noticing.
"The Inferno Pill Tower is quite special. The Scripture Repository is also unguarded, relying solely on formations and restrictions to ensure its normal operation," Yao Mu explained.
"Therefore, our sudden appearance, and the fact that we only went out without any record of entering, will not be noticed by anyone."
As Yao Mu explained, she executed a unique technique, deactivating the restrictions and formations. The five of them appeared inside the Inferno Pill Tower without anyone detecting their presence.
They strolled through the tower with confidence!
With the Thousand Transformations Technique at their disposal, they had every reason to be bold.
Along the way, they encountered many people.
There were outer disciples, Pill Tower Elders, and even outsiders who had come to seek pills.
However, none of them noticed anything amiss.
There was even an Outer Sect Envoy who happily greeted the five of them.
The five did not show any signs of nervousness and nodded in response.
This was because the five people they had transformed into were genuine Inner Gate Disciples of the Inferno Pill Tower, not just random disguises.
After all, Lu Ming had been here before and memorized the appearances of five disciples, which was as easy as pie.
They wandered through the twists and turns of the tower.
Although thousands of years had passed, if it were a mortal city or country, there would have been countless changes. But for a cultivation power, especially a top-tier one like the Inferno Pill Tower, it was as if only a moment had passed.
After thousands of years, there were hardly any changes.
Under the support of various solidified formations, the architecture from thousands of years ago remained intact and looked as good as new.
Walking through the Pill Tower, which they hadn't set foot in for thousands of years, Yao Mu was still very familiar with it, like coming home. She led the four others without any obstacles.
However, her mood was destined to be extremely complex and hard to calm.
"This place used to be a field of medicinal herbs, quite abandoned. Now, it has become the residence of many Inner Gate Disciples."
"This place was originally..."
"The changes are quite significant."
Seeing Yao Mu's complex emotions, Lin Fan also had many thoughts on his mind.
As the saying goes, times change, and so do people.
However, for Yao Mu, it seemed that this was not the case.
The things were the same, and the people... also.
At least, there were still some familiar faces.
Soon after, Yao Mu looked at the Pill Tower in front of her and fell silent for a moment before leading the four others inside.
The fragrance of alchemy filled the air!
The medicinal herbs were not ordinary plants; they were not bitter but rather fragrant.
At least, most of them were.
On the first and second floors of the tower, many disciples were busy with cultivation, pill refining, and other tasks.
When they wanted to go up to the third floor, someone came forward to stop them.
But Yao Mu casually talked her way past them.
Soon after, they entered the third floor.
The fragrance of alchemy became even more intense. Even if they held their breath, the scent still permeated their minds.
Looking around, the third floor was spacious, and formations were scattered everywhere. However, these formations were not meant to attack or defend against enemies; they were commonly used by pill refiners to block the spread of furnace explosions.
In the center, an elder was refining pills.
He looked very old, extremely aged, and at this moment, he was fully focused, not even noticing the arrival of the five.
It seemed that his eyes were only on the pill furnace and medicinal herbs in front of him.
Controlling the fire!
Refining pills!
Executing hand seals...
Pill formation!
The entire set of techniques was extremely skilled, even surpassing the old oil peddler by a large margin.
"This is a Pill Refining Master!" Xiao Ling'er transmitted her voice through divine sense.
"He's still missing a bit," Yao Mu replied. "After thousands of years, he's still stuck at this step."
"Hmm?"
Xiao Ling'er also noticed something unusual. "He... failed!"
Boom!
The pill furnace suddenly exploded.
Everything happened abruptly, but it was indeed happening.
The furnace exploded.
It was as if a large-scale bomb had been detonated, but fortunately, the formations took effect, blocking the aftermath of the explosion and quickly suppressing it.
The old man in the center remained calm, showing no surprise.
It was as if everything was under his control.
It was also as if he had already gotten used to everything.
Or perhaps he had become numb! He took out another pill furnace and continued refining pills.
The same pill formula, the same techniques, and the same numbness.
Gradually, Xiao Ling'er noticed the problem and frowned. "If this continues, the furnace will explode again."
"Did you notice it?"
Yao Mu sighed, but there was also some relief in her voice. "If you were to guide him, what would you do?"
"..."
"Teacher, I, this... is it inappropriate?"
"What's inappropriate?"
"Then let's consider it a test for you."
Xiao Ling'er nodded slightly in agreement.
Lin Fan and the other two watched with great interest.
Just as the other party was about to experience another furnace explosion, Xiao Ling'er took a step forward and said, "Senior, why not try increasing the temperature by three degrees, and adding the heart-penetrating lotus a bit earlier. After that, remove the myriad spirit herbs that counteract each other, the harmony fruit, and the stone milk?"
Her words were rather vague, and outsiders might be left with many questions.
But this old man was already a pill refining expert, just half a step away from becoming a Master. He understood what she meant, and after realizing that the five of them had arrived at some unknown time, he contemplated for a moment and followed her instructions.
Soon after...
Boom!
The furnace lid flew into the air.
Then, the pill broke through the air, swirling and dancing in the third floor of the Pill Tower, as if trying to escape but being blocked, causing it to dart around chaotically.
An eighth-rank Rejuvenation Pill, fifth-grade!
To be able to refine a pill of this quality, one would already be considered a Master.
But the old man did not rush to collect the pill.
Instead, there was no joy on his face from successfully advancing to the Master level. He just looked at Lin Fan and the other four with curiosity and sighed, "The new generation surpasses the old."
"I, as a veteran, am truly getting old."
"After so many years, I still couldn't comprehend this step, but I never thought that you youngsters..."
He stood up, not blaming the five for their intrusion or questioning their identities. Instead, his face carried a hint of reminiscence as he said, "However, I am a bit curious."
"In the current era of the Immortal Martial Continent, Alchemy is prioritized above all else."
"There's no emphasis on simplifying the ingredients. Under the premise of successfully refining Alchemy Pills, the higher the success rate, the better. Thus, numerous Spirit Herbs are often added to 'neutralize' the formula."
"But your method of using ingredients is both simplistic and extremely ancient, unlike the Alchemy pursued by the Pill Tower nowadays. It's more akin to the techniques from tens of thousands of years ago, or even older."
"Why is that?"
"Are you... interested in ancient Alchemy techniques?"
"Oh?"
Xiao Ling Er was startled, then exclaimed in surprise, "Senior, you...?"
"Do you know?"
If he could react and understand everything in such a short time, he shouldn't have been stuck at this step for so many years. Logically, he should have advanced to the Daoist Alchemist level long ago.
Could it be...
"Senior, are you doing this on purpose?"
"You, as a junior, are quite interesting."
The elder chuckled bitterly, "What's there to be intentional about? It's just a lack of talent."
However, Yao Mu had already seen through everything.
She took a step forward and sighed, "Little Five."
"How should I put it?"
The elder's expression changed drastically as he gazing at Yao Mu, his eyes filled with ferocity and madness, barely restraining himself from attacking.
Boom!
A chain attack surged towards Yao Mu, a strike powerful enough to annihilate a seventh-stage cultivator.
But Yao Mu casually extended her hands, effortlessly blocking the attack without causing much disturbance. Everything returned to calm.
"Who are you?!"
The elder's face turned ugly, "Why are you impersonating a Pill Tower disciple?"
"And why dare you speak nonsense?"
"Can you even call me Little Five?"
"Sigh."
Yao Mu helplessly smiled wryly, "It's my fault."
"I even doubted you..."
"Who are you, really?" Little Five was even more confused.
Or perhaps, calling him 'Old Five' would be more fitting at this moment.
Yao Mu didn't say more. Instead, she removed the Thousand Transformations Technique, revealing her true appearance.
Little Five took one look and trembled all over.
"You?!"
Then, he went into a frenzy, "Who are you, really?!"
"How dare you offend me! Today, you will die without a doubt!"
"..., Little Five, it's me."
"The events of the past are too complex to explain in a few words, but... do you not recognize me?" Yao Mu felt a mix of regret and sighs.
"You're not her!"
But Little Five gritted his teeth and rebuked, "She's not this big!"
Yao Mu was taken aback, then immediately felt her head turning black. The emotions she had carefully brewed, like awe and regret, vanished in an instant.
Long Ao Jiao was also surprised.
Then, she let out a strange laugh.
Heh!
I thought you were really like that fairy.
But it turned out...
Yao Mu rolled her eyes, "Little Five, I think you're itching for a fight."
"Come, let's have a go!"
She immediately took action.
Little Five also responded with a cold reception.
He still couldn't believe that Yao Mu was Liang Danxia.
But after a brief exchange, he was shocked and found it hard to believe.
"Is it really you?"
"How is this possible?"
"You... you're supposed to be dead!"
"You've been dead for thousands of years. Why did you suddenly return? Where have you been for these thousands of years?"
"I did die once." Yao Mu sighed, "Fortunately, I was lucky enough to take on a student, and this student had a good master."
"So, I came back to life."
"And this time, I've returned to clean house and reclaim what's rightfully mine."
"Clean... house?"
"Household?!"
Little Five's expression changed repeatedly, "So, my intuition over these years has been correct?"
"Your intuition?"
"Han Feng has a problem!"
"When she returned from the Northern Domain, she claimed that you had perished, and your destiny slip was shattered. We didn't doubt her, and she said that you appointed her as the Pill Tower Master before your death, which we also didn't question."
"After all, she was your only direct disciple."
"But over the years, I always felt that she was intentionally erasing all traces related to you, and I couldn't stand it. Instinctively, I felt something was wrong with her."
Yao Mu realized, "So, that's why you secluded yourself to break through, but you've been stuck at this step for so long, unable to 'break through'?"
"So, you wouldn't be used by her?"
"Hmph."
Little Five snorted coldly, but his face was filled with joy, "What else?"
"Although I, Qian Wu, have always been inferior to you since childhood, I'm not useless to the point of making no progress after thousands of years. Thousands of years ago, I was just half a step away from becoming an Alchemy Grand Master, but now, after so many more years, I still haven't made any progress?"
"You're underestimating me too much!"
"It's not underestimation but a test.
(End of Chapter)
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