Chapter 329: The Evil Pill
Chapter 329: The Evil Pill
Mo Hua found a clean spot, sat down cross-legged, and began to ponder.
The only place he had ever encountered an evil array was at Hei Mountain Fortress.
The outer perimeter of the fortress utilized orthodox Five Elements Arrays, which were in harmony with the laws of heaven and thus, not considered evil.
The Five Elements Arrays were rooted in ancient and natural principles, whereas evil arrays carried a polluted aura that was difficult to conceal, even with concealment arrays.
That was why San Dangjia had only set up evil arrays in the most secretive location within the fortress—the Crimson Pill Chamber.
One was the Bronze Beast Gate, and the other was the White Bone Pill Furnace.
The evil array on the Bronze Beast Gate served as a guard, while the one in the White Bone Pill Furnace was meant for pill concoction.
Given San Dangjia's dedication to studying this evil array, it was unlikely that it was meant solely for guarding.
If that was the case, then it must be for pill concoction.
To concoct evil pills, one would naturally require an evil pill furnace, and to create an evil pill furnace, one would need evil array formations.
It was highly probable that San Dangjia had drawn this evil array for pill concoction purposes.
But what kind of pill was he trying to refine?
The Rejuvenation Pill?
At this point, was he still thinking about refining the Rejuvenation Pill?
Was San Dangjia so "dedicated" to his work?
With Hei Mountain Fortress in ruins and the fortress master having fled, was he still diligently studying evil arrays to refine a pill for his own survival?
That seemed unlikely...
Mo Hua felt that something was amiss, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it for the moment.
"Should I ask Master Zhuang?"
Mo Hua thought for a moment and then shook his head.
If he took this array to Master Zhuang, the latter might think that he wanted to learn evil arrays.
Moreover, Master Zhuang valued tranquility, and Mo Hua didn't want to disturb his master's secluded cultivation with such a polluted array.
Besides, Master Zhuang would probably be leaving soon, and from then on, he would have to rely on himself for everything.
As this thought occurred to him, Mo Hua felt a sense of loss.
Master Zhuang was leaving...
He didn't know if he would ever see his master again.
Mo Hua's spirits were dampened for a while, but he soon snapped out of his daze and regained his focus, continuing his train of thought.
If he couldn't start with the evil array, he could still look for clues related to the pills.
Mo Hua took out some paper and a brush, sketching the White Bone Pill Furnace, the Crimson Pill Chamber, and some of the strange herbs from San Dangjia's storage bag.
Mo Hua went to the Pill Concocting House in the south of the city and showed these drawings to Old Man Feng.
Old Man Feng's expression changed drastically, and he exclaimed, "These are..."
"Pills refined by evil cultivators!"
Mo Hua explained the situation, including the matters concerning Hei Mountain Fortress and San Dangjia, as well as his suspicions: "Do you think they were refining other pills as well?"
Old Man Feng took a moment to calm himself before replying, "It's possible. These sinister herbs look similar, but their medicinal properties differ. They don't seem like they're meant for the same pill concoction..."
Mo Hua asked eagerly, "Do you know what kind of pill it is?"
This was a tricky question for Old Man Feng.
He replied diplomatically, "I'm not an evil pill master..."
Mo Hua sighed, "What a shame..."
Old Man Feng gave Mo Hua a slight glare and said teasingly, "So, if I were an evil pill master, would it still be a shame?"
Realizing his slip of the tongue, Mo Hua scratched his head and laughed sheepishly.
Old Man Feng chuckled and shook his head, "I'll find some other pill masters from the Pill Concocting House to help you inquire about this."
Mo Hua asked in confusion, "If you don't know, how can they know?"
Old Man Feng smiled gently and said, "Never underestimate anyone...
"The people in this world are diverse and talented in their own ways. On the long path of cultivation, even those who seem ordinary will have unique experiences, knowledge, and insights that others may not possess.
"If you don't ask, how will you know if they know or not?"
Mo Hua nodded, having gained some enlightenment.
After a while, Old Man Feng gathered all the pill masters from the Pill Concocting House, and they arrived in a swarm.
Old Man Feng explained the situation and showed them Mo Hua's drawings of the White Bone Pill Furnace and the sinister herbs.
The crowd became agitated.
"Old Man Qian is truly despicable."
"To refine such pills is to forsake all conscience!"
"He's committing heinous acts that will lead him to a terrible end!"
They knew that Old Man Qian was an evil cultivator who had colluded with Hei Mountain Fortress and done evil deeds, but they weren't aware of the specifics. Now that they learned about the human pill refinement, they were outraged.
Pill masters studied the Dao of pill concoction to cure illnesses and save lives, not to use humans for pill refinement.
This went against the very principles these pill masters upheld.
Old Man Feng raised his hand to quiet the crowd and asked, "Does anyone know what kind of pills these herbs can be used for?"
The pill masters exchanged glances, as none of them were evil pill masters either, and they had never practiced the ways of evil demons. Thus, they weren't familiar with these herbs.
While they lacked "professional" knowledge about refining evil pills, their "unprofessional" experiences provided a wealth of information.
"I guess it's the Blood Sha Dan," one ventured.
"I think it's the Human Primordial Dan," offered another.
"How could it be the Human Primordial Dan?" came a skeptical response.
"I only know about this one type of evil Dan, so that's my guess..."
"How can you guess something like that?"
"Guessing is all about taking a chance, isn't it?"
...
"I once dealt with an evil Dan master," one of them recalled. "He used the bloodline of his closest relatives as a catalyst and refined a type of Blood Source Dan..."
"It's embarrassing, but my ancestor was once an evil Dan master," another confessed. "He refined several types of evil Dan and even shamelessly recorded their names in our family's genealogy. It's so disgraceful that I've never dared to mention it until now..."
...
Old Man Feng listened attentively, recording the names and origins of the Dan pills.
Soon, he filled an entire page with notes.
Mo Hua leaned over to take a look. The page was filled with ominous Dan names that prominently featured words like "devour," "human," "blood," "evil," and "sha." It was clear that these were not your average medicinal pills.
However, as Mo Hua scanned the list, he felt that none of these Dan names seemed to match the pill that Old Man Qian had refined.
Old Man Feng furrowed his brow, sharing Mo Hua's concern.
Just then, a young Dan master spoke up hesitantly, "I..."
He trailed off, unable to finish his thought.
The Dan master next to him grew impatient, "What's with the 'I'? Spit it out if you have something to say!"
"I... I've heard a rumor," the young man finally blurted out.
Being young and of a lower generation, he felt uncomfortable speaking up in front of so many people.
The crowd waited patiently for him to continue.
"I don't recognize these herbs or the pill furnace," he explained, "but... but I once heard a rumor."
"Get to the point!" urged the impatient Dan master beside him.
"Don't rush him; let him speak at his own pace!" countered another.
After a brief commotion, Old Man Feng calmed the group and gently encouraged the young Dan master, "Take your time, there's no need to rush. It's alright if you're wrong."
Reassured, the young man relaxed and continued, "Many years ago, I followed my master on his travels. We stopped at a dilapidated temple for the night. It was cold, so I slept in my clothes. I woke up freezing in the middle of the night and saw my master talking to a strange Taoist priest."
"That Taoist priest had a strange voice. It was clearly his own voice, but it sounded like it was borrowed from someone else..."
"He told my master about a Dan called the... 'Transcendental Life Transformation Dan.' It uses a person's lifespan as a catalyst, converting their life force into blood and qi, refining it into medicinal power, and eventually condensing it into a Dan that can help one break through their cultivation realm..."
"What happened after that?" someone asked eagerly.
"After that..." the young Dan master blushed with embarrassment, "I was so cold and hungry that I fell asleep again. I don't know what happened next..."
The crowd expressed their disappointment.
"What about your master?" someone asked.
"He went in."
"What?"
The young Dan master lowered his voice, "He was taken to the Taoist prison..."
The crowd fell silent.
"So, he was refining that... Transcendental Life Transformation Dan?"
The young Dan master shook his head, "No, he hadn't started refining yet. He only managed to get his hands on a few herbs through connections before the Taoist court found out and arrested him..."
"Did the Taoist court give you any trouble?"
"I was also taken to the prison, but they questioned me, and since I didn't know anything, they released me after about ten days."
The young Dan master sighed and wore a troubled expression as he continued, "My parents spent spirit stones to find me a master so that I could learn some skills and make a living in the future."
"In the end, I didn't learn much, and my master ended up in prison..."
"But I'm also grateful that I didn't learn my master's skills, or I might have ended up in prison too..."
"When I returned, my parents made me swear to keep this a secret. But seeing that you're all discussing such matters, I thought I'd share it, hoping it might be of some help..."
Old Man Feng nodded, "Indeed, you've been a great help. However, regarding this matter, it's best not to mention it to outsiders in the future."
The young Dan master beamed with pride at Old Man Feng's praise and nodded vigorously.
The impatient Dan master beside him patted his shoulder and sighed, "You're lucky, kid. You didn't stray down the wrong path, or your life would've been ruined."
The young cultivator smiled sheepishly.
However, Mo Hua's expression gradually turned solemn.
Life Dan... Transcendental Life Transformation Dan...
Breaking through realms and enhancing one's cultivation...
A chill ran down Mo Hua's spine.
If Old Man Qian was indeed refining the Transcendental Life Transformation Dan, they were in deep trouble.
(End of Chapter)
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