CHAPTER 41: CHAPTER 40: INNER SECT LIFE

After calming down the future Fire Cloud Rat, Lin Jing entered the alchemy room within the cave.

This alchemy room had walls inlaid with millennium cold stones, regulating the temperature inside the cave. In the center of the room, an old alchemy stove was connected to the fiery depths underground.

Other than that, there was nothing else.

"This cave... seems a bit old."

"Elder Shen said this is already the best cave left, really..."

Lin Jing activated the Fire Control Technique jade slip, absorbing the method to control flames into his mind.

With the experience of self-creating "Thousand Changes Myriad Transformations", Lin Jing found this basic fire control magic’s use of True Qi to be very simple.

He formed a hand seal with one hand and easily drew up the earth fire with True Qi on his first attempt, barely missing the Pine Leaf Mouse watching nearby, without causing much damage.

"Squeak!"

Sparks flew as the Pine Leaf Mouse jumped aside, angrily glaring at Lin Jing.

Attempted murder of a pet beast!

Failed!

"Sorry, it was the first time, a bit unskilled." Lin Jing spoke, "But if you learn fire magic, you won’t have to fear fire anymore."

The Pine Leaf Mouse protested, did it look stupid!

"Alright, it won’t happen next time. With a little practice, mastering the beginner Fire Control Technique shouldn’t be hard. Let’s go out and take a stroll first." Lin Jing continued to soothe.

...

After leaving the cave, Lin Jing first headed to the Danxia Peak branch of the Harvest Pavilion connected to the whole sect.

Compared to the outer sect’s Harvest Pavilion, the ones sold here weren’t basic spiritual crops like spirit rice or spirit beans.

"Fire Cloud Pepper? The Beast Taming Sect doesn’t have such a thing."

However, unfortunately, the Fire Cloud Pepper that Lin Jing needed was not in stock at the Beast Taming Sect.

After leaving the Harvest Pavilion, the Pine Leaf Mouse on Lin Jing’s shoulder was in a good mood, seemingly because it didn’t have to eat peppers, but its smile soon disappeared.

Lin Jing... walked from Danxia Peak to the highest peak of the Beast Taming Sect, arriving at the Inner Sect Task Hall.

The tasks at the Inner Sect Task Hall were more advanced compared to the Outer Sect, with demon-slaying missions everywhere, and Senior Brother Ouyang’s undercover mission in the Demon Sect was probably taken from here.

"I wish to post a task ’Looking for Fire Cloud Pepper Seeds’." Lin Jing inserted a task into the pile of advanced tasks that resembled an outer sect task.

"Hmm? A new face?" The supervisor of the Inner Sect Task Hall wasn’t a disciple but a Foundation Establishment Stage Bird Demon, very much like a starling among birds.

It was one of the pet beasts of the elder supervising the Inner Sect Task Hall, managing this place by proxy. It was said that whenever a disciple left the sect on a mission, it would sing a "Good Luck Song" for them, wishing them a safe return.

Each time a disciple did not return smoothly after hearing the song, there were tales of it weeping tears.

"Senior, I’m Lin Jing, a newly promoted Inner Sect Disciple from Danxia Peak."

"Considering the timing, indeed, the Inner Sect examination just ended." The starling said, "Posting a task requires a Spirit Stone, what is your task reward?"

"Spirit Stone." Lin Jing replied, though the storage bag of the Snowfield Cultivator didn’t hold much of value, it still had some basic currency of the cultivators. The beast blood inside was given to the senior brothers and sisters, the remaining spirit stones were meant for buying some peppers for the Pine Leaf Mouse.

Having posted the task, Lin Jing left the Task Hall satisfied, stopping by the Pill Tower in Danxia Peak on his way back to the cave.

The Pill Tower can be said to be Danxia Peak’s exclusive Scripture Pavilion, differing from the Inner Sect Scripture Pavilion which stores various magics. Here, it was a collection of pill recipes available for Danxia Peak disciples to consult.

"With the alchemy room and Fire Control Technique already in hand, to learn alchemy, it’s best to practice it personally. Let’s go take two basic pill recipes." Lin Jing said to the Pine Leaf Mouse, who was quite down on his shoulder.

"Squeak..." It didn’t want to eat peppers.

"Don’t worry, I won’t force you. Once Elder Black Bear has completed his experiments without side effects, I’ll breathe fire myself." Lin Jing felt he had a kind heart, unable to bear his pet beast’s suffering.

At the Pill Tower, the guard wasn’t a human but a red-eyed Foundation Establishment Rabbit Demon.

Lin Jing shook his head, the outer sect was okay, but the inner sect felt like an abode full of demons, where demons were more numerous than humans.

"Are you the newly admitted Lin Jing from Danxia Peak?"

"Does Senior know me?"

"My Beast Master is Elder Shen, she informed me. She said if you come to the Pill Tower, she would help you select suitable pill recipes to practice with. Didn’t expect you to come so quickly." The Rabbit Demon said, "Have you memorized the Herb Compendium? Have you learned the Fire Control Technique, and now you’re in such a hurry to look for pill recipes?"

Lin Jing nodded, "I’ve memorized the Complete Herb Compendium and have an entry-level grasp of the Fire Control Technique."

"No wonder Elder Shen sees you as a prodigy." The Rabbit Demon nodded in satisfaction, "You can freely choose from the first floor’s basic pill recipes, which are formulas and techniques for refining first-tier pills suitable for the Qi Cultivation Stage."

"As for the second floor, there are higher-tier pills like various Foundation Establishment Pills, exchangeable with sect contribution points."

"I’ll choose two books from the first floor." Lin Jing said.

"You choose first, then I’ll give you my suggestions!" The Rabbit Demon rolled a piece of tobacco, sat back leisurely, took a puff, and exhaled a white mist.

Seeing this, Lin Jing fell silent.

Why is this Rabbit Demon smoking!

He covered the curious eyes of the Pine Leaf Mouse on his shoulder, not letting it see.

Then, he began looking through the first floor’s pill recipes himself.

Spirit Supplement Pill... Lin Jing and his cohort had consumed many, it replenishes mana and can be said to be useful across all realms, each grade differing only in the formula.

Beast Power Pill, which temporarily gives a cultivator the power of a demon beast.

Fasting Pill...

Hmm? Contraceptive Pill?

Lin Jing saw something familiar again, there seemed to be something called contraceptive technique before.

Apart from the Contraceptive Pill, there was also aphrodisiac powder and Peach Blossom Spirit Pills beside it.

He slightly opened his mouth, if not for knowing this was the Beast Taming Sect, he’d thought he had mistakenly walked into the Joyful Union Sect.

"Senior, I’ve made my selections."

After a while, Lin Jing took two pill recipes to the Rabbit Demon senior for review.

"Spirit Supplement Pill, indeed a foundational pill, very suitable for entry-level practice."

"Peach Blossom Spirit Pill... why did you choose this thing?" The Rabbit Demon asked.

"I suggest you choose the Beast Power Pill. Your pet, the Pine Leaf Mouse, is too fragile, and so is the Beast Master himself. With a Beast Power Pill, during combat, consuming one can give your body the might of a tiger or elephant!"

"The main point is... the Beast Power Pill sells better than the Peach Blossom Spirit Pill!"

"The Peach Blossom Spirit Pill can make the user experience hallucinations for a period of time, unable to distinguish between illusion and reality." Lin Jing said, "I’ve been studying illusion magic recently, so I wanted to take a few Peach Blossom Spirit Pills personally to feel it."

"I see." The Rabbit Demon said, "That’s very reasonable, then make your selection."

...

Taking the pill recipes, Lin Jing and his companions finally returned to the cave, where the Pine Leaf Mouse went to inventory the items in their two storage bags, while Lin Jing lay down and went straight to sleep.

He had been overly exhausted recently, overusing his mental faculties, and now needed a good rest.

In his dreams, Lin Jing imagined himself swallowing a Golden Core, the Pine Leaf Mouse cutting open the path to ascension with a single leaf, and both becoming the only cultivators on the Celestial Essence Continent to successfully ascend to the Immortal Realm.

This Immortal Realm... before they could observe it closely, they were knocked unconscious and tied up, sent to the Immortal Cave to mine.