The Science of Cultivation [Xianxia]

Chapter 194: Touring Nightmoon Valley

After savoring his food for several minutes, Li Lang politely washed the dishes with the bucket of water next to the pot and cleaned himself up. Hearing how the two seniors who were supposed to accompany him around Nightmoon Valley’s grounds were still sparring outside, he exited the modest house to rejoin them.

He knew exactly where they were due to the sound of their clashes. They hadn’t stopped fighting the entire time he was eating. He could see them right away upon leaving the house, as they were level with him, but they weren’t standing on any solid ground. Instead, they were hovering in the air, circling around each other on their own skyswords.

“Senior Jian, Senior Tai!” Li Lang shouted. “How much longer will you two be?”

His words made the two cultivators come to a stop mid-swing. They didn’t break eye contact with each other for some time, while frozen stiff in the air.

“Sorry about that, Li Lang,” Jian Beiyun said as he adjusted his robes. “We got carried away. I can bring you to the Pill Hall now if you’re ready.”

“Yes, please. I’d like to complete everything while there’s still light out.”

“Follow me, then.”

The head disciple of Nightmoon Valley quickly descended, followed by Tai Xilun.

Jian Beiyun was at the lead, bringing the two visitors through the mountainside residence of his organization while waving at the occasional cultivator they came across. During the other moments, he chatted leisurely with his guests.

“So, how was my porridge? Was it to your liking?”

“Honestly, yeah. It’s way better than what the inns serve, or our new cooks for that matter.”

“It’d be embarrassing if my food was worse than mortal food when I used Earth-grade ingredients. Still, I don’t doubt my skill in the culinary department. Sima Xue could attest to that. I basically fed her growing up.”

“That was made using Earth-grade ingredients?!” Li Lang raised his voice a level higher than before. “I didn’t know. You didn’t have to use something so valuable on me.”

“Nonsense. You’re our guests. A bit of Earth-grade food is nothing. It’ll do you some good if you got used to eating it too.”

Li Lang frowned upon hearing those words. For him, good food was to be appreciated, but it wasn’t worth spending a chunk of his wealth on. He’d rather save it to buy something needed for cultivation or research.

“I know what you’re thinking. It’s expensive, but that’s only relative to your income right now. Your friend, Long Yi, will be able to easily afford it just by doing a few odd jobs or collecting ingredients from areas that he can now access as a Foundation Establishment cultivator.”

“Senior, I don’t think it’s a matter of whether we can afford it or not. I heard rumors it is useful in cultivation, but nothing specific about its effects. Is it really useful?”

“Haha, yes, the age-old question. Every senior around here seems to agree that it can only be beneficial, but I can’t say exactly why that is true. All I’ve been told is that it primes your body for cultivation.”

“Does that mean all the disciples from big organizations eat these high-quality foods from an early age?”

“Only those that the elders like, I guess. How is it in the Bloodwave Conclave?” Jian Beiyun asked.

“About the same.”

“Hmm, sounds about right. All those banquets I’m invited to wherever I go are always filled with even Saint-grade foodstuff. Those esteemed gentlemen in the Violet Core Realm don’t even need to eat to sustain themselves, but they still gorge themselves all the time.”

Hmm, should I move up my plans and start researching Qi food? No, I need to do things in an orderly manner. I’ve already decided to do it once I’ve broken through to the next major realm first. I need to focus on this first.

As they casually chatted, they soon found themselves before a wooden fence that surrounded a small plot of land and a house. Jian Beiyun opened the gate without a thought and strode toward the house. The two visitors followed him while gazing at the various herbs and grains planted in the field.

“Elder Kun, are you here?” Jian Beiyun shouted from ahead.

No reply came, so the two guests tactfully busied themselves with enjoying the view of the field.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

“Hmm, they’re probably busy. Let’s head inside to wait, you two.”

Walking into the wooden house, the heavy smell of herbs attacked the newcomers. There were large wooden cabinets against the walls of the entire room, each with dozens of compartments. There were even a few teenagers using a grinding stone to crush some plants. They were all entirely focused on their job, paying the trio no mind.

Jian Beiyun looked at the scene as if it was normal, sat down in the corner, and began brewing some tea using the pot at the table.

“Shouldn’t be too long. Elder Kun would never let those freshly ground herbs sit out in the open for long.”

Jian Beiyun was right. Not too long after they sat down, Elder Kun really did make his presence be known. However, he didn’t do it through any ordinary method. Instead, he announced himself by setting off an ear-piercing explosion that shook the two guests.

Tai Xilun even shot up from his seat and drew his blade from his space ring while Li Lang turned toward the origin of the ruckus. Only Jian Beiyun and the other disciples of Nightmoon Valley remained unperturbed.

Not long after the explosion, an Elder wearing robes stained with soot walked out from one of the corridors.

He didn’t care how messy his attire was and went straight to the teenagers. To be more precise, to the herbs.

“Elder Kun, you’re here,” Jian Beiyun stood up and greeted. “I’ve got orders from the Valley Master to give our guests here a few pills. I’ll need to trouble you to fetch them for us.”

The old man with a gray mustache carefully sniffed the herbs in his hand before answering.

“Which pills?”

“Foundation Pills and Ascension Pills.”

No reaction could be seen on the elder’s face upon hearing those names. He simply strode toward one of the cabinets, floated up toward one of the compartments near the top, and opened it.

Just as Li Lang wondered why Jian Beiyun couldn’t have asked one of the disciples working here instead of waiting for the old man to fetch the pills, the cabinet the old man touched began to shine with bright yellow light. The compartment only opened after the light dimmed.

Two bottles could be seen in Elder Kun’s hand. He popped each one open to take a sniff of it before throwing them over to Jian Beiyun. Then, he returned to the herbs his subordinates were working on without a care in the world.

“Umm, Senior Jian,” Li Lang whispered. “I also wanted the pill recipes for these pills.”

“Understood,” he said as he turned back to the elder. “Elder Kun, could you provide the pill recipe for these two pills as well?”

“Hah? You can find that out at the guild or something. It’s not like it’s a secret or anything.”

“Elder, please. It’s part of the Valley Master’s orders.”

The man sighed and swiftly tore a piece of paper from one of the tables and scribbled a few things down. When he was done, he tossed it toward Jian Beiyun before bringing his attention back to the herbs without a second of delay.

I guess it’ll only be a waste of time trying to ask him some questions about alchemy, huh? Oh well. Even I know asking about Earth-grade pills won’t help me too much. Only with the power of a Foundation Establishment cultivator can one refine them.

“Let’s go before Elder Kun gets annoyed at our presence,” Jian Beiyun advised.

Under his guidance, the group quickly exited out of the Pill Hall.

“Here are the pills, Li Lang. Got anywhere else you want to visit? I can give you some recommendations if you like.”

“Hmm, just a brief tour on our way out is fine. I want to make it back to Emberglow tonight. Oh, and maybe we can visit Sima Xue while I’m here. She’ll probably make me buy her tofu pudding if I don’t at least greet her while I’m here.”

“Ha, about time someone else has to take on that responsibility. Unfortunately, she’s under master’s orders to stay within a meditation chamber until she’s successfully comprehended the technique she’s learning. I don’t think she’s coming out any time soon.”

“Then—remember to give her my regards once she’s out.”

“No problem.”

“So I guess we can take a quick look around on Senior Tai’s Skyrunner before we leave. What do you say, Senior Tai? Do you have anything else you need to do here or down in Nightshade Valley?”

“No. That’s fine.”

With nothing binding either of the two visitors, the party of three took a spin around the two peaks that made up Nightmoon Valley before they took their leave. They exited out the same way they came, passing through the tunnel on the ground level.

As soon as they made their way out back into the open world, Li Lang couldn’t help but shield his eyes from the bright lights of the sun.

This trip wasn’t so bad. Time to return and get back to work!