The Path to Immortality: Mastering a Hundred Arts Chapter Twenty-Two: The Nameless Elixir Recipe (Please bookmark and recommend)

To think that I would run into a true inner-sect disciple of the Blood Cloud Sect here.

What a mess this has turned into.

Li Feng felt a bit awkward. If she were to find out that the person standing before her was the very culprit who ignited the war between their two sects, he would likely be skinned alive.

Seeing that he had remained silent for a long time, the young woman pressed, "Still don't believe me?"

"I believe you, but it would be better to receive the reward in person."

Li Feng did not harbor any delusions about making the Blood Cloud Sect owe him a massive favor. Favors of that magnitude were not necessarily a good thing; they could easily cost a man his life.

"What do you want?"

"That depends on what you have that is worth my effort."

"I have a high-grade tier-one flying sword in my storage bag. It is crafted from mysterious crystal, inlaid with a demonic core, and possesses an inherent wind attribute. If you can lift this curse, I will give it to you."

Li Feng shook his head. "Is a fellow daoist's life only worth a high-grade tier-one flying sword?"

The young woman felt a surge of annoyance; this guy was clearly taking advantage of her predicament. A high-grade tier-one flying sword could fetch five thousand spirit stones even when sold at a low price—enough for an ordinary rogue cultivator to live on for a year. Observing Li Feng’s eighth-level Qi Refining cultivation and his plain clothing, she assumed he had likely never even used such a fine weapon.

"I also have fifty Spirit-Enhancing Pills here, which help boost cultivation for those in the Qi Refining stage. You can take those as well."

Li Feng still shook his head. "Fellow Daoist, you hold your own life too cheaply."

"Don't push your luck. What I’ve promised is enough to hire a second-tier talisman master." The young woman gritted her teeth, a nameless fire igniting within her.

Li Feng shrugged and spread his hands. "Then please, feel free to do so."

He turned to leave.

"Wait."

Her consciousness was beginning to blur. If the curse wasn't lifted soon, she would inevitably fall into a state of cultivation deviation. She knew this location was secret and that she wouldn't find another suitable person. She had no choice but to agree to Li Feng’s terms.

"I have one more item on me, of great value—worth ten flying swords. If you can lift the curse, I will give it to you."

"Oh? What is it?" Li Feng’s interest was piqued.

"A pill recipe that can extend one's lifespan."

"You mean the second-tier Longevity Pill?"

Li Feng already possessed that recipe and wasn't particularly interested; what he lacked were the ingredients to refine it. Unless she could produce a third-tier Life-Extending Pill recipe, or perhaps a fourth-tier Cycle Pill, he wasn't moved. A single second-tier Longevity Pill could only add five to six years to one's life. A third-tier Life-Extending Pill could add nearly twenty years. As for the rare Cycle Pill, taking just one could increase one's lifespan by sixty years!

In his quest to extend his own life, Li Feng had pored over countless ancient texts. Beyond the Cycle Pill, there were even legends of the Septuagenarian Pill and the Centenarian Pill. However, these existed only in myths and had not been seen in the world for hundreds of years.

Li Feng wasn't expecting too much at the moment. As long as he could gather the ingredients for the Longevity Pill, he wouldn't have to worry about dying of old age in the short term. Furthermore, through his simulations, he had discovered several advantages to his "Ten-Spirit Root" physique. For example, his tolerance to medicinal resistance was much higher than that of a normal cultivator. While others might find their cultivation progress stalled after ten Spirit-Enhancing Pills, he had consumed nearly a thousand before developing any resistance. Thus, he felt the common wisdom that one could only ever benefit from one longevity pill in a lifetime did not apply to him.

"Although this recipe is also second-tier, it is definitely not the standard second-tier Longevity Pill."

The young woman’s words surprised him. He had never heard of any other second-tier pills that could extend life. But the world was vast and full of wonders. Just because the Guiyuan Kingdom hadn't heard of it didn't mean such a pill didn't exist on the Immortal Spirit Continent. After all, the Immortal Spirit Continent was boundless, and the Guiyuan Kingdom was but a drop in the ocean.

"This unnamed recipe is second-tier low-grade. I’ve had it appraised by others; its efficacy is genuine."

"An unnamed recipe? You aren't trying to swindle me, are you?"

It was rare for a pill recipe to be unnamed. Unless it was concocted by some amateur alchemist through blind experimentation and failed to gain public recognition, it wouldn't end up nameless.

"I swear upon my Dao Heart: if I have spoken even half a lie, may my inner demons consume me, and may I never reach the Golden Core stage."

The young woman was desperate; she couldn't afford any more delays. Most cultivators dared not make such a grave, lethal vow. Li Feng believed her halfway.

"Give me the recipe first, and then I will lift your curse."

"No. I must first confirm you have the ability to lift the Ten Thousand Ghost Talisman." The young woman refused decisively. Her sixth sense told her this man was no saint. Handing over the recipe too early would likely put her life in danger.

Li Feng pondered for a moment and nodded. "Fine. I will start by removing two of the Ten Thousand Ghost Talismans."

Li Feng took out his talisman brush and prepared the spirit ink. Once everything was ready, he moved to unfasten the woman’s outer garment.

The young woman clutched her chest and backed away in alarm. "What are you doing!"

"Helping you lift the curse, obviously. What else?"

"Since when does a talisman master need to strip someone to lift a curse?"

"That’s just my process. Are you doing it or not?" Li Feng held his brush, looking completely "earnest."

He truly had no ulterior motives. It was primarily because he had made slight modifications when he originally crafted the Ten Thousand Ghost Talismans, making them significantly more cumbersome to remove. Coupled with the fact that she had been under the curse for a long time, the talismanic power had already seeped into her body. If he didn't use the brush as a conduit to draw that power out, she would be dead within the hour.

The young woman was torn between shame and indignation, her heart caught in a fierce struggle.

"If you harbor any ill intent, I will kill you!"

With that, she opened her robes and closed her eyes tightly. Her face was breathtakingly beautiful, her eyelashes trembling, reflecting her inner anxiety. Upon her fair skin, the ghastly, clawing azure patterns of the Ten Thousand Ghost Talisman were revealed.

Li Feng mentally filtered out the talisman markings, staring blankly at the two pink points.

"You bastard, hurry up!" the woman shouted, sensing something was wrong.

"What’s the rush? I have to analyze the markings clearly. If something goes wrong, you’re the one who suffers." Li Feng licked his lips, cast aside his distracting thoughts, and gradually focused his expression.

He used his talisman brush to channel his spirit energy, tracing the patterns. The brush occasionally brushed against her pink cherries, causing her body to shudder.

"Don't move!" Li Feng commanded.

Half an hour passed. Li Feng successfully erased two of the markings. As the curse’s effect weakened, a faint flush returned to the young woman’s pale face.

"My technique isn't too bad, is it?" Li Feng asked with a chuckle. Any other talisman master of his level would have spent at least two hours on just those two markings.

The woman did not reply; she sat cross-legged and began to check her physical condition. Soon, she opened her eyes and pulled a pill recipe from her storage bag. Li Feng reached out to take it.

*Rip.*

The woman tore the completed recipe into two halves.

"What is the meaning of this?" Li Feng’s expression turned cold.

The woman replied, "Once I have fully recovered, I will give you the other half."

Li Feng took the half-recipe and examined it repeatedly. The ingredients and methods listed were fundamentally sound. However, to confirm if the recipe truly possessed life-extending properties, he would need the complete document.

"Fine. I suppose I’m just too kind-hearted. Have it your way. Lay back down!"

Li Feng felt a flicker of irritation. As he removed the remaining markings, he used his brush with elaborate, nuanced strokes, pulling and twisting with every ounce of his skill.

Time ticked by. The temperature in the tunnel rose, and both of them were drenched in sweat.

After what felt like an eternity, the final marking finally vanished. Li Feng immediately withdrew his brush, backed away, and crushed over thirty protection talismans to shield himself. The talismans transformed into layers of golden light, extending a meter around him like a sturdy turtle shell.