Chapter 112: Better Safe Than Sorry

“Greetings!” Immortal Nine Skies said with solemn respect, “Qing Kong and Bi Xiao are a pair of cultivation partners. In those days, Qing Kong, Bi Xiao, and Master Xuan Xu were legendary figures! Cultivators at my level can only look up to them…” She smiled wryly and continued, “Mei’er, Master Xuan Xu and I only met once over a hundred years ago. At that time, I was only at the ‘Void Opening’ stage of cultivation, while Qing Kong, Bi Xiao, and Xuan Xu had already reached the ‘Taiyi Golden Immortal’ stage! Later, for reasons unknown, Qing Kong, Bi Xiao, and Xuan Xu all vanished without a trace… I never expected that today, Master Xuan Xu would appear at Yuhua Peak at the ‘Great Luo Golden Immortal’ cultivation level, and that he would know the cultivation levels of both me and Qing Xuzi so clearly… Mei’er, have you heard what Master Xuan Xu intends to do at Yuhua Peak?”

“He plans to ‘seclude himself’ there for cultivation,” She Mei’er replied. “Master, Xuan Xu said that Yuhua Peak on Mount Zhongnan is his ‘Mysterious Void Place,’ rich in spiritual energy. He set up a ‘barrier’ there five hundred years ago. Today, Master Xuan Xu swore that he would enter the underground palace beneath the ‘Mysterious Void Place’ to ‘seclude himself’ for cultivation, vowing not to emerge until he reaches the ‘Primordial Great Luo Golden Immortal’ stage.”

Immortal Nine Skies was stunned upon hearing this.

She stood silently for a long moment before sighing deeply, “Alas! Master Xuan Xu has already reached the ‘Great Luo Golden Immortal’ stage, yet he persistently continues his seclusion cultivation—such a fearless and determined spirit to scale the highest peak is truly admirable!”

“Yes!” She Mei’er immediately brightened. “Master, it is precisely because of this that I feel so inspired and have returned to intensify my own cultivation!”

“Hmm, well done!” Immortal Nine Skies praised. “Mei’er, I am going to refine the ‘Miasma-Expelling Pill’ to prepare for our journey to the Mysterious Island. Now, come with me to the alchemy chamber.”

“Yes,” She Mei’er readily agreed and left the Seven Stars Hall with Immortal Nine Skies, heading straight to the alchemy chamber. As they walked, she asked, “Master, as far as I know, miasma is poisonous gas produced by the decomposition of dead plants and animals in tropical rainforests, heated by high temperatures… The Mysterious Island lies in the East Sea and has a maritime climate, not tropical. Surely there is no miasma there. So why do you want to refine the ‘Miasma-Expelling Pill’?”

“Better safe than sorry,” Immortal Nine Skies patiently explained. “Mei’er, you don’t know. Although there is no miasma on the Mysterious Island, the ancient ruins beneath it have been sealed tight for centuries, completely airtight. Harmful gases similar to miasma might be generated there. Mei’er, always remember: before undertaking anything, think deeply and consider all possible scenarios to avoid being caught off guard… Only then can you be invincible!”

“Master’s words are indeed wise. Mei’er will remember your teachings!” She Mei’er responded loudly and clearly.

They arrived at the alchemy chamber. Immortal Nine Skies walked to the desk and summoned her alchemy furnace from her storage space using spiritual power, placing it on the table. She Mei’er obediently asked, “Master, what medicinal ingredients are needed to refine the ‘Miasma-Expelling Pill’? Please tell me the recipe, and I will fetch them.”

“Good,” Immortal Nine Skies nodded with satisfaction, pleased by Mei’er’s cleverness. “Mei’er, go get these: five taels of cinnabar, two taels of realgar, two taels of orpiment, one tael of borax, three taels of copper sulfate, and ten drops of mercury.”

“Yes,” She Mei’er answered and quickly went to the cabinet where the medicinal herbs were stored.

Immortal Nine Skies did not yet know that the ‘Ruyi Alchemy Furnace’ had fallen into Yan Chixia’s hands, so she still longed for it. Facing her own alchemy furnace, the ‘Qiong Furnace,’ she couldn’t help but think of the ‘Ruyi Alchemy Furnace’…

The ‘Qiong Furnace’ was a treasure she had painstakingly forged over many years. It could be enlarged or shrunk at will and was capable not only of refining Golden Elixirs but also various magical instruments: the ‘Demonic Sound Zither,’ the ‘Shadow-Following Mandarin Duck Bracelet,’ the ‘Heavenly Net Shadowless Veil,’ and even the ‘Ruyi Divine Vessel’ all came from the ‘Qiong Furnace.’

Immortal Nine Skies was lost in thought, pondering the ‘Ruyi Alchemy Furnace,’ when She Mei’er called out, “Master, we are out of orpiment, and there’s only one tael and two qian of copper sulfate left. What should I do?”

“Oh?” Immortal Nine Skies snapped back to attention. “Is that so? Mei’er, go down the mountain and buy some. I will wait for you to return…”

Blushing, She Mei’er came before Immortal Nine Skies and said, “Master, it’s all my fault! If only I had mastered the Paper Talismans Technique like Yan Chixia, I could activate what I lack with talisman magic right away.”

“Mei’er, don’t blame yourself,” Immortal Nine Skies comforted gently. “As for the Paper Talismans Technique, I am not as skilled as you yet. Now, don’t waste time—go buy the herbs.”

“Yes, Master.” She Mei’er agreed, then used the ‘Gentle Breeze Dispersal’ technique to vanish instantly.

…

At this moment, at Qingxu Temple on Mount Zhongnan, Yan Chixia, Bai Xiaoyue, Tu Xiaomeng, and Song Ta’er gathered closely around Master Qingxu, earnestly asking questions about the Mysterious Island.

Song Ta’er asked, “Master, what exactly is the Mysterious Island like?”

Tu Xiaomeng asked, “Master, Immortal Nine Skies said that the ‘Sea Soul Beasts’ inhabit the East Sea and sometimes roam around… Did you encounter any ‘Sea Soul Beasts’ on the Mysterious Island today?”

Yan Chixia asked, “Master, according to Immortal Nine Skies, the Mysterious Island usually remains hidden beneath the vast ocean. Only on the full moon night in mid-March, when spring warms the earth and a great tide arrives, does the sea level drop drastically, allowing the Mysterious Island to appear for a few hours. There are still eight days until the full moon on March 15th, so the sea level there should not have fallen yet, and the Mysterious Island remains submerged… Master, how did you examine the ancient ruins there?”

Bai Xiaoyue asked, “Yes! Master, just how powerful is the ‘seal’ on that ancient ruin? If you and Immortal Nine Skies join forces to attack, there should be no problem, right?”

After Master Qingxu answered their questions, he instructed Bai Xiaoyue, Tu Xiaomeng, and Song Ta’er to continue their cultivation. Then he turned to Yan Chixia and said, “Danzi, come with me to the alchemy chamber. I plan to have you use the ‘Ruyi Alchemy Furnace’ to refine some ‘Great Recovery Pills’ and ‘Nine-turn Golden Pills’—better to be prepared. When we go to the Mysterious Island, carrying more pills will provide greater safety!”