Early the next morning, Big Head's senior, Li Heng, took Erdan and Goudan away. Shu Han waited for an hour before Li Heng returned, holding a jar, and escorted him alone to the back mountain.
The morning fog on Yandang Mountain was cool. Shu Han walked along the stone steps for a long distance before seeing a few other junior and senior brothers. He couldn't help but ask, "Senior Brother Li Heng, why don't we see other senior brothers in the Dragon Mystical Sect?"
"That's because we don't have many people in the Dragon Mystical Sect. Including those who go out to work, we only have seventy-three people," Li Heng explained.
"Children who can awaken their spiritual roots are already one in ten thousand. Awakening three in your village at once is very rare. Ah, if Senior Brother Zhang were still alive, this would be a great achievement."
"Senior Brother, where are we going? It seems like we're going downhill."
"I'm taking you to the second elder. Big Head, our Dragon Mystical Sect has three elders. The first elder is responsible for teaching, the second elder is responsible for refining medicine and making magic tools, and the third elder is responsible for the daily affairs of the sect. Most disciples practice under the first and third elders, but in terms of prestige, the second elder is second only to the Sect Leader."
Shu Han was puzzled, "Didn't you say that my talent is very poor, why can I apprentice under the second elder?"
"Because the second elder doesn't care about the disciple's cultivation, and the second elder's personality is quite unpredictable. I'm not scaring you, but after you go, you must behave well. Do not provoke him, otherwise, even the Sect Leader can't protect you!"
Li Heng's words made Shu Han shiver. He understood that he was not apprenticing under the second elder to cultivate, but to do chores. This made him feel a little disappointed deep down.
At the end of the stone steps, a valley filled with blue smoke could be seen. The valley was filled with a medicinal fragrance that made people feel refreshed. Then he saw a high tower in the valley, from which the blue smoke was emitting. As Shu Han continued to walk, he was suddenly stopped by Li Heng.
"Don't move! The front is the second elder's Heavenly Quadrant Sword Formation, anyone who intrudes will be killed by the flying swords!"
At this moment, a light flashed in the tower, and a flying sword shot toward the two of them. Shu Han was startled, but Li Heng remained calm.
The flying sword stopped in front of them, and the handle flashed with spiritual light. An impatient old voice came from the sword, "It's not the day to collect medicine, get out!"
Li Heng respectfully saluted the flying sword, "In response to the second elder, disciple Li Heng, on the orders of the third elder, has brought a new disciple to be under your command. Also, last time when I went down the mountain, I got a jar of fifty-year-old Huadiao wine and brought it to the elder."
"Fifty-year-old Huadiao wine! Hmm, good, good, you are thoughtful! Bring him in, find me in the Pill Refining Pavilion."
"Yes, elder."
So, under the watch of the flying sword, Li Heng led Shu Han toward the Pill Refining Pavilion.
Along the way, Shu Han couldn't help but sneak peeks at the flying sword. He found it amazing that this beautifully carved sword could not only float in the air but also transmit messages. He couldn't help but itch, wishing he could have one in the future.
The flying sword led them into the Pill Refining Pavilion. The first thing that greeted them was a two-story high copper furnace!
The fiery charcoal was burning at the bottom of the furnace, and the intense heat made the entire refining pavilion unbearably hot. Shu Han started to sweat profusely as soon as he entered.
The elder in front of the copper furnace was an old man with hair as white as snow. As soon as he opened his eyes, Shu Han felt his head buzz. The old man's gaze quickly moved to the jar of wine in Li Heng's arms. He reached out his hand, and the jar of wine automatically flew into his palm.
He took off the lid and took a careful sniff, satisfied, he said, "Fifty-four years old, not bad, not bad."
Then the old man turned his gaze to Shu Han and asked, "Why would Old Ning be willing to send a disciple to me? I made it clear with Dragon Mystical, I absolutely do not teach disciples, I only refine pills and make tools!"
"Well, master uncle, this kid has a five-spirit root. The third elder asked him to come and do miscellaneous tasks for you."
"Five-spirit root? No wonder those old men gave up hope and sent him to me. He's a lucky kid. Okay, he can stay."
Lucky? When did having a five-spirit root become lucky? Shu Han couldn't help but give a bitter smile.
The old man made a move, and two black pills flew into Li Heng's hands. Li Heng was overjoyed and quickly bowed in thanks, "Thank you for the pills, master uncle! I will definitely..." But the old man did not care about his flattery, instead, he scolded, "Get out if you have nothing to do!"
After Li Heng left dejectedly, Shu Han couldn't help but feel nervous, holding his bundle tightly and standing on the spot. Seeing this, the old man's eyes widened in anger, "What are you standing there for, boy? Kneel and greet your master!"
"Disciple Shu Han, greeting master!"
Shu Han hurriedly knelt down, knocking his head on the ground over a dozen times in fear.
"That's enough! Kid, if you keep knocking, you'll knock a hole. Get up, follow me!"
The old man stood up, and said leisurely, "Entering my sect, I will not teach you the Tao, nor give you methods, I will only give you tasks. If you do well, there is no reward, if you do not, there is punishment, and it won't be light, do you understand?"
Shu Han quickly nodded.
"But if you can learn a bit from me, it will be enough for you to be rich and prosperous in the mortal world."
Next, the old man pointed at the big copper furnace and arranged for Shu Han, "This furnace refines all the sect's pills, the fire at the bottom of the furnace must never go out. You must go to the valley mouth to collect firewood every morning. They will send over the hundred-year-old fruit wood that they have chopped. If there is a day's delay, I will not let you off easily!"
The old man then walked towards the back pavilion. Shu Han saw a two-story high cabinet, the numerous drawers made him dizzy. The old man threw a bunch of thick books at Shu Han and asked, "Boy, you can read, right?"
Shu Han hurriedly replied with fear and trepidation, "Master, the immortals have taught us."
The old man nodded, "That's good. This is my medicine cabinet, which contains all kinds of medicinal herbs cultivated and collected by the sect. This book records the effects and locations of all the medicinal herbs. I give you one month to memorize all the medicinal herbs. In the future, when I refine pills, you will be by my side to fetch the herbs."
After looking at the back pavilion, the old man took Shu Han to the backyard. The backyard was a neatly arranged medicinal field, filled with the fragrance of medicinal herbs. Shu Han looked closely and saw thousands of Enlightenment Herbs. The spiritual herb that he couldn't get before was growing here like chives in his own field.
"Watering and fertilizing every day is also your job. The book also records the watering and fertilizing time and amount for all the spiritual herbs. You must not make a mistake. If the spiritual herbs wilt, I will use you as medicine!"
Seeing the master's fierce expression, Shu Han nodded in fear. Then the old man threw him a token.
"With this token, you can come and go freely in the valley, and you will not be killed by my Heavenly Quadrant Sword Formation. Alright, if you have any questions, you can ask me now."
Shu Han, clutching the token, plucked up his courage and asked, "Master, what about my cultivation?"
"You want to cultivate? You ignorant brat!"
Despite his fear, Shu Han still nodded defiantly.
"Forget it!"
The old man took out a book from his pocket and threw it at Shu Han like trash.
"This is the Dragon Mystical Triple Rotation Divine Art of the Dragon Mystical Sect, just practice according to it. Don't ask me if you have any problems! I've never practiced this damn method!"
Early the next morning, Big Head's senior, Li Heng, took Erdan and Goudan away. Shu Han waited for an hour before Li Heng returned, holding a jar, and escorted him alone to the back mountain.
The morning fog on Yandang Mountain was cool. Shu Han walked along the stone steps for a long distance before seeing a few other junior and senior brothers. He couldn't help but ask, "Senior Brother Li Heng, why don't we see other senior brothers in the Dragon Mystical Sect?"
"That's because we don't have many people in the Dragon Mystical Sect. Including those who go out to work, we only have seventy-three people," Li Heng explained.
"Children who can awaken their spiritual roots are already one in ten thousand. Awakening three in your village at once is very rare. Ah, if Senior Brother Zhang were still alive, this would be a great achievement."
"Senior Brother, where are we going? It seems like we're going downhill."
"I'm taking you to the second elder. Big Head, our Dragon Mystical Sect has three elders. The first elder is responsible for teaching, the second elder is responsible for refining medicine and making magic tools, and the third elder is responsible for the daily affairs of the sect. Most disciples practice under the first and third elders, but in terms of prestige, the second elder is second only to the Sect Leader."
Shu Han was puzzled, "Didn't you say that my talent is very poor, why can I apprentice under the second elder?"
"Because the second elder doesn't care about the disciple's cultivation, and the second elder's personality is quite unpredictable. I'm not scaring you, but after you go, you must behave well. Do not provoke him, otherwise, even the Sect Leader can't protect you!"
Li Heng's words made Shu Han shiver. He understood that he was not apprenticing under the second elder to cultivate, but to do chores. This made him feel a little disappointed deep down.
At the end of the stone steps, a valley filled with blue smoke could be seen. The valley was filled with a medicinal fragrance that made people feel refreshed. Then he saw a high tower in the valley, from which the blue smoke was emitting. As Shu Han continued to walk, he was suddenly stopped by Li Heng.
"Don't move! The front is the second elder's Heavenly Quadrant Sword Formation, anyone who intrudes will be killed by the flying swords!"
At this moment, a light flashed in the tower, and a flying sword shot toward the two of them. Shu Han was startled, but Li Heng remained calm.
The flying sword stopped in front of them, and the handle flashed with spiritual light. An impatient old voice came from the sword, "It's not the day to collect medicine, get out!"
Li Heng respectfully saluted the flying sword, "In response to the second elder, disciple Li Heng, on the orders of the third elder, has brought a new disciple to be under your command. Also, last time when I went down the mountain, I got a jar of fifty-year-old Huadiao wine and brought it to the elder."
"Fifty-year-old Huadiao wine! Hmm, good, good, you are thoughtful! Bring him in, find me in the Pill Refining Pavilion."
"Yes, elder."
So, under the watch of the flying sword, Li Heng led Shu Han toward the Pill Refining Pavilion.
Along the way, Shu Han couldn't help but sneak peeks at the flying sword. He found it amazing that this beautifully carved sword could not only float in the air but also transmit messages. He couldn't help but itch, wishing he could have one in the future.
The flying sword led them into the Pill Refining Pavilion. The first thing that greeted them was a two-story high copper furnace!
The fiery charcoal was burning at the bottom of the furnace, and the intense heat made the entire refining pavilion unbearably hot. Shu Han started to sweat profusely as soon as he entered.
The elder in front of the copper furnace was an old man with hair as white as snow. As soon as he opened his eyes, Shu Han felt his head buzz. The old man's gaze quickly moved to the jar of wine in Li Heng's arms. He reached out his hand, and the jar of wine automatically flew into his palm.
He took off the lid and took a careful sniff, satisfied, he said, "Fifty-four years old, not bad, not bad."
Then the old man turned his gaze to Shu Han and asked, "Why would Old Ning be willing to send a disciple to me? I made it clear with Dragon Mystical, I absolutely do not teach disciples, I only refine pills and make tools!"
"Well, master uncle, this kid has a five-spirit root. The third elder asked him to come and do miscellaneous tasks for you."
"Five-spirit root? No wonder those old men gave up hope and sent him to me. He's a lucky kid. Okay, he can stay."
Lucky? When did having a five-spirit root become lucky? Shu Han couldn't help but give a bitter smile.
The old man made a move, and two black pills flew into Li Heng's hands. Li Heng was overjoyed and quickly bowed in thanks, "Thank you for the pills, master uncle! I will definitely..." But the old man did not care about his flattery, instead, he scolded, "Get out if you have nothing to do!"
After Li Heng left dejectedly, Shu Han couldn't help but feel nervous, holding his bundle tightly and standing on the spot. Seeing this, the old man's eyes widened in anger, "What are you standing there for, boy? Kneel and greet your master!"
"Disciple Shu Han, greeting master!"
Shu Han hurriedly knelt down, knocking his head on the ground over a dozen times in fear.
"That's enough! Kid, if you keep knocking, you'll knock a hole. Get up, follow me!"
The old man stood up, and said leisurely, "Entering my sect, I will not teach you the Tao, nor give you methods, I will only give you tasks. If you do well, there is no reward, if you do not, there is punishment, and it won't be light, do you understand?"
Shu Han quickly nodded.
"But if you can learn a bit from me, it will be enough for you to be rich and prosperous in the mortal world."
Next, the old man pointed at the big copper furnace and arranged for Shu Han, "This furnace refines all the sect's pills, the fire at the bottom of the furnace must never go out. You must go to the valley mouth to collect firewood every morning. They will send over the hundred-year-old fruit wood that they have chopped. If there is a day's delay, I will not let you off easily!"
The old man then walked towards the back pavilion. Shu Han saw a two-story high cabinet, the numerous drawers made him dizzy. The old man threw a bunch of thick books at Shu Han and asked, "Boy, you can read, right?"
Shu Han hurriedly replied with fear and trepidation, "Master, the immortals have taught us."
The old man nodded, "That's good. This is my medicine cabinet, which contains all kinds of medicinal herbs cultivated and collected by the sect. This book records the effects and locations of all the medicinal herbs. I give you one month to memorize all the medicinal herbs. In the future, when I refine pills, you will be by my side to fetch the herbs."
After looking at the back pavilion, the old man took Shu Han to the backyard. The backyard was a neatly arranged medicinal field, filled with the fragrance of medicinal herbs. Shu Han looked closely and saw thousands of Enlightenment Herbs. The spiritual herb that he couldn't get before was growing here like chives in his own field.
"Watering and fertilizing every day is also your job. The book also records the watering and fertilizing time and amount for all the spiritual herbs. You must not make a mistake. If the spiritual herbs wilt, I will use you as medicine!"
Seeing the master's fierce expression, Shu Han nodded in fear. Then the old man threw him a token.
"With this token, you can come and go freely in the valley, and you will not be killed by my Heavenly Quadrant Sword Formation. Alright, if you have any questions, you can ask me now."
Shu Han, clutching the token, plucked up his courage and asked, "Master, what about my cultivation?"
"You want to cultivate? You ignorant brat!"
Despite his fear, Shu Han still nodded defiantly.
"Forget it!"
The old man took out a book from his pocket and threw it at Shu Han like trash.
"This is the Dragon Mystical Triple Rotation Divine Art of the Dragon Mystical Sect, just practice according to it. Don't ask me if you have any problems! I've never practiced this damn method!"
