The moonlight was bright, spilling over the Lingxi Sect's Xiangyun Mountain, softening the mist and revealing much of the mountain's beauty. On the eastern mid-section of the peak, at the end of a forked path, there was a courtyard, about an acre in size. Surrounded by fragrant flowers and lush vegetation, it was picturesque. Within the courtyard stood a wooden house, where every table, chair, and bed was made from deep purple wood, emitting a faint sandalwood fragrance—far beyond anything found in the servant quarters.
In the courtyard, a small field had been cultivated, and a well sat in the corner. Under the moonlight, Bai Xiaochun looked around with satisfaction.
"As an outer sect disciple, I'm now officially acknowledged by Lingxi Sect. The treatment is indeed far better than being a servant. This private courtyard is great. I remember First Senior Brother saying once that if you become an inner sect disciple, you can live in a cave-dwelling... I wonder what that's like." Bai Xiaochun looked up at the summit of Xiangyun Mountain.
Only inner sect disciples were allowed to live on the upper half of the mountain.
Soon, he looked away, stretched, and took out his storage pouch. With a light pat, a bottle of pills and a stick of green incense appeared before him.
"Such good stuff." Bai Xiaochun cherished his storage pouch dearly. After inspecting the pill bottle labeled Condensing Spirit, and the incense marked Rising Green, he recalled that similar items had been given to him when he first became a servant. After taking them, his cultivation had improved slightly. The incense, once lit and inhaled, had the same effect.
"It'd be a waste to take these as is. Better to refine them with spirit infusion first—it might help me break through my bottleneck." After thinking it over, he decided to wait until he got some single-color firewood during the day.
He sat cross-legged and began cultivating. Bai Xiaochun never slacked in cultivation, no matter how slow his progress. He persisted daily—for him, cultivation was the path to immortality, and he was obsessed with that path.
The night passed in silence. When dawn broke, the light mingled with the mist, casting a gem-like radiance over the clouds. Bai Xiaochun opened his eyes after a night of cultivation, full of vigor. Donning his outer sect robes, he headed to the Scripture Pavilion as instructed by Senior Brother Hou.
The Scripture Pavilion was quite far, on the other side of the mountain. It took him half an hour before he saw a tall tower emitting glowing light and waves of pressure that blanketed the area.
He passed many outer sect disciples on the way—most were in a hurry. Upon noticing Bai Xiaochun's third-layer Qi Condensation cultivation, they paid him no mind. Bai Xiaochun didn't care, but became more cautious—everyone he encountered was stronger than him. A few even gave off an unfathomable aura and were surrounded by followers, chatting and laughing as they passed.
As he neared the pavilion, more disciples appeared. Suddenly, a streak of light flew around Xiangyun Mountain and shot into the sky—it was a young man riding a wheel-like artifact at great speed.
"That's Qian Dajin from the Law Enforcement Hall!"
"Senior Brother Qian is an inner sect disciple and part of the Law Enforcement Hall. He's famous. I hear he's reached the peak of the eighth Qi Condensation layer and can even fly briefly using magical items!"
Bai Xiaochun watched in awe. "One day, I'll fly too. And when I do, I'll circle Xiangyun Mountain every day when it's most crowded!" he vowed to himself, entering the Scripture Pavilion.
The first floor was spacious and empty, with only a desk and an old man meditating behind it. Each disciple placed their identity token on the desk—after a flash of light, they'd pass respectfully.
Bai Xiaochun mimicked them. His token glowed briefly, and he proceeded upstairs to the second floor.
There were many shelves lined with jade slips and bamboo scrolls, all glowing faintly. The place felt extraordinary. A staircase led up to the third floor. Bai Xiaochun approached, but a light barrier repelled him.
Nearby, a young man with sword-like eyebrows glanced up from his scroll.
"Senior Brother, what do I need to go up there?" Bai Xiaochun asked politely.
"You're new, right? Only those at Qi Condensation level five or above can go," the man replied coolly, resuming his reading.
Realizing he wasn't welcome to chat, Bai Xiaochun gave up and began browsing the second floor. He picked up various jade slips and scrolls, each containing fascinating techniques. He was especially drawn to a fire-element spell.
Soon, he found the jade slip for Violet Qi Cauldron Control, containing levels four through eight. He held onto it and kept browsing.
As time passed, Bai Xiaochun explored about 70% of the floor, with dusk approaching. "There are seven or eight I really like…" he muttered. While still undecided, he picked up a worn bamboo scroll—after a glance, his eyes widened with excitement.
"*The Undying Longevity Art!!*"
Breathing heavily, he read the introduction. It was a body-tempering technique that, when mastered, could lead to immortality!
Heart pounding, he clutched the scroll. "I was meant to find this!" he laughed, heading downstairs.
On the first floor, the old man remained seated. When Bai Xiaochun placed both the jade slip and scroll on the desk, the man finally opened his eyes.
That gaze struck Bai Xiaochun like lightning. He straightened up, trembling slightly under the pressure. The old man looked at his identity token.
"A new disciple may copy the first eight layers of Violet Qi Cauldron Control, and select one additional technique," he said hoarsely, frowning as his eyes fell on the scroll.
"Though this technique sounds impressive, it's only a partial scroll. It's incredibly painful to cultivate. Most give up. It's been collecting dust for years. Are you sure you want this?"
"I am!" Bai Xiaochun replied at once. Hearing all that only convinced him more—it had been waiting here all this time for him. The phrase Undying Longevity made his blood boil.
The old man didn't argue further. Two blank jade slips flew out and recorded the techniques. Bai Xiaochun carefully stored them and returned to his courtyard.
By nightfall, he sat cross-legged inside, holding the jade slip for the Undying Longevity Art. As spiritual energy flowed into the slip, the technique's content appeared in his mind.
Half an hour later, he opened his eyes thoughtfully.
As the elder said, the technique was incomplete. It described both internal and external training. External training began with skin, followed by flesh and sinew; internal focused on bones and blood.
This scroll only contained the skin training method—and even that was grueling and energy-consuming. It mentioned several secret techniques, some sounding exaggerated, like one called "Throat Lock Break," which claimed to be invincible.
Bai Xiaochun hesitated but then saw the words Undying Longevity again and became resolute. Following the instructions, he began slapping specific parts of his body.
His obsession with immortality made him train with relentless determination, slapping himself all night.
By morning, his entire body throbbed with pain. He couldn't sit or stand without agony, but still forced himself to move, per the technique's requirement.
"Aaagh… stretch then squeeze… squeeze then stretch… aaooohh…" he howled in pain, hopping awkwardly around the courtyard.
Finally, gritting his teeth, he left for the marketplace—thinking that at least buying herbs while exercising was better than just screaming at home.
That day, many outer sect disciples witnessed a pale youth limping and bouncing along the mountain trails, occasionally letting out cries that were… quite soulful.
"Aaagh oooh… oooh aaagh… aaah… aaah…"
Bai Xiaochun didn't want to scream, but the pain was unbearable. Still, he gritted his teeth, pushed on, and reached the sect's market.
There, he bought herbs and one piece of dual-colored firewood. Then he completed a task he had taken as a servant and exchanged it for a *Longevity Pill*.
The pill was thumb-sized, yellow, and emitted a fragrant scent. Covered in sweat, Bai Xiaochun bit his lip and dragged himself up the mountain.
Everyone he passed stared at the sweaty, smelly figure. He had no idea how he made it back, collapsing into unconsciousness in his courtyard.
Even in a faint, he kept waking from the pain. Not until dawn did it subside.
"That was just one incomplete cycle…" he recalled the method: a full cycle required staying awake the entire time and repeating the process 81 times to complete one minor cycle—remodeling the skin. Once his skin toughened, the pain would lessen.
"If this were easy, everyone would be immortal. The harder it is, the more I must persevere!" His resolve grew deeper—his obsession with immortality was intense.
While his body still felt fine, Bai Xiaochun pulled out the *Longevity Pill*, inspecting it. Just before taking it, he looked around, then rushed into the wooden house. With a quick gesture, the turtle-patterned cauldron appeared.
"It'd be a waste to eat it directly. Better to refine it first." He lit the dual-colored firewood under the cauldron, which flared up instantly, causing two patterns to glow on the pot.
After a moment of hesitation, he dropped the pill in. Silver light flared brilliantly, but Bai Xiaochun, now experienced, watched calmly.
As the light faded, two silver lines appeared on the pill, and a powerful fragrance filled the air—it was clearly much more potent now.
"Shame I can't find fuel for a third refinement." He tossed the pill into his mouth.
The moment it touched his tongue, it melted and spread like fire throughout his body. His single white hair visibly turned black again, and his vitality surged. But as time passed, the effect only intensified—his nose even began to bleed.
"It's too powerful!" Eyes wide, he realized the refined pill's effect was too much for his third-layer cultivation.
As his body ballooned with energy, he panicked—then remembered the Undying Longevity Art. Immediately, he began slapping himself.
The pounding helped redirect the energy, and after half an hour, the heat finally subsided. Exhausted but exhilarated, his eyes gleamed.
"Spirit infusion helps, but the true power is in the *herbs*! Some increase spirit energy, others lifespan… could one exist that grants immortality?"
His breathing quickened. "Xiangyun Mountain specializes in cultivating alchemists…"
"I will become an *alchemist—and one day, I'll create a **Pill of Immortality*!"