Chapter 101: The Restorative Pill

“After Asan leaves, then Rushu Cheng will depart.”

Caressing the round object in his hand, Mulong’s face showed a hint of surprise.

The round object, known as a recording tool, was a peculiar and somewhat useless treasure. It resembled the Soul Lamp of Mingyu Valley; cultivators would imprint a fragment of their soul within it. The tool would emit a faint light, which would gradually fade and disappear if the cultivator perished.

“I was at fault before, clearly doing it for others. This proves that some people in the Great Wolf Plain are indeed opposing me.”

Mulong raised his head slightly, revealing a trace of pleasure. “It’s been a long time since such a thing happened. Do you think it should be this way, A’er?”

“Please instruct me,” A’er replied, bowing his head like the most obedient servant.

Mulong stood silently, then suddenly raised his voice in anger. “Where did those savages come from? They don’t even know what they’re doing, yet behave so recklessly in the Great Wolf Plain. Have they gone mad? And to have such useless underlings incapable of handling anything properly, wasting my precious treasure! Trash, scum! Must I do everything myself?”

He ranted loudly and relentlessly for dozens of moments, his voice echoing through the cave.

But after a while, he calmed down, slowly shaking his head as his expression returned to normal. “They’re just insignificant people, forget it. The priority now is to cultivate to the post-Refining Veins stage. Once at that stage, using spiritual materials, one can break through to the peak of the Refining Veins stage. After that, it’s about overcoming the limit to reach the Consolidation Pill stage—this is of utmost importance.”

He had painstakingly accumulated profound foundations in the Great Wolf Plain, and the spiritual materials he had acquired could just barely push him beyond the initial post-Refining Veins stage. He could definitely cultivate to the peak of the Refining Veins stage, which was incredibly formidable. The spiritual power required to reach the peak was terrifyingly greater than all he had accumulated before.

Spiritual materials could boost cultivation, but they couldn’t help one surpass the barrier from Refining Veins to Consolidation Pill stage. That was a heavy obstacle for cultivators—extremely difficult to overcome. The realm, cultivation strength, talent, and place of practice—all must be sufficient. Many cultivators failed to cross this step even at death.

He sat cross-legged on the ground. “What do you think, A’er?”

A’er bowed repeatedly. “Ancestor Mulong’s words are supreme. Ancestor Mulong will definitely cultivate to Consolidation Pill and achieve a lasting legacy.”

“Heh heh, kid, I admire you.”

Mulong closed his eyes proudly, gently clapping his hands with a steady rhythm. Demonic beings were like slaves to him, and he truly enjoyed commanding them. But if the big shots among the demons also bowed beneath him, that would be even better.

A’er lowered his head, silent and absorbed.

“Ah, let’s just throw all useless people to be killed. Once I reach Consolidation Pill, they’ll be useless anyway. Let them die. At that time, I can find a place to become an ancestor again. Oh, let’s call me the Ancestor of the Wolfless, how’s that?”

Mulong spoke calmly, his words refined and a broad smile on his face, as if he truly were the Ancestor of the Wolfless.

“Ancestor Mulong’s words are absolute.”

Li Mu stayed in the cave for five full days. It was strange that during all this time, Shen Bingxue never entered, though her flushed face showed her intense gaze fixed on the cave.

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As Li Mu stepped into the cave, Shen Bingxue approached.

“Is it ready? Has it been refined?” Her inquiry was uncertain, her mood difficult to express—hope mixed with a touch of dissatisfaction. Those waiting urgently needed the Returning Spirit Pill; her dissatisfaction stemmed from the fact that she herself had not refined it and did not want Li Mu to think she was useless.

Li Mu clearly did not notice this. Smiling, he raised his hand. “Pharmacist Shen, it’s ready. I can give you some.”

“Ha, no, and don’t tell me how to refine it either,” she said, concealing the fire of discontent inside her as she turned and entered the cave.

Li Mu smiled quietly, saying nothing, watching Shen Bingxue disappear inside.

This only made Shen Bingxue angrier, stifling her frustration as she quickly returned to the cave.

Before the medicine furnace, she paused silently. Floating beside it were dozens of pills arranged into a few large characters: “Hundred-Step Stone, Pagoda Water Flow.”

These were rare, the names of auxiliary materials she had tried to find many times without success.

“Li Mu!”

She spoke but then fell silent, harboring nameless emotions—unsure if she felt joy, anger, or perhaps both.

Li Mu’s voice drifted from the cave entrance. “Pharmacist Shen, don’t be angry. The Returning Spirit Pill is important, but it doesn’t matter much who refines it. Without you, I wouldn’t be able to either. Let’s spend our spare time on cultivation and other pills, shall we?”

Shen Bingxue slowly sat down, silent. Before, she would never have accepted such words; she might have outright rejected Li Mu.

In the past, her pride rivaled no one’s—how could she accept gifts from others, especially in her field of expertise? She would have refused.

But now, she felt perhaps Li Mu’s intentions were good, and it might be acceptable.

After a moment of thought, the confusion in her eyes vanished. She took out some long-stored Beast Pill of Earth-Shaking Rhino and tossed it into the medicine furnace.

Outside the depression, Li Mu set up the Flowing Radiance Barrier. On such a bright day, he did not want to go out. The Ancestor of the Wolf Plain would never cease his pursuit; the next attack would likely be even more ruthless.

But things did not unfold as expected.

The pursuit came unexpectedly, but not with hostility.

For many days, Li Mu cultivated diligently. Whenever he went out, he heard screams from the depression.

“Where are these demons coming from? Let us break through quickly!”

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“Wait until Ancestor Mulong arrives, we will surely take your life! If you let me go now, I will have words to say to you…”

“Please, sir, have mercy! If we let Ancestor Mulong come, we truly did not want to come here.”

Li Mu approached slowly, peering into the Flowing Radiance Barrier.

Several cultivators, resembling mice, held hands and scurried about within the barrier, faces full of terror. The Flowing Radiance Barrier was a formation capable of imprisoning even those at the Refining Veins stage. These cultivators certainly could not escape. Most were at the early Spirit Establishment stage, but one was at the Qi Condensation stage—he really didn’t know how that one entered the mountain.

“Are you all disciples of Mulong?”

Li Mu’s words were spoken with true power, immense in force.

Several cultivators had their spiritual senses restricted, but their hearing and smell remained sharp. Upon hearing Li Mu’s words, they all stopped.

“Of course, we are all disciples of the Ancestor of the Wolf Plain. You know that, yet you won’t let us out?”

“Please, sir, have mercy!”

One dropped to the ground with a thud.

Li Mu spoke slowly, “Why didn’t Mulong come himself? Instead, he sent you to be killed. If you honestly tell me everything, I might consider sparing you.”

The cultivators inside the barrier grew anxious but soon spoke. “Mulong is cultivating beyond the post-Refining Veins stage, aiming for Consolidation Pill. He certainly can’t come now.”

“Mulong is cultivating at Lianshan, in the northern area of the Great Wolf Plain. If you let us go, I am willing to go to him.”

“Mulong’s treasury should have endless treasures and spiritual materials. Spare me and I will investigate for you.”

These people were trapped in the barrier but not tortured, one after another revealing secrets—such a nature was evident.

One flashy cultivator, clearly very unruly, shouted, “You’re the ones who destroyed our ancestor! I will wipe you all out!”

Ah!

Before he finished, he was struck several times, and the cultivator beside him finished him off.

Li Mu sneered inwardly, shaking his head involuntarily.