Chapter Sixty-One: Refining the Pure Elixir in One Breath
Li Mu wins.
Upon hearing the cultivator’s announcement, Li Mu stepped down without any sign of emotion.
He had won, and felt immense joy, yet the victory he had yearned for could not be as simple as this.
Beneath the platform, the crowd remained calm. This duel had left them somewhat bewildered and deeply afraid of Li Mu.
“So powerful, it feels like he isn’t even on the same level as me.”
“Is he really just at the Foundation Spirit stage? I refuse to believe it.”
Seeing Li Mu walking away, Lady Wang spoke slowly, “Li Mu, come and see me tomorrow.”
“I understand, Lady Wang.”
As Li Mu’s figure departed, Lady Wang nodded slightly, as if she had finally made a decision. Her expression relaxed considerably.
Li Mu stepped down from the floating platform, ignoring those who tried to approach him, and headed straight for the Wooden Jade Hall.
His thoughts were in turmoil. This duel had been more terrifying than any before, and there were many matters he needed to ponder deeply. He would take time to reflect.
The next morning, Li Mu arrived early at the Jade Iron Sect’s division.
Lady Wang, rarely, invited him into the building.
Inside, the room was nearly bare: two meditation seats, a single cabinet, and one sword. Nothing else. Had he not seen it himself, Li Mu would not have believed that Lady Wang, with her refined attire, would live in such simplicity.
Lady Wang pointed to a meditation seat, prompting Li Mu to sit. “Outside, the world is abuzz—Li Mu, your performance this time has astonished many. Nearly half the Cloud Mountain Realm now regards you as extraordinarily gifted.”
Li Mu sat respectfully and replied indifferently, “It was all luck; otherwise, I would have been far inferior.”
He felt unsatisfied. Each of his duels had been perilous. If only he had sufficient cultivation, things would not have been so difficult.
Lady Wang sat across from him, gazed at Li Mu for a moment, and her lips moved slightly. “Li Mu, would you consider joining the Jade Iron Sect?”
Seeing Lady Wang raise the topic again, Li Mu felt somewhat helpless.
He shook his head. “Lady Wang, I have answered this many times. It’s not that I don’t wish to; it’s that I cannot.”
“You know, if you don’t join the Jade Iron Sect, it will be extremely difficult to earn a reputation in the final round,” Lady Wang said sincerely.
Her words were reasonable, and Li Mu understood well. Yet he still shook his head. “I don’t care for fame. The experience I seek—I have already gained much.”
Lady Wang shook her head and smiled. “You are easily satisfied. You should know—the rewards are enough to make even cultivators at the Pulse Refining stage envious, and you remain unmoved.”
He laughed. “Only if I can earn them, then I’ll consider it.”
The rewards tempted him, but if he had to break his own rule of not joining a sect to gain them, it would go against his heart, making progress in cultivation difficult.
Lady Wang seemed to have foreseen Li Mu’s answer. With a gentle laugh, she raised her hand. A small cup of tea suddenly floated before Li Mu.
“Drink.”
Li Mu took it without formality. “Thank you, Lady Wang.”
He drank it in one gulp. A subtle fragrance entered with the tea, and his whole body felt refreshed, as if a gentle breeze had passed through him. The spiritual energy within the tea was remarkably pure; this single cup was worth several days' effort.
Lady Wang studied Li Mu, then suddenly asked, “You are indifferent to the rewards. Does that mean you possess something far superior, and look down on these?”
Li Mu’s expression was utterly bland. Instead, he met Lady Wang’s gaze and replied without emotion, “If I have it, I do. If not, I don’t. What I obtain is mine; what I lose is not.”
Her probing yielded nothing, and Lady Wang was briefly stunned.
“Your words make sense, but I find it strange. You, a Foundation Spirit stage cultivator, how can you have so many secrets?”
She sighed, her tone not so much questioning Li Mu as muttering to herself.
Li Mu smiled but said little. He truly had only one secret, but that secret could never be revealed to anyone.
After a moment’s calm, Lady Wang spoke again.
“Very well, I won’t press further. Here is a simple choice for you.”
Lady Wang waved her hand and produced a sizable green bottle, speaking slowly. “Join the Jade Iron Sect, and you will receive a Qi Purification Pill. Otherwise, you must leave Deyang City.”
“A Qi Purification Pill?”
Li Mu stood up abruptly, his eyes wide, fixed intently on the bottle.
“Yes, a Qi Purification Pill. Only the Jade Iron Sect and Ming Jade Valley possess it. In the Cloud Mountain Realm, you won’t find it elsewhere. Let me show you.”
She removed the bottle’s stopper. A round, deep blue pill floated above the bottle, emitting a faint fragrance as it rotated. In moments, a wondrous aroma filled the room.
Indeed, it was the Qi Purification Pill Li Mu had longed for day and night. With it, Li Ying could shed her mortal bonds and become a cultivator—never again needing to worry about longevity, never to be separated.
But, would he truly join the Jade Iron Sect?
Li Mu stared at the pill, his mind in turmoil.
“Have you decided?”
Lady Wang placed the pill back in the bottle and spoke gently. “You don’t have much time. If you refuse, the Jade Iron Sect may expel you from Deyang City.”
“Why?”
Li Mu watched as Lady Wang stored the pill away, feeling as if something precious had been lost. In that moment, he ceased his internal struggle and made his choice.
“Your achievements have surpassed the control of the sect. All sects think the same: people like you, if they cannot control you, they would rather not let you grow.”
Lady Wang’s words were direct. She paused, sighing softly. “Though I personally wish to see how far you might go, alas, I cannot change the rules of the sect.”
There were still things she did not say outright.
She had spent great effort to obtain this Qi Purification Pill. Moreover, if Li Mu refused the sect’s decision, expulsion from Deyang City would not be the end of it.
“I agree, but—can I have a few days?”
Li Mu closed his eyes briefly, then spoke slowly.
Lady Wang relaxed visibly, a gentle smile appearing on her face. “Good. I feared you would be stubborn and refuse. But you can’t, right? For the Qi Purification Pill is exactly what you need.”
Li Mu said nothing, only smiled calmly.
“Alright, just a few days. Before the final round, you must join the Jade Iron Sect.”
The green bottle flew from her hand to Li Mu’s side.
“Take it. I won’t be petty and worry that you might run off.”
Li Mu hurriedly took it, carefully placing the pill into his storage pouch.
With this Qi Purification Pill, the Jade Iron Sect meant nothing to him anymore; the thing he most desired was now his.
“I’ll take my leave, Lady Wang.”
Li Mu bowed respectfully and slowly walked out of the building.
He did not linger, and returned straight to the Wooden Jade Hall.
“Little sister, I have things to attend to today. Wait for me here, don’t wander off,” Li Mu instructed Li Ying with a stern face.
Li Ying nodded obediently. “I understand, big brother.” She had never seen Li Mu so serious, and felt a bit uneasy, not knowing what mistake she might have made.
Li Mu entered the cultivation room alone.
“Upgrade.”
“This item is already at the highest grade. Cannot upgrade.”
Li Mu felt a pang of disappointment. The Qi Purification Pill, like the Lotus Flame Pill, had no grades—its effectiveness depended entirely on the user’s talent.
“Ying’er.”
Li Mu stepped out of the cultivation room, called his little sister to him, and gazed at her face for a long moment without speaking.
“Big brother, what’s wrong?” Li Ying asked, a little bewildered.
Li Mu gently stroked her forehead and said softly, “Little sister, you are about to become a cultivator.”
“Ah!”