Soon, the carriage stopped and we arrived at the Seven Mountain Peak sect. looking at the entrance, it was a gigantic tori gate that was beautifully decorated and had dragons designed on it. On top of the gate, the words Seven Mountain Sect were written in gold and shined brightly for all to see.
The road that led to the depth of the sect was cultivated with finesse as many outer disciples were carefully manning the fields, and handling the ground, and tending to the garden.
The road was paved in stone and extended forward, and just as I pulled my eyes up, I saw seven mountains surrounding the entirety of the valley where the sect resided. A rich Qi aura permeated the place and from the thickness of the Qi, you could tell the grade of this sect. A fifth-tier sect, far more than enough to rule a continent on its own. And they had a hand in the anhelation of the Purple Cloud Sect.
I wasn't going to let this slide. I'll need to know what happened back at the sect before I do anything.
"You have a rich Qi environment, the disciples of the sect must be really blessed," I commented as we walked through the sect's paved road.
"Yes, it's the work of our Sect Master, he obtained a powerful spirit vein and planted it here, it's enriching the whole sect and enabling us to prosper." Han Fei said.
I nodded along and continued walking, I didn't need to ask too many questions, otherwise, it'll look like I'm praying into their business, so far I'm still a stranger. And they won't trust me with their sect's secrets. I could get more information using better methods.
"So, I'm to be a guest here, and frankly speaking, the whole environment here looks serene and good for cultivation, do I get to cultivate here?"
"Of course, you can use a lot of facilities, but becoming a disciple here will allow you access to more than what a guest would. I could speak to Elder Chung Yan, he is the master of the third Mountain and is a master alchemist, he could take you in, perhaps you'll even find new things to learn, that was primarily the reason for our invitation." He said.
"Oh, then I'll take you up on it then," I replied.
"Very well, follow me then," he said and immediately rode the skies.
I pulled my flying sword and followed after him, as he headed toward one of the seven mountains.
Soon, we arrived at a mountain that had a strong spirit herb scent, looking from above, the mountain was carved in a way that it looked like it was made of stairs that were like fields, a rising level above a level, and on each level were hundreds of spiritual hers, and each level had a different type of herbs on it. An alchemist's heaven.
At the top of the mountain were a small palace and several houses that should belong to the people helping in maintaining the spiritual herb fields.
As we came down, two disciples wearing white met us, and they both bowed clasping their hands at Han Fei.
"Senior brother, welcome back. Master Chung Yan is waiting for you." One of them spoke.
Han Fei nodded and came down, I followed behind as we walked into the palace. Many disciples were whispering among each other on who the stranger that was walking next to Han Fei was, since my black robes were in far contrast to the ones of the sect, they knew I didn't belong here.
After we arrived at the palace, we went into a large room where six disciples were carefully refining pills. They had cauldrons that were two meters tall and they sat next to them refining the pills. And at the far end of the room was an old man who had a small cauldron in front of him.
The old man was already focusing hard on his own work and looking from here, his skill was pretty high as he looked to be in perfect contemplation and didn't even notice us entering.
Han Fei remained standing and didn't speak, he probably respects the elder who's is refining right now and didn't want to disturb him. And from the scent that his own cauldron was emitting, he seemed to be about to make a pretty powerful pill and it was close to fruition.
However, if this continues, he will fail. And to no fault of his.
One of the disciples, a woman, was pregnant and seemed to be struggling with her alchemy, and since everyone was already too focused on their own thing, they didn't notice her struggle, and due to her being in the final stages of her own refinement, if she stops, or make a mistake the consequences will be horrible. Not only that, she seemed unable to call for help, perhaps she too didn't want to disturb the elder.
"Senior Han Fei, a problem is about to occur," I said.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"That woman, her cauldron is going to blow up," I said.
"It doesn't look like it to me, Shen Bao, are you sure?" he asked.
'Since he wasn't an alchemist, he won't understand that the woman was actually fighting for her life. And if she fails, perhaps she'll lose her life, and at best case, the fetus inside her will die.'
"You don't trust my words, then you'll have to excuse me, the is for the best," I said as I dashed towards her cauldron, I tapped on the cauldron and immediately judged that it was no longer salvageable. Cracks appeared on the side of the cauldron, and I immediately kicked the cauldron. The whole cauldron smashed into the wooden wall and shot outside the palace to blow up immediately afterward, creating a loud explosion.
The woman in front of me coughed out blood. She received heavy injuries due to having been forced out of her alchemy by external forces, but if she had continued she would have died.
I pulled a few pills and gave them to her.
She was about to complain but when she saw the pills she greedily took them, she placed the pills in her mouth and sat in a meditative lotus position.
"I'll have to apologize, I didn't see the risks."
"It's only natural," I said "You're not an alchemist and you won't be able to feel this, this was just a cumulation of unfortunate events. Usually from what I see, the master would have taken care of this, but he was in the middle of creating a great pill, look, even with that explosion, neither he nor his disciples have even budged or moved. They were too focused to even sense danger."
"How come this happened?" Han Fei asked.
"I don't know, usually alchemist should always have one person guarding them, in case they make a mistake or at least, they should be able to handle their own alchemy on their own, but since this woman was pregnant, she didn't have the power to handle the pill she was making, and it almost cost her, her life."
"Thank you for helping one of our disciples Shen Bao, I'll make sure to have you repaid for it." he said.
"Don't worry about it, you saved my life just a while ago."
"Then our debt is repaid, and you owe me nothing." Han Fei said.
I nodded at the man, and we both sat down waiting for the elder to wake up from his alchemy session.
An hour later, a couple of disciples had finished their own alchemy, they jubilantly took their pills and compared them to each other, then they finally noticed the elephant in the room, me and hand Fei, and the massive hole on one of the palace walls.
None dared to talk about it though, since they saw Han Fei, a Core Disciple as I had understood from some of the alchemist's side comments. Since he was here there wasn't a problem to be had, they didn't even try and wake the girl from her meditation since they saw blood in front of her, they knew she was related to the hole in the wall.
Soon, Elder Chung Yan pulled his cauldron cover and drew three pills where one of them had pill veins.
"YES! Finally! A Star Soother Pill with pill veins!" the Elder said.
"Congratulations on your success elder," Han Fei said before any of the other disciples, and they all followed suit, congratulating the elder.
'What's so good about pill veins, I made Pill Clouds, but I'm not gonna flex here, I might just get unwanted attention.'
"Congratulations," I said.
"Who is this? And why is it windy here…OH MY WALL! What happened?!" the elder shouted.
Han Fei awkwardly said, "Ah, it goes like this…"
…
"So, Shen Bao, I owe you, as a fellow Alchemist, you saved my disciple and helped me remain in an enlightened state to make a pill with Pill Veins. I must thank you, here," he said and threw a vial full of healing pills.
'Trash.' I scuffed inwardly, the old man was stingy as fuck, the value of the pill he just made was thousands of times more than what he had just given me, and I can't use healing pills, they will actually do more harm than good to me. I need poison.
"Thank you, but there is no need for this, I already have better ones," I said as I threw him back the bottle, it was the same as slapping the man in the face. Now is the only time I actually enjoyed using that expression.
The other disciples all looked at me angrily. However, before they could speak, the pregnant woman woke up, "Sir, I thank you for your help, if you didn't, I would have died there. Also, I'm sure that those Heart Revitalizing Pills and Meridian Cleansing Pills you gave me were really expensive, I'll make sure to ask my husband to reward you."
"What? Heart Revitalizing Pills, and Meridian Cleansing Pills? Those are not easy to make, those are actually slightly higher quality than the pills that Elder Chung Yun had just made." One of the disciples stated.
"You… you used those pills on a stranger? No, I don't think so, I'm sure you knew who that woman was, otherwise no one would have easily parted with pills that were that rare." Master Chung Yan said.
"Wow, chill old man, I just offered help, and how would I know who she is, I just got to this sect," I said.
"Master Chung Yun, I have already warned you that I'm unable to make pills in my condition, yet you promised to keep a watch on me, and when I tried to ask for help, you were already in enlightenment unable to assist me, if it was not for brother Shen Bao, I would have died. I'll have to see what my husband has to say about this." The woman said.
"Wait, I had enlightenment I shouldn't have wasted that chance, otherwise you don't know when it will happen again."
"You could have asked for someone to guard."
"But…"
"No buts…I'll be leaving now. Brother Shen Bao, if you are in need of anything please come to the fifth Mountain, my husband is the master of the Fifth Mountain, and will repay your kindness." She said.
"Thank you for your generosity, I only helped because I could, there was no motive behind it, there is also no need for rewards," I said.
"Elder Han Fei, I have done what you've asked, I'll be going to my own Master' side. My job has finished."
"Right right, go away now." The elder said as he waved Han Fei away.
"Now, you brat, you cost me a lot of faces here, though you did help with my pill, you really made me look like a fool, how are you going to compensate me." The old man said.
I frowned, "You seem to be slightly mistaken, first of all, I saved your pill and you rewarded me with trash, then you ask for compensation when I literally saved you from a lot of trouble with saving the girl, what if she actually died? What would you have told her husband? Also, I've been asked to come here, crossing dangers and death only to be ridiculed. I thought this sect was different, but it seems I was mistaken. I'll be taking my leave, I have no need to stay in a place where I'm not welcomed and only seen as someone to be profited from."
"Brat, you think that you can leave whenever you want, You think I brought you here so you can learn from me? No, you're highly mistaken. In this world, strength is all that is needed. Though Han Fei doesn't know it, I had you asked here so that I'll know how you made that Pill Vein even at a low cultivation level. Though I just made one it took me decades of dedication, while you didn't even spend a couple of years cultivating."
"So, you're showing your true colors right," I said I had my hand to my side as to pull out Creeping Demise, only to remember that I lost it at the swamps.
"Sorry child, but in this world, you shouldn't trust everyone, remember this lesson in your next life." The old man said and waved a hand summoning three draconic heads that came from within the cauldron in front of him.
"No die, and hand over your secrets." The old man said as the draconic heads charged at me.