Chapter Forty Three First Grade Lingdan
His cold-faced master seemed to have no intentions of wanting to come out of her dan room.
With jingshi on his hands, Zuo Mo decided to start working on his dan-making skills. At the very least, for basic dan like fasting pills, he shouldn’t have problems such as the efficiency rate. Buying the materials from Xu Qing Shimei, Zuo Mo started to furiously practice making fasting pills. His income and costs basically was even. The biggest question Zuo Mo faced was how to avoid failure. Failing once meant losing three pieces of second grade jingshi.
His level of familiarity had greatly increased. The time needed for the process shortened from the previous ten hours to six hours, but the cost was also enormous. His twenty something pieces of second grade jingshi had been completely squandered. It was all due caused by the failures. But thinking about the future, he could only grit his teeth and bear it.
This was the last portion of ingredients for the today. If he could successfully make it, he could just manage to return to Xu Qing Shimei the three pieces of second grade jingshi that he owed her. These days,as he had become familiar with Xu Qing Shimei, he could leave a tab as he brought materials daily.
Zuo Mo didn’t want to owe any debts. After making this fasting pill, he wanted to rest for a time and wait for the ling herbs in the ling fields to mature. Even though there was only a single portion, he wasn’t nervous. After the repeated high-intensity practice of the past days, he was now extremely familiar with the process of making fasting pills. He didn’t know if it was caused by the spiritual power, but his head seemed to be functioning better. He hadn’t been weak before, but it had felt like he was in the clouds and mists. Now, he seemed to have left behind those clouds.
Did cultivating [Embryonic Breathing Spiritual Cultivation] make someone smarter?
This idea was too nonsensical. Even Zuo Mo felt it was extremely absurd and threw it to one side.
Just like normal, Zuo Mo threw the different herbs into the cauldron and put his hands on the eight trigrams plate to start. The consciousness was especially sensitive to changes in ling energy. He occasionally was able to even feel the ling energy changes in the herbs inside the cauldron. Some became excited, some flashed and disappeared, some slowly became weaker… …
Even though he was very familiar with the fasting pill, but the kinds of ling energy transformations, and vibrations between the herbs still attracted his attention.
Unconsciously, his consciousness became muddled. It was like the hands that were controlling the eight trigrams plate suddenly were possessed and abruptly changed their position.
A thin string of gold light dropped from the sky and landed in his hands, then was deflected into the cauldron.
After a while, he slowly became clear headed again. When he saw the gold string, he stared in shock. How did he end up casting [Art of Crimson Flame]?
He shook. Damn it! Don’t ruin the dan! He still owed Xu Qing shimei three pieces of second grade jingshi. If this dan was ruined, then he really had outstanding debts.
His consciousness penetrated through the cauldron. A reaction had not occurred inside. Zuo Mo’s heart jumped and he hurriedly opened the cauldron.
A green dan was lying silently on the bottom. Zuo Mo released a breath. It looked as though that it hadn’t been ruined. He raised the fasting pill and prepared to put it in the pouch when he saw a glitter of gold light from the corner of his eye. He first blanked, and then rushed to hold this fasting pill on his hand in front of his eyes for a closer examination.
Only upon close examination did he find that this fasting pill was different than the fasting pills he had made previously. The color was deep green, not the blue-green. If he looked even more closely, he found that there were extremely thin gold patterns mixed inside. That was the cause of that gold light that Zuo Mo had detected just now. Also, the weight of it was slightly heavier than normal fasting pills.
Was this still a fasting pill? Zuo Mo wasn’t so sure.
Eating it to try it out, Zuo Mo didn’t dare. But he didn’t bear to throw it away. Selling it to Xu Qing Shimei, he was afraid of conning someone else. He knew that the transformation definitely was caused by the [Art of Crimson Flame] that he unconsciously cast when his thoughts had been wandering. Theoretically, [Art of Crimson Flame] was used to gather the essence of the sun. Its base attribute should lean towards fire and logically, the dan shouldn’t be harmful.
Pondering for a while, he still decided to keep this dan. After Master came out of the dan room, he would then ask her.
Master had entered the dan room over ten days ago yet the door to the room was still tightly shut. Sometimes, Zuo Mo couldn’t help but think, was all skilled dan cultivators like this?
He had finished his quota a long time ago, but Master didn’t show any signs of coming out of the dan room. Zuo Mo decided to work on his own cultivation. Under the present circumstances, he had reached his limits with the five spells of a ling plant farmer. To progress, he needed to have jade scrolls about future stages.
Other than practicing finger motions to avoid becoming out of practice, he spent the rest of his time on [Embryonic Breathing Spiritual Cultivation] and refining his sword essence.
He didn’t know if refining was the word commonly used but he felt that it was very descriptive. Right now, his sword essence had only formed. It was like a sword embryo that needed continuous hammering and grinding before it could become a true sword. Xin Yan Shishu’s sword essence was deeply engraved in his head. Under that sky-shattering sword essence, he had died countless times.
What he needed to do was to try to mimic Shishu’s sword essence. If he couldn’t get the aura, at the least, he had to form the appearance. Then he could frighten people with it.
He was resolute that unless it was necessary, he wouldn’t show it. Even Yu Bai could clearly see his origins. If it landed in the eyes of Master and the shishu, it would be strange if they weren’t suspicious. Xin Yan Shishu had never taught him. If they pressed, Pu Yao’s existence most likely couldn’t be hidden. Whenever he thought about Yin Xan Shishu’s icy gaze, Zuo Mo felt shivers go up his spine.
No matter the sect, stealing was a great crime.
Zuo Mo was very regretful now about having fought in Dong Fu. Who would have thought that Yu Bai’s eyes were so keen that he could see the origins of his sword essence?
But regret was useless now. In any case, it was dealing with it as it came, the barefoot wasn’t afraid of those wearing shoes. He actually put even more effort in practicing now.
He couldn’t use a flying sword. As a result, he could only work with [Art of Aged Gold]. He faithfully followed the basic sword scriptures that Wei Sheng Shixiong had left behind in the jade sticks. He hadn’t felt it before but after comprehending sword essence, Zuo Mo found that while these basic scriptures might be simple, but every one of them was important. So he turned back and started to practice these most basic scriptures.
Before this, Zuo Mo had never cultivated the sword and really could be considered a blank page in this area. After being sliced countless times by Pu Yao using Xin Yan Shishu’s sword essence, he finally comprehended something. But his fundamentals were really lacking and so even with his comprehension, it was not rooted. If he didn’t steady it, the comprehension would quickly be worn away.
Because of it, he was now turning back to cultivate the most basic of the basic sword scriptures.
These basic scriptures were all gathered from Wei Sheng’s experience of countless battles. They were practical and effective. Zuo Mo, who had a slight comprehension of sword essence, could look from a higher viewpoint to judge these basic scriptures and he learnt extremely quickly. These basic sword scriptures managed to help fill the gaps of Zuo Mo’s fundamentals.
In the Little West Wind Yard, Zuo Mo solitarily practiced those basic sword scriptures.
The sword scriptures were very simple. It could be learned on the first try. But it was like Zuo Mo was enchanted as he patiently practiced over and over.
Before meeting Pu Yao, before meeting Wei Sheng Shixiong, the spell he was most skilled with, [Little Art of Cloud and Rain], had been refined like this. He never hoped for any kind of enlightenment. In his mind, nothing was more practical than working at something bit by bit.
Behind the most beautiful and exquisite things, was the most dullness and loneliness.
He was very skilled with [Embryonic Breathing Spiritual Cultivation] and his ling energy was steadily increasing. In comparison, his spiritual power progressed much faster. He was like a cultivator in seclusion, each day was scheduled to the fullest, and no time was wasted.
What was worth celebrating was that the damned crazy woman hadn’t bothered him recently.
Time passed like this.
A sword energy fly out of the sky. Zuo Mo, who had been practicing sword scriptures in the yard, stopped. Master had come out.
Jumping onto the roof, climbing on to the back of the grey beaked goose, the grey beaked goose gave a clear call and flew up with spread wings. It carried Zuo Mo towards the Fragrant Ginger Yard.
Fragrant Ginger Yard.
There was tiredness on Shi Feng Rong’s face. The dan-making process had been more than a month and it had taken a heavy toll on her. When Zuo Mo arrived, Xu Qing was reporting to her what had happened in the yard during the time.
Seeing Zuo Mo come over, Shi Feng Rong’s face became cold: “Have you made five fasting pills?”
“Completed.” Zuo Mo presented the five fasting pills he had prepared beforehand with a lowered head.
Shi Feng Rong’s expression eased slightly and indicated for Xu Qing to take it. Nodding her head, she said: “Not bad, it seemed that you hadn’t been lazy. You’ve just started dan-making, so if you have any questions, you can ask them now.” At the side, Xu Qing gave an admiring expression. She might be the first seat of Fragrant Ginger Yard’s outer sect disciples, and was very trusted by Shi Feng Rong ,but she could only learn, but didn’t have the right to ask questions. However, she quickly refocused. She hadn’t been thrown out, that meant she was allowed to listen. This was a rare opportunity.
Hearing this, Zuo Mo was overjoyed and asked several questions he had been puzzled by.
Shi Feng Rong answered them one by one.
Zuo Mo suddenly thought about the dan that he had used [Art of Crimson Flame] to make and rushed to take it out: “Master, this is a dan that I accidentally made. It seems to be different from the fasting pill. This disciple doesn’t know what it is. Master, please take a look.”
Shi Feng Rong took the dan and couldn’t help but make a sound as she carefully examined it.
After a while, she asked: “Tell how you made it.”
Zuo Mo narrated the entire process in detail. When he mentioned that he had accidentally cast [Art of Crimson Flame], Shi Feng Rong seemed have understood something.
When Zuo Mo finished, Shi Feng Rong said: “This fasting pill has essence of the sun added in. The effects are extremely yang and can enter the ranks of first grade dan. After consumption, it can make one stimulated, and arouse ling energy. But the side effects afterward would most likely not be minor. I have never seen this kind of dan before. You can name it and find your Yan Le Shishu to sell it and earn some jingshi.”
Zuo Mo asked dumbly: “How much could it sell for?”
Shi Feng Rong’s face turned cold: “Go ask yourself.” Finishing, she started to ignore Zuo Mo.
Zuo Mo didn’t know where he had offended his cold-faced Master and could only leave. However, he quickly became happy again. He had accidentally managed to make a lingdan. Fasting pills could only be considered a kind of medicine dan and couldn’t be really called a lingdan, much less enter a grade. Zuo Mo was very clear that any lingdan that could enter the grade, its price wouldn’t be low.
For Zuo Mo, who was in desperate need of jingshi, what would make him even happier than finding a way to earn jingshi?
Countless jingshi were waving their hands at him……
He mused inside, he need to find a time to go see Yan Le Shishu.