「The next day.」

Wei the Third was quite shocked when he saw the Pill.

"This Pill..."

Bai Mo said casually, "It’s fine. Just chew it up and swallow."

With that, he pushed the Pill forward.

"Alright."

Wei the Third managed to force out the word, tucked the Pill into his robes, and prepared to leave.

On a nearby table sat a large wooden crate, on which the faint lettering of some chamber of commerce was visible, though it had been worn quite pale.

Seeing his unhurried demeanor, Bai Mo asked curiously:

"Have the people from the Wei and Wang families arrived in Immortal Arrival yet?"

Wei the Third narrowed his eyes.

"No news yet. I sent two of the young brats out to scout, but they haven’t found anyone."

"But they’ve already sent word back to the family. There should be a reply soon."

Considering how important this matter was to the clan, they shouldn’t have been so slow.

Wei the Third had many doubts of his own.

"Perhaps they were delayed on the road?"

"Never mind them. Once they arrive, I’ll bring them to visit you. I must trouble Alchemist Bai not to mention the matter of my Pill."

Bai Mo nodded.

"Business is business. I won’t breathe a word about Senior Wei’s matter."

Wei the Third was very satisfied. He departed with the Pill tucked away.

Bai Mo dragged the crate into place, lifted the lid, and saw it was neatly packed with a large amount of Spirit Stones.

After a quick count, he confirmed the amount was correct.

’I don’t have to worry about Spirit Stones for a while.’

Bai Mo let out a breath, closed the lid, and turned his focus back to the medicinal ingredients.

’If this works, the shop will have another Pill to put on the shelves.’

White-Hair Flower. It had white fuzz on its roots and stems, and its petals were the color of moonlight—a type of wildflower that grew by the roadside, which hardly anyone bothered to pick.

Occasionally, an injured Cultivator from a Demon Hunting Team might casually pick some, crush them, and apply them to a wound. It had a minor effect of stopping bleeding and reducing heat.

However, those who followed the Alchemy Dao preferred to call this flower White Deer Blood.

When the flower was in full bloom, it would turn blood-red for about a night.

This was also when its medicinal properties were at their peak.

’I never would have thought that burning this flower to ash would produce such a miraculous effect. When combined with other ingredients, its potency is almost twenty percent that of Climbing Vine!’

Bai Mo felt quite lucky.

Although the flower’s medicinal potency was low, its advantage was its high yield, making it a common commodity.

If gathered in large quantities, it could satisfy the needs of Alchemy.

The only remaining step was to substitute it for Climbing Vine and see if he could successfully refine a Pill.

With a rare moment of leisure, Bai Mo once again fell into a routine of alternating between Alchemy and cultivation.

Occasionally, his neighbor Sun Qiao would come over, hoping to buy a few more Fire Marrow Pills.

But as soon as he got close, he would smell the scent of something burnt wafting from Bai Mo’s house, mixed with another peculiar and rather choking odor.

Knowing Bai Mo was tinkering with Pills again, Sun Qiao felt it would be rude to knock.

「Three days later.」

Bai Mo happened to step out for some fresh air and ran right into him.

"Fire Marrow Pills? I haven’t refined any for the time being."

Bai Mo glanced at him sideways. Seeing that the medicinal aura on his body had dissipated significantly, he knew the man must have been putting effort into his cultivation.

After all, there weren’t any places for entertainment in Immortal Arrival City at the moment.

Countless prodigals were likely howling in misery at midnight.

"A Pill that costs twenty Spirit Stones... you’re that willing to part with the money?"

Bai Mo was a little puzzled, wondering if he had sold it too cheaply.

Sun Qiao let out a sigh.

"I run a big Talisman shop. Unlike you Pill Masters, I can make a living off one type of Talisman for the rest of my life."

"The deeper my cultivation, the stronger the Talisman’s effect."

He added honestly, "If we don’t mess around with new types of Talismans, our profits are actually quite substantial!"

Bai Mo thought for a moment.

"Alright. Once this period is over, I’ll refine some more. I’ll call you then."

Sun Qiao nodded repeatedly, rubbing the back of his neck with some emotion.

After taking the Fire Marrow Pill, the efficiency of his cultivation truly gave him a feeling of exhilaration.

His desire to order more Pills now wasn’t entirely driven by a wish for pleasure.

The two of them squatted by the doorway, chatting idly for a while longer.

They mostly talked about the market conditions in the city, but both felt the outlook wasn’t very optimistic.

Just as they were talking, they saw Wei the Third approaching with hurried steps.

Sun Qiao froze for a moment.

"Who’s that? I see him coming over to visit you all the time."

Bai Mo just smiled.

"A young master from some big clan outside the city. A pretty fat sheep!"

Sun Qiao’s spirits were instantly lifted, and he hurriedly stood up.

"Still waters run deep! I can’t be blamed for misjudging him the other day. You really can’t tell just from his appearance!"

With that, he walked forward to greet him with great familiarity.

"Greetings, fellow Cultivator. Are you here to see Shopkeeper Bai?"

Seeing that he had just been sitting and chatting casually with Bai Mo, Wei the Third returned the greeting formally.

"Indeed. I hope I’m not disturbing you two?"

Sun Qiao smiled and waved his hand.

"We were just chatting about trivial matters. How could it be a disturbance?"

"The other day, I saw you pass by in a hurry. You looked quite travel-worn."

"My shop is right next door. I’m in the Talisman business. If you have any need, fellow Cultivator, feel free to take a look. I have protective Talismans, Hundred-Mile Godspeed Talismans, all sorts..."

With that, Sun Qiao walked away, leaving the two of them alone.

Wei the Third strode to Bai Mo’s side, hesitated for a moment, and then plopped down where Sun Qiao had just been sitting.

"The men from our two families... they’ve been found."

Wei the Third rubbed the bridge of his nose, looking very troubled.

"What happened?" Bai Mo asked, a little curious.

"Alchemist Bai, are you aware that the Xuandao Sect is suspected to be making a move on Immortal Arrival City?"

Bai Mo nodded.

"Young Master Wei was the one who told me."

Wei the Third sighed.

"Who would have guessed there was a band of robber Cultivators hiding in the Celestial Barrier Mountain!?"

"They probably heard the news about the Xuandao Sect, got scared out of their wits, and decided to relocate. On their way, they brazenly attacked the Cultivators from our two families!"

Man proposes, God disposes. The people from the two families had been traveling smoothly.

The day they were resting in a market town, they happened to run into the robber Cultivators.

Seeing such a fat flock, the other party naturally wasn’t going to let them go.

They immediately gave them their "special attention"!

Bai Mo was slightly stunned by the news.

"The existence of robber Cultivators isn’t a secret in Immortal Arrival City."

"Were there any casualties among your family members?"

After a moment of thought, Wei the Third said:

"My second brother was leading the group. He’s a tough character. The situation was chaotic, but they wouldn’t have been wiped out there."

"But for them to summon me back urgently, the situation can’t be optimistic."

Wei the Third said rather apologetically:

"Several of the roads into Immortal Arrival are now blocked. It’s the doing of a few major families trying to make a good impression on the Xuandao Sect."

"After I leave, the two young brats will be your point of contact, Alchemist Bai."

Wei the Third knew perfectly well that those two kids were clueless.

"The two families aren’t asking for much, just some Fire Marrow Pills. For the sake of those two thousand Spirit Stones, please bear with them a little."

Bai Mo agreed.

"It’s no problem. I have a bit of a rapport with the two young masters."

Wei the Third gratefully cupped his hands, stood up, and left.

Bai Mo, however, was lost in thought.

’It seems the robber Cultivators weren’t hidden that deep within the Celestial Barrier Mountain, or they wouldn’t have been scared off by the Xuandao Sect.’

’But the Xuandao Sect... is their reputation really that formidable!?’

Meanwhile, when Wei the Third returned and saw the two young masters from the Wei and Wang families, the worried look on his face vanished completely.

"You two may be disappointing, but you’ve always been close to me."

"This is a golden opportunity for you. If you can purchase some Fire Marrow Pills to take back and establish a connection, it will be a great accomplishment!"

Wei the Third patted their shoulders, picked up his travel bag, and headed out.

"With two thousand Spirit Stones as a foundation, there shouldn’t be any issues on Alchemist Bai’s end. All you two have to do is not screw up."

He shook his head, tutting in exclamation.

"It’s not even a sure thing yet, and already the major families are jumping out to curry favor with the Xuandao Sect."

"The Miaofa Sect must have been slapped swollen in the face! I wonder how they’ll react?"