Page 21: A Chance For More

BAAM!

Another explosion occured inside the alchemy house. Good thing, the place was wide and there were less flammable objects inside aside from the dried leaves of herbs. Long Bai had been watching his senior fail eight times already. After that number of attempts, Long Bai was able to register the pill recipe to the extent that his proficiency rose to an extent. This was the most number of attempts that his senior had since he came. The previous pills that Senior Li had been concocting was a grade 1 pill and so there was only a certain level of difficulty that can't be surpassed by an apprentice. However, grade 2 pills have more difficulty compared to grade 1 pills so it is understandable that there will be more failures. Long Bai, who was benefiting from all of this just kept his mouth shut. He just don't want to add fuel to a strong fire knowing that her temper can easily explode even just by a small trigger.

[STATUS

Alchemy level: Beginner

~grade 1 pills

-low grade(60%)

-middle(19%)

-high(1%)

-mystic(0%)

~grade 2 pills

-low grade(40%)

-middle(12%)

-high(0%)

-mystic(0%)

~grade 3 (no data) ]

"Arrggh! Where did I go wrong! Was there a mistake during the extraction? or was it during the pill formation? The pill formula can't be wrong since this was from master." Senior Li was too frustrated from the outcome of her pill making. Aside from being pissed due to waste of resources, she was running out of time.

"Long Bai, clean this place. When you're done, gear yourself up. We're going to the back mountains. I'll see you later at the entrance."

Senior Li took off and went straight to her abode. Long Bai on the other hand didn't know what his senior was thinking so he just gave a nod of confirmation. He started to move and clean the area, picking up the wasted herbal parts, sweeping the dust- covered floor and wiping the furnace clean. Long Bai was basically this place's live-in janitor. As he tidy up the room, he thought of the past experiences he had this past months.

Now that Long Bai is in a safe environment, there was no reason for him to rush. Fighting beast, staying in the forest, this wasn't the life he was used to. Life back on earth does not require him to endanger himself just to live. Although this was the case, Long Bai still understood the meaning of strength. That in this world, if you don't have enough strength, it would be the same as walking on a narrow plank that sways even just by a small movement. And if you are not careful enough, it would always equate to death. He doesn't want to waste another life given, such opportunity to experience a whole different life.

Long Bai went back to his room and took his beloved knife. Its not even categorized as a grade 1 weapon but holding it gives him a certain amount of safety. There was nothing much for him to bring since he didn't have much to begin with. After changing to another attire, he went straight to the residence's entrance.

Senior Li's residence was not wide but its location was preffered for an alchemist. Located far from other residences, any problem that would occur in the alchemy house won't pose a threat to the neighbors. In addition, the place they are right now is near to a forest where they can find herbs and beast cores. Although there are beasts on the said forest, they would only range from below a sky rank beast. Sky rank beast would be mostly found outside the territory of the sect, however there were reports saying that once in a while, some sky rank loiter near the sect which calls for a subjugation group.

With such events, these are used for training new disciples or at least the ones who requires experience. When fighting a sky rank beast, it would at least require someone from the Visceral tempering stage to accompany them. If a person with such stage is in the initial layers, at least five more of the Flesh tempering stage would give a sure kill. On the other hand, if someone is in the middle layers of the Visceral tempering stage, just one or two accompaniment would suffice. This is when the pertaining beast is just a low grade of the sky rank stage.

A few minutes after waiting, Long Bai saw his Senior Li approaching. Just when they were a few meters apart, Senior Li threw a small pouch to Long Bai.

"Take this. Inside it is a grade 1 weapon and a grade 1 medicine for healing wounds. There are only 3 of that medicine so when we enter the forest, don't get hurt" Senior Li who was continuously speaking noticed Long Bai's questioning eyes. If it is to be explained, those eyes were like asking 'where's the weapon and the medicine in this small pouch?'.

After a moment of silence, Senior Li had a sudden realization that the person she's talking to is a new disciple of the sect. "Ahh. Let your consciousness enter the pouch and you'll see. When you cultivate, you use your consciousness to guide the essence to your core, isn't it? Its the same, just let your own instead be extended to that pouch."

Long Bai followed the instruction and after executing it, his consciousness experience a bizzaire event. It was as if he entered a one cubic meter box but without his body in it. Inside it is a small weapon,; 60 cm long, 6 cm on its widest and 0.5 cm on the blade's thickest. Although it was longer than Bai's arm, the weight posed no problem since he's already at the middle layer of the flesh tempering stage.

Long Bai took out the weapon and made a few swings. Senior Li on the other hand watched his movements which shows adeptness.

"Did you train any martial skills? Sometimes, I forget that your just a six year old boy. Are you really a commoner?" There was much curiosity in her eyes for a short moment but then retracted her questioning eyes immediately. For Senior Li, there is no point in putting so much attention to the child in front of her. In her thoughts, she was thinking, 'if only you were more special', sort of thing. But of course, if he was special, he wouldn't be here as a medicine boy, isn't it?

"Hmm. Never mind. Its good if you can atleast swing that sword. We're going to the back mountain to find some herbs. We'll use these pouch to carry our things. I'll give that pouch to you if you will be able to gather the herbs here on my list."

This was a good fortune for Long Bai. Aside from receiving a sword, he will also own the cosmic pouch after gathering the necessary herbs. In addition, he may be able to practice his skills on the mountains and gain another skills. It was a good opportunity indeed.

---------------------------

Ling Tian and Ah Mu

"Brother Ling Tian, what do you think is Brother Bai doing right now? Do you think he's doing well?"

"Brother Bai will do well. Our master told us that he sent brother to a good place and that he will be working in an alchemy house. That's better than any place I know for an outer disciple. Knowing him, he must be trying to learn about alchemy too."

"I wonder when can we meet our brother Bai and our sister Yue. As master's disciples, we can go out from time to time but sister Yue seems to be on closed door cultivation."

"Well, our little sister is the most talented among us and she is under the sect leader's care. She will undoubtly receive even better treatment than what we have. Concentrate in your training. Did you practice the skill brother Long Bai taught us? Even with the skill book master gave us, the skill brother Bai taught us was actually on par with this. Master told us that this martial skill was a sky rank isn't it? I can also tell that the Brother Bai's martial skill is on that level, maybe even more. I can't really tell. After learning how to move our essence, I felt that the skill he taught became even more profound. It was as if I was staring at a bottomless well. "

"How are we going to tell our master?"

"Let's just train it too that's why we must train harder. One year from now, we will enter the qualifying competitions. We might be able to meet each other that time. We might even fight each other. That's why, brother Ah Mu, lets not slack off so we won't dissappoint everyone."

"Right! I'll go back to my courtyard and train harder."

After reminiscing the good ol' past, Ling Tian cleared his mind and resumed his training. A year after, his goal is to pass the qualifying tournament and earn the chance to enter the main continent together with everyone.