Chapter 576 - 320: Huangting Cultivation, Tianshan Snow Cicada Exuviae!

"This is the pill formula, please have a look, Sun the Alchemist."

A flash of spiritual light appeared in Baili Hongtang’s hand as she took out a scroll of ancient and unknown material. Her fair and slender fingers gracefully lifted it, and a visible blue stream of light gently carried the pill formula through the air, landing precisely in Su Mu’s palm.

"This is Gang Force... Indeed worthy of the Cyan Fish Gang’s Second Mistress."

This scene made Su Mu slightly turn his head. The last time they met, Baili Hongtang had just grasped the rudimentary form of Gang Force, but after more than two months apart, she had completely achieved the Fifth Refining Force, mastering the Gang Force that belongs to an upper three-grades Martial Arts Grandmaster.

Even though Su Mu had gifted her a peculiar stone containing Gang Force, mastering it in such a short time spoke volumes. Su Mu had never met Baili Hongtang’s elder brother, Baili Feng.

But at this moment, Su Mu firmly believed that her cultivation talent surpassed those so-called four great talents of Donglai County’s new generation, including Tao Xinglie, Song Jingyuan, and Guo Zhen.

With a quick turn of thought, Su Mu extended his hand to catch the flying pill formula. Opening it, he noticed that the writing was not from the current Great Yan Dynasty but from a more ancient script, though the meaning could be roughly discerned.

"Yellow Court Profound Pill..."

The pill formula in hand was not complete. Based on Su Mu’s current alchemy skills, he guessed it was just a part of it.

"What does ’gestation breathers return their breath to the root’ mean? The root is the empty space inside the navel, and this empty space is the ’Yellow Court’... It can heal a hundred ailments and fend off the ferocity of wolves and tigers, as well as delay aging and extend life..."

Upon careful inspection, Su Mu found that this part of the pill formula was for a healing elixir, focusing not on the physical body but on the Divine Soul within the mind’s sea, and at that moment, Su Mu seemed to have thought of something.

"Ancestor... is this pill formula for treating the Divine Soul?"

Su Mu knew that if it alarmed the Sun Family Ancestor, the elixir would not be so simple, so he multitasked and communicated spiritually with the Sun Family Ancestor.

"You have some talent in the Alchemy Dao, but what you mentioned is merely an ancillary effect of this pill, not its true purpose..." The Sun Family Ancestor snorted disdainfully, seemingly mocking his ignorance, but quickly provided an explanation.

"Yellow Court, also known as the center of regulation, and the space between huts, refers to the middle Dantian. While the Yellow Court refers to the cultivator’s Dantian, it is not entirely so."

"During the Pre-Qin Era, the Yellow Court had another meaning; it often described an upper three-grades cultivator’s lifelong cultivation. The so-called ’three thousand great paths, all lead to the same goal’, whether a cultivator of the Three Religions, Witchcraft, or even heretical outsiders, their cultivation resides in the Dantian."

"Among them, the Little Yellow Court represents the lifelong cultivation of a Third-Grade cultivator, the Middle Yellow Court for a Second-Grade cultivator, and a First-Grade Celestial Human Realm cultivator is respectfully known as the Great Yellow Court."

"No matter whether an upper three-grades cultivator or a First-Grade Celestial Human Realm Great Cultivator, none are truly immortal, meaning they all face a day when their lifespan ends..."

"But in this world, there are holy lands, sects, and noble families that have existed since the Pre-Qin times..."

At this point, the Sun Family Ancestor fell silent, and Su Mu immediately understood, realizing the true purpose of the Yellow Court Pill.

Yellow Court Pill, used to transfer the lifelong cultivation of an upper three-grades Great Cultivator, is the transmission elixir for the Little Yellow Court.

"Indeed, the world is vast and full of wonders, and such an elixir exists in this world!"

Su Mu felt a sense of awe. In that instant, he had an epiphany, stringing together all the strange events surrounding the Cyan Fish Gang.

"It seems a mishap has befallen the Cyan Fish Gang’s Great Cultivator, perhaps due to a nearing end of life or a grievous injury... The fate light cluster that was about to extinguish during my comprehension transformation was that of the gang’s Grandmaster."

His thoughts retraced.

Su Mu also recalled the night before the grand competition finals, where a battle between Great Cultivators took place, likely connected to these events.

"If so, whether recruiting new alchemists or the previous incident involving Master Cang, it was probably all to refine the ’Little Yellow Court Pill’..." Su Mu’s eyes flickered.

Moreover, given the situation as it stands, the head and young master of the Cyan Fish Gang have not appeared, causing Su Mu to speculate further that the one affected might not only be the gang’s Martial Arts Grandmaster.

The fact that Baili Hong, the Gang Leader, might have encountered problems on the path to the upper three-grades weighed on his mind.

Reflecting on this, Su Mu didn’t harbor much worry, as he had only temporarily joined the Cyan Fish Gang and felt little attachment. Whether the gang perishes or prospers, it bears little consequence to him.

For now, he decided to act as if oblivious, but considering the effects of the Little Yellow Court Pill, a fire ignited in his heart as he posed a question.

"Ancestor, are there any side effects from taking the Little Yellow Court Pill?"

"This pill doesn’t have major downsides... If you want to remain at the Third Grade, then go ahead and taste what it’s like."

The fish-shaped jade pendant grew silent, as the Sun Family elder’s voice faded with a mocking laugh.

Su Mu was slightly taken aback, as if a cold bucket of water had been poured over him, feeling as if he had been struck by a blunt warning. His desire for the Little Yellow Court Pill evaporated nearly instantly.

To halt at the Third Grade would be akin to digging his own grave on the path of cultivation, given that Su Mu’s comprehension was continually evolving. At this moment, it felt as though the ancient elixir in his hand was not an object everyone lusted after, but a venomous substance.

Why should he, Su Mu, settle for someone else’s Little Yellow Court when he could cultivate the first-rate Great Yellow Court himself!

Now, Su Mu held contempt for the so-called Little Yellow Court, though the fleeting hesitation in his demeanor was perceived by Baili Hongtang and Grandpa Zhou as indecision.

"Young Master Sun, feel free to proceed with the alchemy, I am confident I have not misjudged you!"

Grandpa Zhou spoke with entire trust.

"Yes, Grandpa Zhou is right, Sun the Alchemist, you need not worry about anything. Your alchemical talent is by no means inferior to that of the Pill Cauldron Pavilion Master’s chosen disciple. If this pill succeeds, our Cyan Fish Gang will reward you greatly... even if it fails entirely, I won’t blame you."

Baili Hongtang also offered comfort, pinning her hopes on Grandpa Zhou not misjudging him.

"In that case, I’ll do my best."

Regaining his composure, Su Mu’s eyes flickered, casually agreeing without further explanation.

The Cyan Fish Gang had only managed to acquire three sets of elixir materials, signifying the rarity of the pill. Even a failure wouldn’t have dire consequences, making it an excellent opportunity for alchemical practice not to be missed.

Additionally, a gleam appeared in Su Mu’s eyes. Having glanced over the pill formula, he immediately grasped the Sun Family Ancestor’s intent. It included rare elixir materials needed for solving the issue of integrating the tri-discipline cultivation and breaking into the upper three-grades Martial Dao, as the ancestor had previously mentioned.

"Follow me, the materials needed for alchemy are here."

Baili Hongtang led Su Mu to a secret chamber, and as the grand door opened, a refreshing herbal fragrance wafted out of the door cracks.

Just a slight sniff caused Su Mu’s eyes to shine. The thick and dense herbal aroma filled the air, feeling like an immersion in a medicinal bath.

Su Mu’s gaze swept past a dazzling array of, at minimum, thousand-year-old precious medicinal herbs, pausing briefly on an inconspicuous, semi-transparent piece of material, thin as a cicada’s wings.

"Tianshan Snow Cicada’s Shedded Skin..."