Chapter 160
Chapter 160: Reading in the Open
Rong Shu cupped her hands, eyes brimming with gratitude: Many thanks, fellow Daoists.
The group chose a secluded spot, then began dividing the items obtained in the Scripture Tower.
As one of the two cultivators with the highest cultivation, Han Cheng Yun spoke first: Now let us allocate the manuals and the like we acquired in the Scripture Tower; everyone, take out what you have.
As he spoke, Han Cheng Yun took out the Storage Pouch holding the Scripture Tower items and tossed it onto the ground.
Nine floors of the Scripture Tower, with alchemy manuals and handwritten notes being the majority, followed by some cultivation methods and spell arts, Spirit Stones, spirit herbs, and pills.
Besides pill recipes and manuals, the Scripture Tower also held Spirit Stones and pills.
However, these Spirit Stones and pills were protected by formations. Each time someone entered, as long as they passed an assessment, a portion of the formations on the Spirit Stones and pills would automatically dissolve, allowing them to be carried out of the Scripture Tower.
Because the secret realm had already been opened twice before, the remaining Spirit Stones and pills inside the Scripture Tower had dwindled. Perhaps before long there would be none left to take.
I propose that all the alchemy notes go to Fellow Daoist Lin. Only in his hands will they yield the greatest effect. As for the remaining manuals, cultivation methods, and spell arts, we draw lots at random. Whatever number you get decides what you take; how do you all feel about that?
Han Cheng Yun let his gaze sweep the circle and finally rest on Rong Shu. He nodded to her with friendly intent.
Zong Wen Shi was first to echo him: Agreed.
I have no objection.
For the sake of fairness, and to avoid anyone having tampered with the copied jade slips to leave hidden marks, Rong Shu—being the only one who had not touched the slips—naturally took on the most important task of distribution.
Following Han Cheng Yun’s suggestion, Rong Shu scrambled all the jade slips, stacked them, then assigned numbers from top to bottom.
The others only had to speak a number.
Once everyone had called a number, they stepped up to take their share of jade slips. The portion left behind would be Rong Shu’s.
The remaining Spirit Stones and pills were divided equally by amount among them all, while the spirit herbs, each plant differing in quality, were allocated by random draw as well.
In the end, Rong Shu took the jade slips that contained all the copied alchemy notes, including the one recording information on the Fire Spirit Tribulation Fruit.
The moment it landed in her hand, Rong Shu felt a long breath of relief escape her chest.
Although she had been promised the alchemy notes, until they were actually in her hands, nothing was certain.
After the Scripture Tower items were distributed, Han Cheng Yun spoke again:
Two months ago, word spread that several clusters of rare Exotic Flame had appeared within Li Rong Mountain. The details are unclear for now, but if it is an Exotic Flame from Li Rong Mountain, it will not be poor.
Among us, Fellow Daoist Lin, Song Xuan, Zhu Chun, and Su Hua possess Fire Spiritual Roots and can Refine Exotic Flames. The rest of us cannot Refine Exotic Flames, but Exotic Flames can be traded outside for suitable cultivation resources.
Rong Shu’s gaze rested on Han Cheng Yun, her expression mild yet tinged with thought. Though he was the strongest among them, he had not behaved arrogantly along the way. On the contrary, he continually balanced and maintained the team, and in the face of profit he was the first to yield, and at the proper measure. [Such a man is either a paragon of virtue, or he is exceedingly calculating with designs of his own.]
When no one raised any objection, Han Cheng Yun took a leaf from his Storage Pouch, flicked it out, and the leaf expanded by several times, floating in midair.
Everyone, come aboard.
Han Cheng Yun called out and was the first to step onto the Leaf Boat.
Rong Shu was the last to go up.
Once all were aboard, Han Cheng Yun urged the Leaf Boat forward toward Li Rong Mountain.
From the Scripture Tower to Li Rong Mountain would take at least two to three days, and along the way they would unavoidably pass through a segment of a Nine-Turn Labyrinth, which would delay them further.
Bored and unable to cultivate, Rong Shu decided to read.
Fellow Daoist Zong, may I borrow your Scripture Tower manuals to take a look?
Of course. Zong Wen Shi cheerfully produced several jade slips bearing copied manuals: If not for Fellow Daoist Lin, I wouldn’t have these manuals at all.
Many thanks.
Her own manuals were available to read whenever she wished. While there was time now, it was better to borrow those in the hands of Zong Wen Shi and the others.
After receiving the jade slips, Rong Shu sent her spiritual sense into them and began to read bit by bit.
She did not press the slips to her forehead. Due to the Scripture Tower’s formations, the copied manuals were single-use. If she pressed one to her forehead, the copied contents would be inscribed into her mind instantly, but the jade slip would revert to a blank slip. If, however, she paged through it like a book, there was no such concern.
One stick of incense… half a hour… one hour… two hour…
Rong Shu had already reached the fourth jade slip.
Seeing this, the others on the Leaf Boat could not help clicking their tongues in amazement.
No wonder Fellow Daoist Lin could become an alchemist, said Zong Wen Shi, admiration plain in his voice: such perseverance in reading… I truly admire it.
While silently memorizing the contents of the jade slip, Rong Shu still found room to reply: I dare not accept such praise. Reading is simply the only hobby I have.
At that, Yun Gao Fei and Wu Man proactively offered up the jade slips they held, handing them to Rong Shu: Fellow Daoist Lin, you look about finished with those. Here are mine.
Many thanks to you both.
Rong Shu smiled and accepted them all.
Time ticked by, moment by moment.
After day and night had traded places, Rong Shu had finished all three people’s jade slips.
She did not continue with more manuals, because the Nine-Turn Labyrinth was already close at hand.
Earlier, Rong Shu had refined a good number of Mist Scattering Pills in the labyrinth. She took out a portion and shared them with Han Cheng Yun and the others. After another day, they passed this stretch of the Nine-Turn Labyrinth smoothly.
Beyond the labyrinth, Li Rong Mountain was not far.
Over the past two days, Rong Shu had read quite a few manuals, and by now this was something Han Cheng Yun and the others had grown accustomed to.
So she openly took out the jade slip containing the copied alchemy notes, sat in a corner, and continued to read.
The slip in her hand was the volume that recorded the Fire Spirit Tribulation Fruit.
Back in the Scripture Tower, she had only skimmed it.
“Fire Spirit Tribulation Fruit… grows in the forbidden innermost section of the herb garden; it blooms after a hundred years, sets fruit after a thousand, and another thousand sees it ripen and fall…”
“Fuse-by-Fire Alchemy, Dawn Flame Pill… feed it with this? Lava Water… soak it? Earthcore Volcano Rich Soil… nourish it…”
Reading these strange and marvelous entries about the Fire Spirit Tribulation Fruit, Rong Shu felt her horizons widen.
[It seems the master of this secret realm once tried to cultivate Fire Spirit Tribulation Fruit.]
It was worthy of a great alchemist to think of “feeding” a Fire Spirit Fruit with pills.
[After so many years, the Fire Spirit Tribulation Fruit must be brimming with spirituality. It cannot be treated like an ordinary herb. It loves high temperatures and flame.]
[It seems it truly is necessary to come to Li Rong Mountain first and subdue a cluster of Exotic Flame.]
On the third day, Rong Shu and the others finally reached the foot of Li Rong Mountain.
Before entering, Han Cheng Yun gave another reminder:
Exotic Flames are sentient. It is difficult for a lone person to capture one. We will need to cooperate.
Once we enter Li Rong Mountain, we let the four with Fire Spiritual Roots—Fellow Daoist Lin, Song Xuan, Zhu Chun, and Su Hua—attempt to Refine Exotic Flames first.
As an alchemist, Rong Shu naturally understood the nature of Exotic Flames.
Cultivators below the Golden Core Stage rarely captured an Exotic Flame alone; assistance was required.
This, too, was one of the reasons Rong Shu had joined Han Cheng Yun’s team.
Seven days later, within Li Rong Mountain, a cluster of dark-tinged flame danced atop a sheet of red magma.
It was quite unlike ordinary fire, as though it possessed life.
At the moment, the cluster of flame had been cornered by several people with no way to flee.
Those people were Rong Shu and her companions.