Chapter 2028 — One More Question

After all, the meridians of Wu Chengtian and the others around Wei Zhao had been ruined, and they could be cured with Meridian-Clearing Pills or Lesser Restoration Pills. Even if someone grew suspicious, it could still be explained away. The strange phenomena in Wei Zhao's own body could be attributed to a special cultivation method. But if Bai Lingtou were to suddenly recover, that would be a serious problem!

Bai Lingtou was an alchemist himself; he could certainly get his hands on Meridian-Clearing Pills or Lesser Restoration Pills and the like. And if an injury he could not heal himself was cured by Wei Zhao, that would not be a good thing for Wei Zhao as he was now!

As for cultivation methods, generally no one covets them — after all, most of the time they cannot be cultivated even if seized. Many ancient sects and ancient clans have top-tier methods preserved in their collections, yet those who can cultivate them are few and far between. The Chrysanthemum Manual and the Heaven-Defying Divine Art are both top-tier existences, but not everyone can cultivate them.

This was also why no one schemed after Wei Zhao's cultivation method — because fine things are possessed by many, yet cannot be cultivated. It was the same principle as the Sun family's method: apart from those of Sun bloodline, no one else could cultivate it.

Wei Zhao was not afraid that someone would snatch his cultivation method; he only feared that his strength was insufficient and that he would be taken hostage to heal others — then he would have no time for anything else.

"How can you tell whether I am alchemist material?" Wei Zhao asked.

"Hmm, let me ask you one question. Are you a cultivator? You must answer truthfully!" Bai Lingtou said.

"Yes." Wei Zhao nodded without hesitation. That he was a cultivator was no secret; many people knew it.

"What level?" Bai Lingtou pressed.

"Earth Rank." Wei Zhao gave only a vague account of his general range of strength, without specifying each tier — after all, You Panhu was right at the door, and Wei Zhao did not want him to know his true depths.

"Earth Rank?" Bai Lingtou showed not the slightest doubt upon hearing that Wei Zhao was a cultivator, but when he heard that Wei Zhao was actually an Earth Rank expert, he wore an expression of shock for the first time: "You are actually an Earth Rank expert?"

"That's right..." Wei Zhao nodded. "Is something wrong?"

"Are you certain you are not a disciple of a hidden clan, an ancient clan, or an ancient sect?" Bai Lingtou looked at Wei Zhao strangely.

"No." Wei Zhao said. "I am a lone cultivator."

"A lone cultivator reaching Earth Rank?" Bai Lingtou shook his head. "You really are extraordinary!"

"Since you are a cultivator, then there is no need to practice the auxiliary methods of an alchemist — just try condensing elixir fire directly!" Bai Lingtou said. "This is a manual on condensing elixir fire. As for the auxiliary cultivation methods at the front, you can skip them directly — no need to read them..."

"You are giving this to me just like that?" Wei Zhao's hands trembled slightly. He had not expected Bai Lingtou to be so generous as to hand him something so important directly, which left him somewhat surprised and startled.

"That's right. If you don't want it, you can give it back to me," Bai Lingtou said.

"It is not that I don't want it, it's... are you not afraid I will leak it?" Wei Zhao felt this was somewhat unreal.

"You mean these things?" Bai Lingtou pointed at the materials in Wei Zhao's hands. "If you want to leak them, go ahead. But I doubt You Panhu would even glance at them if you showed him. These are the common cultivation methods of alchemists and the methods for condensing elixir fire — there is nothing special about them! In the secular world they count as rare treasures, but any hidden clan with even a little reach probably has such things. Ancient sects and ancient clans keep them in their ordinary libraries..."

"These things... are they street-stall goods? Are they not something you summarized yourself?" Wei Zhao did not know what to say to Bai Lingtou's explanation.

"I did not summarize these. As I said, before my master died, he did not pass the elixir-fire condensing method to me. What he gave me was only some insights on alchemy, and even those were incomplete." Bai Lingtou said. "What you have there could indeed be called street-stall goods... and even if not, it would not be kept secret."

"You can't be serious..." Wei Zhao looked at the alchemist's auxiliary core method and the elixir-fire condensing method in his hands. He had been excited for quite a while for nothing — so these things were this ordinary?

"Actually, the You family's condensing method was also improved on the basis of this one, and should be much better than this. The auxiliary method and the elixir-fire condensing method that You Panhu practices are unique to the You family," Bai Lingtou said.

"Then why does You Panhu still come to you?" Wei Zhao asked in puzzlement.

"He comes here not to learn these, but the methods I have summarized for refining various pills, some techniques for manipulating elixir fire, and some knowledge of medicinal properties and pharmacology," Bai Lingtou said.

"Does that not mean that what You Panhu disdains to learn... you are having me learn?" Wei Zhao looked at the materials in his hands with a bitter smile. "Do you not have any better manuals?"

"No..." Bai Lingtou sighed. "Actually, these methods are all the same once you have mastered them — it is merely a matter of personal habit. The ultimate goal is to use a passage of method and mnemonic verse to transform one's own true qi into elixir fire. The purpose is the same. So once I had become proficient in this elixir-fire condensing method, I disdained to learn any other."

"Then have you never thought to consider your disciples?" Wei Zhao asked, somewhat speechless.

"So that is how it is..." Wei Zhao nodded, looking at the materials in his hands, his heart cold as ice, on the verge of tears but unable to cry! If this alchemist's auxiliary method and elixir-fire condensing mnemonic were all the most basic street-stall goods, then they were probably inferior to the set he had obtained from Zhang Liju's tomb!

The one from Zhang Liju's tomb had already made Wei Zhao shrink back in the face of difficulty; this one was probably no better, was it?

At these thoughts, Wei Zhao suddenly felt somewhat discouraged...

"All right, go back and try the elixir-fire condensing method and mnemonic on this. Come find me anytime if you run into problems!" Bai Lingtou said. "I have not eaten lunch yet — go eat quickly, and I need to get some sleep!"

"Uh... I have one more question..." Wei Zhao hesitated for a moment, then said.

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