A Record of a Mortal's Journey to Immortality (Web Novel)

After Han Li finished planning, he put down the jade cylinder and picked up the other.

The “Face Setting Pill” was far simpler to refine when compared to the Foundation Establishment Pill. It didn’t require True Fire to refine, and there were no medicine ingredients he was unfamiliar with. All of the ingredients were quite common.

What made him speechless was that many of the drug ingredients actually required the maturity of a thousand years or higher before they could be used as material for a Face Setting Pill. It was not wonder why he never heard of this medicine pill before. After all, what cultivator with spiritual herbs over a thousand years old would waste such a precious treasure in the Face Setting Pill, which was completely useless to cultivators? This caused the Face Setting Pill to be known to a rare few in the cultivation world.

However, this wasn’t a problem to Han Li. He simply had to induce maturity for a slightly longer period of time. Thus, he decided to put off the matter of the Foundation Establishment Pill. Instead, he planned to refine the Face Setting Pill with the furnace and see whether its effects were truly as miraculous as the recipe said, capable of preserving one’s appearance the moment the pill was consumed.

Six or seven days later, when the old man came again to collect medicine ingredients, Han Li stood within the medicine harden and directly asked the old man about the three wondrous medicine ingredients without covering much up.

“Chalcedony Mushroom, Violet Monkey Flowers, and Sky Spirit Fruit?” The old man stroked his small mustache and squinted his eyes.

“Hehe! It seems Martial Nephew already obtained the recipe for the Foundation Establishment Pill, which is why he wants to ask about these three medicine ingredients! However, Martial Nephew, could it be you truly wish to personally refine pills?” Martial Senior Ma slanted his mouth and looked at Han Li with a ‘You are truly overestimating your own ability” gaze.

“Naturally not. However, this Junior is completely ignorant of these medicine ingredients. Where would Junior be able to look for those several hundred year-old auxiliary medicine ingredients? Within Elder’s garden, the oldest herb is the Flower Dragon Grass, over a hundred years old. Under these circumstances, how could Martial Nephew extravagantly think to refine these pills?” Han Li couldn’t tell the truth and coped with flattering words.

“Since you don’t plan on refining pills, why are you asking about those three wondrous ingredients? This old man is quite busy and doesn’t have the leisure to chat with you!” The small old man stiffened his face and stubbornly said.

Han Li had long expected this Martial Senior Ma eccentric temperament and didn’t panic in the slightest. Instead, he smiled and continued, “This Junior simply saw those three ingredients and noticed that their names were very peculiar. Furthermore, I’ve never heard anyone mention their appearance or medicinal properties. That is why I am very curious and asked without thinking it through. However, what your Martial Nephew doesn’t understand is why Martial Senior’s medicine garden doesn’t contain any of the three wondrous ingredients. With such rare ingredients, Martial Uncle should have thought up of every possible method of obtain seeds and cultivate them within the garden. Could it be these wondrous ingredients are extremely difficult to cultivate and that Martial Senior is unable to grow them?”

“Nonsense. Don’t tell me you doubt Martial Senior’s skills? The reason why none of these ingredients are in the garden has nothing to do with my skill. Rather, they are transformed by the Spiritual Qi of Heaven and Earth. They are breeds that grow on their own. As for where to find the seeds? Even if one were able to find a seedling, because the region they grow in is far too peculiar, they are unable to survive in ordinary environments, even if one were careful and diligent. Otherwise, why else would I let them slip by?” The small old man was not lightly provoked by Han Li’s words and couldn’t help but be annoyed.

“There are no seeds? How is that possible!” Han Li could not help but cry out.

“Humph! How is it not impossible? It should be known that these type of ingredients have nearly vanished from the outside world. However, if they are very useful to cultivators and were capable of being grown by humans, every great immortal sect would have already done so by now. Why else would they allow the amount of Foundation Establishment Pills being produced to decrease with each passing year?” The small old man rolled his eyes at Han Li, and replied bitterly.

His words gave Han Li an icy feeling at the bottom of his heart. The maturing effect of the green liquid was great. However, if there simply weren’t any seeds at all, how could he induce maturation? How could he create something from nothing!

“If there is nothing else, then I will leave first! After two months, I will come back and take more medicine ingredients.” This Martial Senior Ma didn’t notice the changes in Han Li’s face and instead turned around, preparing to depart.

“However, every ten years a batch of Foundation Establishment Pills are produced. Where do they come from? If what Martial Senior says is true and the ingredients grow in peculiar environments, then there must be a fixed location where they grow!” Han Li’s mind went through a lightning-fast revolution and immediately thought of another method. It didn’t matter if there were no seeds since there would at least be immature sprouts! He could find a few and induce maturation. As a result, he hastily asked this.

“It seems your curiosity is not small at all! However, I urge you to stifle the thought. If you go to that sinister region to find those three wondrous ingredients, it would be equivalent to suicide.” The small old man lazily turned his head. After coldly uttering those words, he paid no more attention and flew off.

Han Li was left stunned, standing in his original spot without moving for a long while.

“These three wondrous medicine ingredients, I must get ahold of them. Even if he won’t tell me, can I not ask others?” Han Li calmly said to himself. He looked at the sky and let out a deep breath.

During his two years in Yellow Maple Valley, apart from Martial Senior Ma, the other disciples he was familiar with were Honored Disciple Yu and Cultivation Guidance Disciple Wu Feng.

Honored Disciple Yu schemed deeply and was very snobbish. Han Li was not fond of dealing with this person. As a result, the first one he sought was actually that Senior Martial Brother Wu Feng. If he could not obtain any clues from him, then he could only make a trip to the greedy old man at Yue Lu Hall. In all likelihood, he would know. However, he would like to avoid being bankrupt!

When Han Li arrived at the low level disciple area of the Cultivation Guidance Pavilion, Wu Fung happened to be giving a few youngsters an explanation of low-grade magic techniques. When he saw Han Li, he simply gave a faint gesture before proceeding with his work.

Han Li did not mind. He knew Wu Feng simply had a strong sense of responsibility and didn’t mean anything rude.

With regards to Senior Martial Brother Wu, Han Li truly felt some admiration toward him. Even after this Cultivation Guidance Senior Martial Brother took the Foundation Establishment Pill and remained at the peak of Qi Condensation, his comprehension of low-grade magic techniques had truly reached perfection. He was able to deduce many things from one look, causing Han Li to exclaim in astonishment. Furthermore, the benefits he himself received were not shallow.

If it were just this, Han Li would have merely had a good impression of him and not at all be filled with this kind of deep respect. What astounded him was that when this Senior Martial Brother fulfilled his responsibility to guide cultivation, he treated all fellow apprentices who asked for guidance in magic techniques equally favorably, without exception. He put his heart and soul into imparting his understandings and insights. He seemed to never conceal any selfishness. This truly amazed Han Li to a great degree.

In truth, Han Li initially did not trust the person to be of this character. However, he believed that the effort put in for a mere appearance was particularly excessive for a hypocrite he happened to meet. Thus, he treated him neither coldly nor warmly and showed respect at a distance.

But after truly being in contact with him over a year, each and every action he commonly treated people with truly confirmed to Han Li that he was no fraud. He genuinely and sincerely aided his fellow apprentices. This left Han Li at a lost for words for a long while.

Although he was unwilling to follow Senior Martial Brother Wu’s ways, he naturally no longer had any suspicions against his character. Thus, he intended to become acquainted with him. Although they still hadn’t reached the level of familiarity to the degree of best friends, their relationship was on far better terms than that of ordinary disciples.

Thus, he patiently waited to the side.

This Senior Martial Wu’s explanation was truly attentive. The mid-grade elementary “Fire Serpent Technique” was actually explained no less than two full times. In addition, he demonstrated it several times, letting multiple people learn from experience.

Apart from the techniques Han Li originally learned, he truly didn’t not learn any of the other Five Elements magic techniques. In the period of these past two years, he merely pieced together the techniques he had yet to learn.

This caused Han Li be be completely disappointed in his aptitude, and greatly increased his desire for the Foundation Establishment Pill.

After the guidance had finished, the several youngsters departed and took their leave. Wu Feng then asked Han Li with a smile, “Junior Martial Brother Han, you haven’t come here for quite a while! Have you decided to begin learning mid-grade magic techniques?”

When Han Li heard this, he bitterly smiled. Dispirited, he replied, “Senior Martial Brother should know about my aptitudes. I already wasted two years learning those lower elementary magic techniques. To learn even more difficult mid-grade magic techniques, would require at least seven to eight years to complete. The way I see it, it would be better to leave it be!”

When Wu Feng heard this, he wrinkled his brow. He said somewhat reproachfully, “How can Junior Martial Brother be so dejected! It should be known that even if your aptitudes are a bit inferior, diligence can fill the difference. There is still a great chance of success.”