Lu Baicao decisively shook his head. "There’s no need! Whatever the Divination Sect is scheming has nothing to do with our Alchemy Sect. Don’t pay them any mind! Tell the disciples to remain steadfast and not entertain any rash thoughts!"
"Yes!" Yan Ruyu had no choice but to give up. He bowed to take his leave and went to convey Lu Baicao’s orders.
But he hadn’t gone far when, once again, over a thousand streaks of light from Magic Artifacts and Spiritual Artifacts swept across the sky above him. The magnificent display was deeply moving. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ noⅴelfire.net
Yan Ruyu couldn’t help but let out a sharp hiss and hurried back to Lu Baicao’s residence. "Master, there’s definitely something wrong! Over a thousand more people just flew past. With so many people... it’s impossible that they’re all going to mine... Something must have happened in the Divination Sect. Perhaps... an incredible opportunity has been discovered in the Blessed Land! Should I, your disciple, go take a look?"
Lu Baicao’s eyes flickered.
To say I’m not the least bit tempted is impossible! That’s a Blessed Land, after all! Even ignoring the several mines, the various exotic flowers, spiritual herbs, and rare treasures within are a huge draw for me.
But how many years have the Alchemy Sect and Divination Sect been mortal enemies? Not to mention the battle eight hundred years ago. The countless rare spiritual medicines that the Alchemy Sect cultivated in the major Blessed Lands and Secret Realms were lost when those lands were exiled, a catastrophic blow. The top-tier alchemists and grandmasters of the Alchemy Dao who went to war were completely wiped out. My own master died a tragic death because of it.
And then there was the incident before Luo Binglan went to fight on Demon Sea Island. I refused to supply her with elixirs and even made some trash-talking remarks. In response, she beat me to a pulp and then publicly revealed the truth about my baldness. I can never forgive her for that. Heaven knows how many strange looks I had to endure over the years. Even the junior sisters I was once close with left me in disgust. I swore an oath before all the other sect heads! In this life, I will have nothing to do with Luo Binglan or the Divination Sect. If I go over there now, isn’t that just a tacit admission of defeat to the Divination Sect? How could I do that? Do I have no dignity left?
"There’s no need!" Lu Baicao took a deep breath, his words firm and cold as he pulled out a classic tome on the Alchemy Dao and pretended to read.
Yan Ruyu sighed helplessly. He’d been Lu Baicao’s disciple for so many years that he knew what his master was thinking from the slightest gesture. How could I fail to see that he’s tempted? He’s pretending to read, but his mind has already wandered off. He’s only holding out because of his pride. Oh well. He is my master, after all. I should just listen to him.
Yan Ruyu retreated, closing the door behind him.
Listening to the fading footsteps, Lu Baicao slowly lowered the book in his hands.
Maybe... I should ask around? What if there really is something extraordinary?
He took out his Communication Token and sent messages to the heads of both the Talisman Sect and the Artifact Sect. "Are you there?"
There was no response.
A sense of unease crept into Lu Baicao’s heart. He didn’t hesitate, forming a Daoist magic seal and sending a direct video call to the head of the Talisman Sect.
After a long moment, the call finally connected.
The other end was chaotic and incredibly noisy. Lu Baicao could faintly hear the head of the Talisman Sect, You Wenshen, yelling at someone.
Frowning, Lu Baicao called out repeatedly, "Old You, what are you doing?"
After a good while, You Wenshen finally turned his head and glanced at Lu Baicao. "Old Lu, I’ll talk to you later, I’m busy! Hey! Who the hell do you think you are? Get to the back of the line! We were here first!"
The video feed cut out abruptly. The other party had hung up on him.
Lu Baicao was left speechless, staring at the Communication Token in his hand, utterly dumbfounded.
Did I do that wrong? Was that really You Wenshen? The head of the Talisman Sect I know? Why did he sound like some common old man you’d find haggling in a mortal marketplace? The kind completely lacking in decorum, at that. What in the world is going on?
The door was pounded on urgently.
"Master!" Yan Ruyu’s anxious voice rang out.
Lu Baicao’s heart skipped a beat. "Come in!"
Yan Ruyu pushed the door open, a frantic look on his face. "Apologies, Master! I couldn’t resist. I asked a friend what was going on, and something huge has happened!"
"Speak!" Lu Baicao commanded.
Yan Ruyu spoke quickly. "In the depths of the Divination Sect’s Blessed Land, there are at least millions of human souls! Just a moment ago, a disciple named Wang Xiu from the Divination Sect announced that anyone who has borrowed money from them can directly enter the Blessed Land and liberate the souls at will! Now, disciples and Elders from every sect are rushing over! Even the heads of the Talisman and Artifact Sects have personally led teams to the Divination Sect. Master, should we go too?"
"Whoa!" Lu Baicao shot to his feet, his pupils shrinking as he grabbed Yan Ruyu’s shoulders. "What did you just say?"
"The two sect heads have gone..." Yan Ruyu started.
"No, the one before that!" Lu Baicao interrupted.
Yan Ruyu thought for a moment. "There are millions of human souls in the Blessed Land, and anyone who has borrowed money can enter and liberate them at will!"
Lu Baicao was instantly stunned.
Millions of human souls? Liberated at will! Damn it, how much merit would that be? No wonder those two Old Dengs weren’t answering my messages! They were busy snatching up merit! Those disloyal bastards!
Yes, the Alchemy Sect is better off financially than the other sects. We’re not so poor that we can’t make ends meet. So, we had no reason to sacrifice our dignity just to borrow a little money. But... that’s merit we’re talking about! You can never have enough of that stuff!
And what can merit do? It can improve one’s aptitude, increase one’s luck, enhance one’s comprehension... Every one of those is a heaven-defying ability. How did my hair fall out in the first place? Wasn’t it from researching elixir recipes and alchemy techniques? To put it plainly, it’s because my comprehension wasn’t high enough, and researching such things was just too taxing on the mind.