Chapter 4: Concealment

After all, the members of the Fire Wolf Gang are primarily the vagrants from the surrounding areas of Shitang Town. They have turned to banditry out of necessity. Even if they possess a few skills, their cultivation levels are not particularly impressive. Most of them are at the initial or intermediate stages of the Physical Realm, with very few reaching the advanced stage. Only their leader, the Red Wolf, has fortuitously become a powerful figure in the Condensation Realm.

The dense forest quickly returned to tranquility, with dozens of corpses scattered on the ground and the strong smell of blood lingering in the air, yet Ling Tian had not strayed more than ten steps from the carriage throughout the entire ordeal

Additionally, the unexpected death of the red wolf is also a significant reason

Elimination agent? Or is it a fresh elimination agent? Could it be that this elimination agent was temporarily prepared by Xian'er, and Xian'er is not the useless person everyone claims, but rather a spirit pharmacist?" Looking at the sleeping Mu Xian, a flash of fervor and surprise crossed Ling Tian's eyes

After careful consideration, Mu Xian softly replied to Ling Tian

Upon learning that Mu Xian was not as incompetent as he had imagined, but rather a genius with the potential to become a spirit medicine master, Ling Tian felt greatly pleased. The stern lines of his face softened noticeably, and a hint of a gratified smile occasionally flickered in his eyes

Upon hearing Mu Xian's explanation, Ling Tian's eyes lit up, and the numerous doubts swirling in his mind were also resolved.

The issue of preservation time is relatively easy to resolve, yet the matter of mental focus remains an inevitable pain for all alchemists. Some alchemists consciously train their mental focus from the very day they begin cultivating their spiritual energy, but even they may not ultimately succeed in formulating a single Elimination Potion.

Mu Xian rolled her eyes in her heart upon hearing this. She couldn't tell whether this Uncle Ling had too high expectations of the previous owner of the body and was simply being naive, or if he was genuinely easy to fool. If cultivating spiritual power were that easy, then there wouldn't be so few spiritual practitioners in the world.

Ling Tian carefully recalled the entire sequence of events, and as a result, he cast his gaze upon the carriage. In today's occurrences, Mu Xian's words and actions were filled with an air of strangeness, and the scene where Mu Xian swiftly defeated the Red Wolf lingered in Ling Tian's mind.

"Xian'er, I have heard that alchemists are very particular when it comes to refining elixirs, and there is also a notion of success rates in their practices. What is your success rate for concocting the Dispersing Essence Elixir?" After some pleasantries, Ling Tian inquired of Mu Xian with a serious expression.

Ling Tian understood that today's ambush was almost a fatal blow for both himself and Mu Xian. The reason they were able to turn the situation around and escape from a desperate situation was entirely due to the fact that Mu Gui Tu was eliminated by him in an instant

As Mu Xian just opened his eyes, he found a large face, resembling a grinding wheel, looming in front of him. The other person's intense gaze seemed to melt him away.

Uncle Ling, the information you have gathered is indeed accurate. The preparation of spiritual medicine is a remarkably intricate process; any trivial mistake or change can affect the entire formulation of the medicine. Throughout the entire preparation process, factors such as mental focus, spiritual power, technique, and the quality of the herbs are all extremely important. I am currently only a first-level spiritual master in the Soul Stabilization realm, and my previous ability to concoct the Dissipation Elixir was entirely a result of exceptional performance under high pressure. It is nearly impossible for me to replicate that process.

Seeing the unwavering intensity in Ling Tian's eyes, Mu Xian continued to explain: "I have merely become knowledgeable through long-term illness, which has allowed me to understand the properties of some common herbs. By chance, I came across the formula for the Dispersing Element Potion while browsing in the academy's library, which is how I learned to prepare it."

If Xian'er were a spirit medicine master, then the various crises facing the family would be easily resolved

Ling Tian sat by the side of the carriage, becoming increasingly excited and thrilled with each passing thought, to the extent that he did not even notice that Mu Xian in the carriage had already woken up.

"Xian'er, you have worked hard these years, and it has been difficult for you." After a long silence, Ling Tian finally patted Mu Xian's shoulder and sighed softly, "If those who constantly call you useless knew that you are the esteemed spirit master in their eyes, they would probably feel utterly ashamed and wish they could find a mouse hole to hide in"

"Spiritual power? Are you saying that you have embarked on the path of spiritual cultivation? But weren't you born with a severed meridian? The requirements for the strength of the meridians in spiritual cultivation are even more stringent than those in martial cultivation!" Hearing Mu Xian's words, Ling Tian exclaimed in disbelief.

"Uncle Ling, spiritual cultivation requires a high level of meridian strength, but it places even greater emphasis on the strength of the soul. I have endured numerous pains and torments since childhood, which have made my soul incredibly resilient. Thus, by a stroke of luck, I was able to cultivate spiritual power. If I had not cultivated spiritual power, I would not have been able to formulate the Dispersing Element Elixir, let alone successfully ambush the Red Wolf." Mu Xian smiled and patiently explained.

Currently, there are only a few true essence realm martial artists in Shitang Town, which makes the凝元境 martial artists the main combat force and decisive power of the various families in Shitang Town. The greatest crisis for the Mu family also arises from the few凝元境 martial artists from the Elder Council and the collateral families.

The elimination potion can be said to be the nightmare of practitioners in the Condensation Realm. Whenever a practitioner in the Condensation Realm catches a whiff of the elimination potion, their entire source of energy will vanish inexplicably within a short period. Practitioners accustomed to fighting with their source of energy find that after losing it, their combat power is even inferior to that of practitioners in the Physical Realm.

In this world, in addition to martial cultivation, there is also spiritual cultivation. However, compared to the practice of martial arts, the pursuit of spiritual paths is significantly more challenging, which is why the number of spiritual cultivators is much smaller than that of martial cultivators

If Xian'er were a spiritual pharmacist, then Xian'er would be able to regulate her own body. Not only would she no longer be in danger of losing her life, but she might also embark on the path of cultivation, becoming a legend in Shitang Town like her father.

Although Ling Tian is trustworthy, he is a straightforward person whose emotions are always written on his face, so Mu Xian does not want to take this risk

It is precisely because of the difficulty in formulating the Elimination Potion that, although it is merely a second-tier potion, many ninth-tier alchemists may not be able to concoct it. The formulation of the Elimination Potion has also become a means for alchemists to compete and assess each other.

Mu Xian felt a flicker of guilt in his heart upon seeing this. The reason he concealed his alchemical abilities from Ling Tian was that he was currently in a perilous situation, surrounded by countless hidden enemies. If he were perceived as a useless individual, those lurking in the shadows would not pay him much attention. However, once his alchemical skills were revealed, the enemies would undoubtedly seek to eliminate him swiftly.

Seeing Ling Tian's anxious expression, Mu Xian naturally understood the purpose behind Ling Tian's question

The elimination agent is very difficult to refine because it has exceptionally stringent requirements regarding the preservation time of medicinal materials and the mental focus required from the alchemist

... ... ''

Soon, Ling Tian discovered the fresh medicinal mud on the ground beside the carriage, and then he noticed the dark green marks on the hilt of the black sword. He hurriedly lifted the beaded curtain and anxiously grasped Mu Xian's hand.

If Xian'er is a spirit pharmacist, then the sealed spiritual power of my sister-in-law may also be unsealed, and the family will gain an additional esteemed spirit master, elevating the combat strength of the Mu family to the top of Shitang Town immediately

After a considerable amount of time, Mu Xian finally recognized that this was Ling Tian's face. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief and softly ask, "Uncle Ling, have all the members of the Fire Wolf Gang been dealt with?"

Recalling the starkly different circumstances during his two encounters with Mu Guitu, and associating that with the panic and astonishment displayed by the Red Wolf when facing Mu Xian's assassination, Ling Tian naturally understood that it was not due to his and Mu Xian's strength being too formidable, but rather that there was an issue with Mu Guitu and the Red Wolf.

When Ling Tian discovered that there were still remnants of dark green juice on Mu Xian's palms, his expression became exceedingly strange

Mu Xian was taken aback by the words. He gently freed himself from Ling Tian's grasp, took out a handkerchief from his sleeve, and while wiping the residue of the medicinal mud from his hands, he replied: "Uncle Ling, you overestimate me. It is true that I created the Dissipation Elixir, but becoming a spirit pharmacist is not so easy, is it?"

If Mu Xian could easily formulate the elimination potion, then the crisis facing the Mu family would cease to exist, and the Mu family could completely rely on the elimination potion to free themselves from the oppression of the other two major families, even compelling those two families to bow down and submit.

Although the previous owner of the body endured much pain and humiliation due to a congenital defect, these sufferings and insults not only failed to strengthen the soul of the previous owner, but instead severely damaged it. This was also the reason why the previous owner died from excessive shock during the first ambush

Ling Tian nodded and then eagerly asked, "Xian'er, please tell me, was the previous elimination potion concocted by you? Are you a spirit pharmacist?"

"Uncle Ling, although I am not a spirit pharmacist, I have already cultivated spiritual power. Perhaps I will become a spirit pharmacist in the future?" Seeing Ling Tian's dejected expression, Mu Xian felt a pang of sympathy in her heart and gently comforted him

Mu Xian was able to cultivate spiritual power due to the exceptionally strong divine soul from future generations, along with the abundant spiritual cultivation experience and top-tier cultivation techniques brought from the future, which enabled Mu Xian to embark on the path of spiritual cultivation

After eliminating all the members of the Fire Wolf Gang, Ling Tian's face showed no signs of excitement. In fact, having experienced countless bloody battles, it was difficult for him to feel exhilarated even after slaughtering a group of martial artists at the Body Refinement stage.

Is it really just like this? Ling Tian stared at Mu Xian for a long time, and seeing the sincerity in Mu Xian's eyes, which did not seem to be dismissive, he couldn't help but feel a deep disappointment, and his gaze became dim as a result

However, this criterion is completely inapplicable to Mu Xian, despite being relevant for other alchemists.

As he spoke these words, Mu Xian gently clenched his fist, an unconscious behavior he exhibited when lying or facing difficulties

As a high-level expert in the Condensation Realm, Ling Tian possesses the strength to easily crush a multitude of members from the Fire Wolf Gang. With the Steel Meteor Bow, a lethal weapon in hand, eliminating the disorganized members of the Fire Wolf Gang is an exceedingly effortless task.