“ mǎ xiōng ， nà tiān chén dān zhēn yǒu rú cǐ shén qí ma ， bù jǐn kě yǐ ràng zhù jī qī dà yuán mǎn de xiū shì qīng yì níng dān chéng gōng ， ér qiě jiù suàn shì duì yú níng jié yuán yīng ， yě yǒu dà dà de jiā chéng zuò yòng ？”
“马兄，那天尘丹真有如此神奇吗，不仅可以让筑基期大圆满的修士轻易凝丹成功，而且就算是对于凝结元婴，也有大大的加成作用？”
"Brother Ma, was the Dusty Pill really as miraculous as everyone says? Not only can it help a cultivator in the Foundation Establishment Great Perfection stage easily condense their core, but even for those trying to form an元婴, it greatly enhances their chances?"
“ shì a ， zhè gōng xiào yě wèi miǎn yě tài nì tiān le a ， shì bú shì chuán yán yǒu jiǎ ？”
“是啊，这功效也未免也太逆天了啊，是不是传言有假？”
"Yes, this effect is too extraordinary. Could it be that the rumors are false?"
“ jǐ wèi dào yǒu mò yào bù xìn ， cǐ nǎi qiān zhēn wàn què zhī shì 。” jiǎng huà zhī rén shì yī zhōng nián xiū shì ：“ mǎ mǒu chū wén zhè ge xiāo xī ， fǎn yìng yě yǔ jǐ wèi xiāng sì ， bù guò sān jù tóu ， hái yǒu mó dào sān pài dōu pài chū le shù míng níng dān qī gāo shǒu cān yù qiǎng duó ， cǐ yán duō bàn bù jiǎ le 。”
“几位道友莫要不信，此乃千真万确之事。”讲话之人是一中年修士：“马某初闻这个消息，反应也与几位相似，不过三巨头，还有魔道三派都派出了数名凝丹期高手参与抢夺，此言多半不假了。”
"Companions, don't believe these rumors. This is a fact," said the middle-aged cultivator. "When I first heard about this news, my reaction was similar to yours. However, with the Three Great Factions and the three sects of the Demon Sect each sending several Core Formation experts to vie for it, this rumor likely holds some truth."
“ nà zuì hòu shuí dé dào le ？”
“那最后谁得到了？”
"Then who ended up getting it?"
“ shuí yě méi yǒu ， tiān shā mó jūn zǒu tóu wú lù ， jiāng tiān chén dān huǐ qù le 。” mǎ xìng xiū shì kǒu mò héng fēi de kāi shǐ jiǎng shù ， suī yǒu bù shǎo dì fāng tiān yóu jiā cù ， dàn dāng shí de qíng jǐng dà tǐ hái shì méi cuò de 。
“谁也没有，天煞魔君走投无路，将天尘丹毁去了。”马姓修士口沫横飞的开始讲述，虽有不少地方添油加醋，但当时的情景大体还是没错的。
"No one did. The Tyrant Demon Lord, in his desperation, destroyed the Dusty Pill," said Brother Ma, spitting out saliva as he narrated. Although he added a few embellishments, the overall scene was accurate.
lín xuān zhòu le zhòu méi ， yě bù zhī dào zhè xiē xìn xī shì shuí tòu lù chū lái ， bù guǎn zhuǎn niàn yī xiǎng ， què yòu xǐ xiào yán kāi ， dà jiā dōu rèn wéi tiān chén dān biàn chéng fèi wù zuì hǎo le ， nà yàng zì jǐ jiù gèng ān quán 。
林轩皱了皱眉，也不知道这些信息是谁透露出来，不管转念一想，却又喜笑颜开，大家都认为天尘丹变成废物最好了，那样自己就更安全。
Lin Xuan frowned, wondering whose information this might be from. However, upon reconsidering, he felt relieved. If the Dusty Pill had indeed become worthless, it would mean greater safety for him.
tīng wán jiǎng shù ， jǐ gè xiū shì xī xū bù yǐ ， líng yào bèi huǐ ， bào tiǎn tiān wù ， zhe shí kě xī ， zhèng xiāng duì tàn qì ， yī jiān ěr hóu sāi de xiū shì què miàn dài shén mì de kāi kǒu le ：“ mó jūn shǒu zhōng de tiān chén dān suī rán huǐ le ， dàn shì jiān wèi bì zài méi yǒu cǐ wù 。”
听完讲述，几个修士唏嘘不已，灵药被毁，暴殄天物，着实可惜，正相对叹气，一尖耳猴腮的修士却面带神秘的开口了：“魔君手中的天尘丹虽然毁了，但世间未必再没有此物。”
After hearing the narration, several cultivators sighed in dismay over the destruction of a precious medicinal herb. It was truly regrettable. Just as they were lamenting, a monkey-faced cultivator spoke up mysteriously: "Although the Tyrant Demon Lord destroyed the Dusty Pill he had, there might still be such a pill in existence."
“ shén me ？” tīng le cǐ yǔ ， bāo kuò yī páng de lín xuān zài nèi ， wú bù dà chī yī jīng ， xīn shén quán bèi xī yǐn 。
“什么？”听了此语，包括一旁的林轩在内，无不大吃一惊，心神全被吸引。
"What?" Lin Xuan and others were greatly surprised by this statement, their attention fully captured.
“ zhāng dào yǒu ， nǐ zhè huà shì hé yòng yì ？”
“张道友，你这话是何用意？”
"Companion Zhang, what do you mean by that?"
“ hē hē ， zhāng mǒu rén kě bù huì wú dì fàng shǐ 。” jiān ěr hóu sāi zhī rén yáng yáng dé yì ：“ gè wèi dào yǒu kě zhī ， nà tiān chén dān chū yú hé chù ？”
“呵呵，张某人可不会无的放矢。”尖耳猴腮之人洋洋得意：“各位道友可知，那天尘丹出于何处？”
"Haha, I wouldn't speak without reason," said the monkey-faced man proudly. "Do your fellow cultivators know where the Dusty Pill originated from?"
“ zhè bù fèi huà ma ， tiān shā mó jūn zài yī mì dòng suǒ de ， jù shuō shì qiān nián qián tiān chén zhēn rén de yí wù 。\\\\\\” yī qīng nián xiū shì bù yǐ wéi yì de shuō 。
“这不废话吗，天煞魔君在一秘洞所得，据说是千年前天尘真人的遗物。\\\\\\”一青年修士不以为意的说。
"It's obvious; it came from a secret cave of the Tyrant Demon Lord and is said to be a relic left behind by Elder Trueman Dusty," said a young cultivator dismissively.
“ zhè jiù duì le 。” jiān ěr xiū shì de liǎn shàng lù chū yī sī guǐ yì de xiào róng ：“ tiān chén zhēn rén hé xǔ rén yě ， líng yào shān de kāi shān zǔ shī ， jì rán tā céng liàn zhì chū guò tiān chén dān ， zhè líng yào shān nán dào hái huì méi yǒu me ， zhòng wèi jué de zhāng mǒu rén cǐ huà ， kě zài qíng lǐ zhī zhōng ？”
“这就对了。”尖耳修士的脸上露出一丝诡异的笑容：“天尘真人何许人也，灵药山的开山祖师，既然他曾炼制出过天尘丹，这灵药山难道还会没有么，众位觉得张某人此话，可在情理之中？”
"That’s right." The monkey-faced man revealed an eerie smile. "Who was Elder Trueman Dusty? He was the founder of Spirit Herb Mountain. If he could create the Dusty Pill, wouldn’t there still be some in existence on the mountain?"
“ zhè ge ……” zhòng rén xiàn rù le chén sī ， liáng jiǔ 。 yí gè lǎo tóu dào ：“ shì yǒu jǐ fēn dào lǐ ， bù guò tiān chén dān de gōng xiào rú cǐ nì tiān ， xiǎng yào liàn zhì kěn dìng qiān nán wàn nán ， shuō bù dìng jiù zhǐ yǒu zhè me jǐ kē ， tiān chén zhēn rén yě shì miào shǒu ǒu dé
“这个……”众人陷入了沉思，良久。一个老头道：“是有几分道理，不过天尘丹的功效如此逆天，想要炼制肯定千难万难，说不定就只有这么几颗，天尘真人也是妙手偶得
"Perhaps…" Everyone fell into deep thought for a long time. An old man spoke up: "There is some logic to it. However, the Dusty Pill’s effects are so extraordinary that its creation must have been extremely difficult. There might only be a few such pills, and Elder Trueman Dusty may have obtained them by chance."
“ dào yǒu zhè fān huà kě jiù cuò le ， tiān chén dān de liàn zhì gù rán qiān nán wàn nán ， kě líng yào shān běn lái jiù shì yī qún liàn dān kuáng rén zǔ chéng de mén pài ， jīng guò qiān nián dì jī lèi 。 jiù suàn zhōng jiān bù zhī shī bài le duō shǎo huí ， kě zǒng yě huì chéng gōng yī liǎng cì ba ， kěn dìng yǒu tiān chén dān liàn zhì chū lái 。”
“道友这番话可就错了，天尘丹的炼制固然千难万难，可灵药山本来就是一群炼丹狂人组成的门派，经过千年地积累。就算中间不知失败了多少回，可总也会成功一两次吧，肯定有天尘丹炼制出来。”
"That's wrong," said another cultivator. "While creating the Dusty Pill is indeed very difficult, Spirit Herb Mountain consists of a group of mad alchemists. After a thousand years of accumulation, even if they failed many times, surely there must be at least one successful attempt and some Dusty Pills created."
“ duì ， zhāng xiōng suǒ yán bù cuò ， jiù suàn shì méi yǒu tiān chén dān ， qí tā gōng xiào chà yì diǎn de líng yào zǒng huì yǒu ba ， zhǐ bù guò líng yào shān píng shí cáng zhuō ， bù kěn ná chū lái ……”
“对，张兄所言不错，就算是没有天尘丹，其他功效差一点的灵药总会有吧，只不过灵药山平时藏拙，不肯拿出来……”
"Right, Brother Zhang's words are correct. Even without the Dusty Pill, other less effective medicinal herbs would still exist. Spirit Herb Mountain keeps its treasures hidden, unwilling to show them off…"
tīng dào zhè lǐ 。 lín xuān méi yǒu jì xù dài xià qù ， zhuǎn shēn lí kāi le fāng shì ， rán hòu zài zhè zhǒng kàn shàng qù fēng jǐng hái bú cuò de xiǎo shān tíng le xià lái 。
听到这里。林轩没有继续待下去，转身离开了坊市，然后在这种看上去风景还不错的小山停了下来。
Hearing this, Lin Xuan left the market square and stopped on a small hill with pleasant scenery. Recalling the scene from before, his expression was uncertain. Others might not understand, but he knew that Spirit Herb Mountain had deeper waters than imagined. Although he was the junior sect leader in a foggy state of mind, he still understood more about the inner workings compared to outsiders.
huí xiǎng dāng shí de qíng jǐng ， lín xuān de liǎn sè yīn qíng bù dìng ， bié rén bù qīng chǔ ， zì jǐ duì líng yào shān hái shì liǎo jiě yī èr de ， suī rán zhè ge mén pài de shuǐ bǐ xiǎng xiàng de shēn dé duō ， zì jǐ zhè ge shǎo zhǎng mén yě yì zhí dāng dé xī lǐ hú tú ， dàn hé wài rén xiāng bǐ ， zì jǐ bì jìng hái shì gèng qīng chǔ nèi qíng yī xiē 。*****
回想当时的情景，林轩的脸色阴晴不定，别人不清楚，自己对灵药山还是了解一二的，虽然这个门派的水比想象的深得多，自己这个少掌门也一直当得稀里糊涂，但和外人相比，自己毕竟还是更清楚内情一些。*****
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tiān chén dān ？
天尘丹？
The Dusty Pill?
lín xuān kě yǐ kěn dìng xiàn zài dì líng yào shān jué wú cǐ wù 。 suī rán běn mén zhōng xiàn zài yě qián xiū zhe bù shǎo gāo shǒu ， nòng bù hǎo hái yǒu yuán yīng qī de lǎo guài wù ， dàn xiàng tiān chén zǔ shī zhè me jīng cái jué yàn de 。 jué duì shì yí gè méi yǒu 。
林轩可以肯定现在地灵药山绝无此物。虽然本门中现在也潜修着不少高手，弄不好还有元婴期的老怪物，但向天尘祖师这么惊才绝艳的。绝对是一个没有。
Lin Xuan could be certain that there was no such thing as the Dusty Pill at present within his own sect. Even if some powerful experts were secretly cultivating now, including old monsters of the元婴 stage, none would match Elder Trueman Dusty's extraordinary talent.
xiàng tiān chén dān zhè zhǒng dōng dōng ， gōng xiào yǐ jīng dá dào le nì tiān de chéng dù ， qǐ shì yí gè miào shǒu ǒu dé jiù néng liàn chū lái de 。
像天尘丹这种东东，功效已经达到了逆天的程度，岂是一个妙手偶得就能炼出来的。
Such a pill with effects reaching divine levels couldn't have been created by mere chance. The creation of the Dusty Pill must have involved immense effort from Elder Trueman Dusty in his time.
dāng nián de tiān chén zǔ shī kěn dìng yě lì jīng le qiān xīn wàn kǔ 。
当年的天尘祖师肯定也历经了千辛万苦。
In short, Spirit Herb Mountain didn’t possess such medicinal herbs now. However, Lin Xuan was aware of this situation, but the sect's disciples knew it as well. Other cultivators might not understand alchemy and thus couldn't fathom how difficult it was to create such a divine medicinal herb.
zǒng zhī yī jù huà ， xiàn zài de líng yào shān méi yǒu zhè zhǒng líng yào 。 dàn zhè ge qíng kuàng zì jǐ qīng chǔ ， líng yào shān de dì zǐ míng bái ， kě wài rén ne ， qí tā xiū shì wèi bì dǒng ， tā men duì liàn dān shù yī zhī bàn jiě ， zì rán yě jiù hěn nán xiǎng xiàng liàn zhì zhè zhǒng nì tiān líng yào shì duō me kùn nán le 。
总之一句话，现在的灵药山没有这种灵药。但这个情况自己清楚，灵药山的弟子明白，可外人呢，其他修士未必懂，他们对炼丹术一知半解，自然也就很难想象炼制这种逆天灵药是多么困难了。
An outsider would see only the spectacle, while an insider would see the subtleties. Many people like the monkey-faced cultivator likely shared this view.
suǒ wèi wài háng kàn rè nào ， nèi háng kān mén dào 。 yǒu jiān ěr xiū shì nà zhǒng xiǎng fǎ dì rén ， kǒng pà wéi shù zhe shí bù shǎo 。
所谓外行看热闹，内行看门道。有尖耳修士那种想法地人，恐怕为数着实不少。
What could happen next was easy to predict: ordinary cultivators wouldn’t be tempted by rumors, but with the allure of Spirit Herb Mountain, many would be drawn in.
jiē xià lái huì fā shēng shén me yě jiù róng yì yù liào 。
接下来会发生什么也就容易预料。
Although Spirit Herb Mountain held a high status, under the temptation of precious medicinal herbs, most cultivators couldn't resist. Small animals and cats posed no threat, as Lin Xuan knew his sect had hidden experts behind its facade. However, if powerful figures like the Three Great Factions or even the Tyrant Demon Lord decided to intervene…
pǐ fū wú zuì huái bì qí zuì ， dāng zhè zhǒng liú yán yí dàn chuán kāi ， xiǎng yào dǎ líng yào shān zhǔ yì de xiū shì kě jiù bú shì yì diǎn bàn diǎn 。
匹夫无罪怀璧其罪，当这种流言一旦传开，想要打灵药山主意的修士可就不是一点半点。
Although such a scenario was unlikely, these old monsters were cunning and wouldn’t blindly believe rumors. But one could never be too careful; in the face of temptation, if they truly lost their minds…
suī rán líng yào shān dì wèi chāo rán ， dàn líng yào dāng qián ， xiū shì men kěn dìng jīng bú zhù yòu huò ， yì bān de xiǎo gǒu xiǎo māo dào yě méi shén me 。 yīn wèi lín xuān qīng chǔ 。 běn mén kě bù jǐn jǐn zhǐ yǒu biǎo miàn shàng nà yì diǎn shí lì ， àn dì lǐ hái yǒu xǔ duō yǐn cáng gāo shǒu 。 kě wàn yī sān jù tóu ， huò zhě jí è mó zūn zhè yàng děng jí de cún zài yě chū shǒu ……
虽然灵药山地位超然，但灵药当前，修士们肯定经不住诱惑，一般的小狗小猫倒也没什么。因为林轩清楚。本门可不仅仅只有表面上那一点实力，暗地里还有许多隐藏高手。可万一三巨头，或者极恶魔尊这样等级的存在也出手……
That would bring great trouble for Spirit Herb Mountain.
suī rán yì bān qíng kuàng xià ， kě néng xìng bù dà ， nà xiē yuán yīng qī lǎo guài yí gè gè jiān huá shì guǐ ， yīng gāi bú huì rén yún yì yún de tīng xìn liú yán ， kě bù pà yī wàn jiù pà wàn yī ， zài líng yào de yòu huò miàn qián ， jiǎ rú zhè xiē lǎo jiā huǒ zhēn guǐ mí le xīn qiào ……
虽然一般情况下，可能性不大，那些元婴期老怪一个个奸猾似鬼，应该不会人云亦云的听信流言，可不怕一万就怕万一，在灵药的诱惑面前，假如这些老家伙真鬼迷了心窍……
As a disciple and junior sect leader, Lin Xuan couldn't remain uninvolved. If he was drawn into such conflicts, he would face various dangers and wouldn’t have time to focus on cultivation.
nà yàng líng yào shān de má fán kě jiù dà le 。
那样灵药山的麻烦可就大了。
Lin Xuan didn’t want this situation.
zuò wèi gāi pài dì zǐ ， shèn zhì shǎo zhǎng mén de shēn fèn ， jué bù kě néng dú shàn qí shēn ， rú guǒ yí dàn bèi juǎn rù zhēng dòu de xuán wō ， huì zāo yù gè zhǒng wēi xiǎn zì bù bì shuō ， ér qiě yě méi yǒu bàn fǎ jìng xià xīn lái hǎo hǎo xiū liàn 。
做为该派弟子，甚至少掌门的身份，绝不可能独善其身，如果一旦被卷入争斗的漩涡，会遭遇各种危险自不必说，而且也没有办法静下心来好好修炼。
What could be done?
zhè zhǒng qíng kuàng lín xuān zì rán bù yuàn yì jiàn dào 。
这种情况林轩自然不愿意见到。
Leave? That was one option. He had all his treasures with him; why return to Spirit Herb Mountain when he could find a new place for cultivation?
nà zěn me bàn ne ？
那怎么办呢？
It sounded tempting—far from trouble, pursuing the path of immortality—but Lin Xuan hesitated, unable to make up his mind. After all, under the tree's shade, it was cool. As just a Foundation Establishment cultivator without a sect as a *mountain*, his future would be difficult.
zǒu ？ zhè dǎo shì yí gè xuǎn zé ， fǎn zhèng zì jǐ suǒ yǒu de bǎo bèi dōu dài zài shēn biān ， gān cuì bù huí líng yào shān ， chóng xīn zhǎo yí gè dì fāng xiū liàn 。
走？这倒是一个选择，反正自己所有的宝贝都带在身边，干脆不回灵药山，重新找一个地方修炼。
Now that Lin Xuan had broader perspectives and experiences, he understood that becoming an independent cultivator wasn’t easy. In this world of survival of the fittest, ordinary independent cultivators faced many obstacles unless they were Golden Core experts. Without power backing them, true cultivation was just a dream.
tīng qǐ lái hěn yòu rén ， kě yǐ yuǎn lí má fán ， zhuī qiú xiān dào ， kě lín xuān què xiàn rù le yóu yù ， chí chí ná bù dìng zhǔ yì ， yuán yīn wú tā ， dà shù dǐ xià hǎo chéng liáng a ， zì jǐ zhǐ bù guò shì yí gè zhù jī qī dì xiū shì ér yǐ ， rú guǒ méi yǒu mén pài zuò wèi * shān ， hòu miàn de lù huì hěn jiān nán 。
听起来很诱人，可以远离麻烦，追求仙道，可林轩却陷入了犹豫，迟迟拿不定主意，原因无他，大树底下好乘凉啊，自己只不过是一个筑基期地修士而已，如果没有门派做为*山，后面的路会很艰难。
Moreover, humans are not plants; who could remain emotionless? Master Tongyu treated him well, and leaving without saying goodbye seemed…
rú jīn lín xuān de yǎn guāng jiàn shí dōu fēi yǐ qián kě bǐ ， zhī dào xiǎng dāng yī míng sàn xiū bú shì nà me róng yì ， xiū zhēn jiè ruò ròu qiáng shí ， chú fēi shì níng chéng jīn dān dì gāo shǒu ， fǒu zé pǔ tōng de sàn xiū ， bù shuō chù chù pèng bì ， dàn bù biàn kěn dìng hěn duō ， méi yǒu shí lì zuò wèi hòu dùn ， xiǎng yào jìng xīn xiū liàn chún cuì shì yī jù kōng huà 。
如今林轩的眼光见识都非以前可比，知道想当一名散修不是那么容易，修真界弱肉强食，除非是凝成金丹地高手，否则普通的散修，不说处处碰壁，但不便肯定很多，没有实力做为后盾，想要静心修炼纯粹是一句空话。
Of course, Lin Xuan wasn’t foolish. He knew his own safety was paramount. If truly dangerous, he wouldn't share the same fate with Spirit Herb Mountain; he would surely act like a man running away from danger.
"Brother Ma, was the Dusty Pill really as miraculous as everyone says? Not only can it help a cultivator in the Foundation Establishment Great Perfection stage easily condense their core, but even for those trying to form an元婴, it greatly enhances their chances?"
"Yes, this effect is too extraordinary. Could it be that the rumors are false?"
"Companions, don't believe these rumors. This is a fact," said the middle-aged cultivator. "When I first heard about this news, my reaction was similar to yours. However, with the Three Great Factions and the three sects of the Demon Sect each sending several Core Formation experts to vie for it, this rumor likely holds some truth."
"Then who ended up getting it?"
"No one did. The Tyrant Demon Lord, in his desperation, destroyed the Dusty Pill," said Brother Ma, spitting out saliva as he narrated. Although he added a few embellishments, the overall scene was accurate.
Lin Xuan frowned, wondering whose information this might be from. However, upon reconsidering, he felt relieved. If the Dusty Pill had indeed become worthless, it would mean greater safety for him.
After hearing the narration, several cultivators sighed in dismay over the destruction of a precious medicinal herb. It was truly regrettable. Just as they were lamenting, a monkey-faced cultivator spoke up mysteriously: "Although the Tyrant Demon Lord destroyed the Dusty Pill he had, there might still be such a pill in existence."
"What?" Lin Xuan and others were greatly surprised by this statement, their attention fully captured.
"Companion Zhang, what do you mean by that?"
"Haha, I wouldn't speak without reason," said the monkey-faced man proudly. "Do your fellow cultivators know where the Dusty Pill originated from?"
"It's obvious; it came from a secret cave of the Tyrant Demon Lord and is said to be a relic left behind by Elder Trueman Dusty," said a young cultivator dismissively.
"That’s right." The monkey-faced man revealed an eerie smile. "Who was Elder Trueman Dusty? He was the founder of Spirit Herb Mountain. If he could create the Dusty Pill, wouldn’t there still be some in existence on the mountain?"
"Perhaps…" Everyone fell into deep thought for a long time. An old man spoke up: "There is some logic to it. However, the Dusty Pill’s effects are so extraordinary that its creation must have been extremely difficult. There might only be a few such pills, and Elder Trueman Dusty may have obtained them by chance."
"That's wrong," said another cultivator. "While creating the Dusty Pill is indeed very difficult, Spirit Herb Mountain consists of a group of mad alchemists. After a thousand years of accumulation, even if they failed many times, surely there must be at least one successful attempt and some Dusty Pills created."
"Right, Brother Zhang's words are correct. Even without the Dusty Pill, other less effective medicinal herbs would still exist. Spirit Herb Mountain keeps its treasures hidden, unwilling to show them off…"
Hearing this, Lin Xuan left the market square and stopped on a small hill with pleasant scenery. Recalling the scene from before, his expression was uncertain. Others might not understand, but he knew that Spirit Herb Mountain had deeper waters than imagined. Although he was the junior sect leader in a foggy state of mind, he still understood more about the inner workings compared to outsiders.
---
The Dusty Pill?
Lin Xuan could be certain that there was no such thing as the Dusty Pill at present within his own sect. Even if some powerful experts were secretly cultivating now, including old monsters of the元婴 stage, none would match Elder Trueman Dusty's extraordinary talent.
Such a pill with effects reaching divine levels couldn't have been created by mere chance. The creation of the Dusty Pill must have involved immense effort from Elder Trueman Dusty in his time.
In short, Spirit Herb Mountain didn’t possess such medicinal herbs now. However, Lin Xuan was aware of this situation, but the sect's disciples knew it as well. Other cultivators might not understand alchemy and thus couldn't fathom how difficult it was to create such a divine medicinal herb.
An outsider would see only the spectacle, while an insider would see the subtleties. Many people like the monkey-faced cultivator likely shared this view.
What could happen next was easy to predict: ordinary cultivators wouldn’t be tempted by rumors, but with the allure of Spirit Herb Mountain, many would be drawn in.
Although Spirit Herb Mountain held a high status, under the temptation of precious medicinal herbs, most cultivators couldn't resist. Small animals and cats posed no threat, as Lin Xuan knew his sect had hidden experts behind its facade. However, if powerful figures like the Three Great Factions or even the Tyrant Demon Lord decided to intervene…
Although such a scenario was unlikely, these old monsters were cunning and wouldn’t blindly believe rumors. But one could never be too careful; in the face of temptation, if they truly lost their minds…
That would bring great trouble for Spirit Herb Mountain.
As a disciple and junior sect leader, Lin Xuan couldn't remain uninvolved. If he was drawn into such conflicts, he would face various dangers and wouldn’t have time to focus on cultivation.
Lin Xuan didn’t want this situation.
What could be done?
Leave? That was one option. He had all his treasures with him; why return to Spirit Herb Mountain when he could find a new place for cultivation?
It sounded tempting—far from trouble, pursuing the path of immortality—but Lin Xuan hesitated, unable to make up his mind. After all, under the tree's shade, it was cool. As just a Foundation Establishment cultivator without a sect as a *mountain*, his future would be difficult.
Now that Lin Xuan had broader perspectives and experiences, he understood that becoming an independent cultivator wasn’t easy. In this world of survival of the fittest, ordinary independent cultivators faced many obstacles unless they were Golden Core experts. Without power backing them, true cultivation was just a dream.
Moreover, humans are not plants; who could remain emotionless? Master Tongyu treated him well, and leaving without saying goodbye seemed…
Of course, Lin Xuan wasn’t foolish. He knew his own safety was paramount. If truly dangerous, he wouldn't share the same fate with Spirit Herb Mountain; he would surely act like a man running away from danger.