Mortal Alchemy

Before he knew it, a month had passed.

Chen Ping dragged his exhausted body out of the ore mountain range.

During this month, Chen Ping had dug dozens of mine shafts but had not found any Purple Monkey Flowers.

The entire Dafeng Ore Mountain Range was too large; it wasn't easy to dig up Purple Monkey Flowers.

However, he did mine a lot of first-grade high-quality ores, which he could use later to improve the grade of his Green Bamboo Jade Sword.

Just because he didn't find it didn't mean others didn't.

So, in between mining, Chen Ping didn't forget to cultivate and improve his cultivation.

Walking out of the ore mountain range, Mu Xingling and a group of Immortal Clan disciples were waiting here.

"Did you find anything?"

A young master asked.

Chen Ping and the others shook their heads.

"Open your storage bags for inspection," a young girl said coldly.

Chen Ping frowned, opening his storage bag, which felt like a privacy invasion.

He couldn't help but look at Mu Xingling, asking for her opinion.

Mu Xingling said, "Chen Ping, open your storage bag for inspection. The clues were discovered together, so naturally, we need to check what's been found. If you have nothing to hide, there's nothing to worry about."

Chen Ping's heart tightened. Fortunately, he had anticipated that Mu Xingling and the others wouldn't give up until they found the Purple Monkey Flower, so he had placed a storage bag in a mine shaft beforehand.

"Yes."

Chen Ping opened his storage bag, inside were several bottles of Yuan Qi Pills, Jing Qi Pills, Bigu Pills, and Hui Qi Pills.

As well as hundreds of pounds of various ores.

More than a dozen servants and subordinates opened their storage bags, and after inspection, it was confirmed that no one had found the Purple Monkey Flower.

"You may rest today and resupply. Tomorrow, you will enter the mountain to mine again."

Someone spoke.

Mu Xingling's small face was calm: "Chen Ping, come with me."

She led Chen Ping into an elegant room, raised her hand to activate the barrier, and asked in a cold voice:

"Have you discovered any companion mineral deposits of the Purple Monkey Flower?"

Chen Ping shook his head: "Replying to the Palace Master, no, I've dug dozens of mine shafts and haven't found any trace of the Purple Monkey Flower or its companion mineral deposits."

Mu Xingling nodded slightly: "I had expected this. The first month is just a preliminary test."

"Next, we will each rely on our own means to find the Purple Monkey Flower."

"We will not leave until we find the Purple Monkey Flower."

"Retreat and rest. Enter the mine tomorrow."

"Yes, Palace Master."

Chen Ping retreated.

Mu Xingling summoned her ghost servant girl, her beautiful eyes flashing with a sharp light, her tone cold and ruthless:

"Yuehua, tomorrow you will follow Chen Ping into the mountain range and keep an eye on those dozen servants."

"Once you discover someone who has found the Purple Monkey Flower, you will notify Chen Ping and join forces to kill them, making sure to get the Purple Monkey Flower."

Yuehua appeared, giving Mu Xingling a graceful bow:

"Yes, Master."

Mu Xingling received news that family cultivators under the jurisdiction of the other three major sects in the Eastern Domain's cultivation world had also detected the presence of Purple Monkey Flowers in the Dafeng Ore Mountain Range, and they were expected to arrive here within two or three months.

By then, the difficulty of obtaining the Purple Monkey Flower would be even greater.

……

Chen Ping returned to his room to bathe and rest.

"Knock knock!"

A knock sounded on the door.

Chen Ping changed into a new Daoist robe and called out, "Who is it?"

"Senior Brother Chen, it's me, Luo Chongzhi," Luo Chongzhi's voice sounded outside the door.

Chen Ping was a little surprised, walked forward to open the door, and it was indeed Luo Chongzhi.

Twenty-four-year-old Luo Chongzhi had already started to grow a beard, looking a bit mature, without the youthful vigor he once had.

Chen Ping smiled: "Junior Brother Luo, how did you know I was here?"

Luo Chongzhi cupped his hands and said with a smile:

"Senior Sister Mu told us. She said the Palace Master brought you here to handle some matters, and I inquired around before finding out where you were staying."

To meet a close friend in this place thousands of miles away was naturally a happy occasion.

Immediately, Luo Chongzhi took out a storage bag and said, "Senior Brother Chen, here are the demon bone blood materials you wanted. Senior Brother Han and I arrived here half a month ago, and there are a hundred pairs inside."

"We happened to be resupplying near here, so we brought them to you on the way."

"Great."

Chen Ping took the storage bag and looked at it, a look of joy on his face. He had been without Body Tempering Pills for half a month and needed to refine them.

Luo Chongzhi's arrival solved his urgent need.

Chen Ping then scratched his head: "But I don't have any spirit stones on me. I'll have to return to the Mu family to give you the spirit stones."

Luo Chongzhi's face was full of smiles: "Senior Brother Chen, what are you talking about? Don't you trust us?"

"Senior Brother Han and I discussed it, and we'll stay here for a maximum of three months. Once the storage bags are full, we'll have to return to the Mu family to process the Bloodhorn Red Bull materials. Senior Sister Mu said that if you're not there, she'll pay for the materials first."

"Besides, you left us two hundred spirit stones a month ago. According to the price, we still owe you several hundred pairs of demon bone blood."

Chen Ping looked around: "Then why didn't I see Junior Brother Fang and the others?"

Luo Chongzhi explained: "I'm the only one here to resupply. Senior Brother Fang and the others are still near the swamp."

"Senior Brother Chen, now that I've delivered the things to you, I won't stay any longer. I have to hurry back to kill Bloodhorn Red Bulls."

Without saying much more, Luo Chongzhi left.

Watching Luo Chongzhi's back, Chen Ping felt a little gratified.

……

Early the next morning, Mu Xingling had Yuehua enter Chen Ping's sleeves and told him the purpose.

After Chen Ping resupplied, he followed the others into the ore mountain range again.

This time, malicious gazes were frequently cast at Chen Ping.

Chen Ping roughly knew what was going to happen next.

He first pretended to come to a mine shaft to mine ore, looking for the whereabouts of the Purple Monkey Flower. After half a day, Yuehua crawled out of Chen Ping's sleeve, left the vicinity, and went to keep an eye on the situation of others.

Chen Ping then took the opportunity to retrieve his storage bag, took out the Azure Phoenix Furnace, and began to refine Body Tempering Pills.

The smoke rising from the pill furnace drilled into the mine shaft and quickly disappeared.

"Hmm?"

"What's going on? The mine shaft I'm in is a dead end, why is the smoke drilling inside and disappearing?"

Chen Ping was lucky. After refining a furnace of Body Tempering Pills and putting away the Azure Phoenix Furnace, he walked towards the depths of the mine shaft where he was.

Then, in the depths of the mine shaft, he found a crack.

The smoke disappeared here.

"Something's not right… could there be another path inside?"

Chen Ping pinched two fingers together and cast a Golden Light Spell, blasting open the pile of rocks in front of him.

After a loud bang, the original dead end actually revealed a path.

Chen Ping's spirit shook, and he took out the Green Bamboo Jade Sword and walked into the dark, narrow new path.

After walking for an unknown amount of time, and almost reaching another dead end, Chen Ping raised the sword in his hand and slashed at the stone wall.

After a moment.

The stone wall actually had a faint purple light.

"This is Essence Yang Purple Stone!"

His heart thumped wildly, and he immediately had the urge to roar!