Chapter 126: Aspiring to Form a Monster Pill

After those people left, Longyuan Mountain returned to its former tranquility.

The mountain shadows swayed, a gentle breeze blew through the winding mist, as if a thin veil covered the peak; the green pines swayed continuously, dotted among the mountains.

The verdant mountains layered upon layers, like waves rising and falling on the sea, surging and magnificent, as a sun rose slowly, casting countless sparkling rays.

Ye Qin stood at the highest point, overlooking the sea of clouds and mountain peaks, taking in the vast, magnificent scenery.

"It seems those people have given up their idea."

"If those people dare to come back again, it won't be as simple as just fainting."

"Unless absolutely necessary, Ye Qin does not want to involve himself in killing; those previous bad guys can be forgiven, but these people do not deserve death—a light punishment will suffice."

"Even so, these people have suffered quite a bit, as can be seen from the reactions of Li Minghai and others behind them."

"They will likely carry this shadow for the rest of their lives and dare not set foot in this great mountain again."

"The formation looks effective for now; later we can expand its range, increase its power, add heavenly thunder and earthly fire, so I think no one will casually intrude into the mountains thereafter."

"Of course, for mountain folk who worship me, they may freely come and go, as long as they do not venture deep into the mountain."

"With the formation's protection, it can be said that Ye Qin's major concern has been resolved; even if he is not on the mountain later, the formation serves as a layer of security."

"Ye Qin again infused heaven and earth qi into several positions of the formation; as long as the energy supply is sufficient, the formation can continue indefinitely, and the consumption of heaven and earth qi is not too much for Ye Qin."

"After finishing all this, Ye Qin then began to continue his cultivation; these days he has been busy handling these matters, yet he has not delayed his alchemy."

"Thanks to Ye Qin's ample spiritual energy now, the time spent sitting in meditation cultivation is equivalent to rest; otherwise, if an ordinary creature went without sleep, its body could hardly endure."

"As the flames burned slowly, the cauldron's body glowed red-hot, as if coated with a golden-red halo, and the whole cauldron emitted a faint divine radiance."

"Using this cauldron to refine elixirs is far more convenient than the previous large vat, and the speed has also increased."

"Pale green specks of light, like fireflies, floated outside the cauldron; Ye Qin guided the heaven and earth qi within his body to gather these specks together."

"They seemed to be attracted by something, circling around Ye Qin, from which a rich vital aura emanated, like heavenly sweet rain or withered wood returning to spring."

"Even many surrounding plants were affected; their leaves turned a deeper verdant, as if they would drip water any second."

"Soon those green specks of light dissipated into the air, but after a moment, a refreshing medicinal fragrance wafted from within the cauldron."

"Three green pills lay still in the small cauldron, having gathered the essence of life, and after extraction by heaven and earth qi, their power was condensed severalfold."

"Now Ye Qin's alchemy skill can be described as masterful; each furnace yields two or three pills, and he swallowed all the pills."

"That sweetness continuously flowed along his serpentine passage into the five viscera, like a warm current wandering within, then forming several streams of gas that gathered into the Qi Pill."

"This Qi Pill has gradually become full, vastly different from its original state, but it is still far from reaching the level of a Monster Pill."

"Ye Qin must absorb more heaven and earth qi to achieve that."

"It seems there is still a long road ahead."

"Ye Qin knows that haste makes waste; cultivation has no shortcuts, always step by step, the road is built by solid footing."

"Precisely for this reason, although his cultivation is not rapid, he has always been steady and solid, never experiencing anything like qi deviation."

"However, having come from a dying little snake to his present state, Ye Qin is already content."

"There are still many medicinal herbs in the mountain; as the weather turns cool, they will surely dwindle, so I must gather more before then."

"Even if the herbs are dried, although they are not as fresh as when just picked, their medicinal potency can still be retained at eighty or ninety percent, usable for making pills, and they store longer."

"Thus, the mountain animals now have an additional task besides gathering herbs: drying them."

"Not far from Ye Qin's vicinity, this place has open terrain, with no large plants around, and sunlight is abundantly sufficient."

"When the weather is good, the animals will take out the herbs to air-dry them."

"Time slipped away unnoticed, and deep autumn arrived."

"Crimson maple leaves covered the mountains and forests; the originally verdant ridges gained hints of other colors, appearing from afar as a sea of fire, exceptionally bright, like countless red lanterns hung."

"Autumn is also a season of abundant harvest; the villagers at the mountain foot are busy with the autumn harvest, their faces full of joy, and even while busy they are happily occupied."

"Thanks to the Mountain God's blessing, this year's harvest is good; we can have a prosperous year."

"Indeed, without the Mountain God, how could our Longyuan Village have favorable weather and timely rains?"

"Under the Mountain God's protection, our wheat grains are larger than others', yields have increased severalfold, and this year we sold them at a good price."

"After we finish harvesting this batch of wheat, I will go to the Mountain God Temple to pay my respects and thank the Mountain God."

"This is not the villagers of Longyuan Village boasting; everyone in the town knows that Longyuan Village's grain is the best, and its price has risen greatly compared to before."

"Now the economy is developed; city dwellers all want to eat better, pursuing pure, natural, green, organic food."

"And Longyuan Village is not only known for its grain but also its vegetables; they are the largest in size, grow well, have the best taste, and can be said to have earned a reputation."

"The grain collectors first come to their village; formerly the villagers would smile apologetically, but now a group of grain buyers surrounds the villagers, all hoping the villagers will sell their grain to them."

"Even people from other villages come over to seek advice, asking the villagers how to plant grain and vegetables."

"But the villagers have no special methods or techniques; if one must say there is something, it is probably just the Mountain God's blessing."

"Perhaps precisely because of this, the land becomes fertile and the grain crops can grow robustly."

"Those who came seeking advice returned empty-handed, as the villagers said, they also have no techniques; perhaps it is truly this land's special quality."

"Everyone in Longyuan Village knows that the Mountain God protects them, and their hearts are filled with reverence and sincerity."

"In the field ridges, cheerful voices and laughter floated; the faces weathered by wind and frost, bathed in autumn's warm sun, appeared especially radiant."

"After laboring hard for so long, all for this very day."

"Under the blue sky, a breeze blew, and the golden wheat waves rolled, carrying the villagers' many hopes toward the distance."

"Inside the Mountain God Temple, people still come and go; even though it is now the autumn harvest and everyone is busy with farm work, they still take time to come over to thank the Mountain God for bestowing the joy of a bountiful harvest."

"Amid the curling incense smoke, the serpent statue, devoid of sorrow or joy, watched the coming and going crowd; its originally expressionless face also seemed touched by the harvest's joy."

"Autumn passes, winter arrives."

"As the weather grew colder, ordinary snakes had already entered hibernation; for Ye Qin, at this point he could already disregard them."

"Seasonal changes mean little to him, but the number of animals around him has greatly diminished; some cannot resist their nature, while others persist in staying by Ye Qin's side."

"On the branches, no verdant leaves remain, bare and desolate-looking; when the north wind blows, the mountain wind howls past, adding countless feelings of bleakness."

Soon a crescent cold moon hung on the treetops, the boundless night sky drifted down specks of white snowflakes, and in just a moment a layer of white appeared on the trees.

The whole land was covered in silver and white, becoming a fresh new existence; between heaven and earth it seemed only white remained.

Ye Qin was the sole touch of green in this vast whiteness.

Watching the snow fall abundantly, he felt a myriad of emotions: "Unbeknownst to me, another year is almost over."

Recalling the past, rebirth felt like it had just happened yesterday; those events were vivid in memory, yet in the blink of an eye the seasons turned—cold to hot, harvest to storage—and it turned out more than four years had passed.

The icy snowflakes exuded a hint of chill, slowly dripping from the green scales.

The originally emerald serpent scales became even more translucent and glistening, like some divine object, appearing extraordinarily remarkable.

Throughout this year Ye Qin continually refined elixirs, absorbing the qi of heaven and earth, and could sense that the qi elixir inside him had reached fullness.

He was just a hair's breadth away from breaking through into the next realm to form a true demon elixir, but he never grasped the key, as if an invisible wall blocked him.

"Haste makes waste; perhaps I should rest properly."

After embarking on cultivation, Ye Qin hardly had any time to rest; for him, meditation was rest, he didn't want to waste time, let alone hibernate.

Because his body contained the qi of heaven and earth, Ye Qin also did not need to behave like ordinary serpents.

Gazing at the silver light above, for some reason Ye Qin's heart suddenly surged with an inexplicable impulse; perhaps it was time for him to get a good sleep.

The winding green serpent body, like a fine jade raw stone, left deep traces in the snow, but was soon covered by the heavy snow, vanishing without trace amidst the vast snowfall.

Even the mountains fell into complete silence; the heavy snow fell soundlessly, as if it were a blissful dream of deep slumber.

The villagers at the mountain base looked out the window at an expanse of white; even the nearby green hills retained only white peaks, and countless ice crystals hanging from the treetops dripped down, refracting a crystal‑clear hue.

Heaven and earth were a vast white, as if only this color remained, weaving together a tranquil and elegant world.

"Last night it actually snowed this heavily."

The children were overjoyed, shouting that it was snowing, they didn't even bother to put on their jackets, and rushed out of their houses.

Rolling on the ground, they instantly became like the snow dolls in New Year paintings, eyebrows and hair turned white, resembling old grandfathers as they pointed at each other and burst into laughter.

The children frolicked and played in the snow, their laughter and chatter drifting over the whole village.

The elders watching the snow knew the coming year would bring a good harvest, the smiles at the corners of their mouths barely ever faded.

The village chief hurried to the Mountain God's temple early in the morning, wishing to express his gratitude to the Mountain God.

But he hadn't expected someone to arrive even earlier.

The Mountain God's temple looked completely renewed; even the incense ash burner was clean and tidy, clearly someone had cleaned it with care.

Seeing a slender figure not far off, the village chief tentatively called out, "Xiaocao?"

That figure slowly turned, revealing a delicate, petite face; although the features were still a bit childish, it was easy to imagine how beautiful she would become when she grew up.

Moreover, she carried an inexplicably calm and composed demeanor; though young, she always seemed to have experienced much.

Just a year apart, and she had already blossomed into a young lady.

The village chief was overjoyed: "Xiaocao, when did you get back? Why didn't you tell me beforehand so I could come pick you up?"

Hu Xiaocao smiled faintly, the dimples at the corners of her mouth appearing and disappearing, giving her a touch more innocent childlikeness.

"Village chief grandpa, no need to trouble yourself; I was at the hospital accompanying my mother earlier, and only returned today."

Because the school was far and commuting inconvenient, Hu Xiaocao boarded there, getting only a few days off each month, yet she never went home—instead she stayed at the hospital with her mother.

The village chief took hold of Hu Xiaocao's hands, his face full of kindness, "This year just come spend New Year at my place."

Hu Xiaocao smiled and did not refuse the village chief's goodwill: "Village chief grandpa, this time I ranked first in my class on the final exam and also won the award for Three‑Good Student."

Hu Xiaocao produced the test paper and the award certificate, and the village chief smiled so broadly he could hardly close his mouth.

"I knew this child of yours was smart; if your mother knew, she'd surely be delighted too."

Hearing this, Hu Xiaocao's expression darkened slightly: "I've already told my mother; although the doctors say her chances of waking are slim, I still feel she can hear."

Hu Xiaocao's sensibility made people ache for her; she always reported good news, never the bad, and whenever the village chief phoned the teacher to inquire, the teacher praised her profusely.

She cherished this hard‑won opportunity to study, and hoped that learning could change her fate, not disappointing the expectations of the village chief and others.

Hu Xiaocao previously had no foundation, and besides, she was in an unfamiliar environment, encountering different knowledge.

At first she was near the bottom of the class, but thanks to her diligence and eagerness to ask questions, her rank kept rising, leading to her current achievement.

For someone her age to accomplish this is truly no easy feat.

The village chief felt both relieved and pained: "You child, you don't even know to rest properly; you come back and immediately get busy."

Hu Xiaocao shook her head: "It's fine; since I'm back with nothing to do, I might as well give the Mountain God's temple a thorough cleaning."

"The Mountain God Grandfather knows you're a good child, that's why he keeps blessing you."

The village chief grandpa took Hu Xiaocao's hand and walked home, saying, "In a bit let your aunt make you a nice meal; studying outside has made you thin."

Many villagers seeing Hu Xiaocao return showed great enthusiasm.

Hu Xiaocao's eye sockets gradually grew moist, as if she had returned to those former days.

"The village is still the same; nobody has changed much."

The village chief smiled: "You've been studying outside and don't know, but recently something big happened that almost affected the whole village."

Hu Xiaocao couldn't help but be curious: "What big affair?"

"People from the city came, saying they wanted to develop a project on Longyuan Mountain and turn this place into a tourist spot."

Upon hearing this, Hu Xiaocao instantly grew anxious: "How can this be? Wouldn't the Mountain God Grandfather then—"

The village chief hurried to soothe her: "Don't worry; I didn't tell you earlier because I feared it would disturb your studies, but now this matter is settled—the Mountain God showed his power and scared those people away."

After hearing the village chief's full account of the antecedents and consequences, Hu Xiaocao finally put her mind at ease.

"Who would have thought such a thing would happen; I knew the Mountain God Grandfather was the most powerful."

The village chief also nodded: "Yes, the Mountain God, our elder, has always been protecting our village."

Time slipped by quietly; on the first day of the first lunar month, the whole of Longyuan Village went together to the Mountain God's temple to offer sacrifices—this has become a custom of Longyuan Village, destined to be passed down through generations.

Therefore, from the first to the seventh day of the first lunar month, people from nearby villages come here to take advantage of the New Year to pray for blessings, hoping for health and smooth sailing in the coming year.

Due to the increasing number of people, it eventually led to someone setting up a stall near the Mountain God shrine, selling some festive trinkets; this clearly shows the trend of developing into a temple fair.

Amidst this bustle, the long and cold winter finally passed, and the mountains were once again covered in layers of green feathers; the undulating mountains and rivers, like waves on the sea surface, shone with brilliant radiance under the sunlight.

A gentle breeze brought some warmth, melting the severe winter's cold; the verdant color returned to the mountains and rivers, the dark-blue hue merging with the sky, as if a landscape painting scroll.

After an entire winter of hibernation and dormancy, the small animals in the forest seemed to become more active.

They constantly shuttle through the mountains and forests, as if searching for something.

At the highest point of the terrain, there is a small bulge, as if something is buried beneath; among the withered branches and fallen leaves, a faint glimmer of dark green light can be seen flowing.

As vitality returns to the earth, this glimmer grows stronger, as if it has gathered the essence of the entire mountain's terrain.

Ye Qin also gradually awoke with it; he had slept too long, and he never expected that upon opening his eyes again it would already be spring.

He could feel that his cultivation level had already reached the peak, the Qi Pill condensed round and smooth, and a breakthrough was just a matter of piercing that paper-thin window, yet it was still insufficient.

"I want to form a Monster Pill! But I'm still missing something!"

Clearly, a breakthrough is just one step away; once broken through, one can condense into a Monster Pill. Ye Qin speculated that this would be a qualitative change in his life level.

Previously, if he was a beast, thereafter he would be a demon!

But unfortunately, he has not yet found a way to break through.

"Sigh."

Ye Qin let out a sigh; since he couldn't find it on the mountain, perhaps his opportunity lies elsewhere.

"If he could find the mottled time fragments, perhaps everything could be readily solved."

Earlier, he also sensed his cultivation stagnation, so he went down the mountain to search; this also counted as training, and he unexpectedly gained many insights therefrom, raising his realm by a large margin.

After Ye Qin figured it out, he planned to go down the mountain, since continuing to stay and cultivate on the mountain offered no benefit.

Although he had experienced two mottled time fragments, Ye Qin still hasn't figured out their principle; the involved factors are really too many.

It first occurred in Zuo Ci's tomb; later Ye Qin visited many Daoist temples and ancient monasteries, but found no trace of temporal power therein, instead capturing it in an ancient village.

Therefore this time Ye Qin expanded his search range; he would go to any place with relics to try his luck, not limiting himself to places with strong incense.

After all, if there are too many people, he also risks easy exposure; although mist can conceal his traces, it is not a foolproof plan.

Ye Qin each time acts either in the early morning or late afternoon when few people are around, or when there is plenty of vegetation nearby to serve as cover.

But this time his luck was not good; after running to several places in succession he came up empty, yet Ye Qin had already prepared for a protracted struggle, after all mottled time fragments are not that easy to find.

"I've already wandered around the city and found nothing; why not try some other remote places?"

Initially Ye Qin also searched many places, and by chance discovered that ancient village, finding the temporal power mixed within it.

Thinking of this, he changed his mind and headed toward the suburbs.

The cold crescent moon shone upon the country lane, as if a basin of water had been splashed on the ground; rustling sounds came continuously from the woods, as if some creature had passed by nearby.

A dark green light flashed by, radiating brilliant luster under the moonlight; even the ordinary stone path seemed to become somewhat extraordinary.

Not far away, a dilapidated building stood in the night.

Ye Qin approached and looked closely, only then realizing it was a wild shrine; having endured wind and sun, its bright colors had long faded, barely making out the shape of a house.

The doors and windows also rotted, all showing insect damage; the tattered cloth strips swayed in the wind, inexplicably revealing a touch of desolation.

When the night wind blows, the entire frame of the house shakes, like an old man in the twilight of a candle's life, making one wonder if it will collapse any second.

Judging by its appearance, this place has long been abandoned, with no trace of human habitation inside.

"I never expected there to be a shrine here."

Ye Qin gazed at the dark wild shrine, just about to leave, when his mental power sensed a strange fluctuation in the air, emanating from within the shrine.

"What a strange energy, actually carrying a hint of fragrance; could this wild shrine have something extraordinary?"

Ye Qin scrutinized the wild shrine not far away.

This time the sensed presence was somewhat similar to before, yet also somewhat odd; that feeling is hard to put into words.

Perhaps only by going inside to investigate can one know what it really is.

Having come this far, with the intention of not missing it, Ye Qin turned his direction and continued climbing toward the wild shrine; the closer he got, the stronger that strange fluctuation became.

"Why is this different from the two previous sensations I felt?"

The first time, in Zuo Ci's tomb, rather than saying he captured the mottled time fragment, it was more like he was actively pulled in, deeply trapped, unable to extricate himself, only later gradually figuring out what was going on.

By the second time, Ye Qin gradually sensed the energy fluctuations, having already learned to actively release his mental power to perceive the existence of the mottled time fragments.

This time it feels somewhat familiar, yet again slightly different from before.

Ye Qin entered the wild shrine; what met his eyes was even more dilapidated, spiderwebs everywhere, and plenty of rotting wood on the ground, with hardly any difference between inside and outside.

The shrine is tiny, enshrining only a single statue, resembling a Maitreya Buddha, seated on a high platform.

After wind and sun exposure, most of the Maitreya Buddha's golden body has completely peeled off, revealing the face of the other half of its clay sculpture.

One half is golden, still appearing compassionate toward all beings; the other half exposes a gray interior, as if expressing helplessness and resentment toward worldly affairs.

The two faces are yin and yang, like the two sides of light, indeed somewhat uncanny.

Perhaps this place once had flourishing incense, with people coming and going; otherwise they wouldn't have given the statue a golden body.

But with the passage of time, this place also gradually fell into disuse, finally becoming neglected; even this statue ended up like this, inevitably prompting reflection on the vicissitudes of the world.

Ye Qin again released his mental power; the air indeed transmitted the fluctuations of the mottled temporal power.

"It seems there are remnants of temporal fragments here as well."

"Having worn out iron shoes to no avail, it came easily without effort."

Ye Qin searched for so long; he never expected to finally find the temporal fluctuations in a desolate ruined shrine.

In his excitement, he no longer paid attention to that slight abnormality he had previously sensed.

After all, each place differs, so the generated mottled temporal power will certainly have anomalies; fluctuations in energy variation are naturally to be expected.

Ye Qin coiled his body, released his mental power, and attempted to enter that segment of mottled time.

The deity's unchanging eyes of sorrow and joy fixed on the great snake coiling inside the shrine, while the other half of the clay face was shrouded in darkness, appearing inexplicably somewhat chilling.

The temperature was dropping little by little, as if something was being awakened from slumber.

Sometime, the moonlight had hidden within the clouds, losing its source of light, and the surrounding wilderness instantly fell into darkness.

Ye Qin, who was in meditation, did not notice the changes around him.

Boundless darkness like a tide wrapped this abandoned wild temple, all sounds silenced, as if every noise had been devoured.

Amid the spreading night, the damaged golden body of the statue seemed corroded by something, stained black, continuously spreading outward.

Soon, a mass of shadow appeared in the corner of the ruined temple, gradually condensing into form!

The fluctuations of energy in the air became more pronounced, and just as Ye Qin felt he was about to successfully enter the mottled years, an inexplicable aura suddenly burst forth, instantly severing his connection with the fragment of time.

"Who?!"

Ye Qin snapped his eyes open, only to see that beside the statue, another statue had appeared!

(End of chapter)