Chong Zhao turned, but instead of sitting down, he gently touched her head. “Today, the master has opened the restricted area of Miao Miao Island for me. I came to see you before I enter seclusion for training.”
Bai Shuo paused mid-smile, her eyes bright with excitement. “Really? The master opened Miao Miao Island’s sacred ground for you? That’s wonderful! Then hurry and go! What are you doing here, wasting time in the herb garden?”
Chong Zhao hesitated. “I might be gone a long time. A-Shuo, take good care of yourself and stay in the herb hut until I return. If anything happens, break this.” He pulled out a small bamboo flute from his robe, its surface brimming with spiritual energy—a sign that he had crafted it himself with his power.
“What danger could I possibly face on the island? Focus on your training; you don’t need to worry about me!” Bai Shuo waved dismissively. Chong Zhao frowned, moving the flute closer until Bai Shuo relented and accepted it. “Alright, alright. I’ll keep it with me.”
Chong Zhao knelt down, his gaze meeting hers. “A-Shuo, once I become an Immortal Lord, I’ll find a way to open your immortal path and help you cultivate to immortality. Wait for me.”
Bai Shuo’s expression froze, then she turned and poked at the firewood under the cauldron, waving her hand. “Alright, alright. Just focus on training; I’ll be fine. It’s dawn—go on, go on.”
Watching her small figure by the herb cauldron, Chong Zhao extended his hand as if to pat her head again but held back.
“I’m leaving.”
“Mm.”
His footsteps gradually faded away.
Bai Shuo stared at the fire under the cauldron, lost in thought. Miao Miao Island was lively and beautiful, but she felt lonelier than ever. On the whole island, perhaps only Chong Zhao and the old turtle in the herb garden cared about her existence.
She caressed the bamboo flute in her hand and sighed quietly when no one was around.
The sun’s glare brought her back to her senses. Though she was allowed to stay on Miao Miao Island, she couldn’t master true immortal techniques. She couldn’t condense an immortal sword or recite spells; all she could manage was basic cloud-riding and fire-controlling techniques. These were abilities she’d barely grasped after waking an ancient turtle in the herb garden from hibernation. In gratitude, the turtle provided her with celestial herbs, which allowed her a small start on the path of cultivation. Although Bai Shuo couldn’t cultivate immortal energy, she had a natural gift for alchemy. She could memorize any medicinal text after a single read, and after just three years with the old turtle, she had managed to produce third-grade elixirs. Though third-grade elixirs couldn’t make her immortal, they did extend her lifespan.
The old turtle said that if she could somehow manage to create a first-grade elixir, it might directly transform her into an immortal body, and though she might not reach the rank of Immortal Lord, she could at least become a scattered immortal.
Bai Shuo was still lost in thought when the old turtle crawled into the herb garden. The air was filled with the fragrance of medicinal herbs, and Bai Shuo ran into the straw hut, pulling a small bamboo container from her pouch. She poured the dew collected inside into the cauldron, and a faint glow appeared as a red pill slowly rose from the cauldron. Bai Shuo’s eyes widened, and she rubbed her hands together nervously. Moments later, the glow faded, and the pill crumbled back into powder in the cauldron.
Another failure… Bai Shuo sat down beside the cauldron, dejected, her shoulders drooping in silence.
“Did you think a first-grade elixir is some common street remedy? If it were that easy for a half-immortal like you to make, the entire immortal realm would be in an uproar,” grumbled the old turtle, who had lumbered in. He leaned back on a lounge chair, limbs splayed, looking thoroughly relaxed.
“I’ve told you before: making immortal elixirs requires immortal power. You’re exceptionally talented at using the medicinal properties of celestial herbs to craft third-grade elixirs; that’s already the limit,” the old turtle said, closing his eyes to rest. “With third-grade elixirs, you’ll live for a few hundred years. Whether or not you can become immortal—that’s all up to fate. Don’t cling to it so tightly.”
Bai Shuo gazed at the cauldron, then turned and walked away without a word. The old turtle opened one eye to watch her retreating figure and sighed."
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