Bao Gu originally thought that with her senior sister back, they could finally have a good gathering.
However, she didn’t expect that as soon as her senior sister woke up, she was called away by the Grandmaster.
Bao Gu wanted to follow her senior sister, but the Grandmaster ordered her to stay put and practice, forbidding any laziness.
After more than three hours, her senior sister came out of the Grandmaster’s room and immediately entered another wooden house, setting up a barrier to isolate her presence and began her closed-door training.
Meanwhile, the Grandmaster watched her practice almost every day without blinking, as if afraid she would slack off.
She was grateful that she was a cultivator, allowing her to rest and recuperate while meditating.
If she were an ordinary person, even a strong body wouldn’t withstand such relentless training day and night.
Bao Gu understood that the Grandmaster meant well, wanting her to solidify her foundation and make progress quickly.
She had once harbored a glimmer of hope and secretly asked Nanshan Yijian if she could give up some less important spells and techniques to save time and energy for breaking through her realm.
Nanshan Yijian told her, “Foundation building, as the name suggests, is about laying a solid groundwork. If you want to build a towering skyscraper but refuse to lay a solid foundation, you must be prepared to expend a hundred, a thousand, or even ten thousand times the effort in the future, or risk losing everything you’ve worked for. Sometimes, seemingly insignificant flaws or minor injuries can, at a critical moment, be like an ant hole in a dam, causing a thousand-mile-long dam to collapse in an instant. You have a lifespan of two hundred years in the Foundation Establishment stage, and you are only fourteen now. Why rush?”
Bao Gu thought to herself, “My Grandmaster is anxious!”
Upon further reflection, it seemed her Grandmaster had never urged her to hurry and break through; instead, she was encouraged to continuously practice the techniques learned during the Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment stages.
During this time, she also studied alongside her senior brothers, covering alchemy, artifact forging, talisman crafting, and formations without missing anything.
However, like her cultivation, everything she learned was foundational and basic, including some studies in runes.
Learning runes felt like deciphering celestial scripts; they evolved from the laws of heaven and contained endless mysteries and changes!
Studying runes was extremely laborious, yet it was something she had to learn.
Her Grandmaster told them that runes not only contained the insights of accomplished predecessors regarding cultivation and the laws of heaven but also formed the basis for formations.
If one did not understand the intricacies of runes, they would only be able to create useless talismans, and when faced with more complex formations, they would be utterly clueless.
If they encountered an enemy who had set up a formation, they would become nothing more than lambs to the slaughter.
Everything they studied today was directly related to their future.
Bao Gu dared not slack off or think about rushing; she could only diligently bury herself in her studies, striving to master everything her Grandmaster taught her, even if her progress was slower than a tortoise.
It is said that in the mountains, time is irrelevant, and one can lose track of the days and nights while practicing.
Bao Gu was startled when she saw Little Martial Aunt, who was carrying a small white snake, suddenly appear at the temporary residence of the Xuantian Sect.
She thought something had happened that made the demon saint travel a long distance to come here, but when the demon saint told her that the alchemy was complete, she realized that three months had already passed.
Seeing the demon saint’s arrival, Zi Tianjun quickly welcomed her into the small wooden house.
He noticed his precious daughter peeking out from the demon saint’s embrace, wanting to see her injuries, but he hesitated because of the position she was in.
As the head of the Xuantian Sect, he couldn’t just glance at the demon saint’s chest to check on his daughter, could he?
The demon saint entered the wooden house and said directly, “I have come for two matters. First, the elixirs are ready, and I am here to deliver the ones Bao Gu entrusted to me. Both batches were successful, and I will keep two for myself.”
After saying this, she took out four jade boxes intricately carved with runes and handed them to Bao Gu, saying, “One elixir per box; I believe you will find them very useful. This jade box is specially made for preserving these elixirs, so you can safely store them here.”
The implication was clear: don’t just throw the elixirs into any random box or vial.
Bao Gu gratefully extended her hands to receive the elixirs, repeatedly thanking the demon saint.
She didn’t dare to open them on the spot and directly stored them in her oversized storage bag.
Zi Tianjun knew that the demon saint had taken precious elixirs from Bao Gu for alchemy, but he didn’t know what kind of elixirs they were.
Seeing both the demon saint and Bao Gu being extremely cautious, he couldn’t help but feel curious.
He was curious but also knew that this was not his business, so he didn’t ask further.
He inquired, “What is the second matter the demon saint has come for?”
The demon saint replied, “The elixirs are ready, and I will be treating Yunshu’s injuries soon. This treatment will require a long period of closed-door training, ranging from three to five years at the shortest, to an uncertain length of time, possibly even a hundred or a thousand years. Therefore, I brought her here.”
Zi Tianjun expressed his understanding, but as a father, even knowing that the demon saint had profound skills in alchemy and medicine, he couldn’t help but worry and ask, “I understand that many things in the world can only be done by human effort and left to fate, and medicine cannot save everyone. May I ask the demon saint how likely it is for my daughter to recover?”
The demon saint said, “There is no need for you to worry, Master Zi. This elixir can not only help her heal but will also greatly benefit her cultivation. However, the process will take an extremely long time. If she wishes to emerge from her closed-door training sooner, it is not impossible, but…”
Zi Tianjun asked, “But what?”
Bao Gu asked, “What else is needed?”
Zi Tianjun and Bao Gu spoke almost in unison.
Upon hearing this, the demon saint smiled warmly, handing Bao Gu a jade tablet with a list of precious herbs written on it.
Bao Gu carefully scanned the list with her spiritual sense and asked, “Demon Aunt, if Little Martial Aunt has these precious herbs, how long will it take for her to emerge from her closed-door training?”
The number of precious herbs was not many, and the time required was not long, but they were not all available in her herb field.
The demon saint replied, “If you have the list, I can help her emerge from her closed-door training in three to five months.”
Bao Gu decisively said, “Done!”
She pulled out the Duobao Spirit Monkey, which was busy tilling and watering the herbs in her oversized storage bag.
As soon as the Duobao Spirit Monkey saw the demon saint, its eyes lit up, and it let out a joyful “Eek!”
before leaping onto Bao Gu’s shoulder.
It pointed at the demon saint and chattered excitedly, clearly asking if its Nirvana Elixir was ready!
Bao Gu took out one of the Nirvana Elixirs given by the demon saint, shook it in her hand, and handed the precious herb list to the Duobao Spirit Monkey, saying, “Little Monkey, take this list to my herb field and gather the herbs. It seems that my herb field is missing a few of the materials on this list. Think of a way to get them. Once you have all the herbs, I’ll give you this right away.”
She smiled as she waved the elixir in her hand.
The Duobao Spirit Monkey was so anxious that it scratched its head, snatched the jade tablet from Bao Gu’s hand, and quickly disappeared back into the oversized storage bag.
Bao Gu smiled at the demon saint and said, “Demon Aunt, please wait a moment.”
The demon saint nodded gently, saying, “No rush.”
She added, “I originally planned to teach you alchemy after finishing this elixir, but it seems I will have to postpone that.”
Bao Gu was immediately at a loss for words.
She was already struggling to keep up with what her Grandmaster taught her; how could she find time to learn alchemy from the demon saint?
She hurriedly nodded, saying, “Treating Little Martial Aunt is the priority, treating Little Martial Aunt is the priority. As long as Demon Aunt remembers to teach me alchemy, I don’t mind waiting a few more decades.”
The demon saint said, “It won’t take that long.”
Bao Gu forced a smile.
Suddenly, an idea struck her, and she asked, “Demon Aunt, do you have a map of this demon domain? Also, if I encounter a powerful demon in this domain, will mentioning your name help me keep my life…?”
As soon as she finished speaking, she was met with a sharp reprimand from Zi Tianjun: “Don’t speak nonsense!”
The demon saint was taken aback and then asked, “Don’t you think I’m quite beneficial?”
A Void Tearing stage ninth-level holy lotus was not just beneficial; it was immensely so!
Bao Gu quickly assured her, “Demon Aunt, don’t worry! My lips will be tighter than a clam’s and harder than a dead duck’s!”
The Duobao Spirit Monkey popped out of Bao Gu’s oversized storage bag, happily calling out as it began to dig for precious herbs.
Bao Gu quickly stopped the Duobao Spirit Monkey and handed it a newly refined first-tier storage bag, saying, “Don’t throw things around; use this to store them!”
The demon saint’s eyes widened in surprise.
She looked deeply at Bao Gu and quickly handed her a green gourd exuding vibrant life energy, saying, “Use this to store them!”
The Duobao Spirit Monkey took the green gourd and stuffed all the precious herbs the demon saint needed into it, then handed it to Bao Gu.
After confirming that there were no missing herbs in the green gourd, Bao Gu handed the gourd filled with precious herbs to the demon saint.
Even though Bao Gu was Zi Yunshu’s disciple and the demon saint was taking herbs from her to treat Zi Yunshu, the repeated requests for such valuable herbs in such large quantities made the demon saint feel quite guilty.
The sacred and inviolable demon saint blushed slightly, softly saying, “Thank you,” as she accepted the gourd filled with precious herbs.
Seeing the demon saint’s slightly shy demeanor, Bao Gu’s eyes widened in surprise as she asked, “Demon Aunt, are you shy?”
The demon saint shot a fierce glare at Bao Gu, activated a teleportation array, and vanished in an instant.
Zi Tianjun didn’t even have time to say goodbye to his daughter before the one who had been scared off by Bao Gu’s boldness took his daughter away!
He shook his head helplessly, looking at Bao Gu, and was about to say, “Aren’t you going to practice?”
when Bao Gu had already dashed out of the wooden house, heading straight for Nanshan Yijian’s residence next door.
Standing at Nanshan Yijian’s door, Bao Gu first took out a medicine box and handed it to the impatient Duobao Spirit Monkey.
The Duobao Spirit Monkey held the medicine box, its eyes brimming with tears, and it tilted its head, letting out a series of sharp, piercing cries toward the sky before diving into Bao Gu’s oversized storage bag.
Bao Gu was momentarily stunned by the Duobao Spirit Monkey’s excited and sharp cries.
She thought that the Nirvana Elixir was extremely important to the Duobao Spirit Monkey; otherwise, it wouldn’t react this way.
Perhaps the little monkey had many untold pasts and still held many secrets.
She thought that the Nirvana Elixir was not only important to the little monkey but also to Nanshan Yijian.
She raised her hand and knocked on Nanshan Yijian’s door.
The door opened, and Nanshan Yijian’s voice floated out from inside, “Come in.”
Bao Gu entered the room, greeted Nanshan Yijian, who was sitting cross-legged on a cushion, and handed him two jade boxes containing Nirvana Elixirs.
Nanshan Yijian looked at the two Nirvana Elixirs Bao Gu handed over and asked, “What does this mean?”
Bao Gu replied, “Here are two elixirs, one for you, Senior Nanshan, and the other I would like to ask you to deliver to the master of the Soul Chasing Pavilion in Xuan Yue ancient city. I have an agreement with the master of the Soul Chasing Pavilion, and I must fulfill my promise.”
Nanshan Yijian glanced at Bao Gu, accepted one box, and said, “I will run this errand for you.”
He cast a casual glance at the other box in Bao Gu’s hand and added, “You can skip the reward!”
Bao Gu said, “This is not a reward; it is also my promise to Senior Nanshan.”
Nanshan Yijian and Bao Gu had only one agreement: he would guard Lingyun Peak for a hundred years, and Bao Gu would allow him to comprehend the sword there and provide him with precious spiritual treasures that could extend his lifespan, such as heavenly and earthly spiritual fruits.
He took the box Bao Gu gave him, and as soon as he opened it, a powerful aura of auspiciousness filled with strong life essence and divine essence burst forth.
At the same time, his spiritual sense quickly detected that it was a pill containing dragon energy, which seemed to want to escape through the gap he had opened.
It was like a living elixir!
Having cultivated for so long and lived for so long, this was the first time he had heard of and seen such a thing.
He exclaimed in surprise, “What is this?” quickly closing the pill box tightly, not daring to accept it lightly.
Bao Gu explained, “It’s a Nirvana Pill, named for the phoenix’s rebirth through Nirvana.”
She briefly described the effects and benefits of the Nirvana Pill.
Nanshan Yijian held the box in a daze for a long time.
He never expected that Bao Gu would have such great fortune to obtain such a precious pill.
If he had obtained this elixir sooner… what worries would there be…
Nanshan Yijian, a tall and heroic figure, unexpectedly felt his eyes redden at this moment.
After a long time, he handed the Nirvana Pill back to Bao Gu, saying, “I have no use for this.”
Bao Gu said, “Take it to the place where Senior Su passed away, open the box, and bury this elixir there. Consider it a way to make up for some regrets and a way for the senior to make amends for himself and Senior Su.”
Nanshan Yijian replied, “I appreciate your kindness, and I have fulfilled my promise to you today. You should keep this elixir for future needs.”
Bao Gu said, “I’ve kept one.”
Nanshan Yijian said, “Two and a half months ago, I already resolved my heart’s knot.”
Two and a half months ago?
Wasn’t that precisely when the four major forces of the ancient city of Xuan Yue attacked the Xuantian Sect?
It was also when Nanshan Yijian broke through to the Void Tearing stage during the battle.
Bao Gu understood that perhaps Nanshan Yijian had gained some insights from that battle or his experiences during it.
She said, “In that case, I will take back this elixir. If you need anything, just let me know.”
Nanshan Yijian said, “You should focus on your cultivation.”
After saying this, his original form transformed into a divine form and instantly disappeared, running the errand for Bao Gu to deliver the Nirvana Pill to the master of the Soul Chasing Pavilion.
Bao Gu felt secretly frustrated.
Why did Nanshan Yijian say the same thing?
A month later, Feng Yi, who had gone out to investigate the boundaries of the demon domain, returned with Nanshan Yijian’s true form!
Feng Yi appeared dusty and weary, yet he was full of spirit, looking vibrant and full of energy.
Nanshan Yijian remained as calm and composed as ever, like a jade tree standing in the wind.
Seeing Feng Yi’s cheerful demeanor, Zi Tianjun felt a sense of anticipation and joyfully said, “Come inside!”
He walked with Feng Yi and Nanshan Yijian toward the house while sending a message to Bao Gu, who was not far away in the woods, diligently practicing her wood-based techniques using wood spirit energy: “Bao Gu, your Martial Uncle Feng has returned!”
Bao Gu was startled by Zi Tianjun’s voice, causing her to shiver all over.
Then she realized what her Grandmaster had said, and joyfully cheered, quickly abandoning the small sapling that had grown half a foot tall from a seed under her wood spirit energy.
She dashed straight to Zi Tianjun’s house, calling out, “Martial Uncle Feng!”
She then asked, “Grandmaster, have you notified my senior sister?”
Zi Tianjun replied, “Your senior sister will be in closed-door training for a while longer. Sit down and listen to your Martial Uncle Feng explain the situation.”
