Immortal Taoist

Meng Lin left the Ancient Spirit Beast Pagoda with her mind still reeling from the intense battles that she had just been through.

"I need to heal and reflect," she murmured to herself, her mind drifting to the Void-State Tablet and the Elemental Qi Convergence Method. Both had proven invaluable, yet their usage had come at a cost, especially the cultivation method.

The Void-State Tablet not only consumed a large amount of Qi, it also drained up her spiritual consciousness, her mind was clearly affected as she felt her emotions bluster more than ever before, and the Elemental Qi Convergence Method damaged her with each circulation through her spiritual veins.

"Huh?" Meng Lin felt a sudden stillness in the air, the spiritual imprints had withdrawn, she lifted her head and noticed two figures standing on the platform of the pagoda.

"So you're the one," a charming voice trailed in the air as a woman walked forward, accompanied by a fragrant scent with each step she took.

Meng Lin's gaze narrowed as she took in the woman's appearance. Dressed in an elegant, flowing robe with an aura that radiated power and confidence.

Meng Lin's gaze locked onto the lazy eyes of the woman as she replied. "I am the one?"

The woman smiled a hint of amusement in her eyes. "Nice to meet you, newbie, my name is Wei Wei, you're the one Wu Dao saved, right"

Wei Wei's companion, a tall man with a stern expression, remained silent but observant, his eyes never leaving Meng Lin.

"Wu Dao and Wei Wei" Meng Lin repeated the names, having seemingly forgotten about the man that saved her life, and a name she tried to memorize, unsure of their intentions, she answered. "Yes that's me, what do you want" 

Wei Wei smiled weirdly as she said "I wanted to know that's all" she said before turning to the man, her gaze flickering. "Let's go" 

The man nodded, giving Meng Lin one last, long look before following Wei Wei. As they walked away, Meng Lin couldn't help but feel a mixture of confusion and caution. Who were these people, and why did the girl ask such a weird question before leaving?

The fact that they were here means that they also have Luan's Soul, or they were people brought in by someone else with Luan's Soul. Although she couldn't feel the sense of danger she felt from Luang Chen she knew they had to be people with Luan's Soul.

The aura they gave off can only be cultivated by someone at the Soul Wondering Realm, and she remembered seeing the name Wei Wei somewhere else, however she couldn't clearly remember.

What boggled her mind was the fact that the spiritual imprints of the ancestors within the pagodas had withdrawn as if afraid of these two people, she wondered why.

She took a deep breath, her body aching from the recent battles, and decided to just leave, the encounter had left her with more questions than answers, but she knew that she needed to regain her strength before delving into any mysteries.

After walking back to her villa she went to the pond next to her cultivation chamber and sat cross-legged and began to circulate her Qi.

However, the moment she began circulating her Qi she felt a surge of pain and quickly stopped, she knew that healing her spiritual veins had to come first, however even the memories of the Ancestral Symbol didn't have an answer.

"System" 

[Meng Lin]

[Soul Wondering Stage (Early)]

[Experience points:45>48%]

System coin: 9,920

Immortal Jade: 3

Taoist Gacha wheel: unavailable

Spiritual Roots: [Water>Fire>Gold>Wood>Earth]

Variant Elemental Qi: [Mud] [Erosion] [Water] [Darkness]

[ Heavenly Dao ]

[Death]

Comprehension 0.02%

Main Cultivation Method: [Elemental Qi Convergence Method]

Side Cultivation Methods: [Basic Qi Gathering] [Formless Cultivation Method] [Brute Vortex Cultivation Method] [Black Tortoise Essence Art, 5th Layer] [Imperial Water Art]

Techniques: [Celestial Moonlit Sword Art] [Hundred Unity Techniques] [Wrath of Thunder] [Physique Cleansing Sutra] [Vital Essence Exchange] 

Skills: [Immortal Flesh]

Ancient Spirit Seals: Black Tortoises, Gong Fu - Golden Lizard.

[Market] [Blacksmith] [Alchemy] [Daily Mission]

Meng Lin winced at the slow progression of her cultivation, after such intense fights she had only managed to get 3 percent.

Taking a deep breath, Meng Lin focused on her surroundings, the tranquil pond before her, and the soothing sounds of nature. She needed to clear her mind, to find a solution to her current predicament.

Entering the system market she quickly surveyed pages upon pages of items that appeared before her eyes, ranging from medicinal pills to rare artifacts. She skimmed through them quickly, filtering out any not related to healing spiritual veins.

After a few moments, an item caught her eye.

Heavenly Vein Remolding Elixir

A Sacred Grade Pill that offers a range of profound effects for those who consume it. Primarily, it meticulously repairs and fortifies damaged or blocked spiritual veins, enhancing the flow and control of inner energy. This leads to significantly improved healing capabilities, allowing injuries and ailments to mend faster than usual. 

10,500 System Coins

Meng Lin smiled bitterly at the cost of the elixir. She was short of the necessary coins, and the gap seemed wide at the moment. However, she knew she couldn't afford to give up. Her spiritual veins were her lifeline, and without them functioning properly, her cultivation would be severely hindered.

She decided to explore other options within the system that might help her close the gap. 

First, she checked the [Daily Mission] tab. Completing daily missions would be a reliable way to accumulate system coins. Perhaps the daily mission she would complete would quickly earn the remaining coins.

1. Perform Alchemy [0/10]

2. Perform Blacksmithing [0/10]

3. Perform Physique Cleansing Sutra [0/10]

4. Perform Elemental Qi Convergence Method [0/100]

Rewards: 1000 experience points, 100 system coins

Time Remaining: 12 hours 17 minutes 38 seconds 

"Damn it" Meng Lin's heartbeat suddenly increased, she had held onto the small hope that the daily mission task would change for over 12 hours and it would refresh, however, it had refreshed to the same one as before.

Frustration washed over Meng Lin as she realized that her options within the system were limited. She could not circulate her qi so she could not finish the last two tasks of the daily mission.

Feeling disheartened, Meng Lin decided to explore other avenues both inside and outside the system, after a couple of minutes she saw a cultivation technique within the immortal Jade market, a technique called the "Spiritual Vein Restoration Art" However that technique required a certain bloodline, which she didn't have and it was also 7 immortal jades.

"Is there no other way?" Meng Lin's heart was shaken as countless thoughts ran through her mind. Just then, a faint incontrollable aura erupted from her body, causing her to go into a daze. 

Her cultivation base suddenly began to shake, slowly it began to move backward, it had begun to plummet, the percentage dropping from 48 to 46, then to 42, 38, and finally down to 30. 

Crackle!!!

Suddenly she felt a soul-shattering pain within her soul and quickly snapped out of her stupor, realizing the situation she quickly closed her eyes and calmed her surging qi, stabilizing her cultivation and stopping the downward spiral.

She panted heavily, her body drenched in sweat, and her mind was black from the sudden shock. The pain she felt was like something was forcefully being ripped from her soul.

Meng Lin clenched her fists, her gaze hardening. "I need to calm down, something's wrong".

She suddenly closed her eyes, her thoughts dissipating one by one, after a few minutes she finally entered a state of calmness.

As Meng Lin's breathing steadied and her mind cleared, she began to assess her situation more rationally. She couldn't afford to let panic and frustration cloud her judgment. Her eyes flicked open, now filled with a renewed determination.

'what was that sensation just now' she asked herself, it was as if something had thrown her into a dazed state where she felt her cultivation base weakening. She needed answers, but first, she needed a plan.

Surveying her surroundings once more, Meng Lin decided to focus on what she could control. She went back to the system market, looking for other means to earn coins or find healing solutions. However, her eyes kept drifting back to the unattainable Heavenly Vein Remolding Elixir.

"Think," she muttered to herself. "There has to be another way."

She considered her resources. The pills that she has are not so potent as to restore damaged Spiritual Veins, the jade box within her inventory wouldn't open, and her weapons and items?

'No' she shook her head, there were no weapons or items that had healing capability within her inventory, 'I need something to heal my spiritual veins, but what? The system doesn't have one which I can get immediately, the sect doesn't have something like that, it's practically heaven-defying to remold or restore damaged Spiritual Veins.

She gritted her teeth, it was only now that she realized that she had been too lax about the damage done, she needed system coins, but to earn system coins she needed rewards like a system package, however, she could only get those after she has a breakthrough in her cultivation or rare moments.

She didn't want to wait for God knows how long before she could get a system package.

Meng Lin’s gaze hardened even further, a fire of determination igniting in her eyes. She couldn't afford to wait for a breakthrough that might never come. She needed to take decisive action.

"Alright, let's think outside the box," she whispered to herself. "If the system market can't give me what I need immediately, maybe there's another way to earn this pill."

Suddenly, an idea struck her. There was one place she hadn't fully explored yet—the [Alchemy] tab. It was a place where she could find a pill that fit her requirements, she just wondered what level of alchemy was required to make such pills.

Meng Lin quickly navigated to the [Alchemy] panel within the system. Her gaze worsened as she realized how much she would probably have to do.

Alchemy(beginning) 66>97%]

Pill slot: none

Ingredients: none

Chance of success: none

She saw that she was still at the beginning stage, after all, she had only tried to create one pill, all to get a Gacha Wheel ticket.

She saw the original percentage of 66 had jumped up to 97,   she knew it had to be her breakthrough to the Soul Wondering Realm, her perception had increased countless times and she could easily see flaws in many things.

'I hope this works', she thought as her fingers trembled with a mix of hope and desperation as she tapped the pills slot.

Meng Lin's eyes scanned the [Alchemy] panel, searching for any sign of hope. The system presented her with a seemingly endless list of pills, categorized by their effectiveness and rarity. She needed something potent, something that could rival the Heavenly Vein Remolding Elixir.

The list seemed to go on forever:

[Beginning]

1. Minor Healing Pill - Heals minor injuries and restores a small amount of qi.

2. Meridian Cleansing Pill - Cleanses the meridians of impurities, enhancing qi flow.

3. Qi Recovery Pill - Restores a moderate amount of qi.

4. Blood Coagulation Pill - Stops bleeding and accelerates wound healing.

5. Vitality Boost Pill - Temporarily increases physical strength and stamina.

6. Essence Fortification Pill - Strengthens the body's natural defenses.

7. Mind Clarity Pill - Enhances mental focus and clarity.

8. Spirit Awakening Pill - Awakens dormant spiritual energy.

9. Energy Convergence Pill - Concentrates scattered qi for more efficient use.

10. Elemental Harmony Pill - Balances the elemental energies within the body.

...

Meng Lin's eyes began to blur as she scrolled through the long page, quickly going through to another section titled [Middle], she saw another batch of pills, however, none seemed to fit her needs. She was beginning to lose hope when she finally reached the 104th entry under the [Expert] section.

104. Spirit Rejuvenation Pill - Restores a substantial amount of qi and minorly repairs spiritual veins.

Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the description. It wasn't as powerful as the Heavenly Vein Remolding Elixir, but it was a step in the right direction. The ingredients required were those that she recognized however she knew they were hard to come by.

"5 Spirit Blossom Petals, 2 Dragon's Blood Herb, and 1 Moonlight Dew…" Meng Lin read aloud. She didn't have any of these ingredients, and acquiring them would be a challenge.

She decided to explore another option. She opened the system's market interface, hoping to find the ingredients needed for the Spirit Rejuvenation Pill. The market was big so it took her a while before she finally saw one of the ingredients.

Spirit Blossom Petals

Ethereal petals that hold an otherworldly light, are used in alchemy for their powerful spiritual energy.

530 system coins 

Hiss!

Meng Lin unintentionally took a deep breath at the price of just one of the items, knowing she would need at least five of these petals. She purchased them without hesitation, draining her system coins to 7,270.

With her newly acquired Spirit Blossom Petals, Meng Lin continued her search for the remaining ingredients. The market interface was vast, filled with countless items from all kinds of places, after searching for an hour she found the Dragon's Blood Herb. The description read:

Dragon's Blood Herb

A rare herb known for its potent life force and regenerative properties, often sought after by alchemists.

750 system coins

She sighed as she brought two herbs, the cost was high but she didn't waver.

The search for Moonlight Dew proved to be even more difficult. It was listed as an extremely rare item, harvested only during specific lunar phases from the petals of the Moonlight Lily. 

After what felt like an eternity of scrolling and searching, she was beginning to give up when she found a listing:

Moonlight Dew

Collected from the petals of the Moonlight Lily under the light of a full moon, this dew is imbued with pure lunar essence.

1200 system coins

Meng Lin heaved a sigh of relief as she looked at the price, it was manageable she thought, with a swift motion, she purchased the Moonlight Dew, her coin reserve dwindling to 4,570.

"This is going to take a few days," Meng Lin said as she went back to the alchemy panel.

Alchemy(beginning) 97%]

Pill slot: none

Ingredients: none

Chance of success: none

She needed to increase her alchemy from Beginning to Middle to Advance and finally Expert, she wasn't exactly thrilled but at least she found something.

The only bright side was the fact that she has the High-Grade Rootless Flame, a rare and powerful refinement flame that could significantly enhance her pill-making process, it also cuts her time by a lot.

Feeling a bit more optimistic, Meng Lin decided to buy a small batch of ingredients for the beginning stage pills, lowering her system coin to 4,580.

She calculated and distributed 1000 for Middle-stage pills and 2500 for Advanced-stage pills, she could only hope that she would be able to have enough system coins before finally trying for Expert-stage pills.

"Now let's begin"