Immortal Taoist

Meng Lin left her villa with a heightened sense of caution, her thoughts still swirling from her recent encounters.

The night was shifting into morning and mist clung to the air, wrapping the air with a bit of a mystery.

Meng Lin took short steps as she carefully went over the conversation she had with the girl Wei Wei the day before.

Having not met all the other disciples who were residing on the same mountain as her, Meng Lin decided to ask the first disciple, Senior Sister Liu.

She quickly arrived at the gate of the villa and called out, “Senior Sister Liu! Are you there?”

Silence greeted her as she stood at the entrance, waiting for a response. Just as she was about to call out again, a small bird of pure blue flew out of the villa, leaving the barrier of the villa.

The bird had a vibrant glow, its feathers shimmering in the morning light. Meng Lin blinked in surprise and recognition as the bird circled her once before perching on the gate.

“Master isn’t here,” the bird chirped, its voice surprisingly clear.

Meng Lin's gaze hardened, this was the first spiritual beast that she had seen talk, however considering that it was an ancient Blue Feather Bird, she wasn't surprised, what interested her was the fact that the bird was a peak Rank 3 Ancient beast and could talk, she was curious however she decided not to mention her thoughts. “Where has she gone?”

The bird tilted its head, considering her question. “She has gone out, but she didn’t say where. Is there something important you need?”

Meng Lin. “Do you know of the other core disciples here? Or maybe Wei Wei?”

The bird fluffed its feathers, looking somewhat confused. “I don’t know about any Wei Wei. That’s the first time I’ve heard that name, however, the others I have seen and met before"

Meng Lin frowned. “can you tell me about the ones you met, I happen to be new here and I would like to learn a bit about the other disciples,” she said, more to probe than anything.

Because when she entered the mountain, Senior Sister Liu had already given a rundown of all the other disciples on the mountain, however, she had made no mention of Wei Wei.

The bird ruffled its feathers again, seemingly deep in thought. "Well, there are only six of them" it began, its tone more serious. "First, my master, I believe you met her, then there's the second Wu Dao. He's known for his exceptional sword Physique and his kind nature. Rarely speaks unless necessary, but he's immensely respected."

Meng Lin nodded, taking mental notes. "And who else?"

"Then there's the third Villa Luo Mei," the bird continued. "She is a prodigy in alchemy and has a gentle demeanor. However, she's eccentric and doesn't interact with anyone else."

Meng Lin absorbed this information, her curiosity piqued. "And the fourth person?"

The bird hesitated for a moment before speaking again. "That would be Luo Hao from the sixth villa. He is known for his mastery of fire-based techniques. He's quite ambitious and likes to fight a lot of people"

Meng Lin pondered these descriptions, trying to piece together the description that senior Sister Liu had already given her, so far everything seemed right. "And what about the Fifth Villa?" she asked.

"Fifth Villa?" The bird's feathers ruffled slightly, a sign of discomfort. "The Fifth Villa houses Yu Shen. He is a reclusive figure, deeply immersed in the arts of formation and arrays. He rarely leaves his villa, and few have seen him in person. It's said that his villa is protected by intricate formations, making it nearly impossible for anyone to approach without his consent."

Meng Lin's brow furrowed. The description of Yu Shen did not match what Senior Sister Liu had told her. And the absence of Wei Wei in the bird's account was troubling. "And the 7th Villa?" she pressed, asking a question that had no answer.

The bird let out a small sigh. "The Seventh Villa belongs to Li Lun, she is a master of ice techniques, her presence as cold as her abilities. She's strict, really strict" the bird said as if remembering something."

Meng Lin's eyes widened in surprise as she nodded slowly, her mind racing. "Thank you for the information," she said finally. "But what about Wei Wei? Are you sure you haven't seen or heard of her?"

The bird shook its head. "I am certain. Wei Wei is not a name I have ever encountered among the core disciples."

Meng Lin's heart sank, the mystery of Wei Wei and the inconsistent information provided by both the bird and Senior Sister Liu was troubling, she wanted to find out more, but how? Her only lead seemed to vanish into thin air, and she didn't want to go into contact with any other disciples out of caution of what might transpire.

"Thank you," Meng Lin said to the bird, her voice tinged with seriousness.

The bird nodded, spreading its wings and taking off into the villa. Meng Lin watched it disappear before turning her gaze back to another path, the spiritual imprints.

While walking she went over the information the bird just provided, from what senior Sister Liu said, there should be no Yu Shen from the fifth Villa and there was also no Li Lun from the Seventh Villa.

There are just five other disciples with Luan's Soul, Luang Chen and her made the number seven, however, the bluebird said that there were two more, which didn't match the numbers and now there is this Wei Wei.

Sigh! She couldn't help but sigh as she wondered what she had gotten herself into.

However, she walked with purpose, heading towards the area with the pagodas. The spiritual imprints are always watching the events of the Pavilion Mountain so they should know all the disciples within the mountain.

Arriving before the twelve pagodas, she felt the familiar scrutinizing gazes of the spiritual imprints. This time, she didn't hesitate and stepped inside the Spiritual Essence Pagoda at once.

The ethereal room greeted her once more, and the spiritual imprint of StarLord King materialized, his presence calm and reassuring.

"Disciple Meng Lin, you have returned, and you have damaged yourself even further," he said, his voice echoing softly.

Meng Lin greeted him slightly. "Yes, however, I have not come for that, I have a question that I hope you can help me with."

The spiritual imprint nodded. "Ask, and I shall do my best to provide guidance."

Taking a deep breath, Meng Lin asked, "I seek information about someone named Wei Wei. She should be another disciple of Luan's Soul, I cannot find any record of her. Do you know of her?"

The StarLord King's expression turned thoughtful, his gaze piercing as he answered "Wei Wei... That is not a name I am familiar with among the disciples of this place."

Meng Lin's brow furrowed. "Did you not see her with me on the platform between the twelve pagodas, I had noticed that all spiritual imprints withdrew as soon as she appeared"

" What" The StarLord King had an astonished look as he asked, and he bowed his head in thought before he spoke. "The spiritual imprints withdrew, you say?" The StarLord King's voice held a note of surprise. "That is indeed unusual. We are generally present to observe and guide, rarely do we withdraw unless there is a significant change."

Meng Lin nodded, feeling a growing sense of unease. If the spiritual imprints, entities that have existed for centuries, had no record of Wei Wei, then who was she? Was she a ghost, or someone who had skillfully erased her presence?

"StarLord King, could it be possible that someone has altered the memories of the spiritual imprints?" Meng Lin asked in another direction.

The StarLord King looked at her sharply. "Theoretically, it is possible, but it would require those at the Ensoulment Realm, the Sect Master and Grand Elder would not do something like that as it's a grave offense against the sect’s principles."

Meng Lin's heart pounded in her chest. If Wei Wei could manipulate spiritual imprints, then she was far more dangerous than Meng Lin had initially thought. "And have you heard of the disciples Yu Shen and Li Lun, they should also have Luan's Soul"

" Hmm, no I have no knowledge of them whatsoever," The StarLord King said as he raised an eyebrow.

Meng Lin's gaze flickered as she spoke "Ok I understand, thank you" She said as she turned to leave.

"What are you going to do"

 Meng Lin turned back to face the StarLord King, her expression resolute. "For now, I will do nothing and act like nothing happened. I need to heal my injuries first and then consider my next steps. Perhaps it would be wise to leave the sect for a time being."

The StarLord King nodded a hint of approval in his eyes. "A prudent decision." 

Meng Lin gave a slight bow before exiting the Spiritual Essence Pagoda, as she walked back to her quarters, she felt the eyes of the spiritual imprints on her, and for the first time, she couldn't help but feel creeped out by the situation.

She made a resolute decision to not leave her villa for the time being, she can only hope nothing happens while she stays quiet and leaves things as they were.

Once in her quarters, she focused entirely on increasing the percentage of her alchemy panel and on that day, Meng Lin tackled a variety of mid-tier pills; the Spirit Cleansing Pill, the Focus Qi Pill, and the Gold Core pill were pills she had difficulty making.

The Spirit Cleansing Pill required some ingredients to have their impurities, it was only after 3 hours of Meng Lin's careful deduction that she was able to figure that out, it also made her realize how lack of knowledge could be problematic, even with the large amount of knowledge from the ancestral symbol.

For the Focus Qi Pill, the challenge was harmonizing the essences of three rare herbs. A slight deviation in temperature or stirring disrupted this harmony, making the pill ineffective.

The Gold Core Pill was the trickiest, needing a balance of Fire and Earth Qi from just a strand of her spiritual energy. This delicate fusion often led to clashes, frustrating her efforts.

Despite these issues, Meng Lin's determination paid off as she memorized each attempt, gradually improving her techniques and enhancing her alchemy skills.

It was only by late night that she was able to finally reach 100% on her percentage.

[Alchemy (Middle) 100%]

Pill slot: High-Grade Essence Fusion Pill

Ingredients: Dragon's Blood Flower x3, Phoenix Feather Root x2, Starfire Crystal x4, Lunar Essence Leave x6

Chance of success: 20%

Meng Lin's heart was calm as she prepared the ingredients. Meng Lin knew that the High-Grade Essence Fusion Pill was a significant challenge, even for an experienced alchemist. With a chance of success of only 20%, she needed to be precise and focused.

She carefully measured each ingredient, ensuring that the quantities were exact. The Dragon's Blood Flower, known for its potent energy, was to go in after the Phoenix Feather Root, which adds a harmonizing element. The Starfire Crystal and Lunar Essence Leaves provided the necessary balance of fire and water energies to create the pill.

With the ingredients prepared, Meng Lin pressed start on the furnace after placing the ingredients within, she quickly adjusted the temperature of the rootless fire and released her spiritual consciousness to see the fusion process.

14:59 seconds 

The timer began and she saw the ingredients slowly melting and blending together, their colors intermingling and creating a mesmerizing display. The Dragon's Blood Flower released a vibrant red energy, while the Phoenix Feather Root emitted a soft golden glow. The Starfire Crystal shimmered with a fiery brilliance, and the Lunar Essence Leaves exuded a calming blue aura.

Meng Lin carefully maintained the temperature, making slight adjustments as needed to ensure the optimal fusion of energies. She observed the subtle changes in the mixture, noting the formation of a unified essence.

As the fusion process continued, Meng Lin focused her spiritual consciousness on the transformation taking place. She could see the energies harmonizing, intertwining, and coalescing into a concentrated essence.

Time seemed to stretch as Meng Lin patiently waited for the fusion to reach its final stage. She could feel the intensity of the spiritual energy within the furnace, growing stronger with each passing moment.

Finally, after 15 minutes and what felt like an eternity, the fusion process came to an end as a chime sounded and Meng Lin carefully looked within the furnace, where a single pill lay.

[You have gained experience for creating a spiritual Pill]

Meng Lin's heart swelled before calming as she took out the incomplete product from the furnace.

She knew that this accomplishment would take a few more tries and she didn't intend to stop until she reached it.

Storing the pill away she took out another set of ingredients and while slowly going over what she had seen within the furnace.

[Alchemy (Middle) 100%]

Pill slot: High-Grade Essence Fusion Pill

Ingredients: Dragon's Blood Flower x2, Phoenix Feather Root x2, Starfire Crystal x5, Lunar Essence Leave x5

Chance of success: 25%

Adjusting some of the ingredients of the pill, she once again pressed start while releasing her spiritual consciousness.