Zhao Lin sent the letter and remembered that he had not been home for almost a month, so he bought a Tibetan Sword Cold Fish, two kilograms of spiritual beast meat and a bag of spiritual rice at the market, and went down the mountain to Cuiweifeng.
Cuiweifeng is located in the southern part of Hanchi County. It has gentle and open mountains and beautiful scenery. Most of the family members of the monks in the county settled here.
Although mortals cannot practice cultivation, they have always been influenced by spiritual energy in the mountains. Occasionally, they can also receive some life-prolonging elixirs, which can help them live longer than in the mortal world.
Along the flat part of the mountainside, hundreds of houses are connected together, with blue bricks and black tiles, which is quite unique.
In addition to private houses, there are also schools, hospitals, shops, restaurants, restaurants, weavers and spinners... everything is available, making it look like a town.
Although Xuanyuan Continent is called the Immortal Cultivation World, there are actually far more mortals than monks.
Zhao Lin bought a five-room house in the east of the town for his mother, brother and sister-in-law to live in.
When I got home, I gave the fish and meat rice to my sister-in-law, and went into the house to chat with my mother about home affairs.
"Lin'er is back!"
Mother Zhao's body became stronger and stronger under the nourishment of spiritual energy.
When she first learned that Zhao Lin was a legendary "immortal", Zhao's mother was still a little uncomfortable with it. She was always cautious when talking to him, for fear of saying something wrong.
But after getting along for a long time, I realized that my son was still the same son, and he gradually returned to his former self.
Today, Zhao Changxing also went home to visit relatives. When he came in, he saw his mother scraping fish in the kitchen. Knowing that Zhao Lin was back, he said happily: "It's better to come early than to come by chance. What a blessing!"
"If you don't practice hard, what will you do if you come back?"
Zhao Shan held up the pipe rod and scolded in a deep voice.
"Aren't I coming back to see you, old man?"
Zhao Changxing called Qu Dao.
"Don't keep talking about Changxing, he is already a monk."
Zhao Shan's wife rolled her eyes at him and said, "Food is almost ready. Go to the school to bring Jing'er and Wan'er back."
Zhao Shan's second son, Zhao Jingzhi, and his youngest daughter, Zhao Wan, studied in schools in the town after arriving in Hanchi County.
"He has become an immortal, and I am also his father."
Zhao Shan knocked the pipe stick on the ground twice, got up and walked out. After a while, he came back with a pair of children.
"uncle!"
"Uncle is here..."
As soon as Zhao Jingzhi and Zhao Wan entered the door, they jumped on Zhao Lin and shouted with a smile on their face.
"Hey, brother is here too, why are you ignoring me?"
Zhao Changxing sighed helplessly.
Zhao Lin rubbed the heads of his nephew and niece, and felt a sense of warmth in his heart. Although he aimed at the road to immortality, the road was not ruthless.
The great road is ruthless, why did heaven and earth be created?
The road is ruthless, why bother running the sun and the moon?
The great road is ruthless, how to nourish all things?
Maybe in the end of cultivating Taoism, you will end up alone, but this does not mean to be a mean and unkind person, at least this is not your own Tao.
When it was getting late, Zhao Lin said goodbye to his family.
Before leaving, he took out two bottles of elixirs and said to Zhao Shan: "Brother, these are the Yishou Dan and the Yangyuan Dan, for you, your sister-in-law, and your mother to take."
Zhao Shan hesitated for a moment and asked, "Oh! These elixirs require a lot of good deeds and stones, right?"
Zhao Changxing interrupted: "Dad, it's not a stone, it's a spiritual stone."
Zhao Shan glared at him, and Zhao Changxing quickly shut up.
Zhao Lin smiled and said, "Brother also knows about good works and spiritual stones?"
Zhao Shan scratched his hair and said, "Actually, I don't understand either. I just heard what others said. You need to take a lot of pills to practice. You should take care of yourself first and don't always send things home. We are all good."
"If the family doesn't talk about this, it actually doesn't cost much."
Zhao Lin waved his hand and said he didn't care. He always remembered that when he had just traveled through time, his brother went around seeking medical advice behind his back.
Spring passed and autumn came, and four months passed in the blink of an eye.
In the spiritual cave, Zhao Lin crossed his legs on the ground and used all his strength to circulate the spiritual energy in his body, impacting the "Tiantu Aperture" located between the two collarbones.
The fourth level of Qi refining has been completed. As long as you break through the Tiantu Aperture, you will enter the fifth level of Qi refining!
The outer barrier of the spiritual orifice is extremely tough, and no matter how hard it is hit, there will never be a single crack.
The spiritual energy surges and the blood boils.
That layer of skin is like a rock under the impact of huge waves. It seems to be crumbling, but it always stands firm.
"It's been five days since I broke through. In my current state, I won't be able to break through even if I stay in the Spirit Cave for another five days. It seems I have to use the Chongqiao Pill to give it a try."
Zhao Lin thought about it and found a blue pill in his hand.
This pill is called Chongqiao Pill, and Zhao Lin bought it with 200 good deeds and 500 spiritual stones.
This elixir is specially used to break through the outer barrier of the spiritual orifice.
It is an elixir that was researched and refined by a certain alchemist more than a hundred years ago.
The original intention of this alchemist was to refine an elixir that could soothe the mind and nourish the mind. Unexpectedly, after taking it, it failed to achieve the expected effect. Instead, it unexpectedly opened up the spiritual orifice that had not been loosened for many years.
The alchemist was overjoyed and immediately publicized the incident and named the elixir Chongqiao Dan.
It's a pity that no one has paid attention to the elixir since it came out.
No one believes that there is such a magical medicine in the world, otherwise wouldn’t everyone be able to build a foundation?
Only an old monk who was over sixty years old and whose cultivation had been stagnant for a long time was willing to give it a try. Unexpectedly, after taking it, as the alchemist said, the spiritual aperture that had been sealed for many years would be opened in one fell swoop.
"I broke through!"
The old monk burst into tears.
The monks then rushed to buy the Aphrodisiac Pill, and it got out of hand from then on. Even monks from other places traveled thousands of miles to join the rush.
Even though the alchemist worked day and night to refine the elixir, the supply still exceeded the demand.
But as more and more people took the Chongqiao Pill, the monks gradually discovered that the pill had serious side effects.
The Aperture Chong Pill can forcibly condense the spiritual power and make it as sharp as a sword. Although this is beneficial to impacting the spiritual aperture, it will also cause great damage to the spiritual aperture.
If you don't pay attention, you will pierce the spiritual orifice seven times.
Among the many monks who used the Chongqiao Pill, 70% of their spiritual orifices were damaged to varying degrees, and nearly half of them suffered permanent damage.
Even if you are not injured by luck, if you continue to take the second pill, the chance of injury will be as high as 90%.
During this period, there was also a tragic incident where someone took three Aphrodisiac Pills in one go, and as a result, all his meridians were severed, his cultivation was completely lost, and he committed suicide because he could not bear such a huge blow.
When the sect found out about this, they immediately stopped the Chongqiao Dan and banned its formula.
The alchemist knew that he had caused a big trouble and was worried about being retaliated against, so he ran away overnight and remained anonymous ever since.
Many years later, the alchemist passed away, and no one knew the method of refining it.
But this kind of elixir is not completely extinct!
At that time, many monks bought the Aphrodisiac Pill. After learning the truth, they did not dare to take it and were reluctant to throw it away, so they kept it in their hands or secretly resold it to others.
Although Chongqiao Dan is harmful, anxiety during practice will always exist.
There are always some people who are willing to take risks and buy Aphrodisiac Pills with the idea of "there is no way to advance in cultivation. If you are lucky, you can open up one more spiritual aperture"...
Zhao Lin reached the peak of the fourth level of Qi Refining more than three months ago, but he has never been able to go any further.
He knew very well that this was limited by his talent.
No matter how much external force was used, his spiritual roots were only of the middle grade. It was against common sense to cultivate to the fifth level of Qi refining in three years, and the resistance he faced was not that great.
After much thought, he decided to try his luck at the market.
In addition to the elixirs refined by the alchemists in this county, there are also some pills at the market that are shipped from other places, and there may be unexpected gains.
Zhao Lin walked around the market, and whenever there was a shop selling elixirs, he would go in and ask if there were any elixirs that could help break through in the middle stage of Qi refining.
But the answer was either no, or it was Qi Condensation Pill and Huang Gu Pill.
Zhao Lin naturally knew about these two elixirs and had already taken them. They were not suitable for his current situation.
Walking to the end of the market, I suddenly saw a shop called "Heqitang" with a couplet beside the door.
The first couplet is: the elixir and the essence of herbal medicine.
The second line is: Years of virtue and kindness, harmony brings wealth.
"New store?"
Zhao Lin remembered that there was no such store last year, so he walked in casually.
The store was empty except for a waiter and the shopkeeper.
What surprised Zhao Lin was that the clerk was also a monk, and his cultivation was still in the middle stage of Qi refining. Unlike most shops, which only use mortals or monks with ordinary spiritual roots as clerks in order to save costs.
The shopkeeper is an old man in his sixties, with a ruddy complexion and very well-dressed clothes.
Zhao Lin walked into the door, and the two of them looked up at the same time.
The waiter was obviously stunned for a moment, then he quickly stepped forward and said, "What kind of elixir does your guest need? Is it for health, healing or cultivation?"
"Practice, it is best to help open the first spiritual aperture of the level..."
Zhao Lin briefly stated his requirements while looking at the containers on both sides.
He found that the elixirs here were expensive, at least 20% more expensive than elsewhere. He couldn't help but frown secretly, thinking that no one was visiting.
Without waiting for the waiter to answer, the shopkeeper came around from the counter and bowed his hands, "I am Tian Daozhong, shopkeeper of Heqitang. May I ask your surname?"
Zhao Lin responded politely, "I don't mind your surname being Zhao."
Shopkeeper Tian smiled slightly and said, "The location of my store is not good. If you can find this place, you must have asked many people about it, right?"
Zhao Lin said calmly: "That's true. If your store only has Qi Condensing Pill, Huanggu Pill and other pills, there is no need to mention them."
"Yes, there is..."
Shopkeeper Tian paused deliberately and said unhurriedly: "I wonder if you are interested in private medicine?"
"Private medicine?"
Zhao Lin raised his eyebrows and asked, "Which one?"
The so-called private medicine is relative to the official medicine.
Authentic medicine refers to elixirs that are recognized by the sect, widely used, and proven to be effective, such as blood-tonifying pills, Yuan-condensing pills, foundation-building pills, etc.
Private medicine, on the other hand, is an elixir that is refined by the alchemist himself and has not been authenticated by the sect, or cannot pass the appraisal at all.
Private medicines are usually very unstable in their properties, some are too strong and have severe side effects; some are weak in properties and have almost no effect after taking them; some become addictive after taking them and cause various discomforts once the medicine is stopped.
The sect is not allowed to sell private medicines, but many monks have no choice but to pin their hopes on private medicines.
"Chongqiao Dan."
Shopkeeper Tian slowly spit out three words.
Zhao Lin's heart skipped a beat and he said in a deep voice, "This elixir has been banned for a long time, right?"
He was no longer a newbie in spiritual practice, so he had naturally heard of the Chongqiao Pill. When he first heard about this pill, he felt quite sorry.
The Orifice Chong Pill damages the spiritual orifice, and it is extremely risky for ordinary monks to take it. However, he has the spirit of Pipa Catfish, which can instantly heal the wound, so there is no need to worry at all.
Unfortunately, this elixir is almost extinct and difficult to find on the market, so Zhao Lin doubts the authenticity of the shopkeeper's words.
"Yes, it's banned."
Shopkeeper Tian smiled slightly and lowered his voice: "My Chongqiao Pill comes from the outer sect."
After saying that, he led Zhao Lin to sit down, ordered the waiter to serve tea, and then explained the origin of the elixir to Zhao Lin.
It turns out that Chongqiao Pill was very popular back then, and the price kept rising, making it difficult to find a single pill.
Some profiteers discovered the business opportunities and used various means to collect Chongqiao pills in preparation for hoarding them.
Unexpectedly, as soon as the sect's decree came out, the price of Chongqiao pills plummeted, and anyone who dared to sell them would have all the pills confiscated and be severely punished.
These profiteers were not willing to have the elixir in their hands, so they came up with a damaging trick.
Because Chongqiao Dan is only famous in Chenghua Sect, many surrounding sects do not know the inside story.
They then transported the elixirs to foreign sects and sold them. In the name of miracle medicine, before others discovered the harm, they sold all the elixirs and made a lot of money.
However, fire cannot be contained in paper, and the foreign sect quickly discovered the problem and listed Chongqiao Dan as a banned elixir.
Having said this, Shopkeeper Tian twirled his beard and looked at Zhao Lin, "Although there are no Chongqiao pills in our sect, there are some overseas. This is how I got my pills."
It turns out that export is converted to domestic sales...
This explanation makes sense. Zhao Lin thought for a moment, stared at Shopkeeper Tian and said, "I heard that the Chongqiao Pill damages the spiritual orifice."
Although Zhao Lin is not worried about damaging the spiritual orifice to others, he must find out what the other person is thinking.
Shopkeeper Tian laughed and picked up the tea cup on the table, "It's hard to say, old man, during the journey of cultivating Taoism, who doesn't go through thorns and hardships?"
"If Fellow Daoist Zhao is interested, we will continue to talk. If you are worried, I will not force you."
Zhao Lin deliberately pondered for a long time and asked: "Chongqiao Pill has been banned for many years. No one knows the shape, nature and taste of the pill. How to identify the authenticity of the pill?"
"What Fellow Daoist Zhao said makes sense."
Shopkeeper Tian nodded, "It is true that no one can verify its authenticity, but I can guarantee that there is absolutely no problem with the origin of the elixir."
"If you don't believe it, fellow Taoist, you can go to the inner hall and have a look."
After saying that, he walked to the door of the inner hall and turned sideways.
Zhao Lin used his spiritual sense to detect and confirm that there was no one in the hall and no magic circle was arranged, so he stood up and walked in.
"Fellow Daoist Zhao, wait a moment. I'll be back as soon as I go."
Shopkeeper Tian asked Zhao Lin to take a seat and left.
After a while, Shopkeeper Tian appeared in front of Zhao Lin again, with a brocade box in his hand.
"Fellow Taoist, please take a look."
Shopkeeper Tian placed the brocade box on the table, slowly opened it, and then turned to Zhao Lin.
Zhao Lin looked closely and saw a smooth and round purple gourd in the brocade box.
"Is this a pomegranate gourd?"
Wuliu gourd is a kind of spiritual wood produced in Jiaoyue. The fruit is shaped like a gourd, has a hard texture and has a strong regeneration ability.
Monks often use it to preserve valuable elixirs. They cut off the head of the gourd and put the elixirs inside. In less than an hour, the head will heal automatically and seal the elixirs.
The five elements of the pomegranate gourd are balanced, and the elixir is preserved in it. Even after hundreds of years, the medicinal properties remain the same. (End of chapter)
