Immortal Mortal

“That’s my pet you just captured…” A gloomy voice sounded out.

No matter how hard both Mo Wuji and Yan Qianyin looked, all they saw was the faint shadow of a lady. It was almost impossible to make out how she looked like.

Mo Wuji shivered as he could feel the gloomy aura of the cave get stronger by the minute. It felt as though the air surrounding him was going to freeze even though nothing had actually changed.

Yan Qianyin took out the bag which held the Life Sucking Beast in captive and said without hesitation, “Senior Yanfei, forgive junior for my thoughtlessness. I had no idea that this Life Sucking Beast still belongs to someone. Junior apprentice brother Mo, we cannot stay here for any longer…”

Fu Yanfei? Mo Wuji had no clue how Yan Qianyin was able to recognise who the other party was. However, Mo Wuji could tell from Yan Qianyin’s eyes that she was lying blatantly but he could not figure out her real motive for doing so.

“Don’t bother leaving now that you’re here. Didn’t that old folk Zuo Wuhen warn you that the Formless Blade Mountain is not for anyone to enter and leave as they please?” The shadow reached out her arm and grasped Mo Wuji’s skull.

Mo Wuji tried to budge but to no avail.

Being grasped as well, Yan Qianyin spat out a mouthful of blood after managing to release herself before drawing and attacking with her sword. The frozen and tense air surrounding Mo Wuji appeared to have loosened a little.

“Junior apprentice brother Mo, this is the most I can help you with. Hurry up and escape…” Yan Qianyin vanished after attacking with her sword.

Mo Wuji did not blame Yan Qianyin for her actions because he understood the logic: Every man for themselves. This was especially true for situations like this. He knew that it would be impossible for Yan Qianyin to save him. Therefore, he truly appreciated her effort to help defrost the surrounding frozen air.

Mo Wuji did not bother trying to escape with Yan Qianyin because he understood one thing: When facing a pack of chasing wolves, you don’t need to run faster than the wolves to survive; you just need to run faster than your companion. However, his companion was Yan Qianyin and he knew he could never outrun her.

This applied to Yan Qianyin but not him. The fact that Yan Qianyin helped release him proved that she had ideas of saving him and not just leaving him to fend the enemy off.

Perhaps Yan Qianyin knew that Mo Wuji alone could not buy much time, especially against this shadow lady.

Instead of fleeing the moment he was released, Mo Wuji drew out his knife and attacked back almost immediately.

“Ahh…” A devastating cry was soon heard after a blue lightning bolt flew by. Mo Wuji then realised his opponent’s fear of lightning bolts.

Mo Wuji immediately turned 180 degrees and hurried out of the cave in the shortest possible time.

The woman was so unbelievably powerful that if she were to find out Mo Wuji was only a paper tiger with that lightning bolt, it would mean the end of Mo Wuji’s short life.

Perhaps Mo Wuji’s lightning bolt was really effective because she did not follow to retaliate even when he managed to reach the vines near the entrance of the cave.

Just as Mo Wuji exited the cave, he felt an earth-shaking force tossing him into a bind. Mo Wuji became terrified thinking that this force came from the tremendously powerful woman who was chasing after him. However, as he took a glance behind him, he saw the woman just getting out of the vines at the entrance of the cave and the force could not have been from her.

By the time the woman reached out her arm to try and grasp Mo Wuji again, Mo Wuji was already tossed out of the woman’s sight.

……

The force that threw Mo Wuji was so strong that he was so shocked he almost fell on his back as he landed. Mo Wuji scanned his surroundings and he immediately recognised that he was back at the same stone pavilion he was at before entering the Formless Blade Mountain

Mo Wuji noticed that Yan Qianyin, Pill Master Ju and one more fellow were within the vicinity as well.

13 went in but less than a third of them made it out. Pill Master Shi was not around therefore Mo Wuji’s guess was that he did not survive the turmoil too. Mo Wuji felt heavy-hearted because even though Pill Master Shi’s refining skills were not excellent, had poor qualifications and a very bad temper, he was a straightforward person who was not cunning at all.

Yan Qianyin’s eyes widened as she saw Mo Wuji making it out. The truth was that she felt so guilty the moment she realised she did not have the capability to save Mo Wuji. She did not even care about that bit of fortune Mo Wuji had with him.

Pill Master Ju was unbelievably startled when he saw Mo Wuji. He could not believe that an ingredient boy like Mo Wuji could have survived the malfunction of the transporter earlier.

Before anyone could speak, a group of people led by the leader of the Formless Blade Sect, Gu Ran, entered the hall.

It was obvious that Gu Ran felt so relieved when he saw Yan Qianyin. He announced, “The transporter malfunctioned earlier resulting in heavy losses for the Formless Blade Sect. Thankfully, out of the four who still made it out, three are pill refiners. It’s a great fortune out of misfortune.”

“Sect leader, we should talk when we return to the hall,” An elder said after he too heaved a sigh of relief after seeing Yan Qianyin.

“Aren’t you Pill Master Shi’s ingredients boy? How are you still alive?” Someone finally noticed Mo Wuji.

At this moment, the sect leader’s attention turned to Mo Wuji. He was wondering how Mo Wuji made it alive but because he was too focused about Yan Qianyin, he completely forgot to ask.

Mo Wuji hurried to bow and said, “Sect seniors, junior received tremendous help from Pill Master Yan to be able to keep my small life from being taken away.”

Mo Wuji knew he had no rights to call Yan Qianyin senior apprentice sister in front of so many sect elders.

“Oh, was this true?” Everyone’s eyes fell on Yan Qianyin.

Yan Qianyin nodded, “Indeed, junior apprentice brother Mo was wounded when I saw him and I offered my help. Afterwards, I found out that junior apprentice brother Mo self studied at Rao Zhou and was a pill refiner previously. Even though he has weak spiritual roots, his knowledge for pills are extraordinary. When I saw him…”

Mo Wuji hurried to interrupt, “Credits have to go to senior apprentice sister Yan for her patient guidance. I would never have been able to become a true pill refiner without you.”

Yan Qianyin was suspicious over what Mo Wuji said. When she first saw him, Mo Wuji was already a Tier 1 pill refiner and was one step away from becoming a Tier 2. The fact was that she did not really provide Mo Wuji much guidance except for a few tips here and there. She did not continue to finish her sentence even though she was still confused over why Mo Wuji wanted to give her all the credits.

“You are a pill refiner?” Gu Ran looked at Mo Wuji doubtfully because he had never heard of a service disciple ingredients boy turned into a pill refiner all of a sudden.

Yan Qianyi replied on Mo Wuji’s behalf, “Yes he is. Sect leader, Mo Wuji is not only a pill refiner, he is as good as a Tier 2 pill refiner. I certainly did guide him a little and I am sure he can advance to become a Tier 2 pill refiner. The most important factor is his talent for pill refining, for I think he may even have talent than me.

Thinking of what Mo Wuji said earlier, Yan Qianyin took the initiative to claim the credit of Mo Wuji’s progression to become as good as a Tier 2 pill refiner.

“So this is how it is,” Gu Ran’s both eyes lit up after hearing what Yan Qianyin said, “So Wuji turns out to be a Tier 2 pill refiner. Qianyin, why don’t we make Wuji an official Formless Blade Sect pill refiner…”

Pill Master Ju, who had been not very pleased with Mo Wuji, was made even more unpleasant after hearing this. He could not believe he now had to be on level terms with an ex-ingredients boy. The moment Mo Wuji become a Tier 2 pill refiner, he would no longer have any reason to pick on Mo Wuji anymore.

Yan Qianyin decided to add in, “Even though junior apprentice brother Mo is as good as a Tier 2 pill refiner who has extraordinary talent for pill refinery, his spiritual roots aren’t very good…”

Before Yan Qianyin could finish her sentence, Pill Master Ju thought of something and interrupted abruptly, “Sect leader, senior apprentice sister is right. Junior apprentice brother Mo was previously only an ingredients boy therefore, his cultivation capabilities must be pretty low. To succeed as a pill refiner, one must have both the talent for pill refinery as well as good cultivation capabilities. One will not be able to progress to the next level if his cultivation capabilities are too low. Therefore, why should the sect allow such a person to join us a pill refiner? It will only affect our reputation negatively…”

The sect leader of the Formless Blade Sect calmed himself down to consider. The sect will put in tremendous amount of resources in nurturing their own pill refiners. What good is there for the sect if they were to recruit a pill refiner who is not able to advance further?

“Sect leader, I suggest it would be the most appropriate for us to let Pill Master Mo become a guest pill refiner instead,” Yan Qianyin added.

Even Pill Master Ju was happy with this suggestion because he knew the vast difference between the resources received as an official pill refiner and a guest pill refiner. Other than talent, the most important thing for a pill refiner to advance would be resources. Without pill refinery resources, what’s the point of having talent?

Gu Ran and the other elders sighed as they heard Yan Qianyin’s words.Yan Qianyin may have prodigious talent for pill refinery but she was definitely lacking in EQ. Even if it was her wish to make Mo Wuji a guest pill refiner, she should not have said it straight in front of him. This would make Mo Wuji lose his gratitude for her.

Now that Yan Qianyin mentioned it out loud, Gu Ran had no choice other than to ask, “Pill master Mo, are you willing to join us and become a guest pill refiner at the Formless Blade Sect?”

To become Formless Blade Sect’s guest refiner was what Mo Wuji and Yan Qianyin agreed initially. Now that the sect leader asked him, Mo Wuji replied without any hesitation, “Thank you for your kind invite, I would be more than willing to join as a Formless Blade Sect guest refiner.”

The sect leader and the elders exchanged glances before concluding that a service disciple was indeed much easier to deal with.