Longevity Martial Arts: Grinding Experience in the Chaotic World

Chapter 275: Chapter 158 Holy Pill Sect_2

Lin Miaomiao nodded and pointed at the mountain peaks ahead, saying, ”Not just our Holy Pill Sect, but also the sect sites of Haoyang Sect, Mad Saber Sect, Giant Sword Sect, and Thousand Poison Sect are all built atop mountain peaks. These three mountain peaks are the foundation of our Holy Pill Sect: the one on the left is War God Peak where I reside, the right one is Spirit Pill Peak, and the central one is our sect’s main peak—Cloud Saint Peak!”

Gu Sheng raised his head to look at the three mountain peaks. The far-left War God Peak stood steep and upright, appearing from a distance like a giant sword, exuding a strong killing aura. The right Spirit Pill Peak was much larger in volume than War God Peak. Even from afar, Gu Sheng could see terraced sections across its slopes. The central Cloud Saint Peak, compared to the other two, seemed far more mysterious, most of its structure enshrouded in dense fog and clouds. From their vantage point, only the lush forest halfway up its slopes could be seen.

”Elder Sister, what’s the difference between these three peaks? Isn’t everyone in the Holy Pill Sect supposed to be Alchemists?”

Lin Miaomiao couldn’t help but laugh out loud at this question: ”Who told you that everyone in the Holy Pill Sect is an Alchemist? Do you think Alchemists are as common as cabbage? Let me explain: while our sect is rooted in the Alchemy Dao, it doesn’t mean all members are Alchemists. For instance, there’s no Alchemist on War God Peak. Though Alchemists are prestigious, without strong self-preservation abilities, they would just become subordinate to others. That’s why our Holy Pill Sect established War God Peak to cultivate disciples with outstanding Martial Arts talent but either lack Alchemy talent or possess weaker aptitude in it.”

”Then what about people with both strong Martial Arts and Alchemy talents?” Gu Sheng asked abruptly.

This was mainly a question for himself—he didn’t believe in the notion of talent strength, as he relied on sheer effort once he set his foot in the path.

Lin Miaomiao thought for a moment before furrowing her brows and saying, ”Human energy is finite. Generally speaking, in such a case, one would choose a primary focus, using the other as supplemental practice. Of course, top-tier geniuses like our Sect Master can achieve Dual Cultivation in both disciplines!”

Having gained some clarity, Gu Sheng pointed at the central Cloud Saint Peak and asked, ”Then what about this main peak?”

Lin Miaomiao looked at Cloud Saint Peak with a gaze full of longing and smacked her lips, saying, ”Cloud Saint Peak is the most core mountain of our Holy Pill Sect. The Sect Master’s chambers and the main Scripture Pavilion are located there. Cloud Saint Peak is the sacred ground in the hearts of all disciples of the sect because the necessary condition for practicing there is becoming a Core Disciple!”

Although Gu Sheng was unfamiliar with the ranking of sect disciples, he knew anything associated with the term ”Core” must be extraordinary.

”Elder Sister, how do Core Disciples differ from you in terms of treatment?”

Lin Miaomiao laughed and said, ”The difference is massive. Let me tell you this—outer sect disciples like us receive a small batch of cultivation resources every month from the sect, but our cultivation mostly relies on our own exploration. Inner sect disciples, on the other hand, not only receive more resources but also have elders available every month to answer their queries on cultivation. Core Disciples are like the elite among all disciples, the future backbones of the sect, including elders. They not only receive large amounts of resources but can also apprentice under major elders. Once they reach the Golden Bone Realm, the sect bestows the Guiding Method upon them, and the Sect Master or the Great Elder personally assists them in breaking through to the Marrow Refining Realm!”

At this point, Lin Miaomiao shook her head and laughed, ”Those things are still far beyond your reach. Let’s focus on finding the Great Elder first!”

Saying this, Lin Miaomiao led Gu Sheng onto the stone path in the middle, and the two followed the path upward. After walking for about a quarter of an hour, Lin Miaomiao suddenly stopped.

”Hmm? Elder Sister, why did you stop? We haven’t reached the place yet,”

Gu Sheng looked around, puzzled, as the surroundings still consisted of dense ancient trees.

Lin Miaomiao took out a palm-sized jade token from her bosom and said, ”Cloud Saint Peak has special restrictions—without proof, entry is forbidden.”

As she spoke, Lin Miaomiao placed the jade token onto a nearby wooden post.

Once the token was placed, the wooden post quickly emitted streaks of green light, and moments later, the space before them rippled like water waves, then retreated to the sides like a tide. A tall, sharp-featured young man stepped out from within.

Upon seeing Lin Miaomiao, the young man showed displeasure between his brows: ”An outer sect disciple from War God Peak? Why are you here? Leave immediately—this is no place for you!”

His tone was extremely curt, leaving Gu Sheng feeling deeply irritated, but Lin Miaomiao kept her expression composed and submissive as she bowed to the man: ”Kindly inform the Great Elder that this young man is someone I brought back from Thunder Wood Mountain. He claims his elder has ties with the Great Elder and wishes to join our Holy Pill Sect.”

Upon hearing this, the young man cast a glance at Gu Sheng and sneered, ”Ha! Don’t you people have any sense? You believe any random nonsense? This boy’s coarse linen clothes and rustic vibe scream of someone from a backwater village. How could his family possibly have ties to the Great Elder? Send him away; the Great Elder is busy and won’t see him.”

Lin Miaomiao’s face darkened but she maintained her patience and insisted, ”But he has a Token made of Molten Lava Layered Stone! I’ve verified it—it’s the real deal. Please, Senior Brother, pass on the message!”

She gestured to Gu Sheng to take out the Token.

Gu Sheng, annoyed by the arrogance of the young man, reluctantly brought out the Token that Ge Qing had given to him.

The young man’s face was full of disdain: ”Molten Lava Layered Stone? You’ve got to be joking—how could someone like him possess such a rare item? Clearly, you’ve been fooled by his tricks due to your limited experience.”

Despite her dissatisfaction, Lin Miaomiao dared not show it outwardly—after all, the young man was a Core Disciple, while she was just an outer sect disciple. What could she do but endure quietly?

Lin Miaomiao took the Token from Gu Sheng and handed it to the young man: ”Senior Brother, you’re well-versed and should be able to judge its authenticity at a glance!”

The young man scoffed, casually picking up the Token. Just as he was about to utter dismissive remarks, his expression changed dramatically, with all traces of disdain wiped clean. His eyes were filled with shock.

As a Core Disciple, he had personally encountered Molten Lava Layered Stone before. The distinct warmth emanating from the Token confirmed its authenticity in an instant!

Without even examining the details on the Token, he hastily returned it to Gu Sheng.

”Wait here—I will go and inform the Great Elder immediately!”

This time, the young man’s gaze toward Gu Sheng no longer held contempt but instead carried gravitas and curiosity.

Due to growing up in Gu’s Manor, Gu Sheng had paid little attention to his attire, dressing similarly to the tenant farmers nearby—coarse linen shirts, a face that was modestly attractive but weathered from years of labor and hunting in the mountains, giving him the appearance of a farm boy rather than a scion of a noble family.

The young man couldn’t fathom how someone like Gu Sheng could possess a Token forged from Molten Lava Layered Stone. Despite being a Core Disciple himself, he dared not dismiss the matter. After all, if Gu Sheng truly was the son of the Great Elder’s acquaintance, he wouldn’t escape reprimand if he mishandled it.

The young man was strong; though he was around Lin Miaomiao’s age, he had already reached the Golden Bone Realm. Not daring to waste time, he sprinted up the stone path at full speed. After about a quarter of an hour, panting heavily, he arrived at a quaint pavilion.

The pavilion wasn’t large, around a hundred square meters, spanning two stories with a small courtyard filled with grape trellises. In the center of the courtyard was a small gazebo.

Inside the gazebo sat a spirited older man with streaks of white in his hair, focused on reading an ancient text. This was none other than the Holy Pill Sect’s Great Elder, Lu Junyi!

Lu Junyi heard the commotion, set down his book, and glanced toward the courtyard entrance. Recognizing the person outside, he spoke, ”Chen Ke, if I recall correctly, you’re on gatekeeping duty today. Why have you come to me instead of attending to the gate?”

Chen Ke bowed respectfully to Lu Junyi before replying, ”Great Elder, there’s a seventeen or eighteen-year-old youth outside seeking you. He claims to be the son of an old acquaintance of yours!”