"I've finally made a breakthrough with my Alchemy Skill!"
As he walked down the street, the frequent glances from passersby finally made Bai Mo realize how odd he looked.
At first, he felt a little uncomfortable, but he quickly shook off the feeling.
"I'll call this technique... Pill-in-Pill!"
Bai Mo was quite excited.
He had poured his heart and soul into the Alchemy Dao, his very livelihood. Now, his efforts had finally crystallized into something real.
It was like a farmer who had tilled the land his whole life, seeing a unique and excellent seedling sprout in his field.
And someone had even told him that this thing existed nowhere else.
'If I were to write a Pill Book now, it should fetch a good price. I can record the art of Pill-in-Pill in it—it'll be one of a kind!'
As Bai Mo thought this, his pace couldn't help but quicken.
"Hey, Brother Bai!"
Suddenly, a surprised voice called out.
'I don't know many people in Celestial Mountain City. Who would call out to me on the street?'
Bai Mo turned around and saw an attendant dressed in black clothes.
Seeing the doubt on Bai Mo's face, the attendant quickly explained:
"I'm an attendant from Ren's Record!"
Hearing this, Bai Mo looked at him a few more times and suddenly felt that the man did look a little familiar, as if he had seen him at the general store a few days ago.
"What is it?"
"It's about the Pill Assembly! The Pill Assembly starts tomorrow."
The attendant said quickly, "I just went to the inn to look for you but couldn't find you, so I informed that tall, sturdy fellow."
Only then did Bai Mo nod. There was finally news about the Ren family's Pill Assembly.
Ren Lu, the man who had given him the Pill Token, was himself a practitioner of the Alchemy Skill.
'The alchemy apprentices attending the Pill Assembly as guests probably won't be too shabby.'
Although the attendant was a bit confused by Bai Mo's appearance, he didn't dare to comment on it and just dutifully relayed the information.
"The Pill Assembly will last for two days. After it ends and all you apprentices have rested for a day or two, you should go for the certification."
After finishing his explanation, the attendant gave a quick farewell and was about to take his leave.
"Why the hurry?" Bai Mo asked.
The attendant's expression turned a little sour. "We were supposed to have three Pill Masters, but now only one is coming. It was just confirmed early this morning."
"The Pill Assembly is tomorrow. We really can't afford any delays."
Bai Mo paused and asked in a low voice, "Do you know why that is?"
Seeing the attendant hesitate, Bai Mo said:
"I'm participating in the Pill Assembly tomorrow. I ought to know the inside story."
Only then did the attendant take two steps closer and also whisper:
"Didn't an elder from the Xuandao Sect arrive a few days ago? Many of the Pill Masters went to see him, were assigned some tasks, and are all busy now."
Bai Mo understood now and let the attendant go.
'The Pill Assembly has been so rushed. I wonder how many people will be able to attend on time.'
'The Ren family must be getting anxious.'
'But since a Pill Master will be presiding, it shouldn't be a wasted trip for those who attend.'
Bai Mo returned to the inn. After speaking with the staff and ordering a bucket of hot water, he headed for his room.
Just as he pushed open the door, Lanshan from the next room heard the noise and poked his head out. He seemed anxious at first, but his expression froze slightly when he saw Bai Mo's appearance.
Forcing himself to snap out of it, Lanshan got down to business.
"Shopkeeper Bai, about that Pill Assembly…"
Bai Mo quickly said, "I ran into the attendant on my way back."
"I'll get ready and head over on time tomorrow."
Lanshan nodded upon hearing this.
"I thought I was going to have to go find you."
"And this... getup is…"
Bai Mo sighed helplessly.
"It's nothing. A good wash will fix it."
It was still early. He washed up, ordered some soup from the inn, and had a proper meal.
Bai Mo didn't plan on reading any more Pill Books.
He just flipped through the *Clear Spirit Qi Guiding Skill* and meditated for six hours, circulating his energy according to its Basic Skill.
'I'll spend half a day recuperating my spirit and resting. That should be enough to completely get rid of the fatigue I've built up over the past few days.'
For the rest of the day, Bai Mo did nothing else, focusing entirely on his well-being.
「The next day.」
Feeling refreshed and energetic, Bai Mo left the inn, Pill Token in hand, and followed the address written on it.
The Ren family owned a large plot of land in Celestial Mountain City.
It was originally the site of eight separate residences, but after buying them all, the family had knocked down the walls to build the grand estate it was today.
Green bricks and white tiles. Inside, several four-story pavilions stood, decorated with an elegant and classical simplicity.
The crowns of a few old trees peeked out from within.
When Bai Mo arrived, Ren Lu was at the entrance with another person, greeting guests.
"Ah! Brother Bai, you're finally here!"
Ren Lu's eyes lit up when he saw Bai Mo, and he hurried over to welcome him.
Bai Mo laughed heartily and strode forward.
"A fellow Daoist invited me. How could I not come!?"
"I'm new to Celestial Mountain City, but I've already heard of the Ren family's renowned Pill Assembly!"
Ren Lu's expression soured upon hearing this.
"Don't poke fun at me."
"Is there anyone in the city now who doesn't know the Ren family's Pill Assembly is a disaster?"
This was an exaggeration. The Ren family wasn't so famous in the city that everyone knew of their affairs.
Bai Mo asked quietly, "Is it because the Pill Assembly was organized too hastily?"
Ren Lu shook his head. "It's more than that."
"We had told everyone that three Pill Masters would be present. Now look, there's only one, and we only notified everyone on the eve of the event."
As he spoke, he led Bai Mo inside.
"Still, Brother Bai, you've given me face. You knew the inside story and still rushed over in time."
As the two were about to enter the main gate, the other Ren family member who was greeting guests hurried over.
"Brother Lu, the Pill Token…"
Ren Lu waved his hand, shooing his kinsman away.
"I gave Brother Bai his Pill Token. Don't get in the way!"
After the man walked away with a helpless look, Ren Lu said:
"Don't take it to heart. After all, a Pill Master is present. Inspecting the Pill Tokens is a matter of respect for the Pill Master."
Bai Mo nodded. He wasn't going to get worked up over such a small matter.
The Ren family truly lived up to their reputation as the local magnates of Celestial Mountain City. Their estate lacked nothing, complete with waterside pavilions and gardens.
The two walked past a waterside pavilion and arrived at a set of tiered steps.
The steps formed an amphitheater of sorts. In the center was a small, sun-sheltering pavilion with a table and chair. Though it was still unoccupied, hot tea had already been prepared, its fragrant steam curling into the air.
One didn't need to guess to know that this setup was for the Pill Master.
Bai Mo scanned his surroundings. Several dozen people had already arrived.
It seemed that although Ren Lu had spoken dejectedly, the Ren family's foundation was solid. Coupled with the presence of a Pill Master, quite a few people had still shown up for the Pill Assembly.
The crowd of alchemy apprentices on the steps had varied demeanors.
Some were turning their heads to talk quietly with others, while some sat upright with their eyes closed in meditation.
Not far away, a corridor passed by.
A number of young men and women in brocade robes were inside, chattering excitedly about something.
From their position, they could probably overhear the proceedings of the Pill Assembly.
This wasn't surprising. Why did so many families and private organizations like to host Pill Assemblies?
It was precisely because they could befriend Pill Masters and alchemy apprentices, adding to their network of connections while also displaying their own influence.
And for newcomers or the younger generation of a family, every Pill Assembly was a grand feast for learning the Dao.
Don't look down on those young boys and girls. The amount of Alchemy Dao theory they had heard might not be any less than that of the apprentices present.
Bai Mo turned his head and asked Ren Lu, who hadn't left his side:
"When will the Pill Master make his appearance?"
Ren Lu said softly, "Soon. The Pill Master has important matters to attend to. He's taking time out of his busy schedule out of friendship with my Ren family, so he won't delay for long."
"He'll offer some brief guidance and then he has to leave. The rest will be up to all of you to exchange pointers among yourselves."
He seemed to fear Bai Mo would be disappointed, so he added:
"Don't underestimate these people. They've all been screened. Even if their own Alchemy Skill isn't great, they're bound to possess their master's or sect's unique techniques."
He lowered his voice and said, "Some of those secret techniques... if you can manage to learn a few, they'll be very useful."
Bai Mo looked at Ren Lu's unique and brightly shining eyes and suddenly realized something.
'This guy is no simple character either.'