A Mortal's Journey to Immortality

Zhou Ping seemed to be hearing about erysipelas for the first time, and couldn't help but ask, a bad feeling rising in his heart.

He has been taking pills to accelerate his cultivation ever since he started practicing the Qingyuan Technique, and this has been going on for quite some time.

If what Li Jiuxi said is true, then his body must have accumulated a lot of elixir poison.

"What exactly is the poisonous pill that Fairy Li mentioned? Could you please enlighten me?"

Although Zhou Ping was anxious inside, he appeared calm and collected on the surface.

Seeing that the other party was only surprised for a moment before regaining his usual composure, Li Jiuxi couldn't help but feel a little puzzled.

Could it be that the other party has no hidden reason for the accumulation of erysipelas?

"Young Master Duan, this elixir poisoning is quite complicated, and I can only give you a general description."

"The so-called elixirs and panaceas are ultimately inseparable from the word 'medicine.' It is a common understanding that every medicine has some degree of toxicity. Therefore, the first type of 'elixir poison' is the natural toxicity produced in the elixir."

"Furthermore, during the refining process of pills, it is impossible to completely remove all impurities, thus producing some toxic impurities. These impurities are varied and bizarre. After cultivators consume various pills, they will accumulate in their bodies, which will become a hidden danger over time."

"The last type is the residue of some medicinal power. If we cultivators take the same kind of pill for a long time, we will develop a certain drug resistance. The direct result is that the absorption of its medicinal power will be greatly reduced. The medicinal power that cannot be absorbed and refined will accumulate in the body. After mutation, this medicinal power or spiritual power will still become a stubborn disease similar to pill poisoning, which is extremely detrimental to future cultivation."

"The most obvious symptom is the sluggish circulation of spiritual energy, a sharp drop in cultivation speed, and even an increase in the bottleneck when breaking through to the next realm, which is a great headache for us cultivators."

Zhou listened quietly to Li Jiuxi's description, her heart churning with turmoil.

His current situation is indeed somewhat similar to what he described.

At first, he thought that his own aptitude was too poor, which caused his slow progress in cultivating the Qingyuan Gong. In this light, the so-called pill poison and drug resistance should also be the key reasons for this.

His years of cultivation relied almost entirely on the Dragon Beard Pill and the Black Scale Pill, so his physical body must have developed some degree of resistance to these two pills.

Zhou listened quietly to Li Jiuxi's description, his expression growing increasingly serious.

At the same time, an old man dressed in a Taoist robe entered Guiyuan Pavilion. His face was filled with an unyielding gloom. After entering the plaza on the first floor, he walked straight toward a stall.

This person was none other than Tongxin Daoist, who had just arrived here from Tongyang Temple.

"Mingxin, has my disciple ever been here?"

After arriving at Master Mingxin's stall, he immediately asked in a cold voice.

The old Taoist priest Mingxin seemed unimpressed by him, glancing at him casually before speaking in a low voice.

"Master Tongxin, have you come looking for someone? Why do I need to know whether your disciple has come or not?"

"Mingxin, Liu Feng is still your junior disciple. I only have one question: did you see him come here?"

Tongxin Daoist stared at Mingxin Daoist opposite him with a gloomy expression. His tone seemed to have softened a bit, after all, he needed someone's help and didn't want to be too aggressive.

"Nephew? You must have a bad memory. I haven't been a member of the Bronze Sheep Temple for decades. What nephew are you talking about now?"

The old Taoist priest Mingxin chuckled and said dismissively.

Seeing that the other party was not buying it, the Copper Heart Taoist's face showed a hint of anger, and he continued speaking.

"Whether you acknowledge him or not, he is your junior disciple. Now that he has disappeared carrying the secret techniques of my Bronze Sheep Temple, I urgently need to find his whereabouts and do not want to dwell on the past grievances with you."

"What?! The secret techniques passed down through generations of the Bronze Sheep Temple have also disappeared?"

Upon hearing this, the old Taoist priest Mingxin's expression hardened, and he said solemnly.

"How could I possibly deceive you with the sect's legacy? This matter is of great importance, so please set aside our past grievances for now, Senior Brother."

After Tongxin Daoist finished speaking, his expression turned solemn as he stared intently at Mingxin Laodao.

"There is still some time before the Guiyuan Auction, so there aren't many cultivators coming and going. It might not be more than one person every two or three days."

"The old Taoist's stall is very close to the gate. If that brat Liu Feng comes in, he shouldn't be able to escape the old Taoist's discerning eyes."

"But among the cultivators who have come here in recent days, there is no trace of him. If he enters and leaves Guiyuan Pavilion outside of daytime, then this old Daoist has no idea."

After pondering for a moment, the old Taoist priest Mingxin said in a deep voice.

Upon hearing this, the Taoist Master Tongxin's expression turned even more gloomy and frightening, and the ominous premonition in his heart grew stronger and stronger.

"I just came out of the Bronze Sheep Temple, and he didn't go back either. I'm afraid Feng'er has met with some misfortune."

Tongxin Daoist took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and Mingxin Daoist opposite him also fell silent.

After a moment, the Copper Heart Taoist calmed his agitation slightly, left a few words, and hurriedly departed.

"I hope you can continue to keep an eye on things here, senior brother. I'll be right back."

Watching the departing figure of Tongxin Daoist, Mingxin Daoist sighed softly, shook his head, and sat back down at his stall.

On another part of the square, after listening to Li Jiuxi's words, Zhou Ping had a general understanding of erysipelas.

He secretly rejoiced, for if he hadn't come here to make the transaction today, he might still be completely unaware of the drawbacks of these pills.

The brief introduction to the Dao of Enlightenment does not mention this. It only records some basic pills commonly used by cultivators and their refining methods, and it is not enough to give him a comprehensive understanding of the Dao of alchemy.

"Thank you for the reminder, Fairy Li. I should not have these worries for the time being. However, it is fortunate that I was able to know about the harm of this poison in advance."

"I know a little about Qingling Powder, only that it is a kind of antidote. I didn't expect it to be effective in removing this kind of poison. I was quite ignorant."

Zhou Ping recalled the contents of the brief description of Mingxin Dandao, which did indeed contain the method for refining Qingling San.

At the time, he was so eager to find elixirs to improve his cultivation that he simply swept up all the detoxifying pills without paying much attention to them.

"Young Master Duan, you are too kind. Jiu Xi is merely returning the favor and thanks you for your generosity."

Li Jiuxi replied softly, his tone still filled with gratitude.

Seeing that he was quite proficient in alchemy, Zhou Ping couldn't help but feel a desire to befriend him. So, on a whim, he tentatively inquired...

"I observe that Fairy Li is quite proficient in alchemy. May I inquire of her about spiritual plants?"

Behind the stall, Li Jiuxi's beautiful eyes flashed, and she said with a smile,

"Please forgive my ignorance, young master. I only have a slight understanding of the subject. Please feel free to ask, young master. If I know anything about it, I will certainly tell you without reservation."