A chill was in the air.
With the clip-clop of hooves, half a month had passed unknowingly.
Bai Mo sat in the carriage, Spiritual Qi rapidly surging into his body.
A culmination of his long efforts, the stream of Spiritual Qi flowing through his meridians swelled abruptly after several tremors.
As it coursed through his meridians, it expanded them by more than thirty percent.
Bai Mo endured the waves of aching and itching, guiding the stream of Spiritual Qi through one complete cycle. After a moment's hesitation, he circulated it for two more cycles.
Only then did he slowly cease his efforts.
The moment he exhaled and concluded his cultivation, Bai Mo felt an unprecedented sense of refreshment.
The Spiritual Qi around him felt much more active than before.
Lan Ru, who had been huddled in a corner of the carriage, saw Bai Mo finish and moved closer. She blinked and offered her congratulations with a light smile.
"Congratulations, Shopkeeper Bai. Your days of cultivation have finally borne fruit!"
Bai Mo cupped his hands. "I must also thank you, Miss Lan Ru, for your consideration these past few days."
Whenever Bai Mo cultivated, Lan Ru would stay quiet and move lightly in the carriage, afraid of disturbing him.
It was a kindness Bai Mo would not forget.
Just then, the curtain was lifted, revealing Lanshan's burly frame. He, too, had a hint of a smile on his face.
"Shopkeeper Bai, did you have a breakthrough?"
"Indeed." Bai Mo nodded. At that moment, he still had three Qi Absorption Pills in the bottle he carried.
"Congratulations!" Lanshan said, then added:
"We're almost at Celestial Mountain City. Do you two want to come out and have a look?"
Bai Mo's eyes lit up. Lan Ru also perked up, her expression a mixture of apprehension and longing.
The two of them climbed out of the carriage and saw the mountain looming before them.
Only a section of the once-majestic mountain remained, squatting upon the land. People traveled along roads carved into its slopes.
"It's like a pilgrimage!"
Bai Mo murmured.
Celestial Mountain City was situated atop the mountain's cross-section. Even from a great distance, one could feel the ancient city's magnificent and imposing aura.
The other members of the caravan looked over and gave Bai Mo a slight nod.
The elderly leader of the caravan even cupped his hands in a gesture of respect.
None of them were first-timers to Celestial Mountain City, so naturally, they didn't share the same sense of profound excitement as Bai Mo and Lan Ru.
Lanshan gazed at Celestial Mountain City, his own heart stirred. When he looked at Lan Ru, his eyes held a touch of expectation.
"Let's go! Up the mountain and into the city!"
After their rest, the old man gave the order, and the caravan set off once more.
However, the guards and drivers were now chatting more amongst themselves, whispering quietly, but the old man paid them no mind.
This territory was already within Celestial Mountain City's sphere of influence.
No foolish bandit would dare to rob an ordinary caravan in a place like this.
Bai Mo pushed aside the side curtain of the carriage and stuck his head out to look.
The sunlight fell on him, making him feel pleasantly warm.
Lan Ru did the same on her side.
As they drew closer to Celestial Mountain City, the crowds grew more diverse.
Their clothing varied, and the auras around them fluctuated.
The guards put away their weapons, their tense and vigilant demeanor from the road vanishing along with them.
Upon reaching the foot of the mountain, the caravan's pace slowed considerably. Following a few Cultivators, they arrived at the entrance to a mountain road.
Lanshan quickly lifted the curtain.
"Quick, get out. The Immortal Sect Cultivators are conducting an inspection."
Bai Mo climbed down from the carriage to find that everyone in the caravan had dismounted and was standing obediently in place.
Two Cultivators in silver-gray armor stood on either side, leaning on long spears.
Two other similarly dressed Cultivators were lifting the curtains and inspecting the carriages one by one.
As for the people, they were simply scanned with a shiny, square mirror, after which the Cultivators paid them no more mind.
Bai Mo relaxed and began to observe his surroundings.
At the vast foot of the mountain, vendors were sparsely set up, hawking all sorts of wares.
Others milled about idly, not paying attention to the goods, seemingly just looking for some amusement.
This place was truly different from Immortal Arrival City. At least in Immortal Arrival City, the life of a Loose Cultivator was not nearly this leisurely.
One of the inspecting Cultivators stepped forward to question them:
"Who's in charge here?"
The elderly leader of the caravan hastily took two steps forward and said respectfully:
"That would be me, sir."
"What's your business in Celestial Mountain City?"
"Reporting to you, Immortal Elder, we're here to do business. We've made this trip many times; you should be able to find our records..."
While this interrogation was underway, Bai Mo, who was looking around, happened to meet the eyes of a slightly chubby Cultivator who was strolling about.
Bai Mo immediately looked away, but the man paused, lifted the hem of his magnificent robes, and trotted over.
Bai Mo's heart skipped a beat.
'Are the Cultivators in Celestial Mountain City this sensitive!? Or did my looking around violate some local etiquette?'
Lanshan also subconsciously assumed the man was looking for trouble and took a large step to stand in front of Bai Mo.
As for the armored guards conducting the inspection, they merely glanced over out of the corner of their eyes and paid it no further attention.
"What is your business, sir?"
Seeing the man approach, Lanshan said in a low voice:
"We are new here. If we have caused any offense, I ask for your forgiveness..."
Before he could finish, the chubby Cultivator pushed him aside.
"What are you thinking? With the masters from the Immortal Sect right here, would I dare cause trouble?"
He walked straight up to Bai Mo. Lan Ru shifted her position to stand by Bai Mo's side, watching the man intently.
Bai Mo sensed the man's aura and relaxed.
"Young man, you have the look of a budding talent. Are you here for the Pill Master certification?"
The chubby Cultivator said with a grin, simultaneously lifting his sleeve and fumbling for something inside.
Bai Mo cupped his hands and said, "Indeed. Does my fellow Daoist have some advice?"
The chubby Cultivator laughed heartily, his eyes shining with a light that was quite intimidating.
"These eyes of mine are never wrong!"
"To have such profound attainments in the Alchemy Skill at your age is truly rare! Haha!"
Hearing this, Lanshan was inwardly shaken. He exchanged a look of mutual bewilderment with a nearby guard who wore the same expression.
They knew nothing about Pills, but they were still filled with doubt and suspicion toward someone who dared to judge another's Alchemy Skill proficiency at a single glance.
Just then, the chubby Cultivator pulled a large, red invitation from his sleeve and presented it to Bai Mo with both hands.
"This is a Pill Token from my Ren family. I implore you, young man, please accept it!"
Bai Mo was a bit confused. "A Pill Token?"
Seeing Bai Mo's expression, the chubby Cultivator chuckled.
"Is this your first time in Celestial Mountain City, young man?"
Bai Mo quickly replied, "It is. Please, fellow Daoist, enlighten me. What is this Pill Token for?"
Bai Mo was quite curious about an invitation that had the word "Pill" in its name.
The chubby Cultivator laughed heartily, puffed out his chest, and adopted the air of one eager to lecture.
He instinctively went to stroke his beard, only to realize he didn't have one, and gave up the gesture.
Seeing this, Bai Mo found it somewhat amusing and lowered his guard a little.
Someone trying to set a trap wouldn't reveal such a genuine side.
"Ahem." The chubby Cultivator began to explain:
"As you know, young man, our Celestial Mountain City is extremely advanced in the way of Pills."
Bai Mo nodded. The Pill Master certification held by the sect that oversaw Immortal Arrival City was only held once every two years.
He couldn't wait that long, which was why he had come to Celestial Mountain City. Here, it was held twice a year—a very high frequency.
"There are a great many Pill Masters and alchemy apprentices in Celestial Mountain City," the chubby Cultivator said.
"Many of our families and civil organizations are also heavily involved in this field. However, the Alchemy Dao is fraught with difficulties, and burying one's head in solitary cultivation is not the way."
"Thus, the Pill Assembly was born! It's a grand event, led by families or civil organizations, where fellow practitioners are invited to speak freely and exchange insights!"
Once he put it that way, Bai Mo understood.
"So this Pill Token... is it an admission ticket to a Pill Assembly?"
The chubby Cultivator pushed the large red invitation toward Bai Mo again.
"Go on and take it, young man! My Ren family's Pill Assembly sometimes invites famous Pill Masters to speak. If you go and listen, I guarantee you won't regret it!"