Chapter 6: Dan Ding Peak Even the Smell is Fragrant

Lù Yáng bid farewell to Zhōu Lùlù and arrived at Dāndǐng Fēng. As soon as he reached the foot of the mountain, he was greeted by a rich scent of herbs.

"Truly worthy of Dāndǐng Fēng, even the air here is filled with fragrance. The legendary Dòngtiān Fúdì and Xiānshān Tiāndǎo could be no better," Lù Yáng couldn't help but take a few more deep breaths. He felt his body become light and airy, as if he was about to Yǔhuà Dēngxiān.

"Shīdì, don't breathe it in!" A voice shouted from not far away. The owner of the voice grew even more anxious when he saw Lù Yáng take two more breaths.

"Shīdì, quickly use Guīxī Shù! Oh, wait, you seem to be a mortal. In that case, quickly cover your nose! This smell is the poisonous gas released because I made a mistake in refining medicine..." This was the last thing Lù Yáng heard before he fainted.

"What a cursed place, even the air is poisonous..." Lù Yáng mumbled, his body unsteady. He felt the entire world spinning, then his vision went black, and he fell to the ground with a thud. It proved that whether a smell is fragrant has no necessary relation to whether it is poisonous.

When Lù Yáng woke up again, he saw a large face right in front of him. It startled him awake.

The person chuckled apologetically, "Lù Shīdì, you're awake! Does it still hurt?" Lù Yáng's identity was clearly stated on his jade pendant. Lù Yáng blinked his eyes, feeling sore all over, as if he had been kneaded into a ball and then flattened with a rolling pin.

This was an alchemy room, filled with a strong herbal scent, and the temperature was much higher than outside. A huge alchemy furnace stood in the center of the room, surrounded by shelves stocked with bundles of herbs and white porcelain bottles. The bottles likely contained successfully refined Dānyào. The floor was piled with stacks of sketch maps illustrating Dānyào refining methods and small white mice in cages. Someone unfamiliar with the place would find it hard to even find a place to step. The alchemy room had only one bed, the one Lù Yáng was lying on.

"My name is Wú Míng. I'm sorry, Shīdì. I was thinking about something while refining Dānyào and got distracted, losing control of the heat. I accidentally refined the Dānyào into poison." Wú Míng added, "But you don't need to worry. Although I often accidentally refine poison, I've never poisoned anyone to death." Wú Míng sounded quite proud.

"...Your words only make me more worried." Lù Yáng struggled to sit up, shifted his buttocks, and leaned against the corner where the bed met the wall, finding it more comfortable. Lù Yáng's head felt itchy. He touched the back of his head, remained silent for a moment, then asked, "Since I only inhaled poisonous gas, why is the back of my head wrapped in gauze?"

Wú Míng explained awkwardly, "When I was moving you, I accidentally got distracted, and your head hit the ground. You don't need to worry too much; as long as someone is alive, they can be cured at my Dāndǐng Fēng!" He continued, "The Dānyào I have on hand are all too potent and not suitable for you. Look, while you were unconscious, I specifically refined Dānyào that even mortals can take." Wú Míng urged Lù Yáng to take two pills as if presenting a treasure.

The Dānyào were golden in color, with three rings on them. Lù Yáng knew these were Dānwén, signifying that the refined Dānyào had reached a nearly perfect standard. Lù Yáng still didn't dare to eat them. He had only wanted to come to Dāndǐng Fēng to ask for some Pìgǔ Dān, and he hadn't even done anything yet, but he was already lying on a bed with his head wrapped in gauze. If he were to eat anything else, he feared even King Yama would praise him for courting death.

"It's not poisonous, really," Wú Míng repeatedly assured him. Seeing Lù Yáng's disbelief, Wú Míng found a small white mouse to demonstrate. The white mouse seemed to know its end was near, squeaking wildly as Wú Míng picked it up, as if bidding farewell to its wife and children. The white mouse swallowed the Dānyào, fell to the ground, and stopped breathing. Its wife and children cried miserably and piteously at the sight, as if witnessing their own future.

Lù Yáng: "..." Wú Míng: "..." "An accident, purely an accident! The white mouse is small, just a little poison killed it. It'll definitely be different for a human. I know where the problem is now; please wait, I'll refine another batch for you."

Lù Yáng quickly diverted Senior Brother Wú Míng's attention: "Senior Brother, you said you were constantly thinking, causing you to get distracted. What were you thinking about?" Wú Míng indeed diverted his attention. He pondered his words and said, "Dānyào, Dānyào, the emphasis is on the 'yào' (medicine) part. Dānyào are naturally for healing and saving lives. But Pìgǔ Dān is not for the sick; why is it also considered Dānyào? If Pìgǔ Dān belongs to Dānyào, then Dānyào are not just for healing and saving lives, but also for eating. If Pìgǔ Dān does not belong to Dānyào, then what should Pìgǔ Dān be considered?"

Lù Yáng felt that one would have to take their brain out and bake it in an alchemy furnace for three days and three nights to come up with such questions.

"Speaking of Pìgǔ Dān, the only Dānyào here that mortals can take is Pìgǔ Dān. We have strawberry, apple, and watermelon flavors. Do you want some? They're not poisonous," Wú Míng offered a handful of colorful candy-like pills.

Lù Yáng thought of King Yama's earnest expectations for him and chose not to accept Wú Míng's offering. Many people on Dāndǐng Fēng practiced refining Pìgǔ Dān, and anyone's would be safer than Senior Brother Wú Míng's.

"Shīdì, if you ever need Dānyào refined, remember to find me! It's free," Wú Míng enthusiastically bid Lù Yáng farewell as he left. Lù Yáng limped and quickened his pace.

The next day, Dāndǐng Fēng's Qī Zhǎnglǎo learned of Lù Yáng's tragic experience and sent him Dānyào that could truly cure mortals, as well as a gourd of Pìgǔ Dān. Lù Yáng fully recovered.

...For the next month, Lù Yáng led a very fulfilling life, rotating between Cángjīng Gé, Yánchuán Fēng, and Dòngfǔ. Lù Yáng greedily absorbed the Xiūxiān knowledge he had never encountered before, like a traveler in the desert encountering a clear spring, thirstily.

A month later, everyone successfully apprenticed themselves to various Elders as wished. Mèng Jǐngzhōu became a disciple of Sān Zhǎnglǎo, Mán Gǔ became a disciple of Sì Zhǎnglǎo, Lǐ Hàorán, who had a Fire Spiritual Root, became a disciple of Wǔ Zhǎnglǎo, Táo Yāoyè, who possessed the Yǔhuà Xiāntǐ, became a disciple of Liù Zhǎnglǎo...

This puzzled Lù Yáng quite a bit. He had thought Mán Gǔ would also apprentice under Sān Zhǎnglǎo, like Mèng Jǐngzhōu. Sān Zhǎnglǎo was a renowned Tǐxiū in the Xiūxiān world, someone no one dared to engage in close combat with. Mán Gǔ, with his ancient Barbarian bloodline, was most suited to be taught by Sān Zhǎnglǎo. In contrast, Sì Zhǎnglǎo was a Rúxiū, highly learned but not known for strength. Lù Yáng wondered why Mán Gǔ would choose Sì Zhǎnglǎo as his master. Wǔ Zhǎnglǎo specialized in Liànqì, and Lǐ Hàorán had a Fire Spiritual Root, which was a good match. Lù Yáng had never met Liù Zhǎnglǎo, but he heard she was a breathtakingly beautiful woman who possessed a Xiāntǐ similar to Táo Yāoyè's.

Mán Gǔ becoming a disciple of Sì Zhǎnglǎo was not the most eye-catching event; the most prominent was Lù Yáng himself, who became a disciple of the mysterious Zōngzhǔ. It was said that the Zōngzhǔ had not taken a disciple for over a hundred years, living a carefree and at ease life. The disciples discussed among themselves, not understanding why the Zōngzhǔ, who was still in seclusion, would accept Lù Yáng as a disciple.

Under everyone's envious gazes, Lù Yáng was led by Senior Sister Yún Zhī to Tiānmén Fēng, the Zōngzhǔ's residence.