Meng Hao took a deep breath and headed toward the mountain peak. When he arrived, he saw an old man in white robes, surrounding by swirling mists. He stood on top of the mountain, his back to Meng Hao. As Meng Hao approached, the man turned to face him, and smiled.
Meng Hao’s eyes widened as soon as he caught sight of him.
The feeling he got when he looked at this old man was very similar to the feeling he got from Pill Demon!
It was actually extremely similar. In fact, although their physical appearance was different, in terms of the energy within him, it seemed almost exactly the same.
As he stood there with the mists swirling around him, Meng Hao almost thought he was looking at his master.
Both wore white robes, and both had long white hair. Both were aged, and both were surrounded by a swirling medicinal aroma. They seemed equally kind, and seemed to both be filled with the same feeling of anticipation.
The old man looked over at Meng Hao and said, “Fang Hao, to be able to concoct a Skypalace Sunspirit Pill, especially considering that it was done at a time of year and time of day not specific to the pill formula, means that your Dao of alchemy has already reached the pinnacle.”
From the man’s words, Meng Hao was already able to tell that the rumor about Pill Elder being incapable of concocting the three sacred medicinal pills was likely not true.
The key to understanding the Skypalace Sunspirit Pill was understanding that there was ‘no specific’ time or hour. For Pill Elder to say this indicated that he already had a deep understanding of the Skypalace Sunspirit Pill.
Meng Hao thought for a moment. As he looked at Pill Elder, the drone of the Unicorn Immortals filled his ears. Sometimes, all of them would make noise at the same time, giving rise to an incredibly intense sound. Other times, only a few would make noise. Either way, the sound was continuous.
“Fang Hao, look over there, and tell me what you see.” Pill Elder glanced off into the distance, toward the numerous cloud-wreathed mountain peaks.
Meng Hao suddenly realized that his heart had become very calm after laying eyes on Pill Elder. He felt free and at ease, as if listening to the old man speak had caused him to enter some strange state.
Although he couldn’t explain it clearly, for some reason his heart felt more and more calm as he looked off into the distance at the mountains and clouds.
Instead of answering the question, he asked one of his own. “Senior Pill Elder, may I ask, what do you see, sir? Or perhaps you can tell me what it is you wish me to see?”
Pill Elder laughed at Meng Hao’s slippery words. He didn’t seem to mind, and in fact, seemed to approve. Apparently he hadn’t been looking for an answer to begin with.
“I see mountains, and I see clouds,” said Pill Elder. “I see the cultivators of the Dao of Alchemy Division, and I see the world that belongs to our Dao of Alchemy Division.” He sighed.
Meng Hao remained silent, unsure of what hidden meanings might be contained within Pill Elder’s words.
“These things are tools. They are both tangible and intangible, visible and invisible. They are tools of the Dao of Alchemy Division, or perhaps you could even say, its physical form.
“30,000 years ago was the golden age of the Dao of Alchemy Division. Our Dao and our tools were united, and seemed as if they would exist for all eternity…. However, many of the Patriarchs of the Dao of Alchemy Division passed away into meditation. Then, the last of the Patriarchs from that age turned against our Dao of alchemy, and founded the Medicine Immortal Sect.
“At that time, we were battered by theories from other Daos of alchemy from the outside world. From that time on, the tools of the Dao of Alchemy Division… were shattered.
“For tens of thousand of years after that, one generation of alchemists after another has contemplated alchemy, and attempted to restore us to our previous pinnacle. However… their Dao of alchemy had long since forgotten the existence of our own tools, and was influenced by the Daos of alchemy from the outside world.
“It was as if their Dao of alchemy was soulless.