I Am the True Lord of Running Away

Chapter 176: Chapter 176: Exchanging for the Foundation Establishment Pill

Jiang Xu had no doubt that an old sly fox like him would be well-informed.

"Senior Brother, do you happen to know where Elder Zong Ziqi is right now?"

The little old man was a bit puzzled.

"Why are you asking about Elder Zong?"

"Oh, it’s nothing much. I just admire Elder Zong’s talent and wanted to meet him, to see for myself what kind of person he is."

The little old man gave him a knowing look.

"You young folks are always caught up in this sort of thing. Honestly, you’d be better off focusing on improving your Cultivation instead of wasting time on this."

"But I was young once, so I get it. Back in the day, I held the Eldest Senior Brother in the highest regard... a shame he failed to break through to Foundation Establishment and just faded into obscurity."

Recalling the past with a brief sigh, the little old man continued his story.

"It wasn’t long ago that Elder Zong advanced to Foundation Establishment. As soon as he broke through, he left the Sect to make a name for himself in the outside world. We disciples who stay in the Sect often hear rumors about him."

"Before, he had already eliminated two of the top ten villains from the Black Flame Cave and the Blood Shadow Sect. Now, he’s hunting Young Master Ghost of the Netherworld Mansion."

"I know about that," Jiang Xu interjected. "But I heard Young Master Ghost is incredibly powerful, and Elder Zong’s whereabouts are now unknown."

"Netherworld Mansion... just from the name, you can tell that Demon Sect deals mostly with ghostly things." The little old man frowned slightly, clearly wary of the Netherworld Mansion.

"Although Thunder Skills are a powerful counter to the Demon Dao and Ghost Dao—because lightning represents celestial punishment, the might of the heavens. There are countless types of Celestial Tribulations: Heart Demon Tribulations, Red Dust Tribulations, the Three Calamities and Nine Tribulations, and so on. Among them, the most common is the Thunder Tribulation. Those who perish under Thunder Tribulations are most often the seekers who walk paths like the Demon Dao, Ghost Dao, or Yao Dao."

"But the one wielding the Thunder Skill is, after all, only human. And as a human, he has weaknesses and can be defeated."

"Elder Zong has fought against three Demon Sects in a row now, drawing the collective wrath of the Demon Cultivators. I’d say his chances of getting through this... are slim!"

After hearing the old man’s words, Jiang Xu took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.

Thinking about how long it had been since he’d received a reply on his Communication Pearl, Jiang Xu’s brow furrowed. A bad feeling began to well up inside him.

Asking no more questions, Jiang Xu followed the little old man and began the procedure to become an Inner Sect Disciple.

It was actually quite simple.

Since Elder Leng had already put in a good word, the entire process was simplified.

Jiang Xu quickly exchanged his Identity Token for a new one, in the style of an Inner Sect Disciple.

Next came two sets of white robes, twenty Lower Grade Spirit Stones, and a Middle Grade Spirit Sword Spiritual Artifact.

And that was it.

"Senior Brother... is this all you get for becoming an Inner Sect Disciple?" Jiang Xu was dumbfounded.

"Come on, with the Sect in crisis, you’re lucky to get anything at all. Don’t just look at how the promotion reward has been cut by more than half—even the monthly stipend for Inner Sect Disciples has been docked by fifty percent!"

Jiang Xu found this amusing.

’It seems the Profound Origin Sect really is scraping the bottom of the barrel to fight the Demon Cultivators.’

Jiang Xu suddenly thought of the Spirit Medicines for refining the Foundation Establishment Pill that he had in his possession.

’The Profound Origin Sect is having such a hard time... don’t tell me they’re going to raise the price for the Spirit Medicines needed for the Foundation Establishment Pill, too?’

"Senior Brother, I’d like to ask, if one wants to exchange for a Foundation Establishment Pill in our Profound Origin Sect right now, is it still two primary Spirit Medicines for one pill? And do we still go to the Alchemy Pavilion for the exchange?"

"That probably hasn’t changed. You still go to the Alchemy Pavilion. After all, no one has made an exchange in a long time, so the Sect hasn’t started cutting back in that area yet." After saying this, the little old man asked casually, "Why? You’re only at the Qi Cultivation Middle Stage. You already have the Spirit Medicines to trade for a Foundation Establishment Pill?"

"How could that be? I’m just asking, that’s all." Jiang Xu gave a dry laugh, thanked the little old man, and immediately left the General Affairs Hall.

The little old man cheerfully saw Jiang Xu off. But as soon as he returned to his post, his smile vanished, and he became lost in thought.

After a long moment, the old man hesitated for a while before finally taking out a Sound Transmission Talisman and muttering to himself.

"Little brother, don’t blame this old man. These old bones of mine don’t matter much, and I don’t have any hope left for my own Cultivation. But my little grandson is at a critical moment right now. If he can’t become an Outer Disciple during this time, his whole life will be ruined!"

After muttering for a while, the little old man channeled his Magical Power into the Sound Transmission Talisman in his hand. He spoke a flurry of words into it, then with a flick of his wrist, sent the talisman flying off.

...

’I still have to go to the Alchemy Pavilion to exchange for the Foundation Establishment Pill... but who should I look for?’

Jiang Xu first asked for directions before finally locating the Alchemy Pavilion.

But as he was about to arrive at the Alchemy Pavilion, a worry troubled him.

’There are so many people in the Alchemy Pavilion. I can’t just go up to each of them and ask who can exchange a Foundation Establishment Pill, can I?’

’I didn’t ask for specifics just now. It would have been better if I had.’

Although he said this, in his heart, he didn’t fully trust the little old man from before and had some reservations.

With a mix of hesitation and a touch of resignation, Jiang Xu stepped into the magnificent Alchemy Pavilion.

Upon entering the Alchemy Pavilion, he was instantly enveloped by a thick, medicinal fragrance.

The pavilion was towering and spectacular, constructed entirely from precious, vermilion Agarwood. The four upturned corners of the roof were carved with lifelike auspicious beasts, their soaring eaves lending the building an air of simple, solemn dignity.

Stepping through the entrance, the first thing that met his eyes was a spacious hall. The light within was bright but not glaring, and the air was filled with the faint, fresh scent of medicinal herbs, mingled with wisps of heat—the scorching aura wafting from the Alchemy Rooms in the back.

In the center of the hall stood a massive stone platform displaying all sorts of sample medicinal ingredients. Beside it were rows of neat and orderly shelves showcasing a dazzling array of finished Elixirs, a truly breathtaking sight.

Near the stone platform, Cultivators in groups of three and five were conversing in low voices, busy organizing medicinal ingredients, or carefully examining Elixirs, creating a scene of bustling, orderly activity.

The surrounding walls were adorned with exquisite illustrations of various types of Elixirs—a catalog of what the Alchemy Pavilion could currently refine. Besides these, there were also introductions to the deeds of famous Alchemists from past generations, along with some inspirational slogans.

Jiang Xu scanned his surroundings, searching for the Cultivator who might be in charge of exchanging Foundation Establishment Pills.

The various areas were clearly designated. He noticed a place with a plaque that read "Elixir Exchange," where a number of people were gathered. A white-haired, rosy-cheeked old man in a purple robe was intently handling business for the Cultivators, looking quite authoritative.

He took a deep breath and walked toward the old man, preparing to ask about the Foundation Establishment Pill exchange.

Despite the lingering doubts in his mind, now that he was here, he could only bite the bullet and press on.

But unexpectedly, at that very moment, an Escape Light streaked across the sky before the Alchemy Pavilion’s entrance, and a cultivator who looked extremely anxious landed.