In the Beast Seed Realm.
"Sect Master, that man named Jiao is taking almost half the profits from the Longevity Pills we worked so hard to concoct! Is that really all right?" A golden eyeball circled Xu Bai, spinning constantly.
Fang Zaiji's slightly resentful voice drifted out from it.
"Let Old Fang have a word with him—I can definitely bleed him dry a bit more. Ah, Old Liu is great in every way, but he's just too honest. After getting swindled, he still foolishly speaks up for the guy!"
Even though Liu San had grown accustomed to Fang Zaiji's rather "blunt" manner of speaking, hearing this still made him a bit annoyed. He reached out to snatch the Eye of Shared Sight possessed by Fang Zaiji, only for it to nimbly dodge his grasp.
"Heheh, still trying to catch me? Am I, Fang Zaiji, the kind of person who falls into the same pit twice? I've long since improved..."
Before he could finish, Xu Bai suddenly pinched the eyeball between his fingers.
It let out a buzzing hum, still seeming to struggle ceaselessly, though Fang Zaiji's voice no longer emerged.
"No need to fret, Mister Fang. As the saying goes, 'to take, one must first give.' If we hadn't given Jiao Xiuyuan such a large cut, why would he be so enthusiastic and proactively promote our Longevity Pills? For us, all it consumes are some herbs from the Valley of Longevity. It is virtually pure profit. It is merely a matter of earning a bit more or a bit less.
"Besides, Jiao Xiuyuan has countless clones scattered across the Xuanhuang Realm, and his strength is unfathomable. Does Mister Fang really wish to go and debate terms with him?" Xu Bai asked with a half-smile.
The golden eyeball instantly ceased struggling. Xu Bai opened his hand, and after a moment, Fang Zaiji's timid voice piped up: "Ah, I was just saying. Since you have no objections, Sect Master, then forget it." He paused, then added, "I hear that Jiao Xiuyuan's Thousand Li Hall sells everything under the sun? Then if Old Fang crafts some little gadgets and puts them up for sale there, that shouldn't be a problem, right?"
Liu San snorted coldly. "The magical artifacts and treasures of the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals are all mass-produced standard models now, priced far lower than in our era. Even if you manage to craft something, how much could you possibly earn?"
Fang Zaiji's impatient voice came back: "Old Liu, you don't know the first thing about artifact forging, so stay out of it. Sect Master, just give me the word: yes or no."
Liu San wanted to argue further, but Xu Bai raised a hand to cut him off.
"Since Mister Fang is inclined to do so, feel free to go ahead with an open hand. If you run short on materials, you may request them from Elder Liu," Xu Bai answered with a smile.
"The Sect Master is generous!" The golden eyeball fluttered up and down, seemingly quite excited.
"Then just wait for my good news—I will definitely give you all a big surprise!" With that, the golden eyeball turned into a streak of light and darted away into the distance.
"Young Master, you are just too softhearted. Always indulging Fang Zaiji like this, who knows what ridiculous mess he might stir up in the future," Liu San sighed.
"No matter, he won't cause any real trouble. Elder Fang may seem improper, but he has never neglected the task I gave him to reinforce the Medicine King Cauldron. He simply hasn't shown it in front of you, Elder Liu," Xu Bai explained with a laugh.
"Is that so?" Liu San was somewhat surprised to hear this.
Xu Bai did not pursue the topic further, asking instead about the progress of concocting the Longevity Pills.
Frowning slightly, Liu San said, "With the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals opening up mist exploration this time, the cultivators' demand for Longevity Pills is simply too massive. Over this period, the stock we concocted has almost sold out. With only me outputting Azure Longevity Force, the concoction speed is far lagging behind the rate of consumption..." Liu San paused, then asked tentatively, "Young Master, do you think we might consider awakening a few more?"
Xu Bai pondered for a moment, not answering immediately. Instead, he asked in return, "Do you have any suitable candidates in mind, Elder Liu?"
Inside the Medicine King Cauldron, six Dao Integration cultivators had originally slept.
Liu San and Fang Zaiji had already been awakened; four still remained within the Spring and Autumn Great Dream Array.
After a brief moment of thought, Liu San gave his opinion: "I suggest awakening Elder Jiang—Jiang Yushan."
Liu San then explained to Xu Bai his reason for choosing her.
"The primary reason we currently cannot awaken all the Medicine King Sect cultivators is the restriction that dharmas cannot be cultivated concurrently. If everyone cultivating the Scripture of Saving the World and Cultivating Longevity were to awaken together, I fear a tragedy of mutual slaughter would break out on the spot.
"However, if it is Yushan, I believe such slight killing intent would not affect her at all," Liu San said slowly.
It turned out that Jiang Yushan had originally been a disciple of one of the Ten Great Immortal Sects: the Indeterminate Prison.
The Indeterminate Prison was a rather peculiar existence among the immortal sects.
As the name implied, rather than a sect, it was actually a prison. It suppressed countless cultivators who had defied the commands of the immortal sects ever since the Ten Sects of the Immortal Dao took rule over the Xuanhuang Realm.
They were exiled to the same place and left to slaughter one another. The space to which these cultivators were banished was ethereal and indeterminate; apart from a very few cultivators, no one knew the way to enter it.
Hence the name Indeterminate Prison.
Jiang Yushan had originally been a jailer of the Indeterminate Prison, tasked with guarding these vicious, depraved felons and preventing their escape.
Having stayed long in the Indeterminate Prison, she was inevitably tainted by the towering baleful aura. No matter how steadfast a cultivator's will might be, none could guarantee remaining clearheaded under such conditions.
Consequently, every thirty years, the Indeterminate Prison would rotate in a new cohort of jailers. The new jailers were selected through various means.
Though their cultivation might not necessarily be extraordinarily high, their actual combat prowess was invariably ferocious. Moreover, their disposition had to be ruthless.
Otherwise, it would be impossible to suppress the multitude of vicious felons within the Indeterminate Prison.
After leaving the Indeterminate Prison, Jiang Yushan had come to the Medicine King Sect to dispel the baleful aura entwined around her.
Treating illnesses and saving lives, accumulating merit and performing good deeds. Concealing a murderous heart...
"Even the nearly tangible murderous aura within the Indeterminate Prison could not affect Yushan's sanity. If it is merely the killing intent arising from two people cultivating the same technique, she should easily be able to resist it," Liu San vowed with utter confidence.
Xu Bai fell silent, then suddenly asked, "And what about you, Elder Liu? The effect brought by 'dharmas cannot be cultivated concurrently' applies to both sides. Can you guarantee that you won't attack Elder Jiang?"
Liu San blurted out, "Even if I die, I would never become Yushan's enemy..."
Xu Bai smiled at once.
"Good. Since that is the case, it is settled. However, some preparation is still needed. Calm yourself first, Elder Liu; when the time comes, I will notify you," Xu Bai agreed.
"Good, good." Liu San appeared rather excited, conjuring a water mirror to examine his reflection.
'Although this Jiang Yushan is an outsider and unfamiliar with the Medicine King Sect's internal affairs, so presenting myself with a clone and disguising as Liu Yihang won't be exposed...
'Still, it pays to be prepared for every contingency.' Xu Bai's eyes flickered.
Chapter 711