A few seconds later.

“This is impossible!” Chen Pingdao was starting to lose control of his emotions.

Ning Tao smiled gently. “Then take it that I was joking.”

“You're definitely joking!” Chen Pingdao said, “Do you know what an internal elixir is and what is its significance?”

Ning Tao shook his head.

Chen Pingdao said, “The internal elixir is the symbol of a pract.i.tioner's harmony with nature. The size of an internal elixir also signifies the degree of combination with nature, which also signifies the speed of cultivating spiritual power. The bigger the internal elixir of a demon or pract.i.tioner, the faster they're able to cultivate spiritual power.”

Ning Tao thought of a modern term—engine.

The more efficient the engine, the more powerful the vehicle and the faster it would go. It was the same theory. The bigger the internal elixir of the pract.i.tioner or demon, the faster their speed of cultivating spiritual power. He had been not been able to figure out why his own rate of cultivating spiritual power was so rapid. Now he had finally found the reason.

However, he did not bother proving anything to Chen Pingdao. Chen Pingdao could not see his internal elixir anyway.

However, Chen Pingdao did not know what Ning Tao was thinking at the moment. He said in a singsong tone, “Don't tell me your internal elixir is as big as what you had gestured! I, Cheng Pingdao have lived for over 2,000 years, the pract.i.tioners and demons I've met are more than the dogs you've met. I've never seen anybody whose internal elixir was the size of a fist. Even my internal elixir in the past belonged to the ranks of geniuses!”

Ning Tao said nonchalantly, “Alright, alright. It was just a mindless remark, you don't have to be this agitated. I have another question for you. How much does the core have to be formed for the Nascent Soul to happen?”

“The Nascent Soul will be born when the core is open. Different people will have their cores open differently.”

“I know a bit of this, but I am different from ordinary pract.i.tioners and demons so what happens to us will definitely differ. How did your core open the last time?”

Chen Pingdao chuckled. “It happened really smoothly for me. I vaguely remember it was the day when Emperor Wu of Han sent troops on the conquest of the Xiongnu. My dog and I were sleeping in a bed of straw and then it opened very naturally.”

Ning Tao stared at Chen Pingdao with question marks appearing in his eyes.

Chen Pingdao furrowed his brows. “I love my dog like my life. Otherwise, how would I be named the Taoist Heavenly Hound? Why are you looking at me like that?”

Ning Tao snickered. “Don't be mistaken. I was purely curious. Then, after your core opened and the Nascent Soul appeared, what did it look like?”

Chen Pingdao said, “Whatever you look like, it's what my Nascent Soul looked like. It would keep on growing until a certain stage then you can try to let it leave its body. So to some extent, it's also your own primordial spirit. However, to be like me, being able to enter a dog's body as and how you like, you have to attain a greater realization of your Nascent Soul and enter the Out-of-Body state. But of course, not all pract.i.tioners and demons in the Out-of-Body stage are able to do it. To be able to do it, you still need a secret formula to aid you.”

Ning Tao's heart skipped a beat. “What secret formula?”

Chen Pingdao stroked his white beard. “I won't tell you for now. Look for me again when you've achieved the Out-of-Body state, I'll definitely teach you.”

Ning Tao knew Chen Pingdao was withholding information intentionally, but he did not continue pursuing it. Based on his own judgment, once he had achieved that state, he could definitely gain the relevant formula from the good-evil tripod. Who cared about Chen Pingdao's secret formula?

After pondering, Ning Tao thought there was no longer any point in asking about the Sky Clinic. When Chen Pingdao was managing the clinic, the monthly rent was only the most fundamental of 200 points of treatment fee and it also did not upgrade until every 2,000 years. With him managing the clinic currently, it had upgraded to 4,000 points of rent a month in a short duration of a few months. He had even opened two storeroom doors. Chen Pingdao actually knew even lesser than what he did. So what was the point of asking?

If he had any more questions, it would probably be Chen Pingdao asking him instead.

Indeed, when Ning Tao was thinking of that, Chen Pingdao asked, “You said the clinic had already upgraded to 4,000 a month, then what have you gotten from the good-evil tripod? What are the cultivation methods after the ABC of the elementary cultivation method?”

Ning Tao said, “You're no longer the owner of the clinic, you won't be able to cultivate your spiritual power beside the good-evil tripod anymore. So what's the point of me telling you these?”

Chen Pingdao smiled sheepishly. “That's right too. I'm not intending to cultivate to the stage of undergoing the celestial trial anyway. I just want to live comfortably. It's okay even if you don't tell me. Even if I know, I can't cultivate anyway. I'm currently focused on wellness cultivation, which is also an art of its own. If you have anything to ask about it, go ahead. There is nothing I don't know.”

Ning Tao was somewhat speechless. “I'm just 20. Why do I need to care about body wellness yet?”

Chen Pingdao said, “Then you should be no problem. Take your leave. I won't be sending you off. If you have nothing important in the future, don't come here again.”

However, Ning Tao did not move from his seat. “I still have a question.”

Chen Pingdao frowned. “You have so many questions. What else do you want to know?”

Ning Tao said, “Do you know who Zhu Hongyu is?”

Chen Pingdao stayed silent before asking, “Why are you asking this?”

Ning Tao said, “It's very important to me.”

Chen Pingdao shook his head. “I don't know. You may leave.”

Ning Tao did not leave. He took down the small medicine chest which was slung across his body and placed it on the stone table.

There was a sense of disdain on Chen Pingdao's face. “You actually use such a shabby box as your medicine chest? Back then, I only used boxes made from narra wood. You should still mind your image even as a doctor. Who would seek after your service with such an image of yours?”

Ning Tao said calmly, “I can earn 4,000 points of treatment fee with this shabby medicine chest. Can you?”

Chen Pingdao's lips moved but he had swallowed his words back. For someone like him who already had difficulty earning 200 monthly to mock someone who earned 4,000 monthly, he felt ashamed for himself.

Ning Tao opened the small medicine chest and took a small porcelain bottle out. He poured the third version Ancestor-seeking Elixir on the table.

Elixir light and elixir odor emanated instantly.

Chen Pingdao grabbed the elixirs in his hand. He observed it and brought it to his nose to sniff, then asking, “What elixir is this?”

Ning Tao looked at Chen Pingdao in shock. “You… don't you have any special reaction to it?”

Chen Pingdao side-eyed Ning Tao in judgment. “The quality of your elixir is very high. I'm guessing it can increase one's spiritual power. I haven't even eaten it. How could I have any reaction?”

He obviously did not have any allergic reaction to the Ancestor-seeking Elixir. Otherwise, with the physical contact and smelling of the odor, any allergic reaction would have already appeared.

Ning Tao thought to himself internally, “He does not have any allergic reaction, then why do I have any?”

Ning Tao's intention of taking out the Ancestor-seeking Elixir was actually to make Chen Pingdao enter a state of an allergic reaction to the elixir, then he would ask if he had seen that lady in red. It seemed like he did not even have the need for it anymore.

Chen Pingdao put the third version Ancestor-seeking Elixir back into the small porcelain bottle then said, “You haven't yet told me what elixir this is.”

Ning Tao stuffed the stopper back then placed the bottle in the medicine chest. “It's called the Ancestor-seeking Elixir. It's said to be an elixir of immortality from the heavenly realm.”

Chen Pingdao snickered in disdain. “You dare call such a lousy thing an elixir of immortality? You're not afraid of being laughed at, are you?”

Ning Tao said nonchalantly, “I saw a glimmer in your eyes just now. You must know Zhu Hongyu. You even knew what elixir this is too. But you are pretending to not know and not care. Am I right?”

Chen Pingdao stood up. “You rascal, I've already made myself clear, I don't know. What do you want? Are you expecting me to apologize to you so that you can leave? Then I'll do so now!”

Ning Tao waved his hand. “No need for apologies. I know very well what kind of person you are. You've lied to me once. Do you intend to do it for a second time? Alright, I won't force you for answers. Just tell me what you know about Zhu Hongyu and the Ancestor-seeking Elixir. I'll tell you about what were in the storerooms I opened. Then I'll leave and never return to disrupt you and your wellness cultivation.”

Chen Pingdao fell into silence.

Ning Tao got up and said, “Then alright, I'll leave now.”

Chen Pingdao heaved a sigh of relief, saying with a smile, “Goodbye and farewell.”

Ning Tao said as he walked away, “I'll tell my fellow pract.i.tioners now, about a grotto in Congo's Pointe-Noire. In there is a cultivating doctor and their spiritual field containing countless of spiritual materials. I can even draw a map for anyone who is interested and tell them how to get there.”

“You… wait!”

Ning Tao turned around to look at Chen Pingdao. “You've thought it through?”

Chen Pingdao said, “Let me tell you, go look for Reverend Miexin of Emei Sect. She knows. She has a piece of Zhu Hongyu's skull fragment. This is a secret. I've promised her not to tell anyone. Don't tell her that I told you about this when you go look for her.”

Indeed it was his usual style of taking advantage of others.

Ning Tao said, “Then what do you know about Ancestor-seeking Elixir?”

Chen Pingdao said, “It's called Ancestor-seeking Elixir. Legend has it that it was created by some powerful figure of the heavenly realm but it was no good elixir. It's a demonic elixir, an ominous object.”

“Why so?”

Chen Pingdao said, “I'm not sure either. I've always been afraid of such things so I try not to touch as much as possible. I know about Zhu Hongyu. It was when Reverend Miexin was still a young girl. I've saved her life once. I would occasionally go to Emei Sect to ask for spiritual materials and I ran into a returning injured Reverend Miexin. I treated her injuries and casually asked her how she had gotten injured. She then said a demon was slayed in the Holy Mountain of the Western regions. A woman named Zhu Hongyu was killed. She got her hands on a piece of her skull. I've seen it for myself but I did not ask about the skull fragment.”

Ning Tao suddenly remembered that little nun. It was Cixin who he had met at Liu s.h.i.+ba's pract.i.tioner's flea market. Wasn't she a disciple of Emei Sect? It would be just right to look for her!

Chen Pingdao said, “I have said whatever I could. So it's your turn. What were inside the two storerooms?”

Ning Tao said, “A scripture but it's wordless. I'm still studying it. There is also another one about a textile weaving spell.”

Chen Pingdao looked at Ning Tao who was wearing only underwear and burst into laughter after being stunned momentarily. “I was nearly fooled. You're someone who needed to take off your clothes to come in yet you're telling me that you've attained magic of weaving textiles? Is your textile transparent?”

Ning Tao shrugged. “I can't help it if you don't believe me.”

Chen Pingdao said, “You should go. Don't come back again.”

Ning Tao walked towards the exit and said, “I'll leave after taking my two girlfriends around. I want to draw a blood lock here. If you wipe my blood lock away, I'll announce to the whole world that you have a spiritual field, spiritual materials and spiritual energy here.”

“You…” Chen Pingdao pointed at Ning Tao, trembling from anger.

Ning Tao turned back and smiled. “It's because of me that you're able to live so carefreely now. You cheated me and I've never pursued after you for it. Yet you're unhappy that I want to take my two girlfriends around for a tour?”

Chen Pingdao glared at Ning Tao, with his lips quivering, so angry that he was left speechless.