Chapter 254: Chapter 223 Moonlight Immortal Dew_1

“Is it impossible?”

Xu Mu, who has rented a superior cultivation room in Fairy Moon Palace and was preparing to break through to the Golden Core Stage, had to stop just after finding the breakthrough opportunity.

He opened his eyes, his brow furrowed.

Just a moment ago, a feeling of foreboding unexpectedly arose, warning him that if he broke through now, he might risk his life.

This feeling left him very puzzled.

In his hands were beyond-top-grade Dust Reduction Pills and Hao Yuan Pills that could aid his breakthrough. His Kun Peng Tun Tian Jue, the main martial method he practiced, had reached a proficiency level, equivalent to a transcendent tier six martial method. His Heavenly Extreme Purple Thunder Body had also reached the transcendent level.

Most importantly, he had previous experience of condensing a Golden Core.

One could say that nobody was more prepared than him for the Golden Core Stage advancement. Theoretically, he should easily advance.

“This feeling of foreboding didn’t come from nowhere. I must have overlooked something!”

After half a month of isolated self-examination, Xu Mu finally pinpointed the problem.

The problem was his solid foundation, for which too much life force had been expended.

“It turns out to be due to a lack of lifespan after all!”

Xu Mu revealed a bitter smile. He should’ve thought of this a long time ago.

The Golden Core Stage breakthrough was not like the Foundation Establishment Stage breakthrough. A Foundation Establishment Stage breakthrough was mainly about improving the constitution, purifying the marrow, and allowing the cultivator to go through a rebirth. Such a process didn’t demand much in terms of lifespan.

However, a Golden Core Stage breakthrough requires drawing on the essentials of the body, and mixing and concentrating it with the spiritual power within the body into a golden pill. Only after the formation of the golden pill can one replenish oneself.

Therefore, during the initial stages of advancement, there is a significant expenditure of life force. Without enough life force, it is impossible to complete the initial advancement process.

The firmer one’s foundation in this process, the greater the consumption of life force during the initial advancement. Of course, the replenishment afterward will also be more substantial.

Xu Mu had little life force remaining, and his base foundation was unprecedentedly solid. If he insisted on advancing forcefully, naturally, there would be problems.

“Sigh!”

Xu Mu felt a headache as he sighed. He wondered why it was so tricky for him to recover his cultivation base.

First, it was demonic qi. Now, it was life force.

Despite the complications, he must press on.

Yet, replenishing life force is not easy. If it were, he wouldn’t have been dragging it out until now.

However, this doesn’t mean he doesn’t have any methods. Over the years, he has never stopped searching for ways to restore his life force.

As it happens, Fairy Moon Palace possesses a treasure that can restore a cultivator’s life force and extend their lifespan.

The treasure’s name is Moon Gleam Immortal Dew, a treasure born from the legendary sacred relic of Fairy Moon Palace, an eleven-tier laurel tree.

Since there’s a way, why hasn’t Xu Mu used it?

Quite naturally, it’s because it’s too difficult!

Anything that can replenish life force is highly valuable. Because he thought the chances were so slim, he decided to give up and focus on increasing his cultivation base first.

However, the present situation has forced him to obtain it at any cost.

Since there’s no retreat path, Xu Mu could only rack his brains to find a solution.

“There must be a way out of this!”

Xu Mu could only comfort himself with these words.

“Although the yield of Moon Gleam Immortal Dew is limited each year, Fairy Moon Palace has been around for countless years. They surely must have stock, albeit not a lot,” Xu Mu thought to himself.

He had no choice. The demand for Moon Gleam Immortal Dew is simply too high.

In three years of being a member of Fairy Moon Palace, Xu Mu has never seen it listed for exchange within the sect.

“Even if they have it, it must be in the hands of some significant figures from the sect. I’m not in a position to reach those figures yet, even if I manage to, it would be hard for me to give something that could impress them. Perhaps I can try the black market!”

Where there’s white, there’s black. Even within the territories administered by Fairy Moon Palace, a shadowy side exists.

Nevertheless, all of these are contingent on him having enough items to barter with.

“I do have quite a few treasures above tier seven, but taking these items to exchange would just be inviting trouble!”

A Foundation Establishment cultivator selling a large amount of Golden Core Stage treasures would inevitably attract unwanted attention.

As for spirit stones and materials, he had left most of them to his clone, so his inventory was not plentiful, not enough to exchange for Moon Gleam Immortal Dew.

“I’ll have no choice but to sell the resources obtained from the Golden Core of Tianyang Palace!”

Although Fairy Moon Palace and Tianyang Palace are rival forces, it doesn’t rule out the possibility of spies from Tianyang Palace in Fairy Moon Palace. Considering this, Xu Mu was very keen to keep a low profile within Fairy Moon Palace.

If he were to sell treasures and materials from Tianyang Palace’s Golden Core, and Tianyang Palace found out, there’s a risk they would secretly assassinate him. There is indeed a great risk in this, but clearly, he’s left with no choice.

Xu Mu had no better alternatives, so he braced himself and took action.

He first returned home, assigned tasks to his two cheap disciples, then made an excuse to report in at the Pill Hall before leaving Fairy Moon Palace.

Half a year passed in the blink of an eye.

Xu Mu, after continuously changing his appearance and aura, and warding off numerous dangers, finally managed to sell all the unneeded items in his possession, amassing enough spirit stones to exchange for Moon Gleam Immortal Dew.

“As expected, Tian Yang Palace has not given up!”

During the half year, he encountered cultivators suspected of being from Tianyang Palace more than once. If not for his adept skills and careful nature, his cover could have easily been blown.

While three years might not be short, for a cultivator, it’s not particularly long either.

Given the crimes committed by Xu Mu, even if Tianyang Palace were to pursue him for ten years, they’d likely still not let up.

So, he must continue to lie low!

Upon returning to the sect, Xu Mu rested for a few days before paying visits to the notable figures in the sect who might possess Moon Gleam Immortal Dew.

The outcome was just as he expected. The majority of them ignored him.

For a cultivator at the end of his lifespan with untapped potential and who had just joined a sect, who would want to form new connections?

Moreover, Xu Mu looked like he obviously needed a favor, making even fewer people willing to deal with him.

Even if a few were willing to respond, when they heard that he wanted to exchange for Moon Gleam Immortal Dew, they immediately refused, causing him to be snubbed.

However, to procure Moon Gleam Immortal Dew, Xu Mu could only swallow his pride and persist. Because of this issue, he gained a small degree of fame within the sect.

Of course, it wasn’t good fame.

Fortunately, fortune favors the determined. There was actually someone who was willing to meet him and agreed to sell him Moon Gleam Immortal Dew.

This man was of quite a peculiar identity, someone whom Xu Mu hadn’t expected.

He was the son of Tianyang Palace’s Palace Master, named Du Beishuang.

“If you can produce the pill recorded in this recipe, I will sell you a bottle of Moon Gleam Immortal Dew, enough to extend your lifespan by thirty years!” Sitting on a high platform with an indifferent expression, Du Beishuang threw a pill recipe at Xu Mu and said in a calm tone.

Upon checking the recipe, Xu Mu found that apart from the recorded medicinal ingredients, the rest was incomplete.

Pills of such a recipe could not be produced by a tier six alchemist, let alone tier seven or eight alchemists. It could only be feasible if the pill recipe was completed.

Yet, who would expend so much effort to complete an unknown-use pill recipe? “Understood!”

Xu Mu kept away the pill recipe, bid goodbye, and left. Though the other party’s demand was hard, it was still better than running into brick walls everywhere.

Moreover, he had the system.