Monster Chronicles: My Daoist Skill Comes from Mythology-Chapter 317 - 284: Outer Pill Technique, Master Yuding

"Mixed Play Journey to the West?"

Song Lin was a little surprised.

He thought it would be Journey to the West instead.

But on second thought, given his current cultivation level, how could he even get close to that realm, where powerful figures abound?

Mixed Play refers to Yuan Dynasty operas.

The author of Mixed Play Journey to the West is not Wu Cheng’en but Yang Jingxian.

In Mixed Play Journey to the West, Sun Xingzhe is not some pure-hearted figure and even has a stolen wife—the princess of Golden Cauldron Country.

Sun Xingzhe claims his elder sister is Lishan Old Mother, his second sister is Wuzhiqi, his eldest brother is the Great Sage Equalling Heaven, and his third brother is Shuashua Sanlang.

Unlike the perfect hero in Journey to the West, Sun Xingzhe does not shy away from his desires, and he once grew demonically enraged from unfulfilled cravings in Daughter Country.

However, the Sun Xingzhe in this world doesn’t have a background as grand as Sun Wukong.

No sermons from the Bodhi Ancestor, no disaster-averting 72 Transformations, and no Ocean-Stabilizing Divine Needle from Dayu the Great.

But he does possess a raw golden rod, copper skin and iron bones, and the Eyes of Golden Flame.

This world is abundant with immortals and Buddhas, and Taoist Skills certainly aren’t lacking.

As these thoughts were swirling, Song Lin opened his eyes.

He found himself in desolate wilderness.

It was uninhabited, and wolves, tigers, and leopards roamed freely.

Roar!

A ferocious tiger lunged at him, bringing with it the stench of blood.

Song Lin shot it a stern look.

The tiger suddenly froze, collapsed to the ground, and died out of fright.

"Excellent, my cultivation realm is intact."

Song Lin thought to himself.

Using the Emperor’s Qi Observation Skill, he scanned the surroundings.

This world was overflowing with Essence and Qi, making the Great Dao perceptible.

That also meant there were bound to be numerous demons.

"First, find a secluded place to go into retreat and assess the situation," Song Lin thought.

He wasn’t in a hurry to look for sects or temples.

With figures like the Jade Emperor and Tathagata presiding in this world, the machinations and schemes among the elders of divine powers were countless—a mere spark of presence would immediately put him under their scrutiny.

The Buddhas here were far from the kind, elder-like archetypes; instead, they were quick to use the Tightening Spell to dominate others, their mouths foul-mouthed, and they didn’t shy away from taking hostages.

The most tragic of all were Tang Seng’s four disciples.

If Song Lin’s memory served him right, the moment the master and disciples arrived at Spirit Mountain, the Buddhas descended instantly to pluck the fruits of their labor.

None of the disciples gained anything—Sun Xingzhe, the White Dragon Horse, and Sha Monk all perished, while Zhu Bajie’s achievement led to him being sold as pork.

The darkness of this world was unimaginable.

Upon these realizations, Song Lin journeyed into the depths of the mountains and transformed himself into a medicine-collecting Taoist, chanting verses as he moved.

[Round dome of blooming golden brilliance; robes of purple flame high in flight; casting the immortal visage. Half a journey for the people, half for cultivation. Ten thousand miles are hard to tread, plagued by infinite hardships. Rather bear the solitude of the mountains than wrestle with the turmoil of the bustling city.]

The first year of Journey to the West.

Song Lin settled peacefully within the mountain forests to cultivate.

The tenth year of Journey to the West.

With his treasured sword, he vanquished the demons of the deep mountains. Remaining here, he cultivated using beast bones and demon cores.

The thirtieth year of Journey to the West.

The Sui Dynasty waged wars across the land, striving to unify the kingdom. Amid rampant chaos and suffering, the populace fled to the mountain wilderness, echoing the words of the chant: [Rather bear the solitude of the mountains than wrestle with the turmoil of the bustling city.]

The thirty-first year of Journey to the West.

Donghua Mountain was shrouded in fog, stretching across a terrain that undulated for thousands of miles.

On the shaded side of the mountain stood a modest thatched cottage.

Inside the cottage resided a Mayi Taoist.

The Taoist’s face resembled white jade, his eyes sparkled like polished ink. Atop his head, crimson lead flowers flickered, and he cradled the Everlasting Lamp Flame in his hands.

Whoosh!

After a long exhale, Song Lin released a breath of turbid Qi.

He then examined his status panel.

Name: Song Lin

Cultivation Realm: Purple Mansion Early Stage (Lead Flower)

Years of Cultivation: Three hundred and sixty years.

Divine Skills: Donghua Three Flowers Gathering at the Top Flying Immortal Scripture, Heavenly Escape Sword Scripture, Donghua Taoist Soldiers Xuanzi Secret Book, Shenxiao Thunder Skill...

Enhancements: [Emperor Seal][Moon Cultivation Great Witch][Temple Emperor Blessing][Golden Crow Yang Pattern][Emperor’s Qi Observation Skill]...

Artifacts: Emperor Sword, Dragon Mansion Jade Gourd, Five Thunders Heavenly Master Order, Taiji Thunder Seal, Temple Emperor Seal, Eight Sceneries Key, Dragon Nourishment Pill, Sun Jade Carriage...

Over these three decades, Song Lin was not solely devoted to cultivation.

Not only did his years of cultivation increase, but his Lead Flowers also became more condensed.

More importantly, he systematically organized his knowledge and skills.

The Three Flowers Gathering at the Top Flying Immortal Scripture was the mainstream technique of the Real World, with the Purple Mansion replaced by the Three Flowers Gathering at the Top.

The Heavenly Escape Sword Scripture combined the Swordman Dao with the Heavenly Escape Sword Technique, Eight Sceneries Primordial Spirit, and various sword techniques. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

The Donghua Taoist Soldiers Xuanzi Secret Book and Shenxiao Thunder Skill encompassed Taoist Soldier techniques and thunder-related spells, including the lightning techniques of the Taizhen Sect.

Over thirty years, Song Lin compiled three systematic, comprehensive scriptures.

Gone were the days of a haphazard, disorganized cultivation system.

From the sensing stage to the Purple Mansion Realm, each step was now methodical and structured.

He could return to the Capital Institute’s Scripture Pavilion to exchange them.

As for the Cultivation Path and witchcraft systems like Divine Medium Immortals and Witch Gu, he decided to leave those to his sect’s disciples.

Just then, a handsome young man clad in golden armor with three glimmering eyes approached.

"Altar Master, all the mortals have been escorted down the mountain!"

Occasionally, mortals lost their way near Donghua Mountain. Song Lin, reluctant to harm innocent lives or leave them as prey for the wolves and leopards, had arranged for Erlang God to escort them safely down the mountain.

After all, their family had hunted this terrain through generations, and occupying their land already felt excessive.

Stepping out of the Taoist Temple, Song Lin glanced back at the thatched cottage behind him.

"It’s time to depart," he said.

Having spent thirty years here, rumors of immortals residing in the area had already spread widely. Not wanting to expose himself, Song Lin had no choice but to leave this realm.

Crash!

A spark landed on the rooftop, setting the entire thatched cottage ablaze.

Song Lin and Erlang God descended the mountain together.

"By the way, close your third eye. It’ll frighten the flowers and grass unnecessarily," Song Lin teased.

Erlang God grinned sheepishly, then closed his third eye, leaving only a golden eye-shaped mark on his forehead.

For reasons unknown, Song Lin felt that Erlang God’s spiritual wisdom had matured significantly.

Perhaps it was the prolonged companionship.

Erlang God was the sole Little Giant Spirit God.

Wang Ziyue had already converted his own Erlang God and Seven Great Saints into Little Giant Spirit Gods.

Next in line was Song Lin’s group.

Given the opportunity, Song Lin also intended to convert the Seven Great Saints in this realm—they’d instantly gain seven Core Formation Masters, which was a remarkable advantage.

The two descended the mountain and entered a small town.

"Help! Someone help me!"

"Mother, my stomach hurts, I’m starving!"

"Help me—it hurts so much!"

Wherever their gaze fell, there was famine, war, plague...

At that moment, a commotion erupted as the crowd surged toward the right side of the city gate.

Song Lin focused his vision and saw that it was a porridge station.

A middle-aged Taoist with a sharp appearance and a goatee was dispensing talisman water while treating illnesses.

With his other hand, he ladled porridge.

"Thank you, Golden Cauldron True Man!"

"Golden Cauldron True Man is so merciful!"

Those who recognized the Taoist’s title expressed their gratitude fervently.

Suddenly, amidst the crowd of starving people, one transformed into a demon, revealing sharp fangs and claws.

Erlang God’s expression became stern as he emitted a trace of killing intent. His third eye began to open slightly.

But the Golden Cauldron True Man was even quicker.

He raised his horsetail whisk and swept it lightly.

The demon let out a blood-curdling scream, disintegrating into white smoke and vanishing completely.

Noticing Song Lin, the Golden Cauldron True Man smiled faintly and said, "Come over and lend a hand, you two young brothers."

Song Lin said nothing but stepped forward to take over the ladling duties.

A short while later, all the refugees were fed porridge.

"Let’s go," said the Golden Cauldron True Man, stowing his belongings inside his robe before leaving.

"This place suffers from plague. The source lies in the river water; only by addressing the problems in the water can we halt the spread of the plague and prevent more deaths."

Golden Cauldron headed into the wilderness, swept his whisk lightly, and before them, a golden tripod materialized.

"Young brother, what’s your name?"

"Song Lin."

Song Lin secretly thought, This person is exceedingly mysterious; even the Emperor’s Qi Observation Skill cannot discern the depths of his cultivation.

His realm must be incredibly high.

This individual doesn’t seem to follow the Demon Path but should belong to the Righteous Sect.

"I am Golden Cauldron, a medicine collector from Zhongnan Mountain. Would you lend a hand?"

Golden Cauldron True Man asked.

"Certainly," Song Lin replied.

Song Lin stepped forward and channeled mana, generating flames at the base of the golden tripod.

Golden Cauldron True Man poured a heap of assorted materials: two pieces of yellow copper, a handful of golden sand, and threw them into the tripod.

"Increase the intensity of the flame."

When the yellow copper and golden sand had melted, Golden Cauldron spoke again.

"Now reduce the flame slightly."

Next, he added red sandstone, realgar, orpiment, sulfur, zengqing, alum, magnetic stone, rong salt... directing Song Lin to simmer and refine them.

Song Lin meticulously memorized each step, marveling internally at the formidable alchemy skills of this person.

His own alchemy technique merely involved refining useful substances from raw materials to form pills.

The alchemy style of the Holy Might Taoist School followed a similar approach.

Essentially, this was pharmacology by nature.

It was more about extracting essence and discarding dross, albeit with methods that appeared more sophisticated than mundane pharmacists.

There was quite some distance to real alchemy. Perhaps some individuals within the Taoist Alliance achieved true alchemy, but among the Heaven and Earth Xuanmen Alliance, very few specialized in it.

Song Lin hadn’t expected to encounter it today.

None of these substances possessed properties potent enough to dispel evil Qi or plague, yet could the mythical process of transforming decay into wondrous marvels be real?

Song Lin maintained a learner’s attitude, following Golden Cauldron’s instructions.

Noticing Song Lin’s enthusiasm for learning, Golden Cauldron True Man happily offered pointers.

"This pill is called the Five Emperors Pill, designed to dispel poisonous mists and miasma demons. Typically, it requires thirty-six days to refine, but with slight modifications to the flame, it can be completed within five hours!"

Five hours later, a fist-sized golden pill flew into the air. Golden Cauldron True Man let out a low shout, casting a spell; runes imprinted themselves onto the pill.

When the pill descended into the river water, the miasma was completely wiped out.

"It’s done; time to move on!"

Golden Cauldron True Man packed up his divine tripod and walked away.

"Brother Song Lin, would you like to join me?"

"Of course!"

The thirty-second year of Journey to the West.

Golden Cauldron and Song Lin walked at the front, while Erlang God followed behind, carrying the packages and gathering alchemy materials.

The trio traveled far and wide, aiding the world, and studying alchemy.

Half a year later, they arrived at Huoluo Country, where generations of people suffered chronically from heat toxins, enduring unbearable torment that was passed down from one generation to another.

"Fire Method Alchemy cannot dispel heat toxins; Water Method Alchemy is required. Song Lin, tonight at midnight, collect lotus leaf dew from the forest as Moon Water. Combine it with sulfur and place it within the jade tripod, coating it with mercury before igniting the Sun Essence Fire within... thus creating Moon Pill!"

Song Lin accepted the jade tripod from Golden Cauldron True Man, personally handling the process. Thirty-six days later, he produced the pill, saving thousands of citizens in Huoluo Country from suffering.

"This technique uses sulfur and mercury as its base; it’s part of the Mercury Sulfur Alchemy method."

"The Outer Pill Technique is divided into three major branches: Golden Sand Alchemy, Lead Mercury Alchemy, and Mercury Sulfur Alchemy. Of course, you don’t need to delve too deeply into this. At your current stage, understanding its utility is sufficient—don’t get bogged down in the classification of branches."

"Understood, senior."

"Good, keep this tripod with you for now. You don’t need to return it; try refining a pill someday."

"Of course."

The trio continued their journey.

The thirty-third year of Journey to the West.

They encountered another plague outbreak.

"This time, you won’t need my guidance. Refine your own Five Emperors Pill independently."

Song Lin produced the jade tripod and followed the prior method to concoct the pill.

Fire intensity was the key, coupled with the appropriate main ingredient of golden sand.

Thirty-six days later, the Five Emperors Pill was complete. It was cast into Ming River, eradicating the plague at its source. Together, the two used the Five Emperors Pill Water to treat those affected by the disease.

This entire process was executed entirely by Song Lin.

The symptoms of the afflicted vanished, and the grateful citizens knelt in reverence.

The Prefectural Governor also saluted the two, overwhelmed by gratitude.

"This humble official thanks Golden Cauldron True Man and Jade Cauldron True Man for delivering salvation!"

Because the citizens didn’t know their names, they derived nicknames based on the tripods they used, hence the titles of Golden Cauldron True Man and Jade Cauldron True Man.

The duo’s reputation for alleviating suffering had already spread far and wide.

Though the Prefectural Governor had never seen them personally, he knew of their renown, instantly recognizing them as the famously benevolent True Men rescuing the masses.

"Thank you, Golden Cauldron True Man and Jade Cauldron True Man!"

"Rise, there’s no need to be so formal!"

Song Lin politely declined the Prefectural Governor’s invitation to stay.

Erlang God stowed away the treasure tripod and assorted items, while the trio’s figures vanished in an ethereal flash.

Along the way, Song Lin glanced at Golden Cauldron True Man and teased:

"So that’s how those nicknames came about. Isn’t there a more striking title? Golden Cauldron, and so you’re Golden Cauldron True Man. I use Jade Cauldron, and now I’m Jade Cauldron True Man—haha... Wait, Jade Cauldron?"

...

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