Chapter 5 Elixir

At this moment, Master Danyang paid no attention to what Li Huowang was thinking; he was giving a lecture to his disciples, who were already scared out of their wits.

"Remember what you witnessed today whenever any of you harbors thoughts of treachery!"

Master Danyang's words immediately tightened everyone's hearts, intensifying the fear in their eyes.

With his hands clasped behind his back, he strolled in measured steps before his disciples, his eagle-like gaze sweeping over each of their faces.

"Let me tell you, helping someone become an Immortal is a great merit. If I, your Taoist Master, become an Immortal, naturally, I won't forget your kindness. But if anyone dares to ruin my good fortune... Hmph!!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than he suddenly stopped in front of Li Huowang, sizing up the junior whose demeanor differed from the other disciples.

"You're just a figment of my imagination, a mere thought in my head – do you think I'm afraid of you?" Li Huowang thought to himself, calmly meeting the gaze of his Master, who looked like a leper.

When Master Danyang lifted his right hand, dirty from the soil beneath his fingernails, the atmosphere in the cave became somewhat tense, and everyone's eyes turned to the brother who had dared to offend the Master, waiting to see how he would deal with him.

To everyone's surprise, Master Danyang's expression suddenly relaxed, and he placed his raised right hand on Li Huowang's head and patted it, dissipating the heavy air in an instant.

"Last night, those traitors invited you to leave with them—why didn't you agree?"

This question, directed at Li Huowang, was actually a form of praise.

Just as Li Huowang was about to speak, he saw Master Danyang raise his right hand.

"Spare me your platitudes. Though you didn't report to me promptly, you have done quite well compared to those treacherous scum," he said.

His hand came down, and he continued, "I see you have good potential. You don't have to work in the storeroom anymore; from now on, you will be a disciple recognized by me, your Master."

Li Huowang was stunned; had his status just improved? But he quickly realized that with so many dead in the cave, this man must be short on assistants.

"That's right, now that you've become my disciple and joined my teaching, you can't be without a Taoist name. From now on, your Taoist name will be Xuan Yang."

Li Huowang glanced at the round hole in the corner. The fate of the former Xuan Yang flashed through his mind, and he thought to himself, "Wow, that name really doesn't bode well."

Although Li Huowang didn't care much for this treatment, the other people in the storeroom were instantly envious, their eyes shining with desire. Being recognized as Master Danyang's disciple meant they wouldn't have to die.

But for Master Danyang, this was still not enough. A few more jujubes must follow the big stick to truly hook people. "Xuan Yang, since you've just joined my teaching, I, your Master, should give you a little something," he said.

Hearing himself called by the new name, Li Huowang hurried to his side, sensing that he might be receiving a gift.

Master Danyang took out five dark Elixirs from his gourd and placed them in Li Huowang's palm.

"Take good care of these. These five Immortal Elixirs, crafted by me, will not only add ten years to your Yangshou but also grant you the temporary power of Divine Skills to protect your life," he explained.

Li Huowang frowned slightly as he laid out the Elixirs before him. "These things wouldn't be made from people too, would they?"

As this thought crossed his mind, Li Huowang suddenly noticed that one of the Elixirs in his hand seemed to roll slightly, changing shape from round to oval, as though something was trying to burst forth from within.

When he looked closely again, the Elixir appeared unchanged.

"Damn it, am I getting neurotic? Why should I care about things in an illusion? This is all fake; I must not sink deeper into it," he scolded himself, slapping his head in frustration.

Master Danyang did not pay attention to Li Huowang's odd behavior, but turned to look at the rest of the people. "Do you see? Opposing the Taoist Master leads only to a dead end, yet those who aid the Taoist Master will be handsomely rewarded, greatly rewarded indeed!!"

Everyone's gaze darted between Master Danyang and the Elixir, each person contemplating their own thoughts. But as for what those thoughts were, only they themselves knew.

Seeing that he had achieved his goal, Master Danyang waved his dirty sleeve to disperse everyone to continue with their tasks.

There was no need for Li Huowang to return to the material room. His Taoist title was Xuan Yang, so all that Xuan Yang had owned now belonged to him—the status, Taoist Robe, and even that private little cave.

However, at this moment, he didn't care about everything that was happening in this illusion. What he cared about more were his gains.

He crossed his arms and looked at the two items on the white bed sheet of the hospital ward—the Jade Pendant and the Elixir.

"My goodness, these things have actually come out with me."

But now, Li Huowang faced a dilemma. An old problem was once again laid out before him, forcing him to confront it.

"If I take this Elixir out and it really works after I've consumed it, then is this place just an illusion or what? What exactly is going on with me?"

He had been very serious in following the doctor's medical advice, firmly believing that everything on the other side was just an illusion. Yet, this thing appeared before Li Huowang, and his conviction began to waver.

If this was indeed an illusion, then why did this thing materialize, and what harm could it pose to him?

If that place was another world, then...

The image of his fellow disciple who had been refined into an Elixir by his Master, Xuan Yang being engulfed by the black cauldron, and various terrifying scenes kept flashing through his mind, causing his breathing to become rapid.

"Ah!! It's so annoying, there's no one to talk this over with." Li Huowang, in his irritation, stretched out his hands to scratch his head.

After venting, Li Huowang ultimately had to face reality. After pondering for a long time, he finally determined his course of action.

Regardless of whether the illusions were real or fake, he would continue to cooperate as much as possible, treating everything as if it were real.

If by chance it was real, he could secure his own safety and well-being.

If it was fake, then there would be no harm done to him.

For now, he decided to verify the authenticity and value of these delivered items before making any further plans.

Having settled on a method to proceed, Li Huowang took a deep breath and pinched an Elixir between his forefinger and thumb, holding it up before his eyes.

"No, it's too dangerous for me to take it myself." His gaze shifted toward the patients sunbathing in the garden outside.

After a brief internal struggle that lasted only a second, he let go in resignation. They were as pitiable as he was; how could he let them test the drug? In the future, he would think of a way to find a small animal to test it.

Li Huowang then turned his attention to the round Jade Pendant. In comparison to the Elixir, dealing with this item was much easier.

"Spit it out, what do you want? I climbed over the fence to come out here, and if this is some prank, hmph!" Yang Na clenched her small, fair fist, threatening Li Huowang.

"Sister, I had to ask for your help because I really had no choice, you know I can't get out myself."

With that, Li Huowang walked to the door of the ward, closing it and drawing the curtains.