After bidding farewell to the enthusiastic Pill Master, Bai Mo walked down the wooden stairs.

The lead Cultivator was gone. ’He must have gone to the second floor to wait for the others,’ Bai Mo thought.

Sure enough, Bai Mo saw him at the top of the stairs on the second floor.

"You’re down. How did it go?"

Bai Mo handed over the wooden plaque marked with three red bars. The lead Cultivator was stunned.

"This is the first time I’ve ever seen a Pill Master as young as you, Fellow Daoist!"

"Come, please follow me to collect your token."

He was used to seeing Pill Masters, but one Bai Mo’s age was truly a first.

Just then, the man with the plaque labeled "Yi Yi" walked over. The plaque in his hand was clearly marked with two red bars.

The lead Cultivator cleared his throat and began to say:

"Fellow Daoist, you can go on your own—"

"Hold on! Hold on!"

Two cheerful shouts interrupted him as an old Cultivator with a goatee trotted up.

The man was hiking up the hem of his old, gray robes as he climbed the wooden stairs. He looked to be around sixty years of age.

"Hehe, this must be the young Fellow Daoist who just passed, yes?"

The old Cultivator’s beard was gray, but he was full of vigor. He said to the lead Cultivator:

"I’ve received the message. You can go. I’ll take this young Fellow Daoist with me!"

Yi Yi, who had seemed rather aloof, had a change in expression upon hearing the old man’s words.

He was even more shaken when he saw how young Bai Mo was.

He cupped his fist in his hand and said, enunciating each word:

"Greetings, Fellow Daoist. I was wondering about the third floor..."

Before Bai Mo could speak, the lead Cultivator chuckled.

"Best not to ask about it in front of me. You’ll find out for yourself when you get up there."

Bai Mo smiled and gave him an apologetic look.

But Yi Yi didn’t seem to mind. He took out a Pill Token from his robes.

It was also bright red, but this one was embroidered with golden thread, depicting a phoenix about to take flight.

"I was being presumptuous, Fellow Daoist. This is a Pill Token from the Yan family. Please, accept it..."

’It’s not a big deal. There’s no harm in taking it.’

Bai Mo accepted it without waiting for Yi Yi to make his sales pitch.

As soon as Bai Mo put away the Pill Token, the lead Cultivator tactfully pulled Yi Yi away, leaving only the old Cultivator behind.

"Hehe, my surname is Lu, and my given name is Ying."

"Since we are both Pill Masters, we can simply address each other as ’Fellow Daoist’."

The old Cultivator said with a broad smile.

Bai Mo cupped his fist. "Greetings, Alchemist Lu."

"I am Bai Mo. It’s an honor to meet you."

Finally free from interruptions, Alchemist Lu took Bai Mo by the arm, led him down the wooden stairs, and out of the pavilion.

"Let’s not talk about anything else for now. First, let’s go get your Pill Master’s sigil."

Bai Mo didn’t know what a sigil was, but he obediently followed him out of the pavilion.

As soon as he stepped into the sunlight outside, Bai Mo looked back, squinting slightly at the three-story pavilion behind him.

’Who knows how many people have been trapped within that ancient building.’

’Thankfully, I’ve made it out.’

Following Alchemist Lu, the two of them rounded a corner and headed toward the back of the pavilion.

"What is a sigil?"

Bai Mo finally asked.

Alchemist Lu stroked his beard and chuckled.

"We are Pill Masters, but it’s not like our foreheads are branded. How are people supposed to know our status when we’re walking down the street?"

Before Bai Mo could answer, he continued, "Through our sigils, of course. They are the symbol of a Pill Master."

"Each one is unique and cannot be replicated."

After passing the pavilion, they came upon a vast building that resembled the main hall outside.

The hall was exquisitely decorated, with mythical beasts carved into the eaves.

Alchemist Lu took the lead and entered the hall.

Bai Mo followed behind and saw that the hall was remarkably spacious.

It would be an exaggeration to say you could race horses in it, but it could easily accommodate dozens of people practicing martial arts.

Deeper inside were rows of rooms of various sizes, each with its own function.

"Old Kuang, where are you, Old Kuang!?"

There was no one in the hall, and Alchemist Lu started shouting as soon as he entered.

"Over here."

A lazy voice drifted out from a room with no door.

"Did a new Pill Master pass today?"

Alchemist Lu didn’t answer, instead saying to Bai Mo:

"Fellow Daoist Bai, this way."

Bai Mo nodded and followed him to the room.

The inside resembled a pawn shop, with a high counter installed. The Pill Master who had spoken rose from behind it.

Behind him, the wall was covered with jade pendants, exquisitely carved with mountains and rivers.

When he saw the two of them enter, the Pill Master in the room’s eyes went wide.

"So young!"

The Pill Master, surnamed Kuang, was about the same age as Alchemist Lu, and the two were clearly very familiar with each other.

Alchemist Lu waved his hand. "This is Fellow Daoist Bai Mo. Quickly, prepare his sigil for him."

Alchemist Kuang wasn’t annoyed. He chuckled and turned around, picking out a piece of jade from the collection behind him.

"This piece of greenish-white jade is excellent. Fellow Daoist Bai, how about we choose this one for your sigil?"

Bai Mo saw that the greenish-white jade pendant was indeed beautiful and immediately replied:

"Excellent. I’ll go with your recommendation."

On this piece of jade, the carved mountains and rivers vaguely formed the shape of a four-legged cauldron.

This was the Pill Master’s sigil.

Alchemist Kuang took out a brush, dipped it in ink, and wrote Bai Mo’s name on one side of the jade pendant.

Bai Mo watched as the ink vanished the moment it touched the jade.

Alchemist Kuang handed it to him. Bai Mo held it up for a closer look and could see his name, now faintly transparent, integrated into the jade.

"Come, Fellow Daoist Bai, drip your blood onto the sigil," Alchemist Kuang instructed softly.

Bai Mo did as he was told. A flash of starlight glinted at his fingertip as he made a small cut on his index finger.

A bead of blood welled up and dripped onto the surface of the jade pendant, quickly seeping inside and disappearing.

Yet the jade remained its original greenish-white.

Alchemist Kuang’s smile widened into a huge grin.

"Fellow Daoist Lu, our Celestial Mountain City branch has finally struck gold today, and with such a fine seedling at that!"

Alchemist Lu nodded repeatedly.

Bai Mo was a little confused and asked curiously:

"Does it matter where a Pill Master is certified?"

Alchemist Lu quickly explained.

"Of course, it does. If a branch has many Pill Masters, and their skills are profound, the Pill Pavilion will allocate more resources to it."

"Since you were certified as a Pill Master in Celestial Mountain City, you are naturally one of our branch’s people."

"By the way, where are you from, Fellow Daoist Bai?"

"I make a living in Immortal Arrival City."

"Oh." Alchemist Lu and Alchemist Kuang exchanged a glance, looking rather relieved.

"That’s quite a remote corner. It’s a good thing you came here, Fellow Daoist..."

...

Bai Mo only emerged from the branch hall after talking with the two Pill Masters for a full hour.

In that hour, Bai Mo learned about the existence of the Pill Pavilion and its various branches scattered throughout the lands.

For a Pill Master, it was a reassuring backer.

But for an individual, it merely provided security, a platform for communication, and more convenient channels.

Advancing one’s skills still depended on oneself.

In other words, there was no intention of nurturing or training its members.

Bai Mo passed by the pavilion, looking no different from when he arrived, save for the addition of an inconspicuous jade pendant at his waist.

Lanshan was no longer there. He had probably gone to check out the market situation in Celestial Mountain City.

Bai Mo headed back toward the inn, his steps light.

Now that he had the status of a Pill Master, everything was different. Many of his past worries would naturally vanish into thin air.

Tugging at the jade pendant on his waist, Bai Mo felt a great fondness for the object.

’It calms the mind and settles one’s qi. A truly fine item!’

According to the two old Pill Masters, the jade pendant could nurture its owner, and in turn, the owner could nurture the jade.

Because the qi of both were connected, if they were separated for a long time, the jade pendant would become like a pearl shrouded in dust, no different from an ordinary stone.

It was truly miraculous.

The Pill Master certification process had taken quite some time. By the time Bai Mo returned to the inn, the mealtime had already passed.

They had been in Celestial Mountain City for half a month, and the caravan he had followed had already completed its business.

Just yesterday, Bai Mo had seen that the goods in the large common room were almost completely cleared out.

Some of the guards, now idle, were in the main hall drinking tea and listening to storytellers.

Today was the day of the Pill Master certification, so everyone had plenty to talk about, creating a leisurely and carefree atmosphere.

In a few days, they would be back on the road, weary from travel. This was their last chance to indulge.

As soon as Bai Mo stepped into the inn, one of the guards noticed him.

"Yo, Shopkeeper Bai is back! Today’s the day of the Pill Master certification, isn’t it?"

"I saw you and Lanshan go out first thing in the morning."

"How was it in there?"

"It was nothing special."

Bai Mo replied, calm and composed, as he flicked the jade pendant at his waist.