Chapter 853: Taking Medicine and Bathing
At night, the deity disciples become particularly active, and their strength increases significantly.
Although Shen Mo is unafraid, he also does not wish to provoke unnecessary trouble, as fighting and battling with others can deplete oneself, and no amount of nourishment can maintain one’s cultivation level.
Therefore, come nightfall, Shen Mo and Chen Mengze would, like ordinary people of this world, tightly shut their doors and refrain from going outside.
Here, there are many ancient rules passed down from time immemorial, one being that the disciples of Righteous Gods must not arbitrarily invade the homes of mortals or kill them; should a deity fail to restrain their disciples and let them run amok, that deity may very well be regarded as an Evil God, shunned by other so-called "Righteous Gods"!
Of course, in the eyes of Shen Mo and Chen Mengze, the deities of this world merely do not wish to exhaust all resources at once.
On this blue planet, the Human Race is like chickens, ducks, cattle, and sheep raised by the deities, slaughtered some during festivities, but never consumed all at once.
"Gurgle gurgle!"
The medicinal soup in the pot gradually thickened, emitting a strange fresh aroma.
In this world of deities, Shen Mo finds it difficult to use mana, nor can he perform Alchemy methods, and must rely on the most primitive means of decocting herbs.
Fortunately, his knowledge of the Alchemy Path is exceptional, with the assistance of the Destiny [Method Eye Candle Wisp], even with mundane herbs, through careful preparation, pairing, and decoction, he can unleash a remarkable medicinal property!
Judging the timing to be right, Shen Mo extracted the yet burning firewood from the furnace and continued to stir the medicinal soup using the remaining heat;
As the water evaporated, the medicinal soup turned into a pot of black paste.
Then, Shen Mo ladled the paste into a large bowl, allowed it to cool slightly, and called Chen Mengze to come and consume it together.
"So bitter..."
Chen Mengze scooped a spoonful into her mouth and swallowed it with difficulty, her eyebrows knitting into a frown.
However, she knew that in their current situation, they could only rely on nourishment to restore their "vitality" and "spirit," striving to maintain their cultivation levels;
Thus, no matter how bitter the paste, she had to muster the courage to swallow it!
It wasn’t their first time sharing this nourishing paste, but every time he saw Chen Mengze make such a face, Shen Mo found it quite amusing, as if returning to the days of his childhood taking medicine to strengthen his bones, lightening his mood considerably.
"If Senior Sister finds it too bitter, next time I’ll add more rock honey," Shen Mo suggested with a smile to Chen Mengze.
"Better not. You mentioned before that adding rock honey would affect the medicinal efficacy. Bitter is just bitter!"
"..."
After consuming the paste, Shen Mo focused his mind inwardly on the Destiny Panel.
[You successfully concocted Blood-strengthening Powder using hundred-year-old Ginseng, Red Sun Grass, Bamboo Striped Juice, etc., gaining a deeper understanding of the Alchemy Path in the process, Alchemy Path experience +2.]
[You consumed Blood-strengthening Powder, and the medicinal power gradually permeated into every part of your body, enhancing the strength of your vitality.]
...
[In this process, you unexpectedly gained an opportunity, Destiny Point +1.]
As the world of deities lacks any Spiritual Qi, with herbs being mundane, and unable to use Alchemy methods, Blood-strengthening Powder does not even qualify as a Grade I Elixir, and its nourishing effect on vitality is exceptionally weak.
Shen Mo and Chen Mengze have to decoct and consume large amounts of Blood-strengthening Powder daily, and even so, their cultivation levels continue to decline slowly!
"Today while gathering herbs in the mountains, I got covered in dust and dirt. I’ll boil some hot water and have a proper wash later," Chen Mengze said, tidying up the stove and dishes, speaking to Shen Mo.
"Alright. I’ll go draw some well water," Shen Mo replied as he picked up a wooden bucket and headed out the door towards the yard.
Without the convenience brought by profound cultivation and spells, Shen Mo and Chen Mengze seemed to have returned to their mortal days, needing to eat and take medicine to fill their stomachs, travel by foot, and bathe to wash away the dirt on their bodies.
...
"Splash!"
Shen Mo removed his robe and submerged himself in the hot water.
It is Layue, the hot water in the bucket cools quickly, and since it was just used by Chen Mengze, it turned cold soon after.
In a moment, the inner room’s curtain was lifted.
Chen Mengze entered, carrying a bucket of freshly boiled hot water, and with familiarity poured it into the bath barrel.
"Senior Sister, my body has long been immune to cold and heat!"
"Even in ice and snow, bathing with ice water isn’t a problem. There’s no need to specially boil hot water," Shen Mo said, seeing Chen Mengze, who had just bathed, again had a layer of fine sweat on her forehead, and couldn’t help mentioning it.
"Now that we’ve become mortals again, we should enjoy the pleasures of being mortal!"
Chen Mengze wiped the sweat from her face with a silk towel and then reached out her hand to rub Shen Mo’s scattered hair.
Through the mist, her face appeared flushed; it was unclear whether it was due to the heat or if she harbored a bit of shyness...
"I wonder when we can leave this world?" Shen Mo mused, feeling relaxed by her fingertips’ gentle touch, speaking somewhat lazily.
Chen Mengze’s fingers paused slightly, then returned to normal, as she scooped a ladle of water and poured it over Shen Mo’s head.
Shen Mo seemed unaware of her momentary hitch and continued murmuring to himself, "If that Hallow Venerable and Jade Spring Fairy also entered this world of deities, then he must have a way out."
In this world where the Immortal Path is dim, calling upon Hallow Venerable’s name poses no risk of being sensed by him.
If both True Immortals had indeed entered this realm, it must be Hallow Venerable intending to use the peculiar feature of the dim Immortal Path here to erase the power gap between him and Jade Spring Fairy to seize the opportunity to annihilate her here;
After cultivating for countless years and finally achieving True Immortal status, he naturally wouldn’t allow himself to be caught in a dead end!
"For now, let’s not mention that Demon True Immortal."
"Death Jaw is a magic treasure at the celestial artifact level and has long developed gnosis; it wouldn’t bring us to this world of deities without a reason!"
"Perhaps, like when we entered Death Jaw to train back then, once certain conditions are met, we can leave. Alas, at present, there’s no clue, nor any insight on which direction to exert effort."
For several months, Shen Mo had been searching for a way out.
Only this world has no legends about the ’Immortal Realm’ or ’Ascension,’ nor has any unusual occurrence happened.
"I do have an idea in my mind; maybe, as you suggested earlier, all our experiences are merely a trial!"
"Oh? What do you mean by that?"
"The celestial artifact Death Jaw, should be a treasure without an owner, right?"
"Given my current understanding, I could consider it a treasure without an owner. Otherwise, it wouldn’t manifest everywhere, nor would it have been borrowed by Hallow Venerable to exhibit a trace of its might. Of course, one cannot exclude that Death Jaw’s master’s level and thinking transcend our imagination!"