Seeing Lin Mu's determination, the Saintess felt a tinge of approval and perhaps even a hint of pride.
"Are you sure you want to do this alone?" she asked one last ti, her voice calm yet probing.
"Yes, I would prefer to see how I can manage independently first," Lin Mu replied firmly, his resolve evident in his tone.
"Alright," the Saintess agreed with a slight nod. "If that's your wish, you should take the proper precautions. It would be wise to go to an established alchemy pavilion for this task."
"Oh, yes, that was my plan," Lin Mu acknowledged. "I suppose I can inquire about borrowing the Imperial Alchemy Pavilion for this purpose."
"That should suffice," the Saintess said with approval. "I'll observe your progress from here then."
"Of course, Saintess." Lin Mu stood up, a sense of urgency driving him. "If you permit , I'll head over and begin. I'm eager to recover my body cultivation and move forward."
"Go ahead," the Saintess replied, waving her hand in a dismissive yet supportive gesture.
Before Lin Mu could process her action, he found himself flying out of the courtyard at an astonishing speed. Within monts, he landed softly in front of the Imperial Alchemy Pavilion.
"Huh… that was certainly efficient," Lin Mu muttered, sowhat taken aback by the effortless transportation.
"Who?!" The guards stationed at the pavilion's entrance snapped to attention, startled by his sudden appearance. One of them rubbed his eyes, wondering if he was hallucinating. "Did that man just appear out of thin air?"
"It's , the Imperial Imperator," Lin Mu stated calmly, revealing his token.
The mont the guards laid eyes on the token and recognized Lin Mu's face, their expressions transford into ones of shock and respect.
"Ah! We welco Lord Imperator!" they exclaid in unison, bowing deeply. Their earlier hesitation vanished as they scrambled to make ands for their initial lapse in recognition.
"I wish to enter," Lin Mu said simply.
"Of course! Please, co in!" The guards quickly opened the massive doors, ushering him inside with deference.
"I'll accompany you to the Pavilion Head, Lord Imperator," one of the guards offered, stepping forward.
"That would be helpful," Lin Mu agreed. He had never visited the Imperial Alchemy Pavilion before, and having a guide would save ti.
The pavilion was vast, a sprawling complex of hundreds of interconnected buildings surrounded by a high compound wall. Protective arrays shimred faintly in the air, a testant to the strict security asures in place. Lin Mu could sense the layered complexity of the formations, designed to safeguard not only against external threats but also internal accidents.
The guard led him through winding paths, each turn seemingly indistinguishable from the last.
"This route is quite intricate," Lin Mu comnted, glancing around at the similar-looking buildings they passed.
"Ah, yes," the guard replied with a smile. "This is the Illusory Pathing Array of the Imperial Alchemy Pavilion. It ensures that only authorized personnel can navigate the compound without getting lost."
"What happens if soone unauthorized tries to enter?" Lin Mu asked, intrigued.
"They're automatically guided to a Prison Array," the guard explained. "Once there, they're sealed and detained until the guards can apprehend them."
"Can it restrain powerful cultivators?" Lin Mu inquired.
"Indeed," the guard affird. "The array can contain even a Seventh Tribulation Stage Immortal Realm expert. It's been tested extensively. In fact, so past generals and ministers personally volunteered to test its limits."
The guard chuckled before adding, "We even hold competitions in the capital, challenging participants to navigate the array without getting lost. It's both a training exercise and a source of entertainnt."
"That's clever," Lin Mu remarked, impressed. "Do formation masters take part in these competitions?"
"Yes, it's even part of their formal exams," the guard said proudly. "Our alchemy pavilion collaborates closely with them since their expertise is crucial for maintaining these arrays. The formation masters' predecessors were the ones who originally designed and implented the Illusory Pathing Array."
"I see," Lin Mu mused, tempted to test his own skills against the array. However, he quickly dismissed the idea, not wanting to divert his focus from his primary goal. 'Besides, my spatial skills would give an unfair advantage,' he thought. 'Attempting it would feel pointless.'
After navigating the intricate maze, they finally arrived at the Central Hall of the Imperial Alchemy Pavilion. The building was an imposing structure, towering over the others at a height of six hundred ters. It had thirty floors, each adorned with ornate carvings and shimring runes. A massive chimney rose from the center of the hall, resembling the mast of a great ship. It continuously emitted a steady stream of smoke, purified by the glowing runes etched into its surface.
Lin Mu paused to observe the chimney, his eyes narrowing as he deciphered the purpose behind the elaborate design.
'That must be the exhaust system for the pill cauldrons,' he deduced. 'If I recall correctly, chimneys like this are also used to accumulate toxins for specific techniques, such as the Lung Shredding Smog Breath.'
Though Lin Mu had his own alternative thods for toxin extraction, he kept the traditional techniques in mind. The mories of the Withered Spirit Daoist were rich with tips and tricks for optimizing such processes, including ways to enhance the formations on chimneys to maximize efficiency.
"This is the Central Hall," the guard announced, breaking Lin Mu's train of thought. "The Pavilion Head should be inside. I'll inform them of your arrival."
"Thank you," Lin Mu replied, stepping forward to enter the grand hall. As the doors opened, a faint scent of herbs and alchemical fus wafted out, a testant to the intense activity within.
Lin Mu couldn't even make out the sheer number of herbs that were present here. Both the walls were lined up with shelves upon shelves that reached all the way to the ceiling. To a lot of cultivators, rely laying their eyes upon such a bounty of herbs might get their hearts racing. After all, these would be worth a massive fortune.
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