With three supreme masters, they were invincible upon descending the mountain.

Ye Yaocheng looked at Third Master Lin.

A breeze stirred by the lake, and the refined middle-aged man seemed to have aged considerably. His eyes, which had weathered decades of storms, now held only earnestness and entrustment.

"Don't worry, Third Master." Ye Yaocheng's voice was calm, but every word was firm and powerful. "I will take good care of Qingxue within my capabilities."

Master Lin let out a long sigh of relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders. He relaxed completely, and a relieved smile appeared on his face.

"well!"

He said "good" twice, patted Ye Yaocheng's shoulder hard, and didn't say anything more.

Some things are best left unsaid, while some people are true to their word.

The two stood by the lake for a while longer, chatting about the recent developments in Linjiang. Third Master Lin mentioned that Linjiang had been quite turbulent lately, with various forces quietly infiltrating the area, some of whom possessed considerable cultivation levels.

Ye Yaocheng kept it in mind.

Half an hour later, Master Lin took his leave.

Wang Shiyu then walked over and stood next to Ye Yaocheng.

"Little brother, leave the manor reconstruction to me." She said casually, "I'll go talk to Mayor Chen right now. He's been saying he wants to thank you properly ever since you saved his wife last time."

Ye Yaocheng nodded: "Then I'll trouble you, sister. Please thank Mayor Chen for me."

"Don't worry~"

Wang Shiyu blinked: "With his connections and efficiency, I guarantee that within a month, this place will be completely transformed. Just wait to move into your 'new home'."

"Oh, right." She suddenly remembered something, took out her phone, and made a call.

After a few brief words, she hung up and said to Ye Yaocheng, "I've had the auxiliary ingredients for the Youth-Preserving Herb delivered; they'll arrive within half an hour."

After saying that, she turned around, got into another car, and waved goodbye.

Ye Yaocheng was the only one left by the lake.

He looked around.

This abandoned manor covers at least thirty acres, backed by green mountains and facing a large lake, with a spiritual atmosphere that is more than 30% richer than that of the city.

What's even more remarkable is that it's peaceful here.

Away from the hustle and bustle, free from outsiders, enclosed by a wall, it becomes a completely independent private territory.

"It really is a good place," Ye Yaocheng muttered to himself.

He walked along the bluestone path deeper into the manor.

We walked through the abandoned front yard, around the overgrown garden, and finally stopped in front of a side yard.

The courtyard is not large, but it is cleverly laid out. In the center stands an old locust tree with lush branches and leaves. Under the tree are stone tables and benches, and in the corner there is an ancient well.

Most importantly, the atmosphere here is exceptionally peaceful.

"This is it."

Ye Yaocheng nodded in satisfaction.

Alchemy requires absolute quiet and cannot be disturbed. This secluded courtyard is hidden and has a stable energy field, making it an excellent place for alchemy.

He cleared a space and sat down cross-legged.

Half an hour later.

A black SUV drove into the manor and stopped at the main gate.

The driver got out of the car, unloaded a wooden crate about half a person's height, and respectfully handed it to Ye Yaocheng: "President Wang instructed me to send this."

Ye Yaocheng accepted it.

The box was heavy, and inside were more than a dozen kinds of medicinal herbs, each of excellent quality. Some of them still had the fresh scent of earth, indicating that they had been recently harvested.

"Please thank Mr. Wang for me."

"Yes."

The driver left.

Ye Yaocheng carried the suitcase back to the side courtyard.

He opened the box and took out the medicinal herbs one by one, arranging them neatly on the stone table.

Youth-preserving herbs, jade marrow mushrooms, century-old snow lotus, seven-colored poria cocos... each one is a precious item, with considerable value.

"Sister Shiyu, you've really gone all out this time," Ye Yaocheng chuckled.

He reached out and placed his hand on the jade pendant in front of his chest.

A flash of light.

An ancient bronze tripod with three legs and two handles appeared out of nowhere on the open ground.

The cauldron is mottled and covered with verdigris, indicating its great age. However, upon closer inspection, one can vaguely see cloud patterns flowing on its surface, exuding an ancient and profound aura.

This is the very same alchemy cauldron that was auctioned off.

"Old buddy, it's your turn today."

Ye Yaocheng patted the body of the cauldron.

The bronze cauldron emitted a deep hum, as if in response.

With this cauldron, the difficulty of refining the Youth Preservation Pill will be reduced by at least 30%.

In fact, with Ye Yaocheng's alchemy skills, he could refine the Youth Preservation Pill by hand even without a cauldron, but the appearance of the pill would be rather unappealing.

The Foundation Establishment Pill from last time is an example; it was pitch black and looked like a lump of coal.

Although the effect is the same, the appearance is still very important for things that are for girls.

You can't exactly give away a few "coal lumps" as gifts, can you?

That would be so embarrassing.

The elixirs refined from this cauldron are of completely different quality.

The Foundation Establishment Pill that I made for the Black Dragon Society last time was made with this. When the pill was completed, the patterns on it were like dragons, and the aroma of the medicine was overwhelming. Compared with the previous "coal ball", it was like heaven and earth.

"We need to be more serious this time too."

Ye Yaocheng flexed his wrists, his eyes becoming serious.

Youth-preserving pill, a second-tier elixir.

In the alchemist rating system, the second rank is not considered very high, but for the vast majority of alchemists, it is already a challenge that requires their full effort.

Because the refining of the Youth Preservation Pill requires extremely strict control over the heat.

If the heat is too strong, the medicine's efficacy will be completely destroyed; if the heat is too weak, the elixir will fail to condense.

Although Ye Yaocheng felt it was not difficult, he still put in his best effort.

He sat cross-legged, placed his hands on either side of the bronze cauldron, and his inner energy surged.

"Buzz—!"

The bronze cauldron trembled slightly, and a pale golden flame suddenly ignited inside.

The flames were extremely hot, but strangely, the surrounding air became cooler.

This is "Yin Yang Fire Refining," one of the Third Master's unique techniques. Fire is divided into Yin and Yang; Yang fire melts the medicine, while Yin fire condenses the elixir. Only by combining the two can the best quality elixir be refined.

Ye Yaocheng first added the auxiliary drugs.

The chalcedony fungus melts upon contact with fire, turning into a milky white liquid. The century-old snow lotus unfolds in the fire, its petals falling off and dissolving into the liquid. The seven-colored poria cocos releases a seven-colored halo, dyeing the entire medicinal liquid dazzlingly beautiful...

Each medicinal herb undergoes a wondrous transformation in the flames.

Seeing that the time was right, Ye Yaocheng immediately took out the Youth-Preserving Grass.

The grass was emerald green and emitted a faint fragrance. With a flick of his finger, the youth-preserving grass fell into the cauldron.

"Sizzle—"

The medicine is boiling.

The pale golden flames suddenly shot up, engulfing the entire Youth-Preserving Grass. The grass leaves withered rapidly in the fire, but the essence was completely extracted and incorporated into the medicinal liquid.

The liquid inside the cauldron began to change from seven colors to a deep emerald green, and the aroma of the medicine grew stronger.

From its initial lightness to its later richness, the entire courtyard was eventually filled with a refreshing fragrance that invigorated the spirit. Just one whiff of it made one feel refreshed and invigorated.

Ye Yaocheng closed his eyes, his entire focus on controlling the heat.

Time passed second by second.

More than half an hour later, he suddenly opened his eyes and pulled his hands back.

"Freeze!"

The golden flames were extinguished instantly.

Inside the cauldron, five emerald green pills lay quietly at the bottom.

Each one is the size of a longan, crystal clear like jade, with three golden patterns entwined on its surface, resembling three small dragons coiling around it.

Top-grade anti-aging pill!

Five pills were successfully formed, all of them of the highest quality!

Ye Yaocheng breathed a sigh of relief and smiled.

He reached out and five pills flew into his palm. They were warm to the touch and had a pleasant fragrance. Just smelling them made his skin feel slightly warm.

"It's done."

He carefully put the pills into a jade bottle and placed it close to his body.

Then they put away the bronze cauldron and cleaned up the scene.

Next, it's time to go to the Lin family's house.

Since I promised Master Lin, I should go and check on the situation as soon as possible. If Master Lin's illness is treatable, then I'll treat it as well.

If it can't be cured, then at least we need to know what the current situation of the Lin family is.

Ye Yaocheng got up and left the side courtyard.

As he left the manor, he glanced back at the desolate yet immensely promising land.

"Next time I come back, this place should be completely new."

He smiled and strode away.

……

at the same time.

Linjiang City Government, Mayor's Office.

After hearing Wang Shiyu's purpose, Chen Guodong stood up from his chair.

"Doctor Ye plans to rebuild his manor by Guangling Lake?"

His eyes lit up: "This is great news! Incredibly great news!"

Wang Shiyu smiled: "Uncle Chen is willing to help?"

"certainly!"

Chen Guodong replied without hesitation, "Dr. Ye saved my family's life, what's a little thing like this? I'll arrange the best construction team in the city, using the best materials, and guarantee it will be completed within a month!"

He paused, then added, "However, it seems that Doctor Ye prefers peace and quiet and doesn't like to be disturbed. So during the reconstruction period, we should keep his true identity a secret and just tell the outside world that he is an investor from the provincial capital who is planning to build a private club in Linjiang."

Wang Shiyu nodded: "Uncle Chen is very thoughtful. We'll do as you say."

"Okay, I'll arrange it right away."

Chen Guodong picked up the phone, then remembered something and looked at Wang Shiyu: "By the way, Shiyu, the city can cover part of the cost of rebuilding the manor as a way of thanking Doctor Ye."

"No need," Wang Shiyu shook her head, her smile carrying a hidden meaning. "I'll pay for it."

"My brother is very shrewd; he should remember this favor to me."

Chen Guodong was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter: "You silly girl, I'm too embarrassed to expose your little schemes."

Wang Shiyu blushed and pouted, but did not refute anything.