A god-level alchemist, starting by manually crafting forbidden pills.

On the mountain road.

Bai Jie walked at the front, her steps unhurried, elegant and dignified.

Luo Fan followed beside him, hesitant to speak, swallowing his words several times.

Midozhi followed at the back, looking around, occasionally picking a wildflower by the roadside, and humming a little tune.

The atmosphere remained delicate.

Until we reached the fork in the road.

One road leads to the inner gate, another to the outer gate, and yet another to Danfeng Peak.

"That's enough for now, I'll go back and report."

Bai Jie turned to look at Luo Fan, her red lips twitching slightly, "You...go back and rest early."

"Alright."

Luo Fan nodded. "After being out for so long, we need to give an explanation."

"Um."

Bai Jie's voice was devoid of any emotion. "Don't worry, I won't say anything I shouldn't."

After saying that, she glanced at Midozhi indifferently, then turned and walked towards the inner gate.

Her clothes fluttered in the wind, her back view was aloof and cold.

Luo Fan opened his mouth, but finally sighed.

"Hey bro~"

Midozhi leaned closer, winked, and said, "Senior Sister Bai seems angry~ Do you want to go and coax her?"

"Junior sister, you should go back too."

Luo Fan glanced at her and said helplessly, "Elder Kong should be worried."

"Okay, okay~"

Midozhi waved her hand, took out a small paper packet from her bosom, and handed it to Luo Fan.

"Here, take this."

"I made this osmanthus cake myself!"

She leaned closer and lowered her voice, "It'll be as sweet as me~"

Watching her skip and hop away, Luo Fan held the bag of osmanthus cakes, shaking his head and chuckling.

Are you sure it's not salty?

He turned and walked towards Danfeng.

They had only taken a few steps when they heard Midozhi's shouts from behind.

"Hey bro! Remember to think of me!"

Luo Fan stumbled, but waved his hand without turning his head.

Not far away, a gloomy gaze stared at Luo Fan's back, his fist clenched.

It was Ji Kun.

A few days ago, he was subjected to a thousand lashes of the Spirit-Severing Whip in the Discipline Hall.

Even after several days of rest, that heart-wrenching fear still frequently woke me from my dreams.

What's even more hateful is that, as the eldest disciple of the Deacon Hall, Gao Yi no longer places high hopes on him and has even distanced himself from him because of the last incident.

"Luo Fan, it's all because of you, you piece of trash!"

The more Ji Kun thought about it, the more suspicious it seemed.

That day, he witnessed Bai Jie taking the tampered Rejuvenation Pill. Not only did he fail to achieve his goal, but he also suffered a severe beating!

Then there's only one possibility: that good-for-nothing was already prepared the day he approached Luo Fan.

He said coldly, "This time I was careless. Let's see if you can survive tonight!"

"And Bai Jie, you shameless woman, I'll make you kneel before me and repent one day!"

What Ji Kun can't have, no one else can have either.

Especially this despicable woman, who willingly stooped to associating with a piece of trash like Luo Fan.

This is tantamount to slapping him in the face!

It's like if you help him gather the spiritual herbs needed to refine the Qi Condensation Pill, that good-for-nothing can pass the test smoothly.

He could have waited until Luo Fan was expelled from the sect before making his move, but...

He didn't want to wait!

He wanted to make this good-for-nothing suffer to death to avenge the thousand lashes he had received.

Ji Kun put away his folding fan, turned and left as if he had never been there.

The Deacon's Hall.

Bai Jie entered the hall and bowed upwards.

"Master, your disciple has returned."

Gao Yi put down the file in his hand, looked up, and his gaze lingered on Bai Jie for a moment.

Are you injured?

He frowned slightly.

Bai Jie remained calm. "It's a minor injury; it's nothing serious."

Gao Yi didn't ask any further questions, simply nodding. "The elixir has been found?"

Clearly, he also believed that Bai Jie went out to help Luo Fan find the medicinal materials to refine the Qi Condensation Pill.

Bai Jie replied, "Master, please forgive me. Time was of the essence, and I took it upon myself to leave with Junior Brother Luo without prior notice."

Is it worth it?

Gao Yi sighed, "You should know that there's no way he'll stay, so why bother?"

"As the senior sister, I should help my junior brother within my ability when he asks for something."

Bai Jie glanced at Gao Yi and said, "Taking care of fellow disciples is Master's teaching, and I dare not forget it."

"You are indeed much stronger than your senior brother."

Gao Yi's gaze softened considerably. "Tell your master who injured you, and where is that thief?"

He exuded a cold aura as he stared intently at Bai Jie.

"He's dead."

Bai Jie's answer was simple and straightforward: "This disciple does not know that person's name, only that he calls himself the Black Wind Envoy."

"What?!"

Gao Yi was taken aback.

He slammed his fist on the table and stood up abruptly, exclaiming, "You actually encountered the Yin Bone Demon and even killed him!"

He quickly walked up to Bai Jie and looked his disciple over again.

He took a few deep breaths before asking, "Did you know that the demon was a Golden Core cultivator? Even I, your master, couldn't guarantee I could kill him. How did you manage it?"

"I was able to return thanks to Junior Brother Luo Fan."

He looked at Gao Yi with his brows furrowed.

She continued, "That old demon was fighting with someone and was seriously injured. Junior Brother Luo Fan used himself as bait and paralyzed him with a special spiritual medicine, which is how I succeeded."

"hehe."

Gao Yi smiled knowingly. "So, it seems that the disciples taught by Senior Brother Li aren't all the same. What about what happened to your senior brother a few days ago?"

His words were brief and to the point, but his sharp gaze remained fixed on Bai Jie without blinking.

Bai Jie reacted quickly, "I went to Danfeng before my last mission, and Junior Brother Luo gave me some medicine to ward off evil spirits and miasma."

She didn't say much either, nor did she say whether the medicine came from Li Chishui's legacy or from Luo Fan.

She bowed again and said, "It was not my intention to injure my senior brother that day. If Master does not believe me, please send someone to investigate."

"Hmph, that beast brought it upon himself. Why would I, his master, trouble myself with him!"

Gao Yi looked at Bai Jie and breathed a sigh of relief. "Fortunately, nothing serious happened. Your taking him out to find medicinal herbs is a way of returning the favor and repaying your kindness."

Bai Jie nodded without saying anything more.

After a moment, Gao Yi asked again, "Should I put in a good word for that kid with the sect leader?"

"My master once said that rotten wood is rotten wood, and therefore cannot be carved."

She then changed the subject, saying, "If Junior Brother Luo Fan cannot stay with his true abilities, and instead causes Master to be gossiped about, then that would be the greatest filial impiety of your disciple."

Gao Yi didn't reply, but a smile appeared in his eyes; he was very satisfied with Bai Jie's answer.

"This is a very important matter. I will report this to the sect leader. You may go and rest."

He waved his hand.

"Yes."

The moment Bai Jie turned and left the deacon's hall, her red lips also curved into a smile.

While others were unaware of the cause and effect between the sect leader and the Yin Bone Demon, she and Luo Fan were fully aware of it this time.

I only hope that the sect leader will give Xiao Fan a break, considering this cause and effect.

The consequences of severing one's path to enlightenment are immense, even if Xiao Fan gained some opportunities.

She wasn't sure if Luo Fan could pass the assessment in a dozen days.

Ultimately, the Qi Condensation Pill is a Xuan-level pill, and it is impossible to refine it without reaching the Foundation Establishment stage.

Moreover, it is not something that ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators can refine.

but…

It's unclear what she was thinking, but she snorted to herself and turned to walk away from her own courtyard.

Instead... it's the Spirit Kitchen.

Main peak.

The silver moon hangs high, casting its light.

The main hall of the sect leader was brightly lit, and two women sat inside.

It was Yunxi and Liu Linglong.

Liu Linglong was still wearing a purple dress, her long, slender legs crossed and resting on one leg.

One of the jade-like feet was dangling a shoe from the toe of its foot.

She doesn't resemble a fairy at all, who is detached from worldly affairs; instead, she seems rather vulgar.

Yunxi couldn't help but chuckle, "Junior sister, you're becoming more and more like a woman."

"She is a woman."

Liu Linglong tossed her long hair, her earlobes flushed red. "That little guy is back, I think..."

She hesitated, glancing shyly at Yunxi, her heart racing slightly.

Yunxi chuckled, pretending to be nonchalant, and replied, "You've already thought about it?"

Liu Linglong: "???"

Looking at Yunxi's ambiguous smile, she was stunned for a moment, but then she stomped her foot in a coquettish manner.

"Senior sister, you're the sect leader, can't you act like one?"

She rolled her eyes; her senior sister always acted so serious in front of others.

Only in front of her could he say anything, and he would always bring up the most sensitive topics.

Why not just call her the Fairy of the Teapot?

"Go, go see him."

Yunxi smiled and said, "Be careful not to scare him."

"wrong!"

Liu Linglong stood up.

With a gentle pinch of two fingers, "It's not about being mindful of the degree, but rather... mastering the degree."

She chuckled and left the main hall.

At the same time, a figure suddenly landed outside the mountain gate.

The disciple guarding the gate recognized the newcomer and greeted him, "Senior Brother Zhou is back."

Zhou Ming nodded indifferently, expressionless, and walked past them into the mountain gate.

One of the disciples shivered.

"Strange, why does Senior Brother Zhou seem so cold?"

"Stop being so paranoid. It's cold in the mountains at night. Your own cultivation isn't up to par, so who can you blame?"

"..."