On the path to immortality, I can see destiny.

Zhao Fan sat on the wooden bed, going over the events of being followed during the day in his mind.

The man followed him all the way, but didn't make a move, or even get close; he just followed from a distance.

This shows that the other party clearly respects the sect's rules, so he won't be in too much danger.

However, since they chose to follow them, they must have some ulterior motive, which is not a good thing no matter how you look at it.

But he currently lacks the ability to investigate or prevent it.

All he can do is be more careful.

He put that matter aside for the time being and started thinking about something else.

His resources were almost exhausted. His monthly stipend of thirty spirit stones for half a year, six bottles of low-grade pills, plus what he had left over, totaled less than sixty spirit stones.

It seems like a lot, but it's simply not enough for cultivation.

Spirit stones are frequently consumed, and pills are only needed once every half month. Although the old man still exchanges contribution points for pills, he already owes him a lot of favors and is too embarrassed to ask again.

He now needs to earn spirit stones himself.

For him, the best way to earn spirit stones was still alchemy.

Although his spiritual sense was weak, after cultivating the Spirit Nourishing Technique for half a year, it was not much weaker than when he was at the fourth level of Qi Refining.

More importantly, he possesses the skill of transforming spiritual energy into silk, the alchemy manual left by his master, and the lapis lazuli furnace. These things are enough for him to refine high-quality pills.

However, he dared not openly refine pills and sell them for money within the Suyang Sect.

Throughout the entire Suyang Sect, alchemy is primarily handled by Danfeng.

Danfeng has a dedicated alchemy room, a dedicated supply channel for medicinal herbs, and a dedicated sales network for medicinal pills.

Is it against the rules for outer sect disciples to privately refine and sell pills? He didn't know; he needed to figure out the sect's rules first.

Zhao Fan thought about it for a long time and decided to ask the old man tomorrow.

The old man held a high position in Danfeng, and he should be aware of these rules.

If possible, he would try to refine pills to earn some spirit stones; if not, he would think of other ways.

Having made up his mind, he made a hand seal and closed his eyes.

A night passed in the blink of an eye.

The next morning, after tidying up the spirit field, Zhao Fan changed into a clean Taoist robe and headed deep into the back mountain.

He has been in Danfeng for a year and a half, but has never been to any other place in Danfeng.

The old man usually came down the mountain to collect medicinal herbs on his own, and he never went with him to take a look.

Walking up the stone steps and through a bamboo forest, the view suddenly opens up before you.

Danfeng is not a single mountain, but a second-order spiritual vein extending from the main peak of the Suyang Sect. Together with the surrounding mountains, it all falls within the scope of Danfeng.

The main peak is the highest, shrouded in clouds and mist, and clusters of buildings can be vaguely seen built against the mountain, layer upon layer.

On either side of the main peak, there are several smaller peaks, some planted with spiritual plants, some with alchemy rooms, and some where disciples live.

The mountain with the most abundant spiritual energy is where the Foundation Establishment elders of Danfeng reside. The entire mountain is shrouded in an array, and outsiders are not allowed to enter.

Zhao Fan walked along the stone steps for about half an hour and arrived at the foot of the mountain.

At the mountain gate, a young monk was on guard.

Upon seeing Zhao Fan approach, he immediately asked.

"Junior brother, what brings you here?"

Zhao Fan respectfully clasped his hands in greeting and began to speak.

"I've come to see Senior Gu. Please inform him that Zhao Fan, an outer disciple, requests an audience."

Senior Gu was that old man. Zhao Fan did not know his full name, but he had only seen inner disciples call him Uncle Gu.

"Hold on."

The young cultivator nodded and took out a low-level transmission talisman to activate it.

Before long, a streak of light flew in from the horizon, landing in front of the two people, and the old man's voice came from it.

"Let him in."

Having received a definite reply, the young cultivator stepped aside to make way.

"Junior brother, keep walking straight ahead. Near the top of the mountain, there is a small courtyard, which is Uncle Gu's residence."

Zhao Fan nodded, thanked him, and started walking up the mountain.

After walking for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Zhao Fan finally saw the small courtyard the young cultivator had mentioned.

The courtyard was small, with blue bricks and gray tiles, and a few bamboo stalks planted in front of the door. It looked no different from an ordinary farmhouse.

But he knew this was the old man's residence. He stood at the door, straightened his clothes, and raised his hand to knock.

"Come in."

The old man's voice came from inside.

Zhao Fan pushed open the door and entered. In the courtyard, the old man was sitting at a stone table, holding a cup of tea in his hand, with a chessboard in front of him, playing against himself.

Seeing Zhao Fan enter, he put down his teacup and gestured for Zhao Fan to sit down.

"What brings you here so early?"

Zhao Fan did not sit down, but clasped his hands in a salute before speaking.

"Senior, I have a question to ask you."

The old man nodded.

"explain."

Zhao Fan immediately gave a brief explanation of his thoughts.

After listening, the old man picked up his teacup, took a sip, and remained silent for a moment before speaking.

"The sect does not explicitly prohibit its disciples from refining and selling pills, but there are two ways to do so."

He put down his teacup and held up one finger.

"The first option is for you to do it yourself. You can buy medicinal herbs from Danfeng at a fair price, refine them into pills, and then find your own sales channels."

"Whether it's sold to outer disciples or servants, or entrusted to someone to take it to the market, it has nothing to do with Danfeng."

"Whether you earn a lot or a little, it's all yours, but you also bear the risks. You have to pay for the medicinal herbs first, and if you can't sell them, they'll be stuck with you. Moreover, Danfeng won't provide any guarantees for your pills. If there are any problems, you'll be responsible for them yourself."

Zhao Fan nodded; this was pretty much what he had in mind.

The old man extended his second finger.

"Secondly, by cooperating with Danfeng, you won't need to spend spirit stones to buy medicinal herbs; Danfeng will provide them as needed."

"Once it's refined, Danfeng will handle the unified purchase and sales. You don't need to worry about sales channels. Danfeng's reputation is there, so you won't have to worry about selling it."

"However, there are many rules. Of all the profits from selling pills, the sect takes 50%, and the remaining 50% is yours."

"Moreover, Danfeng has very strict control over the quality of pills. If the quality is not good, Danfeng will not accept them, and you will have to bear the cost yourself."

Zhao Fan fell silent. Both paths had their advantages and disadvantages.

The first option offers freedom, but it's risky. You need to find your own sales channels, which is time-consuming and not guaranteed.

The second option is stable, but half of the profits are taken away, and the quality requirements are high.

He quickly considered the matter in his mind and soon made a decision.

"Senior, this disciple chooses the second option: to cooperate with Danfeng."

The old man glanced at him, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure.

Why?

Zhao Fan told the truth.

"I currently lack spirit stones to buy medicinal herbs, and I also lack the time and energy to find sales channels, so the first method is not suitable for me."

"Although cooperating with Danfeng will reduce profits by half, it offers greater stability. This disciple only needs to focus on refining pills and need not worry about anything else."

After listening, the old man smiled slightly and nodded.

"You've thought this through quite well."

He stood up, put his hands behind his back, and took a few steps in the courtyard, seemingly hesitant.

After a moment's thought, the old man took out a wooden plaque with the character "Dan" on it and tossed it to Zhao Fan.

"Keep this safe. Whenever you start refining pills, you can use this wooden token to go directly to the main peak to collect the corresponding spiritual herbs. After the pills are completed, you can settle the account."

Zhao Fan was overjoyed, reached out and took the wooden plaque, and clasped his hands in greeting.

"Thank you so much, senior!"

The old man waved his hand.

"What are you thanking me for? You earn spirit stones by refining pills, and Pill Peak also earns money. It's a win-win situation."

"However, your spiritual sense has not recovered yet. It's best to take your time with alchemy. You should focus on improving your cultivation and spiritual sense first. Otherwise, with your current spiritual sense, I'm afraid not a single pill you refine will pass inspection."

Zhao Fan nodded solemnly.

"Disciple understands."

The old man sat back down at the stone table, picked up his teacup, and casually waved his hand.

"Alright, if there's nothing else, go back now."

Zhao Fan tactfully clasped his hands in farewell and turned to leave the courtyard.

Once outside, he walked down the stone steps, silently making plans in his mind.

Partnering with Danfeng and splitting the profits 50/50 might not sound like much, but if you do the math, it might not be any worse than working alone.

Going it alone means you have to pay for the medicinal herbs, find sales channels, spend time, and there's no guarantee you'll be able to sell them.

In the end, the actual profit received may not even be as much as what is after 50% is taken away.

Moreover, with the reputation of Danfeng, he doesn't have to worry about not being able to sell his pills or being pressured to lower the price. He can focus on refining pills and cultivating.

Of course, most importantly, some choices that seem like choices are actually not choices at all.

The source of the spiritual medicine is controlled by Danfeng. If you try to do it yourself and do it poorly, it's better not to do it at all. If you do it well and steal Danfeng's business, then it will be even more dangerous.