The Hehuan Sect cultivates alchemy; my senior sister helps me refine alchemy throughout the world.

Shen Yifei described the alchemy process as something out of a man and woman's bedroom, making the three girls feel like they were being scratched by cat claws.

He described the curling of medicinal herbs in the fire as "legs going weak," and the merging of two herbs as "hugging together."

By the end, Green Ivy's hands were trembling, Yellow Oriole was handing over the medicine at varying speeds, and even Song Hongliao's eyes, which were fixed on the temperature readings, were starting to glaze over.

"The Cold Marrow Flower. Leave it whole, don't break it apart."

When Shen Yifei handed the flower to Huang Ying, he deliberately rubbed it against the back of her hand. "This thing is delicate. You have to coax it and put it down gently so it doesn't fall."

When Huang Ying took the flower, her fingers curled slightly, and her fingertips brushed against his palm as if she had been burned, causing her to retract them.

She put the flower into the oven, and the petals slowly curled in the fire, black sap seeping from the edges.

Shen Yifei stared at the furnace. "This is called the overflow of medicinal properties, a sign that the medicinal herbs have been activated. It's the same when you cultivate. When the demonic energy flows smoothly in your meridians, water will also come out of your dantian; that's essence."

Song Hongliao couldn't hold back any longer. "Can't you be serious for once?"

"I'm serious. The outward flow of vital energy is one of the signs of successful cultivation. Haven't you experienced this when you were cultivating? Your dantian gets warm, a warm current flows to your dantian and then dissipates, leaving you feeling comfortable all over."

The three women exchanged glances, none of them spoke, but the tips of their ears turned completely red.

Shen Yifei understood. He had completely led these three women astray; although they wouldn't admit it, their actions spoke louder than words.

"The second ingredient is the Red Fire Ganoderma. Cut the cap into three slices, each of uniform thickness. If they're too thick, the heat won't penetrate; if they're too thin, the medicinal properties won't be retained. They can't be cut too deep, nor too shallow. They have to be cut just right, neither too deep nor too shallow."

Huang Ying's hands trembled as she sliced ​​the lingzhi mushroom, resulting in three slices of uneven thickness. As she placed the slices into the furnace, her fingertips brushed against the furnace wall, causing her to hiss in pain.

Shen Yifei reached out and took her finger to look at it. There was a red patch on the fingertip, but the skin wasn't broken.

He rubbed his thumb on the red mark. "Be careful, the alchemy furnace is hot. If you hurt your finger, who's going to bring me the medicine tomorrow?"

Huang Ying's face turned as red as the red fire fungus. She pulled her hand back and clenched it against her chest, lowering her head and not daring to look at him.

"The third ingredient is Xuanbing Powder. This stuff melts when it comes into contact with fire, and if it melts too quickly, its medicinal properties will dissipate. It has to be wrapped in demonic energy and sent into the furnace, so that the fire can roast it through the demonic energy and melt it slowly. It's like touching a woman through her clothes; you can't just touch her directly. You have to build up a connection with her first."

Green Luo's hand, which was controlling the fire, trembled again, and the flames in the furnace suddenly surged. Shen Yifei reached out and placed his hand on the back of her hand, and dark golden spiritual energy seeped into it, suppressing the surging demonic energy.

"Stay calm. The more anxious you are, the more disobedient it will become. You have to go along with its nature. The demonic energy is like your man. The more you control it, the more it will run away. If you leave it alone, it will come back to you on its own."

Green Ivy bit her lip, feeling the intense heat from the back of his hand that was pressing against hers; she couldn't tell if it was the heat from the alchemy furnace or the temperature of his palm.

She stole a glance at Shen Yifei and found that he was staring at the furnace and not looking at her. She breathed a sigh of relief, but also felt a little disappointed.

"The fourth ingredient is dragon bone glue. This stuff is hard, so it needs to be melted before putting it in the oven. You can't melt it over a high flame; you have to simmer it slowly over a low flame. Just like with a woman, you can't just go for it right away; you have to do enough foreplay!"

Song Hongliao finally couldn't hold back any longer and slammed her hand on the alchemy furnace. "Are you ever going to stop?"

The furnace made a humming sound when she slapped it, and the fire inside the furnace suddenly surged. Green Ivy was so frightened that she quickly withdrew her demonic energy, and Yellow Oriole almost dropped the pile of medicinal herbs she was holding.

Shen Yifei grabbed Song Hongliao's wrist. "What are you filming? Who's responsible if the stove explodes?"

"If the stove explodes, it's on me." Song Hongliao shook off his hand. "If you keep talking nonsense, I'll blow you up first."

"Where did I talk nonsense? I was using professional alchemy terminology. You misunderstood and now you're blaming me?"

"When you talk about keel glue, you mention foreplay. Is that a technical term?"

"That's just how dragon bone glue is. If you don't believe me, check the prescription. It says, 'Dragon bone glue is hard and needs to be simmered over a low flame until it softens on its own before it can be put into the furnace.' What I mean by 'foreplay' is just simmering it over a low flame until it softens on its own; it's just a different way of saying it."

Song Hongliao opened her mouth, only to find that she couldn't refute it.

Once all five medicinal herbs were placed into the alchemy furnace, their properties began to blend and slowly rotate within the furnace.

Shen Yifei's forehead began to sweat.

The alchemy process had reached its most crucial stage; even the slightest deviation in the heat would be disastrous. His dark golden spiritual energy, wrapped around a few wisps of demonic essence, was channeled from his fingertips into the furnace, controlling the temperature and direction of the flames.

Green Ivy was also sweating. Her magical energy was sent into the furnace through three fingers, where it mingled with Shen Yifei's spiritual energy, forming a rotating vortex inside the furnace.

Huang Ying had already handed over all the medicinal herbs and was now squatting beside the furnace, watching it nervously. Song Hongliao stared intently at the temperature indicator, not daring to blink.

"Turn off the fire," Shen Yifei said softly.

Green Ivy gradually withdrew her magical energy, and the flames in the furnace slowly died down. Yellow Oriole handed over a damp towel, which Shen Yifei took and used to wipe his face.

The lid of the alchemy furnace popped open automatically.

A strong medicinal aroma wafted out of the furnace, unlike the burnt smell of yesterday. It was a pure medicinal aroma, so rich and intense that it permeated the stone house.

The three women took a deep breath at the same time.

Shen Yifei reached into the furnace and took out the pills.

Six. They're all black, but not the dull gray of yesterday. They're a shiny black, like six black pearls lying in the palm of your hand, with a faint luster on their surface.

"Mid-grade." Shen Yifei held the pills up to his eyes and looked at them. "All six are mid-grade."

He divided the pills among the three women, saying, "One for each of you, and see how they work."

The three of them took the pill and examined it in their hands for a long time. It was shiny black, round and smooth, and had a layer of fine lines on its surface, like veins.

"Eat up, what are you standing there for?"

Without hesitation, all three women put the magic pills into their mouths.

The moment the demon pill entered their throats, the three women's expressions were remarkably identical. First, their pupils contracted sharply, as if they had been pricked by something. Then, their entire bodies stiffened, tensing inch by inch from their necks to their shoulders to their waists.

His mouth was half-open, he wanted to shout but couldn't, and only a "hoarse" sound came out of his throat.

A chilling force surged down my throat, paused briefly in my chest, and loosened the blockage of cold poison that had been accumulating for decades.

Shen Yifei looked at the three of them with a grin.

"Was it good?"

No one cares about him.

The medicinal power of the magic pill began to spread to their limbs, and the three women were covered in a layer of black sweat.

Green Ivy looked down and saw the layer of black sweat on her arm. She paused for a moment, wiped it off, smelled it under her nose, and frowned.

"Don't smell it, it stinks." Shen Yifei handed over a towel. "Go back and wash up. That's enough for tonight."

Green Ivy took the towel and wiped her face, the towel smeared with black sweat. She looked up at Shen Yifei, her lips moved, but she didn't say anything.

Huang Ying had already started walking outside, her steps were hurried, and she kept her head down, not daring to look at anyone.

Song Hongliao was the last to leave. Before she left, she paused at the door and glanced back at Shen Yifei.

This time, she left quietly, without the copper ring on the knife making a sound.