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

Green Ivy stood at the doorway, her hand still resting on the doorframe, completely frozen.

"Dual...dual cultivation?"

"Yes, dual cultivation. Not ordinary dual cultivation, but using my yang energy to completely expel the remaining cold toxins from your body. Massage can only clear the meridians and expel turbid qi, but the root of the cold toxins is deep in your dantian, which cannot be reached without dual cultivation."

Shen Yifei spoke in a very serious tone, as if he were discussing some academic issue.

Green Ivy's face flushed red, then turned pale, then red again, and finally she bit her lip.

"I...I'll go back and think about it."

"Come anytime you're ready. But I'm warning you, this cold toxin doesn't wait for anyone. You can expel some today, but it will grow back from the root tomorrow. The longer you delay, the deeper the roots will take hold."

Green Ivy nodded, pushed open the door, and went out.

As the footsteps faded into the distance, Liu Mengli floated out of the cauldron, sat on the table, and swung her legs back and forth.

"Master, what you just said sounded so real."

"What do you mean by 'as real as it seems'? It is real. She does indeed have cold poison in her body, and dual cultivation can indeed cure it. What did I lie to her about?"

"You didn't lie to her, but you omitted some details. For example, during dual cultivation, you have to take off her clothes and hold her."

"That's a treatment method."

"Alright, alright, treatment methods." Liu Mengli rolled her eyes. "Master, do you think Green Ivy will come tomorrow?"

"have no idea."

"I guessed she would come. That girl will definitely toss and turn all night, unable to sleep. The more she thinks about it, the more uncomfortable she feels from the cold poison in her body, and the more she thinks you're right. I understand women's minds best; once she's made up her mind, not even nine oxen could pull her back."

Shen Yifei didn't reply, took off his outer robe and lay down on the bed.

"Master, you're not going to cultivate with me tonight?"

I'm tired tonight, I'll take a rest.

"You were so energetic when you were giving Green Ivy a massage, with your hand on her lower abdomen. I think you've pitched a tent really high on the grassland."

Shen Yifei turned over, his back to her.

Liu Mengli floated onto the bed and lay on his back, her lips close to his ear.

"Master, are you disgusted with me?"

"no."

"Then why haven't you contacted me lately?"

"I'm busy as a dog every day, I don't have time to take the initiative to contact you."

"What are you busy with? Busy flirting with the female disciples of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion."

"That's the important thing. Once we take over the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion, our lives will be much easier."

Liu Mengli snorted, slid off his back, and lay down next to him.

"Master, I'm warning you, if you dare abandon me, I'll haunt you even as a ghost."

"What's the difference between you and a ghost now?"

"There is a difference. Ghosts can't cultivate with you, but I can."

Shen Yifei ignored her and closed his eyes.

Silent all night.

The next morning, before Shen Yifei had even opened his eyes, there was a knock on the door.

It's not a pothos, it's a red smartweed.

"Get up, my senior sister is calling you."

Shen Yifei rubbed his eyes and opened the door. Song Hongliao was standing at the door. Today she was wearing a gray-white dress, and her ponytail was still tied high. She didn't have a knife on her waist.

"What is it?"

"I don't know. You'll find out when you get there."

Shen Yifei followed her towards the main hall. Song Hongliao walked ahead of him, three steps away, without turning her head. Shen Yifei could see the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end; this woman was nervous.

"Didn't you sleep well last night?" Shen Yifei asked.

"You slept well."

"Then why are the hairs on your neck standing up?"

Song Hongliao turned around abruptly and glared at him. "Is it any of your business?"

"I was just asking, what's the rush?"

Song Hongliao snorted and quickened her pace.

When she reached the entrance of the main hall, Song Hongliao stopped.

"Go in by yourself, I'll wait outside."

Aren't you going in?

"My senior sister didn't call me."

Shen Yifei pushed open the door and went in. Gu Yunyan was wearing a bright red dress today. The red color made her skin look like cream. She was barefoot on the stone slabs, and all ten of her toes were painted with black nail polish.

"You're here?" She slumped in her chair. "I heard from Hongliao that you refined a demonic pill last night?"

Shen Yifei took out one and handed it to her.

Gu Yunyan held the pill up to her eyes to look at it, then put it under her nose to smell it.

"Mid-grade?"

"Yes. The green ivy controls the fire, the oriole delivers the medicinal herbs, and the red smartweed monitors the stove temperature."

"Three people helped you refine just one mid-grade pill?" Gu Yunyan threw the pill on the table, her voice revealing neither joy nor anger. Shen Yifei took out the remaining three pills from his storage ring.

Gu Yunyan put away the three pills, "Not enough mid-grade ones."

"It's already quite good that I managed to refine a mid-grade one, Pavilion Master. We can't be greedy. Many alchemists spend their entire lives trying to refine even one mid-grade one, and I only used one night. Besides, the amount of demonic energy I have in my body..."

"I don't care, I only want the best."

Shen Yifei laughed, "Sect Master, you're asking for top-grade stuff like it's free. Do you even know what a top-grade magic pill is? The raw materials have to be ore with 70% magic essence content, the heat has to be precise to the last second, and the medicinal herbs have to be over a hundred years old. The medicinal herbs on your Cangwu Mountain are all wild, and while they're old enough, no one takes care of them, so the quality is inconsistent. It's already good enough if you can refine a mid-grade one."

"That's your business." Gu Yunyan put her legs down from the armrest, her bare feet on the ground, and leaned forward. "You said that if you cultivated to the highest level, I would cultivate with you. If you failed, you would leave with your arms and legs. You said it yourself, I didn't force you."

"Oh dear, Master, it seems all you care about are my arms and legs. How can I give you a massage or refine a mid-grade demonic pill without them?"

Gu Yunyan didn't reply. She walked up to him, put her hand on his shoulder, and tightened her grip.

She was probing Shen Yifei's dantian, and Shen Yifei dared not resist. In front of her, he had no ability to resist at all.

"Those wisps of demonic energy within you are still there? And they're even growing?"

"Yes. The demonic energy from Mount Cangwu dissipates in the air, and the few wisps of black energy in my dantian can absorb it on their own. Sect Master, this must be because your demonic energy is special, capable of cultivating itself."

Gu Yunyan shook her head. "It's not that my demonic energy is special, it's that your dantian is strange."

Gu Yunyan took two steps back. "Spiritual energy and demonic energy coexist, and it can automatically absorb demonic energy from the outside world. This is the first time I've seen such a physique."

Shen Yifei thought to himself, "This is nothing. I haven't even seen my special features yet!"

After a moment of silence, Gu Yunyan held up three fingers. "Three days. I'll give you three days. If you can't produce the top-grade demon pill by then, don't blame me for turning my back on you."

Shen Yifei chuckled, "I'll give you the best in three days, but it won't be free. You have to agree to three conditions."

"What are the conditions?"

"First, I can't take the top-grade demon pills for free; I'll pay the market price in spirit stones. Second, I can use any medicinal herbs from the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion. Third, when you cultivate with me, you can't act high and mighty; you have to do whatever I tell you to do."

Gu Yunyan narrowed her eyes. "Third condition: you think I'll do whatever you tell me to do? You wish!"

"Sect Master, this is a transaction. You give me three times the price, and I'll give you a top-grade demonic pill. Once the impurities in your demonic energy are cleared, my cultivation will increase significantly. It's a fair trade, and neither of us loses out."

"Aren't you afraid I'll drain you dry?"

"Sect Master, are you really willing to drain the life out of a man who can refine top-grade demonic pills for you?"

Gu Yunyan snorted, "Fine, I agree. Produce a top-grade demonic pill in three days, and I'll agree to all your conditions. If you can't, hehe, I'll cut off three of your legs!"