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

That evening, Shen Yifei went to the stone house.

The stone house was dark. Shen Yifei pushed the door open and went in. Song Hongliao was already sitting on the edge of the bed.

She didn't tie her hair in a ponytail; it was down, draped over her shoulders. There was no knife at her waist; her hands were on her knees, and her head was bowed, like a lady from a respectable family.

Hearing the door open, she looked up at Shen Yifei, then looked down again.

Shen Yifei closed the door, walked over, and sat down next to her.

"What do you want?"

"It's nothing. Senior Sister said that Tianji Pavilion will be moved to the back mountain from now on, and we are not allowed to come to the front."

Why?

"We're afraid of trouble. There are over 800 of you and only 30 of us. If one of you has a loose tongue and reveals our identities, your Tianyan Sect will be besieged before it's even established."

Shen Yifei nodded, acknowledging Gu Yunyan's thoughtful consideration.

Being a demonic cultivator is a fatal flaw in the cultivation world; once associated with it, one is treated like a rat in the street. The three families have just moved to Cangwu Mountain and haven't even settled in yet. Revealing that Tianji Pavilion is a demonic cultivation group at this time would indeed be troublesome.

"So you've come to say goodbye?"

"What are you saying goodbye for?" Song Hongliao glared at him. "I just... I just..."

"What is it?"

"I just want to..." Song Hongliao bit her lip, her face turning red.

Seeing her expression, Shen Yifei understood. This woman hadn't come to say goodbye; she had come to collect a debt. Before, when she was at Tianji Pavilion, she could come to him anytime she wanted. Now that they had moved to the back mountain, separated by several peaks, it wasn't easy for her to come.

"I understand." Shen Yifei put his arm around her shoulder.

Song Hongliao stiffened for a moment, but didn't flinch. She slowly leaned closer and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Shen Yifei".

"Um."

Will you forget about us in the future?

"I can't forget it."

"Where's the green ivy? Where's the yellow oriole? And those others you cultivated with, do you remember them all?"

Shen Yifei thought for a moment, "I can't forget any of them."

Song Hongliao snorted.

"If you don't believe me, I'll name them one by one now. Green Ivy, Yellow Oriole, Red Medicinal Herb, Indigo, Purple Jasmine, Angelica... and there's a woman named Red Smartweed, like a little wild horse!"

Upon hearing the words "Little Wild Horse," Song Hongliao slapped Shen Yifei on the shoulder.

"You're the horse."

"You're not a horse, why are you wearing a ponytail?"

"I'm not wearing a ponytail today. Last time, I had a headache for days!"

Shen Yifei chuckled, "If you knew you'd care, why did you come?"

"If I don't come, you might forget about me."

"I can't forget it. Your name, Song Hongliao, is etched in my mind."

Song Hongliao snorted and lifted her head from his embrace. "Don't try to sweet-talk me. I'm not buying it."

"So, which one do you prefer?"

"I'm not interested in any of those options, I just want... I just want..."

……

That night, Shen Yifei was unusually gentle, which made Song Hongliao feel uncomfortable.

"Did you take the wrong medicine?" Song Hongliao lay on the bed, glaring at him. "You're dawdling like a woman."

……

……

The next day, all the sects were still busy. Shen Yifei collected some spiritual herbs and asked Gu Yunyan for a bunch of demonic ore. His main task for the day was to refine top-grade demonic pills!

With the Cauldron of All Things present, none of these are problems.

In less than a day, Shen Yifei refined fifty top-grade magic pills.

I took out five pills and fed them to the little monster. Lately, this guy hasn't been very active. He only jumps out when he smells something delicious, and he spends most of his time sleeping.

Shen Yifei always felt that the little monster changed a little every time it woke up, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what was different.

Could it be that it is also cultivating and evolving?

Shen Yifei put the pills into a jade bottle, stored them in his storage ring, and stood up to stretch his limbs.

My back is a little sore from refining elixirs all day.

He pushed open the door and went out. It was already dark, and the sky was full of stars that looked as if they had been washed.

Lights shone brightly on the three mountain peaks, and people from the three sects were still busy. They were gathering supplies, assigning lodgings, and taking stock of spiritual herbs and stones—there was plenty of work to be done.

Shen Yifei walked around.

The disciples of the Qingyun Sect occupied the left peak, and Xie Liaochen, along with several elders, was directing the disciples in building houses, working enthusiastically. Luo Qinghe was famous for his extensive planning; here were alchemy rooms, there were law enforcement halls…

The disciples of the Hehuan Sect occupied the right peak. Su Wuwang reclined on a deck chair, drinking tea and watching the disciples work. A dozen or so male disciples were shirtless, carrying stones, their muscles gleaming in the lamplight. Su Wuwang watched with great interest.

The Blood Soul Cult occupied the second peak on the left, and Yin Wuxie personally took charge of the work. Having spent so much time underground, everything looked dark and indistinct. Therefore, all the Blood Soul Cult buildings were now multicolored, a stark contrast to their previous appearance.

He couldn't help but chuckle. These three sects, put together, certainly represented a diverse range of styles.

Just then, Xie Liaochen waved to him from afar, and Luo Qinghe also looked over, clutching a roll of planning maps in his hand. Su Wuwang sat up from the recliner, and Yin Wuxie jumped down from the ladder; all three gazes fell on him simultaneously.

Shen Yifei suddenly felt a chill run down his spine and quickly turned around. "Handle your own affairs, don't come looking for me!"

Five days later, Shen Yifei went to the back mountain.

The new site of Tianji Pavilion is in a valley behind the main peak of Cangwu Mountain, surrounded by mountains on all sides, with only a narrow passage.

Gu Yunyan chose this place for two reasons: it was secluded and easy to defend. Shen Yifei walked down the stone steps and saw two women standing at the entrance of the valley, one on the left and one on the right, like two guardian deities.

On the left was a green ivy, and on the right a golden oriole. When the two saw Shen Yifei, their eyes lit up, but they didn't move; they remained standing in place, their backs ramrod straight.

Shen Yifei walked over, took out two pills from his storage ring, and gave one to each of them. "Here, top-grade demonic pills, one for each of you. From now on, without me by your side, I'll provide you with pills. Focus on improving your cultivation."

The two women were so excited they didn't know what to say. Shen Yifei hugged them one by one and walked into the depths of the back mountain.

The valley is not large, with dozens of stone houses built along the mountainside, and an open space in the middle.

Gu Yunyan sat at the entrance of the largest stone house, barefoot on the ground, holding a cup of tea in her hand. When she saw Shen Yifei coming over, she raised her eyelids slightly.

"You're here?"

Shen Yifei walked up to her, took out four jade bottles from his storage ring, and placed them in a row on the stone table in front of her. "Forty top-grade magic pills, three extra. Do me two favors."

Gu Yunyan chuckled and said, "Little thing, you never forget to negotiate with me. Just tell me what it is."

"Seal the demonic veins to prevent demonic energy from leaking out. Also, you need to reopen the mountain-sealing restrictions. Tell me how to enter and exit."

"You don't need to worry about the demonic veins." Gu Yunyan put down her teacup. "I know the demonic veins at the foot of Cangwu Mountain better than you do, and I know whether they can be sealed or not. As for the restrictions, come here."

Gu Yunyan waved to him.