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

The next morning, he went to the mission hall with the spirit stones in his pocket.

A long queue formed at the entrance of the mission hall, filled with inner disciples who had come to register. Shen Yifei stood at the very end of the line, craning his neck to look ahead. He roughly counted at least two hundred people.

"So many people have signed up, but there are only twenty spots available. Do they even have a chance to be selected?" A male cultivator in front of him muttered to the person next to him.

"Even if we don't get selected, we still have to try. What if we do get selected? The Tianyuan Secret Realm only opens once every hundred years. It would be such a pity to miss it."

"That's true. But eight hundred spirit stones is too expensive. I've saved up my entire savings of three years, and it's all gone."

"You can't catch a wolf without risking your cub, and you can't enter the secret realm without spending spirit stones. If you're worried about spending money, leave now and don't take up a spot."

The man fell silent, looking embarrassed.

Senior Sister Li from the Mission Hall called out loudly, "Line up properly, don't push. The registration fee is eight hundred spirit stones. After paying, you'll receive a token and wait for further notice. Spirit stones will not be refunded if you're not selected!"

Upon hearing that the spirit stones would not be refunded, the disciples in line protested!

"If you can't be elected, why shouldn't you step down!"

"Senior Sister Li, did the sect leader set this rule, or are you going to earn money to support a gigolo?"

"You think you can get rich off this little bit of money? Is our clan broke?"

As the crowd was making a fuss, a group of people suddenly surrounded them, led by Elder Gu!

As soon as he appeared, the group fell silent, and no one dared to make a sound.

"Those who want to sign up, stay; those who don't, leave!" Elder Gu's voice was unreadable.

With just one word from Elder Gu, more than half of the group of over two hundred people quickly left.

The others lined up quietly, inching forward step by step.

Shen Yifei remained at the back of the group. When Elder Gu saw him, he nodded and turned to leave.

Shen Yifei waited in line for almost half an hour before it was finally his turn.

Senior Sister Li sat behind the table with an account book in front of her and a large wooden box next to her, which was already half full of spirit stones.

"Name, cultivation level."

"Shen Yifei, early stage of Foundation Establishment."

Senior Sister Li looked up at him and asked, "You're going too?"

"go."

"Eight hundred spirit stones."

Shen Yifei handed over the cloth bag.

Senior Sister Li took it, poured it out, counted it, confirmed it was correct, and threw it into the wooden box. Then she made a note in the ledger and handed him a jade slip.

"Take this and wait for further instructions. Your jade slip will light up if you are selected."

He took the jade slip back to his courtyard and stayed home for the next two days without going anywhere else.

On the first day, the jade slip did not light up.

The jade slip still didn't light up the next day.

Shen Yifei started to get restless. Eight hundred spirit stones! Just like that, they went down the drain?

He was pondering whether to go to the mission hall to ask when the jade slip in his hand suddenly hummed and lit up.

White light shone through the jade slip, illuminating the entire room.

Shen Yifei almost jumped out of bed.

It's a winner! It's been selected!

He clutched the jade slip, his initial heartache turning into excitement. The eight hundred spirit stones hadn't been wasted!

Before the excitement had even subsided, there was a knock on the courtyard gate.

"Junior Brother Shen! Are you home?" It was Qin Wan's voice.

Opening the door, Qin Wan looked on with a resentful expression, "Junior Brother Shen, this trip was too dangerous for you!"

"Senior sister, I just want to give it a try! It's okay, I can protect myself!"

Qin Wan glanced at him, then hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but couldn't.

"What's wrong?"

"Junior Brother Shen, there's something I need to make clear to you. The Hehuan Sect selected twenty people for this trip to the Tianyuan Secret Realm. Do you know what their cultivation levels are?"

"have no idea."

"Fifteen are at the Golden Core stage, four are at the peak of Foundation Establishment." Qin Wan paused, "And you're the only one at the early Foundation Establishment stage."

Shen Yifei was stunned.

"Just me?"

"That's right. Originally, you wouldn't have been even ranked if you were selected based on cultivation level. Elder Gu personally selected you."

"Elder Gu?"

"Yes. Elder Gu said that you were able to reach the Foundation Establishment stage by eating medicinal residue, and your physique is extraordinary. You might be of great use in the secret realm. So he went against everyone's opinion and put you on the list."

After hearing this, Shen Yifei felt a mix of emotions.

Is Elder Gu genuinely optimistic about him, or does he have ulterior motives?

"Senior Sister Qin, those Golden Core cultivators won't think I'm a burden, will they?"

Qin Wan smiled wryly: "To be honest, some people are already dissatisfied. There's a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator named Han Zhengli who said on the spot, 'What's the point of bringing in a Foundation Establishment early stage cultivator? Are we just sending them to their deaths?' Several others echoed his sentiment."

Shen Yifei's heart sank. Han Zhengli, he remembered that name!

"But don't worry too much," Qin Wan comforted him. "Elder Gu has suppressed the issue, saying that once you enter the secret realm, everyone should rely on their own abilities and no one should drag anyone else down. As long as you don't get in their way, no one should cause you any trouble."

Shen Yifei nodded.

It's no problem? That's easy. He never intended to get involved with those people anyway. Once inside the secret realm, everyone can find their own opportunities; no one will get in anyone's way.

"There's one more thing," Qin Wan said, taking a small porcelain bottle from her bosom. "This is what I prepared for you: three antidote pills and two healing pills. There are all sorts of poisons in the secret realm, so bring it along just in case."

Shen Yifei took the porcelain bottle, feeling a warm glow in his heart.

"Thank you, Senior Sister Qin."

"No need to thank me, I'm just a messenger. Su Yao knew about it and asked me to tell you that she gave you these medicines too."

Hearing this, Shen Yifei was puzzled and wanted to ask Su Yao why she did this.

Qin Wan said, "Don't ask me, I don't know anything. Su Yao said you'd better come out alive, otherwise no one will refine pills for her!"

Qin Wan said this with a smile on her face, but her eyes were red.

"Please thank Senior Sister Su for me." Shen Yifei put the items into his ring. "When I get back, I'll forge a good batch for her."

Shen Yifei was not moved by Su Yao; their relationship was purely transactional.

"Come on, let's see if you can get back first." Qin Wan glared at him. "I heard there are over a hundred Golden Core cultivators going to the secret realm this time. You, at the early Foundation Establishment stage, are like a lamb to the slaughter. Elder Gu, what were you thinking, putting you in there?"

Shen Yifei smiled but didn't reply. He didn't know what Elder Gu was thinking, but he knew that the Tianyuan Secret Realm opened only once every hundred years and was full of good things.

Even if it were eight thousand spirit stones, let alone eight hundred, he would sell everything he owned to go.

Seeing that he remained silent, Qin Wan sighed, "Alright, I won't try to persuade you anymore. You may seem simple-minded, but you're more principled than anyone else. However, you have to promise me one thing."

"What is it?"

"You came back alive." Qin Wan stared into his eyes. "I owe you so many times!"

After saying that, he turned and left!

Around noon, a voice came from the mission jade slip, instructing the twenty selected disciples to assemble in the square!

There were already more than a dozen people standing in the training ground. Shen Yifei glanced at them; they were men and women, all with calm and composed auras.

He stood obediently at the very end of the line, head down, trying his best not to attract attention.

Elder Gu stood at the very front, flanked by two middle-aged men dressed in the grey robes of the Hehuan Sect elders. One was fair-skinned and beardless, appearing refined and scholarly, while the other had a face full of flesh and looked like a butcher.

"Is everyone here?" Elder Gu asked.

"Three more are missing." The pale-faced, beardless elder counted. "Han Zhengli, Zhou Yuanwu, and Sun Yiran are still here."

The words had barely left his lips when a whooshing sound came from afar. A burly man arrived on his sword, landing on the training ground. He sheathed his sword, surveyed the area, his gaze lingering on Shen Yifei for a moment before shifting away.

"Han Zhengli has arrived," he said.

Two more arrived, a man and a woman. The man was lean, while the woman was quite attractive, around thirty years old, and still retained her charm.

"Everyone's here." Elder Gu nodded. "Before we set off, I'd like to say a few words."

He walked back and forth a couple of steps at the front of the line, his hands behind his back.

"The Heavenly Origin Secret Realm opens once every hundred years. What's inside, nobody knows. But one thing is certain! There are opportunities, but also dangers."

He stopped and his gaze swept across everyone's face.

"I don't want to hide it from you, but this time the opening of the secret realm is different from before. In the past, only those at the Golden Core stage or above could enter, but this time even Foundation Establishment cultivators can enter. Why? I don't know. But the more abnormal something is, the more dangerous it is. Think it over carefully; it's not too late to back out now."

Nobody moved.

Elder Gu glanced at Shen Yifei again, but Shen Yifei kept his head down and remained silent.

"Alright." Elder Gu waved his hand. "Get on the ship."