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

Shen Yifei followed the guards into the Black Stone Palace, passed through a dimly lit corridor, and arrived at a spacious stone chamber.

In the center of the stone chamber stood a huge black stone table, piled high with various bottles, jars, and scrolls. Behind the table sat a handsome young man.

The young man looked to be no more than twenty years old, with a handsome face, clear eyebrows and bright eyes. He wore a black brocade robe and held a folding fan in his hand, gently waving it, exuding a dashing and debonair air.

If Shen Yifei hadn't known beforehand that he was Jin Lian, he would have almost thought he was some rich kid.

"Master Jin, the person has been brought." The guard bowed.

Jin Lian raised his eyelids and looked at Shen Yifei, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes as he sized him up.

Shen Yifei quickly changed his tone and imitated the walking posture that Liu Mengli had taught him, stepping forward gracefully and bowing slightly, "This humble woman, Shen Ling'er, greets Master Jin."

Jin Lian stared at him for a few moments, then sniffed lightly, his curiosity about Shen Yifei growing even stronger.

A woman who possesses several different auras at the same time is a rare sight.

Although this woman was a bit burly, she was quite good-looking and was good material for refining a beauty soul.

A slight smile played on his lips. "Shen Ling'er? A fine name. May I ask what business Miss Shen has with me?"

"I have heard that Master Jin is an expert in Soul Refining Pills, so I have come to ask for one."

"Oh, really..." Jin Lian picked up the bottle of pills Shen Yifei had given him, smelled it, and asked, "Shen Ling'er, did you refine all these top-grade pills?"

Shen Yifei's voice was soft and delicate, with a touch of just the right amount of shyness, "Master Jin has a good eye. This humble woman does indeed know a little about alchemy."

Jin Lian brought the jade bottle to his nose and smelled it again. His eyes narrowed slightly, as if he were savoring some exquisite wine. "A top-grade pill, of superior quality, with clear pill patterns. Its medicinal properties are mild yet domineering. There are very few people in the entire cultivation world who can refine such a pill."

He put down the jade bottle, a hint of amusement in his gaze as he looked at Shen Yifei. "Miss Shen, you are so young yet possess such skill in alchemy. May I ask who your teacher is?"

Shen Yifei feigned surprise and gently shook his head, "This humble woman has no teacher; I've simply enjoyed tinkering with herbs since childhood and figured things out on my own."

"You figured it out yourself?" Jin Lian raised an eyebrow. "Miss Shen is being too modest. If top-grade pills could be figured out by oneself, then all the alchemists in the world should go home and farm."

Shen Yifei was caught off guard by his question and quickly lowered her head, feigning shyness. "Master Jin, you flatter me. I was just lucky and managed to refine a few occasionally."

Jin Lian stared at him for a few moments, then suddenly smiled. "Miss Shen, there's no need to be nervous. I was just asking casually. Since you've come seeking a pill, I won't beat around the bush. I have a pill here called 'Beauty's Soul,' made primarily from the soul of a beautiful woman. Consuming it not only greatly nourishes the soul but also preserves youth and beauty. If you're interested, Miss Shen, I can refine one for you, but…"

He paused, then added, "The cost of this refining process is quite high."

Shen Yifei's heart skipped a beat, but she put on an innocent expression. "What price? Please tell me, Master Jin. As long as the pill can be refined, I am willing to pay any price."

Jin Lian stood up, walked out from behind the desk, walked to Shen Yifei, and circled around him. The cold aura emanating from him made Shen Yifei feel somewhat uncomfortable.

"The price... is very simple." Jin Lian stopped behind him, leaned close to his ear, and whispered, "I need a wisp of Miss Shen's soul as a catalyst."

Shen Yifei thought to himself, "This old man has no good intentions. He says he wants a wisp of divine soul, but he actually wants to test my strength."

If you really hand over your soul, he will most likely place some kind of restriction on it, and you won't even know how you died.

But he wore an innocent expression, blinking his eyes, which Liu Mengli had painted large and bright, and asked, "Master Jin wants a wisp of my soul? Won't that...won't it hurt a lot?"

Seeing his expression, Jin Lian's smile deepened. He tapped his palm lightly with his folding fan. "Don't worry, Miss Shen, I will be very gentle. There will only be a momentary sting, and it won't damage your foundation."

"Well... alright then." Shen Yifei bit her lip, as if she had made a great decision. "As long as Master Jin can help me refine a beauty soul, a wisp of divine soul is nothing."

Jin Lian nodded in satisfaction and gestured for her to follow him. "Miss Shen, please come with me. Let's go to the alchemy room to discuss this in detail."

Shen Yifei followed Jin Lian through a long corridor and arrived at a pill-refining room.

This alchemy room was much more impressive than the stone chamber outside, with a three-zhang-tall alchemy furnace placed in the center.

Jin Lian walked up to the alchemy furnace, patted the furnace wall, and asked, "Miss Shen, what do you think of this alchemy furnace?"

"Master Jin's alchemy furnace is truly a treasure. However..."

"Hmm... but what? Miss Shen, what problem have you noticed?"

"However, I wonder what kind of pills this furnace can refine?"

Jin Lian thought that Shen Yifei could refine top-grade pills, so he wanted to control her and have her refine pills for him.

At the same time, they also wanted to show off their abilities, since they were in the same industry.

He took out a jade bottle, poured out a dark-colored pill, and said, "Miss Shen, look at this pill. It is the newly refined Beauty Soul. Smell it."

Shen Yifei leaned closer and smelled it. Sure enough, there was a faint, unusual fragrance. The fragrance was indeed different from that of ordinary pills. It seemed to be a mixture of medicinal fragrance and a woman's body fragrance.

"Master Jin, this Beauty Soul..." Shen Yifei asked curiously, "What kind of divine soul was it made of?"

Upon hearing his question, Jin Lian sighed slightly, a hint of regret on his face. "Speaking of which, I do have some regrets. A few days ago, I captured a female cultivator from the border of the Northern Underworld. She was at the early stage of the Tribulation Transcending realm and possessed unparalleled beauty. I originally intended to use her to refine a top-grade beauty soul, but unfortunately..."

"What's the pity?"

"It's a pity that the female cultivator was too fierce. She didn't cooperate at all when her soul was extracted, so the quality of the resulting beauty soul was greatly reduced."

Shen Yifei's face also showed regret. He regretted that the woman's beauty had been wasted.

"Miss Shen, come here, let me lend you a wisp of your soul, and I'll refine a beautiful soul for you to see."

As Jin Lian spoke, he beckoned Shen Yifei to come to the alchemy furnace.

Jin Lian pointed to a futon next to the alchemy furnace. "Miss Shen, please sit down. Let's begin. Relax your mind. I will use a secret method to extract a wisp of your soul; it won't hurt."

Shen Yifei sat down as instructed, putting on an innocent and naive look. "Master Jin, please be gentle. I'm most afraid of pain."

Jin Lian chuckled and said, "Miss Shen, don't be afraid, it will only hurt for a moment..."

After saying that, he formed a hand seal and was about to extract Shen Yifei's soul.