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

As the flying boat passed through the clouds, Shen Yifei looked down from the window. The mountains stretched endlessly, and palaces and pavilions were built against the mountains, far more magnificent than those of the Hehuan Sect.

Two white jade pillars stand in front of the mountain gate, each topped with a stone beast. Above the gate hangs a huge plaque with the three large characters "Qingyun Sect" inscribed on it.

Zhao Qingshan maneuvered the flying boat to land on the square outside the mountain gate, and raised his chin at Shen Yifei: "Get down."

Shen Yifei jumped down, clutching his chest, barely able to stand. He had broken several ribs, and although he had healing pills, he wasn't fully recovered yet.

He glanced at the square, where a dozen or so Qingyun Sect disciples stood around, each carrying a sword and looking somewhat puzzled.

Does a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator need such a grand display?

"Let's go." Zhao Qingshan gave him a push.

Shen Yifei was escorted by three men like a prisoner, passing through the mountain gate and going up the stone steps.

The territory of the Qingyun Sect was much larger than he had imagined. It took him almost half an hour to reach the mountainside.

The disciples they encountered along the way all glanced at them sideways and whispered among themselves.

"Is this person from the Hehuan Sect?"

"Mid-Foundation Establishment stage? I've heard that the Joyful Union Sect has at least a couple of that."

"Hehe, those moves are only good in bed, real skill, no match for you!"

Hearing these comments, Shen Yifei felt disheartened. The reputation of the Hehuan Sect wasn't very good, so it was normal for people to have criticisms.

He had a vague feeling that the Qingyun Sect's abduction of him was definitely related to the secret cave!

Ma Teng died in the cave. When he and Sun Yiran went in, he was already dead. There's no way the blame could be placed on him.

But since the sect leader of Qingyun Sect used a secret method to investigate and said that Ma Teng's last sight before his death was him, this is troublesome.

Things that are never proven by the dead are the hardest to explain.

Zhao Qingshan led him to a grand hall. Above the hall's entrance hung a plaque with the three characters "Qingyun Hall" written on it.

The temple doors were open, and there were seven or eight people standing inside. Sitting on the chair at the head of the table was a middle-aged man in his forties, with a fair complexion and no beard. He wore a blue Taoist robe with a gold belt around his waist and looked very amiable.

"Sect Master, the person has been brought." Zhao Qingshan bowed respectfully.

Shen Yifei's heart skipped a beat. This must be Xie Liaochen, the sect leader of Qingyun Sect! He seemed like a very amiable person, not someone who wanted to cause him trouble.

Xie Liaochen glanced at Shen Yifei, his gaze lingering on him for a moment before he frowned slightly: "Mid-Foundation Establishment stage?"

"Yes." Zhao Qingshan nodded. "He was an inner disciple of the Hehuan Sect. He was in the early stage of Foundation Establishment in the secret realm, but he broke through after coming out."

Xie Liaochen glanced at Shen Yifei again, his gaze lingering on the wound on his chest: "Who hit him?"

Zhao Qingshan's face stiffened, and he stammered, unable to speak.

Xie Liaochen snorted coldly: "I'm asking you a question."

"It was...it was me." Zhao Qingshan lowered his head. "He refused to come with us, so I had no choice but to take action."

"You, a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator, fought a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator and even broke his ribs?" Xie Chen's voice turned cold. "I told you to go and get help, who told you to make the move?"

Sweat beaded on Zhao Qingshan's forehead, and he kept his head down, not daring to utter a sound.

Shen Yifei stood aside, watching them put on a show, and sneered inwardly.

Xie Chen was reprimanding Zhao Qingshan in front of him; it was all an act for him. If he really didn't allow it, where would Zhao Qingshan get the guts?

After reprimanding Zhao Qingshan, Xie Liaochen turned to Shen Yifei, his expression changing to a smiling one, like a kind elder.

"You're Shen Yifei?"

"Yes."

"How badly are you injured?" Xie Liaochen stood up from his chair, walked over to him, and pressed his hand against his chest. A warm spiritual energy flowed from his palm and circulated within his body.

Shen Yifei felt the spiritual energy probing his meridians and dantian.

Let them investigate. I'm only in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, so there's nothing to hide!

Xie Liaochen withdrew his hand and nodded: "You're in good shape. You only broke a few ribs, but you'll be fine after a few days of rest." He turned around and sat back down in his chair. "Sit down, don't stand."

Shen Yifei didn't sit. He stood in the center of the hall.

Xie Liaochen picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said slowly, "Shen Yifei, do you know why I invited you here?"

"have no idea."

"Ma Teng, an outer sect deacon of our Qingyun Sect, hasn't come out since entering the Tianyuan Secret Realm. I used a secret method to investigate; the last person he saw before he died was you." Xie Liaochen put down his teacup, looking at him. "Can you tell me how he died?"

Shen Yifei was prepared and shook his head: "I don't know. I've seen a lot of people in the secret realm, but I can't remember who's who. I don't even remember what Deacon Ma Teng looks like."

Xie Liaochen stared at him for a couple of seconds, then suddenly laughed: "You certainly know how to talk."

"I'm telling the truth," Shen Yifei said innocently. "Sect Master, think about it. I'm only at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, while Deacon Ma Teng is at the early Golden Core stage. Even if I wanted to do something to him, I wouldn't have the ability. Don't you think so?"

Xie Liaochen didn't reply, he just stared at him.

Shen Yifei felt uneasy under his gaze, but maintained his honest and simple demeanor.

"Alright," Xie Liaochen withdrew his gaze, "Let's put Ma Teng's matter aside for now. I'm asking you, did you find anything in the secret realm?"

Shen Yifei's heart skipped a beat. This was the real issue.

"What have you found?" He feigned ignorance. "I've found a few herbs, a few demon cores, nothing else."

Xie Liaochen smiled and winked at an elder beside him. The elder took out a bronze mirror from his storage bag and tossed it into the air. The mirror hovered in mid-air, its surface rippling, and then an image appeared.

The scene depicted a cave, with several jade boxes and a small bronze cauldron placed on a stone platform. Shen Yifei's heart sank; wasn't this the cave he had discovered in the secret realm?

The scene shifts, revealing two people: him and Sun Yiran. They stand before the stone platform. He picks up the small bronze cauldron, examines it, and then puts it into his ring.

Shen Yifei felt a chill run down his spine. This bronze mirror could actually replay events that happened in the secret realm? What kind of supernatural power was this?

Xie Liaochen put away the bronze mirror and looked at him with a smile: "Shen Yifei, you still say you didn't find anything?"

Shen Yifei cursed inwardly as he took out the small bronze cauldron from his storage bag and placed it on the ground.

"Sect Master, is this what you're talking about? It's just an alchemy furnace. I thought it was some kind of treasure. You can take it if you want; it's not worth much."

The hall fell silent instantly, everyone staring intently at the cauldron.

Xie Liaochen stared at the bronze cauldron on the ground, his eyes narrowing slightly before returning to normal.

He winked at the elder beside him, who then picked up the cauldron, examined it several times, and poured spiritual energy into it. Blue flames then emerged from the cauldron.

"Sect Master, it's a spirit-grade alchemy furnace, in good condition, but not worth much money." The elder put the cauldron away and returned it to its original position.

Xie Liaochen nodded, then looked at Shen Yifei.

"Just this one?"

"This is the only one. It wasn't easy for me to go in. I'm already incredibly lucky to have found a pill furnace. As you know, Sect Master, I'm only at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage. How could I dare to venture deeper? I just wandered around the outer perimeter, dug up a few herbs, and fought a few demonic beasts."

Xie Liaochen didn't say anything, he just stared at him.

"Search them," Xie Liaochen suddenly said.

Two disciples from the Qingyun Sect stepped forward and searched his body for a while. Shen Yifei's outer robe was ripped off, and his storage bag was also turned inside out.

"Sect Master, that's all." The disciple emptied the contents of his storage bag: a few bottles of pills, a few herbs, and dozens of spirit stones, scattered all over the ground.

Xie Liaochen glanced at the items and was about to speak when his gaze suddenly paused.

He reached out and picked up a small porcelain bottle, uncorked it, and poured out a pill.

The fruit is the size of a longan, golden in color, and has a rich, sweet aroma.

"This is... a Qi Gathering Pill?" Xie Liaochen brought the pill closer and smelled it, then frowned. "No, Qi Gathering Pills don't come in this color."

The elder next to him also came over to take a look, and his expression changed.

"Sect Master, this is a top-grade Qi Gathering Pill. In my three hundred years in the Qingyun Sect, this is the first time I've seen a Qi Gathering Pill of this quality."

Xie Liaochen put the pills back into the porcelain bottle and looked at Shen Yifei.

"Where did this pill come from?"