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

Shen Yifei shouted, "Wait!"

Yin Wuxie was startled by his shout!

Her bloodshot eyes stared at Shen Yifei. "Why are you yelling like that?"

Shen Yifei stood before her, neither humble nor arrogant, and said, "I can refine top-grade Qi Gathering Pills for you, but there is a condition."

"What are the conditions?"

"Release my spiritual energy seal. Alchemy requires spiritual energy to control fire. You've sealed me; what am I supposed to use to refine it? My breath?"

Yin Wuxie laughed, and the sound echoed in the empty hall, giving Shen Yifei goosebumps.

"You've got some nerve, daring to negotiate with me on my turf."

"This isn't about negotiating terms, it's about reasoning," Shen Yifei said calmly. "What you want is top-grade pills, what I want is to live. If you seal my spiritual energy, I can't refine top-grade pills; if you refine me, you still won't get the pills. If you unseal me, I'll help you refine the pills, you'll get the pills, and I'll save my life. It's a win-win situation, isn't it?"

Yin Wuxie stopped laughing, her blood-red eyes scanning his face twice.

"You've got a way with words. Fine, I agree. But remember, the antidote for the Heart-Piercing Pill is in my hands. If you don't take it for three days, you'll be a dead man. Don't try anything funny."

She gave the young woman a wink.

The young woman walked over and patted Shen Yifei a few times. With each pat, he felt the restraints on his body loosen a little. On the fifth pat, spiritual energy surged out from his dantian.

Shen Yifei moved his wrists and tried circulating his spiritual energy; it worked.

He tried sensing the ring again, and it was fine. The Cauldron of All Things was still inside the ring, but Liu Mengli still couldn't sense it at all; the contract was completely blocked.

"Alright, take him to the alchemy room." Yin Wuxie waved his hand. "I'll come back to check on the pills in three days."

Shen Yifei followed the young woman back. On the way, he struck up a conversation: "Senior sister, what's your name?"

The young woman turned and glanced at him: "Just call me Ah Qi."

"Miss Ah Qi, your sect leader has asked me to refine one hundred top-grade Qi Gathering Pills in three days. This is no easy task. I can't manage it all by myself. Could you find me a helper?"

Ah Qi sneered, "Help? You're looking for someone to run away for you, aren't you?"

"Run? You think I can run away after you've given me a heart-piercing pill?" Shen Yifei looked innocent. "I just wanted to find someone to help me process the medicinal herbs. Although the Qi Gathering Pill isn't of high grade, a hundred pills would take most of the day just to process the herbs. If I were to process the herbs and control the fire all by myself, three days wouldn't be enough."

Ah Qi didn't reply, but took him to the medicine room, locked the door, and left.

After Ah Qi left, Shen Yifei walked around the alchemy room.

This alchemy room is twice the size of the one in the Qingyun Sect. The medicine cabinets against the wall reach the roof beams and are crammed with medicinal herbs. In the very center stands a bronze alchemy furnace about half a person's height, with crooked and distorted runes engraved on its walls, looking like scribbles.

Shen Yifei opened the medicine cabinet and rummaged through it. There was plenty of medicinal materials for the Qi Gathering Pill: Dragon Yang Grass, Poria Cocos, Ganoderma Lucidum, and Blood Ginseng Root, drawer after drawer, enough to refine dozens of batches.

He sat cross-legged in front of the alchemy furnace, not in a hurry to start.

Yin Wuxie gave him three days and one hundred top-grade Qi Gathering Pills. Using the Myriad Things Cauldron, each batch yielded twelve pills, so nine batches would be enough. Each batch took the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, so nine batches would only take two hours. The remaining two and a half days would be enough for him to do other things.

The key is the antidote.

"The Heart-Piercing Pill—if you don't take the antidote within three days, you'll die from a ruptured heart and rotted lungs." Yin Wuxie spoke casually, but he dared not gamble. This woman was at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage; killing him would be as easy as crushing an ant. There was no need for her to lie to him.

We need to get our hands on the antidote first.

Just as he was pondering this, the door to the alchemy room opened. Ah Qi walked in carrying a tray with a pot of tea and several spiritual fruits on it.

"The cult leader sent me to keep an eye on you." Ah Qi placed the tray on the table, then pulled up a chair and sat down by the door. "You continue your cultivation; I won't disturb you."

Shen Yifei glanced at her. Aqi was in her early twenties, not bad-looking, but her complexion was a bit pale and her lips were bloodless, making her look like she hadn't seen the sun for years.

"Miss Ah Qi, does your Blood Soul Cult live underground?"

"Um."

"Not seeing the sun all year round is bad for your skin."

Ah Qi ignored him.

Shen Yifei wasn't in a hurry. He took out a batch of ingredients for a Qi Gathering Pill from the medicine cabinet and threw it into the alchemy furnace. Fortunately, the bronze alchemy furnace was in good condition and could be used to some extent.

He sat cross-legged, orange flames rising from his palms and guiding them to the bottom of the stove.

Heat the furnace, add the medicine, and control the fire.

After an incense stick's time, the fire in the furnace went out. He lifted the lid and found eight Qi Gathering Pills inside. They were of ordinary quality, far inferior to those he had refined using the Myriad Things Cauldron.

Ah Qi walked over and glanced at it, then frowned: "Is this all the quality? The sect leader wanted the best."

"What's the rush? Let's test the heat with the first batch." Shen Yifei put the pills into a jade bottle and started the second batch.

The second batch yielded nine pills, with slightly better quality. The third batch produced ten, with even better quality. After three batches, he had a good grasp of this pill furnace's temperament. The heat control was more difficult than the one at the Qingyun Sect, but it wasn't unusable.

"Alright, that's enough for today." He stood up and stretched his limbs. "We'll continue tomorrow."

Ah Qi glanced at the three jade bottles on the table, containing twenty-seven Qi Gathering Pills, still far from a hundred.

"The cult leader said one hundred pills in three days. You didn't get a single top-grade one today, so what about the next two days...?"

"Yes." Shen Yifei sat down in the chair, picked up a spirit fruit and took a bite. "The first day was to test the furnace's temperament, but it will be faster starting tomorrow. One hundred, I guarantee it will be done."

Ah Qi didn't say anything more. He sat down at the door, closed his eyes, and began to meditate.

After finishing the spirit fruit, Shen Yifei drank a cup of tea, leaned back in his chair, and closed his eyes to rest.

The alchemy room fell silent, with only the crackling of the charcoal fire at the bottom of the furnace audible.

After a short while, Ah Qi's breathing became light and slow, as if he had fallen asleep.

Shen Yifei opened his eyes and stared at her for a while.

Ah Qi leaned back in his chair, his head tilted slightly, his lips slightly parted, and his chest rising and falling steadily.

He stood up, tiptoed over to her, squatted down, and moved closer.

Shen Yifei stretched out his finger and gently tapped the back of her hand.

no response.

He tapped it again, this time with a bit more force.

Ah Qi frowned slightly, but didn't wake up.

Shen Yifei understood. This girl seemed clever, but she was actually quite carefree; she could even fall asleep while on night watch—that was something else entirely.

He retreated to his chair, closed his eyes, and fell asleep.

The next morning, Ah Qi was awakened by a fragrant aroma of elixir.

She opened her eyes and saw Shen Yifei standing in front of the alchemy furnace, holding a jade bottle filled with golden pills.

"A top-grade Qi Gathering Pill?" Ah Qi walked over, took the jade bottle, poured out a pill, and looked at it.

The pills were round and golden, with a rich fragrance that was invigorating just to smell them.

"Twelve pills, all from one batch." Shen Yifei took the jade bottle back and placed it on the table. "I told you, it'll be quick starting today. Give these to your sect leader; at least let her believe I can refine top-grade pills!"

"How...how did you manage to cultivate that?"

"Talent." Shen Yifei wiped his sweat. "I've said it before, my alchemy relies on talent, not technique."

Ah Qi didn't ask any more questions, put the jade bottle into his storage bag, and turned to leave.

"Miss Ah Qi."

"Look, I've already refined a top-grade Qi Gathering Pill. Shouldn't you talk to the sect leader about giving me a reward?"

Ah Qi frowned: "What kind of reward do you want?"

"It's nothing serious, it's just... I want to take a shower." Shen Yifei lowered his head and sniffed himself. "I haven't showered for two days, I smell bad. Smell me."