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

Shen Yifei was at the very back of the line, straining his ears to listen to what the people in front of him were saying.

"Senior Sister Li, are there still any alchemy tasks for this month?" a tall, thin male cultivator asked.

"Yes, three batches of Qi Gathering Pills. You need to provide the medicinal herbs yourself. Hand over the pills to complete the task." The female cultivator didn't even look up. "Accepted?"

"I'll take it, I'll take it." The tall, thin man quickly handed over his jade pendant.

The female cultivator took the jade token, pressed it onto a jade slip, and handed it back to him: "Deliver the pill before the fifth day of next month, or your salary will be deducted."

The tall, thin man took the jade pendant and left happily.

Shen Yifei listened and felt a little more confident.

It turns out that you can choose your inner sect missions. The alchemy mission sounds pretty good. You bring your own medicinal herbs, hand in the pills to complete the mission, and keep the rest for yourself.

He listened to several other people, some who were crafting weapons, some who were gathering herbs, and some who were guarding the secret realm.

When it was his turn, there were only a few people left in the hall.

"Name, cultivation level." The female cultivator raised her head.

"Shen Yifei, early stage of Foundation Establishment."

The female cultivator looked down and flipped through the account book, then suddenly looked up and stared at him for a moment: "You're the handyman who reached Foundation Establishment by eating medicine dregs?"

Shen Yifei scratched his head: "It's...it's me. How did you know?"

He didn't expect the news of his entry into the inner sect to spread so quickly.

The female cultivator smiled, her eyes crinkling with laughter: "Elder Gu personally recommended me, I know. What mission do you want to take?"

Are there any more alchemy quests?

"Yes, ten Qi Gathering Pills. You need to bring your own herbs. You'll hand over the pills to complete the mission." The female cultivator said, looking him up and down. "You know how to refine pills?"

Shen Yifei honestly confessed: "No."

The female cultivator froze, then burst into laughter, her chest heaving with mirth: "You can't refine pills, yet you're taking on a pill-refining mission? How are you going to hand over those ten Qi Gathering Pills?"

"I...I have a pill-making room, I can learn slowly." Shen Yifei was a little embarrassed by the laughter. "Anyway, it's not due until the fifth of next month, there's still time."

The female cultivator stopped laughing and waved her hand: "Alright, alright, take it if you want. But I must remind you, failing to complete the mission will result in a deduction from your salary. How many times can your hundred low-grade spirit stones be enough to cover that?"

Shen Yifei wasn't entirely confident either, but he didn't show any fear on his face: "I will definitely be able to complete the mission."

The female cultivator took his jade token, pressed it onto the jade slip, and handed it back to him: "Ten Qi Gathering Pills before the fifth of next month. Remember that."

Shen Yifei took the jade token, turned around and left the mission hall. He inquired along the way and found the medicine room.

The herbal medicine room was much larger than the mission hall, with three rooms combined together. The walls were lined with medicine cabinets, reaching all the way to the ceiling beams. In the very center was a long black lacquered table, behind which sat an old man with white hair and beard, who was using a small knife to shave a piece of Poria cocos.

"Senior brother, I would like to buy some medicinal herbs." Shen Yifei stepped forward and bowed.

The old man didn't even look up: "What do you want?"

"The ingredients for the Qi Gathering Pill."

The old man paused in his hand, holding the knife, and glanced at him: "New here?"

"Yes, I just entered the inner sect today."

Do you know the recipe for the Qi Gathering Pill?

Shen Yifei shook his head.

The old man sighed, put down the knife, and pulled a jade slip from under the table, tossing it to him: "Take a look for yourself."

Shen Yifei took the jade slip, stuck it to his forehead, and immediately a string of information appeared in his mind: three qian of Longyang grass, two liang of Poria cocos, one qian of Ganoderma lucidum, five roots of blood ginseng... followed by the heat control, techniques, precautions, a densely packed bunch of information.

After reading the jade slip, he felt a chill run down his spine.

The cost of the ingredients for one batch of Qi Gathering Pills is about seventy low-grade spirit stones. It's unknown how many Qi Gathering Pills can be refined from this batch.

His hundred spirit stones were only enough to buy one and a half batches of medicinal herbs.

"What, you think it's too expensive?" The old man sneered when he saw that he didn't speak. "If you think it's too expensive, then don't refine it. Go outside and buy a finished product. Ten Qi Gathering Pills will only cost one hundred and fifty spirit stones."

Shen Yifei had no way out; he had already accepted the mission. "I'll buy one batch."

"Two ounces of Poria cocos, one mace of Ganoderma lucidum, and five roots of ginseng rootlets." The old man muttered, stood up, took out the medicinal herbs one by one from the medicine cabinet, wrapped them in paper, and placed them on the table: "Seventy-three spirit stones."

With a heavy heart, Shen Yifei took out seventy-three spirit stones, put away the medicinal herbs, and turned to leave.

"Wait a minute," the old man called out to him.

Shen Yifei turned around.

The old man stared at him for a moment, then suddenly asked, "You're that handyman who reached the Foundation Establishment stage by eating medicine dregs?"

Shen Yifei scratched his head: "You knew about this too?"

"Hehe, kid, you're really lucky..." The old man gave him a thumbs up.

Shen Yifei was also puzzled, and took the medicinal herbs back to his alchemy room.

"Alchemy, alchemy," he muttered to the enormous furnace. "I don't even know how to control the heat, what kind of pills am I supposed to make?"

The task has already been accepted; ten Qi Gathering Pills must be submitted by the fifth day of next month. Failure to do so will result in a deduction of salary. After this month's deduction, next month's will follow. A useless inner disciple will definitely be sent back to continue doing menial tasks.

Having finally moved from the woodshed into the courtyard, he had no intention of going back.

He stared at the alchemy furnace with a troubled expression. After a long while, he suddenly slapped his thigh.

"I possess the Cauldron of All Things!"

The Cauldron of All Things can refine people, but can it also refine elixirs?

Shen Yifei took out the small cauldron. "The Cauldron of All Things, for refining all things," he muttered. "Isn't alchemy considered refining? I hope I don't ruin it?"

He placed the small cauldron on the ground, and with a thought, he put Longyang grass, Poria cocos, Ganoderma lucidum, blood ginseng root... one by one into the cauldron.

He channeled his spiritual energy and silently recited the name of the Qi Gathering Pill. Immediately, a ball of fire emerged from the small cauldron. The fire produced no smoke and had no temperature; it simply burned quietly.

Shen Yifei's consciousness entered the furnace, where the medicinal herbs slowly melted in the fire, turning into a pool of multicolored liquid. The liquid churned and merged, finally solidifying into a single mass.

The fire was quickly extinguished.

At the bottom of the cauldron lay ten pills, each the size of a longan, round and plump, emitting a rich fragrance.

Is that all?

Shen Yifei picked up a pill and brought it to his nose to smell it. It was indeed a Qi Gathering Pill. He had worked in the alchemy room for three years; this smell was unmistakable.

"My God." Shen Yifei held ten pills, his hands trembling.

One batch of pills costs seventy-three spirit stones. Refining them using the Myriad Things Cauldron only requires a tiny bit of spiritual energy; just put it in and it's done.

If you sell them, ten Qi Gathering Pills can fetch 150 spirit stones, making a net profit of 77 spirit stones.

If we refine a few more batches... we'll become rich!

Shen Yifei shook his head, dismissing the idea. He understood the principle of not flaunting wealth. If someone discovered he possessed such a treasure, he wouldn't even know how he died.

Besides, no one should know about the Cauldron of All Things.

He realized this thing when he was refining Zhao Xin and Ye Hongling: it could be a life-saving talisman or a death warrant. Used well, it could send you to heaven; used poorly, it could send you to hell.

He put ten Qi Gathering Pills into a jade bottle and stored them in his ring. He then looked at the large alchemy furnace and thought, "I'll use this as a cover from now on. If anyone asks, I'll say I made it myself."

Anyway, he has a pill-making room and a pill-making furnace, so who can crawl into his stomach to take a look?

Thinking of this, Shen Yifei was in a great mood. He lay on the bed, crossed his legs, and began to plan for the days to come.

Inner disciples receive a monthly stipend of twenty spirit stones, and with the rewards from alchemy tasks, they can easily save up a hundred or two hundred spirit stones a month. After a year, that's over a thousand spirit stones.

When the time comes, buy some good medicinal herbs, refine some good pills, and your cultivation will rise rapidly. Who knows, you might even form your core one day.

Just as I was enjoying myself, I suddenly heard someone knocking on the door.

"Junior Brother Shen! Are you home?"

It's a woman's voice!

Shen Yifei sprang out of bed, straightened his robes, and opened the door.

A female cultivator stood outside the door, in her early twenties, wearing a light red long dress that accentuated her ample bosom. Her face wasn't stunningly beautiful, but it was fair and delicate.

"Junior Brother Shen?" The female cultivator looked him up and down. "Oh my, what a handsome young man! No wonder Elder Gu personally recommended him!"

Shen Yifei, slightly flattered by the praise, cupped his hands and asked, "What brings you here, Senior Sister?"

"My name is Qin Wan, and I'm in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage." The female cultivator introduced herself, glanced behind her to make sure no one was around, and said, "I've come to ask you for medicine."