Mengshan City, Profound Fire Pill Shop.
"Excellent, excellent, truly excellent!"
Guan Sheng shifted his gaze from the jade bottle on the table to Han Yi, his admiration undisguised. Deep within his eyes, a subtle, hidden light flickered.
"Three successful batches from twenty portions of raw materials, and the quality meets the standard."
"A fifteen percent success rate for Evil-Repelling Pills—not only did you avoid losses on your first attempt at pill refinement, but you even turned a small profit."
"I never imagined Junior Brother Han's alchemy technique would be so refined."
"Senior Brother here truly made the right bet this time."
Guan Sheng's praise flowed ceaselessly, and Han Yi, standing before him, shared in the delight.
"To be honest, Senior Brother, since leaving the Sect, the pressure I used to feel has lifted, and I feel completely at ease."
"My mindset during pill refinement is different now, and I find it much easier."
"It was just a stroke of luck, really—a happy accident."
Han Yi said with a smile, offering this as a convenient explanation.
"Junior Brother Han, with your alchemy skills, if the Sect didn't require Outpost Disciples to wait a year before applying for Sect Return, you would undoubtedly qualify for the Sect Return Assessment right now."
"Once you return to the sect, you'll undoubtedly make a name for yourself."
"We'll have to take extra care of the Guan Family from now on."
After a few modest remarks, Han Yi settled his accounts and purchased new materials.
Guan Sheng tallied the proceeds from fifty-eight Qi Nourishing Pills and a portion of the profits from the Evil-Repelling Pills, ultimately handing over one hundred Spirit Stones.
This was the first time in his life Han Yi had possessed such a fortune, and he nearly wept with joy.
He spent forty Spirit Stones on materials to refine Qi Nourishing Pills, completely depleting the Profound Fire Pill Shop's primary stock of raw materials for the pills.
Next, he exchanged several pounds of Spirit Sand and purchased other Medicinal Pills and daily necessities, such as Qi Sustaining Pills.
Finally, he stored the twenty sets of Evil-Repelling Pill ingredients given by Guan Sheng into his Storage Pouch and left the Pill Shop with a satisfied expression.
Behind Han Yi, Guan Sheng at the medicine counter watched him go, his eyes gleaming.
"That kid is truly a Pill Refinement prodigy."
"I'm almost reluctant to use him as a pawn now."
The thought flickered through his mind, but he quickly shook his head.
"No, someone like him is precisely the best pawn—he'll make my plan flawless."
"Fortunately, I have some time left. I'll let him continue refining pills for me for free for another six months."
Clutching his newfound wealth, Han Yi's mood lifted considerably as he walked.
The Profound Fire Pill Shop was only five streets away from his courtyard, a ten-minute walk.
After crossing one street, he suddenly stopped, whirling around to look behind him.
The street behind him bustled with people, lively and normal, showing no signs of anything amiss.
Yet a chill washed over Han Yi, as if a bucket of cold water had been thrown over him. His hair stood on end, his heart skipped a beat, then began pounding furiously.
"Killing intent."
The raw, undisguised killing intent struck him like a physical blow, causing his face to pale.
Only then did it dawn on him: this was the Cultivation World, not the safe, law-abiding society of his previous life.
Since transmigrating, he had confined himself to a few familiar locations.
Within the Profound Pill Sect, he had remained within his courtyard on Little Spirit Void Peak, protected by the courtyard's formations.
When he ventured into Mengshan City, he only traveled between his courtyard and the Profound Fire Pill Shop, never exploring elsewhere.
In his previous life, he would have been considered a quintessential "cultivation shut-in."
Though he had maintained a degree of vigilance, he had never truly grasped the dangers of the Cultivation World firsthand.
At that moment, a sudden, oppressive wave of murderous intent washed over Han Yi, jolting his sense of danger awake. The intent was heavy, saturated with the threat of death. Though its source remained unknown, he trusted his instincts. Despite his low cultivation realm, having already stepped into the Qi Refining Realm, his perception of such intent couldn't be mistaken.
With this realization, he swiftly turned and bolted in the opposite direction from his courtyard, plunging into a densely crowded street. Without slowing his pace, he pushed through the thickest crowds he could find.
He was immensely grateful to be within Mengshan City, a major urban center within the Great Qian Immortal Kingdom. The city was garrisoned by cultivators from the Immortal Kingdom, who were ostensibly forbidden from wantonly killing ordinary mortals.
Of course, this prohibition existed primarily to maintain stability within the Immortal Kingdom. In reality, clandestine killings by cultivators went largely unpunished as long as they remained undiscovered. However, public massacres by cultivators would land them on the Great Qian's wanted list, ensuring a trip to the Immortal Execution Platform if apprehended.
Having grasped this just now, Han Yi didn't hesitate. He whirled around and darted into the throng of people.
As expected, after weaving through several densely crowded streets, the chilling murderous intent that had raised the hairs on the back of his neck finally dissipated completely.
In a shadowy corner near the street where Han Yi had first sensed the killing intent, a figure stood motionless, his dark face as gloomy as a thundercloud, heavy enough to drip with malice as his gaze swept over the bustling crowd. The man's swarthy complexion and distinctive Pill Aura, a hallmark of Alchemists as characteristic as the lingering scent of tobacco on a chain smoker, identified him as none other than Jiang De.
"That brat... how did he become so perceptive?" Jiang De muttered, his eyes narrowed in frustration. "Hmph, consider yourself lucky this time. But next time, luck won't save you."
Jiang De wouldn't dare attack Han Yi in broad daylight, under the watchful eyes of the public. Moreover, while harboring murderous intent toward Han Yi, he also deeply feared Guan Sheng, leaving him torn between his impulses. That inner conflict had caused him to inadvertently leak a sliver of his killing intent while shadowing Han Yi earlier, allowing the young man to sense it.
Meanwhile, after circling through multiple streets to ensure the killing intent had vanished, Han Yi sprinted back to his courtyard at top speed.
On his way back, Han Yi worried that his pursuer might be familiar with his residence and lying in ambush near the courtyard. He remained hyper-vigilant, bracing himself for a sudden attack.
He had considered doubling back to the Profound Fire Pill Shop, but the murderous intent had struck so abruptly, and he hadn't been able to pinpoint its source. After weighing his options, he decided to return to his courtyard first. The courtyard's Formation Arts provided a reliable defense.
He resolved that if he sensed that killing intent again on the way, he would immediately flee to the Profound Fire Pill Shop for sanctuary.
To his relief, the journey proved uneventful.
Reaching the courtyard gate, he swiftly activated the formation using his Formation Plate and secured it with his Mana. Only then did Han Yi finally relax completely.
It was then that he realized his back was drenched in sweat. His extreme tension during the journey had masked the sensation until now. A quick circulation of the Fire Pill Profound Art dried his clothes in moments.
Moments later, Han Yi sat in his meditation chamber, his mind finally at peace.
Instead of immediately immersing himself in cultivation or pill refinement, Han Yi furrowed his brow, deep in thought, analyzing and summarizing the situation.
In his previous life, his analytical and methodical nature had helped him avoid countless pitfalls. Since reincarnating, he had maintained this valuable habit.
"That wisp of killing intent was directed at me. When it comes to matters of life and death, it's better to be safe than sorry."
"But who could it be?"
"I came from the Profound Fire Pill Shop. The most likely scenario is that someone was lying in wait outside, ambushing cultivators who had just completed transactions."
"If that's the case, I was simply caught in the crossfire. This wasn't a targeted attack."
"In that case, as long as I'm more cautious next time, I should be fine."
"But there's another possibility: someone might be specifically targeting me. Though less likely, I can't afford to dismiss it."
"In any case, for my safety, I need to increase my strength."
Han Yi glanced at the panel displaying his Cultivation Realm and Skills. His eyes flickered with resolve as he made his decision.