Goddess Painting

Behind the Qingyun Sect lies a secluded bamboo forest shrouded in mist year-round.

The wind rustled softly through the bamboo leaves.

Qin Feng had already skillfully changed into the loose black robe, and the Thousand Illusion Mask fit his face perfectly. With a slight thought, his facial features and bones twitched slightly, and in an instant, he transformed into the "Master Feng Qin," a man with a weathered face and unfathomable eyes.

He stood with his hands behind his back, facing away from the entrance to the bamboo forest, his breathing deep and even, as if he had become one with the surrounding plants and trees.

"Huff... huff..."

The tranquility was broken by a series of hurried and slightly disordered footsteps.

Bai Ziyu arrived at breakneck speed, his forehead covered in fine beads of sweat, clearly having rushed here without stopping as soon as he received the message.

Before he could catch his breath, he saw that familiar black figure and, without a word, knelt down on one knee with a thud, performing a standard disciple's salute:

"Disciple Bai Ziyu greets Master!"

"Um."

Qin Feng didn't turn around, but only let out a faint hum from his nose, his voice hoarse and aged, exuding an air of quiet authority and superiority.

Get up.

"Thank you, Master!" Bai Ziyu quickly stood up and stood respectfully with his hands at his sides.

Qin Feng slowly turned around, and a glint of shrewdness occasionally flashed in his disguised, murky eyes, making Bai Ziyu's heart tighten.

"Ziyu."

Qin Feng flipped his wrist, and a rich, refreshing medicinal fragrance immediately filled the air.

A dozen exquisite jade boxes appeared out of thin air in his palm and floated gently toward Bai Ziyu.

"This is a miraculous medicine that I obtained by chance."

Qin Feng spoke in a flat tone, as if he were talking about a few cabbages.

Bai Ziyu took the jade boxes with both hands and carefully opened one of them.

"hiss--!"

In that instant, a red light flashed!

A spirit herb, its entire body as red as blood, with eerie black shadows swirling around the edges of its leaves, lay quietly in the box. Its scorching and domineering aura was so intense that even a single glance was enough to make one's eyes sting!

"This...this is a fourth-tier spiritual herb, the Burning Shadow Grass?"

Although Bai Ziyu came from a medical background, his knowledge of spiritual herbs was also extraordinary:

"And these... third-grade top-quality spirit herbs?! These are excellent ingredients for refining spirit energy pills! Each one could sell for a considerable price outside!"

"Master... what's wrong...?"

Qin Feng waved his hand, interrupting his exclamation:

"They are just external possessions."

"Since you say you have some connections within the sect, then do me a favor."

Qin Feng stared intently at Bai Ziyu:

"Find a reliable alchemist."

"A fourth-tier is best. If that's really hard to find, a peak third-tier with skillful technique will do."

"Refine all these spiritual herbs into pills suitable for cultivation by martial artists at the Divine Power Realm! Remember, use the best auxiliary materials, don't skimp on costs, and the success rate must be high!"

At this point, Qin Feng paused, a hint of disdain in his voice:

"Martial artists at the Divine Power Realm have bodies as strong as furnaces and meridians as strong as iron. Ordinary first or second-tier pills are like drinking plain water to them, and may even cause their meridians to become blocked due to the accumulation of pill toxins."

"Only pills of the third rank or higher contain such immense medicinal power that they can propel one's cultivation to the next level in the Divine Power Realm."

Do you understand?

Bai Ziyu nodded repeatedly as he listened.

"Disciple understands!"

Bai Ziyu patted his chest and solemnly guaranteed:

"Master, rest assured! Although I am not very talented, I still have some influence within the Pill Pavilion!"

"Find a skilled alchemist? Leave that to me! I will not let Master down!"

"Yes, I trust you to handle this matter."

Qin Feng nodded, then changed the subject, his expression becoming unusually solemn, even carrying a rare hint of seriousness:

"But this is a minor matter."

"The next thing is the most important."

He slowly took out another jade box from his bosom.

This jade box is carved entirely from ten-thousand-year-old cold jade. Before it was even opened, the temperature of the surrounding air suddenly dropped, while a faint red light emanated from inside the box.

"Click".

The box lid is opened.

Two earth fire spirits, like fiery sprites, were burning quietly. The purest fire elemental power caused the surrounding bamboo leaves to curl and wither instantly!

"this……"

Bai Ziyu made a "clucking" sound in his throat, completely dumbfounded.

"A fifth-tier... fifth-grade spiritual herb... Earth Fire Essence?!"

And there were two of them?!

Qin Feng said in a deep voice:

"I need you to help me find a... fifth-tier alchemy master!"

"A master capable of refining fifth-tier pills—the 'Divine Fire Refining True Pill'!"

boom!

These words were like a heavy hammer blow, slamming into Bai Ziyu's forehead.

Bai Ziyu, who had been so confident just moments before, suddenly broke down, his expression turning into something worse than crying.

"Fifth...fifth rank?!"

He swallowed hard, his face contorted in pain, and nervously rubbed the hem of his clothes with both hands.

"Master...this...this is truly a tremendous problem for your disciple!"

"What's wrong?" Qin Feng frowned slightly. "Can't find it?"

"It's not that we can't find them, it's that they're too hard to hire!"

Bai Ziyu was so anxious that he stamped his feet and poured out his grievances:

"Master, you may not know this, but in the art of alchemy, there is an insurmountable chasm between the fourth and fifth ranks!"

"Although our Qingyun Sect doesn't have many third- or fourth-tier alchemists, we can always manage to invite a few by using our disciples' connections and spirit stones."

"But this fifth tier..."

Bai Ziyu spread his hands, looking helpless:

"Once you cross this threshold, you become a true 'master'! Your status is incredibly revered, even higher than that of the peak master!"

"Throughout the entire Qingyun Sect, there are definitely no more than ten masters capable of refining fifth-grade pills!"

"These old monsters are all arrogant and have incredibly strange tempers! They either go into seclusion or only refine pills for specific high-ranking members of their sects!"

"Getting them to help... is as difficult as climbing to the sky!"

Seeing Bai Ziyu's worried expression, Qin Feng had a general idea of ​​what was going on.

It seems that the scarcity of fifth-level alchemists is even more severe than I imagined.

He reached out and gently patted Bai Ziyu's shoulder, his tone softening:

"It's alright."

"As your teacher, I know this is no easy task."

"Go and find out something, even if it's just a piece of information or a price quote."

"Just do your best; there's no need to force yourself."

"Yes! This disciple will take care of it immediately!"

Bai Ziyu gritted his teeth, a resolute glint in his eyes:

"This disciple will use all my connections! Even if I have to beg and plead, even if I have to turn the Qingyun Sect upside down, I will find a way to help my master!!"

"Go."

Qin Feng waved his hand.

Just as Bai Ziyu was about to turn and leave, Qin Feng seemed to suddenly remember something, and his voice abruptly turned cold:

"Wait a minute."

"There's one more thing."