The path to immortality through martial arts begins with being forced into marriage!

The courtyard gate was tightly closed, but through the crack, one could vaguely see the light of a furnace fire and smell the burnt stench of medicinal pills emanating from inside.

Cui Yi did not force his way in; instead, he flicked his finger, and a wisp of condensed true energy instantly shattered the door latch.

"Squeak—"

The courtyard gate slowly opened inward, revealing a rather chaotic interior. In the center of the courtyard stood several half-person-high medicine furnaces, the air filled with a mixture of medicinal fragrance and burnt smell.

An old man wearing a faded gray robe was shivering and huddled by the threshold of the main room, clutching a bulging leather bag tightly in his arms.

When the courtyard gate was opened, the noise from the broken door was naturally heard.

At this moment, a pair of cloudy old eyes looked at Cui Yi, who stood at the door like a god of death, with great fear.

The old man's cultivation was only at the mid-stage of Qi Refining, and his aura was weak and unstable, clearly indicating that he had extremely poor aptitude and had only managed to reach this level through pills or some other external force.

However, Cui Yi could guess the other party's identity from the surrounding decorations.

The information I gathered from others mentioned that there was an alchemist within the Black Wolf Gang.

This alchemist not only supplies the Black Wolf Gang cultivators with their daily necessities, but is also the foundation for the Black Wolf Gang to win over people's hearts.

However, to Cui Yi's surprise, the alchemist's skill level was actually so low.

How many pills can a mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator refine?

"Great hero... spare me!"

The old man sensed the intense killing intent and bloody aura emanating from the chess player, which had not yet completely dissipated. He was so frightened that he immediately prostrated himself on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly.

"I am merely an alchemist; I have never done anything immoral or unethical!"

"Chief Cao... no, that villain Cao Xiong forced me to refine pills; I had no choice!"

"Please, great hero, have mercy and spare my life!"

Cui Yi's gaze fell on the leather bag in his arms. He scanned it with his divine sense and found dozens of bottles and jars inside.

It didn't contain any poison, but rather various pills of different qualities, along with some scattered medicinal herbs and a few jade slips.

"Are you the alchemist from the Black Wolf Gang?"

Cui Yi's voice was flat, revealing no emotion.

"Yes, I am Tang Bing. I have been refining pills for the Black Wolf Gang for more than fifty years out of necessity."

Tang Bing answered quickly, not daring to hide anything.

"So, how many pills can you refine in a day?"

"If I have no other commitments, I can refine a maximum of thirty first-grade pills and five second-grade pills per day!"

Thirty pieces?

Cui Yi was shocked by this number. This was only a Qi Refining Realm alchemist, yet he had such a production capacity!

First-grade pills are mostly auxiliary recovery pills, such as Qi-restoring pills and blood-clotting pills. However, because they are pills, their value is at least ten low-grade spirit stones!

Thirty first-grade pills, at the average price of ten low-grade spirit stones, would cost three hundred low-grade spirit stones!

If one can refine pills of grade two or higher, their value will increase several times over!

Gee...

No wonder everyone says alchemists make money!

A brilliant idea suddenly flashed through Cui Yi's mind, and he smiled slightly: "Record all the alchemy methods you know in the jade slip."

"Don't try to falsify or omit anything, otherwise..."

At this point, Cui Yi paused perfectly, not continuing, but his eyes said it all.

"Great hero, the art of alchemy is simple, but the key lies in the high requirements for the strength of one's spiritual soul."

"If a cultivator with a weak spirit tries to refine pills, they are very likely to suffer from qi deviation or damage to their spirit!"

"Once the soul is damaged, at best one's cultivation level will regress, and at worst, one's three souls and seven spirits will be destroyed, turning one into a living dead!"

Cui Yi, naturally impatient with all this nonsense, immediately waved his hand to interrupt him: "These are not things you need to worry about. Just do as I say."

Tang Bing trembled all over, inwardly groaning in despair.

Elixir formulas and alchemy insights are the foundation for an alchemist's livelihood!

Especially for a rogue alchemist like him, he cherishes it like a treasure, fearing that others will learn it and his value will be squeezed dry.

But with his life at stake, how could he dare disobey?

About half an hour later, Tang Bing tremblingly presented three jade slips filled with records with both hands: "Great hero, all that I know and have learned is contained here. Please take a look."

Cui Yi took the jade slip, immersed his divine sense in it, and quickly browsed through it.

The contents were indeed incredibly detailed.

However, Cui Yi was not very proficient in alchemy and could not judge the authenticity of these things.

But Tang Bing didn't seem to be lying, so let's leave it for now.

As for what Tang Bing just said, alchemy requires a high level of spiritual strength, but the Refining Spirit Technique cultivates the spiritual soul!

Among those of the same realm, there is simply no one whose soul is stronger than his.

With a little guidance from someone skilled in alchemy, one might even develop a talent for it.

The value of a high-level alchemist is extremely high!

After all, the rarest beings in the world are not cultivators, but alchemists!

That intricate network of connections alone is the unshakeable foundation of an alchemist's livelihood!

If Tang Bing's cultivation level weren't so low, Cui Yi wouldn't even dare to imagine how much the Black Wolf Gang could have expanded.

Even if he was just a Qi Refining Realm alchemist, Cui Yi wouldn't dare to gamble.

and so.

From the very beginning, Tang Bing was destined to die!

"Um."

Cui Yi nodded slightly, tossed the jade slip into his storage space, and then turned his gaze back to Tang Bing.

Tang Bing felt relieved, thinking the other party was satisfied. He was about to kowtow and beg for his life again when he accidentally met Cui Yi's still icy eyes.

Tang Bing saw no mercy in it, only endless killing intent!

Tang Bing's heart skipped a beat: "Great...Great hero...you...you promised to let this old man go..."

Tang Bing was so terrified that his voice trembled and his legs shook so badly that he could barely stand.

"I promised to let you go."

Upon hearing this, Cui Yi raised an eyebrow slightly and even curled the corners of his mouth into what he considered a rather amiable smile.

But the smile didn't reach his eyes; instead, it made the surrounding air feel even colder.

"You can run now."

"Considering your age, and the fact that you explained things quite readily."

Cui Yi paused, then held up three fingers and waved them in front of Tang Bing's eyes: "I'll give you three breaths."

"If you are still within my sight in three breaths, all my promises are null and void!"

Tang Bing's pupils suddenly contracted, and all his pleas, fear, and even a glimmer of hope transformed into the instinct to survive in that instant!

Before he could even think, his emaciated body burst forth with unprecedented strength, and he scrambled around, turning and desperately rushing towards the gate of the mountain stronghold!

Take a breath.

He staggered across the blood-stained gravel road, losing one of his shoes in the process.

Two breaths.

Tang Bing had already run dozens of feet away, his gray hair flying wildly, his back view as panicked as a stray dog.

Three breaths.

Cui Yi stood still, quietly watching the figure that was about to disappear around the corner, his eyes showing no emotion whatsoever.

He slowly raised his right hand, pointing his fingers like a sword, and made a vague slash in the air in that direction.

Wait a minute, then suddenly thrust forward, piercing directly through Tang Bing's heart!

Having dealt with the last possible informant, Cui Yi lingered.

He waved his hand and absorbed Tang Bing's corpse with the pagoda, then his figure completely blended into the night and disappeared without a trace.

Wolf Head Mountain has returned to its deathly silence.