Immortality and Cultivation: I can extract entries from all things.

A month later, in early summer.

The morning sunlight streamed into the pharmacy, where Fang He sat behind the counter, counting the pills she had refined the previous day.

Bottles and jars were neatly arranged on the counter, and the pills were categorized according to their quality.

Su Yun'er sorted the medicinal herbs on the side, her movements swift and efficient, without uttering a word.

She skillfully separated and arranged the different kinds of medicinal herbs, glancing up at the counter every now and then to make sure no customers were entering.

The pharmacy has been operating smoothly for the past month.

Thanks to the reputation left by Master Wu Dan and the gradual improvement of Fang He's alchemy skills, many independent cultivators came to buy pills.

Daily income is stable at two or three spirit stones. After deducting the cost of medicinal materials and daily expenses, the net profit is a little over one yuan.

After a month, I had saved up about thirty spirit stones.

Adding what was left over, the spirit stone reserves returned to around eighty.

Fang He finished counting the pills and silently made plans in his mind.

Master Wu Dan is gone, and so is Old Man Lin.

Two more familiar faces have disappeared from the island.

Life is unpredictable; only self-reliance will help.

He looked up and gazed out the window.

The market was bustling with activity, the cries of vendors rising and falling. Through the windows, one could vaguely see the wandering cultivators on the street, most of them at the early stage of Qi Refining, hurrying about.

Relying solely on alchemy will only result in limited income growth.

The daily earnings from alchemy are barely enough to cover expenses, and it's unclear when I'll be able to save up enough money to buy cultivation resources.

If we want to accumulate resources faster, we need to find other ways.

He was lost in thought when Su Yun'er asked softly, "What are you thinking about?"

"It's nothing." Fang He snapped out of her thoughts, shook her head, and said, "I was just thinking... maybe I should learn something else."

Su Yun'er didn't ask any further questions and continued sorting the medicinal herbs with her head down.

She has always been like this; she doesn't talk much, but she manages the pharmacy very well.

Fang He had grown accustomed to her taciturn demeanor.

"I'll go to the market and see if there are any cheap medicinal herbs." Fang He stood up.

Su Yun'er nodded and said, "I can mind the shop."

Morning, at the market.

Fang He walked along East Street for a while and stopped in front of several medicinal herb stalls.

Lingzhi grass costs five spirit stones per plant, and Qi-restoring grass costs three spirit stones per plant. The prices are about the same as usual, so there's not much chance to find a bargain.

Just as he was about to turn and leave, he overheard a few comments.

"Have you heard? The Zhou family is recruiting people to help set up an array."

"Formation? That's one of the four great arts; mastering it would be incredible."

"I heard the pay is very generous, and you can also learn something."

Fang He paused in his steps.

He looked in the direction of the sound and saw three rogue cultivators standing not far away, talking in hushed tones.

Fang He pricked up his ears, slowed his pace, and subtly moved a few steps closer.

"What kind of formation should we set up?" one of them asked.

"It looks like a defensive formation, located on the edge of the Spirit Field District. The sea monsters have been causing a lot of trouble lately, and the Zhou family is worried about something happening, so they plan to strengthen their defenses."

"Sea creatures?"

The other man frowned. "I heard that things have been a bit turbulent underwater lately. Several fishing boats have gone out to sea and haven't come back."

"That's right. That's why the Zhou family was in such a hurry to set up the formation."

"What kind of people are you hiring? What are the benefits like?"

"Looking for three independent cultivators to help, requiring at least mid-stage Qi Refining. The reward is thirty spirit stones, split equally among the three, ten stones each. Also…"

The man lowered his voice, "It's said that if you perform well, you can learn some basic formation techniques from Master Qian."

"Ten spirit stones? And there's a chance to learn formations?"

The other person's eyes lit up, "Then I have to give it a try."

"Are you up to it? You're barely qualified at the fifth level of Qi Refining."

"Give it a try, what if it works?"

The three of them talked and gradually walked away.

Fang He stood still, her eyes darting around.

The four major skills are alchemy, weapon crafting, formation techniques, and talisman making.

He learned alchemy and is now able to refine common elixirs such as Qi-restoring pills and healing pills.

If I could learn formations, I would have more options for self-protection or finding work in the future.

Formation...

He recalled some rumors he had heard before.

The art of formations is extremely difficult to master and requires a long period of dedicated study. However, once mastered, its power is immense.

A skilled array master can single-handedly set up a grand array to trap and kill a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Of course, that's a matter for later.

If you can learn the basics right now, that would be a great gain.

Fang He had already made up her mind and headed towards Zhou Ming's residence, where he was well-informed.

Zhou Ming lived in a house in the north of the market, and was a member of a collateral branch of the Zhou family.

On weekdays, he was responsible for helping the Zhou family with miscellaneous tasks and also collected information from the market, which he then categorized and reported to Steward Zhou.

When Fang He found him, Zhou Ming was sitting in the courtyard drinking tea.

"Master Fang Dan?" Zhou Ming put down his teacup and smiled when he saw him. "A rare guest indeed. What brings you here?"

Zhou Ming was in his early thirties. He was a smooth talker and had a wide network of connections in the market.

He had dealt with Fang He a few times and knew that Fang He had now taken over Wu Danshi's pharmacy, so he was quite polite to him.

"Brother Zhou," Fang He said, getting straight to the point, "I heard the Zhou family is recruiting people to set up an array?"

Zhou Ming raised an eyebrow and smiled.

"You're well-informed."

He lowered his voice, "That's right, the Zhou family is indeed recruiting. Recently, sea monsters have been active frequently, and the Zhou family plans to set up a defensive formation on the edge of the Spirit Field District, requiring three rogue cultivators to help."

"How much is the compensation?"

"Thirty spirit stones."

Zhou Ming held up three fingers. "The three of us will split it equally, ten yuan each. In addition, if we perform well, we can also learn some basic formation techniques from Master Qian."

Fang He's heart stirred.

Ten spirit stones isn't a small amount, but the key is that it allows you to learn formation techniques.

One of the four great skills, it is extremely useful once mastered. Even if you only learn the basics, you will be more competitive than a pure alchemist in the future.

"What are your requirements?"

"Mid-stage Qi Refining or above".

Zhou Ming glanced at him. "You're at the fourth level of Qi Refining, which is barely enough. But formations are difficult to learn. Are you sure you want to go?"

Fang He pondered for a moment.

The fourth level was indeed a stretch, but he possessed [keen spiritual sense], making his perception more acute than that of ordinary people.

Both array formations and alchemy involve the manipulation of spiritual energy, which he already has a foundation in, so learning them shouldn't be too difficult.

Of course, he wouldn't say that out loud.

"I'd like to give it a try," he said.

Zhou Ming nodded. He knew Fang He somewhat and knew that this person was always steady and wouldn't act impulsively.

"Alright, I'll register you." He put down his teacup. "In the afternoon, go to the array setup point outside the Zhou family compound and find Zhou Qing. He will take you to see Array Master Qian."

"Thank you, Brother Zhou."

"Don't mention it." Zhou Ming waved his hand. "By the way, Master Qian has a rather eccentric temper and speaks very directly. Don't mind him when you go."

Fang He nodded: "Understood."

In the afternoon, outside the Zhou family compound, at the array deployment point.

Fang He followed Zhou Qing to an open space.

A makeshift shed stood in the open space, with various materials laid out on the ground: array flags, array plates, spirit stones, and spirit pattern paper. Colorful array flags were planted all around, and intricate patterns were carved into the ground, with faint traces of spiritual energy flowing through them.

A gray-robed cultivator in his fifties was squatting on the ground, carving array patterns on the array plate with a carving knife.

He was focused, his movements slow and precise, each stroke meticulously executed.

"Senior Qian."

Zhou Qing cupped his hands and said, "This is Fang He, who has come to participate in the formation setup."

Qian Zhenshi stopped carving and looked up at Fang He.

He was in his fifties, with a thin face, slightly prominent cheekbones, and extremely sharp eyes that seemed to see through people's hearts.

The gray robe was faded from washing and the edges were somewhat worn, but it was clean and tidy.

He frowned slightly, his tone flat, "Not very old, but his cultivation is only average."

Fang He replied neither humbly nor arrogantly: "I was originally an apprentice in alchemy, but I am interested in formations."

"Alchemy?" A hint of curiosity flashed in Master Qian's eyes. "How long have you been practicing alchemy?"

About half a year.

"Six months..." Master Qian pondered. "To be able to learn alchemy in half a year, that's quite an achievement. His control over spiritual fire must be quite good."

"I have a rudimentary understanding."

Master Qian stood up and dusted off his hands. He walked around Fang He a couple of times, as if examining a piece of merchandise.

"Formations require precise control of spiritual energy, which is similar to alchemy." He stopped in his tracks. "Since you have studied alchemy, you should understand this principle."

"Understood." Fang He nodded. "Alchemy requires controlling the heat, and formations require guiding the flow of spiritual energy; the principles are the same."

A hint of surprise flashed in Qian Zhenshi's eyes.

"Oh? You know about this?"

I know a little bit about it.

Master Qian remained silent for a moment. He stared at Fang He for a long time, seemingly deep in thought.

Fang He felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze, but she didn't look away.

A moment later, Qian Zhenshi bent down and picked up a fragment of a formation plate from the ground.

The fragment is about the size of a palm, made of a material that resembles jade but is not. It has blurry patterns engraved on its surface and obvious cracks along its edges.

"Sense what's on this surface?"

Fang He took the fragment.

He closed his eyes, mobilized the spiritual energy within his body, and extended his spiritual consciousness outwards.

Fang He felt as if she were in a fog. Faintly, light flowed within the fog, as if following some kind of pattern.

He stared intently at the light, which seemed to form invisible channels on the surface of the array plate, guiding the flow of spiritual energy.

After a moment, he opened his eyes.

"The flow of spiritual energy... seems to be a channel guiding the flow of spiritual energy?"

A hint of surprise flashed in Qian Zhenshi's eyes.

"good."

He nodded, his tone softening slightly. "Being able to sense this level means your spiritual awareness is quite sharp. You're much better than those reckless fools who only know how to act blindly."

Fang He didn't reply, but waited quietly.

He knew in his heart that what he had just perceived was actually limited.

If it weren't for his keen spiritual sense, he could at most perceive the fluctuations in spiritual energy, but wouldn't be able to discern the specific patterns in the flow of spiritual energy.

It seems this talent can also be useful in learning formations.

Qian Zhenshi remained silent for a moment, as if weighing something.

"Okay, I'll accept you for now."

He said, "But let me make it clear first, the art of formations is profound and complex, and it cannot be mastered by simply learning it casually. During this time, you will follow me and start by learning the basics. How much you learn depends on your own abilities."

"Thank you, Senior Qian." Fang He bowed.

"Don't thank me." Master Qian waved his hand, turned around and went back to the work shed. "Setting up formations is real work. If you can't learn it, you won't get a chance."

Fang He watched his retreating figure, lost in thought.

Formations and alchemy do indeed have something in common. He already has a foundation in controlling spiritual fire and manipulating spiritual energy, so learning them shouldn't be too difficult.

However, Master Qian is right. The art of formations is profound and complex, and mastering it is not something that can be achieved overnight.

This is just the beginning; there is still a long way to go.

Take it slow...