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

In the backyard of the pharmacy in early winter, fallen leaves piled up in the corner.

Fang He sat at the stone table, with account books and storage bags spread out in front of him.

A cold wind blew in from outside the courtyard wall, causing the account books to flutter slightly.

Su Yun'er squatted beside the drying rack, sorting and organizing baskets of dried medicinal herbs. Occasionally she would look up at him, then lower her head and continue working.

Fang He probed his storage bag with his divine sense and began to take stock of his possessions.

One hundred and thirty low-grade spirit stones.

This number is nearly thirty more than it was two months ago.

The pharmacy business is stable, and there is also income from array missions, so the accumulation of spirit stones is faster than expected.

Fang He took out several porcelain bottles and counted them one by one.

Twelve Qi-Nourishing Pills, eight Qi-Gathering Pills, and three Qi-Condensing Pills.

There were also some miscellaneous pills for healing and detoxification.

Most of these pills were personally refined over the past two months and are of superior quality.

Selling them in the market can earn you a lot of spirit stones.

But Fang He had no intention of selling.

The bottleneck of the sixth level of Qi Refining has been vaguely touched.

The dantian was filled with spiritual energy, showing faint signs of breaking through its shackles.

Similar to breaking through the fifth level, reaching the sixth level also requires rare medicinal herbs to solidify the foundation.

Fang He opened the spiritual plant notebook left by Old Man Lin and searched for records about breakthrough medicinal materials.

On the yellowed page, a line of writing catches the eye:

"Gathering Essence Grass, a second-tier spiritual herb, grows in deep-sea reef areas. In places where spiritual energy is abundant, second-tier sea beasts also inhabit. Harvesting it is extremely difficult, and it is not feasible for those who are not in the late stage of Qi Refining."

Fang He frowned slightly.

The deep-sea reef area is a more dangerous place than the Demon Hunting Sea.

First-tier sea beasts roam everywhere, and second-tier sea beasts are also frequently seen.

Relying solely on his current Qi Refining Level 5 cultivation, rushing off would be tantamount to suicide.

We need to find a capable assistant.

A name flashed through Fang He's mind.

Zhao Hengdao.

That sword cultivator, at the late stage of Qi Refining, had a forthright personality and fierce swordsmanship.

The two had met once before in the market, and the other person had left a good impression on him.

Fang He put away her notebook and stood up.

I need to go out for a while.

Su Yun'er looked up: "Where to?"

"Looking for a friend at the west end of the market."

Su Yun'er didn't ask any further questions, but simply nodded: "Come back early, the sea breeze is cool at night."

Fang He responded, put the storage bag into his pocket, and walked out of the courtyard.

The courtyards at the west end of the market are rather simple, and the independent monks gather here because the rent is cheap.

Fang He followed her memory and found the courtyard.

The courtyard wall was low, the gate was dilapidated, and a long knife was stuck in the courtyard. The blade gleamed coldly in the winter sun.

Before even entering the gate, one could hear the howling wind coming from inside the courtyard.

Fang He paused for a moment, waiting quietly.

The blade whistled through the air, sharp and domineering. With each strike, the air crackled with a piercing sound.

The fallen leaves in the courtyard were swept up by the gust of wind and swirled in mid-air.

A moment later, the wind from the blades subsided.

"Who is it?"

A rough voice came from inside the door.

Fang He cupped his hands in greeting: "Brother Zhao, Fang He has come to visit."

The door creaked open.

Zhao Hengdao stood inside the door, a burly man with a full beard.

He wore only a single layer of clothing on his upper body, revealing his strong arms, and held a three-foot-long knife in his hand, with a few leaves still stuck to the blade.

"Brother Fang?"

Zhao Hengdao paused for a moment, then grinned, stuck his long sword into the courtyard, and stepped aside: "Come in quickly, don't stand outside in the wind."

Fang He stepped into the courtyard.

The courtyard was simple, with only a stone table and two stone benches.

Zhao Hengdao gestured for Fang He to sit down, then brought out a pot of hot wine from inside the house and took out two rough porcelain bowls.

"Here, have a sip to warm yourself up."

Zhao Hengdao filled two bowls with wine and pushed one of them towards him.

Fang He picked up the wine bowl and took a sip.

The liquor was spicy and felt like fire as it went down my throat, which dispelled a lot of the chill.

"Brother Fang, you must have important business to attend to today."

Zhao Hengdao cut to the chase, "There's no need for beating around the bush between brothers, let's speak frankly."

Fang He put down his wine bowl and said seriously, "I do have an important matter to ask of you."

"Brother Zhao, do you know about the Condensing Essence Grass?"

Zhao Hengdao raised an eyebrow: "I've heard of it. It's a second-tier spiritual herb, growing on deep-sea reefs. What, Brother Fang, do you want it?"

"Exactly."

Fang He nodded. "I've reached the bottleneck of the sixth level of Qi Refining and need the Qi Condensation Grass to consolidate my dantian. But that place is dangerous, and it's difficult for one person to handle it alone."

"So, I'd like to invite Brother Zhao to join me on this trip?"

That's exactly what I meant.

Zhao Hengdao pondered for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter, slamming his palm on the stone table, making the wine bowl vibrate.

"good!"

He beamed with delight, "Brother Fang, you have quite the courage to venture into the deep sea to collect spiritual herbs. I admire you!"

"To be honest, I'm planning to hunt some sea monsters in the deep sea to exchange for the spiritual materials I need for my swordsmanship. We're going the same way, so let's travel together!"

Fang He felt a sense of relief.

As rumored, Zhao Hengdao was indeed generous and readily agreed.

"Thank you, Brother Zhao."

Fang He cupped his hands in a gesture of respect. "Regarding profit sharing, I have a suggestion."

"Please feel free to speak."

"I'll be responsible for locating the Qi Condensation Grass and providing support in battle. Brother Zhao will focus on attacking the sea beasts. I'll keep the Qi Condensation Grass, and we'll split the sea beast materials equally. What do you say, Brother Zhao?"

Zhao Hengdao waved his hand and said, "No need to split it equally. I only want 30% of the sea beast materials, and the rest is yours."

"When we independent practitioners are traveling, looking out for each other is more important than anything else. You help me, I help you, that's how we make a lasting relationship."

Fang He's heart stirred slightly.

Zhao Hengdao is an honest man; he doesn't take advantage of others.

"Shall we meet at the dock three days from now at dawn?"

"OK!"

Zhao Hengdao nodded. "See you at the dock in three days. Captain Chen's merchant ship will be setting sail then, and he can give us a ride along the way."

Fang He stood up and cupped his hands in a gesture of respect again: "It's a deal."

Zhao Hengdao also stood up, and slapped Fang He's shoulder heavily with his large palm, causing him to sway slightly.

"Brother Fang, I like your kind of person. You're bold, resourceful, and decisive."

"Let's pull off a great job on this deep-sea trip, brothers!"

Fang He nodded and turned to leave.

As he stepped out of the courtyard gate, Zhao Hengdao's hearty laughter rang out behind him: "Brother Fang, see you in three days!"

By the time I returned to the pharmacy, it was already dark.

Inside the alchemy room in the backyard, the furnace roared, casting a red glow on the walls.

Fang He sat cross-legged in front of the alchemy furnace, preparing to refine a batch of high-quality Qi-Nourishing Pills.

This is the highest quality pill he can currently refine, and it is also an important aid for him to break through his bottleneck.

Prepare plenty of medicine before you set off, just in case.

Fang He took out the medicinal materials and processed them one by one.

Purple Ganoderma, Blood-clotting Grass, Fire-patterned Flower...

Various medicinal herbs are transformed into powder or juice in his hands and mixed in a specific ratio.

As the temperature of the alchemy furnace gradually rose, Fang He put the first batch of mixed alchemical materials into the furnace.

He probed the alchemy furnace with his divine sense, sensing the changes inside.

Alchemy requires precise control of heat and timing; the slightest mistake can ruin everything. Fang He was completely focused, manipulating the temperature of the earth fire to guide the fusion of the alchemical ingredients.

A moment later, he suddenly remembered something.

Blue entry: [Spirit Rune Engraving]!

Fang He's heart stirred.

This entry can permanently inscribe formations onto objects; could it also be used for elixirs?

He tried to integrate his insights from spirit inscription into alchemy, using his divine sense to guide spiritual energy and carve intricate patterns on the surface of the nascent pill.

On the first attempt, the pills crackled in the furnace, and cracks appeared on the surface, indicating that their quality was compromised.

Fang He was not discouraged. He adjusted his technique and tried again.

The second time, the third time...

Although he did not succeed, his control over spiritual energy became more refined, and his understanding of the internal structure of the pills deepened.

Three hours later, all three batches of pills were successfully refined.

With an 80% success rate, the pills are of superior quality. Fifteen Qi-Nourishing Pills are neatly arranged in a jade box, exuding a rich fragrance and a restrained radiance.

Fang He nodded in satisfaction.

Although the attempt to integrate the insights into formations into elixirs was unsuccessful, the alchemy skills have indeed improved considerably.

As the fire in the furnace gradually died down, Fang He tidied up and left the alchemy room.

Su Yun'er stood in the courtyard, holding a lantern in her hand.

The dim light illuminated her delicate face, revealing a pair of concerned eyes.

"Finished refining?"

"Um."

Fang He responded, "I'm going on a long trip in three days, so you'll be in charge of the pharmacy for the next few days."

Su Yun'er's eyes flickered slightly, and her lips moved as if she wanted to say something.

In the end, she simply lowered her head and softly replied, "I understand."

Fang He glanced at her.

This girl doesn't talk much, but she's very thoughtful.

She had a pretty good idea that she was going to a dangerous place, but she didn't ask any more questions.

"Don't worry, nothing will happen."

Fang He said calmly, "Before I come back, the pharmacy should continue to sell pills according to the old rules, and the prices should not be easily changed."

"If anyone causes trouble, ask the Zhou family steward to come forward."

Su Yun'er looked up at him seriously: "You... be careful."