With the Eight Immortals' magical treasures in hand, even a mortal like myself! Ha!

After leaving the council hall, Gu Qingfei went straight to Hong Fu's cave. Once inside, knowing that his master didn't like people beating around the bush, he said directly, "Master, I have now established my foundation and wish to open a cave outside and visit other countries."

Upon hearing this, Hong Fu paused in her tea-drinking motion and then said, "Your Foundation Establishment cultivation is far too low. Let's talk about it later."

As expected, it didn't work. It seems that I am still quite valuable in Yellow Maple Valley, after all, I can help cultivate spiritual herbs.

A four-hundred-year-old spiritual herb is something even a Core Formation Ancestor like Hong Fu could use, so naturally the group didn't want anything to happen to Gu Qing.

However, this was not what Gu Qing wanted, so she boldly asked, "Master, what cultivation level is appropriate to go out?"

Hong Fu pondered for a moment, but in the end did not give a definite answer. She simply said, "Come find me again when you have reached the late stage of Foundation Establishment."

Upon hearing "late stage of Foundation Establishment," Gu Qing's heart sank. He knew that even with no shortage of pills, Han Li, who had reached the Foundation Establishment stage at the age of twenty-five, still took twenty-six years to cultivate to the late stage.

I will have to wait more than 20 years before I can go out. By then, Huangfeng Valley will be forced to relocate out of Yue Kingdom, and it seems that my master will also be traded. At that time, my status in Huangfeng Valley will probably be in jeopardy.

"Apart from going out, I can grant you any other request." Hong Fu's attitude was also very firm.

Come to think of it, it's just that Gu Qing is too outstanding. He can earn several hundred mid-grade spirit stones by playing the flute once, and it seems that there are no restrictions, only some mental energy consumption.

It should be noted that Huangfeng Valley only gives ten mid-grade spirit stones to Core Formation cultivators each year.

Even if Gu Qing plays the flute once a month, the value of it would probably be several thousand mid-grade spirit stones a year. Huangfeng Valley only has several thousand Foundation Establishment cultivators. Gu Qing can support a group of Foundation Establishment cultivators in a year. How could Huangfeng Valley easily give up such a large income?

The only good news is that Huangfeng Valley didn't actually treat Gu Qing as a mere servant for producing medicinal herbs; they still granted him a certain degree of freedom.

However, if Gu Qing doesn't cherish these rights, they might be gradually taken back.

Since that was the case, Gu Qing did not insist, but changed his condition and said, "Then Master, please give your disciple a few pill formulas."

"Of course, I do. These two are pills for advancing your Foundation Establishment cultivation. Take them back and study them carefully." Hong Fu handed the pill formulas she had prepared to Gu Qing.

Gu Qing took the prescription and glanced at it. The medicinal herbs required were all four or five hundred years old, and they were all spiritual herbs that he could find in his herb garden.

Now the benefits of revealing his abilities have become apparent again. You see, when Han Li asked Lei Wanhe for pill formulas, Lei Wanhe refused on the grounds of family secrets, only giving Han Li two ancient formulas.

It is evident that such a formula for foundation-building and cultivation advancement is extremely rare even in Tiannan.

However, Gu Qing knew that pill formulas were commonplace in the Chaotic Star Sea.

Thinking of the Chaotic Star Sea, Gu Qing thought of taking Han Li as his disciple. Sigh! What a hassle.

"Thank you, Master. Then I will take my leave." With that, Gu Qing bowed and withdrew.

Just after Gu Qing left, an old Taoist priest in green robes and black hair appeared in the cave. The old Taoist glanced at Hong Fu and said, "This child has an extremely high limit for fertility-inducing drugs. You should pay more attention to him."

"Yes, Ancestor." Hong Fu bowed respectfully.

There is probably only one person in Huangfeng Valley who can be called "Ancestor" by Hongfu Patriarch, and that is Linghu Patriarch.

Gu Qing probably never imagined that he had been secretly observed by Patriarch Linghu all along. But even if he knew, he wouldn't be surprised, since Gu Qing's bloodline supernatural power was extremely rare.

Gu Qing actually had a backup plan: he didn't bring out the real Purple Gold Flute. After breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage, he could use two more magical treasures: Tieguai Li's iron crutch and gourd.

Han Xiangzi's Purple Gold Flute: With a single note, all things come to life, and even withered trees bloom.

It can attract phoenixes and tame exotic beasts. It can bewitch minds and immobilize enemies. The sound of the flute can break evil spells and dispel disasters and misfortunes.

As for the functions of the two newly acquired magical treasures, Gu Qing hadn't had time to explore them yet, but he figured they shouldn't be too bad.

And so, Gu Qing returned to her courtyard, and then, holding the Foundation Establishment pills given to her by Hong Fu to improve her cultivation, she gathered medicinal herbs in the herb garden.

The prescription contains three main ingredients and six auxiliary ingredients, with a total cost of twenty spirit stones. It's just unknown how many pills Gu Qing can produce with his alchemy skills.

If you can get one, you break even; two earn you some money for your efforts; and three or more are considered a successful start.

Just as Gu Qing was picking up medicinal herbs, Han Li's communication talisman came in. Upon receiving the talisman, Gu Qing activated the formation, and Han Li flew into the herb garden from outside, riding a magical artifact.

When Han Li saw the courtyard full of medicinal herbs, he was astonished. With the knowledge he had learned from Doctor Mo, Han Li quickly identified that these medicinal herbs were all four hundred years old, and there were many more medicinal herbs that Han Li did not recognize.

"This guy is also an alchemist," Han Li couldn't help but mutter to himself.

"Are you wondering why I took you as my apprentice?" Gu Qing suddenly asked.

Han Li already had some guesses in his mind, but he still responded with a cupped-hand salute, "Please enlighten me, Master."

"Because you have a medicinal smell on you, hmm, you've taken care of medicinal herbs that are over a hundred years old." Gu Qing said casually, making it up. However, there was some basis to his statement; people who have taken care of thousand-year-old spiritual herbs for a long time will have a certain smell on them.

I wonder if Han Li has taken care of the thousand-year-old spiritual herb since then.

Upon hearing this, Han Li thought to himself that it was indeed because of the elixir that the other party had taken notice. He wondered how the other party had found out; it couldn't have been by smelling it, could it?

Gu Qing seemed to know what Han Li was thinking at a glance. He simply patted a pet pouch, and a white three-eyed rat demon darted out.

This white three-eyed rat demon was extremely bold, and actually started gnawing on the spiritual herbs next to it.

"It's called Little White. It's particularly sensitive to spiritual herbs. It likes to damage them, like this. It nibbles on a few leaves and then stops eating. The spiritual herbs that it has nibbled on are very difficult to grow again," Gu Qing explained simply.

Han Li immediately understood after hearing this, never expecting that such a strange beast existed in the cultivation world.

"So Master took me as his disciple because I've cultivated medicinal herbs for over a hundred years?" Han Li couldn't help but ask.

"Of course not. There are tens of thousands of Qi Refining disciples in the valley. It wouldn't be difficult to find a few female disciples who have cultivated medicinal herbs. Why would we need to find a male disciple like you?" Gu Qing denied with a smile.

Han Li, who had just relaxed, suddenly felt a pang of anxiety. Yes, it wouldn't be difficult to find someone who knew how to cultivate medicinal herbs among tens of thousands of disciples, so why would they choose someone as ordinary as him?