The Hehuan Sect cultivates alchemy; my senior sister helps me refine alchemy throughout the world.

Senior Brother Li, probably wanting to give Han Zhengli a way out, said with a smile, "Senior Brother Han had bad luck this time. He ran into a fifth-tier demon beast as soon as he went in and chased him for three days and three nights. That beast was guarding a good spot, and Senior Brother Han tried to go around it, but he was discovered and fought with it. Although he wasn't injured, someone stole the things from that spot."

Han Zhengli snorted, but still didn't say anything.

Shen Yifei sneered inwardly. A fifth-tier demonic beast? He had encountered a fifth-tier giant ape in the secret realm, and had even been tricked by it, ultimately being refined into a pill. Han Zhengli, at the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm, was quite capable to have escaped unscathed from a fifth-tier demonic beast. But for someone else to steal his things was rather unacceptable.

He's at least a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator, and he didn't even get a sip of soup. No wonder he looks so pale.

The round-faced male cultivator then turned to Sun Yiran: "Senior Sister Sun, what about you?"

Sun Yiran smiled and took out a purple Ganoderma lucidum and several herbs from her storage bag, all of which were over a hundred years old. "That's all. I circled around the perimeter a few times, but didn't dare to go any further in."

"Not bad, not bad." The round-faced male cultivator nodded. "Senior Sister Sun is steady, unlike some people who are insatiable and greedy."

These words were somewhat veiled, and Han Zhengli's face twitched, but he didn't respond.

The flying boat traveled for a day and a night, and on the evening of the second day, the gate of the Hehuan Sect came into view.

Shen Yifei looked out the window. The familiar mountain peaks gleamed golden in the setting sun, and the chimney of the alchemy room was still emitting smoke—everything seemed normal. He suddenly felt a pang of emotion; it felt like several years had passed since he left.

It was already dusk when the flying boat landed. Elder Gu was the first to disembark, standing below the mountain gate. He waited until everyone had disembarked before speaking.

"Go back and get some rest. Those who survived this trip to the secret realm are all capable. As for those who died, the sect will provide compensation." He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone's faces. "Remember, you are not allowed to speak of what happened in the secret realm. Anyone who can't keep their mouth shut will face my wrath."

The crowd agreed and dispersed in twos and threes.

Just as Shen Yifei was about to leave, Elder Gu called him back.

"Shen Yifei, can you stay here for a moment?"

Shen Yifei's heart skipped a beat, but he still obediently stood still.

After everyone had left, Elder Gu looked him up and down.

"Mid-Foundation Establishment stage?"

"Yes, I ate a Ganoderma lucidum in the secret realm. I don't know how old it was, but I broke through after eating it." Shen Yifei repeated the lie he had made up.

Elder Gu nodded, not asking any further questions. "Go back and cultivate diligently; don't waste this opportunity."

"Yes."

Elder Gu turned and left. Shen Yifei stood there, watching him disappear into the night, wondering to himself, "Elder Gu specifically asked me to stay just to ask this one question? It doesn't seem likely." But since the other party hadn't said it outright, he couldn't be bothered to guess.

He turned and walked towards the inner courtyard. Just as he reached the gate of his own courtyard, he heard footsteps behind him.

Looking back, it was Han Zhengli.

The senior brother, who was in the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm, stood three steps behind him, his face gloomy and his eyes fixed on him.

"Senior Brother Han, is something the matter?" Shen Yifei forced a smile.

Han Zhengli didn't speak, he just stared at him. His gaze was like a knife, scraping across his face.

"Mid-Foundation Establishment stage?" Han Zhengli finally spoke.

"Yes, in the secret realm..."

"I ate a Ganoderma lucidum in the secret realm and broke through," Han Zhengli interrupted him. "I know. You were in the early Foundation Establishment stage before entering the secret realm, and you came out at the middle stage. As for me? I went in at the middle Golden Core stage, and I came out still at the middle Golden Core stage. Not only did I not break through, I didn't even get a hair's breadth of progress."

Shen Yifei sensed the sourness in his words and sneered inwardly, but maintained his honest and simple demeanor: "Senior Brother Han was just unlucky. He'll be better next time."

"Next time? The secret realm opens only once every hundred years. Next time? You want me to wait a hundred years?"

Shen Yifei stopped talking. This person was here to cause trouble, so nothing he said would make a difference.

Han Zhengli took a step forward, his aura as a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator pressing down on Shen Yifei, making his chest feel tight.

"Tell me, what good stuff did you get in the secret realm? Show it to me."

Shen Yifei's heart tightened. This was blatant robbery.

"Senior Brother Han, I only dug up a few herbs and killed a few monsters. There's really nothing good about it."

"Nothing good?" Han Zhengli sneered. "You were only at the early Foundation Establishment stage, you went in perfectly fine, and came out at the mid-stage. You say there's nothing good? Who would believe that?"

He took another step forward, his imposing manner intensifying. Shen Yifei felt as if someone was choking him, making it difficult to breathe.

"Senior Brother Han, I really..."

"Stop talking nonsense." Han Zhengli reached out and grabbed his collar. "Take out the storage bag."

Shen Yifei instinctively shrank back. Han Zhengli's grab missed, and his face turned even uglier.

"Still dare to hide?"

He raised his hand and slapped Shen Yifei across the face.

If that slap had landed properly, Shen Yifei would have lost several teeth. A slap from a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator is no joke.

Shen Yifei didn't dodge. Not because he didn't want to, but because he couldn't. Han Zhengli's imposing aura rendered him unable to move, and he could only watch helplessly as the hand drew closer and closer.

"stop."

A cold shout, like a bucket of ice water poured down, left Han Zhengli's hand frozen in mid-air, his whole body stiff.

Elder Gu emerged from the shadows, his face ashen.

"Han Zhengli, what are you doing?"

Han Zhengli's imposing aura instantly dissipated; he withdrew his hand and took two steps back. "Elder Gu, I... I just wanted to see what good things he got."

"Look what good stuff he got?" Elder Gu's voice was as cold as a knife. "You're trying to steal it from him, aren't you?"

"No, I just am..."

"What is it?" Elder Gu interrupted him, "You returned empty-handed from the secret realm, and you're upset, so you're taking it out on a junior brother who's only in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage? Han Zhengli, you've got quite the nerve."

Han Zhengli's face flushed red and then turned pale, his lips trembled twice, and he couldn't speak.

Elder Gu walked up to him, staring into his eyes. "Listen carefully. Shen Yifei is an inner disciple, protected by the sect's rules. If you dare lay a finger on him, I'll cripple you. Do you understand?"

Han Zhengli gritted his teeth and squeezed out a few words: "I understand."

"roll."

Han Zhengli turned and left, but after a few steps he turned back and glanced at Shen Yifei.

Shen Yifei felt a chill run down his spine from that look, but he didn't show it on his face. He still had that honest and simple look on his face and cupped his hands to Han Zhengli: "Take care, Senior Brother Han."

Han Zhengli ignored him and disappeared into the night.

Elder Gu glanced at Shen Yifei: "It's alright, go back now."

"Thank you, Elder Gu." Shen Yifei bowed, turned and entered the courtyard, closing the door behind him.

He leaned against the door and let out a long sigh.

Han Zhengli is a petty and narrow-minded person. He lost face in front of Elder Gu today, and this debt will definitely be held against him. His days in the Hehuan Sect from now on will probably be difficult.

"Little guy, your senior brother isn't a good person," Liu Mengli said from inside the cauldron, her voice lazy, as if she were watching a show.

"I know."

"He's going to kill you."

"I know that too."

"Aren't you afraid?"

"What's the use of being afraid?" Shen Yifei walked to the bedside, sat down, and took off his shoes. "Does being afraid stop him from killing me?"

Liu Mengli snorted from inside the cauldron: "You're quite open-minded. But then again, you dare to scheme against even a fifth-tier demon beast, what's a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator to you?"

Shen Yifei didn't reply. He lay down and stared blankly at the roof beam.

We need to find a way to resolve Han Zhengli's matter, but not now. The most important thing right now is to get rid of what we have on hand.

He brought out too many things from the secret realm: spirit stones, pills, magical artifacts, and medicinal herbs. They were piled up in his ring and could hardly fit them all.

These things need to be sold off gradually; it's too conspicuous to reveal them all at once.

Making a fortune can also be a troublesome thing!