Seeing the astonishment on Zheng Hai's face, Han Yi felt secretly pleased in his heart.
"R...really? Are you serious?" Zheng Hai asked further.
Han Yi nodded: "Of course it's true, even Brother Guan Di said that my alchemy skills are quite strong."
"And it's only through a breakthrough in alchemy that I was able to pass the sect evaluation, or else how could I have made it through."
Under Han Yi's repeated assurances, Zheng Hai temporarily believed it.
"Han Yi, this is too amazing of you."
"It's like you've become a different person in just one year."
Words not intended, but the listener took it to heart.
Han Yi's proud heart trembled at once.
In the Cultivation World, if someone truly noticed the huge difference between him in the past and now, and was interested in him, and this person was a cultivator in the late stage of Qi cultivation or even Foundation Establishment stage, then he would be in a lot of trouble.
It won't work.
For the next few years, he needs to lay low and not be too ostentatious.
Han Yi is a cautious person.
At this moment, he was already very grateful that he didn't impulsively agree to join Little Green Cloud Peak's Acting Peak Master, Shen Yu, or Guan Di, and expose himself under the scrutiny of even more people, which would be like magnifyingglass on him, making it easier to reveal his secrets.
"By the way, where did you go a while ago? I went to look for you at Little Pan Stone Peak, but no one responded."
Zheng Hai shook his head: "I had something to do and went out, let's not talk about that, let's go, you're back now, let's go for a few drinks."
Han Yi was just about to offer to take Zheng Hai to the Drunken Immortal Tower to celebrate, but on second thought, he didn't even have a single spirit stone in his pocket, only the freshly made pills.
"Don't worry, I'll treat you." Seeing the difficulty on Han Yi's face, Zheng Hai immediately patted his chest.
It was Han Yi's turn to play the part.
In his heart, Zheng Hai still subconsciously regarded Han Yi as a friend with a lack of spirit stones and a tight life, so naturally, it was his duty to treat him.
Han Yi didn't refuse either, waiting for when he sold the pills, refined more pills to sell, and earned spirit stones to pay back next time.
Between the two of them, there was no need for such restraint.
There were hundreds of outer peaks in the Xuandan Sect, with every peak having at least a few hundred disciples, some even going up to three thousand.
It was as if every outer peak was a small society.
So, almost every mountain peak had a tavern, varying in sizes, including one on Little Lingxu Peak called the Little Lingxu Building.
Spending thirty-two spirit sand, they picked up two small wooden barrels of spirit fruit wine and started drinking in the Little Lingxu Building.
In their past memories, the two of them would meet here almost every year.
Chatting while drinking, most of the time it was Zheng Hai talking about the anecdotes of the Xuandan Sect, which senior brother had advanced to the seventh level, which inner disciple had built the Immortal Path Foundation, which senior brother had found a pretty Dao companion and regressed instead of advancing in cultivation within a year, women truly were a calamity, and so on.
"By the way, Han Yi, have you had any interesting experiences during your year away from the mountain? Tell me about it."
"None, what kind of interesting things could I have? I was just refining pills and cultivating, it's extremely boring. I haven't been out for more than two or three days, and that's how I was able to improve so quickly, all because of my diligent cultivation."
"I guess so, haha."
The spirit fruit wine in the Little Lingxu Building was just average in terms of effect, even when they could afford it in the past when they were at the second level of Qi cultivation. This thing was not priced high, and although the fruit wine contained spirit energy, it wasn't very effective, and not much could be truly absorbed.
After finishing their drinks, they each went back to their homes.
Han Yi first went to Vermilion Bird Peak.
He exchanged all the pills he had for sect points.
Nine bottles of exorcise evil spirits pills, seven of which were freshly made this time, and two were left over from last time. He had used a bottle of it when breaking through to the Qi cultivation fourth level.
Twenty bottles of Nurturing Qi Pills.
In total, he exchanged them for three thousand five hundred sect points.
According to the ratio of sect points to spirit stones, at a ten-to-one rate, this would equal three hundred and fifty spirit stones.
The person on duty at Vermilion Bird Hall was still Brother Ma Yu, who had administered his evaluation last time.
"Junior Brother Han, this is a huge sum for you. I've saved up for so many years, and my assets are only one thousand spirit stones. You suddenly have assets equivalent to 30% of mine."
"I'm envious."
Ma Yu sighed.
Han Yi humbly said, "Brother Ma, these pills are the result of my hard work over the past year, otherwise, I wouldn't have so many."
"I don't know when I'll have the next batch of pills."
Ma Yu nodded.
This was more reasonable. If Han Yi casually refined so many high-quality pills within just two months, that would be unbelievable.
After Han Yi had exchanged all his points for two hundred Spirit Stones and alchemy materials and walked out of the administrative hall, his brows suddenly furrowed.
"I can't come here again in a short time."
"Next time, I'll have to go to the market at the outer peaks."
In the Xuandan Sect, there is an official trading platform, which is the administrative hall, using points as the intermediary currency.
There is also a semi-official trading platform, which is the market.
There are a total of eighteen markets set up among the hundred outer peaks, and behind these markets are the higher-ups of the sect, including Foundation Establishment stage and even Golden Core stage cultivators.
These markets are similar to the Lei family's market in Mengshan City, only fairer and with very few robberies happening. This is a bottom line within the sect. After all, stability is the foundation for maintaining rule.
The reason why Han Yi had such thoughts was because of what Ma Yu had just said.
With his terrifying success rate in pill-refining and a continuous supply of pills, it would be troublesome to constantly use the sect's administrative hall as the middleman. As long as someone investigates or even notices like Ma Yu did, coming a few more times would easily deduce Han Yi's success rate in alchemy.
At that time, it would inevitably cause trouble.
Han Yi hated trouble the most.
If he goes through the semi-official trading platform of the sect, there are no records and although the price will be lower, it is more concealed and safe.
This was Han Yi's thought just now.
"Besides, it's time to acquire a few more pill formulas. The Nurturing Qi Pill and the Exorcise Evil Spirits Pill are too simple. Next time, I'll look in the market and see if there are any higher-level pill formulas to buy."
"In addition, the market also offers magic skills for purchase, which I should also pay attention to."
One plan after another in Han Yi's heart was well-arranged.
He liked this feeling of being in control of everything.
When he returned to Little Lingxu Peak with all these thoughts, he saw two female cultivators at the entrance.
He didn't recognize them from far away.
In fact, Han Yi didn't know any female cultivators in Xuandan Sect.
As Han Yi approached, one of the two female cultivators asked with a salute.
"Excuse me, are you junior brother Han?"
The voice was ethereal and gentle, very pleasant to hear.
Han Yi subconsciously nodded and observed the other party.
Both of these female cultivators were dressed in the gray robes of outer disciples.
The one who spoke had a smile on her face, was about 1.7 meters tall, had soft facial features, radiant eyes, and long hair draped over her shoulders, which accentuated her slender body under the gray robe.
This female cultivator, judging by her looks and voice, seemed to be three or four years older than Han Yi.
As for the other one, she had an explosive figure with voluptuous curves but a more ordinary face and cold demeanor.
"Senior sisters, may I know who you are?" Han Yi saluted back.
"Nice to meet you, Junior brother Han. I am Chu Jinmo, and this is my junior sister, Yan Ru."
"We are from Small Guanhai Peak."
The ethereal-voiced female cultivator named Chu Jinmo introduced them.
"Small Guanhai Peak?"
"What brings you here?"
Han Yi's brows furrowed.
He knew about Small Guanhai Peak—it was one of the places with the most female cultivators in the outer peaks.
The two in front of him, one with a pleasant voice and beautiful appearance, and the other with an explosive figure, were certainly eye-catching. However, he couldn't figure out how he was related to them in any way.