Li Tianyan, who was in seclusion within the spirit gathering array, remained unaware that the Ghost Tan Eyu was about to appear before Cheng Qi.

Among the spiritual herbs acquired at a low price from Duan Qin, Li Tianyan discovered Bihe Plant, which could strengthen bones and tendons. After taking the medicinal pill refined from Bihe Plant, he gradually employed the Five Elements Technique to absorb medicinal properties.

With the combined effect of the technique and the pill, the abundant spiritual energy flowed into his body, flushing his muscles and veins. Li Tianyan felt no discomfort, allowing him to release his five spiritual roots to absorb energy voraciously. The spiritual energy entered the Dantian, swiftly categorized by the Five Elements Technique, and blended into masses of different colors.

Li Tianyan had to pause only when hunger struck. He consumed the dry food Cheng Qi had prepared, regretting once again not collecting some Bigu Pills from the Qiankun Realm.

After nearly seven days in retreat, Li Tianyan halted his meditation when he sensed a gradual rise in his spiritual energy. He discovered that his cultivation level had plateaued at the middle of the third level. Glancing at the walls and the remaining medicinal pills, he realized he had to wait two months before taking another pill.

The first gift Li Tianyan received upon leaving seclusion was a densely packed pre-order form. Observing the detailed order dates and quantities, he appreciatively rubbed Cheng Qi’s head and said, “Well done.”

With this reservation list, prioritizing tasks became easier, alleviating concerns about refining medicinal pills.

“Young master, there’s one more thing,” Cheng Qi hesitated before raising his eyes to meet Li Tianyan’s gaze.

“Speak,” Li Tianyan replied, seated with the reservation form in hand.

“Not long after your retreat, a significant customer visited the Alchemy Pavilion, purchasing two million taels of medicinal pills. Upon investigation by Tan Eyu, we discovered it was Madam Li,” Cheng Qi conveyed, shocked by the news.

“How could it be her?” Li Tianyan was surprised. Li family had suffered losses in wealth due to supporting Li Tiancheng, how could Hong Man possess such a substantial amount of silver?

Cheng Qi leaned close to Li Tianyan’s ear, whispering the details found by Tan Eyu. The previous night, Tan Eyu witnessed Madam Li burning letters and overheard her conversation with Mother Liu. It was revealed that Madam Li had cheated the Li family and was now quite wealthy. Moreover, she knew about the young master’s connection to the Alchemy Pavilion.

Upon hearing Hong Man’s actions, Li Tianyan couldn’t help but sigh at the woman’s cunning tactics. Even Duan Qin fell into her trap willingly.

Li Tianyan found himself somewhat helpless when Hong Man insisted on him giving money, he rejected her kindness back then but now she spent a lot of money to support his business.

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After discussing the matter, Li Tianyan’s attention shifted back to Cheng Qi. “I’ve noticed your rapid improvement in cultivation lately, and you’re about to reach the late second level.”

Cheng Qi’s understanding was indeed impressive. Although the Yiyuan Pill was just a low-grade one, for an entry-level alchemist, Cheng Qi’s progress had surpassed expectations. Even in terms of cultivation, it outpaced ordinary single spiritual root. Li Tianyan speculated that the Yin Yuan Body might also be a well-trained physique, though there was been no chance to demonstrate it.

“It seems so.” Cheng Qi only fully comprehended Li Tianyan’s observation after he mentioned it. No wonder he was increasingly comfortable with alchemy lately.

“Practice hard, and let me know when you run out of spirit stones.” Li Tianyan calculated that his current supply would last until advancing to the fourth level, and then he had to find a way to obtain more.

“Don’t worry, young master; there are still plenty of spiritual stones,” Cheng Qi assured Li Tianyan with a smile. As expected, the young master was very considerate.

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Li Tianyan returned to a regular life after leaving seclusion, diligently refining medicinal pills and taking daily medicinal baths, working hard to earn money while building a solid foundation for his body.

As expected, Cheng Qi successfully advanced to the third level of Qi Condensation three months later, relying on the abundant spiritual energy in the spirit gathering formation. After the advancement, Cheng Qi’s alchemy skills improved significantly, allowing him to assist Li Tianyan in half of the alchemy tasks.

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For over a year, four people and two ghosts lived in the villa in the suburbs of Shanxi, unbeknownst to others. Due to its reputation, Alchemy Pavilion’s business thrived, attracting customers from Yuncheng and Guancheng who traveled a long way to purchase medicinal pills.

Although Li Tianyan made efforts to conceal his identity, the world had no airtight walls, and an increasing number of people began to suspect him.

Duan Qin’s expression became complicated upon hearing the report from below. “You’re saying the pharmacist from that Alchemy Pavilion is likely Li Tianyan living in the suburbs of Shanxi?”

“Indeed, old madam. My subordinates confirmed it, but there’s a protective formation around the villa. No one has witnessed whether Young Master Tianyan personally refined the medicinal pill, or there may be others hiding in his residence,” the guard reported truthfully.

“Where is Li Tianyan’s servant? Just capture him and ask him,” Duan Qin demanded, feeling a sense of betrayal.

Li Tianyan opened the Alchemy Pavilion just over a month after the separation. Was his behavior in front of them initially just to leave the Li Mansion? If he possessed genuine ability, how could he be a mere young master of the Li Mansion, depending on others?

The Li Mansion guard, with a perplexed expression, responded, “Many have tried to attack Li Wu, but despite being a second-level warrior, he carries a peculiar talisman. Ordinary warriors can’t affect him. Some attempted to capture him with innate warriors, but it was as if a blindfold had been cast, and he escaped before their eyes.”

“Is it the talisman used by the Guan family?” Duan Qin’s expression soured as she listened.

The Guan family gained prominence with their talismans this year, consistently outperforming others during hunting expeditions. Unfortunately, the Guan family refused to sell these talismans.

The guard nodded affirmatively, “Exactly, some claim that the talisman was actually drawn by Young Master Tianyan.”

“A talisman? With deceptive trick?” Duan Qin muttered, sensing that Li Tianyan was highly suspicious. How could she have misjudged him initially? She wondered if her repeated embarrassments during the birthday banquet were related to Li Tianyan.

Grandma Cai, standing nearby, was startled upon hearing this. Since the old madam expelled the third young master from the house, she had always sensed something was amiss, and now it seemed to be coming true.

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Cheng Mansion.

“Mother, did you say the pharmacist at Alchemy Pavilion is Li Tianyan? Is that true?” Cheng Si, having overheard her mother and eldest brother’s conversation, rushed into Madam Cheng’s courtyard in disbelief.

“You heard correctly.” Madam Cheng looked at her daughter, sighed, and nodded. “Given the current situation, Li Tianyan is the most likely person.”

“There were rumors outside that the pharmacist received guidance from an immortal. I initially thought it was absurd, considering his poor qualifications, but now, with Li Tianyan’s five spiritual root qualifications, it seems plausible,” Cheng Feiyue added.

“I thought Li Tianyan was abandoned by Tianfan Immortal Sect because of his five spiritual roots, but I didn’t expect him to still have such good fortune. That little shuanger really took advantage of it. If I had known, I wouldn’t have made a hasty decision,” Madam Cheng expressed regret, especially about her eldest daughter.

“I thought by giving Cheng Qi to Li Tianyan, I could protect my daughter’s marriage and remove a troublesome person from the Cheng household. I didn’t expect to end up making a wedding dress for that little shuanger,” she lamented.

Cheng Si couldn’t help but feel regretful. Seeing Li Tianyan later, she sensed a significant change in demeanor. Little did she know that Li Tianyan was destined for something extraordinary.

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During this time, people visited the villa where Li Tianyan lived, under various pretexts. Even Cheng Qi’s biological mother, Luo Shi, sent representatives. Li Tianyan treated everyone equally and asked Li Wu to escort them away.

Li Tianyan no longer cared about external opinions. With accumulated progress and the last Bihe Pill, the fourth-level barrier finally felt loose. Seizing the opportunity, he explained matters and retreated once again.

Cheng Qi and Li Tianyan often staggered their retreat times this year. As Cheng Qi had learned to be independent, Li Tianyan’s decision to retreat this time was met with accustomed indifference from everyone in the villa.

Unexpectedly, on the eighth day of Li Tianyan’s retreat, an accident occurred.

Tan Eyu had been feeling uneasy, especially in the evening. His desire to devour Cheng Qi intensified. To avoid a fatal mistake, Tan Eyu hid in the house out of sight.

Although Yin Zhong also felt a little uncomfortable, it was not as intense as Tan Eyu’s discomfort.

Xiao Liu, who was dining in the main room with Cheng Qi, looked up and observed outside the house. He saw a large dark cloud hanging over their villa, so dense that it made people feel depressed, creating a foreboding atmosphere.

Xiao Liu couldn’t help but mutter, “It looks like it’s going to rain. The weather was quite nice just now, but it can change in an instant.”

“Let’s eat quickly and rest early after eating,” Cheng Qi said, feeling a bit uneasy. He just thought he could go back and lay down after eating, not paying much attention to his surroundings.

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Cheng Qi finally returned to the room before the sun set. As soon as he laid down, his consciousness became blurry. He felt the familiar sensations of hot and cold in his body but couldn’t make sense of it.

“Tian…Yan.”

Cheng Qi laid on the bed, unconsciously chanting a person’s name, as if only thinking about this person could help him retain a trace of clarity.

If someone were to enter the room at this time, they would see black Yin energy pouring out of Cheng Qi’s body, even penetrating the cracks in the door and floating outward.

Time passed bit by bit, and Tan Eyu, who was staying in the room, also sensed the Yin energy. Each breath she took brought comfort to her entire being.

Unfortunately, before she could take a few more breaths, she sensed unusual auras. Unable to resist, she opened her eyes. A red shadow appeared in the sky above the villa.

Tan Eyu raised her head, glanced at the dark clouds above her, and muttered, “What kind of monster is that brat?”

“Tan Eyu, has something happened?” Xiao Liu, feeling increasingly uneasy, couldn’t help but check outside. The ominous feeling, upon seeing Tan Eyu’s figure, intensified.

“Huh, something is definitely going to happen,” Tan Eyu laughed coldly, her red lips looked particularly alluring in the night.