Xiao Fei had failed at alchemy for three consecutive months, wasting a considerable amount of medicinal ingredients. Any ordinary rogue cultivator would have been forced to sell their pants by now.
He had to stop and reflect on his gains and losses.
The biggest problem was that in the space, he was merely a body formed from divine consciousness, somewhat ethereal and not very solid.
It was indeed too difficult for a pure divine consciousness body to perform various incantations for alchemy.
However, what was lost in one place was gained in another. Over these three months, he had continuously exerted his divine consciousness, causing it to grow significantly.
Most cultivators’ divine consciousness only increased with their realm advancement; it was fixed, and there were almost no methods to further enhance it.
Even if there were some special cultivation techniques or treasures, they were extremely rare, and ordinary cultivators had no chance of obtaining them.
Previously, because his divine consciousness was doing hard labor in the space, it was already stronger than that of cultivators at the same level. With this latest growth, his divine consciousness, at the seventh level of Qi Condensation, was now comparable to that of the ninth level.
It could be considered a case of having and losing.
However, Xiao Fei did not intend to continue this way. He had already wasted over thirty stalks of the Spirit Gathering Grass he had cultivated.
If he wasted any more, even with his spatial artifact, he wouldn't be able to afford it.
The issue was that he currently lacked the conditions to refine alchemy outside.
Professional alchemy rooms of cultivators were protected by formations that could isolate the interior from the exterior, preventing outsiders from probing with their divine consciousness.
Alchemy was not like cultivation; it generated significant movement, fluctuations in spiritual energy, medicinal aromas, and sometimes even explosive furnace failures.
What could he do if passing cultivators were attracted by the commotion and curiously glanced with their divine consciousness?
Stepping out of his bedroom, he happened to encounter Huang Feifei returning from the robe workshop.
Huang Feifei now went out early and returned late every day, so they didn't often meet.
"Young Master! I heard some news in the workshop today.
I heard that a disciple of the Scarlet Sun Sect was ambushed and killed by demonic beasts outside the city. Among these demonic beasts was a golden-furred large rat.
The Scarlet Sun Sect has already dispatched people to investigate."
Xiao Fei was not interested in that Scarlet Sun Sect disciple who looked down on the world, but he heard that a golden-furred large rat was among the attacking demonic beasts.
At that moment, they exchanged a glance, both thinking of Green Bean Eyes, who had been missing for several months, and the golden-furred large rat he always held in his arms.
"Young Master, what should we do?"
Huang Feifei asked with some worry.
Although they were just tenants of this inn, if people from the Scarlet Sun Sect found their way here based on some clues, they would have no way to explain themselves even if they had mouths.
Being captured and interrogated would be unavoidable.
"We should leave here, find another place to live, and go into seclusion for a period of time. We can come out after this matter has blown over."
Huang Feifei had no objections to Xiao Fei's decision. Immediately, they packed some of their personal belongings from the inn and prepared to leave.
As Xiao Fei was packing his belongings, he discovered a thin item under his pillow.
He took it out and unfolded it: a piece of paper and a human skin mask.
He had been so focused on alchemy during this period that he hadn't noticed the human skin mask pressed under his pillow.
"Our fate ends here; consider this a memento!"
The handwriting on the note was very messy, as if written in haste.
Xiao Fei was very familiar with this human skin mask; he had worn it a few times, and it belonged to Green Bean Eyes.
Xiao Fei remained silent for a long time, recalling the bits and pieces of their interactions over the years. Green Bean Eyes had been both a mentor and a friend to him, and their relationship had been quite harmonious.
He hadn't expected him to leave him a gift when he departed.
He put the note and the mask into his spatial artifact and continued packing.
These daily necessities had no intrinsic value, but others might be able to find him through residual traces of his aura, so he had to be cautious.
They didn't have many belongings and quickly packed them, then hurriedly left the inn where they had lived for several years.
Xingyue City had an institution specifically for renting and selling cave dwellings to the public, but using such institutions required registering personal information.
Additionally, some cave dwellings were privately purchased and then rented out.
The quality of these private cave dwellings was uneven, and one could easily be cheated, but no information registration was required; one only needed to pay the spirit stones on time.
Xiao Fei put on the human skin mask and rented a cave dwelling in a more secluded part of Xingyue City.
A small spiritual脉 passed beneath the cave dwelling, and the owner had set up a spirit gathering formation utilizing this small spiritual脉, making the spiritual energy within the cave dwelling much better than outside.
Due to its secluded location, this cave dwelling was relatively spacious and had several separate rooms.
There was also a small spiritual field inside, where one could plant some spiritual herbs.
This cave dwelling was also protected by a formation that could block external probes and had a certain defensive effect.
Including each small room within the cave dwelling, they were also separated by formations, ensuring excellent privacy.
However, such a cave dwelling was not cheap, costing 10 spirit stones per month.
Xiao Fei paid half a year's rent upfront, spending all the spirit stones in his pocket.
After renting the cave dwelling, they needed to make some preparations for long-term seclusion.
Xiao Fei needed to acquire more spirit stones for cultivation, as well as purchase some auxiliary medicinal ingredients and spirit charcoal.
This time, he put on the mask left by Green Bean Eyes again and sold all the fragmented Profound Iron ore in his spatial artifact, obtaining 1000 spirit stones.
These spirit stones should be enough for him to spend for a long time.
For a cultivator with Huang Feifei's aptitude, it would be enough for her to cultivate to the great circle of Qi Condensation.
But Xiao Fei's aptitude was not good; he could only rely on resources to force his way through. During cultivation, he held a spirit stone in each hand and also used medicinal aids.
After getting the spirit stones, he went to the pharmacy and bought several hundred portions of auxiliary medicine, and also bought enough spirit charcoal. Only then did he return to the cave dwelling, activate the defensive formation, and begin his seclusion.
He and Huang Feifei each had their own room and did not disturb each other during cultivation.
In his room, Xiao Fei took out his alchemy furnace, skillfully arranged the spirit charcoal, and lit the fire to refine pills.
The first furnace still resulted in failure.
The second furnace also failed…
It wasn't until the fifth time he opened the furnace lid that a pill of Qi Gathering Dan lay quietly within.
With the first success, subsequent pills were refined one after another.
Each furnace yielded ten pills, and the average success rate rose from ten percent to twenty percent.
From then on, Xiao Fei refined one furnace of pills every day. His spatial artifact no longer planted spirit grains but only spirit herbs. The spirit herbs matured continuously, just enough to supply his consumption.
He took one Qi Gathering Dan daily, and during cultivation, he held a spirit stone in each hand. He was fully equipped, using every means at his disposal.
Time passed quickly, and three years elapsed in the blink of an eye.
Xiao Fei sat cross-legged in the cultivation room, returning to himself from cultivation, and opened his eyes.
After three years of hard work, his cultivation had now reached the tenth level of Qi Condensation.
Today, he had consumed the last of the spiritual medicine, and it was time for him to emerge from seclusion.
There were still many spirit herbs in the spatial artifact, but the auxiliary medicinal ingredients and spirit charcoal had run out.
He hadn't left the cave dwelling for these three years, only occasionally chatting with Huang Feifei in the living room.
After so many years, the major case from back then had likely been forgotten by people.