"This is Master Wei. You'll serve under him temporarily and take the opportunity to learn the art of alchemy. Rest assured, you won't be expected to become a full-fledged alchemist. Our observatory simply doesn't have the financial resources to train a dedicated alchemist. We only need some temporary assistance at the moment, as we're currently crafting a rare treasure. However, if you perform well during this period, within two or three years, I will personally grant you an elixir and offer guidance on your cultivation journey—my promise to you remains unchanged!" "You mentioned that you wanted to find a suitable assistant for me at Bai Lu Academy, didn't you?" the elder said, not yielding. "This batch of treasures is of great significance, and it would be best if no other sect were involved. Perhaps Master Han's cultivation and experience are still somewhat limited, but with a little guidance from Elder Wei, and if he handles the refining of materials, he should be entirely capable of managing it." Huala Monastic Sister smiled lightly. "However, even refining materials requires a certain talent. Otherwise, the raw materials would be wasted in vain. Nevertheless, since Sister Huala has expressed such confidence, I'll let this young man stay and see how he fares." The elder sighed, speaking reluctantly. "Rest assured, my judgment isn't that poor. Though Master Han's cultivation level is still modest, his internal energy is exceptionally refined—his ability to control it and in the art of crafting should be quite strong." The sister gently smiled. "Ah! Now I understand. Indeed, he shows real promise." It seems Master Hua Lian wasn't just picking people at random." Hearing this, the elder named Wei unexpectedly glanced at Han Li again, a touch of surprise flickering on his face. "The people Wei needs have already been sent over. Now, we must accelerate the progress of the refining process. Our observatory has been somewhat behind the other two. If we delay any further, the grand undertaking will surely suffer—both of us will face serious consequences. With that said, I shall now be off." Hua Lian, the celestial nun, finally stood to depart, adding one final reminder before leaving. "Rest assured, as long as this young man proves capable, the progress won't be compromised." The elder with a red face rose to see her off, making a firm promise. Only then did the nun fully depart, satisfied. Thus, the chamber now remained with Han Li and the elder alone. "You've just heard what I said. Regardless of whether you're interested in alchemy or possess any natural talent, I will personally teach you the fundamentals of alchemy for one month. After that, I'll assign you specific tasks." As long as you complete my tasks on time every month, you may handle the rest of your affairs at your own discretion. Should you fail to meet the tasks, then you shall immediately leave at once—without delay—and I will find someone else suitable to join the Artisan Hall. Master Wei spoke without any reservation, showing no regard for personal feelings. "Yes, disciple will do my best!" Han Li replied calmly. "Of course, being a disciple in our Artisan Hall comes with its own advantages. Not only can you freely use various artifacts and the ground-fire pools within the hall, but you also receive significantly more spiritual stones each month than the disciples from the other halls. Now, please come with me to meet the other several disciples of the Artisan Hall. There may be times when we need to work together to complete certain materials." Seeing that Han Li seemed satisfied with his attitude, the elder softened his tone and added. Then he led Han Li toward the outer chamber. Thus, after having met the other three junior cultivators, a place was casually assigned to Han Li, and his cultivation journey at Huangqing Pavilion officially began. Since it was a women's observatory, naturally most of the disciples there were female. These female cultivators were not all nuns—many were young, vibrant women who had developed exceptional grace and demeanor, resembling refined members of the gentry. Observing quietly, Han Li noticed that the three male disciples from the Artisan Hall, though constantly exhausted from their daily labors, had long been enchanted by the constant flow of female cultivators. They spent their days tirelessly flattery and serving these female disciples, striving to perfect their artisanal work, yet their own cultivation had stagnated for years. A smaller number of male disciples came to the observatory, mostly serving in support roles similar to those of the Artisan Hall—some dedicated to studying array formations, others to preparing herbal pills and medicines. The female disciples, in contrast, simply needed to focus on their cultivation. This situation made Han Li quietly shake his head, yet he chose not to intervene further. Moreover, the responsibility of welcoming and attending to the male and female disciples fell to the other three. Han Li, however, was specifically assigned to learn the art of refining and purifying materials. The elder with the red face would each day set aside an hour solely to explain to Han Li the fundamental principles of alchemy. On occasion, he would even personally demonstrate and offer guidance. At first, given Han Li's existing level of cultivation and experience, he naturally didn't think he could learn much from a Foundation Stage alchemist—his attitude was merely one of routine compliance. Yet within just a few days, Han Li was astonished. Though the elder's cultivation level was not particularly high, his mastery of alchemical techniques was truly extraordinary. In terms of material refinement alone, he was proficient in a wide variety of alchemical methods, suggesting he had studied several sects' secret alchemical techniques. Indeed, some alchemical techniques and knowledge he had never heard of before. After just over ten days, Han Li found himself greatly enriched and deeply impressed. It seemed that the great claim of the Dajin realm as a heavenly sanctuary for cultivation was no mere exaggeration. A master of alchemy from such an unimpressive Daoist temple could command so many alchemical techniques—ranging from well-preserved ancient methods to those developed over time through continuous accumulation and refinement, distilled and perfected by successive generations of alchemical masters—far surpassing the simple, conventional alchemical approaches found in Tiannan and Luan Xinghai. This truly broadened his horizons. Indeed, Han Li himself had always been ordinary in the field of alchemy. The alchemical techniques he originally received from Qi Yunxiao now seemed rather superficial when viewed through the lens of his current cultivation level and experience. While he had studied numerous alchemical texts during his time in Luan Xinghai and after joining Luoyun Sect, the truly valuable insights were not abundant. Now, with such a rare opportunity at hand, Han Li naturally would not let it pass. Besides dedicating himself to refining the King's Decision at other times, he showed exceptional dedication to the senior master of the Wei family, demonstrating a talent and earnestness in crafting artifacts that deeply impressed the elder. Even occasionally raised questions, which occasionally touched upon some of the elder's own areas of interest, prompting him to elaborate on a number of additional points. As a result, within just one month, the elder's attitude toward Han Li underwent a remarkable transformation—from initially stern and reserved to later warm and approachable—leaving the other three disciples, who were well-acquainted with the elder's temperament, utterly astonished. Driven by jealousy, these three naturally held a less-than-favorable attitude toward Han Li. However, since Han Li had now gained the elder's favor, they were unlikely to become overly heated and deliberately cause trouble. Nevertheless, their coldness and distance during routine encounters remained unavoidable. Han Li, on the other hand, welcomed this situation wholeheartedly. He had indeed hoped for quiet, solitary moments to focus on his cultivation, and having no interruptions was simply ideal. One month later, the elderly man with the Wei surname not only explained to Han Li a wide range of refined material techniques, but also introduced him to several unique crafting methods that Han Li had to remember carefully. He intended, once his magical energy recovered, to immediately collect these crafting techniques across the territory of the Great Jin Dynasty, so that the later production of the Seven Flame Fan and the Great Yanshen Sovereign's puppets could be further perfected, enhancing their power significantly. However, as the elder had mentioned, upon the expiration of the one-month period, Han Li was immediately assigned a series of material refinement tasks. Given Han Li's evident level of cultivation, these tasks naturally did not present any particularly challenging demands. Han Li completed them with ease, hardly giving them any thought, and instead devoted his spare time to refining the Ming Wang Decision. Over the course of several months, everything proceeded smoothly, and Han Li began to feel that joining the Huang Qing Pavilion might indeed have been a sound decision. During this time, however, the elderly man with the Wei surname suddenly became unusually busy. Usually, after assigning the four occasional crafting tasks a few times a month, the person would vanish completely, remaining in the inner chamber of the Earth-Fire Pavilion, engaged in some unseen crafting process. During this time, the Huālián Immortal Sister visited several times, each time meeting with the elder in the chamber, discussing matters they never revealed. These two were indeed cautious—each conversation was protected by defensive seals. Although Han Li harbored some curiosity, he had now focused entirely on perfecting the Ming Wang Decision and had not yet taken the risk of sending his awareness into the chamber to eavesdrop. On this particular day, Han Li sat cross-legged in the chamber, leaning his upper body into an odd, twisted posture, his hands motionless in gestures upon the cushion. His entire body was gently enveloped in a faint golden glow, trembling continuously. But upon closer inspection, it became evident that Han Li's skin was densely covered with fine blood vessels and thick, prominent blue veins. Numerous egg-sized protuberances, resembling living creatures, moved freely across his body surface, appearing strangely anomalous. With each tremor of his body, his face contracted and drew taut, revealing intense pain. Droplets of sweat the size of soybeans continuously welled up on his forehead, as though undergoing an extremely vigorous exertion, and his upper garments were nearly soaked through. After an indeterminate period, the golden glow on his body gradually faded. After taking a long, deep breath, he withdrew his hand from the spell, finally regaining his normal seated posture. Almost simultaneously, all the unusual phenomena on his skin swiftly disappeared, and his body resumed its usual state within moments.