Zhang Wei took a breath and began explaining calmly. “In Fragrant Pandan City, there are several major powers you should know about.”“First, the Alchemist Association. They control almost the entire trade of pills and medicinal herbs. The highest-ranking alchemist here is a Five-Star Alchemist. Their status is highly respected—even the Four Great Clans do not dare to offend them.”“Second, the Treasure Pavilion. It is the largest marketplace for treasures and the biggest auction house. If any rare item appears, it usually passes through them.”He paused briefly before continuing.“And the most influential forces are the Four Great Clans.”“The eastern district is controlled by the Lei Clan. The west by the Lin Clan. The north by the Zhou Clan. The south by the Ji Clan.”Zhang Wei then handed over a fairly detailed leather map. “This is a map of the city districts. Keep it.”Han Nian accepted the map and cupped his hands. “Thank you, Uncle Zhang.”Zhang Wei smiled. “Be careful. The ci

After the payment was completed and all the herbs were stored inside his spatial ring, Han Nian turned to the girl beside him.“Miss, thank you for accompanying me.”Lin Yue blinked. Accompanying you? she thought.I was dragged along earlier.Still, she maintained her composure and introduced herself. “My name is Lin Yue. Nice to meet you… Young Master Han.” She bowed her head slightly. “And thank you for paying for my purchases.”Han Nian smiled faintly. “It was nothing. And don’t call me Young Master. Just call me Han Nian.” He paused briefly before saying casually, “If you’re not busy, I’d like to invite you somewhere.”Lin Yue immediately hesitated. This was their first meeting. She did not even know Han Nian’s background.Seeing her doubtful expression, Han Nian chuckled softly and said, “If I had ill intentions, no one here would be able to stop me.”His tone was light. Yet the sentence was not empty arrogance.Lin Yue fell silent. The words sounded arrogant, but for some reason

Upon arriving at his inn room, Han Nian immediately shut the door and activated his spiritual sense.No one was watching. Even so, he remained cautious.With swift hand movements, he began setting up a simple sealing formation around the room. Thin lines of energy formed and interconnected, blocking the flow of aura in and out.With the knowledge embedded in his memory, such a formation was not difficult for him.After a few breaths, the room was completely isolated.Han Nian sat cross-legged.He took out one 500-year Blood Ginseng, one 500-year Red Dragon Grass, one 500-year Moon Mushroom, as well as several supplementary ingredients he had gathered when leaving the Mountain of Death.The energy from the materials immediately filled the room.Normally, an alchemist would require a pill cauldron to refine and merge ingredients.But Han Nian did not.His Heavenly Flame was far superior to ordinary fire.He raised his hand.A reddish-golden flame appeared in his palm—calm, yet containin

Zhang Wei took a slow breath, trying to calm his shock. He stared at the bottle of pills in his hand for quite a while before finally speaking.“To be honest… this is the first time I’ve heard of a pill with a name like this,” he said slowly. “Pills that can help increase the cultivation of a Gold Realm cultivator are usually extremely rare. Even in the entire Pandan Wangi City, perhaps only high-level alchemists from the Alchemist Association are capable of refining them.”He paused for a moment.Suddenly his eyes widened, as if he had just realized something extremely important.“Wait…!”Zhang Wei looked at Han Nian with disbelief.“Does this mean… Young Master Han is a Fifth-Grade Alchemist?”In the cultivation world, only Fifth-Grade Alchemists or higher were capable of refining pills for Gold Realm cultivators. Because of that, the conclusion immediately formed in his mind.Han Nian shrugged casually.“Seems like it,” he replied lightly, as if it were nothing extraordinary.That

Before Lin Yue could even say the word “don’t,” Han Nian’s hand had already moved.Crack!The sound of a breaking neck rang clearly in the silent air.Ji Yunho’s body instantly went limp. His eyes remained wide open with an expression of disbelief before the last trace of life faded from them.Lin Yue froze.The cracking sound seemed to strike her consciousness like a hammer. Her chest rose and fell as her mind went blank for several seconds. She truly hadn’t expected Han Nian to actually do what he had just said.For Han Nian, the action looked incredibly simple.As if he had merely stepped on an ant.Lin Yue swallowed.Her emotions were a chaotic mixture of shock, fear, and disbelief. Only one thought kept repeating itself in her mind.Is he really human… or a monster?Ji Yunho was no ordinary person. He was a Four-Star Gold Realm cultivator, someone even core disciples of major sects would think twice before challenging.Yet in Han Nian’s hands, he died just like that.Han Nian loo