The original repairer

"Junior Brother Shi, please stay!" A senior brother who was in the late foundation building stage came flying on his sword and suddenly stood in front of Shi Chen, with an anxious look on his face and a frown on his brows.

Shi Chen stood still, his brows furrowed even deeper. He cast a sharp gaze at the monk who was blocking his way and said in a deep voice, "Brother and I have never met before. I wonder what your intention is in stopping me?"

"Junior brother, please forgive me." Zhang Jie clasped his fists and saluted with an extremely sincere look. "My name is Zhang Jie. My master is the sixth elder of the sect and is in charge of the sect affairs hall. I have come here on the orders of my master. Please come to the sect affairs hall to meet me." As he spoke, Zhang Jie stretched out his hand and made a very earnest invitation.

"I wonder why the Sixth Elder is looking for me?" Shi Chen asked with a puzzled look on his face.

What was coming could not be avoided. He had long anticipated that as soon as he prepared to leave the sect, the mastermind behind the interception of the application would reveal itself. At this moment, he truly did not want to meet with the Sixth Elder.

Humph, you are using tricks to make me surrender, but I won’t play by the rules. Anyway, we are in the sect, and you can’t kill me directly.

"Master hasn't said it explicitly, but it should be a good thing for Junior Brother Shi. Please come with me to see Master." Zhang Jie invited sincerely again, his eyes full of expectation, and he looked at Shi Chen eagerly.

"I have important matters to deal with. I will visit Elder Li next time." Shi Chen waved his hand and decisively rejected the invitation. After saying that, he wanted to bypass Zhang Jie and leave in a hurry.

Zhang Jie's expression tightened, and he quickly took a step sideways to block Shi Chen again, his face showing a mixture of embarrassment and helplessness. "Junior brother, please come with me to see Master, and don't make things difficult for me."

"Hey, senior brother, are you going to force me to take you away?" Shi Chen's face instantly turned cold, his eyes widened, and he glared at Zhang Jie.

"Master has given an order, and as a disciple I must handle it properly. Please go over there, Junior Brother Shi." Zhang Jie's expression was serious and solemn, and his tone was as firm as iron.

"If I don't go with you, will you attack me?" Shi Chen crossed his arms and stared at Zhang Jie with a piercing gaze.

"Junior brother is determined not to obey, so this is the only thing I can do. After sending him to the master, I will tie his hands and take him to the Law Enforcement Hall to confess his crime." Zhang Jie gritted his teeth, his eyes firm and determined.

Shi Chen looked at Zhang Jie's expressionless face and felt disgusted for no reason. He snorted coldly and turned away.

A fourth-level Foundation Establishment cultivator versus an eighth-level cultivator—according to most cultivators, Shi Chen had no chance of winning. But Shi Chen disagreed. In terms of spiritual energy reserves and the strength of his consciousness, he far surpassed the average Foundation Establishment cultivator. If he were to unleash all his trump cards in the wilderness outside the sect, he was confident he could instantly slay Zhang Jie.

Unless Zhang Jie is not an ordinary cultivator, he also has his own life-saving trump card.

After repeated consideration, he decided that now that he was in the sect, it would be inappropriate to reveal his cards, nor could he give others an excuse to suppress him by using the sect's rules.

"Lead the way." Shi Chen curled his lips and said in a cold voice, looking reluctant.

Soon, Zhang Jie brought Shi Chen to the clan affairs hall. The third floor of the rear hall was Elder Li's permanent residence.

"Master, I have brought Junior Brother Shi here." Zhang Jie stood in front of the door on the third floor and bowed respectfully.

"Bring him in." Elder Li's steady voice came from the room.

Shi Chen followed Zhang Jie through the door and into the main hall.

Sitting in the hall was Elder Li, a man of about forty, with his hair tied up and a hairpin inserted, displaying an extraordinary demeanor. Elder Li folded his hands in his lap, his expression dignified and solemn, a commanding presence without even anger. The hall was surrounded by bookshelves filled with ancient books, a rich, scholarly atmosphere.

When Shi Chen stood in the center of the hall, Zhang Jie bowed and said, "Disciple has brought the person here. Disciple will take his leave."

After Zhang Jie closed the door, Elder Li, who was sitting in the hall, slowly said, "You applied to leave the sect for three years. Could you explain the specific reason?" Elder Li narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at Shi Chen with a sharp gaze.

"Replying to the elder, I have already said something in my application. More than four years ago, I met a fellow Taoist in Qisha Market. When we returned to the sect and parted ways, we agreed to meet at his place two years later. Huang Qi and Huang Ziying, brother and sister in the sect, can witness this agreement. Although the agreed deadline has passed, it was actually delayed by the Thousand Poison Pond anomaly. But I still need to fulfill my promise. This trip is beneficial to my cultivation of Taoism. I hope the elder will let me go." Shi Chen answered neither humbly nor arrogantly, with a calm expression.

"Haha, since it has exceeded the agreed time, why don't I issue a sect mission for you and let other brothers in the sect go to Dayuzhou to find your friend and explain the reason." Elder Li stroked his beard with a meaningful smile on his face.

"Elder, you must not do this. It was me who did not fulfill my promise, so how can I let others do it for me? This will tarnish my spiritual heart, and I am afraid that my cultivation will stagnate from now on." Shi Chen said anxiously, waving his hands quickly with an anxious look on his face.

"How can such a small matter be related to the heart of Taoism? But since you insist on going there in person, it is not impossible. As long as you agree to one thing, everything can be discussed." Elder Li leaned back in his chair, staring at Shi Chen, as if he wanted to see through him.

"What's the matter?" Shi Chen knew that this was the main reason why they came to him. His expression instantly became serious and his brows were furrowed.

"Master Shi Dan, are you interested in joining the Li family and serving as a worshipper?" Elder Li stared at Shi Chen, his eyes full of expectation and burning gaze.

"Thank you Elder Li for your kindness. How could Shi Chen be worthy of such an important task as a worshipper of the Li family? In the sect, there are many fellow disciples whose cultivation, family background and potential are hundreds of times stronger than mine. They will definitely compete for this position. Elder, there is no need to worry about me, a small cultivator in the foundation-building stage." Shi Chen bowed hurriedly, his face full of panic and cold sweat on his forehead.

"Since the alchemist is unwilling to become a servant of the Li family, could you please help me refine some pills every year according to the sect's rules?" Elder Li frowned, looking slightly dissatisfied.

"If it's just about refining pills, then that's fine. But I'm only a second-level alchemist, and the types of pills I can refine are limited, and the success rate is not high. There are many alchemists in the sect who are better than me, so it would be more appropriate for the elders to ask them to refine on my behalf." Shi Chen shook his head, looking helpless and lonely.

"The Li family also has its own alchemist, but the quantity of elixirs required is huge, which is not something that a few alchemists can meet. Moreover, many alchemists have families to support them. It is rare to find someone as free as Master Shi." Elder Li waved his hand and said anxiously.

"In fact, I also hope to be supported by my family, but the conditions offered are not what I expected. Today, I can achieve such an achievement in alchemy, all thanks to the unremitting support of Huang Qi and his sister." Shi Chen sighed and said slowly, with gratitude and helplessness in his eyes.

"I wonder what the conditions are for Master Shi to refine the elixir on my behalf?" Elder Li leaned forward and asked anxiously.

"Let me be clear with the elder first. My alchemy skills are all developed by my own exploration, and there is no inheritance. Therefore, the success rate of some pills is relatively low. The success rate of first-level pills is about 60% to 70%, and the number of successful pills remains at around eight. The success rate of second-level pills is quite low. After all, I have only been a second-level alchemist for a few years. The success rate is about 30% to 40%, and the number of successful pills is around three to six. If Elder Li thinks it is feasible, I can refine fifty furnaces of pills for you a year, and the refining fee will be based on the sect's lowest standard, charging 10% of the successful pills as the training fee." Shi Chen said seriously, his eyes firm.

"Okay, let's do as Master Alchemist said and refine fifty furnaces of pills a year. I wonder if Master Alchemist can refine the Foundation Establishment Pill?" Elder Li asked casually. Although it seemed casual, there was actually expectation in his eyes.

"I am still unable to refine the foundation-building pill. Before, when I was staying in the market, I obtained an incomplete foundation-building pill formula from a casual cultivator and collected dozens of spiritual medicines to try to refine it, but I was ultimately unsuccessful. Even the foundation-building pill that I used to build my own foundation was obtained at an auction. Unfortunately, I cannot obtain the sect's foundation-building pill formula. Even if I apply for the formula and study it, I do not have many spiritual medicines to practice with, so I dare not hope to refine the foundation-building pill." Shi Chen answered with a wry smile, his face full of helplessness, but he was anxious in his heart.

"What if I help the alchemist get the recipe?" Elder Li raised his eyebrows, a hint of cunning flashing in his eyes.

"If the pill formula can be obtained, I wonder if the elder can afford the spiritual medicines needed for training? I heard that an alchemist who can refine foundation-building pills needs to consume two to three hundred spiritual medicines in the early stage before he can produce foundation-building pills stably. The success rate of foundation-building pills is extremely low, only one or two percent, and the number of successful pills is also small, usually only three or four. A lot of resources need to be invested in the early stage." Shi Chen said seriously with a serious look on his face.

"Haha, I'm just asking to see if the alchemist has any intention of refining the foundation-building pill." Elder Li smiled, with a hint of deep meaning in his smile.

"I am currently focusing on cultivation, and refining pills is just a means of obtaining resources. I wonder if Elder Li has any other matters?" Shi Chen asked calmly.

"The main thing is to discuss the matter of refining elixirs with Master Shi. Now that the deal has been made, Master Shi can leave on his own." Elder Li waved his hand and ordered them to leave.

"I will go back to my cave first and will stay in the sect for another month. Elder Li, please send the list of pills and spiritual medicines that need to be refined to my cave starting tomorrow. I will refine a hundred furnaces of pills for you first." Shi Chen said with a bow, politely.

"I'll arrange it immediately. Zhang Jie, help me send Master Shi Dan back to the cave." Elder Li said.

After returning to the sect's cave, before he could even sit down, the cave's restrictions were triggered.

"Junior Brother Shi, it's us, Huang Qi and his sister." Huang Qi's voice came from outside the door.

Shi Chen stood up, opened the door, and welcomed the two in.

"Junior Brother Shi, I heard that you were called away by Elder Li. What happened?" Huang Qiyi asked anxiously as soon as he entered the room, his face full of worry.

Huang Ziying also echoed, "Yes, Junior Brother Shi, we were really worried."

Shi Chen smiled helplessly and said, "It's nothing serious. It's just that Elder Li wants me to make elixirs for him, or to join the Li family as a tribute."

"Ah! So you agree?" Huang Qi widened his eyes.

Shi Chen waved his hand: "I refused to be a worshipper, and only agreed to refine some pills for him."

Huang Ziying breathed a sigh of relief: "Did Elder Li force you? The Li family is not easy to deal with."

Huang Qi patted Shi Chen's shoulder and said, "Junior Brother Shi, no matter what, you must be careful. Elder Li is quite powerful in the sect, don't let him scheme against you."

Shi Chen nodded: "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

Huang Qi and his sister comforted Shi Chen again before leaving the cave.

Watching them leave, a warm feeling welled up in my heart. In this sect, having friends who truly care about me is a rare friendship.