The day after, he woke up, Qiang Feng left his room and made his way to the reception area. He wanted to inquire about the availability of energy recovery pills and other necessities to replenish his stock.

"Excuse me," Qiang Feng said to the receptionist. "I was wondering if you could tell me where I can purchase some energy recovery pills and other supplies in the area?"

The receptionist looked up from her desk and smiled. "Of course," she replied. "There's a marketplace just a few blocks from here where you can find all sorts of items. I can give you directions if you'd like."

Qiang Feng nodded in appreciation. "Thank you, that would be very helpful." With the directions in hand, he headed out to the marketplace, eager to restock his supplies before continuing his journey.

Once inside a specialized pill shop, Qiang Feng noticed a beautiful young lady who appeared to be around the same age as him. She was dressed in a simple white robe, her long hair tied neatly in a ponytail. Qiang Feng couldn't help but notice her delicate features and bright, intelligent eyes.

As he walked closer to her, he noticed that she was carefully examining each of the pills in the shop, and occasionally taking notes in a small notebook. Intrigued, he approached her and struck up a conversation.

"Excuse me," he said politely. "I couldn't help but notice that you seem to be very knowledgeable about pills. Are you a disciple of a pill refining sect?"

The young lady turned to face him, and a small smile graced her lips. "Yes, I am," she replied. "I come from the Hongye Sect, which specializes in refining high-grade pills. How about you? Do you have an interest in pill refining?"

Qiang was curious about pill refining and the process of creating them. He knew that alchemists were highly sought after, as he could remember his father paying a high price just to invite a low-level alchemist. Seeing his curiosity, the girl responded kindly, "I have some free time, so feel free to ask me any questions you have about pill refining."

Qiang was overjoyed at her willingness to help him learn more about pill refining. He asked her questions about the basic ingredients, the methods of mixing and heating them, and the different types of pills that could be created. The girl patiently answered all of his questions, explaining the complex process of pill refining in a simple and understandable way.

Qiang learned from the girl that creating a pill requires soul power, which can only be used by experts at the Enlightenment stage. This information excited Qiang since he was not far from reaching that level himself.

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"By the way, I forgot to introduce myself," Qiang Feng said, "My name is Han Qiang." He didn't want to risk being recognized by his enemies, so he decided to use a fake name.

The girl smiled and replied, "Nice to meet you, Han Qiang. My name is Li Mei. If you have any more questions about alchemy or anything else, feel free ask me anytime."

Li Mei laughed and asked, "By the way, are you going to buy something?" Qiang Feng replied, "I am waiting for the owner." Li Mei smiled and said, "Well, you're lucky she is in front of you." Qiang Feng was astonished and asked, "But aren't you a disciple of the Hinge sect?" Li Mei replied, "Yeah, but I am not at the enlightenment stage experts yet, so as the rules of the sect, I have to travel the world exploring different ingredients, which is why I made a shop here. The forest has plenty of these treasures, and locals sell them to me in exchange for healing pills and energy recovery pills. Oh, of course, these are just normal pills that don't need soul power."

As always, Moria was watching from the sidelines and sighed, knowing what was happening. 'Qiang Feng isn't just interested in alchemy, he's also interested in Li Mei,' he thought to himself. 'But it seems Qiang Feng doesn't even realize it,' he added with a chuckle.

After chatting with Li Mei for half an hour, Qiang Feng finally left and headed back to the inn. On his way, he noticed Moria staring at him. "As expected of someone who loves to explore the world, you really know how to enter and explore a girl's heart," Moria said with a sigh.

Qiang Feng exclaimed in surprise, "What are you talking about? She was just being nice, and I was being polite in return. Besides, even if I were interested, I don't have time for romance. I need to continue my journey."

Moria responded, "You don't have to worry. This is not the last time you're going to see her." Qiang Feng asked, "How do you know that?" Moria replied simply, "Fate." Qiang Feng smiled and continued towards the inn to pack up his things and leave, not sure what to make of Moria's words.

......

A group of cultivators, their faces obscured, were running at a fast pace not far from the village. One of them asked, "Captain, are you sure this is the way?" The leader responded, "It should be this way. A village is not far from here. If my guess is not wrong, he should be resting there. The strongest person there is a ninth level foundation building cultivator, so we don't have to worry. Once we arrive, spread out and search every inch of the village."

.....

Qiang Feng was deep in cultivation, his focus solely on improving his cultivation. He didn't know that a group of cultivators were on their way to the village, but as he continued to cultivate, he felt a sudden burst of energy emanating from his body. He couldn't contain his excitement as he exclaimed, "I broke through!" Qiang Feng was proud of how he had managed to reach the eighth level of the foundation building stage through his dedicated training, even without the aid of any special formations or natural treasures.

Qiang Feng suddenly heard cries from the other side of the village as he stood up. He considered three possible scenarios - beasts attacking, bandits attacking, or his family's enemies finding him. Regardless, he wasn't going to wait around to find out. He grabbed his belongings, leapt out the window, and sprinted towards the forest. It wasn't that Qiang Feng was afraid, he was confident he could handle even a first level enlightenment stage expert they might send. But if it's possible he didn't want them to know his progress, and send even more powerful experts.