Must Have Xu Mu, at Any Cost

Tantai Quan stared at Xu Mu for a full ten seconds before she finally shook her head with a smile. "I don't dare. I'm not that open-minded yet."

"If you can't do it, then four-tenths. Once you understand my alchemy skills, you'll know you're getting a great deal."

Xu Mu stood up from the sofa.

"But I have a large volume here. Those other alchemists take a higher cut, but they don't have work every day."

Tantai Quan's face wore a pitiful expression, her tone coquettish. "Little brother, sister is begging you~"

Xu Mu remained unmoved. Under Dai Xingluo's tutelage, he had long become immune to such tactics.

He took out his phone to check the time. "How about this? I'll agree to refine ten pills for you first. I'll only take three-tenths. You can check the quality first."

"Deal."

Tantai Quan thought this was excellent. She needed to know if what Xu Mu said was true.

After all, with medicinal pills, the quality can be clearly distinguished.

A good pill, once ingested, releases a medicinal efficacy far stronger than an inferior one.

"Then let's start now. It's still early anyway. What pill do you want me to refine?"

Xu Mu had come early specifically to find Fang Kui. Now that he had successfully found her, he wasn't in a hurry to return.

"You're a sixth-rank alchemist, so of course I'll have you refine a sixth-rank pill. Let's go with Hongyuan Pills. They sell fast."

Tantai Quan wanted to refine this pill; fast sales were one reason.

But there was another reason she didn't tell Xu Mu: she already possessed Hongyuan Pills refined by a seventh-rank alchemist.

"Sixth-rank Hongyuan Pills, known as 'Little Qihai Pills,' can also replenish energy, increase cultivation, and aid in breakthroughs."

Xu Mu nodded. Such energy-replenishing pills were indeed the fastest to consume.

Put simply, these pills were like Xu Mu's experience points—consume enough, and you can break through.

Tantai Quan took out her phone and started sending a message. "By the way, although we have no cell signal here, we've run fiber optic cables from outside the ruins. We can access the internet."

"Is that so?"

Xu Mu took out his phone and glanced at it. "Why can't I find any Wi-Fi?"

"Our Wi-Fi is hidden. We can't just let anyone find it."

As she spoke, Tantai Quan put her phone down.

Xu Mu walked towards the outside. "I'll go tell my friend first."

"Alright."

Tantai Quan gave a slight nod.

Xu Mu went outside the exchange and found Chen Xuan and Fang Kui engaged in an awkward conversation in the distance.

Judging by the distance between them, both were probably thinking about how to end the conversation as soon as possible.

Chen Xuan saw Xu Mu approaching and quickly walked over. "Brother Mu, is it over?"

"Not yet. I just discussed with her and agreed to help refine a few pills. I can take three-tenths."

Xu Mu said with a smile, "Since it's still early, I agreed."

"I'll go with you."

Chen Xuan and Fang Kui said in unison.

Then they glanced at each other and immediately turned their faces away.

"Then come along together."

Xu Mu smiled. Since both knew he was an alchemist, there was nothing to hide.

Returning to the previous private room, a large box was placed on the table next to Tantai Quan.

Xu Mu walked over, opened the box, and confirmed it contained the rare materials needed to refine Hongyuan Pills.

"Good, the materials are correct, and the proportions are roughly right."

"Of course. Although I don't understand alchemy, I know the ingredients required for many pills."

Tantai Quan stood up. "How will you refine them? Still using your little cauldron?"

"Correct. I just went to get it. Follow me, let's go outside."

Xu Mu carried the box and walked out of the exchange.

He casually opened his storage space and took out his small cauldron.

Xu Mu went to the grassy area behind the exchange, set the wooden box down first, and went to gather some firewood.

"Old Chen, a bowl and a lighter."

Xu Mu, now sitting on the ground, said to Chen Xuan.

"For the fire, leave it to me. It's a good day to smoke less anyway."

Tantai Quan took out matches, crouched down, and lit the firewood.

Xu Mu had just looked up when he saw two terrifying objects right before his eyes, making one want to... squeeze them.

He immediately closed his eyes. See no evil.

It seemed this woman was trying to disturb his alchemical focus.

Chen Xuan took a stainless steel bowl from his woven bag and handed it to Xu Mu.

Xu Mu began to use his Qi to disassemble the rare materials, better activating their medicinal properties.

"Fortunately, this kind of pill doesn't require steaming or boiling; that would be more troublesome."

Xu Mu kept his head down, working here.

At this moment, Tantai Quan, Chen Xuan, Fang Kui, and the black-robed figure beside her surrounded Xu Mu.

They all looked down, watching Xu Mu craft the pills.

Compared to the others here, Tantai Quan knew a bit more about alchemy techniques.

But watching Xu Mu's process, it felt like an amateur's work—he very casually kneaded the pills into shape.

Then he tossed them into his small cauldron for firing.

Because the cauldron was too small, it could only refine five pills at most per batch.

Xu Mu refined them in two batches.

A little over half an hour later, all ten pills were successfully refined.

"Little brother, don't you think this is too... casual?"

Tantai Quan looked at the formed pills and continued, "I've seen other alchemists, whether extracting essences or firing with intense heat, they are all extremely careful."

"That just means their skills are still a bit lacking compared to mine."

Xu Mu stamped out the fire, first took three pills from the bowl, and handed the remaining seven to Tantai Quan.

Tantai Quan was half-convinced, half-doubting. She was really starting to doubt Xu Mu's skill now.

For these Hongyuan Pills, she had used two sixth-rank herbs plus some other scattered rare materials.

She felt it might have been a waste.

Tantai Quan first took one pill, carefully examining its yellowish-brown color, which didn't seem quite right.

She put it in her mouth, ready to chew, but found the pill instantly dissolved into liquid, flowing into her stomach.

"What?"

Tantai Quan's eyes widened in disbelief. Feeling the surge of energy within her body, she was stunned.

The Qi released was comparable to a seventh-rank Qihai Pill.

How was this possible?

She immediately took out another Hongyuan Pill from her person.

This was the one previously refined for her by a seventh-rank alchemist.

She stuffed this pill into her mouth as well. It was impossible for it to melt upon contact.

She had to chew several times, mixing it with saliva, before the pill turned into a lump of liquid.

After swallowing it, the energy released was simply incomparable to Xu Mu's pill.

The difference was too vast.

Tantai Quan's expression now shifted from shock to awe.

Xu Mu was a sixth-rank alchemist, yet his refinement was leagues beyond that of a seventh-rank alchemist.

These were only sixth-rank Hongyuan Pills, yet their efficacy rivaled seventh-rank Qihai Pills.

And this, with Xu Mu using this garbage cauldron.

If he used those high-grade, large cauldrons the other alchemists had, his pills would reach another level entirely.

Tantai Quan didn't even dare to imagine—if Xu Mu were her person, how many times could the value of all the rare materials in Lu Mang Mountain multiply?

How many experts could be cultivated?

The man before her was practically a walking expert-cultivation machine!

Dantai Quan had made up his mind: he must have Xu Mu, no matter the cost.