Afraid my sister will live a hard life, yet afraid she'll drive a Range Rover.

Xu Mu led Tantai Quan into the villa's living room and motioned for her to sit down.

What grade of natural treasures is it this time?

Still eighth and ninth grade. Since you already know, there is no harm in telling you. I need to continue helping my master improve, and of course, myself as well.

Tantai Quan explained, In the Realm-Breaking stage, apart from divine medicines, only eighth and ninth-grade treasures can provide any improvement.

Yeah. Xu Mu nodded. He had long known that after entering the Realm-Breaking stage, simply relying on external items like casually eating a few powerful pills would not result in massive progress like before.

Even ninth-grade natural treasures did not boost one's power by much.

That was why alchemists were in such high demand.

For example, if you consumed a ninth-grade natural treasure directly, it might increase your strength by ten percent.

However, if that same treasure had its properties stimulated by a ninth-grade alchemist, the medicinal efficacy could increase by forty or even fifty percent, a boost of several times.

It was like common carbon fiber. The raw materials were just ordinary plastics or petroleum byproducts.

But after professional processing, its hardness and tensile strength became dozens of times that of ordinary steel, while being much lighter.

Alchemists did something similar.

This was also why many experts who asked top-tier alchemists to refine pills for them were willing to give up the lion's share of the results, keeping only a small portion for themselves.

Even getting a small fraction was much better than eating the raw materials directly.

Tantai Quan took a red wooden box out of her spatial ring. These are the natural treasures for alchemy. Let me know when you are done.

Xu Mu nodded and opened the box, finding two stalks of ninth-grade natural treasures and four stalks of eighth-grade ones inside.

All of them were meant to enhance strength. In terms of value, even these eighth-grade natural treasures were much more precious than the ninth-grade ones Xu Mu had obtained from winning the recent martial arts tournament.

Little brother, from now on, I will bring all the natural treasures I get to you. Consider it my way of indirectly helping you improve.

Tantai Quan's expression turned serious. A peak Grandmaster fighting on par with a peak Mortal-Shedding genius, I cannot even imagine how powerful you will be once you reach the peak of the Mortal-Shedding stage.

I have not thought that far ahead. My main goal right now is to just enter the Mortal-Shedding stage first.

Xu Mu waved his hand.

He was different from others. He only needed experience points to level up; there was no such thing as hitting a bottleneck he could not break through.

You must be careful. Geniuses who are descendants of Yanhuang are prime targets for alien races to hunt down, especially someone like you who has no background.

Tantai Quan stood up from the sofa. I do not want you to die so early.

Do not worry. I have always been afraid of death. I will not do anything dangerous.

Xu Mu stood up as well.

That is good.

After saying that, Tantai Quan walked toward the door. If you really run into trouble, you can ask me for help. I will assist you as much as possible.

Thanks.

Xu Mu nodded slightly.

After seeing Tantai Quan off, he went to the underground illusion array, entered a state of deep focus, and began refining the pills. In the end, he successfully refined twenty pills.

He kept ten for himself and set the rest aside for Tantai Quan.

Guoguo, come out with me this afternoon.

Xu Mu waited until the three people over there stopped fighting before speaking.

Brother, where are you planning to go? I want to go too.

Dai Xingluo walked over with a smile.

Aside from the garbage natural treasures rewarded for winning the martial arts tournament, I was also told about three ruins, and they are completely unexplored.

Xu Mu looked at Dai Xingluo and said, "The ones who obtained the entry tickets to these three ruins are all from the Five Great Sects. In other words, we will be competing with them for the treasures. You and Wanyue cannot go."

Although Dai Xingluo felt a bit disappointed, she still nodded.

After their last battle, both she and Meng Wanyue knew that there was still a significant gap between them and the sect disciples.

Not to mention, when these sects go to the ruins to hunt for treasures, they do not just send their young disciples.

Usually, elder-level figures would lead the teams. If a fight really broke out, the girls would definitely just be a burden again.

Standing to the side, Meng Wanyue clenched her fists. She really needed to train even harder.

Right at that moment, Meng Wanyue's phone vibrated.

She took it out, glanced at it, and then said to Xu Mu, "Brother Mu, it is Sister Ran. She is asking me out."

"Xiao Ran?"

Xu Mu recalled the incident that happened between them last time and said softly, "I will go with you. No matter what, she is still Ye Chen's person."

"Okay."

Meng Wanyue nodded.

After the two left the illusion array together, Xu Mu drove toward the destination.

It was the suburban highway where Meng Wanyue and Dai Xingluo used to spar.

Upon arriving, they saw a Yangwang U8 parked in the distance.

Xu Mu pulled the car over to the side of the road. Through his perception, he found that there was no one else around except Xiao Ran.

So, he smiled at Meng Wanyue and said, "Wanyue, you go ahead. I will wait for you here."

Anyway, he could clearly hear their conversation using his perception.

By not going over, he might actually get to hear Xiao Ran's truest thoughts.

Meng Wanyue nodded, stepped out of the car, and headed over.

She opened the passenger door and got in. "Sister Ran, what did you want to see me about?"

Xiao Ran looked at Meng Wanyue, her face no longer showing the ease and relaxation she once had when dealing with her.

In the past, she saw Meng Wanyue as a little sister, someone who needed to be taken care of.

But now, things were completely different between them.

She had obtained the video of the martial arts tournament. Meng Wanyue had already reached the Grandmaster realm and could hold her own against the young disciples trained by the sects.

She could even fight above her level.

Xiao Ran did not know what was wrong with herself. She had always treated Meng Wanyue like her own younger sister.

Logically, she should be happy that Meng Wanyue had surpassed her.

But there was no joy in her heart; instead, it was filled with seventy percent envy and thirty percent jealousy.

Her own talent was clearly no weaker than Meng Wanyue's, yet just because Wanyue followed Xu Mu, her strength had advanced by leaps and bounds.

She had surpassed her in such a short amount of time.

"Wanyue, I watched the video of you participating in the tournament. You have already surpassed me."

Xiao Ran revealed a faint smile. "I did not expect you to improve so fast."

"It is all thanks to Brother Mu. He gave me cultivation techniques and pills, otherwise I would not have been able to improve this quickly at all," Meng Wanyue answered truthfully.

Xiao Ran checked the car parked behind them through the rearview mirror, then asked with a smile, "Have you and Xu Mu already... you know?"

Hearing this, Meng Wanyue's cheeks instantly turned bright red. "No, we have not. Brother Mu is a true gentleman."

"You have not?"

Xiao Ran was full of surprise. She had assumed the two of them had slept together long ago.

Otherwise, Xu Mu would not have been so generous. Now it seemed she had underestimated him.

"Sister Ran, you should follow Brother Mu too."

Meng Wanyue grabbed Xiao Ran's hand. "Your talent is far greater than mine. With Brother Mu's help, you will definitely become a top-tier expert."

"If I follow him... what exactly would I be to him?" Xiao Ran suddenly murmured softly. "His subordinate? Or... his woman?"

"If you have the chance to be his woman, why settle for being a subordinate?" Meng Wanyue said decisively. "Sister Ran, you are so beautiful and much more articulate than I am. Brother Mu will definitely adore you."

Xiao Ran genuinely began to hesitate. She could resist the temptation of power, but the idea of swapping positions made her feel completely out of sorts.

She never expected herself to be so superficial—she was afraid of seeing her sister suffer, yet secretly jealous of seeing her sister drive a Range Rover.

"But what about the Dragon King..."

"Fuck the Dragon King!" Meng Wanyue cursed. "What is so great about him anyway? Does he really deserve your devotion?"