Chapter 20

"What do you mean by 'with or without life'?"

Huang Lao Liu glared at Han Muye, stood up, and prepared to fetch the spirit stones.

Han Muye grabbed him and said, "I just want to watch Senior Sister Mu Wan refine pills; I'm not buying any."

After saying that, he smiled and turned to walk out of the Sword Pavilion.

"It's not about buying pills, it's for that..."

Huang Lao Liu shook his head and sat back down at the long table.

"Since the Ancestor said I only have a month left, it's good to do what I love."

Looking at Han Muye's back, Huang Lao Liu whispered softly, his face showing a hint of loneliness.

"I wonder how long I can hold on..."

——————

When Han Muye arrived at the Alchemy Hall, Mu Wan was already waiting in front of the bamboo pavilion.

"Hey, Senior Brother, your complexion isn't good. It seems you've injured your essence?" Seeing Han Muye, Mu Wan frowned and said softly.

"It's nothing serious. I was hit by some sword qi during the sword welcoming ceremony today." Han Muye waved his hand and then smiled, "Let's go, what kind of pill are you going to refine?"

"Are you really okay, Senior Brother?" Mu Wan asked again, still worried.

Han Muye shook his head and walked into the bamboo pavilion.

Mu Wan led him to a secluded corner.

"Senior Brother, I'm going to refine a Cloud Qi Pill, one of the more difficult Nine-Grade Pills."

"This pill can divide spirit qi and soften the meridians, making it one of the best pills for the Qi Condensation stage."

"One Cloud Qi Pill can be sold for thirty spirit stones."

Lifting her head, she looked at Han Muye and smiled shyly, "With this pill, I won't lack spirit stones for cultivation."

Han Muye nodded.

Money can stump even a hero, and this is even more true in the cultivation world.

A good cultivation technique can cost tens of thousands of spirit stones.

Not to mention refining pills, where a failed batch of spirit medicines means a large number of spirit stones down the drain, which is a huge expense.

"Buzz—"

In front of Mu Wan, the alchemy furnace's flames rose, and the spirit medicines were placed one by one.

Han Muye narrowed his eyes and watched her actions.

Mu Wan was clearly no stranger to refining Cloud Qi Pills. She was very proficient in adding the medicines and operating the furnace.

However, after adding the medicines, it seemed her cultivation was insufficient, and she began to sweat, finding it difficult to operate the furnace.

After half an hour, the furnace began to shake.

Mu Wan's face showed disappointment, and she slowly stopped.

She gave up.

It still didn't work.

Lifting her head to look at Han Muye, she was slightly stunned.

At this moment, Han Muye's eyes were fixed on the furnace, which was still floating three feet high and rotating, his eyes full of sharpness.

"Yin and Yang must be balanced..."

Murmuring, Han Muye said softly, "Senior Sister Mu Wan, your pill is missing a medicinal guide."

A medicinal guide?

Mu Wan's face showed confusion.

She had only heard of medicinal guides in the mundane world, never in the world of cultivation.

"Senior Brother, what kind of medicinal guide are you talking about?"

Han Muye looked at Mu Wan and asked, "Senior Sister, are you in the Qi Condensation stage?"

Mu Wan nodded, "I've been in the Qi Condensation stage for over three months."

"Good, add a strand of your spirit qi to the furnace as a medicinal guide." Han Muye said.

A strand of spirit qi?

What kind of technique is this?

Skeptical, Mu Wan raised her hand, and a faint green strand of spirit qi emerged from her fingertip, falling into the furnace.

"Buzz—"

The furnace, which had been shaking, now gently swayed, and the chaotic medicinal power began to rotate in an orderly manner.

Mu Wan's eyes widened as she watched the medicinal power in the furnace gather into a ball.

"Still not forming the pill?" Han Muye reminded her.

"Oh, right." Mu Wan hurriedly acted, her palm emitting a series of green lights onto the furnace.

The medicinal power in the furnace slowly condensed, eventually forming a small, light green pill, which flew out of the furnace.

"Success!" Mu Wan caught the pill, holding it in her palm and examining it, her face full of joy.

When she looked up, she realized Han Muye had already left.

"Senior Brother Han, truly, is a remarkable person." Holding the pill, Mu Wan whispered to herself.

...

After leaving the Alchemy Hall, Han Muye did not immediately return to the Sword Pavilion. Instead, he inquired around and headed to a nearby square.

Just now, while watching Mu Wan refine the pill, he had gained insight into the technique for refining Cloud Qi Pills.

Not only that, the improvement he suggested to Mu Wan had given him inspiration.

If he could use the spirit qi of a Qi Condensation cultivator as a medicinal guide, could he also refine pills himself?

Refining pills could be a profitable business.

Walking into the small square, Han Muye looked around.

The square was surrounded by small shops.

Some of these shops were run by disciples of the Nine Profound Sword Sect, some by external cultivators, and a few were directly owned by the Nine Profound Sword Sect.

This was a market specifically for the Nine Profound Sword Sect disciples to trade.

Han Muye looked at the shops, seeing that many sold minerals, swords, talismans, and pills.

The quality wasn't high, but they were relatively cheap.

After all, it was designed for outer sect disciples.

The elite disciples of the sect didn't need these; they could directly exchange for them with mission rewards.

Inner sect disciples could also receive swords from the Sword Pavilion.

Only the large number of outer sect disciples and miscellaneous disciples who wanted to cultivate would come to such a market to find treasures they valued.

Seeing Han Muye in his white robe, many shop owners' eyes lit up, and they smiled warmly.

In this market full of blue-gray robes, the white robe of an inner sect disciple stood out.

Han Muye walked around for a bit and entered a shop called "Suzhen Building."

Outside the shop, there were some spirit medicines and items related to alchemy.

Inside the shop, two female cultivators who were chatting turned around.

"Senior Brother, what are you looking for?" The female cultivator in a blue robe, clearly the shop owner, smiled at Han Muye.

The other female cultivator, who had been chatting with the owner, curiously examined Han Muye, her eyebrows slightly furrowed at his pale complexion.

"I'm looking for an alchemy furnace and some spirit medicines for Cloud Qi Pills. If you have a Cloud Qi Pill, that would be even better." Han Muye paused and then added.

Hearing Han Muye's words, the shop owner's face lit up, and she said, "We have them, we have them."

She placed a three-legged furnace, about the size of a watermelon, on the counter and then took out several medicine packets.

"Immortal Jin Yuan, could you please refine a Cloud Qi Pill?" The shop owner extended her hand and smiled at the female cultivator.

The female cultivator nodded, raised her hand, and took out a pill.

This pill was the same Cloud Qi Pill that Mu Wan had refined earlier.

"The pill costs thirty spirit stones, ten sets of medicines cost one hundred spirit stones, and the furnace..." The shop owner looked at Han Muye and said softly, "I'll give it to you for five hundred spirit stones."

Han Muye looked at the pill and the medicines, then at the furnace, and said calmly, "All together, five hundred spirit stones."

The shop owner was taken aback and then laughed, "Senior Brother, that's a pretty harsh cut."

"Five hundred for five hundred, but if you refine extra Cloud Qi Pills, you must sell them to me, Bai Suzhen."

Bai Suzhen?

I wonder if her husband is called Xu Xian?

Han Muye muttered, nodded, and then took out five merit certificates, placing them on the counter.

He took the pill and carried the furnace out.

"Senior Brother, you... probably don't have much time left."

Suddenly, the female cultivator who had been silent in the shop spoke softly.

Han Muye's steps paused, and he turned around.

"How long do you think I have left?" Han Muye asked the female cultivator.

The female cultivator's eyes glowed, and she carefully examined Han Muye, then said softly, "Senior Brother, you probably have only a month to live."