Chapter 148: The Radiant Expanse Chamber of Commerce

Chen Mu arrived early at the Minghuan Merchant Association, the largest pill-trading organization in Kun’an City. The moment the association opened its doors, the attendants saw a customer approaching and naturally greeted him with smiling faces.

However, Chen Mu’s clothes were plain, and he did not look like someone with an abundance of spirit stones. Their enthusiasm immediately diminished by quite a bit.

They remained respectful, but their manner became somewhat perfunctory. They had evidently decided that Chen Mu was not there to commission an alchemist to refine pills, but merely to purchase a few ordinary medicinal pills. Thus, they had placed him among the ranks of insignificant customers.

Even so, the attendants were quite professional. They methodically introduced the alchemists under the Minghuan Merchant Association, explained the characteristics of their pills, and then proceeded to describe all the finest medicinal products the association had to offer.

Chen Mu listened attentively. By the time the introductions were finished, he was deeply shaken.

The Minghuan Merchant Association’s establishment in Kun’an City was actually only a branch. Its president was an elderly man at the peak of the Spirit Soul Realm, named Hao Tianyi.

Relying on his Spirit Soul cultivation, Hao Tianyi had invited Huang Ru, a renowned alchemist of the Dharma Idol Realm, to oversee the branch. Huang Ru was a woman. Though she had been famous throughout the world for her alchemy for fifty years, her face still resembled that of a young maiden. Her skill at preserving her beauty was truly remarkable.

Of course, when one was young, the improvement of one’s cultivation would also preserve one’s youthful appearance, preventing immediate aging. Thus, either Huang Ru was a genius in cultivation as well as alchemy, or she had later consumed some kind of beauty-preserving pill to maintain such a youthful and lovely appearance.

Huang Ru’s presence had immediately allowed the Minghuan Merchant Association to overwhelm all its rivals in Kun’an City’s pill market, making it the city’s largest supplier of medicinal pills. Many alchemists had even traveled there in admiration, hoping to study under her. Some had gone so far as to join the Minghuan Merchant Association and become alchemists under its command.

Naturally, some cultivators came to the association with other intentions.

They had come for Fairy Huang Ru.

Because she possessed an exceptional beauty in addition to her remarkable ability to preserve her youth, many cultivators of the same realm, and even those of higher realms, pursued her.

Moreover, alchemists tended to possess immense wealth. If one could marry Huang Ru, one would never again need to worry about cultivation resources for the rest of one’s life.

Of course, that was merely wishful thinking. In the cultivation world, both Huang Ru’s reputation and status were far beyond the reach of ordinary cultivators. Even mighty cultivators of the Integration Realm had failed to win her favor. Did anyone below the Dharma Idol Realm really think they had a chance?

Still, Chen Mu gained a new perspective on the affairs of such mighty figures. He had never imagined that these powerful cultivators would also pursue romance and the pleasures of love. He had assumed that once their cultivation reached a certain height, all their thoughts would be focused on the path of cultivation, and that they would regard love and affection with indifference.

He was curious about the trivial matters and gossip among these mighty figures, but that was all. He had no desire to become entangled in them. If he happened to offend some powerful cultivator and was struck dead with a single palm, there would not even be anywhere to seek justice. Thus, he merely listened for amusement.

The highest-grade pills Fairy Huang Ru could refine were sixth-grade pills. The most outstanding among them was the Thousand Illusions Barrier-Breaking Pill, the treasure that guarded this shop. It was a high-grade sixth-grade pill.

On the surface, sixth-grade pills were almost never available for sale anywhere on the Azure Firmament Continent. That was only what could be seen publicly. If one used rare heavenly treasures to ask an alchemist to refine a pill in exchange, it was still possible to obtain a sixth-grade pill. The price, however, was far higher than that of pills sold openly.

Furthermore, when requesting the refinement of a high-grade pill, one generally had to exchange materials for the pill. Spirit stones were not accepted, unless they were supreme-grade spirit stones.

But how rare were supreme-grade spirit stones? How could anyone possibly exchange one for a single sixth-grade pill?

Even in the eyes of Great Vehicle cultivators, supreme-grade spirit stones were extraordinarily precious. They were immensely useful for arranging formations and forging magical treasures, and their value had long since surpassed their functions as currency and a means of replenishing spiritual energy.

A sixth-grade pill.

Chen Mu clicked his tongue inwardly. Who knew how many years would pass before he could refine a pill of that level? He sighed to himself. He had never devoted much thought to alchemy. Although his cultivation had already reached the Core Pill Realm, he could still refine only first-grade pills.

The attendant did not merely introduce Fairy Huang Ru. He also gave Chen Mu a general account of the other alchemists, allowing him to gain a rough understanding of the Minghuan Merchant Association.

After finishing his introduction, the attendant finally brought the conversation back to business.

“So, Young Master, what sort of medicinal pills have you come to purchase? When it comes to pills for Core Pill cultivators, our association is regarded as having the finest selection in the entire city. For healing injuries, the Flesh-Regenerating Blood-Stasis-Dissolving Pill is the most popular choice at this level, and its effects are beyond comparison with those of other associations. We also have the Purple Qi Comes from the East Pill, which restores spiritual energy...”

As the attendant recommended various pills, Chen Mu could not help feeling both amused and helpless.

There was already a monstrous alchemist inside his spirit beast bracelet. The pills refined by Rou’er were the finest of the finest among those of the same grade. As long as he had the necessary materials, Chen Mu had no need to worry about lacking pills for the Core Pill Realm.

Moreover, ever since witnessing Rou’er’s alchemy, he had found it difficult to appreciate pills refined by cultivators outside. Unless he had no other choice, he would never swallow those ordinary-quality pills made by other alchemists.

Thus, Chen Mu directly explained the purpose of his visit, though he carefully considered his wording first. It was impossible for him to say that he had come to join the association as an alchemist.

First, he had never received certification from an alchemists’ association. Second, he could refine only first-grade pills. He could not even be considered an ordinary alchemist of any standing.

For these reasons, he chose to claim that he had come to study under a master and learn alchemy, using that as an excuse to remain temporarily at the Minghuan Merchant Association.

Naturally, he also explained that he already had some foundation in alchemy. He emphasized that the only reason he could still refine merely first-grade pills despite having reached the Core Pill Realm was that he had never had enough time to study.

This would make it clear that he lacked neither talent nor ability, but only time. He was not worried that the other party would think he was lying. After all, Chen Mu looked like a young man. Surely he must have spent most of his time cultivating.

Unfortunately, that was merely Chen Mu’s own assumption. His appearance was so youthful that others did not believe he could truly be as young as he looked.

There were no cultivators of fifteen or sixteen years of age at the Core Pill Realm on the Azure Firmament Continent. If such a person did exist, it could only mean that their spiritual meridians had not been opened very far. In that case, one could be certain that the Core Pill cultivator was useless, with virtually no potential or room for future development.

Thus, when Chen Mu explained his purpose, the attendant did not know how to respond. He wore a deeply troubled expression.

He had not taken in Chen Mu’s claim that his lack of time to study alchemy was the reason he could refine only first-grade pills. Instead, he assumed that Chen Mu was merely using those words to conceal his own incompetence.

In the attendant’s mind, Chen Mu had therefore become an alchemist with no talent who wanted to enter the association to study and earn a living.

Although his impression of Chen Mu had worsened considerably, he was only a minor figure and could not openly display his thoughts. Not everyone was as blindly arrogant as the waiter at the Jiang family teahouse.

Thus, he merely furrowed his brow, unsure what to do.

Seeing the attendant’s troubled expression, Chen Mu realized that his words had been somewhat ill-considered. He therefore made another request.

“If you have doubts about my potential, you may test my ability to control fire. I simply have not had the time to study alchemy or medicinal herbs. When it comes to controlling flames, however, I have acquired considerable skill. In extracting the essence from medicinal materials, no one of the same realm can produce more or purer results than I can. I am willing to be tested and observed in public.”

Chen Mu was not telling the entire truth. He had merely claimed that no one in the Core Pill Realm could surpass him in flame control. In reality, there were many Nascent Soul cultivators whose control of fire might not match his own.

Because he possessed the Great Sun Illuminating Flame, Chen Mu’s affinity with fire had reached a level of consummate mastery.

Although his spiritual energy was not fire-aligned but sun-aligned, that did not hinder his mastery of flame control in the slightest.

Hearing Chen Mu speak with such confidence, the attendant could not help but believe him a little more.

Anyone could boast, but Chen Mu had requested that the association’s alchemists test his ability to control fire. He was willing to act immediately and prove himself. No matter how one looked at it, that did not seem like empty self-praise.

Once he truly made his move, it would become clear whether Chen Mu possessed genuine potential. If his words proved false, then he would naturally become nothing more than an arrogant and incompetent clown.

But if Chen Mu’s potential was genuine, allowing him to study alchemy there would gradually enable the association to win him over. If the association managed to recruit a promising alchemist, the attendant himself would surely receive a reward. He might even obtain a position as a manager.

Of course, all of that depended on whether Chen Mu was worth cultivating.

Chen Mu did not particularly wish to learn alchemy from the ordinary alchemists there. His main reason for making such a request was that, if he remained at the association under the pretext of studying, the merchant association would certainly provide him with a large quantity of free materials.

Although most of the finished pills he refined would probably have to be handed over to the association, he would undoubtedly receive generous compensation.

Moreover, if he could participate in helping high-level alchemists refine pills, it would deepen his understanding of alchemy and make it much easier for him to refine high-grade pills in the future.

Still, all of that was secondary. The alchemy techniques Rou’er had taught him were exquisite beyond compare. Chen Mu was primarily after the cultivation resources and compensation.

Under Chen Mu’s insistence and recommendation, the attendant eventually went to report the matter to the association’s higher-ups. Chen Mu remained seated in the guest hall, drinking tea at an unhurried pace.

After the time it took for an incense stick to burn, an elderly alchemist at the Nascent Soul Realm finally arrived, led by the attendant. He walked toward Chen Mu with an expression of evident impatience.

Clearly, the old alchemist did not believe that a Core Pill cultivator could possess much talent. He had seen far too many people who boasted about themselves.

Besides, Chen Mu had reached the Core Pill Realm and could still refine only first-grade pills. If he truly had not had time to study alchemy, then why had he chosen to pursue that path at all?

Someone so divided in mind, indecisive, and lacking in resolve was certainly incapable of accomplishing anything significant.