Seeing this, Xiao Zhan timely opened his mouth and laughed, "Young Friend Mo, refining medicine is hard work. You always need someone to take care of trivial matters around you. Xiao Mei is only fifteen years old, and her cultivation has already reached the eighth stage of Dou Qi. She is quite meticulous and has a slight understanding of medicinal ingredients."
"I wonder if Young Friend Mo would be willing to let her attend to you, help with miscellaneous tasks, grind medicinal ingredients, and hand over tools? It can also be considered a form of experience for her."
His words were well-spoken, giving Mo Yuhan ample face.
Xiao Mei's heart instantly leaped to her throat, her watery eyes gazing at Mo Yuhan, filled with silent pleading.
Evidently, following Mo Yuhan to become the connection point between the Xiao Family and Mo Yuhan was Xiao Mei's own initiative.
If she could become the maid of this genius Alchemist, even if only a nominal assistant, her status in the Xiao Family would be completely different.
Mo Yuhan held the teacup, his slender fingers gently caressing the warm surface of the cup.
The Xiao Family's gesture was truly grand.
A fifteen-year-old at the eighth stage of Dou Qi, and so charming, yet they were willing to send her to him as a maid.
However, he needed to focus on refining medicine, and indeed needed someone to handle trivial matters to save time.
Moreover, Little Fairy Doctor also needed to cultivate and couldn't always look after his aunt.
Xiao Mei was from the Xiao Family; using her would both put the Xiao Family at ease and save him the trouble of finding reliable help.
As for those little intentions... as long as they didn't affect important matters, he didn't care.
"You may," After a moment of silence, Mo Yuhan put down the teacup and uttered two concise words.
Xiao Mei's pretty face instantly bloomed with a joyful radiance, like spring flowers suddenly unfurling. She immediately curtsied gracefully, "Thank you, Young Master Mo. Mei'er will definitely do her best and never disappoint Young Master!"
Her voice was filled with excitement and exhilaration. She seemed to have already seen her bright future.
The grand curtain of cooperation between the Xiao Family and Mo Yuhan was drawn with thunderous momentum.
The Xiao Family quickly cleared out a secluded, well-equipped independent courtyard within their family as Mo Yuhan's exclusive Alchemist workshop, and dispatched their most reliable guards to protect it day and night.
The Mittel Auction House's medicinal ingredient procurement channels were operating at full speed, with large quantities of high-quality basic medicinal ingredients continuously being sent into the workshop.
And at the Mittel Auction House, under Ya Fei's personal management, she displayed astonishing business acumen and power.
First, it was about building momentum.
Ya Fei utilized all of the Mittel Auction House's promotional channels. Overnight, the streets and alleys of Wutan City were plastered with eye-catching notices:
"Mittel Auction House, in collaboration with the Xiao Family, proudly presents—the supreme healing medicine, Fushang Pill, is making its shocking debut! Exceptional efficacy, benefiting the people with its price. Starting today, special sales at the Mittel Auction House's first-floor counter and all Xiao Family market pharmacies!"
The notices specifically emphasized phrases like "quality far surpassing Huichunsan" and "Mittel exclusive channel," instantly igniting the enthusiasm of mercenaries and low-level cultivators throughout the city.
Doubts? In the face of the Mittel Auction House's golden reputation and the Xiao Family's name, they appeared pale and powerless.
Next, was the distribution of goods.
Ya Fei did not fully expand at first, but instead adopted a strategy of hunger marketing.
Only a limited supply of Fushang Pill was provided daily at the Mittel Auction House's first-floor counter and a few designated core pharmacies of the Xiao Family.
Those mercenaries who had received the news in advance and flocked to purchase often bought out the day's quota within an hour of sales beginning.
The explosive scene and the reputation of being in short supply, like the best advertisement, pushed the fame of Fushang Pill to its peak.
The third step, the price cut.
When the market's fervor was thoroughly ignited, and the Jia Lie family's market saw a sharp decrease in visitors, falling into panic.
Ya Fei held a small Fushang Pill special promotion conference at the Mittel Auction House.
She personally took the stage, clad in a red dress, radiating dazzling beauty. With a charming smile, she announced, "Thanks to the great support from everyone in Wutan City, and to show our appreciation, starting today, Fushang Pill will be supplied without limit, and the price... will be only eighty percent of Ningxue Powder!"
Boom!
This news was like a thunderclap, instantly stunning the entire healing medicine market of Wutan City.
Better quality, lower price, and unlimited supply.
The stockpiled Huichunsan in the Jia Lie family's market instantly became worthless garbage.
The Jia Lie family's market withered at a visible rate.
The bustling mercenary teams that used to buy healing medicines disappeared without a trace, leaving only a few dispirited shop assistants guarding the dusty counters.
In contrast, the Mittel Auction House and the Xiao Family's market were packed with people, forming long queues, exceptionally bustling.
Huge profits flowed like a torrent into the coffers of Mittel and the Xiao Family.
Jia Lie Bi's roar almost tore off the roof of the Jia Lie family mansion: "Useless! All useless! Investigate for me! Where did the Xiao Family's medicine come from?! Lower the price for me! Lower it to seventy percent! No, fifty percent! Throw out all the inventory! Quick!"
However, it was too late.
Once the price war began, the initiative was no longer in his hands. The Mittel Auction House and the Xiao Family, relying on the absolute quality advantage and lower price of the Fushang Pill, as well as Ya Fei's precise marketing strategy, firmly controlled the market.
Even if the Jia Lie family sold Fushang Pill at a loss, no one was interested—the quality gap was too great.
Mercenaries weren't fools; for medicine that could save lives at crucial moments, who would use a substandard product?
Not to mention, Ya Fei also timely launched an event of "purchasing Fushang Pill to redeem Mittel Auction House discount coupons," further locking in customers.
The Jia Lie family's capital chain was breaking at an alarming speed.
Market revenue sharply decreased, family guard salaries began to be delayed, and the small factions originally affiliated with the Jia Lie Family started to become restless, secretly contacting the Xiao Family or Mittel.
The entire Jia Lie Family was like being roasted over a fire, overwhelmed and on the verge of collapse.
On the top floor of the Mittel Auction House in Wutan City, within Ya Fei's exclusive luxurious office.
The air was filled with a mixed scent of incense and paper ink. Outside the enormous crystal floor-to-ceiling windows, one could overlook most of the brightly lit Wutan City.
Ya Fei leaned lazily in a wide, velvet-covered armchair, her long, straight, jade-like legs, encased in smooth black silk, crossed, outlining a breathtaking curve.
In her hand, she held an urgent assessment report that had just arrived from the Mittel Family headquarters in the Empire's capital. On her exquisite face, a brilliant smile bloomed, enough to dim the stars.
That smile carried a hint of relief, and even greater satisfaction and ambition.
"Hehehe..."
She let out a low laugh, like mellow wine, intoxicating the soul.
"Wutan City branch, total profit for this quarter, year-on-year increase... over three times, comprehensive performance evaluation, ranked... first among all third-tier city branches in the Empire!"
She read out the core data from the report word by word, each word seeming to sparkle with the light of gold coins.
This dazzling report card was almost entirely due to the cooperation with Mo Yuhan.
The exorbitant profits brought by monopolizing the healing medicine market were merely the tip of the iceberg.
More crucially, the immense success of the Fushang Pill completely established the reputation of the Mittel Auction House in Wutan City, attracting mercenary groups and merchant caravans from several surrounding cities and even further afield to trade, driving a comprehensive boom in the auction house's other businesses, such as weapons, materials, and intelligence.
The name Mo Yuhan, and the Alchemist ability subtly revealed behind him, had already become the most dazzling calling card and core competitiveness of the Mittel Auction House in Wutan City
"Little fellow… you really are this Jie's lucky star."
Sister Ya Fei put down the report, picked up a glass of wine as crimson as blood by her hand, and gently swirled it. The wine was mellow, just like her graceful figure.
She walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, looking down at the market area below, which was still brightly lit and bustling with people.
Not long ago, that place used to be the Jia Lie family's territory, but now it had completely changed hands.
Her red lips parted slightly as she took a sip of the wine, her eyes hazy and deep, carrying a hint of the pleasure of a powerful person and… a deeper curiosity and expectation for Mo Yuhan.
"Those arrogant old fellows in Jiama Holy City should have nothing to say this time, right?"
She murmured softly, a confident and charming curve forming at the corner of her lips.
This performance was enough to elevate her status within the family, gaining her more resource allocation and a stronger voice.
And the starting point for all of this originated from that nine-year-old boy.
At this very moment, within Mo Yuhan's exclusive Alchemist workshop in the Xiao Family.
The air was filled with a rich and complex medicinal fragrance, mixed with the scorching heat of flames.
Beneath the enormous bronze medicine cauldron, the pale yellow Xuan Huang Flame burned silently, its tongues of fire licking the cauldron's belly, the temperature precisely controlled within a certain range.
Mo Yuhan sat cross-legged on a futon, his eyes tightly closed, his mental force like invisible tentacles, delving deep into the medicine cauldron, meticulously sensing the fusion and changes of more than a dozen medicinal essences within the cauldron.
Fine beads of sweat seeped from his forehead, sliding down his tender yet well-defined cheeks.
He was currently performing a more difficult refinement based on the original work's Alchemist Yao's detailed descriptions of alchemy, combined with his own actual situation—simultaneously controlling multiple portions of Fushang Pill ingredients for fusion.
This required extremely terrifying mental force control and precise mastery of flames.
If not for possessing a unique flame and powerful soul perception, an ordinary First-Rank Alchemist would never dare to attempt this.
"Young Master Yu Han, let me help you wipe your sweat."
A soft voice sounded beside him.
Xiao Mei carried a silver basin filled with warm water and a clean silk handkerchief, quietly kneeling beside Mo Yuhan.
Today, she was wearing a simple and elegant light green dress, yet it still couldn't conceal her alluring figure.
Her full bosom, as she leaned forward, pressed into a tempting deep cleavage at the neckline, almost touching Mo Yuhan's arm.
A faint, girlish scent mixed with the medicinal aroma, subtly drifting into his nostrils.
Xiao Mei carefully used the warm silk handkerchief to gently wipe the sweat from Mo Yuhan's forehead, her fingertips occasionally brushing against his slightly warm skin.
Mo Yuhan's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. During alchemy, being easily disturbed was the most taboo.
Xiao Mei's proximity and her deliberate physical contact, though subtle, were like pebbles cast into a calm lake, causing a slight, weak interference to his highly concentrated mental force.
The medicinal liquid, which had been steadily fusing within the cauldron, instantly produced a barely noticeable fluctuation!
"Mei Jie Jie, please step back for now." Mo Yuhan's voice was calm with a hint of helplessness; his still somewhat tender voice carried an undeniable authority, his eyes still tightly closed.
Xiao Mei's movements instantly froze, and the charming smile on her face solidified.
She looked at the boy's serene and distant profile, a hint of grievance and unwillingness flashing in her eyes, but more so, a panic of having her thoughts seen through.
She bit her lower lip, softly responded "Yes," and, carrying the basin, retreated somewhat awkwardly into the shadows of the workshop's corner, not daring to make another sound. She merely watched his focused profile, illuminated by the flames, with her watery, peach-blossom eyes, full of resentment and infatuation.
The interference gone, Mo Yuhan's mental force once again became highly concentrated, like the most precise instrument, quickly smoothing out the fluctuations of the medicinal liquid in the cauldron.
The temperature of the Xuan Huang Flame underwent extremely subtle adjustments under his will. Time passed minute by minute, and the color of the medicinal liquid in the cauldron gradually became uniform and translucent, emitting an even purer medicinal fragrance.
Finally, Mo Yuhan suddenly opened his eyes, and the light in his dark pupils brightened sharply.
"Condense!"
He let out a low cry, and his hand seals changed.
The Xuan Huang Flame's intensity suddenly retracted. Inside the medicine cauldron, several clusters of viscous, emerald green medicinal liquid instantly condensed and spun, transforming into dozens of round and full Fushang Pill medicinal pellets under the precise division of his mental force, clinking into the already prepared jade plate, their medicinal aroma overflowing.
Mo Yuhan exhaled a long breath, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes.
Simultaneous refining of multiple portions indeed brought a significant increase in efficiency.
"Young Master Yu Han… you're truly amazing!"
Xiao Mei in the corner could no longer hold back. She approached again, carrying a cup of ginseng tea, already prepared to quench his thirst.
This time, she was smarter; she didn't deliberately create any contact, only maintaining a certain distance, but the admiration and infatuation in her peach-blossom eyes, as she looked at Mo Yuhan, almost materialized.
Xiao Mei presented the ginseng tea to Mo Yuhan, her tender hands trembling slightly. Her neckline, with her movements, opened a bit more, her fair skin dazzling under the light.
Mo Yuhan took the ginseng tea, his fingertips inevitably touching Xiao Mei's slightly cool fingertips.
The girl trembled slightly as if electrocuted, two red clouds flew to her cheeks, and she shyly lowered her head, yet couldn't help but peek at him through her eyelashes.
That hesitant, shy, and timid demeanor, coupled with her alluring figure and carefully styled appearance, was enough to make any normal man's heart flutter.
Mo Yuhan, however, only shook his head helplessly and took a sip of the ginseng tea. The warm, slightly bitter liquid slid down his throat, relieving the fatigue brought on by the exertion.
He put down the teacup, his gaze sweeping over the crystal-clear Fushang Pill on the jade plate, and said in a deep voice, "Package these pills well and send them to Sister Ya Fei. Also, prepare the next batch of medicinal ingredients."
"Yes! Mei'er will go do it now!"
Xiao Mei quickly responded, carefully picking up the jade plate as if holding a rare treasure.
As she turned to leave, her round, upturned buttocks, encased in the light green dress, traced an alluring curve with each step.
Mo Yuhan watched her retreating figure disappear at the doorway, his eyes still calm.
He saw through Xiao Mei's intentions like watching a fire.
Though his body was only eight, almost nine years old, his soul was not that of an ignorant child.
The temptation of beauty? At present, it couldn't stir even a ripple in his heart.
His goals were clear and ruthless—destroy the Jia Lie family, obtain the Revival Purple Pill to cure his aunt, and then… return to Spirit Hall.
Any obstacles or interferences would be ruthlessly eliminated.
Xiao Mei was merely a passerby in his life; he didn't think he would have any deeper involvement with her.
He closed his eyes again, the Xuan Huang Flame circulating within him, beginning to restore his depleted Dou Qi and mental force.
Inside the workshop, only the lingering warmth of the medicine cauldron and the pervasive medicinal scent remained, along with a faint, almost imperceptible trace of the girl's lingering resentment in the corner.
The flames of revenge burned fiercely in Wutan City, and the silent game of chess and probing within the Alchemist workshop had only just begun
The depths of the Star Dou Great Forest always exuded an ancient yet vibrant aura.
The canopies of towering ancient trees intertwined high above, filtering the sunlight into sparse golden-green flecks that danced upon the humus-covered ground.
Mo Yuhan cautiously navigated this immense green labyrinth, his body taut like a fully drawn bowstring.
His objective was clear: to find a fire-type Spirit Beast around three thousand years old that highly matched his Spirit, Xuan Huang Flame, to obtain his third spirit ring.
This Spirit hunting journey had already lasted three days. With his spirit power at Spirit Grandmaster level 30 and his cultivation at Dou Zhe five-star on the Dou Qi Continent, coupled with the powerful perception brought by his unique Spirit, Xuan Huang Flame, he had avoided most unnecessary troubles.
The terrifying pressure emanating from the ten-thousand-year Spirit Beasts entrenched in the depths of their territories served as invisible boundary markers, clearly reminding him of his operational limits.
At this moment, he was stealthily moving along the edge of a hidden valley covered by giant ferns, following an extremely faint but exceptionally pure fire-attribute energy fluctuation.
His spirit power was fully contained, his footsteps so light that they were almost silent, only an occasional faint rustle, barely noticeable, when he stepped on a tiny dry twig.
Suddenly, the air in front of Mo Yuhan subtly twisted, and the pure fire-attribute energy intensified sharply.
He immediately crouched low, agilely hiding behind a large fern leaf with serrated edges, holding his breath. Through the gaps between the leaves, he saw his target.
At the bottom of the valley, in the center of a small exposed area of black rock, lay a peculiar, entirely crimson lizard.
Its body was not enormous, approximately two meters long, but it was covered in dark red scales, each one subtly glowing with a molten orange light along its edges.
Most striking were the three clusters of crimson crystals on its back, resembling burning torches. They pulsed rhythmically, dimming and brightening, and with each alternation, a scorching heatwave spread outwards, even causing the air to slightly distort.
It lay lazily on the rock, seemingly absorbing the earth's heat, its long tail occasionally thumping the ground, each impact leaving a shallow, charred mark on the rock.
"Crimson Crystal Fire Lizard?"
Mo Yuhan instantly made a judgment, his gaze fixed on the three clusters of crimson crystals on its back, which resembled small volcanoes.
"Three fire crystals, the age is just around three thousand years."
A strong sense of excitement surged through him. This was precisely the compatible spirit ring source he needed. The Crimson Crystal Fire Lizard was not only powerful in attack, but its core ability, "Crimson Crystal Blazeflame," was renowned for its instantaneous burst and continuous molten burning. If he could successfully hunt and absorb it, his third Spirit Ability's power would definitely be astonishing.
Mo Yuhan took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.
The hunt had just begun. He quietly moved to the flank, searching for the optimal angle for a surprise attack.
The spirit power of Xuan Huang Flame subtly flowed through his meridians, and beneath the skin of his shoulders and forearms, dark golden flame patterns seemed to faintly ripple, poised for action.
He needed to kill it in one blow, or at least inflict sufficiently heavy damage, and absolutely could not give this fierce Spirit Beast a chance to unleash "Crimson Crystal Blazeflame."
Mo Yuhan's eyes were sharp, and Xuan Huang Flame quietly flowed within him. He patiently lurked, searching for the optimal moment.
When the fire lizard turned its back to the entrance, and the crimson crystal light slightly dimmed, as if it was about to enter a brief period of dormancy—
"Phoenix Flight Step!"
Mo Yuhan's figure shot forth like an arrow from a bowstring, sweeping low to the ground! His speed was pushed to the extreme, stirring up scorching airflow. His target was clear—to strike directly at the fire lizard's relatively vulnerable flank.
The fire lizard instantly awoke, its vertical pupils contracting sharply, letting out a shrill hiss. The crimson crystals on its back erupted with dazzling red light, and terrifying high temperatures swept out.
It violently swung its tail, drawing a molten heatwave towards Mo Yuhan, while simultaneously opening its mouth, intending to spew a deadly molten stream.
"Flame Armor Guardian!"
Dark golden Flame Armor instantly covered him, taking the full force of the tail whip.
Bang! A tremendous force struck, Mo Yuhan's body swayed slightly, and the Flame Armor's halo flickered rapidly, deflecting the impact.
The distance closed.
"First Spirit Ability! Xuan Huang Lion Flame Crash!"
Dark golden flames instantly condensed on his shoulder and arm into a roaring lion's head, the flowing flames thick as armor. He himself transformed into a burning meteor, slamming fiercely into the fire lizard's flank.
A muffled thunderous sound, the fire lizard hissed in pain, its scales shattering.
The moment he landed, Dou Qi condensed at his fingertips. A point of Dou Qi, refined to the extreme and exuding terrifying penetrating fluctuations, like the sigh of death, accurately shot into the fire lizard's widely opened mouth, due to intense pain.
The fire lizard's massive body suddenly stiffened, the crimson crystal light rapidly dimmed, and it crashed to the ground! A deep purple spirit ring, carrying the violent energy of a three-thousand-year fire Spirit Beast, slowly rose.
Mo Yuhan gasped for a moment, then sat cross-legged, his spirit power guiding the purple spirit ring down.
The moment the spirit ring settled upon him, a violent, scorching torrent of energy surged into his body, as if to melt his meridians and bones into lava.
Time flowed in agony, sweat barely seeped out before being evaporated by the high temperature of his body, his skin crimson like a branding iron.
Mo Yuhan held firm to his mind, guiding Xuan Huang Flame with unwavering will, refining the violent energy of the Crimson Crystal Fire Lizard bit by bit, as if forging fine steel.
After an unknown period, the churning lava torrent within his body finally subsided, transforming into a pure, scorching new power, imbued with terrifying explosive force, merging perfectly with the essence of Xuan Huang Flame.
A deep purple spirit ring steadily appeared beneath him.
Mo Yuhan opened his eyes, and a flash of dark gold and crimson flames seemed to interweave within them. He slowly raised his hand, dark golden Xuan Huang Flame rising from his palm. With a slight thought—
The flame's form instantly changed, no longer a gentle flowing flame, but condensing into a violently churning molten fireball, its core faintly revealing a crimson glow.
The energy within the fireball was highly compressed, emitting a heart-palpitating high temperature and explosive fluctuations.
"Third Spirit Ability: Crimson Crystal Furnace!"
Mo Yuhan's lips curved into a satisfied smile. This Spirit Ability perfectly fused the instantaneous burst of Xuan Huang Flame and Crimson Crystal Blazeflame, its power reaching his expectations.
After absorbing the third spirit ring, his spirit power reached level 32, and he was now a Dou Zhe six-star.
It was still early, so he planned to first go to the villages near the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest to inquire about the latest news.
Just as he was about to exit the forest, Mo Yuhan heard a terrifying roar, full of tyrannical and destructive energy, like a sudden clap of thunder, exploding from behind the ridge on the other side of the valley.
The sound was so immense, carrying a sense of pure physical force, that it instantly tore through the forest's tranquility, making Mo Yuhan's eardrums buzz.
This sound came precisely from the direction of the human settlements on the edge of the Star Dou Great Forest.
"What happened over there?"
Mo Yuhan's figure was like an arrow released from a bowstring, activating the Dou Techniques "Phoenix Flight Step" and accelerating abruptly.
His figure instantly blurred, as if transforming into a dark shadow sweeping low to the ground.
His toes lightly tapped on giant tree roots and protruding rocks, each leverage point causing his speed to surge again, creating a subtle whooshing sound.
He was like a silent wind, or a streak of lightning flying close to the ground, rushing towards the direction of the roar, towards the edge of the forest.
Phoenix Flight Step pushed his speed to the extreme, Mo Yuhan's figure leaving an almost illusory afterimage through the dense forest.
The closer he got to the forest's edge, the clearer the tyrannical Spirit Beast aura became, mixed with a strong scent of blood and the desperate cries and screams of humans, like cold awls piercing his eardrums.
Bursting through a dense barrier of vines, the scene before him abruptly crashed into his vision, causing Mo Yuhan's pupils to sharply contract.
A small village built on a gently sloping hill had now become a hell.
Most of the dozens of simple wooden houses had collapsed, burning with raging fires, thick smoke billowing into the sky.
Broken wood, scattered pottery shards, and trampled crops lay in utter disarray.
The air was filled with the acrid smell of burning wood and choking dust