He had refined these when he was in the city lord's mansion. At that time, he had just awakened his bloodline and was not strong enough, so he just tried it out and succeeded in making two.
Compared to his previous success rate of producing a full batch of pills, this success rate was quite low. Fortunately, it was his first time refining a seventh-grade pill, and he hadn't held out much hope, so the fact that he produced two was a pleasant surprise.
He originally planned to give Shen Ange one, but since the other party was still in the early stage of the Golden Core realm, giving it to him first would easily trigger inner demons and have the opposite effect.
He was about to say something when the sound of his waiter's footsteps interrupted his thoughts.
Manager Liu knew he had spoken out of turn, but he didn't say much in front of outsiders and just silently prepared the high-grade spirit stones.
"Our Pavilion Master is here!" Zhao Huai ran out of breath, as if afraid that Fu Mingxu would run away, and said loudly and urgently, "Pavilion Master, it is this immortal who wants to exchange the Nascent Soul Pill for the Fire-Separating Furnace."
As he spoke, Fu Mingxu looked up in the direction of the voice and paused for a moment when he saw who it was.
The newcomer stood tall and straight, dressed in a deep purple robe, exuding an air of noble elegance.
A white silk cloth covered his eyes and was tied behind his head, adding an indescribable imperfection to his handsome face.
When Fu Mingxu first saw it, a hint of regret welled up in his heart.
Manager Liu frowned as he looked at him. Although he was familiar with Zhao Huai, one of the shop assistants here, he had never met the owner of this workshop before and had no idea that he was such a person.
He looks like a blind man.
The scene froze for a moment, until finally the pavilion master spoke. He tilted his head slightly, his gaze seemingly looking through the white silk towards Fu Mingxu, and said with certainty, "It must be this fellow Daoist who is selling the Nascent Soul Breaking Pill."
Seeing his certainty, Fu Mingxu felt it would be impolite to ask him directly how he knew.
“Exactly,” he answered loudly.
The other person chuckled, as if knowing what he was thinking: "Fellow Daoist is probably wondering how I know."
He touched the corner of his eye, as if mocking himself: "Although I'm blind, my sense of smell has become exceptionally sharp."
"Even from a distance, I can smell the clear herbal scent emanating from you, which must be the result of spending a long time with herbs."
Fu Mingxu subconsciously raised his sleeve and smelled it, and sure enough, he smelled a very faint herbal scent.
The more Manager Liu listened, the more confused he became, and a bold guess flashed through his mind.
Could it be that this Nascent Soul Breaking Pill was really refined by Master Fu?
Unfortunately, his guess was never verified before the Pavilion Master spoke up: "The Nascent Soul Pill is exactly what I seek. I presume you have already seen that I am in the late Golden Core stage. If I wish to restore my eyesight, I must form my Nascent Soul."
Only by forming an infant can one reshape their body and flesh.
Fu Mingxu didn't consider whether his words were true or false. He remained silent for a while before speaking: "Even if you take the Nascent Soul Breaking Pill, there is no guarantee that you will successfully form a Nascent Soul."
Elixirs are merely an aid; true Nascent Soul formation requires not only abundant cultivation but also a favorable combination of circumstances and a specific mindset.
"How shall I address you, fellow Daoist?" The pavilion master did not ask about the Nascent Soul Pill, but instead introduced himself, "I am Cui Jiulang."
"Fu Mingxu." He glanced at the Fire-Breaking Furnace and handed the jade bottle to the shopkeeper. "Sect Master Cui, this is indeed a Grade Seven Nascent Soul Breaking Pill. How about exchanging it for the Fire-Breaking Furnace?"
Since the other party wanted the Nascent Soul Pill, and he happened to have it, and the other party also had a pill furnace that he had his eye on, it was a perfect storm of favorable circumstances. The other party should have no reason to disagree.
As expected, Cui Jiulang didn't say much. Instead, he reached out and took the jade bottle, a slight smile playing on his lips: "Life and death are predestined. It's already a rare stroke of luck to obtain the Nascent Soul Pill by chance."
“You’re the one who’s losing out on this deal.” Cui Jiulang flipped his hand, and a dark green wooden box appeared in his palm. “There’s a trace of the Fire of Departure inside, consider it a bonus.”
Fire away?
Fu Mingxu did not accept it, because he knew that the value of this fire was enough to be equivalent to a fire furnace, but the dragon flame in his dantian was constantly leaping, obviously trying to devour the fire.
Cui Jiulang didn't hear his reply for a long time, his expression remained unchanged, he just stretched out his hand forward: "It is my honor to befriend the alchemist who refined the Nascent Soul Pill."
He spoke frankly and openly, without any attempt to hide anything. Fu Mingxu did not refuse and reached out to take it.
Feeling the change in weight in his hand, Cui Jiulang smiled slightly: "Fellow Daoist is truly straightforward."
Manager Liu seemed a little anxious: "Master Fu, the city lord is back."
Cui Jiulang's heart skipped a beat, but he didn't ask any further questions.
"Oh." Fu Mingxu didn't feel that he had to go back just because Han Tao was back. He glanced at Manager Liu and said indifferently, "Since he's back, you should go back first. I still have some things to take care of."
Just as Manager Liu was about to offer some advice, he noticed a hint of anger in the man's eyes. His heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively lowered his head, not daring to look any longer.
Without Han Tao's instructions, he dared not leave Fu Mingxu alone.
Fu Mingxu put away the fire furnace and the fire, then looked at the meek and obedient shopkeeper Liu, and said in a calm voice, "Let's go."
He eventually realized that Han Tao had arranged it, and sighed silently in his heart, not bothering to dwell on it.
"Okay!" Manager Liu felt like he had been granted a pardon and quickly followed.
By the time Cui Jiulang turned around, the faint scent of herbs had already faded away.
Fu Mingxu walked very fast. He didn't even look at the other people in Yilu Pavilion. He was so fast that the Medicine Sect disciples who wanted to go up and ask him questions didn't even have a chance to speak. They only had time to catch a glimpse of a silhouette in a green robe.
Cui Jiulang didn't come down from the second floor, but Zhao Huai was immediately surrounded by people as soon as he came down. They kept asking what Fu Mingxu had bought, wondering if a mortal could also refine pills.
Zhao Huai smiled without saying a word, and then evaded the topic by making a few roundabout remarks.
The disciples of the Medicine Sect seemed thoughtful, but they didn't really think about it in that direction.
As for those who had seen Fu Mingxu and Han Tao enter the alchemy room of the Medicine Sect together, they subconsciously assumed that Han Tao was the one using the room.
After obtaining the Fire Furnace, Fu Mingxu, preoccupied with the matter of the Demon Source Pill, hurriedly headed towards the courtyard. He also remembered to send a message to Shen Ange, instructing her not to leave the market for the next two days, as he would bring the Demon Source Pill to her once it was refined.
Shen Ange responded quickly after receiving the message, immediately agreeing and asking if he needed any spiritual plants.
After making a mental estimate and confirming that the spiritual plants prepared by Han Tao and the spiritual plants he had placed in the Heaven and Earth Mystic Mirror were sufficient, Fu Mingxu simply said that it was enough, and then the two of them cut off the communication.
As soon as he pushed open the courtyard gate, he saw Han Tao standing with his hands behind his back under the spirit peach tree, peach blossoms almost covering his shoulders, indicating that he had been standing there for a long time.
As he pushed open the door, Han Tao lifted his foot and walked towards him. Peach petals on his shoulders fell one after another with his movements. Unfortunately, he was much taller than the average person, with broad shoulders and agile movements. His movements lacked the graceful beauty of falling petals, but instead resembled a general riding a horse through a peach grove.
The profusion of beautiful peach blossoms did not hinder his speed in the slightest.
"You're back."
The two spoke the same words in unison, several steps apart.
Fu Mingxu was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing.
Han Tao glanced past him and then slightly behind him. Manager Liu immediately understood his meaning, closed the courtyard gate, and then quietly left.
Fu Mingxu turned his head to look at the tightly closed courtyard gate, then his gaze returned to what was behind him, and said, "Now that you're back, come and refine pills with me."
He reasoned that because of the demonic seed within him, Han Tao now had more precise control over demonic energy, and the Demon Flower King contained pure demonic energy, making the refining process safer with his help.
Besides, this Demon Source Pill was originally made for him, so it's normal for him to put in some effort.
"Accompany?" Han Tao silently savored the word for a few moments, his cold jawline softening. "Okay, I'll accompany you."
Fu Mingxu felt that what he said was a bit strange, but he was in a hurry to refine pills and didn't think too much about it. After thinking for a moment, he said, "It can be done in the side room, but you will need to set up a few more shielding and defensive formations."
"Okay." Han Tao nodded. After he finished speaking, he took out another food box from his storage bag and placed it on the stone table. "Eat something first, and I'll call you when I'm done setting things up."
Upon hearing this, Fu Mingxu realized that he hadn't eaten since waking up. He also didn't have the habit of constantly taking fasting pills, and soon felt extremely hungry.
The food box was the same one he used at the Medicine Sect last time. He opened it skillfully, following his memory, and remained silent for a moment after seeing that it was full of his favorite snacks.
Petals fluttered down, and Fu Mingxu looked up to see Han Tao's busy figure in the wide-open doorway.
The figure was broad and upright, with a tall and imposing stature. It was hard to imagine how such a long line could buy a food box.
Perhaps his gaze was too obvious, because Han Tao, who was silently planning the setup of the alchemy room, paused his movements and then turned around.
"What's wrong?" He frowned slightly, meeting Fu Mingxu's gaze. "Don't you like the food inside?"
Fu Mingxu's heart skipped a beat. He lowered his head slightly, quickly picked up a crystal-clear dumpling from the top layer of the dumpling, stuffed it into his mouth, and nodded repeatedly: "It's delicious, I like it very much."
His cheeks puffed out slightly as he moved around, much like the soft-bodied young beasts that Han Tao had seen in the mountains and forests when he was a child.
Fu Mingxu dispelled his doubts with his actions, and Han Tao breathed a sigh of relief, nodded, and continued working.
As the sun rose high in the sky and Fu Mingxu finished eating the last piece of pastry, Han Tao's arrangements were just completed.
"So fast?" He walked up behind the tall figure and exclaimed in amazement after seeing the layout inside, "It really is a standard alchemy room."
The white gauze in the middle of the room was removed, and a spirit wood shelf was used as a divider, on which many jade boxes were neatly arranged. The boxes were opened one by one, and the various spirit herbs inside emitted the fragrance of herbs and wood.
If it weren't for the fact that these spiritual plants were clearly not arranged according to their attributes, one would definitely think that the person who arranged them in such a short time was an alchemist.
Seeing that he had taken out two spiritual herbs with extremely similar leaves but completely opposite properties and was about to put them together, Fu Mingxu hurriedly took two steps forward, stepped over him, and grabbed them with one hand: "Hey, wait a minute."
If he handles them like that, the medicinal properties of these two medicinal herbs will be destroyed.
Perhaps because he had eaten too much earlier, Fu Mingxu exerted himself, and his slightly bulging abdomen seemed to spasm, causing his hand, which was resting on the jade box, to slip and, by sheer coincidence, land right below the black shirt.
Neither of them had time to react to the sudden movement. By the time he instinctively grabbed something to avoid falling, he had already grasped a wad of fabric from the black shirt.
The air froze instantly.
Fu Mingxu felt the change in his hand and jumped up in fright. Then, with lightning speed, he frantically pressed himself against the spirit wood frame.
His movements were too exaggerated. As soon as his back touched the shelf, it swayed twice, and the jade boxes on it fell off, with many of the medicinal herbs inside spilling onto the ground.
He picked up the two medicinal herbs in front of him with a pained expression, his speed astonishing.
He held the roots of the medicinal herb in his hand, and the cool touch stirred up memories of what had just happened in his palm.
It was scorching hot, burning hot, and had an intensity that was unimaginable.
If it weren't for his deep-seated love for each spiritual plant, he would have immediately thrown away what he was holding when forced to recall a certain feeling.
Fu Mingxu shouldn't have looked up at Han Tao's expression at all; his gaze was fixed on Han Tao's fair palm, staring intently at the lines on his hand.
Oh dear, he just seems to have done something lewd.
Suppressing the heat rising in his heart, Han Tao stared at Fu Mingxu's dark hair for a while before letting out a deep sigh.
"Get up, I'm not blaming you."
They didn't blame him for anything; they both knew the truth.
Fu Mingxu's ears turned bright red. He quickly glanced at Han Tao, his gaze lingering on a crease in Han Tao's black shirt, and felt a wave of dizziness wash over him.
"I didn't mean to."
He offered this reasonable but far-fetched reason, and then quickly searched his mind for a respectable solution.
Just as Han Tao was about to speak, Fu Mingxu suddenly stood up and picked up a few spiritual herbs from the shelf. He placed the newly purchased Fire Furnace on the ground and summoned Dragon Flame to serve as the alchemical fire within it.
He processed the medicinal herbs in his hands as quickly as possible, and almost in the blink of an eye, he turned on the furnace and threw them in.
The speed at which all this was done left Han Tao with no chance to speak again.