Inside the isolation Restriction, Chu Mu sat cross-legged.

Before him lay a Magic Robe and a Storage Talisman.

The Magic Robe was entirely cyan, with a gauze-like texture that was extremely comfortable to the touch.

Chu Mu examined it closely. Combining this with the knowledge of Artifact Refining he had painstakingly studied recently, he could roughly confirm the material’s origin. It was likely Tier One Upper Grade Jade Silkworm Silk.

This silk, spun by a Tier Two Spirit Insect known as the Jade Silkworm, was fine and delicate, making it a common Spiritual Material for Magic Robes and Banner Flag Spiritual Artifacts.

Of course, compared to other materials, silkworm silk was naturally more precious.

As for the Array Prohibition on the Magic Robe...

Chu Mu continued his inspection, attempting to test his own knowledge.

The knowledge in his mind flowed, comparing itself to the Array Prohibition on the robe before him.

The Magic Robe’s Artifact Pattern Array Prohibition didn’t have the same kind of near-suicidal anti-snooping measures as the lamp he had encountered before.

After all, the purpose of a defensive Magical Artifact like a Magic Robe was defense.

A self-destructing anti-snooping measure was clearly impractical.

Comparing his knowledge to the real thing, Chu Mu could make a pretty good guess about the Magic Robe’s effects.

"Cleansing, Spirit Gathering, Defense."

Chu Mu muttered to himself. Finally, he extended his Divine Sense into the Magic Robe, beginning the Refinement of its Restriction. When he compared the information he received with his own guesses, everything became clear.

The Magic Robe was an Upper Grade Spiritual Artifact with cleansing and Spirit Gathering effects.

Of course, cleansing and Spirit Gathering were just secondary effects.

The most important function was the inherent defensive power of the robe itself.

The robe’s main body was woven from Jade Silkworm Silk, giving it impressive defensive capabilities from the start. The Artifact Refiner then utilized the unique characteristics of Celestial Silkworm Silk, using Artifact Patterns to connect every single strand. They inscribed the Flowing Wave Array Prohibition, which perfectly complemented the Celestial Silkworm Silk and pushed its innate defensive power to the absolute limit. To top it off, they overlaid the Little Vajra Array Prohibition, taking the robe’s defense to a whole new level.

It all seemed straightforward at a glance, but this was undoubtedly just the surface.

At a deeper level, although the robe’s main material was Jade Silkworm Silk, other types of Spiritual Materials must have been mixed in.

Furthermore, while he could understand the general function of the Artifact Pattern Array Prohibition inscribed on the robe, that didn’t mean he understood the purpose of every single Artifact Pattern or each line of the Array Prohibition Pattern.

Not unless he dismantled the Magic Robe and spent an unknown amount of time reverse-engineering and deciphering it piece by piece.

But that would undoubtedly be twice the effort for half the result, and the loss would far outweigh the gain.

He slipped the Magic Robe on. The garment, which should have been ill-fitting, instantly shrank the moment he wore it, conforming perfectly to his body.

After admiring it for a moment, Chu Mu picked up the Storage Talisman that lay before him.

He sent his Divine Sense inside. The next second, stalk after stalk of Spirit Medicine—all of which were rarely seen in the outside world—appeared before him.

Five stalks of Red Blood Ginseng, each with a medicinal age of five hundred years.

Ten stalks of Purifying Spirit Grass, each three hundred years old.

The Jade Boxes containing the other various rare Spirit Medicines were already piled up like a mountain!

Chu Mu’s breathing grew a little ragged. It was no exaggeration to say that acquiring the vast majority of these Spirit Medicines would have been extremely difficult for him.

Spirit Medicines over one hundred years old were almost always snatched up at high prices the moment they appeared on the market.

Whether it was the Sun Family back then or the Longevity Sect now, they both consistently bought up all sorts of precious Spirit Materials and Spirit Medicine from the market.

Even the Blood Killing Pavilion, which he had seen in the Fengming Mountain Black Market, treated the acquisition of Spirit Medicine and Spiritual Materials as a standing task.

In such a situation, a Loose Cultivator wanting to buy rare Spirit Medicine and Spiritual Materials truly had to rely on luck.

’The Soul Cleansing Pill...’

Chu Mu slowly lifted the Jade Scroll. The promise of profit was tempting, but this Jade Scroll was also unusual.

The texture was familiar, and the patterns were clear.

This had to be the third Jade Scroll of the exact same kind he had encountered.

The first came from the boy in Qili Village and recorded the basic legacy of the Puppetry Skill.

The second came from the Niu Family Brothers and recorded the Wild Bull Technique, a Body Refining Technique.

And this one recorded an Ancient Elixir called the Soul Cleansing Pill.

The origins of the first two Jade Scrolls were both unclear.

The Jade Scroll from the Qili Village boy actually originated from that village’s mysterious old man.

And that old man had long since turned to dust.

As for the Jade Scroll from the Niu Family Brothers, they claimed it was a family heirloom. Their father had been killed by an enemy over a decade ago.

And now, this Jade Scroll...

’The Soul Cleansing Pill...’

The Pill Recipe was ancient, the Spirit Medicines were rare, and its effects were also extremely peculiar.

According to the Pill Recipe’s description, the Soul Cleansing Pill’s effect was to wash and refine the Divine Soul, removing contamination.

In other words, its first effect was to temper the Divine Soul, making it an extremely rare Divine Tempering Medicine.

’Its second effect is to remove contamination?’

’A contaminated Divine Soul?’

The scope of Divine Soul contamination was vast.

Take the Female Cultivator across the hall, for example. Consuming a Qi and Blood Pill refined from mortal life would inevitably impact and defile the Divine Soul, leading to a clouded mind.

Or one could be attacked by some sort of Secret Spiritual Artifact, injuring the Divine Soul and leaving behind contamination.

There were many ways it could happen, but regardless of the cause, once a Divine Soul was defiled, it would be directly reflected in a person’s mental state.

Just like that boy he had met years ago. His Divine Soul had been defiled, and his mind was clearly muddled.

But the woman from earlier, Zhao Shuang...

Her eyes were bright, without the slightest hint of defilement.

Yet she had been so expectant and anxious...

’So, someone important to her has this kind of problem and urgently needs this elixir?’

As he sorted through his thoughts, the answer seemed quite clear.

But then, an even bigger question surfaced.

’Could a single Loose Cultivator really gather all these Spirit Medicines?’

’But if she’s from a major power, it doesn’t quite add up either.’

’After all, would a major power be short on Alchemists?’

’Did she get them through a fortunate encounter?’

’What kind of encounter?’

Chu Mu stared at the third Jade Scroll in his hand. The scene of being swept up by a mysterious fog over East Lake that day seemed to reappear before his eyes.

’A fortunate encounter... It seems entirely possible!’

’Six months...’

Chu Mu repeated the timeframe in his mind, his thoughts swirling.

After a long while, he finally returned to his senses from his heavy thoughts, his gaze shifting to the pile of Spirit Medicines before him.

He had already memorized the composition of the Soul Cleansing Pill’s Pill Recipe.

Without a doubt, the refining difficulty was very high.

Based on his own Alchemy Skill foundation, his chances of success were very low.

But from the perspective of his "Spiritual Radiance," he still had a certain degree of confidence.

Besides, this Ancient Pill Recipe and these incredibly rare Spirit Medicines were a massive opportunity for his Alchemy Skill.

Even the Alchemists from Sect Clans might not necessarily have access to these Spirit Medicines.

He picked up a Jade Box. Opening the lid revealed a verdant Spirit Medicine.

According to the Pill Recipe’s description, this should be a hundred-year-old Green Glow Grass.

Even so, he still needed to experiment and observe to fully grasp its specific medicinal properties and precise age. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

Just as when he had refined the Vein Nourishing Pill, sacrificing a certain amount of materials in exchange for accumulated experience was a necessary process...

...