Mo Qi turned back, looking at Si Wu with great confusion. "Do you need anything else? I'm very busy."
Si Wu's face was full of sincerity. "I'd like to ask, do you sell that healing elixir of yours?"
Mo Qi said indifferently, "Yes, but I'm afraid you can't afford it."
"Why don't you name a price, and I'll see..."
"One hundred million spirit stones per pill," Mo Qi interjected quickly.
A ripple of murmurs went through the crowd. Although they thought he was asking for an exorbitant price, they also subconsciously felt his elixirs were worth it.
"Uh..." Si Wu was somewhat overwhelmed.
It seemed impossible to widely use such elixirs on the battlefield.
Still unwilling to give up, he asked again, "Is it so expensive because the ingredients are rare?"
"No," Mo Qi shook his head decisively. "It's because only I can refine this elixir."
He was indeed arrogant, but it seemed he had the capital for his arrogance.
"Then how about we provide the ingredients, and you help us refine this elixir?" Si Wu suggested.
"No, I have neither the interest nor the mood," Mo Qi replied without politeness.
He then left without looking back.
The others could only stare blankly.
Back in the refining room, Ai Ren and the others eagerly inquired about what had happened outside.
After they had repelled Commander Gu's army, the long silence outside made them uneasy.
Ai Ren proposed sending someone out to investigate, and Mo Qi eventually agreed.
At this time, everyone listened to him obediently and felt he wouldn't be in danger, so they agreed.
After Mo Qi went out, he overheard the conversation between Shui Han, Li Chunhou, and the others from a distance, and he perfectly extricated everyone from their predicament.
However, Shui Han did not appreciate it, running off without even a thank you.
This made Mo Qi quite dejected.
Upon returning to the cave dwelling, he downplayed the events outside, describing the injuries of the wounded soldiers as less severe, which blurred everyone's perception of his elixir's efficacy.
With the problem solved, everyone was overjoyed. Ai Ren and General Yu Chi excitedly tossed Mo Qi into the air.
After letting them have their fun, Mo Qi sat back in his chair, closed his eyes to rest, and resumed his leisurely life.
Meanwhile, the others were either engrossed in their work or bustling about, all busy and happy.
At this moment, Li Chunhou and Guo Huaili walked in.
Guo Huaili's first question was, "Who refined the magical treasures you set up outside the cave?"
Mo Qi opened his eyes, saw that Guo Huaili had returned, nodded in acknowledgment, and then closed his eyes to rest again.
The atmosphere became somewhat awkward. Ai Ren, to ease the tension, stuck his head out and said enthusiastically, "Of course, it's Young Master Mo! You know our refining level, don't you?"
Guo Huaili was a little annoyed by Mo Qi's indifferent attitude.
If it were just him entering, it would be one thing, but General Li Chunhou was also present. Did his status and position warrant such disrespect?
"Mo Qi, stop pretending. General Li is here, you should at least pay your respects," Guo Huaili said, trying to lower his voice.
Although his words were impolite, his tone and demeanor were quite friendly.
He couldn't afford to offend either of these two esteemed individuals, so he had to try and mediate.
Mo Qi opened his eyes. Before he could respond, Li Chunhou immediately extended his hand. "He can pretend, he can pretend. I think his pretense is perfectly appropriate."
He then glared at Guo Huaili. "Old Guo, what are you doing? How can you treat our Young Master Mo like this? How can you let him just sit there? Pour him some tea!"
Guo Huaili was bewildered, staring blankly at Li Chunhou, wondering what madness had possessed him.
But Li Chunhou looked so serious, it wasn't like he was joking.
He could only respond with a heavy "Alright, Young Master Mo, please sit comfortably. I'll pour you some tea."
They didn't feel awkward, but Mo Qi found it unbearable and immediately stood up. "No, no, I can pour it myself."
Li Chunhou gently placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled. "It's only right. It's only right. What kind of person is Young Master Mo? He should enjoy such treatment."
Guo Huaili went to pour the tea in annoyance. Mo Qi felt uncomfortable all over and blurted out, "General Li, what exactly do you want? Just say it directly."
Li Chunhou chuckled. "I think you are wasting your talent here. You should come to my military camp and apply your magical treasures and defense systems to the battlefield against the demons. Use your talent to achieve merits and contribute to subduing demons and eliminating evil!"
Mo Qi thought about it and found it very sensible!
In the beginning, they thought he wasn't worthy of going to the military camp. Now, if he went to the camp and achieved merits through refining, it would be a slap in their faces with his strength.
That was secondary. More importantly, what was his purpose in coming to Beiluzhou for training? It was to advance his divine position! Staying in this refining room was definitely a dead end.
As soon as Guo Huaili heard this, he objected. Having just poured the tea, he slammed the teacup onto a nearby table. "Old Li, this is a bit unfair. I invited you here for a chat, and you're openly poaching my people like this?"
"What do you mean unfair?" Li Chunhou squinted at him. "What kind of future can he have staying with you? Like you, refining for a lifetime?"
Guo Huaili was rendered speechless.
The other man did have a point. It wasn't wrong to appreciate talent, but one shouldn't hinder someone's future!
Guo Huaili sighed and looked at Mo Qi. "What are your thoughts? Do you want to go?"
He also hoped that Mo Qi wasn't someone who was particularly ambitious.
Look at his demeanor; he liked to win without effort.
Isn't this place a place for winning without effort?
Mo Qi thought for a moment and said, "This place is very good, but I don't want to stay here forever."
Although his words were not entirely clear, the meaning was conveyed.
Li Chunhou clapped his hands and laughed. "Good, very good. A wise choice."
Although everyone in the refining room was reluctant to see Mo Qi leave, since he had stated his intentions, they could only offer their congratulations.
Mo Qi delivered a farewell speech, saying that he had come and gone in a hurry, that his time with everyone was short but very happy, that it was an honor to have met them, but even in parting, they weren't going far. He would visit them when he had time, and he invited them to visit him as well.
Everyone was very sad and vowed to visit him.
Ai Ren warned him that going to the army meant fighting and that he should protect himself well and not lose his head.
Mo Qi replied that it was fine, and even if he lost his head, he would come back to play with them.
This drew a burst of laughter, and the somber atmosphere of parting became much lighter.
As Mo Qi was about to leave, Guo Huaili advised him not to just refine blindly once he got there. He must ensure his contributions were counted, or he shouldn't work.
Li Chunhou immediately promised that his contributions would definitely be counted, and each refinement would earn him contribution points, and more than anyone else's.
Amidst everyone's reluctant gazes, Mo Qi followed Li Chunhou to his army.
The Demon Realm had always been a chaotic place.
For many years, the remnants of the demon, devil, and witch races had been in constant conflict, unwilling to yield to each other.
However, twenty years ago, the Demon Realm, under the current Demon Emperor, united many demon factions. Through countless campaigns, they consolidated the previously fragmented demon tribes, achieving an unprecedented period of glory.
As one grew stronger, the other weakened. The demon race showed submission and pledged allegiance to the Demon Realm.
The remnants of the witch race, true to their usual style, emerged to plunder during times of chaos and retreated into hiding during times of peace, making themselves untraceable, leading people to believe they were extinct.
The Demon Emperor had four great generals under his command: Yi Shan, Tian Hai, Cui Mao, and Qiu Ci.
Yi Shan, Tian Hai, and Cui Mao all advocated for steady progress, advising the Demon Emperor to bide his time, conserve strength, and wait for the heavenly tribulation. When the Heavenly Realm weakened, they could launch a large-scale invasion with twice the results for half the effort.
Qiu Ci, on the other hand, advocated for an immediate push out of the Demon Realm and the expansion of its territory to encompass the entire Beiluzhou.
This would provide a geographical advantage, making the invasion of the Heavenly Realm easier.
The Demon Emperor agreed with the opinions of the three generals, but seeing Qiu Ci's full confidence and overwhelming fighting spirit, he couldn't bear to dampen his enthusiasm. Thus, he allowed Qiu Ci to lead his own forces to test the waters first.