"Guest, is there something you wish to inquire of this old man?" Watching Qiu Yuting leave, Wei An frowned at Li Mu and asked in confusion.

"Elder Wei, your appraisal of the refining techniques of those two Spirit Swords just now was quite flattering. To be honest, I crafted them." Li Mu smiled slightly as he looked at the two Tier Three Red Gold Spirit Swords on the table and confessed.

"You? Really?" Wei An was utterly surprised.

"I'm not one to deceive!" Li Mu nodded with a smile, confirming.

"These two Spirit Swords, the artifact refining technique is skillful, the mastery of the artifact array and artifact pattern is outstanding, breaking through the limits of Tier Two Red Gold Material to craft Tier Three Lower Grade Spirit Swords. I originally thought they were crafted by a renowned master, but to find out they were made by you is truly impressive!" Wei An couldn't help but praise as he looked at Li Mu.

"Elder Wei overpraises me. High-tier refining materials are hard to come by, which is why I boldly attempted to use Tier Two Red Gold to forge Tier Three Lower Grade Spirit Swords, and it was merely by chance that I succeeded!" Li Mu smiled modestly.

"To forge two Tier Three Spirit Swords in succession is not a matter of luck, but of great confidence!" Wei An laughed, exposing the truth.

"I wonder, what do you wish to inquire about, guest?" Elder Wei changed his tone, looking at Li Mu with concern.

Li Mu looked at the turtle shell on the table and got straight to the point: "As an artifact refiner, the moment I saw this turtle shell, I felt a surge of excitement. This turtle shell has decent hardness and should be able to be used to refine a Defensive Spiritual Artifact. So, I was bold enough to stay and inquire, Elder Wei, what type of turtle shell is this? Why is it so small?"

Hearing this, Wei An chuckled understandingly, fully grasping Li Mu's thought.

"Mr. Li, not only are your artifact refining skills exceptional, but your ability to discern refining materials is also outstanding! You immediately recognized that this turtle shell is a valuable item." Elder Wei smiled and praised Li Mu.

Then, Wei An picked up the turtle shell from the table, frowning tightly as he appraised it: "To be honest, even I can't see through the origins of this Ancient Turtle Shell. It seems like the remnants of an Eight Trigrams Spirit Turtle's shell, yet the shell back doesn't have the obvious Eight Trigrams Pattern, and the size doesn't match either. The shell's texture somewhat resembles that of a Tier Three Profound Turtle's armor, but Profound Turtle Armor isn't this small, only a Stone Spirit Turtle's remains are this delicate. However, the Stone Spirit Turtle's remnants aren't made of this material... It's truly peculiar!"

"Something it appears to be yet doesn't seem to be, what kind of turtle shell is this actually! I've never seen such a small turtle shell before, but its hardness is indeed good." Wei An said as he knocked on the turtle shell a couple of times, confirming.

"So it turns out that even Elder Wei cannot discern its origins! But that's quite normal, as there are numerous types of Spirit Turtles in this world; who could possibly understand them all? Elder Wei, this turtle shell is certainly suitable for crafting a Defensive Spiritual Artifact. I just happen to be in need of one. Would you be willing to part with it? The price is sure to satisfy you." Li Mu looked directly at Wei An and candidly stated.

"This..." Wei An furrowed his brows, hesitating.

At that moment, Qiu Yuting entered the room, followed by a middle-aged man in a brocade robe with a slightly affluent appearance.

"Sir, this is the shopkeeper of our Treasure Pavilion, Shopkeeper Wang." Qiu Yuting hurriedly introduced to Li Mu.

"Greetings, Shopkeeper Wang!" Li Mu greeted with a smile.

"Shopkeeper Wang, this is Master Li; both Tier Three Spirit Swords were personally forged by him." Elder Wei promptly pointed out.

Upon hearing this, Wang Wenbao's smile grew even brighter: "So it's Master Li, welcome, welcome! I didn't expect such a young master to be able to forge Tier Three Spirit Swords. Truly a promising talent! May I ask which school you belong to?"

"I'm merely a Loose Cultivator wandering about, without any master." Li Mu smiled slightly, explained.

Upon hearing this, Wang Wenbao couldn't help but be delighted and continued to ask: "Oh! Master Li has no teacher and isn't affiliated with any other forces? To possess such artifact refining skills is truly extraordinary!"

"It's a hobby of mine! Not worth such praise, Shopkeeper Wang!" Li Mu smiled slightly and responded nonchalantly, not wanting to delve into the topic of his identity and background, as his extraordinary artifact refining skills couldn't withstand deep scrutiny.

"Hehe, Master Li, you're too modest. By the way! Here is the auction contract and the Spirit Stones deposit for the two Spirit Swords. Please take them!" Wang Wenbao took a storage bag and a piece of sheepskin parchment from Qiu Yuting's hand and handed them to Li Mu with a smile.

Li Mu reached out and took the contract and storage bag, checking them to ensure everything was in order.

"Thank you for the trouble, Shopkeeper Wang!" Li Mu thanked Wang Wenbao.

"No need for thanks, Master Li. I should be thanking you for your trust in our Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion. This is an auction invitation token for the day after tomorrow's auction. If you're free, do come and have a look." Wang Wenbao enthusiastically handed Li Mu a purple token.

"Alright! If I have the time, I'll definitely come." Li Mu accepted the token with a smile.

"Master Li, since you're not affiliated with any other force, would you be interested in becoming an Artifact Refining Honored Guest Elder at our Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion?" Upon seeing Li Mu accept the token, Wang Wenbao smiled and suddenly extended an invitation.

"Artifact Refining Honored Guest Elder?"

Suddenly hearing Wang Wenbao's invitation left Li Mu momentarily stunned.

"Indeed, an Artifact Refining Honored Guest Elder. Our Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion has such a position, inviting masters who've achieved Great Success in the Hundred Cultivation Arts to take part, offering excellent benefits and treatment, with various cultivation resources and Spiritual Materials given priority supply. It's a mutually beneficial cooperation with no compulsory obligations." Wang Wenbao gazed warmly at Li Mu, warmly inviting and explaining.

"What benefits come with becoming an Honored Guest and what responsibilities must be taken on?" Li Mu furrowed his brow, intrigued and inquired.

"There are countless benefits, naturally. Branches of the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion are spread throughout the Southern Spirit Continent, Southern Border, Northern Domain, Sea of Ten Thousand Stars,... scouring the world for Spiritual Objects. If you become our Honored Guest, you can leverage this position to purchase special Spiritual Objects and Inheritance Cultivation Techniques at a discounted rate, completing Honored Guest responsibilities means monthly Tributor payments as well. Additionally, we can provide security protection for Honored Guests if required..." Wang Wenbao zealously introduced the benefits of becoming an Honored Guest to Li Mu.

"As for the responsibilities of an Honored Guest, they are simple! Master Li, all that's required is to complete a batch of artifact refining tasks within a certain period. If you don't have time, you can refine less or even not at all, with only a reduction in benefits and no other penalties. Moreover, you earn 20% of the refining proceeds for every Spiritual Artifact order completed." Wang Wenbao paused and smiled at Li Mu as he introduced.

Listening to Wang Wenbao's explanation made Li Mu instantly tempted!

With the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion's immense wealth and extensive network, cooperating with them to acquire high-tier Spirit Plant Seeds and special Spiritual Materials would become considerably more convenient, and the safety of transactions would also be guaranteed.

However, Li Mu was worried that becoming an Honored Guest of the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion might lead to the loss of personal freedom, which was his main concern.

Wang Wenbao, possessing a keen sense of observation, picked up on Li Mu's hesitation.

"Master Li, cooperating with us is beneficial for both parties. If you have any concerns, feel free to discuss them with me; it's alright!" Wang Wenbao smiled warmly at Li Mu, indicating.

"Hmm… If I become an Honored Guest of your pavilion, can I withdraw at any time? What are the specific tasks for an Honored Guest? Shopkeeper Wang, could you be more specific?" Li Mu nodded, looking at Wang Wenbao as he asked.

"Certainly, there's no problem. At that time, we'll sign a cooperation contract, and whether you withdraw or continue cooperating, it will all be in accordance with the contract, fair and just. The duties of an Honored Guest will also be outlined in the contract, for example: as a Tier Three Refiner, Master Li will become our Intermediate Artifact Refining Honored Guest Elder, helping to craft one hundred Tier Three Spiritual Artifacts annually and thus enjoy corresponding benefits, such as free accommodations, personal protection, a monthly stipend of 300 Middle Spirit Stones, and an 80% discount for Intermediate Honored Guests when purchasing high-tier Spiritual Objects,..." Wang Wenbao continued to passionately introduce the terms to Li Mu.

For a moment, Li Mu fell into contemplation, as per Wang Wenbao's explanation, he didn't find anything inappropriate.

"Of course, to ensure a pleasant cooperation between us, we also need to assess Master Li's artifact refining skills. Would Master Li be willing to show us?" Wang Wenbao looked at Li Mu with concern and asked.

"No problem! However, the matter I was discussing with Elder Wei has not been resolved yet, Shopkeeper Wang, could you wait a moment?" Li Mu's heart stirred, and he turned to Wei An, who was watching the spectacle, indicating.

"Oh!" Wang Wenbao curiously looked towards Wei An.

Qiu Yuting looked at Wei An in surprise.

For a moment, all eyes and pressure were on Wei An.

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