Even though many years had passed, Jiang Chen still recognized Mu Gaoqi's unique aura. Mu Gaoqi naturally possessed an ethereal, otherworldly quality.
His alchemical works carried that same unmistakable temperament.
On top of that, Mu Gaoqi had been baptized by the Wood Spirit Spring, so his creations naturally bore traces of that spring's essence—an aura Jiang Chen was intimately familiar with.
As soon as these works appeared before him, Jiang Chen identified them without hesitation.
They were unmistakably Mu Gaoqi's creations. No doubt about it.
This was an aura that no one could imitate. Even Jiang Chen himself might be able to replicate the Wood Spirit Spring aspect of Mu Gaoqi's work, but he likely couldn't reproduce that uniquely ethereal quality that belonged to Mu Gaoqi alone.
It was Mu Gaoqi's personal hallmark.
What shocked Jiang Chen most was that Mu Gaoqi's alchemical skill had genuinely improved by a great deal.
These pills might not rank as top-tier in Jiang Chen's eyes, but among pills of the same grade, they were absolutely first-class.
Pills bearing such a distinctive temperament could be instantly distinguished from those of other alchemists. They carried a very clear personal signature.
This filled Jiang Chen with quiet satisfaction. Though Mu Gaoqi's fate had been tragic—sold into slavery—at least his alchemical skill hadn't stagnated.
"An Innate High-Grade Wood Spirit Body… Perhaps Gaoqi, through his tribulations, awakened even more of his latent potential, and his alchemical talent began to erupt?"
Jiang Chen studied the works, secretly stunned by the speed of Mu Gaoqi's improvement.
Perhaps Mu Gaoqi hadn't yet reached the level of a high-grade Pill King, but he had definitely attained mid-grade Pill King status.
And this wasn't a sign of weakness—quite the opposite. It only proved Mu Gaoqi's extraordinary talent and skill.
After all, Mu Gaoqi's actual age was three or four years younger than Jiang Chen's. Reaching the mid-grade Pill King level at such an age was truly remarkable.
Even Ji Lang, the Pill King—the pride of Pill Fire City, its undefeated legend—had been at most at this level when he was the same age.
In fact, Ji Lang, the Pill King, might not have even reached mid-grade Pill King status in his twenties. And even if he had, his personal style likely wouldn't have been as distinctive as Mu Gaoqi's.
One could say Mu Gaoqi was simply born for alchemy. He seemed to possess an innate quality that gave him a natural advantage in the Dao of Pills that others simply didn't have.
Back in Pill Heaven Palace—a minor place—Mu Gaoqi, with his cautious and reserved personality, had managed to carve out a position through alchemy alone and even risen to the rank of core disciple. That alone proved his exceptional gifts.
The only question was whether Mu Gaoqi had managed to shed his slave status now that he'd reached the Star Plucking Gang.
Seeing this familiar style, the surge of excitement in Jiang Chen's heart flickered briefly before he quickly regained his composure.
He guessed that Mu Gaoqi most likely hadn't escaped his slave status. Judging by the Star Plucking Gang's manner—if they intended to put Mu Gaoqi on the shelf and sell him at a premium—they would never allow him to shed the slave label.
"Sir, have you taken a fancy to any of these pills?" Keke noticed Jiang Chen lost in thought and suddenly asked.
Jiang Chen smiled and shook his head. "These pills are certainly fine, but they don't seem to be the work of a top-grade Pill King. Why charge ten thousand Sacred Spirit Stones?"
He asked, knowing full well the answer.
Miss Keke gave a soft laugh and replied politely, "Sir, you know only part of the story. Master Mu's products may not be at the absolute highest level currently. However, Master Mu is only in his twenties. Among all of humanity's territories, there is not a single person in their twenties who dares claim their alchemical skill surpasses Master Mu's. A future grandmaster—surely his works from his youth are worth collecting?"
He had to admit, the Star Plucking Tower's marketing was brilliantly done.
They had not only portrayed Mu Gaoqi as a future grandmaster of alchemy but also packaged his early works as having remarkable highlights.
This kind of branding and salesmanship was genuinely impressive.
Jiang Chen smiled, then remarked, "These works are decent enough, but they're not without flaws. In my personal opinion, they have no real collectible value."
Miss Keke's bright smile faltered, an awkward flush rising to her cheeks as she protested, "Well, plenty of people have been collecting Master Mu's works these past few days."
"Fools with too much money," Jiang Chen said coolly.
Though Keke was a professional girl through and through, even she couldn't help feeling a little unhappy hearing those words.
"Sir, you are a guest of our Star Workshop, but that doesn't give you the right to casually disparage our works. Especially Master Mu's works." Miss Keke's tone turned serious as she lodged her protest.
Jiang Chen shrugged. "I'm only speaking the truth. Even if Master Mu himself were standing here, he wouldn't dare claim these works are flawless. I suspect they've only been packaged to look this perfect by your Star Workshop."
"Sir!" Miss Keke looked like an angry sheep. Sheep were gentle creatures by nature, so when one finally lost its temper, there was a certain endearing quality to it.