Chapter 11

Page (1/3)

Zhao Qiong did not know whether this defense spirit artifact shaped like a refining furnace could deceive others, but she was quite puzzled at the moment.

After a brief silence, Zhao Qiong gently parted her crimson lips and said to Qi Miao’s flawed reasoning, “Do you know that when we artificers create defense spirit artifacts, we usually use something lightweight as the carrier?”

“The enemy won’t give you the chance to take out a spirit artifact for defense. Others’ defensive spirit artifacts activate automatically when they sense danger, but yours—” Zhao Qiong pointed with a delicate hand at Qi Miao’s half-human-height refining furnace and, with a soft voice and twisted expression, asked, “You intend to protect yourself with this? Are you planning to go out carrying a furnace-shaped shell on your back, running around everywhere?”

Qi Miao: “...”

She knew this was inappropriate.

“This counts as the first generation,” Qi Miao whispered, “I will improve it once I have mastered my skills.”

It’s normal for a version 1.0 defense spirit artifact to be somewhat outdated...

Zhao Qiong pressed her temple. “Have you tested its fire resistance?”

Qi Miao told Zhao Qiong the test results from the Five Elements Dojo, causing Zhao Qiong a severe headache.

She had taught countless disciples but had never felt so at a loss. Criticizing Qi Miao would be unfair, as this spirit artifact passed the fire resistance test at the dojo. For a first creation, it could withstand the fire techniques of cultivators in the Spirit Quiet phase.

But praising Qi Miao... no matter what, Zhao Qiong couldn’t bring herself to compliment a defense spirit artifact shaped like a refining furnace.

She sighed weakly, “Let it go this time. Within two months, you must hand me a decent defense spirit artifact.”

Qi Miao nodded obediently.

Zhao Qiong stared at Qi Miao, inwardly grumbling. This child seemed so obedient, yet teaching her always left her mentally exhausted.

Qi Miao, this invisible troublemaker, successfully dodged a wave of criticism and then behaved obediently, no longer asking “stupid questions” that angered Elder Zhao.

However, both tacitly agreed to keep the refining furnace defense artifact under wraps afterward.

Qi Miao was quite self-conscious about using a refining furnace as a defense artifact and didn’t want too many people to know.

Zhao Qiong found the furnace-shaped defense artifact eyesore enough to be embarrassed that after all this time teaching, Qi Miao produced such an artifact.

She was afraid of losing face.

Lan Xuejing’s curiosity was piqued by their silence but within two days, he became too busy to pay attention to the matter.

“News has arrived from the Divination Palace in the Eastern Extreme. In ten days, the Hunting Grounds Secret Realm will appear in the Northern Territory. The sect plans to send Inner Sect disciples into the secret realm for trials. Therefore, the Artificer Workshop and the Array Formation Gate are preparing to cooperate in urgently producing a batch of Life Tokens. We will assist as well. For now, you should study on your own these few days.”

Lan Xuejing finished his lecture and informed Qi Miao that teaching would be paused for a while.

Then he explained the Hunting Grounds Secret Realm and the Life Tokens.

The Hunting Grounds Secret Realm opens once every ten years, accessible only to cultivators at the Spirit Quiet phase or below. The realm contains countless treasures and opportunities, making it an excellent place for cultivators to test themselves.

Where there are opportunities, there are risks.

The Life Token is the protection method left by the Cangwu Sect for disciples.

It is a special defensive spirit artifact that, when the bearer suffers a fatal blow, blocks the attack and activates a teleportation array recorded on the token, sending the disciple out of the secret realm.

After hearing all this, Qi Miao raised her hand like a good student and asked, “Elder Lan, I am also an Inner Sect disciple. Can I also enter the Hunting Grounds Secret Realm?”

Lan Xuejing: “...Oh, I almost forgot, you’re also an Inner Sect disciple.”

Then the two awkwardly stared at each other.

“This matter... needs to be discussed with the other sect elders first.”

Qi Miao’s eyes brightened slightly.

Great, she hadn’t been outright rejected.

The next moment, she clasped her hands together and made a small swaying gesture, requesting, “Elder Lan, please put in a good word for me so they will also agree to let me go. After all, with a Life Token, I won’t get into trouble.”

Lan Xuejing: “...Life Tokens can’t guarantee your safety completely. If you emerge from the secret realm seriously injured, you might still die.”

Qi Miao looked at Lan Xuejing pitifully.

Lan Xuejing: “...”

Page (2/3)

They had been teaching Qi Miao for some time.

No matter how strict they were, Qi Miao had never shown such an expression before.

“Do you really want to go to the Hunting Grounds Secret Realm that much?” Lan Xuejing was troubled and wished he had asked Elder Mu to talk to Qi Miao about it yesterday.

“Yep, yep,” Qi Miao nodded emphatically, “I really want to go.”

The secret realm held many treasures, and anything you could get was yours.

What a great opportunity to earn money and pay off debts.

Work hard, maybe you could reduce the number of creditors.

Lan Xuejing sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Whether you can enter the secret realm isn’t decided by me alone.”

That sentence was already a concession. Qi Miao understood and smiled, “Thank you, Elder Lan.”

She didn’t give Lan Xuejing a chance to regret it and promptly slipped away, saying she would go back to study hard.

Lan Xuejing: “...”

He was beginning to understand why Zhao Qiong said Qi Miao was hard to deal with.

Qi Miao’s promise to work hard wasn’t just an excuse.

She went to the Fortune Pavilion.

These days, aside from attending classes, Qi Miao had been spending time in the Fortune Pavilion, crouching in the storeroom, reading books, and learning to identify every kind of ore.

Now she was still identifying ores, but unlike a few days ago when she examined them one by one, she was walking around the storeroom holding a book.

After her third round, the steward standing at the door couldn’t help but ask, “Are you looking for some particular ore?”

Qi Miao stopped embarrassedly. “I’m looking for Void Crystal.”

This was a type of ore recorded in the book Zhao Qiong and others had given her. The ore was as clear as crystal, emitted a faint glow, and when infused with spiritual energy, the crystal would change colors.

The book’s description of Void Crystal was sparse, but when Qi Miao read about it, she felt it resembled the key crystal used to make light swords.

Before, Qi Miao hadn’t been in a hurry to verify her guess. One reason was that even if she made a light sword, there was no market for it here; another was that she was currently more interested in studying artificing.

But the emergence of the Hunting Grounds Secret Realm changed Qi Miao’s mind.

Opportunities always favor the prepared.

Qi Miao knew this well. Although she wasn’t sure if she could enter the secret realm, she planned to find Void Crystal first. If she confirmed it was the key crystal for making light swords, she would get started and finish a light sword within ten days.

To prepare for the Hunting Grounds Secret Realm.

The steward hesitated upon hearing Qi Miao wanted Void Crystal. “Void Crystal is quite popular, so the Fortune Pavilion hasn’t stocked any for a long time.”

All ores in the Fortune Pavilion were submitted by disciples from the mining veins. Artificer disciples rarely handed in popular ores they needed themselves.

Qi Miao was slightly taken aback and looked at the steward.

Seeing the girl’s disappointed expression, the steward thought for a moment and said, “If you want to use Void Crystal, you can post a request on the Spirit Tablet. Those artificer disciples who have Void Crystal will contact you.”

The steward showed Qi Miao how to do it.

The place for posting ore requests was the trading section of the Artificer Workshop. Here, other cultivators posted custom spirit artifact requests, and a few artificer disciples exchanged ores.

Qi Miao followed the steward’s instructions and posted her ore request.

She was quite lucky this time.

Not long after posting, someone contacted her. In the trading section, everyone used flashy code names, and the person who contacted Qi Miao called himself “Skinny.”

Skinny: “You want Void Crystal? I have some, but only accept payment with spirit stones. Let me know if that’s okay.”

Qi Miao sent a message under the code name “I Drink Northwest Wind”: “Can I see the Void Crystal first before deciding?”

Skinny: “You’re also an artificer disciple? We can meet at the Artificer Workshop.”

Page (3/3)

“Okay, I’m at the Artificer Workshop now.”

Skinny was also there, so they arranged a meeting place. Qi Miao thanked the steward who had helped her several times and then left the Fortune Pavilion.

She headed straight to the agreed meeting place. On her way to the study hall, she saw Fang Xiaoyu.

She stopped and Fang Xiaoyu, hearing the sound, turned to look.

Qi Miao blinked. “Senior Brother Fang, what are you doing here?”

Fang Xiaoyu hadn’t seen Qi Miao for quite some time. Hearing her question, he laughed, “I’m an artificer disciple. What’s strange about being in the Artificer Workshop?”

Qi Miao asked softly, “Senior Brother Fang, did you arrange to meet someone?”

Fang Xiaoyu was taken aback. Qi Miao guessed the truth from his reaction. “…Skinny?”

“...” Fang Xiaoyu looked at Qi Miao uncertainly and mumbled, “I Drink Northwest Wind?”

Qi Miao nodded.

Fang Xiaoyu realized and couldn’t help but tease, “I was wondering who came up with such a lame name.”

Qi Miao spoke at the same time, “Senior Brother Fang, your code name in the Artificer Workshop is quite strange too.”

It didn’t suit him at all.

Fang Xiaoyu glared at his insubordinate junior sister. “...That code name reflects my beautiful aspiration.”

Qi Miao was silent. “My name is realistic.”

She was currently so poor she was literally drinking northwest wind.

They exchanged a glance and stopped criticizing each other’s code names.

Fang Xiaoyu sighed and regretted, “If I had known it was you, I wouldn’t have come.”

Qi Miao widened her eyes. “Senior Brother Fang, do you have an issue with me because of what I just said?”

Fang Xiaoyu twitched his mouth. “I don’t have an issue with you, but you definitely didn’t carefully read my message. I only accept Void Crystal in exchange for spirit stones.”

He looked Qi Miao up and down.

Saying nothing yet seeming to say everything.

Qi Miao: “...”

Ignoring the ache in her heart, Qi Miao said, “Senior Brother Fang, may I see the Void Crystal?”

Fang Xiaoyu said, “What good does looking do?” but still took out a piece of Void Crystal and tossed it to Qi Miao.

Qi Miao caught it and recognized it at a glance: Void Crystal was indeed the crystal used to make light swords.

She touched the Void Crystal and reluctantly returned it to Fang Xiaoyu. “Senior Brother Fang, why don’t you name your price first?”

“I always sell at market price,” Fang Xiaoyu said solemnly when mentioning the price, “Three thousand spirit stones, fair to all.”

Qi Miao, who had only seven hundred spirit stones in her pocket: “...”

She glanced at her Spirit Tablet; no messages except from Fang Xiaoyu had reached her yet.

She recalled the steward’s words about Void Crystal being popular and rarely available.

If she missed Fang Xiaoyu, who knew when the next offer would come?

Thinking this, Qi Miao made up her mind and timidly looked up. “Senior Brother Fang, can I buy on credit?”