Chapter 41: I Want Foundation Establishment

Hongmei’s anger was justified.

If not for the manager of Jinguang Pavilion pressing him for debts and forcing him to forge, he would have long since left with his disciple far from this chaos.

“Master, do we keep forging?” Yulou rose straight up, no longer tending the charcoal.

Hongmei frowned and said.

“Go out and see—settle the account first, and if there’s a chance, leave.”

He was just short of this sum of spirit stones for his Foundation Establishment; if he could secure it, he would begin preparing for Foundation Establishment.

He had no interest whatsoever in the mess of Wolong Fang.

The manager of Jinguang Pavilion stood calmly at the door, gazing up at the aerial battle, and upon hearing Hongmei’s purpose, smiled and said.

“Brother Hongmei, rest assured—once Gushen Sect takes Wolong Fang, Jinguang Pavilion will still operate!”

“You don’t need to forge two items—just finish that thirty-two-layer-restricted golden halberd, and I’ll give you your spirit stones, plus two hundred extra, as compensation for the trouble.”

Hongmei stared silently at the manager, whose cultivation level seemed equal to his own, and in his eyes even flickered killing intent.

Second time!

Blocking my path!

In the sky, Jiǔqū, leader of the guarding cultivators from Miaofeng Mountain, was battling Gushen Sect’s cultivators.

Both sides unleashed all their techniques, filling the air with dazzling colors.

On the ground, the poor worker Hongmei was struggling against Gushen Sect’s enforcers.

Their statuses differed, and so did the bitterness of their fight.

“Once the Wolong Fang situation settles, I’ll return immediately to forge, brother—what do you say?” Hongmei continued negotiating.

The manager replied with a smile.

“I’ve said it several times already, Brother Hongmei—when Gushen Sect arrives, Jinguang Pavilion remains untouched. Why can’t you understand?

I took your customer’s custom order, yet you can’t deliver. Now you want to settle payment early? It’s very difficult for me.”

Hongmei, helpless, returned to the forging furnace and resumed his work.

Yulou and Yuan didn’t know what to do; fate had accidentally dragged them into this chaos, and as Qi Refining cultivators, they could do little.

“Kill! Kill! Kill!”

The cries of battle outside reached them, and Yulou, on high alert, realized the sound was terrifyingly close.

Wolong Fang had a grand formation; Gushen Sect was attacking it, while Jiǔqū and Miaofeng Mountain’s forces defended it.

How could anyone be causing chaos so near?

“Master, something’s wrong!” Yulou warned.

He feared someone was taking advantage of the chaos.

Even Wang Rong knew Gushen Sect was about to strike, yet Wolong Fang still held so many cultivators.

As a special market, Wolong Fang had no Foundation Establishment cultivator stationed—if someone stirred up trouble, it would be disastrous!

At Yulou’s warning, Hongmei did not grow careless.

This time, he abandoned forging entirely and took his protective artifact in hand.

Looking at the golden small tower in his master’s grip, Yulou felt intense envy.

If bead-type artifacts were the floor of artifacts, then tower-type artifacts were the ceiling.

The jade tower Hongmei held had gold as its bone and stone as its flesh, about the size of an adult man’s forearm, and at a glance, it was clearly a high-grade artifact.

The only question was: how many layers of restrictions did this small tower contain?

Tower-type artifacts were difficult to forge, but restrictions were easiest to arrange.

Yulou estimated that, given its size, this small tower could fit thirty layers of restrictions.

“Come with me and take a look!”

Hongmei didn’t trust leaving the two children alone indoors; he decided to take them with him.

In Wunan, the heavens were ruled by the Ten Sects and the Immortal Alliance—no Foundation Establishment cultivator would dare violate the universal taboo by attacking Qi Refining cultivators.

As a Qi Refining peak cultivator on the verge of Foundation Establishment, skilled in fire arts and possessing many artifacts, Hongmei feared no opponent of his own level!

Now that Wolong Fang was in chaos, keeping his two disciples close was the safest course.

“Brother Hongmei, hurry and assist me! Many bandits are trying to profit from the chaos!”

Outside, the manager fought fiercely with several clerks against masked cultivators; Hongmei looked closely and halted.

Yuan wanted to summon his artifact and talismans and charge forward, but Yulou moved faster and grabbed him.

Their meager spiritual power wasn’t worth risking—better to conserve it for when the formation broke, to activate the Hundred-Li Xiao Yao Escape Talisman and flee!

Hongmei said nothing, but silently summoned six flying swords!

What is a Master of the Forging Dao?

Forge six mid-grade flying swords from six eighth-grade black steel ingots!

While other forgers struggled to forge a high-grade artifact from a single eighth-grade base material, Hongmei gave himself a special treat—using eighth-grade black steel exclusively to forge mid-grade flying swords.

Do you think Hongmei is foolish?

No—the Wang Clan also uses high-grade artifact base materials to forge mid-grade artifacts!

This is the extravagance exclusive to great clans and major sects—they don’t lack spirit stones!

All six flying swords shot forth, targeting the bandits besieging Jinguang Pavilion, and Hongmei shouted.

“I’m here to assist!”

Hearing this, the manager and clerks intensified their attacks.

Those who dared raid Jinguang Pavilion were no pushovers; under Hongmei’s pressure, they grew even more ferocious.

“Catch these, activate them!” Hongmei threw two beads to Yulou and Yuan, ordering.

Both Yulou and Yuan were forgers; they naturally knew how to use bead-type artifacts and activated them quickly.

“Use the Spirit-Condensing Mist to restrict the bandits’ spiritual sense!”

Gray mist spread, and under the mist’s effect, some bandits began to retreat.

They weren’t a coordinated team—even among themselves, they distrusted one another; they were not a unified front.

Soon, with Hongmei’s aid, the overconfident bandits either fled or died, no longer posing a threat.

As Hongmei’s flying sword pierced through the chest of the last masked bandit, the manager sighed in relief.

“Brother Hongmei, if not for you, I’d be—”

The flying sword that pierced the bandit’s chest did not stop—it pierced the manager of Jinguang Pavilion through as well.

Outside, the Spirit-Condensing Mist blocked all light; three hundred jin of Hongmei stood at the entrance of Jinguang Pavilion, staring at the manager’s corpse, coldly saying.

“I want Foundation Establishment!”

Under Yulou’s horrified gaze, the Qi Refining peak Hongmei manipulated his flying swords and effortlessly slaughtered the exhausted clerks of Jinguang Pavilion.

During the battle, Hongmei had never used his full strength—he controlled the situation, letting the bandits and Jinguang Pavilion’s people exhaust each other.

Only when Jinguang Pavilion’s forces were nearly drained did he strike to end it all.

After killing, he shook his sleeves, and two sets of formation flags flew out, enveloping Jinguang Pavilion.

Then, red tendrils flowed from Hongmei’s robe, cleaning up the battlefield.

“Quickly, go inside and empty Jinguang Pavilion’s treasures—then we leave!”

Seeing Yulou and Yuan frozen in shock, Hongmei barked.

Time couldn’t be wasted—the newly raised formation, built on the flags, couldn’t hold off the siege!

Yulou suppressed his fear and, under Hongmei’s direction, cooperated with Yuan to swiftly empty everything from Jinguang Pavilion’s main hall.

Hongmei soon found the vault and obtained what he wanted.

After securing everything, he ignited a great fire—the final cleanup.

Yulou saw his master summon a flying chariot artifact and was about to board, when he noticed Hongmei staring at him.

Their eyes met, and Yulou’s heart sank.

Yuan was still stupidly pushing his elder brother, urging him to get on the chariot.

But Yulou’s hand had already touched the Hundred-Li Xiao Yao Escape Talisman in his sleeve.

He stepped back slightly, obediently telling Hongmei.

“Master, you go first—flying alone, the artifact moves faster!”

Yuan froze—he realized something, and reached for his own escape talisman.

But beneath the formation’s veil, the two brothers had nowhere to flee!