Chapter 88: The Refining Master Craftsman

Perhaps both were lost in thought, Wei Yuning and Yun Yan fell silent.

"Since the Divine Martial Gate has already... been wiped out, why do they still want to leave? Are they afraid of retaliation from the Heavenly Palace?" Yun Yan was the first to calm down emotionally and continued the earlier question.

Wei Yuning thought, "Exactly. It's not only the Heavenly Palace that might retaliate; an unknown-aimed Immortal City may also send people! Even the Cloud Sound Sect, however strong, can't match these two giants, and Nine Clouds Peak will inevitably become a perilous place!"

Regarding Qiu Hu's true identity and purpose, he definitely cannot reveal himself; otherwise, the Cloud Sound Sect would surely tear him limb from limb.

"Of course, no matter how strong a sect is, it probably can't match the Celestial Palace!" Wei Yuning said somewhat dejectedly.

Yun Yan chuckled, "This matter isn't for you to worry about. Moreover, the true immortal behind Divine Martial Gate might not even come because of this; even if he does, the world's rules limit him, so he may not gain much—at most, he'll kill a few people to vent his anger!"

Kill a few people to vent anger? Such a blood-soaked statement sounds as ordinary to Yun Yan as eating and drinking.

Wei Yuning suddenly understood; his mind had been stuck in ordinary mortal society on Earth, where death on the cultivation path is a perfectly normal thing.

Seeing Wei Yuning's odd expression, Yun Yan thought he was scared and smiled reassuringly, "Don't worry, you're a key disciple the Cloud Sound Sect is cultivating; they won't send you away, at most they'll give you a fake one!"

Wei Yuning realized the sect already had contingency plans for any possible developments.

And the only, also the biggest, mystery in this whole affair is why the sect would spare no expense to eliminate the celestial envoy.

Wei Yuning didn't want to know the answer; even if he did, probably no one would tell him.

"Uncle Yun Yan, how long do you plan to stay at the Cloud Sound Sect this time?" Wei Yuning asked casually.

"The Azure Orchid Sect has already closed its mountain gate! It will reopen only after this matter is fully resolved—maybe three to five years, maybe thirty to fifty years. I might have to stay at the Cloud Sound Sect for a while longer," Yun Yan said lightly.

"Is... that really necessary?" Wei Yuning asked, puzzled.

"Of course it's necessary. The Azure Orchid Sect can't match the Cloud Sound Sect in size; a single misstep could mean annihilation, so we must act cautiously," Yun Yan sighed, speaking softly.

"Then, where does Uncle live?" Wei Yuning asked offhand.

"What? If I have nowhere to stay, will you arrange it for me?" Yun Yan laughed.

"Haha, how could that be? Could Senior Uncle Zhi spare me?"

"You brat, just as I thought, you're nothing at all," Yun Yan snorted, "Brother Xuan Bing prepared a residence for me, right in the Emerald Bamboo Garden of Kailai Peak!"

"That's great, I'm in Wind Lotus Garden, so we'll be neighbors from now on!" Wei Yuning said with a smile.

"Alright, I know about Qiu Hu and Ye Ying, it's getting late, let's go back and rest!" Yun Yan said gently.

"Okay, Uncle, goodbye!"

"By the way, one more thing: I heard from Brother Xuan Bing, for some reason, the Great Jade Sect Leader intends to find you another cultivation partner within the sect!" Yun Yan turned to leave, but floated back with another remark.

"What? Why?" Wei Yuning shouted, voice cracking.

"Xuan Bing and I guessed it might be because the Sect Leader saw that you quite like female cultivators, and suddenly found two of them!"

Yun Yan walked away, leaving a bewildered Wei Yuning behind.

"How unfair!" he wailed inwardly.

On the second morning, Wei Yuning, as usual, went to the Hundred Flowers Garden to observe the growth of Moon Beetles, and at the same time, he planned to open another plot for planting various culinary auxiliary herbs.

With the aid of Plant Growth Technique, he could have as many ordinary seasoning herbs like scallions, ginger, and garlic as he wanted, but a dedicated seedbed was still necessary.

Feng Ming, who oversaw the daily affairs of the Hundred Flowers Garden, followed Wei Yuning like a secretary, noting down each of his requests.

Wei Yuning was quite satisfied with Feng Ming. As one of Qingluan's Three Phoenixes, she not only possessed outstanding cultivation aptitude but was also very intelligent and efficient. The Garden of a Hundred Flowers now runs smoothly, thanks at least a third to Feng Ming's effort.

Handing the seasoning plant seeds to Feng Ming, Wei Yuning left the Hundred Flowers Garden.

His next destination was the Refinery Hall, where he intended to forge a Shadow Retaining Stone from the Space Stone and Rainbow Crystal in his hand.

Having received the news, Qing Chou waited early at the entrance of the teleportation array.

During this period, through the Secret Medicine Pavilion, Qing Chou earned spirit stones he had never even imagined, and now the fellow disciples in the Refinery Hall greeted him politely; after all, who wouldn't want to earn some extra cash alongside cultivation?

Before, they had goods but no market; now with Qing Chou's help, demand even exceeds supply.

The Secret Medicine Pavilion's Moon Beetle sauce draws crowds; customers are never lacking.

Similarly, Qing Chou is deeply grateful to junior brother Qing Mo and pays close attention to his needs.

"Today I'll introduce you to an old master craftsman in the Refinery Hall, Senior Uncle Xu Yan. His cultivation is modest, at the Opening Light stage, but he has a fire-type spiritual root; after advancing to the Heart‑Stirring stage, his spells became Purple Flame Fire, which is quite alluring. With Purple Flame Fire, his refining success rate is the highest. However, his temper is poor; unless it's for forging a Shadow Retaining Stone, he won't even consider taking a job!" Qing Chou said as he walked.

"What about the price?" Wei Yuning asked.

"The fee is fair: one Shadow Retaining Stone for one medium‑grade spirit stone, and no charge if it fails!" Qing Chou replied.

"Good, that works!" Wei Yuning nodded in approval.

That price is extremely cheap. Normally, the material cost is about one percent of the market price.

The Refinery Hall is divided into inner and outer sections; the inner area is a sect stronghold, off‑limits to ordinary people.

The main part of the outer area lies within a massive cavern, with a small portion exposed outside the cave.

In a pavilion outside the cavern, Wei Yuning met the senior master Xu Yan.

The Refinery Hall disciples, when working, must handle iron hammers, flames, and flying ash; most are disheveled, with bare chests and exposed torsos commonplace, and they can hardly keep a tidy appearance. Fortunately, the sect doesn't punish them for this; otherwise they'd all be violating sect regulations and be expelled.

Xu Yan is even more straightforward—he works shirtless, wearing only loose five‑inch trousers and black cloth shoes on his feet.

In his early forties, with bronze‑colored skin, solid muscles, and a heroic looks, he seemed destined for an idol path, yet he ended up as the male lead in a rustic romance.

At this moment, Xu Yan held a long smoking pipe in his mouth, brows furrowed, looking just like an old farmer worrying about drought in the fields—so distressed!

"Senior Uncle, Senior Uncle, we have arrived!" Qing Chou called out to him from a distance.

Xu Yan looked up, glanced at Qing Chou, then turned his head back and continued smoking.