Chapter 24: The Hidden Virtue Sect, Chen Xingfeng
Inside the 【Great Mercy Divine Palace】 of the Golden Stratagem Immortal Sect, there was a sect ranking list.
The Mingtai Immortal Sect, the Spirit Creek Immortal Sect, the Profound Trace Immortal Sect... and many other sects were all prominently listed there. Even the Golden Stratagem Immortal Sect itself was on it. Because of the mechanisms of the Great Mercy Divine Palace, the rankings of these sects often fluctuated, rising and falling.
But the Spirit Creek Immortal Sect had always been able to hold firmly within the top three!
And within the Spirit Creek Immortal Sect, the Xi family was a great clan of tremendous importance. Xi Yuan’s father was one of the people in power within the sect.
Because of that, for Yang Xingming to be able to serve as Xi Yuan’s Dao Protector, one could easily imagine his status and strength.
The moment Yang Xingming greeted Ning Ri in that manner, everyone’s thoughts immediately began to stir...
Because of that single sentence from Yang Xingming, they could not help but speculate inwardly about Ning Ri’s identity and background—
Was there some great cultivation clan in this world that bore the surname Ning?
But they had guessed wrong.
Yang Xingming appreciated Ning Ri only because of his blade art and his diligence. For someone like him, once matters had reached this level, he no longer needed to care about the other party’s identity, background, or origins. So his appreciation for Ning Ri was simply pure appreciation.
Of course, that also rested on the condition that Ning Ri wanted nothing from him or Xi Yuan. Only then could Yang Xingming appreciate him so simply.
If Ning Ri had openly or subtly tried to get Yang Xingming to arrange his entry into the Spirit Creek Immortal Sect, or to ask for heavenly treasures and earthly wonders, Yang Xingming would never have treated him this way.
At that moment, facing Yang Xingming’s question, Ning Ri replied, “Many thanks for your concern, Senior Yang. I did go to the Spirit Creek Immortal Sect, but my aptitude was lacking, and I was unable to enter Spirit Creek. It is truly a pity. Now, however, I am already a disciple of the Defying Heaven Sect!”
Hearing that, Yang Xingming could not help revealing a strange gleam in his eyes. In surprise, he said, “You actually went to the Defying Heaven Sect?”
Ning Ri nodded.
Yang Xingming continued, “Then in that case, the Defying Heaven Sect is the one that sent you to this Artisan Heart Tower trial?”
Ning Ri nodded and said, “An elder in the sect told me to come and see the artifact-refining methods of the geniuses from the great immortal sects. He said the mission itself was not important. Broadening my horizons was what mattered.”
Yang Xingming did not show much on his face, but for some reason, a trace of interest appeared in his eyes...
Xi Yuan said, “Big Brother, they really have no eye for talent. Do you want me to tell my father? Right now, there are people in Spirit Creek who cannot even reach third-level Qi Refining and still get to stay there. I think Big Brother could too.”
Last time, Xi Yuan had also told Ning Ri to go to the Spirit Creek Immortal Sect, and Ning Ri had refused him outright back then.
He did not know exactly how powerful the Xi family was within the Spirit Creek Immortal Sect, but just from Xi Yuan’s bearing alone, he knew this was a leader’s child.
And precisely because of that, he did not dare agree casually. He was afraid that if he accidentally did anything wrong, he would be courting death.
Now, hearing Xi Yuan bring it up again, Ning Ri was deeply moved, and then he refused once more. “Xi Yuan, it’s all right. Big Brother has already joined the Defying Heaven Sect. I can’t just leave a sect whenever I please. That wouldn’t be honest.”
“We’re still good friends. When I have time in the future, Big Brother will come find you and play with you.”
Xi Yuan said helplessly, “All right.”
Then his eyes suddenly lit up. “But that means I can go to the Defying Heaven Sect to find you too, right?”
Previously, Xi Yuan had wanted to ask where Ning Ri lived. It had been obvious that he still wanted Ning Ri to teach him the blade, and Ning Ri had said at the time that he had no fixed abode. Now that he knew Ning Ri was in the Defying Heaven Sect, he naturally wanted to go there to find him.
But when Ning Ri heard that, he gave an awkward “Uh...”
Was the Defying Heaven Sect really a place suitable for children?
Then again, maybe it was?
After spending a few days in contact with the Defying Heaven Sect, he felt that the sect was actually quite good. The people were good, the atmosphere was good, and they even knew to assign work to the nearby villagers. Li Cheng with his stele antics, Xun Cang and his Heart Inquiry, Zhou Heng doing subtitles while loving free rides, the eerie disciple token... all in all, it was only a little unusual.
A child probably would not be influenced in such a short time. It was not as though one visit would make him think setting up giant steles was cool, and then he would go back to the Spirit Creek Immortal Sect and start putting up giant monuments there too, right?
Thinking of it that way, Ning Ri felt he could agree.
Going to the leader’s house? Absolutely not.
But getting on good terms with the leader’s child was actually a pretty good idea.
Yet the moment Yang Xingming heard that, though he had just been standing there smiling without speaking, his expression immediately changed. Patting Xi Yuan on the shoulder, he said, “Be good, Xiao Yuan. Big Brother has to cultivate too, and that is very hard work. You must not disturb him.”
“In the future, cultivate well. When you break through to Foundation Establishment and the day comes to celebrate, you can invite Big Brother over as a guest. When the time comes, you can even invite him to visit your cave dwelling.”
At the end, Yang Xingming deliberately emphasized the words “as a guest.” It sounded as though he was saying it for Xi Yuan’s sake, but in truth, it was meant for Ning Ri, so that Ning Ri would not misunderstand and think he was being invited to the Xi family estate to perform blade arts.
The difference was enormous.
With Yang Xingming’s experience, he had already guessed that, with a fanatic like Mo Cuidao in the Defying Heaven Sect, there was absolutely no shortage of disciples skilled in artifact refining.
But even so, this year they had still sent Ning Ri out. If Ning Ri’s talent in artifact refining were not terrifyingly good, there was no way he could be standing here with only the cultivation of a third-level Qi Refining cultivator.
Added to that was Ning Ri’s diligent personality, the sort that seemed capable of polishing the techniques of a single blade form thousands upon thousands of times. Yang Xingming could already foresee that Ning Ri’s future achievements as an artifact refiner would absolutely not be low...
However, Yang Xingming’s carefully chosen words were completely wasted on a blind man. Ning Ri paid no attention to the phrase “as a guest.” He was only thinking—
Good heavens.
Was the Defying Heaven Sect really that frightening?
Did he have to say it like that?!
“All right...” Xi Yuan had no idea what the two adults were thinking. He merely said, “Then, Big Brother, are we going to refine artifacts together in a bit?”
Ning Ri was not too sure either. “Probably...”
Just then—
Jiang Wu, who had not spoken all this while, suddenly strode forward.
Everyone froze.
The next moment, Jiang Wu sneered. “Refine artifacts together? A little brat like you dares come take part in this test too??? Do you even know that everyone here is at Foundation Establishment? You think you also—ah... mmph mmph mmph...”
The moment those words came out, Ning Ri’s expression changed drastically.
Holy hell?
Brother, are you really that brave?!
Even the young man and woman at the side were dumbfounded.
Jiang Wen was so frightened his soul nearly left his body. He punched Jiang Wu hard, slapped a Silence talisman on him, and at the same time said in utter terror, “Elder Xingming, my younger brother is not ignorant of life and death, nor is he intentionally trying to offend you. He is only...”
Yang Xingming waved a hand. “It is fine. The moment I came in, I felt something was wrong with him. You went to the 【Hidden Virtue Sect】, did you not?”
The moment those words were spoken, Ning Ri’s heart stirred—
【Hidden Virtue Sect】?
Jiang Wen’s mournful expression eased slightly, and he hurriedly said, “That’s right!”
Yang Xingming gave Jiang Wu another look or two and said, “A 【Fear Anomaly】 has entered his body. It is nothing serious. After coming out of the 【Hidden Virtue Sect】, how many times has your younger brother had an episode?”
Hearing that, Ning Ri’s heart stirred again—
Fear Anomaly?
And what was that supposed to be?
Seeing Yang Xingming evaluate the matter in such a way, delight appeared on Jiang Wen’s face, and he promptly replied, “Six times.”
Yang Xingming gave a small nod. “That is about right.”
“Xiao Yuan, this is what I mentioned to you before—the appearance of someone with a 【Fear Anomaly】 inside them. Fear and terror will affect their behavior.”
At those words, Ning Ri froze—
And this counted as fear and terror?
Yang Xingming noticed Ning Ri’s expression. As though seeing straight through his thoughts, he smiled and said, “When a 【Fear Anomaly】 enters the body, the heart becomes filled with fear and distrust toward the entire world. At times like that, the only way they can vent the fear in their hearts and bolster their courage is through behavior like this.”
“It is like how some people walking alone at night like to speak loudly. That too is only for the sake of boosting their courage.”
Ning Ri fell into thought.
So that was how it was.
Then in that case, if the Fear Anomaly brought fear and terror, what about joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness?
For example, would a Joy Anomaly just make someone happy all the time?
If there were such a thing as a Joy Anomaly, then would there also be a Meme Anomaly, a Filial Anomaly, an Urgent Anomaly, a Shell-Shocked Anomaly, and a Winner Anomaly?
Just as Ning Ri was turning into a little anomaly of internet memes—
a deep voice suddenly came from outside the door:
“Xingming, you actually came in person?”
“Do you want this old man’s reward that badly?”
As soon as the words fell, everyone turned to look, only to discover an old man in blue-gray robes walking in through the doorway. His face was full of furrows and wrinkles, like dried tree bark, his palms were broad and thick, and his aura was unfathomably deep.
The newcomer was none other than the master of Artisan Heart Tower, Chen Xingfeng.
In previous years, the one who had received the group and overseen their artifact-refining task had only been a steward of Artisan Heart Tower. Chen Xingfeng had never personally appeared.
But because Yang Xingming and Xi Yuan had come, Chen Xingfeng had come personally this time.
That was exactly why Ning Ri and the others had needed to wait here so long.
And when Chen Xingfeng appeared, Ning Ri and the others immediately said, “Greetings, Master Xingfeng!”
Even Xi Yuan followed along and called out as well.
Yang Xingming, meanwhile, cupped his fists toward Chen Xingfeng and said, “Master Xingfeng, you jest. The family head said that whether or not Xiao Yuan can obtain your generous reward is not the most important thing. What matters most is giving Xiao Yuan the chance to learn from a top artifact refiner like you and broaden his horizons. That is the most precious wealth he can carry with him in the future as he walks the path of immortality.”
At the side, Ning Ri found those words oddly familiar...
“Heh.” Chen Xingfeng chuckled and said, “If that is the case, then let us go. Everyone is here anyway.”
...
Once Chen Xingfeng spoke, the group quickly moved to another room on the same floor—
the 【Artifact Refining Room】.
Inside the room stood four iron racks, and within the racks were black stones that radiated a temperature hot enough to make the skin burn. These were artifact-refining furnaces.
The word “furnace” in artifact-refining furnace referred to a mortal smithing furnace, which was somewhat different from a pill furnace. Ning Ri felt that a smithing furnace looked a little like a charcoal grill.
The iron platforms before him were much the same. Ning Ri felt that if someone put a grill grate and a few chicken wings on top, they could start barbecuing immediately.
And these five artifact-refining furnaces were for Ning Ri, Xi Yuan, Jiang Wen, and the silent young man and woman.
Only at this moment did Ning Ri finally learn the backgrounds of that young man and woman.
The man came from the Golden Stratagem Immortal Sect and was named Liang Shuyou.
The woman came from the Profound Trace Immortal Sect and was named Jin Le.
When he learned that Liang Shuyou came from the Golden Stratagem Immortal Sect, Ning Ri gave him a few extra looks. The man seemed utterly ordinary, which left Ning Ri inwardly surprised. He had thought that people from the Golden Stratagem Immortal Sect would all look as though they were draped in gaudy gold.
As for Jiang Wen’s younger brother, he had originally been supposed to participate as well, but because the 【Fear Anomaly】 had entered his body, he could only remain outside.
Upon entering the Artifact Refining Room, Chen Xingfeng had the five of them stand separately before the furnaces. Xi Yuan, however, was somewhat special—Yang Xingming was still standing behind him.
Chen Xingfeng stood in the middle of the five furnaces. His expression was solemn, and in a deep voice he said, “According to the usual rules from previous years, each of you could have had your own separate refining room.”
“However, in previous years, I would not personally preside over the process.”
“So, if any of you want a separate refining room, I can have one arranged.”
“Does anyone want that?”
The group immediately shook their heads without the slightest delay...
Having gathered so much information, Ning Ri had already summed up several points.
Chen Xingfeng held extremely high status. His presence alone was enough to make Sunset Glow City revolve entirely around him, to the point that even the road signs in the city specifically directed people to Artisan Heart Tower.
Chen Xingfeng’s task was extremely difficult. From the past until now, no one had ever managed to complete it. Even so, disciples from the great sects still came every single year.
And when that was added to Chen Xingfeng’s special status...
it was obvious that, on the surface, the task was about artifact refining, but in truth, it was about coming here to make an impression on Chen Xingfeng.
Winning Chen Xingfeng’s favor was the real priority!
However, Chen Xingfeng had not presided over the previous years, so it had been fine for everyone to refine separately.
Now...
Chen Xingfeng was standing right in front of them. What was the point of asking for separate refining rooms now?!
Would that not be putting the cart before the horse?
Chen Xingfeng gave a slight nod. His aged face remained unreadable, though he still paused for a moment before slowly saying in an equally solemn voice, “Good. Since none of you intends to refine separately, I will explain my rules.”
“This time, while you refine, I will give random commentary.”
“You must keep your minds focused. No matter whom I am speaking about, none of you is to let my commentary disturb your concentration. Understood?”
“The total duration of this refinement session will be six hours. Within those six hours, each person will have three chances to refine. If all three attempts fail, then you may only leave.”
“If you succeed and wish to remain behind to continue listening to my explanations, that is fine. If you wish to leave and go outside to rest, that is also fine.”
“Do you understand?”
The moment those words were spoken, Jiang Wen, Liang Shuyou, and Jin Le all revealed ecstatic expressions. “Master Xingfeng, we understand!”
Although Ning Ri was not especially overjoyed, in order to fit in, he also ecstatically echoed them.
After doing so, he thought to himself—
Chen Xingfeng is personally instructing us. Looks like I’ve stumbled into a masterclass!
Chen Xingfeng’s deep voice remained steady and solemn as he said unhurriedly, “Good. Since that is the case, each of you take the jade slip beside your artifact-refining furnace and look at the refinement blueprint I have prepared for you. Refine according to the blueprint—a complete set of dharmic treasures.”
“Yes!”
Everyone immediately began examining the blueprints.
Ning Ri, however, did not look at the blueprint. Instead, he glanced at Xi Yuan—
Up to now, his understanding of this world was actually still rather hazy. But he had already gained a very clear understanding of Xi Yuan’s status...
He felt that the reason Chen Xingfeng was acting differently from previous years, personally leading them this time and personally presiding over the refinement, and even choosing to give “random commentary,” was all because of Yang Xingming’s words: “Let Xiao Yuan learn a little from Master Xingfeng...”
In other words, this whole group was benefiting from Xi Yuan’s presence.
And the truth was indeed exactly as Ning Ri had expected. After Chen Xingfeng finished speaking, he walked straight to Xi Yuan, who was taking up his jade slip, and said, “If there is anything in it that you do not understand, you may ask me.”
Xi Yuan said gratefully, “Thank you, Master Xingfeng.”
Chen Xingfeng, who had been stern the entire time, revealed the faintest trace of a smile. “There is no need to be polite.”
Ning Ri: “...”
Damn, Elder, you are not even pretending anymore!
All these new rules were for Xi Yuan’s sake!
Chen Xingfeng’s action was like a math olympiad judge telling the students to solve their problems, then walking down into the room and saying to one of them:
If you can’t understand the questions, ask me!
At that moment, Ning Ri suddenly felt extremely fortunate—
Thank goodness.
Young Master Yuan likes watching me practice the blade!
Just then, the other three had already begun refining...
With a booming rumble, a wave of heat immediately surged through the Artifact Refining Room, and the whole world seemed to turn scorching hot...
Seeing that, Ning Ri also immediately followed suit and began to move. But then, all of a sudden, the panel abruptly popped up. The instant it appeared, he froze where he stood in shock, an expression of utter disbelief appearing on his face—
“What? That’s impossible!”