Chapter 139 - 127-136 The Science of Cultivation [Xianxia]

Chapter 128: Exiting the Pocket Realm

After having spent five years in the pocket realm, it could be said that every returning disciple was almost unrecognizable. They had grown up quickly into young adults. The features of some had changed while others became more pronounced. Wei Ping and Long Yi were part of the latter, while Li Lang was the former.

Wei Ping grew taller, even though he was still shorter than average, standing around five-two. As he had grown up, the mask he always wore had to be replaced. Thankfully, as he studied woodsmithing, he had crafted a new one for himself at some point.

Long Yi had continued to grow over the years. He was a giant, especially when he stood next to Wei Ping. His muscles became more defined over years of training, but he never lost his childish facial features. There wasn't even a hint of facial hair.

As for Li Lang, his body had finally caught up to the size of his head. It was still slightly larger than average, but could now be considered normal! While this meant he wasn't as unique anymore, the person himself didn't mind. He preferred to go unnoticed.

The trio emerged from the pocket realm, standing alongside many others. They included the twins from the Eternal Wave Sect, Huang Si from the Bloodwave Conclave, and more. Li Lang had specifically orchestrated this so they could blend in with the others.

Their group didn't even manage to take a dozen steps before a crowd quickly formed around them. The experts with higher cultivation moved faster than they could perceive. None of them complained as they reunited with the members of their organization.

From the corner of Li Lang's eye, he noted the position of Tai Xilin and slowly steered away from that direction. He felt he was someone that knew them enough to see through their lies. Whether that was true or not, he didn't want to put it to the test.

His worries had been misplaced, as someone else called out to him.

"You three, over here."

They found the speaker to be Sheng Zhaoming, one of the leading figures within The Orchid Covenant. Standing beside him was Sheng Haoran, the boy who had once ambushed them. He was now a man, towering over his grandfather by an entire head.

The three were swiftly brought away to be questioned. While they weren't suspects, it couldn't be helped that their organization was hungry for information. Every other organization was doing the same with their disciples. 

It was something they expected, so the trio had previously talked over what to reveal and what not to reveal. Even so, the questioning took up the entire day before they were let out. 

However, the moment they set foot out of the tent, a piercing gaze washed over them. They found an old man with bulging muscles, staring them down. He had a serene expression, but that didn't ease the pressure he gave off. It wasn't Qi pressure or anything, but simply from the eyes of a hunter.

The trio were frozen under his gaze. It was only when the old man spoke that they relaxed a bit.

"I believe you three are Li Lang, Wei Ping, and Long Yi, correct?"

The three nodded like baby chicks.

"Good, good. You youngsters have decent cultivation for your bone age. Make sure you don't waste your potential by rushing into the next major realm."

With those words, the man vanished, as if he had never been there. The three young men didn't even dare to say a word, fearing he may be nearby.

While Li Lang and his companions recollected themselves as they prepared their return to Emberglow, the old man reappeared inside a tent a distance away, located within Nightmoon Valley's encampment.

"How did it go, Master?" Jian Beiyun asked.

"Hm, their bone age should be correct. But they are still one of the more likely suspects among all the participants who entered the pocket realm this year."

"Master—"

"Stop. It is not solely because they are from the righteous sect's territories. Our agents dug deep. Two of them had just begun cultivating shortly before coming over to our domain,both with only grade one aptitude. How in the world did they make so much progress, even if they switched to demonic cultivation techniques when they had no guidance?"

"Just as there is aptitude for the orthodox sects, there is something similar for us as well, but it's just not measured. It could simply mean they're talented in demonic cultivation, right?"

"Beiyun, don't blindly trust others just because you have interacted with them before. Especially if you know they have a relationship with little Xue. Trust, but verify."

Just as Jian Beiyun had this conversation with his master, several similar discussions were taking place all over the area. Everyone's logical conclusion was that Li Lang's party was among the most suspicious, despite their efforts to blend into the background. However, they all adopted a wait-and-see approach.

The next day, in The Orchid Covenant's area, every member gathered within the main tent. There weren't many people as the youngsters who had previously been ejected had already been sent home. Only a select few chose to stay.

"On behalf of Head Councilman Liu, I commend these three individuals before me for having lasted the longest among our members," Sheng Zhaoming proclaimed. "While this may normally mean we would all be returning right away, due to this year's unusual circumstances, we will be staying until the pocket realm is closed. All of you may leave ahead of time if you would like, but you'll have to wait if you would like to travel back with us."

Upon hearing the offer, Li Lang instantly wanted to agree. But he then remembered how the Skyrunner they had was much slower than the Skyvessel they took to get here. In fact, they hadn't even brought their Skyrunner here. It was still back in Emberglow City. Even if they did have it, Li Lang calculated that it would be faster if he simply ejected the last five remaining cultivators from the pocket realm within the next week.

Waiting was usually dreaded when one didn't know how long they had to endure. Having complete control, it was a piece of cake for Li Lang to wait a week.

The only downside of their situation was that they would often come face-to-face with one of their former enemies, Sheng Haoran. Having their tents nearby, they ran into each other first thing in the morning.

"Stop blocking the way. Who do you guys think you are after lasting in the pocket realm due to external factors? You only got lucky!"

"I'm sorry, were you in the pocket realm at all? Because I didn't see you," Long Yi taunted.

This sparked a verbal spar between the two. The conflict ended as quickly as it started. Both sides found their argument to be pointless. There were even signs that Sheng Haoran didn't want to escalate their animosity further.

"Enough! I may have misspoken, but I don't have time for this. There's money to be made!"

With a flick of his sleeve, Sheng Haoran stormed off. His words piqued the trio's interest.

"What do you think he's talking about?" Long Yi inquired.

"M-maybe he's assisting a s-senior with some matters for p-pay?"

"Well, that doesn't seem like a bad idea to pass the time," Li Lang paused, catching on to his own words. "I can't believe we've trained so much that we're considering helping someone with their work being a good way to pass the time."

Long Yi then drew their attention by pointing toward the fading back of Sheng Haoran.

"So, are we going or not? We're going to lose him if we don't decide now."

It only took Li Lang a split second to decide. He knew his plans after returning to society would require quite a sum to fund his research. Any money made was another step forward for his cause.

"Yeah, sure."

The trio proceeded to tail their fellow disciple and soon departed from the area allocated to The Orchid Covenant. He didn't stray far, heading straight to an odd-looking wooden building at the center of all the encampments.

"This… is a teahouse?" Long Yi muttered.

Seeing how no one had stopped Sheng Haoran from entering, the three of them continued onward. They entered into the lobby of the first floor unhindered. 

Immediately, they could overhear several ongoing conversations overlapping just off to the side. It was there they found a few dozen cultivators sitting around, sipping from their cups. The noise was especially loud from one corner of the establishment. The table was surrounded by several people, with Sheng Haoran among them.

"A gambling stall? With all these cultivators?" Li Lang immediately recognized the scene before him.

The three stared, frozen in place.

Li Lang experienced it himself when he participated in the annual competition hosted by his organization. He had even bet on himself and his companions, earning him a hefty sum. This meant it wasn't a surprising sight, definitely not enough to take the winds out of their sails. The thing that had stunned the trio was the person standing behind the table.

They had seen him briefly before they entered the pocket realm. He was also someone who had helped them reach Emberglow City back when they were like lost chicks loitering around Polarity City. They had thought he was a respectable person of status, which was why they were so lost upon seeing him working the gambling table like a mortal.

None of them tried to hide their gaze, so it was inevitable Jian Beiyun, the man in question, would notice them. From reading their expression, he instantly knew what they were thinking about. He could only give them an embarrassed smile as he gestured for them to approach.

Chapter 129: Commemoration

"So, you guys finally came out. The three of you sure have grown a lot." Jian Beiyun paused as he looked over the three young men's height. "How is Sima Xue doing? Has she hit a growth spurt as well?"

"Um, you could say that," Li Lang replied. "She's been busy preparing to take the next major step."

"Well, I'm thankful Tang Yulian is in there with her. Otherwise, I would think she would've rushed her attempt a long time ago. Anyway, you guys did a lot better than most expected. I hope you made use of this opportunity to your fullest and have no regrets."

"Of course. We wouldn't dare to waste any opportunity given to us," Li Lang smirked. "I see you have also taken advantage of this opportunity here."

Seeing Li Lang direct his gaze toward the gambling table, Jian Beiyun cleared his throat.

"It's not as much of an opportunity as it is a way to prevent disputes between the distinguished parties here."

Li Lang silently nodded as he surveyed the people around them. He wasn't knowledgeable about the ways those from famous organizations within the Luminescent Domain dressed, but he could read between the lines. A brief exchange of glances with Wei Ping confirmed it.

However, one person among them was completely clueless. Long Yi made no attempts to hide his intrusive gaze as he tried to identify the other people within the teahouse. That lasted until a timely elbow from Wei Ping.

It was Li Lang's turn to clear his throat this time.

"Anyway, I see that you have all these names listed on the table. Are you guys betting on who remains the longest?"

"That is the most basic way to bet, yes. You can also bet on individuals, go for a trifecta or even a superfecta. If you prefer something more unorthodox, you can practically bet anything you want as long as you find someone to bet with. We can act as the middlemen in that case."

Changing the subject quickly, Li Lang's eyes swiftly honed in on the gambling. He had made a small fortune during his previous hand at it, and he smelled an opportunity to do so again. He spotted most of the names crossed out, with the exception of five. They represented the final five cultivators who remained within the pocket realm.

Previously, Li Lang had asked the Blue to send everyone out of the realm with them, except for the top five. This was purely based on their remaining trial points.

Blue, Orange, and Green may have been able to make a more precise judgment regarding who had more potential, but that wasn't important. Li Lang decided it was better to go with the method that the external parties could quickly figure out. After all, enough strange events had taken place, and they would definitely investigate everything in detail afterward. He wanted to keep up the appearance of the artifact spirit executing simple old instructions.

The point was to weave a clear narrative, so they wouldn't investigate too much into it. 

Unbeknownst to them, the organizations within the Luminescent domain were already pulling their hair out due to all the recent developments. They were already investigating in full force. The pocket realm had somehow ceased ejecting people after the three-year mark before kicking a majority out two years later.

"Can a-anyone place bets?" Wei Ping asked, having seen Li Lang's expression.

"Of course. On Nightmoon Valley's name, we will ensure the fairness of any bets while Myriad Bones Pavilion's financial capability will ensure the pay should you win."

Jian Beiyun then continued by explaining the various rates listed. The ones for betting on individuals were simple, but the trifecta and superfectas had more complicated ways of calculating payouts.

Li Lang's greed was easily stirred upon hearing those numbers. His upcoming future was expected to be costly. Few ever complained about having too much wealth. It would even be earned under the auspice of Nightmoon Valley, making it almost impossible for any organization to get away with targeting his earnings. It was the perfect opportunity for Li Lang to make a fortune.

The question was if it was worth it.

It shouldn't give away anything, would it? It's just pure luck. Guessing the correct order for all five cultivators should come out to zero point eight-three percent chance. Just around one percent. It's not too outrageous…

Having spent years together, it only took one look before Wei Ping understood his intentions.

"Are t-there any minimum or m-maximum bets, Senior Jian?"

"Don't worry about it, you three. Bet as much as you want. Let me do warn you, though. Only bet what you can afford to lose. You don't want to experience what poverty feels like."

"O-of course. I think w-we should just place a b-bet to commemorate our t-time at the pocket realm. How a-about it, Boss?"

"Sure."

Taking the lead, Wei Ping quickly placed his bets. He then urged Long Yi next. They each used their own money, betting only a few Qi stones.

When it was Li Lang's turn, he showed much deeper pockets.

"Li Lang, are you serious? You want to bet a thousand Qi stones? Your companions only bet a few. Shouldn't you show some restraint?"

"Senior Jian, it's fine. I've saved up some money from refining pills. After our experiences in the pocket realm, all three of us should have no trouble earning this amount back."

"Li Lang…You do realize the higher cultivation you have, the more expensive the things you'll need will be? A thousand Qi stones are equal to ten red spirit crystals. That's enough to purchase some basic Earth-grade resources."

"I understand. I won't regret it, senior."

"As long as you understand, very well then."

Jian Beiyun no longer bothered to convince the young man. He had tried his best and sometimes it was best for youth to learn a lesson. Sometimes, one had to touch the steaming kettle to learn it was hot.

From his point of view, ten red crystals were not a lot. A regular Foundation Establishment cultivator may not agree, but his background was extraordinary.

While he realized it may be worth a lot to mortals, it was a great opportunity for the three youngsters to experience some setbacks.

With the bets finalized, Li Lang's party didn't spend any more time at the teahouse. They didn't exactly fit in, and there was an important job of relaying some vital information to the pocket realm to be done.

Just like with Ruby, Li Lang lost contact with his new artifact spirits as soon as he got out of range. Unlike Ruby, Blue and her two companions had enough strength to travel to Li Lang's side. However, with all the experts around, they didn't even fathom performing such a stupid move. That meant Li Lang needed to approach the pocket realm once more to fix the results.

With their Skyrunner left behind in Emberglow, the three used their own two legs to navigate toward the four pillars that acted as the entrance to the pocket realm. They had previously passed through the same spot, entering the center part in between the four pillars before being teleported inside.

The location was right at the center of all the different encampments, so it was harder to lose sight of it than not.

Numerous cultivators noticed the approach of the youngsters, but none really cared. More than several young disciples would approach the entrance once more in an attempt to find a way back into the pocket realm. It was such a common occurrence that it was practically tradition.

This allowed Li Lang's party to come into contact with the four mysterious pillars unhindered. Placing a hand on the finely carved beam, Li Lang managed to establish a telepathic line to his three new artifact spirits. It didn't take long for him to convey his new instructions.

"Master, are you sure you want to allow this Gui Tianzi to come out last?" Orange inquired. "I thought you were closer to Sima Xue and Tang Yulian?"

"It's fine. There isn't that big of a difference in time. They should all know the pocket realm is acting strangely, so they shouldn't even take it as a real defeat."

Now that money was on the line, Li Lang wanted to finish this affair and put it behind him as soon as possible. There were a lot of things waiting for him to do. Not to talk about his research into mass-producing talismans via printing, he also had an errand he promised Liang Po.

There's also buying tofu pudding for Sima Xue, but that can wait. Maybe she'll even forget once she breaks through.

He couldn't wait to return to Emberglow City and report to his mentors. All the new knowledge he gained meant the guidance of a mentor was even more valuable. Instead of stumbling around himself to figure out enchantment, he could just ask Yi Lin.

With that in mind, he had set the dates of the last five cultivators' return to be within the week.

Compared to five years inside the pocket realm, a week passed by in a flash. For the older cultivators who lived over centuries, it felt even shorter.

Two days after Li Lang's group had exited the pocket realm, people began appearing with an interval of one day.

"Hei Qiu from the Fang Garden has returned!"

Li Lang didn't fix the results to the highest payout. That would be too suspicious. That was why the three geniuses came next.

"Liang Po from the Myriad Bones Pavilion is the next to return!"

"Tang Yulian…"

How swiftly they came out caught the various organizations off-guard. They expected the five remaining disciples to remain inside for a special reason. Chance encounters normally wouldn't be this quick. Seeing them come one after the other after only a few days made them unable to deduce the reasoning behind it.

The most surprising of all, the last one to return, wasn't one of the three famed geniuses. Everyone had thought it would be Tang Yulian, as she was confirmed to have broken through first. If the other two geniuses broke through in time, they may also have a chance due to their other advantages. They were completely flabbergasted when they saw Sima Xue's return.

"Who is this Gui Tianzi? How come we've heard so little of him before?"

"I don't know much either! I only know he's from the Eroding March Pavilion, and those guys are—you know. Not the most pleasant bunch to be around."

"Then quick, go talk to Elder An. Despite everything that's happening, we can't falter when it comes to keeping track of geniuses. Who knows when they'll realize their potential and change up the landscape of everything!"

Amidst all this hype and confusion, a lone boy exited out of the pocket realm under the hungry eyes of all the spectators. He knew he would draw attention when he realized he was the last one remaining, but he was completely oblivious as to why. Everyone stared at him like a hawk. Cold sweat built up on his brow as numerous figures of authority scrutinized every inch of his body.

Everyone thought the same thing.

"This is him?"

Chapter 130: Forced Q&A

Under the scrutiny of numerous cultivators, Gui Tianzi slowly walked out from the entrance of the pocket realm. He normally had a cold demeanor, but that didn't mean he couldn't feel nervous. It couldn't be helped as he was only an Energy Gathering cultivator and a junior at that. The intense gaze from a group of cultivators who were each exponentially stronger than him was not to be trifled with.

Thankfully for him, his ordeal was short. He didn't even make it a dozen steps before a strange-looking man appeared beside him. He had sunken eyes and many age spots scattered around his face. Anyone who saw him would deem him unhealthy, wondering if he was suffering from some sort of sickness.

When Gui Tianzi saw this old man, his face brightened, and the tension in his body visibly dissipated. 

"Elder An, I have returned," he clasped his fist politely.

"And so you have. We shall return to our camp and prepare to depart immediately. The Pavilion Master will be eager to hear from you."

Elder An placed a hand on the young man's shoulder and prepared to exit the area. Before they could leave, several people blocked their path.

"Congratulations Old An and Young Master Gui for having lasted longest in the pocket realm. As one of the most talented people in this generation, it isn't proper to be leaving in such a hurry. We're all eager to hear from such a promising star."

"Sifong, get out of the way. I don't care to hear the crap from your mouth."

Elder An didn't hide his hostility, and the tension thickened. Even a countryside mortal could sense that a fight could erupt at any time. The sickly elder got into a combat stance with one fist close to his chest while an open palm faced his opponent. He didn't stop there and even employed a strange technique.

The skin of his palm burst out from within and a gray worm with rows and rows of sharp teeth let out a threatening screech. It was the scene out of some people's nightmares.

However, few people in the audience were alarmed at the scene. Ever since they knew the last person remaining in the pocket realm belonged to the Eroding March Pavilion, everyone had done ample research on them.

They were famous for employing various unnerving techniques that involved insects, invertebrates, arthropods, and other small creatures. The gruesome outcome of being on the receiving end of these techniques could be easily imagined, which normally caused people to keep their distance from this organization.

As the tension crescendoed, several cultivators finally acted. Three more figures appeared alongside Sikong, who had opposed the Eroding March Pavilion members. One of them stepped forward and flashed an amiable smile.

"Elder An, what Elder Sifong says is not unreasonable. Perhaps you could delay your departure briefly, so youngster Gui could enlighten us to some things. After all, we have witnessed various unusual phenomena from the pocket realm this year."

The elders beside the speaker all nodded in agreement.

Elder An grimaced upon recognizing the situation. He had expected that Sifong would be making trouble for him, but he didn't account for so many others supporting him. This was because the Eroding March Pavilion had never come into the spotlight like this before. Their members shared the trait of keeping a low profile and kept socializing to a minimum. In turn, this meant they had few allies, and now they suffered for it.

The old man glanced around rapidly and finally landed his gaze on Jian Beiyun. 

"Fine, but a day is all I can spare. In the interest of efficiency, I would like to humbly request Nightmoon Valley to arbitrate the discussion."

"Of course," Jian Beiyun nodded. "We can do so immediately, but let's relocate to a better venue, shall we?"

No one in the area questioned the Nightmoon Valley's head disciple, and they all soon found themselves back on the first floor of the teahouse.

Throughout the short trip there, Gui Tianzi could only stay silent and accept the situation. He had even begun to wonder how it had arrived at this. Despite thoroughly going through his memories, there was no way he would figure out that his predicament was due to a certain young man.

"Wow, they're really grilling him. The sun had set ages ago and they are all still in the same position," Long Yi whispered to his companions.

He was the tallest person among the trio, easily able to see everything going on in the teahouse. There was a large crowd gathered, centered around the man who had remained in the pocket realm for the longest. The elders sat closest to the proceedings while the younger disciples gathered on the periphery. This meant Li Lang and Wei Ping could barely see a thing.

Hearing Long Yi's words, Li Lang scratched his cheek. He silently prayed for the young man being interrogated.

I'm sorry, whatever your name is. I swear I have nothing against you. It's just you had the highest payout for being the last one out.

The only thing that lessened Li Lang's guilt was the fact he had to stay throughout the proceedings as well. He was waiting to cash in on his bet, and for that, he would have to wait until the interrogation was over.

It was a tedious ordeal with numerous questions being different variations of the same thing. If not for Jian Beiyun mediating, Li Lang was sure the crowd wouldn't let the poor man go tomorrow, despite the deal.

Everyone was curious as to why this particular youngster managed to stay within the pocket realm for the longest. He was only at the peak of Energy Gathering, at the ninth stage. Compared to the three geniuses, he wasn't anything special.

While the older generation was invested in the answers, the younger generation was long bored with this affair. They spent the time quietly gossiping.

"Did you see Sima Xue and Tang Yulian? They're both so beautiful now!"

"An ugly toad who wants to eat swan meat, ha! My advice is to stop drooling over fantasy and focus on cultivation."

"Oh, shut up! I was just admiring them. Are you one of their die-hard fans, protecting their name or something?"

"You boys are so vulgar. Maybe that's what is to be expected of people who could barely stay inside for a year."

While the younger generation whispered, as a whole, they were slowly growing louder and louder. Many of them were bored and were getting carried away. The only spot where this was untrue was where the subjects of gossip were.

"Li Lang," Sima Xue whispered. "Don't forget about your promise of tofu pudding. I'll come to hold you up to that once I stabilize my cultivation."

I guess she didn't forget that easily. Hopefully, there's no premium edition of tofu pudding made with expensive Qi ingredients.

"Yeah, I'll be in Emberglow City. Can't promise I'll be there when you come, though. I have some plans that may involve traveling."

"Oh don't worry. As a powerful Foundation Establishment cultivator now, I'll easily be able to track you down."

"Of course, of course. Do as you will, oh esteemed expert."

"Are you making fun of me?" 

"Of course not. I wouldn't dare."

Even while bantering, Li Lang kept tabs on the man behind him. His white hair made him stick out in crowds, so it was harder for Li Lang to ignore him than not.

He knew Liang Po was there waiting for a chance to speak with him. Ever since they saw each other today, his eyes hadn't left him.

Under that watchful gaze, the questioning continued. It was only when the sun began to rise that the event ended. Li Lang wasted no time and honed in on a tired-looking Jian Beiyun.

"Senior Jian, can you please payout my bet? I plan on leaving today."

"What? Oh, that," the weary man sighed. "Give me one second. Let's see here. Li Lang, Li Lang. One thousand Qi stones. Bet on Gui Tianzi coming in first place, then Sima Xue and Tang Yulian…You got them all right. That's…what can I say? Congratulations. Can't believe you guessed the exact order for all five of them."

The Nightmoon Valley's head disciple blinked blankly at the lucky man before him but didn't comment further.

"Haha, thank you."

Li Lang chose his words carefully. He didn't know if anyone present had lie-detection abilities, and he couldn't fail now when he had come this far.

"So give me a second to calculate the rates. Hmm, I only did the math for the most likely outcomes. This result was entirely unexpected," Jian Beiyun commented as he worked on an abacus. "Okay, so your payout should be two hundred and seventeen times your bet. That comes to two hundred and seventeen thousand spirit stones or twenty-one orange and seventy red spirit crystals. Here."

A brown bag was thrown at Li Lang. He quickly peered into the bag and was tongue-tied at the sight. He saw it filled with beautiful gems that sparkled even in the darkness of the bag.

This should be more than enough to fund my cultivation and research. If my aptitude wasn't so low, it may even be enough for up until I reach Violet Core!

Chapter 131: Striking Gold

Despite his excitement at his newfound wealth, Li Lang was a little taken aback. Jian Beiyun had casually thrown a sizeable sum at him without a second thought. Li Lang knew the powerful cultivators were wealthy to the point that it was on another dimension, but it was still hard to process.

It was what happened when the world possessed superhumans. Their sense of value was on an entirely different plane to those beneath them. They had the ability to forcefully take the belongings of everyone weaker than them. So it was a given that the wealth they possessed was drastically higher as well.

It was Li Lang's first time seeing a red spirit crystal, not to mention orange ones. It was normally reserved for the wealthiest Foundation Establishment cultivators and above. In fact, many Foundation Establishment experts didn't even have one orange spirit crystal.

It couldn't be helped. They were cultivators and not businessmen. Despite their ability to earn more, their consumption was just as high. They were the type of people willing to spend all their wealth to progress their cultivation. In a way, they weren't wrong in doing so, as the more powerful they were, the easier it was to regain the spent wealth. Advancing to the next stage of cultivation was much more important than accumulating wealth.

While Li Lang was lost in thought at the implications of his newly gained wealth, a hand on his shoulder broke him free from his musing.

"You okay?" Jian Beiyun asked.

"Oh, apologies, Senior. I got a little overwhelmed. It's my first time seeing red and orange spirit crystals."

"Ah yes, it's not something Energy Gatherers often come into contact with. My advice is to buy a space ring as soon as you can and keep them out of sight."

"I understand. Thank you."

Li Lang didn't bother to stick around any further as he knew how tired Jian Beiyun had grown over the course of the question session.

He swiftly returned to his companions and left the teahouse for their organization's encampment.

"Goodbye for now," Sima Xue waved. "Remember to save some money for my tofu pudding. Now that I'm in the Foundation Establishment, I expect Earth-grade quality food."

At her teasing, a rare chuckle escaped Tang Yulian.

"Good luck to you guys. Do come find me if you find yourself in Calm Port."

The two quickly disappeared from view, returning to their respective organizations. With Huang Si already missing ever since they left the pocket realm, only the trio remained. That was with the exception of the silver-haired boy who had been lurking in the background.

"Li Lang, you'll stay at Emberglow City until you hear back from me, right? You won't suddenly disappear to go on a trip?"

Li Lang was not surprised Liang Po had heard about his plans to travel. He had talked about it with Sima Xue when he was nearby, after all.

"Yes. The traveling won't start until I hear back from you. Though I'm only waiting six months at most."

"That's plenty of time for me to write the letter. Thanks."

The trio had spoken about the request from Liang Po before, so they didn't dwell on the subject. They headed back to their encampment to prepare for their return to Emberglow City. With all the matters settled, it was easy to convince Councilman Sheng to set off the next morning. The time they saved when traveling with a powerful elder was more than just a few days.

They had arrived at the pocket realm riding on a Skyvessel, but they would be leaving on a regular Skyrunner. The Orchid Covenant's disciples had already departed by themselves once they were eliminated. Head Councilman had long returned, so all they had left was Councilman Sheng's personal Skyrunner.

They headed out in the early morning and managed to return to Emberglow in the later parts of the afternoon. If the trio had to trek the same distance on their own Skyrunner, it would have taken an entire week, at the very least.

Sheng Zhaoming had flown them straight back to The Orchid Covenant's headquarters. As the last few members to leave the pocket realm, they were expected to report to their leader. 

"Wait here. Someone will call you in after I am done talking to the Head Councilman," Councilman Sheng ordered.

The old man then left them behind in the corridor, right outside the Head Councilman's room. The only other person present was Sheng Haoran, who had tagged along with his grandfather throughout the trip. The two parties awkwardly stared at each other, without a single word being exchanged.

It was the result of their history. They were once antagonistic toward each other, but now things were different. Li Lang didn't want to waste energy on useless conflicts while Sheng Haoran didn't want to continue their enmity. Despite the strange circumstances, staying inside the pocket realm for five years was a huge accomplishment.

Combined with the fact they had all aged and matured throughout the years, both parties wanted to avoid any conflict.

This caused them to just silently stare at each other, at a loss for words.

Hmm, it seems like he doesn't know that I was the one who sabotaged him inside the pocket realm. As long as he's over it, I'm over it too. 

For better or worse, the awkward staring ceased when several newcomers arrived from the stairway. Half a dozen familiar faces soon approached.

It only took a second for Li Lang to recognize them. Some of them were the other disciples who had entered the pocket realm together. Specifically, they were part of the noble faction, who were essentially stuck-up young masters. Two among them were even Sheng Haoran's companions who had previously ambushed them together.

Li Lang hadn't seen any of them ever since he entered the pocket realm, but it was obvious the ones who did enter had been eliminated at some point before he knew it. 

"Those guys did return! They are probably the luckiest members of our covenant since its inception!"

"Right? I can't believe this scrawny little masked freak not only got lucky and got selected, but even got a free pass to frolic in the pocket realm due to some anomaly," one of them said as they sneered at Wei Ping. "I bet you fifty Qi stones that he wasted his time making that new mask instead of doing anything useful."

"What do you have to say? Is my friend here, right?"

The group sized Li Lang's party up as they approached with a smirk. Whether it was due to being the smallest member of their party or the mask they didn't like, they had set their sights on Wei Ping first.

"None of your b-business," Wei Ping replied, "I don't—"

Before he could continue, the group of haughty young masters abruptly descended into laughter. Some held onto their stomach and bent their body ninety degrees as they guffawed while others were wiping away their tears.

"Hahaha, this guy can't even speak properly. Of course, he wouldn't have been able to stay in the realm by relying on his own merits."

"Our covenant sure has fallen on some hard times. To think we have someone like himamongst us. Young man, I advise you to share everything you have received from the trials. What you have may be at a low level, but it would be much more useful in our hands than yours. That goes for you two as well."

Naturally, the latter part of his words were meant for Li Lang and Long Yi. The group didn't let the two stay out of it, either. They walked past Sheng Haoran to confront the trio. As expected, they treated him as part of their group.

What they didn't expect was neither of Wei Ping's companions had planned to stay on the sideline in the first place. Just as Long Yi was about to jump into action, his shorter friend wearing the mask gestured for him to stop.

"I'm not sure if you g-guys should be the one laughing. I don't remember seeing any of y-you in the realm. W-when did you guys even drop out? Or were none of y-you selected?"

The sharp retort managed to silence the young cultivators. In fact, it even riled one of them up.

"You court death! The pocket realm obviously was acting strange. It only kicked us out due to irregularities."

"Calm down, Junior Fei," one of the older boys stepped forth to calm things down. "There's no need to get angry. I know you're better than them. I may have been too old to get selected, but I can tell incompetence when I see it. They're just gutter trash that not even the orthodox people want."

This time, not even Wei Ping managed to stop his giant of a friend from taking action. Long Yi ignored every signal from his companions and rushed toward the older man who had just spoken. He was dead set on intimidating the young masters with his martial prowess.

Despite how menacing it was for someone of that size to charge at them, the young masters only watched on in amusement. It was as if they were assured everything was under their control. They seemed even eager for Long Yi to strike first so they could justify the use of force.

The moment Long Yi prepared to strike, a figure suddenly appeared before him. Using their back, they gently redirected Long Yi to the side and placed himself between the two parties.

"All of you, enough!"

Upon seeing the person who had intervened, the young masters' eyes widened in surprise. No one in Li Lang's group could see the face of the interloper, as he had his back turned. However, they did recognize the clothes and voice. After all, he had been beside them all day.

Why is Sheng Haoran getting involved now? Is he really working to resolve the dispute? It's not likely he just got a change of heart and wants to antagonize us now, but you never know when it comes to people.

After all, we did screw up his friend's chances of entering the pocket realm. I also threw that talisman at him while we were in there. Let's just hope he's not the type that are slaves to their emotions.

Chapter 132: Settling Back

"All of you, enough!" Sheng Haoran yelled out as he intervened in the scuffle between his friend and Long Yi.

His attempt at defusing the situation had temporarily succeeded, as all parties were stunned into silence. His companions were dumbfounded as they wondered why he had intervened. Long Yi was rational enough to know he had no malicious intentions, thus allowing him to redirect his charge.

All parties waited on Sheng Haoran's next words with bated breath.

"We're all from the same organization. There's no need for this, especially when we're right outside the Head Councilman's office."

"Haoran, you should know better than to group us together with these buffoons," the older disciple among them replied. "While their achievement is commendable, even if it was due to luck, they should still share the techniques they learned with more talented cultivators like us."

"Senior Bei, you may be misunderstanding something here. These three didn't—"

Sheng Haoran took a moment to look back at the trio. It was obvious he was hesitant, but that changed the moment he breathed in deeply and composed himself. With a determined look in his eyes, he turned back to his companions.

"I'm not afraid to admit these three had a better showing than me within the pocket realm. Their learning ability is above me. They even tutored the geniuses from not only the Bloodwave Conclave, but the Eternal Wave Sect and Nightmoon Valley as well."

"What?!" yelps of surprise filled the hallway.

All the cultivators who hadn't entered the pocket realm were shocked. That couldn't be helped, as the people Sheng Haoran mentioned felt just too out of reach for most of them. They were like celebrities who they only heard rumors of.

It seems Sheng Haoran has been keeping tabs on us while in the pocket realm. I'm starting to feel guilty for sabotaging him now…

"You mean Tang Yulian and Sima Xue?"

"That's right," Sheng Haoran nodded. "In that regard, I'm no match for their social skills, either. They befriended them, so I'd advise you guys to just get along with them."

While most of the young masters were mulling over his words, the two who had ambushed Li Lang's party with him back during the annual tournament stepped forward. They grabbed onto Sheng Haoran's shoulders and shook him.

"Haoran, are you okay? What's gotten into you?"

"I'm fine. After what I've experienced this time around, I'm no longer afraid to admit my shortcomings. It seems I still have a lot to work on. Only when you can accept your faults that you can start to improve."

A strange atmosphere took hold of the hallway. No one really knew how to approach the situation anymore, but thankfully, it didn't last long. 

As if to purposely save them from the awkwardness, the doors to the Head Councilman's office opened.

Sheng Zhaoming walked out and regarded each person in the hallway briefly before settling his sights on Li Lang.

"You guys may enter. Head Councilman Liu is waiting for you."

He then rested a hand on his grandson and smiled appreciatively at him.

"Let's go. Your mom has been looking forward to your return."

Li Lang's party waited no further and entered the room. The doors automatically closed behind them, leaving the young masters still dumbfounded in the hallway.

"...I don't think I'm in the mood to go to the theatre anymore. I'm heading off to the library."

"Wait! I'll come too."

Having gotten a reality check, the young masters decided to work just a bit harder than they usually did. They all thought if these nobodies could get acquainted with the geniuses of their generations, so could they.

On the other hand, Li Lang had completely put the incident behind him. There were too many things on his mind to have room for these squabbles. This was especially so when he had the Head Councilman in front of him.

"Li Lang, Wei Ping, and Long Yi. It's been quite a while, but we meet again," the old man smiled.

"Greetings to head Councilman Liu," the three said in unison as they clasped their fists.

"Relax and sit. I just wanted to have a casual chat. After all, it's been five years since I've seen you three. That may not be a long time for me, but that's almost a third of your lives."

Li Lang nodded and took the seat directly before the old leader. While what Liu Haiping said wasn't exactly correct for his situation, he had to admit he did spend a lot of time within the pocket realm.

It didn't feel like it, though. I spent most of our time doing monotonous training and repeating the same tests over and over again. It only feels like it's been a year or two.

The conversation proceeded in the direction the three had expected. They were asked numerous questions concerning their experiences. The Head Councilman even reminded them that everything they earned inside the pocket realm was theirs to keep, but they could also submit it to the covenant for rewards. It was obvious he was suggesting they share the techniques they learned.

Having gotten their stories straight months before, the three collaborated in their retelling of the story they had devised. It was the exact same story they had told Sheng Zhaoming.

When they finally got out of the meeting, they all rushed to find an inn to retire for the night. They knew they would be gone for a prolonged amount of time when they left, so they had to find a new dwelling. Li Lang had stowed all the belongings they didn't take with them with his brushweaving master, Yi Lin.

However, they were too tired to go retrieve their stuff today. They immediately ate a hearty meal and fell asleep right after.

Early the next morning, they traveled together to the small abode where Yi Lin lived. They walked slowly, as they basked in the morning sun, and watched others scurrying about to begin their day. It was a sight they hadn't seen in a long time and a refreshing one.

"Do you guys remember the names of those guys who provoked us yesterday?" Long Yi innocently asked.

"Why w-would you want to know?"

"To get back at them, of course."

"D-don't! You'll get p-punished for inflicting v-violence on the members of the same organization."

"Relax. I don't mean physically. There are lots of ways to get back at them. How about we sneak some laxatives into their food and drinks? Or maybe skin irritants on their inner robes? What do you think, Li Lang?"

Having been called out, Li Lang could only shake his head. At the mention of the incident from the day prior, his feeling of guilt toward Sheng Haoran resurfaced. They had started off on the wrong foot, but upon reflection, he may have gone too far. Sheng Haoran was still a kid at the end of the day, and Li Lang had sabotaged a pivotal moment in his life.

While the rational part of him that was well-versed in biology wanted to blame his teenage body for his emotionally driven decision, he knew he still should've retained more control. With that in mind, he began lecturing his friend so he wouldn't stray down the same path.

"Long Yi, it's better to forget about it. If you're going to remember something, don't let it be the negatives. The positives are much more worthwhile."

Seeing Long Yi speechless as he mulled over his words, Li Lang continued.

"I'm trying to say that you should go thank Sheng Haoran instead of holding a grudge against those who confronted us. He stood up for us. You'll find that your life will become a lot happier if you start remembering the people who helped you instead of the people who wronged you."

Seeing neither of his companions backed him up in his plots, Long Yi quieted down and fell into deep thought.

The three continued walking in silence for the remainder part of the trip. Yi Lin's house wasn't that far, so it had just been a few minutes.

"Fine, I'll let it go," Long Yi muttered as they arrived.

Li Lang chuckled to himself as he knocked on the door.

He enjoyed mentoring the younger interns back when he first became a senior researcher. Not only did it help him create assistants, but it was never bad to see the youngsters mature. Hearing Long Yi take his words to heart, he felt satisfaction. It was also at these moments that he felt old.

His smile soon turned into a frown when no one answered the door, despite knocking multiple times. He began to worry that his eccentric master had gone on a trip. Thankfully, that didn't turn out to be the case.

The door finally opened after they had knocked on it several dozen times.

"It that you, Li Lang?" a man with messy bed hair peeked out from the door. "I guess my Qi senses weren't fooling me. It really is you. Woah, you guys have really grown up! I barely recognized you if it wasn't for my Qi sense."

Upon seeing how disorderly his mentor was, Li Lang let out a sigh. It had been so long that he had almost forgotten about Yi Lin's lifestyle.

Of course, he wouldn't be awake so early in the morning. What was I thinking?

"What are you three waiting for? Come in."

Under Yi Lin's urging, the three proceeded to retrieve their belongings. They stuffed it all into the Skyrunner they had parked in the back.

"We'll h-head back first. I h-have to go report to my m-mentor as well, and Long Yi p-probably has to do the same," Wei Ping informed.

Very quickly, Li Lang found himself alone with Yi Lin. It was a nostalgic feeling, but another matter took priority over basking in nostalgia.

"What's up? Have you decided to continue being my apprentice?"

Before Li Lang departed, he had informed his mentor about leaving for the pocket realm. He even told him he wasn't sure if he would continue acting as his assistant when he came back. Nevertheless, Yi Lin made it clear he would welcome him back at any point.

"We can talk about that later. First, I wanted to know if you knew of any material that can be used to store Qi and interact with other objects at the same time."

Yi Lin was a little taken aback at the fervor of his former apprentice's questions. It was inevitable as Li Lang had been waiting this entire time to ask this question. The first thing he looked forward to do, now that he was back, was to work on the talisman printer. To do that, he needed a material that could act as a rechargeable battery for Qi and had a stable output.

Chapter 133: Long Term Goal

Having been suddenly asked a question, Yi Lin took a moment to recover and put on a thoughtful look.

"You mean like Qi stones and crystals?"

Li Lang shook his head.

"Yes, but they aren't rechargeable and require a cultivator to extract their energy, right? I'm looking for something that could power an artifact by itself."

"In that case, you may have more luck asking an artificer."

"Hmm, don't you know how they are able to form fully functioning artifacts throughout all the partnerships you had with them?"

"Not in detail. I only know it involves processing the cores found in powerful Qi beasts, but that'll be quite expensive for you. The core only forms when they reach the equivalent of the Foundation Establishment realm of us humans. Not all Qi beasts have them either, only in some of them."

"I see."

"Anyway, back to my question. Will you become my student again? I don't mind if it's only a few times a week. It's better than getting no help at all."

"No luck finding a replacement?"

Yi Lin shook his head wistfully. No words needed to be said as to why. All prospective students were likely scared off by how messy Yi Lin was.

"I haven't finalized a decision yet," Li Lang continued. "But if I do, it won't be on a consistent basis. I may have to travel soon."

"That's fine. Are you free now?"

"You're working this early in the morning?"

"Well, I'm already awake. Why not?"

After five long years, Li Lang once again collaborated with Yi Lin. Having improved in brushweaving tremendously over the years, Li Lang was able to absorb much more than before. Many little things Yi Lin did had escaped his notice before or he hadn't understood its purpose. Now he knew exactly how skilled Yi Lin was. He easily completed four or five rune talismans with precision and speed.

This experience allowed Li Lang to fill in the many gaps in his understanding of the profession. This is especially so in the enchanting department. He had been forced to brute force a way to enchant through trial and error. It was a far cry from established techniques that were honed through the generations.

"I'll have to take my leave now. Thank you for having me."

"Come back anytime. I'll be here for the foreseeable future."

Li Lang didn't stay until the sunset like he used to. That was because he had another obligation to complete. Back when he met his alchemy mentor, he had made a promise. A promise to Zhao Longwei that entailed sharing alchemy techniques he earned from the pocket realm. A binding contract was even signed, so he had to make good on his promise.

Li Lang found distances seemed to be shorter than before. He quickly arrived at the Alchemist Guild. It could have been due to his having grown or even his improved cultivation of an eighth-stage Energy Gatherer. Either way, he was quickly guided to a reception room where a middle-aged man with a full beard awaited.

"A triumphant return, I would say."

"You flatter me, Senior Zhao. Luck seemed to be on my side. I hope the results will satisfy you."

"Yes, I can't wait. I'm eager to learn the difference between the techniques used today and those of the olden days."

Both parties knew what they were here for, so they got right into it. Li Lang spotted paper and brush had already been prepared, so he began transcribing the alchemy techniques down.

He wouldn't transcribe them word for word, though. He refused to reveal the fact he had the complete copy down. That was why he only summarized the key points of the technique as he knew it. 

In a way, it was a loophole in the contract they signed. It only indicated he would share the knowledge and said nothing about having to share the complete texts. No one had expected Li Lang to have memorized every detail of the technique. He didn't even include anything to do with the Primordial Star Fire, as the contract pertained to techniques and not heavenly fires.

"Interesting…"

Once the Elder began to read what Li Lang wrote down, he swiftly fell into deep thought.

"How'd it go?" Li Lang asked upon reuniting with his friends during the evening.

"Umm, fine. I let them know I likely won't stick around in a few months as I focus on my breakthrough."

Long Yi had reached the ninth stage of Energy Gathering by the time he exited from the pocket realm. With his grade-three aptitude combined with the Cleansing Drug, he reached the point that many considered to be the end of their cultivation. It was the large wall that had left many people hopeless.

"Did you tell them I'd be dropping by tomorrow?"

"..."

"I take that as a no, then."

"You should be fine. As long as you pass the test, they'll teach you. You're better at the studying stuff, right?"

"Hopefully better than you. I can't believe you still haven't managed to craft a single artifact after all these years."

"Hey! I only learned the basics before we left."

While Long Yi had shown talent in his martial prowess, his ability to study was another matter. The further one got into any crafting profession, the more knowledge one would need. It caused Long Yi's progress in the art of artificing to slow down. Thankfully, his martial ability made up for it during his stay in the pocket realm.

"Hey, at l-least Long Yi can go find Senior Crucible to m-make up for it later," Wei Ping interjected.

The three had agreed to refer to The Great Trial of Water Crest as Crucible from henceforth. They didn't want to leak information by carelessly calling out its name, and it saved them from the mouthful of a name.

"I doubt he would make good use of that opportunity," Li Lang quipped. "Whatever, it's fine. We accomplished our goals one way or the other. It's time I tried my hands at artificing. It'll be better to design our own artifacts rather than outright buying them."

Wei Ping and Long Yi exchanged a brief glance but remained silent. Li Lang accomplished incredible things from time to time. First with the Cleansing Drug, then with the pocket realm. They didn't bother voicing their doubts about whether he could learn about artificing in a short time.

No one spoke, so Li Lang continued.

"As we previously discussed. We're going to be working on creating our own organization in the long term now. We'll start laying the groundwork as soon as I finish that errand for Liang Po."

"Shouldn't w-we wait until we've b-broken through to Foundation Establishment first?" Wei Ping questioned.

"Hmm, that is the common sense, yes. It's rare for Energy Gatherers to take in their own disciples when they're still fledglings themselves. But we have different advantages that could entice people to join us."

"You m-mean the Cleansing Drug."

"Yes. We'll make use of binding contracts to keep news from spreading."

"We'll h-have to quit The Orchid Covenant b-by then, though."

"That's fine. Haven't you noticed already? Our position is no longer the same?"

"What are you guys talking about?" Long Yi cut in. "I don't understand any of this. Not the reason why we have to create our own organization or anything that's changed. It's just that we got stronger, right? We're still far away from being able to establish any organization."

"I told you this already. In a way, when we're under someone else's organization, we'll be working for them. We'll be able to gather vastly more resources and have others work for us instead if we form our own group."

What Li Lang had left unsaid was the fact he could observe his disciples over a long period of time. He could assign them their cultivation techniques, effectively making it one giant experiment for him. From those data, he could formulate his own solutions and techniques.

"Aren't you already rich? You have enough resources to last well into Foundation Establishment."

"Long Yi, you forget I have grade one aptitude. My progress will slow down to the appropriate rate as soon as I reach the peak of Energy Gathering. My advantage with the Cleansing Drug will probably be diminished if not gone entirely. The resources required to search for ways to progress faster would be tremendous."

"Sorry, didn't mean to put you down."

"No problem. I know."

Li Lang cleared his throat and directed the conversation back on track.

"As I was saying. Our position is no longer the same. Have you guys noticed how your mentor has treated you compared to before?"

Wei Ping thoughtfully nodded, while Long Yi urged for an explanation with his look.

"Your mentor should be acting a little more reserved towards you now, right?"

"Hmm, now that I think about it. They were nicer than before. Or that may be because I hadn't messed anything up yet."

Li Lang acted as if he hadn't heard him and continued.

"News has spread that we were among the last to remain in the pocket realm. Combined with the gossip of our good relationship with Nightmoon Valley, Eternal Wave Sect, and Myriad Bones Pavilion, people should be treating us more seriously. They can't verify the authenticity of it, which is why they act carefully lest they piss off those colossal organizations. This means we should be fine even if we leave The Orchid Covenant."

"As long as we don't find conflict with others, they won't find trouble with us. Is what you're saying, right?"

Li Lang nodded in response, glad that his giant friend was finally caught up to speed. Unfortunately, he would soon be lost again as they discussed the details of their upcoming plans.

Chapter 134: The Third Craft

The next morning, Li Lang tagged along with Long Yi to see his artifice mentor. The place they went to wasn't the Artificer Guild or The Orchid Covenant's headquarters. Instead, they arrived on a busy commercial street within Emberglow City.

The city's populace largely comprised mortals. Those who were below the Foundation Establishment realm were the majority, but this particular street had the highest ratio of high-level cultivators. That was because it was where all the stores that catered to cultivators were located. In fact, Li Lang had once browsed these streets when he investigated the various crafts available to him.

He had once noticed the lack of brushweaver hardware stores, which led him to conclude the tools were mostly handcrafted by each brushweaver. It affected his decision to choose his mentor and was now where he would find his new mentor.

Li Lang had the opportunity to search for other artificers to learn under as well, but he decided it was better to join Long Yi. His plan had always been to learn and work together with his friend, so it made sense he would learn the same techniques. He also already knew what this particular mentor asked for in exchange for teaching him.

The two stepped into a store where various artifacts were displayed. They went straight into the back and entered a workshop area. There was a small forge in the corner, but the place mainly consisted of workbenches and cabinets. Only one person was inside the room, and they were sitting silently in the corner.

"Elder Tie, this is my friend, Li Lang, who also wants to study artificing under you," Long Yi politely introduced his friend.

Li Lang immediately moved to clasp his fist and bow to the well-built woman with her hair tied up into a large bun.

"Elder Tie, I am Li Lang."

The woman sat there silently with perfect posture, highlighting her strong build. Her hands were wrapped around a rounding hammer that she hugged close. She silently regarded the two young men before her with a neutral expression.

"As you know, I am Tie Qian. I assume Long Yi has already told you of my conditions?"

"That's correct, Elder. I'm willing to undergo your test and complete any chores you ask of me while I'm studying under you."

"You'll have to answer a question for me first, before any tests. For what reason do you want to learn artificing?"

"Reason?" Li Lang repeated. "I simply wish to broaden my horizons and maybe create artifacts of my own."

"It's not that easy. If it was so, every cultivator would become an artificer and artifacts would become common. Long Yi here told me he wanted to utilize the opportunity the pocket realm offered. It may be a short-term goal, but it was a clear goal to work towards nevertheless. Now that that goal has been completed, his progress has stalled. That's why I believe goals to strive towards are vital. I want to know if you have a goal to work towards."

Being called out, Long Yi could only silently look away as he played with his hair. He had no words with which to defend himself. He knew his talents in artificing were limited, and that it would take him more time to master.

Meanwhile, Li Lang took a moment to consider his answer. If he had all the time in the world and no pressing matters to attend to, he would want to learn all the unique crafts of this new world. It was purely to sate his curiosity. 

Unfortunately, the world was not an ideal place. He needed to consider his own well-being and those of his friends. His very childhood friends were still in a predicament, with their fates unknown. Everything he had seen and experienced in this world made him realize the importance of strength. The strong made the rules. Gaining strength was always an urgent matter if he wanted not only to stay alive but to save and protect his friends.

Strength came in many forms. The simplest was cultivation, but they were tied to the economic and political aspects as well. Only those who had the resources could achieve high cultivations. Excelling in political aspects could give you access to those resources or even command over experts to do your bidding.

That was why Li Lang had aimed to form his own organization. It allowed him to make use of the pooled resources of this hypothetical group and attain human resources as well. In order to do that, he would need enough incentives to attract others. His first step in doing so was establishing a strong economic foundation.

Artificing was to aid in that very endeavor, pushing forward in his project to print talismans. The problem was how much he should reveal to Elder Tie.

"Elder Tie, I'll be honest. I don't have any singular grand goal I strive towards. I only wish to satisfy my curiosity and learn a way to earn money at the same time."

His words made the elder narrow her eyes. Li Lang could feel the tension rising.

"I'll give you a chance. Is that your final answer?"

Without any delay, Li Lang nodded. He knew his answer was tantamount to admitting he was only in it for the money. Pure greed for money was something many looked down on. It was the reason why merchants had a poor reputation despite their wealth.

As quickly as the tension flared, it swiftly settled. The elder smiled as she cradled her round hammer.

"Honesty is good. Being able to admit your desires is a good thing. Demonic cultivators should avoid repressing too much or else they may suffer the consequences."

"Well said, Senior."

Li Lang had decided to answer the elder in such a way because he had grown familiar with the ways of the Demonic Cultivator Territory. Demonic cultivators here were often straightforward and kept to their principles. There weren't many who kept on a facade all the time, as was common in the orthodox sect's territories.

This was a natural product of their cultivation. Demonic cultivators suffered from mental influences as part of their techniques. Absorbing the Qi of others came at a price. They couldn't afford not to be straightforward or they would suffer cultivation deviation.

"Very well. As uncouth as it may be, a desire for wealth is an adequate motivator. Let us go over the test you must take. It will take place tomorrow and will consist of a simple written test and an affinity test. Long Yi can grab you the materials you will need to study."

"Senior Tie, isn't tomorrow too soon?" Long Yi interjected, "When I did—"

"Silence. I have already decided. Your situations were different, and I have different expectations from an adult to that of a child. If he can't accomplish even this much, then he isn't worth my time."

The elder's words almost made Li Lang feel regret for not having learned artificing sooner. It only lasted a split second, as he knew he previously had his hands full with alchemy and brushweaving already.

Very soon, Elder Tie ushered the boys away, forcing them back into the other parts of the store. Long Yi guided his friend into another area in the back, where half a dozen young cultivators were busying away with the operations of the store.

As someone familiar with the place, Long Yi knew exactly where he needed to go to retrieve the materials Li Lang needed.

"Here's everything you'll need. You only have a day, so I suggest you get started right away."

"Hmm, it should be fine. If there's one thing I'm good at, it's studying."

Li Lang chose to omit the fact that he could abuse Ruby's artifact space as well. So far, not even the artifact spirits of his Crucible could detect when he engaged Ruby. They were existences comparable to Spirit Divide realm cultivations, so it stands to reason that not even Violet Core realm elders would detect him accessing Ruby's artifact space.

"What about the affinity test? Is that something covered in this text as well?"

"Oh, that. To be honest, I don't know. I don't think you can prepare for that. It's like the aptitude test. You are born to either have it or not."

Another thing they believe is decided at birth. Interesting. I can't wait for the test now.

Li Lang's trip was then cut short. There was nothing else that needed his attention, and he needed to prepare. He returned to the inn alone and began transcribing the contents over into Ruby. Having done so many times within the pocket realm, he finished without breaking a sweat.

"Let's see what we have here, Ruby. Artificing should be very close to blacksmithing, which is essentially modern metalworking. I may not have studied metallurgy too much, but this shouldn't be too difficult."

Li Lang's confident demeanor was destroyed within the hour. What he read was completely different from what he expected.

"What is this? They don't even use heat!"

Chapter 135: Written and Affinity Test

Li Lang was taken aback by the things he had read for his artifice test. He expected the contents to pertain to blacksmithing, metallurgy, and the Qi method equivalent. He was even ready to make use of his advantage of possessing the Primordial Star Fire in this endeavor.

However, the artificing basics he read drew an entirely different picture. Artificers weren't Qi blacksmiths. Instead of relying on the forge to smelt and temper materials, they relied purely on Qi techniques. No heat was involved. Simply by exercising these artificer techniques, one could extract their desired metal from the raw ores.

While it was alien to Li Lang, he was also mesmerized by it.

A clean energy-efficient way to extract ores! It would require no large facilities and produce no pollution. Even without the environmental and economic concerns, it would mean a lot for materials that would benefit from non-thermal extractions.

Li Lang's mind was filled with various materials that came to mind. Materials like Yttrium Barium Copper Oxide and other high-temperature superconductors could help preserve their superconducting properties. Carbon nanostructure materials like graphene could retain their structural integrity and unique properties as well. It was even possible to create brand-new carbon nanostructure materials with the aid of this non-thermal extraction method.

Li Lang allowed his ideas to flow freely for some time before reining himself in. At the end of the day, he knew it would be difficult to obtain the materials he was familiar with. Combined with the presence of Qi, he would likely need to research materials from a new perspective.

This became even more evident when he reviewed the contents for his upcoming test. It was mainly basic knowledge about the process of Artificing. There weren't any techniques included, as it focused more on identifying potential materials. These potential materials all had names that were entirely different from the ones in Li Lang's old world.

Seeing these unfamiliar names, Li Lang couldn't help but mutter them out loud.

"Starlight Gold, Ethereal True Steel, Moonlight Copper, Demon Steel…None of these were available in the stores I've been to."

Finding a topic he hadn't discovered was both a joyous and sorrowful event. Joyful about the new possibilities and sad about the missed opportunities. He had an inkling about these materials ever since he had Long Yi craft his spear. Back then, he had received some Aqua Night Iron from his friend.

From Ruby's analysis, he found the structure to be similar to iron, but at the same time, had different properties. The Qi it had been exposed to had changed it into a new category of substance. One he had yet to fully test. To do so would require studying how it interacted with various Qi of different elementals, and under different conditions. To just say it was a time-consuming project was an understatement.

While he wasn't ready to lose himself to material science research yet, he still wanted to stock up on these materials.

"I wonder where I can buy these metals."

With the motivation to solve this mystery behind him, the time for the test came very quickly.

He arrived in the same room as the day before and found Elder Tie sitting in the same position. This time, she had her round hammer in one hand and a clump of ore on the desk before her. She was repeatedly slamming her implement down gently. The rhythm of her strikes crescendoed, reaching speeds where Li Lang could only see blurs. When she stopped, the clump of waste was neatly separated from a large nugget of metal.

"The test is on the bench over there. You can start whenever you want."

After leaving those instructions, Elder Tie ignored his presence and went to retrieve more ore from the cabinets. Seeing this, Li Lang went to the table as instructed and began his test. The sooner he was done, the sooner he could ask questions.

A simple paper test was something Li Lang had faced thousands of times throughout his education. He wasn't fazed by it, not even needing to cheat with Ruby before he finished it.

It wasn't a test that made him regurgitate the contents he studied, but one that used a mix of pictures and identifying properties to test his knowledge. An impressive artist had drawn the materials he had studied, which he then had to identify. There were short answer parts to it as well, going into the basics of the tools artificers used, what they could or could not do, and so forth.

It was evident Elder Tie didn't want her prospective students to be disillusioned with the craft before they started. She clearly laid out what to expect.

"I'm done, Senior Tie."

"Oh, quite fast of you. Do you happen to excel in studies as opposed to your friend?"

"I guess you could say that," Li Lang awkwardly replied, balancing the act of badmouthing his friend behind his back and answering truthfully.

The elder skimmed through the test within an instant and placed it back down.

"Good, you have passed. Now for the affinity test."

"Wait. If I may, elder. Can I ask some questions first?"

The muscular woman gave him a stern look before slowly nodding.

"I want to ask why Artificers don't make use of heat to extract the metals like a mortal blacksmith would and where I could purchase these materials from the test."

"You're not young anymore. Have some patience. One question at a time," Elder Tie shook her head to show disapproval at the barrage of questions. "The mortal method is too inefficient for us. The heat from normal flames would not be enough to handle Qi ores, and only a few people have heavenly flames. Even then, depending on the properties of those flames, there will be some materials that cannot be processed as the elements conflict. That is why our predecessors devised various metal Qi techniques that have less stringent requirements to use."

"You're saying there are techniques that involve heavenly fires, then?"

"I'm sure there are, but they are each particular to the type of heavenly fire. Give it up, Li Lang. It is much more efficient to use metal Qi techniques for extraction. Metal is the most structured of the five elements. It provides stability and support to the other elements which are most conducive to our work."

It didn't take a detailed lecture for Li Lang to know how important those properties the elder mentioned were. It allowed artifacts to co-exist with other elements, creating tools with various elemental affinities. It opened up numerous possibilities and options for what could be created.

"Thank you for the explanation, Senior. What about where I can purchase these materials?"

"That will be through our organization, but you will need to be recognized as an official Artificer first."

"What? I can't buy it from any other place? What about the Artificer Guild itself?"

"Even the cheapest materials are at the peak of Mortal grade. Each artifact and the materials to create them are strategic resources for each organization. It'll be unlikely for you to find anyone willing to sell it to you."

"I see."

At that explanation, he began to understand a little better as to why Long Yi had yet to craft a single artifact. As a new apprentice, it was hard to see any organization willing to risk their strategic reserve for them. Without practice, it would be hard to excel in anything.

"No more thinking, no more questions. Let us finish the test first," the elder's voice woke Li Lang from his musing.

"Understood. Please go ahead, elder."

The stocky woman nodded and led Li Lang to a different room. The new room was much smaller, barely able to fit the lone desk in it. Li Lang found it to be similar to the interrogation rooms found in police departments.

It wasn't hard to guess what came next, as the only thing in the room was a lone rectangular bell. It was made with a bright green metal and was completely smooth on all sides. Beside it laid a small mallet made of the same material.

Without any explanation, Elder Tie picked up the mallet and gently struck the bell with it. No audible sound was produced, but instead, glittering dust fell out of the bell. To be more precise, the dust was powdered metals of some sort.

"As you can see, the more metallic dust you can produce, the better. Go ahead and strike the bell when you're ready."

"No other instructions, techniques, or hints?"

"There's nothing like that. You either have an affinity with the metal element or you don't. If you don't, it simply means you are not ready yet."

Li Lang instantly frowned upon hearing those words. He had an unpleasant experience with aptitudes already, and he suspected similar results might happen again.

"There's no way to practice artificing in that case?"

"It'd be as impossible as someone with grade-one aptitude using the orthodox ways to reach Foundation Establishment. You'd need a lot of miracles to line up. Fortunately, there are ways to improve one's affinity, unlike with aptitude, but we'll talk about that when we get there."

Li Lang skeptically listened on but knew he just had to do as he was told for now. It wasn't time to investigate the underlying reason for what affected one's affinity.

Under the watchful gaze of Elder Tie, he picked up the mallet and struck the bell.

Then, nothing happened.

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Chapter 136: Metal Affinity

An awkward silence befell the room as nothing happened, despite Li Lang striking the green bell with the mallet. Just as he had feared, it seemed he had no talent once again, but for artificing this time.

"Elder Tie, are you sure this bell is working properly? Maybe it ran out of metallic dust or something?"

The broad woman sighed and shook her head.

"I'm afraid you the current you simply don't have the affinity. If artificing is something you really want to pursue, I recommend trying again in a few years. Unlike aptitude, affinity can change over time. You can try to work with metals more often or learn various metal Qi arts to acquire the affinity."

Li Lang's mind began to run into overdrive mode as the elder continued. While he may be annoyed by the so-called natural talent acting as some sort of roadblock for him again, he was just as eager to look further into it.

"Unfortunately, you are an adult now. If you were younger, we could still take you as an apprentice to build up your affinity."

From the elder's tone, Li Lang believed she wouldn't budge on the matter, so he didn't even attempt to plead his case. If what she said was true, there was no point anyway to become an errand boy to build up affinity when he could do the same by learning useful Qi techniques.

Hmm, a metal Qi art that can be useful to me. Why would practicing any technique with the metal attribute bestow this affinity, anyway?

Li Lang began to go over the issue from the perspective of a native of this world. The regular person here had minimal education. If the affinity could be earned by working closely with the metals or the associated attributed Qi, he suspected it had something to do with perception.

As far as he knew, even after countless years since the inception of artificing, no one in the world had discovered the reason behind the so-called affinity. They only figured out it was related to one's experience.

They have a bad habit of believing things are limited by one's natural talents around here. It makes no sense that just being around metals a lot would increase this made-up concept of affinity. It must be something people learn from observing and handling metal Qi itself.

It didn't take long for Li Lang's mind to go over the possible things one could learn about the metal attribute from observation alone. Since the elder had said she only accepted younger children if they didn't have affinity, it was safe to assume it was because it was easier for children to obtain the affinity.

Children generally equate to low cultivation. It isn't plausible for them to be able to observe intricate Qi techniques, so the thing they learned is most likely something physical that they can see.

Once Li Lang made those connections, a hypothesis swiftly formed.

"Elder Tie, do you think I can try this test one more time?"

"Li Lang, I'm sorry to say these things don't change overnight. I advise you to try again another time."

The elder's tone made it apparent that she didn't want to waste any of her time any longer, but Li Lang continued.

"Please, Elder. It'll take just a second. Let me try one more time."

Seeing Li Lang's determined eyes, Elder Tie sighed.

"Fine. Make it quick."

Having received permission, Li Lang quickly collected himself and picked up the mallet. He inspected the material again, running his hand over it. While he did so, he closed his eyes and concentrated.

Once he had adjusted his mindset, he struck the bell.

Elder Tie dismissively shook her head as she began composing the words she should say to be rid of the young man. While he was a friend of one of her current students, she was too busy to be entertaining the youngster.

She turned around and began exiting the room.

"Are you satisfied now, Li Lang? A shortcoming is a shortcoming. All you need to do is to recognize it so you may begin to address it."

Hearing no response, the elder began to feel irritated. She had tried her best to be accommodating, but when a youngster refused to even give her the basic respect she deserved.

I'm going to have to take the appropriate action and dish out punishment, she thought to herself.

She did a one-eighty and just as she was about to lecture the young man, she abruptly stopped with her mouth still open.

She saw Li Lang leaning over, closely inspecting the bell. To be more precise, he was squinting his eyes at the area right below the bell. That wasn't the part that had caught her off guard. It was the new layer of metallic dust currently forming below the bell that caught her attention.

As an experienced expert and artificer, even if she didn't see the dust fall with her own eyes, she could still tell that the volume of metallic dust had increased. It was also that same experience that screamed out how absurd her observations were.

"That…You did it?" she weakly muttered.

From all her years as an artificer, she had seen countless people taking their affinity test. As the word implied, usually only those who regularly came into contact with metals and metal-attributed Qi would possess the quality of an artificer. Those who didn't have to work harder to make up for it.

The affinity tests were always final. No matter how many times one did it, the results would be the same. It took time to build up this affinity. It was utterly unheard of that someone would succeed on their second try but not their first.

"How is this possible?"

"I… have no idea either, but I should have passed the test now, right?"

Elder Tie alternated her gaze between Li Lang, the bell, and the mallet. Many things ran through her mind, but she couldn't make any sense of what happened. She could only stare on, astonished.

"Senior?"

Seeing her confused state, Li Lang struck the bell once more. A glittering wave of metallic dust once again rained down from the bell.

"Li Lang…What did you do?"

"Maybe I just wasn't prepared the first time?"

Li Land could only come up with such a poor excuse, as he had no intention of revealing anything.

After failing the first attempt, he took some time to consider the reasons why. Since it was known affinity could grow over time, Li Lang just had to figure out what factors stimulated this growth.

It didn't take him long to arrive at a possibility. Many people in this world likely didn't have the same education he had. For most people, they didn't go to organized schools and instead learned from apprenticeships. Based on this, Li Lang suspected potential artificers learned the nature of metals over time. That meant a variety of things, including how it reacted to heat, how it could be reshaped, or how it could be combined with other materials into alloys. It was the mindset of how one treated metallic objects.

When Li Lang had done his affinity test, his mind wasn't focused on any of these properties. Instead, he was thinking of how his Qi would react to the bell to produce the supernatural phenomenon of refining metals with a simple strike. It was ironic that a man of science like him would be hyper-focused on the paranormal instead.

That was why, on his second attempt, he stuck to a more traditional mindset. He thought of the specific atomic and structural properties, such as metallic bonds. He focused his mind on how the atoms are arranged in crystal lattice structures with free-moving electrons in the outermost shell. He also focused on the various metallurgy techniques used to handle metals.

To his pleasant surprise, his second attempt had produced the result he desired.

So the affinity is simply knowledge of the properties of metals? I guess you can learn some things from hands-on practice, like how old blacksmiths could tell the heat from the color. One has to be conscious of these principles. It would make sense that a person's mindset about something would take some time to change. In my case, I simply blundered, allowing my curiosity to take over.

Still, the threshold to gain affinity shouldn't be too high if children can attain it from observation alone. They don't even have any proper education on the nature of metals.

Through this experience, Li Lang discovered the importance of a person's mindset within the world of artificing. It made him particularly excited to be able to utilize his wealth of knowledge. At the same time, he knew creating an artifact wasn't so easy, otherwise they wouldn't be so rare.

While Li Lang was deliberating the specific factors one needed to know in order to qualify as someone with affinity, he eventually noticed how quiet Elder Tie had become.

"Elder Tie, are you okay?"

She didn't reply.

"Elder Tie? Is everything all right? Have I passed?"

It was only upon hearing the last part that the elder reacted. She snapped her gaze at Li Lang, staring into him with the intensity of a predator watching their prey.