Recognizing the potential risks of Liu Yu's probing, Sect Master Yuan adeptly shifted the conversation.
He mentioned Xiao Chen, emphasizing his status as a two-star Alchemist and achievement in formation array
Yuan had nothing to lose, as this was information Liu Yu could likely discover on her own later anyway.
Furthermore, this not only presented the Mo Sect in a favorable light to the Emei Sect but also provided a plausible explanation for the Mo Sect's recent and sudden rise in prominence.
Meanwhile, following Elder Le's signal and in line with their agreed-upon plans for the emissary's arrival, he entered the Spiritual Cultivation Chamber and modified the formation. He transformed it to mimic a spiritual extraction formation intended for drawing energy from spirit stones rather than a spirit vein, taking advantage of the emissary's distraction with the sect leader. This way, even if someone were to investigate the room, they would be unable to discover any details about the hidden spirit vein.
At night, Liu Yu was in her lodging, engaged in a conversation using the Qi whispering technique with her subordinate outside, concealed on the rooftop.
"Did you find anything?" Liu Yu asked.
"No, nothing, Mistress. However, there was one room with another formation. Upon closer inspection, it appears to be a formation for extracting Qi from spirit stones," the hidden person replied.
"That's nothing unusual, many sects with formation expertise have such chambers," Liu Yu remarked.
Liu Yu continued, "This Disciple Xiao Chen is quite intriguing. His skills in Alchemy and Formation are not commonly seen among martial artists of his age."
"If it weren't for our sect's rules of only allowing female cultivators, I would have invited him to join us," Liu Yu added.
"Since there's nothing more to discover, let's return to the Emei Sect tomorrow," she concluded.
"Yes, Mistress," the shadow replied before withdrawing.
The next day, the emissary departed and returned to the Emei Sect.
Xiao Chen restored the inner room's spiritual chambers, bringing everything back to its original state. Sect Leader Yuan felt a sense of relief, believing the immediate threat had passed with Liu Yu's departure. However, a lingering unease remained—he sensed that Liu Yu's suspicions hadn't been fully dispelled.
He believed that strengthening the sect was crucial to preparing for any future threats. Meanwhile, Xiao Chen planned to travel to Celestial Jade City to obtain badges in formations and blacksmithing, as well as his three-star Alchemy badge.
He concealed his true cultivation, suppressing it to the Foundation Establishment stage to avoid drawing unwanted attention. Given the recent spotlight on the Mo Sect, many spies and information brokers now lurked around the sect and the city, monitoring their every move due to the sect's sudden rise. Any slip could attract unwanted eyes.
Adopting the guise of a wandering cultivator, Xiao Chen ventured outside, keeping his identity low-key. However, there was one thing he couldn't risk—using a false identity to obtain the occupational badge. Such deceit would be considered a grave offense. If anyone grew suspicious of his actions, it could lead to dangerous misunderstandings, potentially causing great trouble for the Mo Sect.
Xiao Chen made his way to the Blacksmith School and requested to take the 1-star blacksmithing exam. Now well-off with a wealth of spirit stones, he paid using them instead of relying on mortal currency.
Seeing how young he was, the attendant assumed Xiao Chen was just another wealthy young master, dabbling in blacksmithing to show off. Blacksmithing, like alchemy, was a well-respected profession in the cultivation world.
"Hey, young master, how about I give you a tour of our facilities after the exam?" she said in a flirtatious tone.
Xiao Chen nodded. Since he intended to visit the school's library later to browse through their blacksmithing books.
Two apprentices in the lobby took note of Xiao Chen's spatial ring and his extravagant use of lower-grade spirit stones for a mere 1-star examination. While the locals viewed Celestial Jade City as the largest and most important city, these apprentices had traveled to various regions and understood how valuable spirit stones were in such a remote place. If this were a central city, they might have ignored Xiao Chen entirely. However, to them, Xiao Chen appeared to be an easy target—a fat sheep ripe for exploitation. They decided to discreetly send someone to tail him as soon as he stepped out of Blacksmith school.
The attendant was looking for someone powerful to attach herself to, and to her luck, she believed she'd found an easy target in this seemingly naive young master.
Without knowing the troubles brewing for him, Xiao Chen was taken to the examination area, The 1-star exam required the creation of a basic Qi Sword—an easy task for Xiao Chen. Using the school's facilities and cauldron, he forged his sword from the provided ingots.
When finished, he had crafted a pinnacle-grade 1 Qi Sword.
The examiner was left astonished. It was highly unusual for someone to produce such a high-quality sword during a beginner's exam.
After receiving his 1-star badge, Xiao Chen accepted the attendant's earlier offer, and she guided him to the library. She hadn't anticipated that he would earn the badge and had originally intended to console him to gain his attention. Now, realizing he was also a prodigy in blacksmithing, she intensified her efforts.
Inside Library
He was a bit reluctant to go and flip through each book and asked AI for a solution.
[Ding ...Feasible Solution.. Collective Scan using spiritual Qi]
Xiao Chen rejected that solution immediately, knowing it could lead to misunderstandings. If he used spiritual Qi to scan the entire library, it might be interpreted as an act of spiritual sensing to spy on other's reading. Such behavior would be seen as intrusive and disrespectful, potentially offending those around him. In the cultivation world, maintaining proper etiquette is essential, and any hint of eavesdropping or prying into others' affairs without permission could damage his reputation and escalate into conflicts.
Without any other solution, He started flipping through the pages of each book. Others were a bit annoyed.
"This Brother, I won't be rude but It best not to show using childish tactics like this," said a person Nearby cultivator
Seeing Xiao Chen ignoring his advice, he went back cursing Xiao Chen in his mind.
Others also considered Xiao Chen trying to pull fast on them too.
After some hours, He went through all the books.
[Ding ...Compiling All the information related to Blacksmithing}
[Ding .. Compiled Upto 4 star Blacksmithing Knowledge Compendium ]
AI prompts him to name it, and as usual, He goes for "Heavenly Blacksmithing Compendium"
[Ding ...Completed.. Grade 3 Heaveny Blacksmithing compendium, Updated the Knowledge Base under Blacksmith Folder]
He then went back to the Attendant and asked for the 2-star examination next.
She observed Xiao Chen's peculiar behavior. Initially, when she saw him approaching her, she thought her seductive tactics had worked and that this young man would ask her out. Mentally, she was preparing for that expected outcome. However, when Xiao Chen asked her about taking the next exam, she was taken aback. Having seen many people try to win her over, she couldn't help but think that this guy was going about it in a very unusual way.
He again paid in spirit stone and went for examination. The apprentices who were observing watched the scene unfold with mouths agape.
He created a pinnacle grade 2 Sword in the exam area and earned the 2-star badge.
He didn't stop there. Instead, he returned to the attendant and requested to take the 3-star examination. The attendant was taken aback; it was her first time encountering someone like Xiao Chen. He had already completed the 1-star and 2-star exams consecutively, earning both badges and now he was asking for a 3-star exam.
Despite her surprise, she proceeded with her duties. Xiao Chen once again paid with low-grade spirit stones, knowing that the fee for each exam would double from the previous one. Many onlookers watched him with envy, while others harbored ill intentions.
This time, the examiner was also shocked to see Xiao Chen for the third time. He was a 4-star blacksmith in charge of this branch school. The exam required refining a grade 3 elemental sword, which would be challenging even for Xiao Chen, especially since he had no prior experience in forging elemental swords.
The item he needed to create was a low-grade 3 Frost Sword, and along with the other required materials, he was given Frost Essence Ore from the northern region. Forging an elemental sword involved additional steps, including cooling the blade after shaping, polishing it, and then entering the infusion stage - where he would guide the essence core into the sword using a specialized technique.
The examiner regarded Xiao Chen as a monstrous genius. Although he had encountered many prodigies from various regions, this was the first time he'd seen someone like Xiao Chen.
He awarded Xiao Chen three 3-star blacksmith badges. Like Alchemists, certified blacksmiths receive discounts on materials from affiliated stores and auction houses.
Meanwhile, the cultivator who had spoken to Xiao Chen in the library was left utterly speechless upon seeing Xiao Chen receive a 3-star badge.
As soon as Xiao Chen left, the examiner rushed to the attendant, eager to learn more about this young genius. He was determined to introduce Xiao Chen to the inner circle of blacksmiths.
After reviewing Xiao Chen's details, the examiner was shocked. "He's from the Mo Sect?" he exclaimed. "Didn't the Mo Sect recently win the competition and gain a new alchemist?"
He recalled a recent conversation with Alchemist Fan Li. "When I was drinking with Fan Li, he mentioned a young disciple from the Mo Sect, talented in alchemy. He said the future of the Mo Sect would thrive with that young genius there. Could it be the same person?" Zhang Tian wondered.
Zhang Tian, Fan Li, and Weiyang had been friends for years, ever since they were appointed as representatives of the Blacksmith, Alchemy, and Formation branches in this city. They would often meet up for drinks and discuss various matters.