Initially, Ning Cheng thought that Chuan Xinlou had only a nominal interest in the Good Fortune treasure fragment; however, it was a thing of the past now. After all, from the words spoken, everyone had accepted and agreed to it. Moreover, the words at that time also made it clear that the first person to enter the Baichi Artefact-crafting Store would not be him. However, only now did Ning Cheng understand the true cunningness of this Heavenly Emperor Levelled Heart.
After realising the insidious methods of Chuan Xinlou, Ning Cheng decided to focus his attention on the weapon, which he was currently crafting. Ning Cheng did not feel worried about the failure of completing the weapon refinement process, he worried more about Chuan Xinlou’s Spiritual Consciousness Imprint snooping in on his secrets.
Originally, Ning Cheng had intended to craft a weapon using only two raw materials; however, Ning Cheng still decided to melt the rest of the raw materials and check them for insurance. Who knows if that fellow had set traps in the other raw materials too? In the unlikely event that Chuan Xinlou said that he would let him take away the extra materials, he would have no choice but to go around walking with it.
Ning Cheng deliberately did not touch the Spiritual Consciousness Imprints and acted as if he did not know anything about it. As long as the Spiritual Consciousness Imprint did not directly affect him, Ning Cheng would not take any other unnecessary action. At the same time, he also knew that the Spiritual Consciousness Imprint would remain dormant because Chuan Xinlou wanted him to win.
Ning Cheng used the raw materials to craft the most common defensive shield. The moment the ‘shield’ took form, Ning Cheng felt that the Spiritual Consciousness Imprint that did not belong in it automatically disintegrate and disperse.
Sure enough, it was just as he suspected. Seeing that, Ning Cheng gave out a sigh of relief. After finishing crafting this shield, others would definitely use their Spiritual Consciousness to scrutinise it. If on the off chance that Chuan Xinlou’s Spiritual Consciousness Imprint did not disintegrate, it would have definitely come to light during the inspection.
With the last ding-like sound emerging, which indicated the successful crafting of the artefact, the round shield then fell into Ning Cheng’s hands. It was a low-grade Dao Artefact; moreover, it was the most inferior quality among the low-grade Dao Artefacts due to Ning Cheng’s careful control over the process. However, because of the successful completion of this low-grade Dao Artefact, everyone understood that Zhongli Baichi’s disciple had taken the first position in the competition.
“Haha, Zhongli Baichi really is something. Even if he is not here, Baichi Store’s disciple still managed to take the first place.” Chuan Xinlou laughed and stood up.
Le Wu’s expression turned ugly. He had initially thought that his personally groomed disciple would definitely win. All because he knew that, his disciple could use his Spiritual Consciousness to create interference. However, from the looks of it, Jinming Qianbo’s disciple turned out even more powerful. He counterattacked with his own Spiritual Consciousness during the artefact-crafting process. This ultimately led to a loss on both sides. He definitely did not think that his personally groomed disciple would lose; rather, he felt more confident that Sikou Bing had secretly machinated a few things.
Seeing Chuan Xinlou stand up to congratulate Ning Cheng, the audience also stood up and praised Ning Cheng. But in fact, these people simply thought nothing of congratulating Ning Cheng; rather, they all wanted to immediately head to the Baichi Artefact-crafting Store.
Ning Cheng had no choice but to thank them individually. After the rounds of congratulations ended, Chuan Xinlou spoke with a positive tone, “Cheng Nianqiong, you haven’t been Zhongli Baichi’s disciple for long, yet you can already craft low-grade Dao Artefacts. It is not a bad performance. However, I need to remind you that the reason you were able to take the first position is not because of your strength.”
“From what I observed, your strength does not compare to Sikou Bing and Xi Yuzi. The reason you managed to take the first position is all due to other extenuating factors. I hope that you would continue to work hard to become my Grand Culmination Starry Skies’ Artefact-crafting Expert. My Grand Culmination Starry Skies places a good emphasis for any sort of talent.”
“A few years ago, Striking Order Starry Skies had a Yue Clan, who is a family clan that specialises in refining talismans. However, because Yue Clan’s Dao of Talismans had reached a new height, I specifically decided to invite them to my Grand Culmination Starry Skies. Letting the Yue Clan settle down in Eternal Heaven’s Grand Starland. I hope that you would also manage to achieve such a thing in the future……”
Chuan Xinlou’s pitch suddenly increased, “Everyone, since Zhongli Baichi’s disciple won this competition fair and square, I will have to make things clear to everyone. Zhongli Baichi’s Artefact-crafting Store would continue under Cheng Nianqiong’s ownership.”
Ning Cheng secretly cursed at this fellow in his heart. He had already decided to eliminate this Yue Clan, but because of a lack of strength, he did not want to learn much about the Yue Clan. As for the talks about letting him continue with the ownership of the Baichi Artefact-crafting Store, could this Chuan Xinlou be any more hypocritical?
The rest of the cultivators in the audience had no idea about the Spiritual Consciousness Imprint that Chuan Xinlou had left behind in the raw materials, yet some of them also had to praise Chuan Xinlou secretly for such an overwhelming display of candour. This fellow not only mentioned that Ning Cheng had not won because of his strength, this fellow even reassured people of the promise made to a Celestial Scryer ant. Moreover, since this fellow mentioned that Ning Cheng won the competition despite his low strength, it also changed the meaning of his previous statement.
Ning Cheng naturally did not fool himself into believing that he truly had any ownership of Baichi Artefact-crafting Store. Moreover, why would he willingly step towards death? Therefore, before others could speak anything else, Ning Cheng took the initiative to come forward with cupped fists. “Many thanks for Heavenly Emperor’s high expectations. This junior feels determined to work hard to improve upon my art of crafting artefacts and devote even more of my time to it. However, this junior is afraid that with such mediocre strength, junior might not be worthy enough to take ownership of Baichi Artefact-crafting Store. Since Master Baichi has still not returned, this junior and his junior apprentice sister want to move out of Baichi Artefact-crafting Store temporarily and would like to ask Heavenly Emperor Levelled Heart and the other seniors here to allow us to work hard in peace.”
“What? Why do you still feel worried about your life? No one in the Eternal Heaven Starry Sky City would ever try to snatch the store from you. You can rest assured that you can stay inside without any worries.” Chuan Xinlou spoke with some dissatisfaction.
Ning Cheng, while internally cursing at this fellow for such shamelessness, once again spoke up with cupped fists, “Senior, of course, is an open and just man, and would definitely not come to Baichi Artefact-crafting Store to cause trouble for the juniors. It is just that if this kind of matter gets out, it would be inevitable for some of the other powerhouses to come over to instigate. Therefore, we wish to move out, and it’s only temporary till our master returns, the seniors can consider…….”
Chuan Xinlou pondered over it for a moment before he nodded, “In that case, Feng Fu, you go find an Artefact-crafting Store for these two juniors and seal the original Baichi Artefact-crafting Store for now.”
“Yes.” A man wearing a grey robe suddenly stepped out from behind Chuan Xinlou.
Ning Cheng had not noticed this grey robed man since Chuan Xinlou came in. This person felt like he never existed at all. If not for Chuan Xinlou calling this person out, Ning Cheng really would have never thought that this person existed.
……
Two hours later, Ning Cheng and Cen Yan arrived at the new store with Jian Jiao.
Jian Jiao felt very good after seeing this place and spoke up, “Uncle-master, this place is much more spacious than the one from before. You and Big Sister must have felt afraid of not finding a place for me in the store, so decided to change places, right?”
“If you don’t feel so good, maybe you should change to a bigger place. Do not talk nonsense now, and follow your Senior Apprentice Sister. I’m going to cultivate for a while, so don’t bother me.”
Ning Cheng then turned to Cen Yan and spoke, “Junior Apprentice Yan, if not necessary, it’s better if we do not hang the name of Baichi Artefact-crafting Store for now. In any case, I would not have any time to craft artefacts.”
“Yes, Senior Apprentice Brother.” After the artefact-crafting competition, the Heavenly Emperor personally sealed the Baichi Artefact-crafting Store. From that moment, the professional-looking smile on Cen Yan’s face also disappeared completely.
Ning Cheng took out a storage ring and handed it to Cen Yan. “There are some Perpetual Moon Pills inside, which we obtained for the Artefact-crafting Store. We can divide it into three parts. You don’t have to push it away, I still have more on me.”
The Baichi Artefact-crafting Store had obtained a starry sky-class battleship and 500,000 Perpetual Moon Pills. Ning Cheng gave 300,000 to Cen Yan and 100,000 to Jian Jiao for cultivation and kept 100,000 for himself. As for the starry sky-class battleship, Ning Cheng had no plans of getting rid of it.
After Ning Cheng’s trio settled into the new store, Zhongli Baichi still did not return. Seeing that, Ning Cheng speculated that this cheap master had very likely taken away that fragment of the Good Fortune Indestructible Axe and left him and Cen Yan at the centre of a volcano.
In the beginning, Zhongli Baichi had spoken to him about the Good Fortune Indestructible Axe, mentioning that the Good Fortune Indestructible Axe had fallen to this part of the plane. Most likely, Zhongli Baichi dared to say this because he obtained one of the fragments of the Good Fortune Indestructible Axe.
……
After the nonsensical Artefact-crafting Challenge, everybody suddenly lost interest in Ning Cheng. At the same time, Ziche Jun also did not come looking to find him. Even Junior Apprentice Sister Yan and Jian Jiao did not leave their residences and secluded themselves to cultivate.
As for Ning Cheng, he spent time alternating between cultivating and crafting artefacts. Three months later, Ning Cheng finally received a message from Ziche Jun.
During these three months, Ning Cheng’s cultivation had also reached the full circle of Celestial Gatherer Realm; at the same time, he finally managed to refine Grade 2 Celestial Pills. If given a little more time, and more starry sky Spiritual Grasses, Ning Cheng felt that he could definitely advance to a Grade 3 Celestial Pill Master.
Ziche Jun sent a message that the people who obtained the qualifications to enter the Immortal Jade Star have started to gather. This also meant that the Immortal Jade Star was about to open. With such news, Ning Cheng naturally did not intend to continue with his seclusion. The only reason he had stayed here for so long was to enter the Immortal Jade Star. At the same time, what he desired the most was the Starry Sky Wheel, not the Origin Bead.
Although he did not have any Harmonising Celestial Pills, he did not choose to buy these medical pills. Ning Cheng believed that even if his cultivation did not advance to the Celestial Bridge Realm, he could still protect himself within the Immortal Jade Star.
……
A huge void airship remained suspended over the middle of the Culmination Public Square. At this time, Ning Cheng had already reached the level of an Imperial Array Master and could arrange Grade 4 Celestial River Array Formations. So he could make out with a glance that this airship was not a technological product, but a real flying weapon. All because the outer part of the airship contained many array formations engraved over the surface, covering every inch of the surface area.
Innumerable cultivators had gathered to stand over the public square, while Chuan Xinlou stood above the void airship with a calm face. Around him also stood hundreds of other powerhouses. Although Heavenly Emperor Striking Order was also considered a powerhouse, he could only stand at the edge.
Ning Cheng felt sure that Chuan Xinlou had already entered the Baichi Artefact-crafting Store. As for whether he managed to obtain any information about the shard of the Good Fortune Indestructible Axe, Ning Cheng could not find anything from this fellow’s expressions.
Chuan Xinlou’s eyes swept through the entire public square, but everyone seemed to have felt that Chuan Xinlou’s gaze had explicitly targeted him or her individually.
“With the emergence of the Immortal Jade Star, it can be considered a great opportunity for our starry skies. However, only cultivators with entry jade cards can enter the Immortal Jade Star. Nevertheless, I would like to warn each and every one of you; that is, for all the cultivators entering the Immortal Jade Star, you must report each and everything you obtain. Of the things you obtain inside, you will get to keep 50% of it for yourself.”
After Chuan Xinlou finished, he held up a jade card and spoke, “These jade cards contains Spiritual Consciousness Imprints of several Eternal-level Starry Sky Emperors. Once you enter the Immortal Jade Star, these Spiritual Consciousness Imprints will record everything you obtain. If someone tries to hide anything, even if it is a Rank 1 Starry Sky Spiritual Grass, the consequence of such an action would be confiscation of everything you obtain before you are put to death.”
Those cultivators, who had desperately fought with each other for those jade cards, felt stunned. Even the many starry sky Destiny Realm powerhouses felt a bit worried. No one thought that Chuan Xinlou would come up with such a trick before entering the Immortal Jade Star.
Hearing that Ning Cheng finally felt some relief. He did not feel afraid of inspection but would have felt more fearful if there was no inspection. As for the experts who sealed off the Immortal Jade Star, because of their supposedly high moral character and their words, people thought that whatever one obtained inside, he or she would not have to turn over anything to them, which made them feel not too concerned in their hearts. However, now Chuan Xinlou said that the cultivators who entered the Immortal Jade Star had to turn over half of the harvest from the Immortal Jade Star.
“If someone wants to enter the Immortal Jade Star with a Miniature World, a World of Life, or even a True Spirit World, then I advise you not step inside. The moment you stepped inside, your world would shatter. Even if it doesn’t break, it will be exposed.” Chuan Xinlou’s tone turned cold at this point, and those cultivators still amid discussions felt as if someone had suddenly sealed their voice.
