The Heavens: Man Covers the Heavens, Refines Treasures to Become an Emperor

"It's at least equivalent to a full-force attack from someone at the ninth level of the True Martial Realm!"

Jiang Xuan gasped, his gaze towards the little monster becoming complicated.

This little thing looks harmless, yet it possesses such terrifying power?

The little monster seemed quite pleased with its performance, twirling a few times in the air before landing precisely back in Jiang Xuan's arms, nuzzling affectionately against his chest.

Old Mo's expression turned serious.

"Kid, now you understand why I said it was dangerous, right? This kind of creature shouldn't be in the Empire's territory."

Xiao Ke gave Lao Mo a cold look.

"I'm warning you, don't get any funny ideas. Since this little guy has set his sights on Jiang Xuan, he's his destiny."

Just then, Chiu Chiu suddenly grabbed Jiang Xuan's fingers with its two front paws and started sucking on them with its little mouth.

"It's hungry!"

Xiao Ke was a little excited.

"I'll go get some breast milk!"

Before she finished speaking, she had already rushed out of the warehouse like a gust of wind. In less than a quarter of an hour, Xiao Ke returned dragging a giant blue-horned wolf that was three times her size.

The giant wolf's belly was swollen, clearly indicating that it had recently given birth, but it was now struggling frantically, its eyes filled with fear.

"Hold it down!"

Xiao Ke shouted.

Jiang Xuan and Lao Mo quickly stepped forward to help.

However, just as they were about to milk the wolf, Chiu Chiu showed no interest in the giant wolf and instead turned her head away in disgust.

"strangeness."

Xiao Ke frowned.

Shouldn't baby animals drink milk?

Old Mo stroked his chin.

"Perhaps it's a spirit beast. Shall we try the spirit fruit?"

The three of them rummaged through boxes and cabinets to find all sorts of spiritual fruits and vegetables, but Qiuqiu didn't even bother to look at them. She just stared at Jiang Xuan with a pitiful expression, her little stomach making a rumbling sound.

"You're quite a picky eater, little one!"

Jiang Xuan impatiently flicked Qiuqiu's forehead.

"Chirp!"

The little guy was in pain, and his eyes immediately welled up with tears, which made Jiang Xuan feel sorry for him again.

Old Mo suddenly showed a pained expression and took out a rhombus-shaped crystal that glowed with a pale blue light from his pocket.

Could it be...?

He had just taken out the spirit crystal and waved it around when Qiuqiu's eyes lit up.

With a flash of golden light, the spirit crystal in Old Mo's hand had vanished without a trace.

"My high-grade spirit crystal!"

Old Mo let out a scream, clutching his chest and staggering back two steps.

"That's worth five gold coins!"

Jiang Xuan looked down and saw that Qiu Qiu was holding the spirit crystal, happily munching on it with her little mouth. In the blink of an eye, she swallowed it and even licked her lips with a lingering sense of satisfaction.

"It's over."

Jiang Xuan's vision went black.

"It eats spirit crystals? And high-grade ones at that?"

Xiao Ke was also shocked.

"Spirit crystals are the energy source for warships, strategic resources strictly controlled by the Empire. Just what's the background of this little guy?"

Old Mo pointed at Chiu Chiu with great distress.

"I can't afford to keep it! Absolutely not! One high-grade spirit crystal is worth fifty times the price of a regular spirit crystal. Even if I sold all my warehouses, it wouldn't be enough to feed it for even a few days!"

Jiang Xuan looked down at the innocent-looking Qiuqiu in his arms. The little guy seemed to understand what the adults were saying, and nuzzled his palm with his head in a coaxing manner, making a soft "chirp chirp" sound.

"How about... I give it to you?"

Xiao Ke suddenly spoke, her eyes filled with longing.

"My family owns a mineral vein; we can afford to raise them."

Jiang Xuan's heart tightened, and he instinctively hugged Qiuqiu tightly.

The little one immediately clung tightly to his clothes, his big eyes filled with fear, as if afraid of being abandoned.

"never mind."

Jiang Xuan sighed.

Since it has already decided on me...

Xiao Ke pouted.

"Suit yourself. But I'll come to see it often."

She gave Old Mo a warning glare.

"If I find out you've mistreated it..."

Old Mo waved his hands repeatedly.

“Don’t dare!”

Five days later, in the evening, when Jiang Xuan returned to the warehouse after finishing his training, he found Xiao Man sitting on the ground, happily teasing Qiu Qiu with her fingers.

The little guy nimbly somersaulted in the air, occasionally spitting out tiny golden flames, making Xiaoman giggle.

"elder brother!"

Xiaoman jumped up immediately when she saw Jiang Xuan.

"Chirp is so cute! It ate another spirit crystal today!"

Jiang Xuan's lips twitched.

"Another one?"

He touched the empty purse with a pained expression.

"This little brat ate half a year's savings in just five days."

"Chirp~" The little guy flew happily to his shoulder and nuzzled his cheek affectionately.

Xiaoman blinked her big eyes.

"Brother, can I take Qiuqiu to school? Her classmates will definitely..."

"no!"

Jiang Xuan refused outright.

"Too dangerous."

He shuddered as he recalled the scene of the anvil melting that day.

Just then, the warehouse door was suddenly blasted open by a tremendous force, and a bone-chilling cold instantly filled the entire space.

Jiang Xuan instinctively shielded Xiaoman behind him, and Qiuqiu also alertly raised its scales, with a faint golden light flowing from its mouth.

A middle-aged man dressed in a magnificent purple robe walked in slowly.

His face was stern, his eyes sharp as a hawk's, and with each step he took, a thin layer of frost would form on the ground.

"Xin Ru Tie"

Old Mo's expression changed drastically, and he instinctively stepped in front of Jiang Xuan.

Xiaoman was intimidated by this aura and clung tightly to Jiang Xuan's clothes. Qiuqiu let out a threatening growl, and tiny golden flames began to seep from between its scales.

"By order of the Divine Engineering Institute."

Xin Rutie's voice was icy as he took out a pale purple token from his sleeve.

“Take Mo Qi and Jiang Xuan away.”

Jiang Xuan's heart skipped a beat.

"The Divine Crafts Institute? Why?"

Xin Rutie's gaze swept over the crowd, paused when he saw Qiuqiu, and then resumed his indifferent expression.

"That's not something you should be asking."

Old Mo said in a deep voice.

"Envoy Xin, is there some misunderstanding? We are just..."

"Shut up."

With a wave of Xin Rutie's hand, Lao Mo was as if he had been choked by an invisible force, his face turning red and unable to speak.

"Xu Sanqi, move aside."

Xu Sanqi's face was gloomy, and his right hand unconsciously reached for the sword at his waist.

He knew Xin Rutie's strength well; he was one of the three envoys of the Divine Crafts Academy and a powerful figure who possessed the "Seal of the Treasure Bottle".

That pale purple token represented the supreme authority of the empire; those who defied it would die.

"Envoy Xin."

Xu Sanqi's voice was hoarse.

"Old Mo and Jiang Xuan are members of my Bloodthirsty Camp. Even if the Divine Crafts Institute wants them, they should have a reason."

Xin Rutie sneered, and the purple light on the token suddenly became bright.

"Xu Sanqi, are you questioning the will of the Empire?"

He took a step forward, and the ground silently caved in.

"The seal of the Vase is here; are you sure you want to stop it?"

Jiang Xuan felt a sense of suffocation, as if the air around him had been sucked away.

He looked at Xiaoman and saw that the girl's face had turned pale and her lips were trembling, as if she had guessed something terrible.

"The interests of the empire come above all else."

Xin Rutie's voice was cold and stern.

"Xu Sanqi, move aside."

Xu Sanqi's knuckles turned white from the force, but he loosened his grip on the hilt of the knife.

"The will of the empire cannot be defied."

Xu Sanqi practically spat out those words through gritted teeth.

“But Jiang Xuan must stay; you can only take Lao Mo.” A cold glint flashed in Xin Rutie’s eyes.

"Take both of them with you. That's an order."

"no!"

Xu Sanqi suddenly roared, his aura erupting like a volcano.

"Jiang Xuan is just an apprentice; he's of no value to you!"

Xin Rutie remained unmoved.

"The blueprints for the new Purple Star warship and the Flying Star Crossbow both originated from this warehouse. Who can guarantee that this kid named Jiang Xuan wasn't secretly behind it?"

"fart!"

Xu Sanqi was so angry that he laughed instead.

"Those are all Old Mo's works; Jiang Xuan can't even recognize all the basic runes!"

"Whether it is or not, we'll find out clearly once we bring it back to the Forbidden City."

Xin Rutie refused to budge an inch.

Just as tensions were about to rise, Old Mo suddenly broke free from his invisible restraints and staggered to stand in front of Jiang Xuan.

"Envoy Xin."

Old Mo's voice was surprisingly calm.

"If you want to take Jiang Xuan away, you might as well kill me now."

Xin Rutie frowned.

"Mo Qi, are you threatening the Divine Crafts Academy?"

"I wouldn't dare."

Old Mo coughed twice, and blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.

"But my old bones can't withstand the tortures of Zijing City. If I die on the way, you'll never obtain the complete Ziying warship modification secrets."

For the first time, Xin Rutie's expression changed.

He stared at Lao Mo for a long time, seemingly trying to determine whether what he said was true or false.

Xu Sanqi seized the opportunity to speak.

"Envoy Xin, I will not stop Lao Mo from going with you willingly. But if you insist on taking Jiang Xuan away..."

His aura surged once again.

"Then let's have another battle and see if your Vase Seal is more powerful, or my Blood Slaughter is superior!"

The warehouse was deathly silent, with only the uneasy chirping of birds echoing through the air.

Xin Rutie snorted coldly.

"Alright, only bring Mo Qi. But if it's discovered later that Jiang Xuan is involved in this matter..."

He gave Jiang Xuan a meaningful look.

"The Bloodthirsty Camp can just wait to close down."

After saying that, he turned and walked out, his voice icy cold.

"Mo Qi, you have half an hour to prepare. If you dare to play any tricks, the entire Bloodthirsty Camp will be buried with you."

Only after Xin Rutie's figure disappeared outside the warehouse door did the suffocating sense of oppression gradually dissipate.

Old Mo let out a long sigh and slumped into his chair.

Jiang Xuan quickly stepped forward to support him.

"Master, how are you?"

"It's okay, you won't die."

Old Mo waved his hand, but couldn't help coughing again.

Xu Sanqi's expression shifted between light and dark.

Xiaoman bit her lip, her eyes filled with worry.

"Xu Tou'er"

Jiang Xuan turned to Xu Sanqi, his voice filled with suppressed anger.

"Are we just going to let them take Master away like this?"

Xu Sanqi gave a wry smile.

"Kid, that's the Divine Crafts Institute, representing the highest authority in the empire. Don't even mention me, even the entire Bloodthirsty Camp combined couldn't stop them."

"But."

"No buts."

Old Mo suddenly spoke, his voice unusually resolute.

"Jiang Xuan, listen to me."

He grabbed Jiang Xuan's wrist with astonishing force.

"After I leave, you must continue studying the notes I left behind, especially the part about the Purple Star Power Core."

Jiang Xuan's eyes welled up with tears.

"Master, I will definitely find a way to rescue you!"

Old Mo shook his head and gave a bitter smile.

"Silly boy, I'm not going to my death. The Divine Crafts Academy needs the secret techniques for modifying the Purple Ying warship that I possess; they wouldn't dare do anything to me."

"But what about those punishments?"

"Do not worry.

"Old Mo lowered his voice."

"As long as they still want the complete reformation plan, they won't torture me. On the contrary, they'll treat me like royalty."

Xu Sanqi walked over and patted Lao Mo on the shoulder.

“Old Mo is right. Even if Xin Rutie didn’t come, someone else would have come sooner or later. The Empire can’t allow such a powerful weapon as the Ziying warship to be left to languish abroad.”

Old Mo nodded and turned to Jiang Xuan.

"Remember, there are secrets within you that even you are unaware of. Do not attempt to break through to the third chakra before I return."

Jiang Xuan was taken aback.

"What secret?"

Old Mo didn't answer, but just smiled mysteriously.

"When the time comes, you will know."

He stood up, looked around the warehouse where he had worked for most of his life, his eyes filled with reluctance.

"I need to pack some things. Boss Xu, please see me off on my final journey."

Xu Sanqi nodded heavily.

Old Mo walked towards his room.

Old Mo's mysterious words echoed in Jiang Xuan's mind, like a key, but without a corresponding lock.

He watched as Old Mo's hunched back disappeared through the doorway, feeling as if a huge rock was pressing on his chest.

"Old Mo was taken away because of me."

Jiang Xuan suddenly spoke, his voice so low it was almost inaudible.

"I participated in the modification plan for the Ziying warship and the core structure of the Flying Star Crossbow."

Xiaoman unconsciously twisted the hem of her clothes with her fingers.

"It's not entirely your fault."

"No, this is my responsibility!"

Jiang Xuan turned around abruptly, his eyes burning with an unprecedented blaze.

"What imperial interests? What greater interests? All I know is that Old Mo was kidnapped!"

His voice echoed through the warehouse, and even the chirping stopped.

Xiaoman stared blankly at the boy in front of her, and suddenly realized that Jiang Xuan seemed to have grown up a lot overnight, and the childishness between his brows was replaced by something resolute.

"I will become stronger."

Jiang Xuan spoke slowly and deliberately, as if making a blood oath.

"Strong enough to make those people kneel before Master and apologize!"

Xiaoman was startled.

She had never seen Jiang Xuan like this before; his eyes no longer held curiosity or playfulness, but rather a cold-blooded determination.

For some reason, she felt both heartache and admiration.

"I trust you."

Xiaoman spoke softly, unsure how to continue. Comfort? Encouragement? At this moment, Jiang Xuan seemed to need neither.

As dawn broke, a jet-black mid-level Falcon warship landed on the Blood Killer Camp's landing pad.

The warship's flanks were branded with the Bauhinia flower emblem of the Shen Gong Institute, which gleamed with a cold metallic luster in the morning light.

Xin Rutie stood by the gangway and saw Xu Sanqi personally escorting Lao Mo here. A cold smile appeared on his lips.

"Instructor Xu personally escorted them; that's really giving them a lot of face."

Xu Sanqi's face was ashen.

"Enough talk. I've brought the person. Remember your promise."

Old Mo looked even more haggard than last night, with sunken eyes, but his gaze remained clear.

He nodded mechanically, but his gaze kept wandering around the camp, as if searching for something.

"Master Mo, please board the ship."

Xin Rutie made a gesture of invitation, his tone carrying a false sense of respect.

Old Mo stepped onto the gangway, then suddenly stopped and turned around sharply. The camp was empty; apart from a few trainees on duty, there was no sign of Jiang Xuan. He gave a self-deprecating laugh, shook his head, and hunched over as he squeezed into the warship's cabin.

Xin Rutie turned to Xu Sanqi, his voice low but full of threat.

"Keeping that kid alive has already defied the will of the empire's upper echelons. You know the consequences."

Xu Sanqi sneered.

"Envoy Xin, do you really think Jiang Xuan is just an ordinary student?"

"oh?"

Xin Rutie raised an eyebrow. (End of Chapter)