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

"This is too valuable, I cannot accept it."

Chu Feng patted him on the shoulder.

"I gave you this ring simply to show that I consider you a close friend. If you refuse, it means you look down on me, Chu Feng."

Having said that, Jiang Xuan had no choice but to solemnly clasp his hands in greeting.

"Thank you, brother."

"That's more like it!"

Chu Feng laughed heartily, then said seriously.

"Let's get down to business. With your skill in spirit runes, while consigning spirit artifacts, you can also take on some missions in the mission areas. Completing missions will not only earn you rewards, but also accumulate points."

"integral?"

Jiang Xuan asked curiously.

"That's right."

Chu Feng nodded.

"Points can be exchanged for spiritual weapons, spiritual materials, and treasures within the guild, and even for spiritual materials that are difficult to obtain on the market. For example, the Frost Marrow Iron needed to forge the Snowfall Battle Blade requires fifty points to exchange."

Jiang Xuan was somewhat excited.

He was worried about how to acquire more rare materials to improve his weapon crafting skills.

"I see."

Jiang Xuan nodded.

"Then I'll trouble you to make the arrangements, brother."

Chu Feng summoned Yun Que and gave her instructions.

"Take Jiang Xuan to the secret chamber and let him choose a mission."

Yun Que respectfully responded and led Jiang Xuan through several long corridors to a stone chamber filled with arrays. The walls inside were covered with jade slips, each emitting a faint light of a different color.

"White represents one star, green two stars, blue three stars, and so on."

"The lark explained."

"Given your skill level, I suggest starting with two-star missions."

Jiang Xuan nodded, his gaze sweeping over the numerous jade slips.

He took down a green jade slip and probed it with his divine sense.

"Requirements for refining the Azure Rainbow Spirit Sword."

Its sharpness is sufficient to penetrate the defenses of a third-tier demonic beast; the sword must be inscribed with swift wind spirit patterns. Reward.

One thousand silver coins, five points.

“That’s it.”

Jiang Xuan handed the jade slip to Yun Que.

Yun Que took the jade slip, somewhat surprised.

"Sir, why don't you look at the other missions? This one may only be two-star, but it has very high requirements for spirit runes."

Jiang Xuan smiled faintly.

"It doesn't matter."

Seeing that Jiang Xuan was confident, Yun Que said no more and led him into a weapon-refining room. In the center of the room was a bronze weapon-refining furnace, and the shelves around it were filled with various tools and materials.

"The materials are all prepared, adults can begin."

The lark stepped aside.

"I will wait here. Please do not hesitate to ask if you need anything, sir."

Jiang Xuan walked to the furnace.

He first examined the materials: a piece of fine blue steel, several bottles of spiritual liquid, and a small bag of powder with a blue glow, which should be bone powder from a wind-attribute demon beast.

"call."

As the furnace fire blazed, Jiang Xuan threw the green steel and black iron into it.

He formed hand seals, precisely controlling the heat with his spiritual energy.

Before long, the black iron turned into molten iron, and the impurities were removed one by one.

Molten iron was poured into a sword mold, and after cooling and solidification, a three-foot-long sword began to take shape.

Jiang Xuan picked up the carving knife and began to engrave spirit patterns on the sword.

His movements were fluid and precise, each stroke flawless. Yun Que watched intently, her eyes filled with admiration. As a waitress at the Spirit Pattern Master Guild, she had witnessed many Spirit Pattern Masters at work, but one as effortless as Jiang Xuan was truly rare.

An hour later, Jiang Xuan sheathed his sword. The intricate "Swift Wind" spirit patterns on the blade glowed with a pale blue light, perfectly blending with the sword's body.

"It's done."

Jiang Xuan handed the spirit sword to Yun Que.

The lark received the sword with both hands, feeling its lightness like a feather, yet faintly hearing the sounds of wind and thunder.

She carefully placed the spirit sword into the jade box and attached a quest tag.

"Please wait a moment, sir. I will go and inform the person who issued the task."

Meanwhile, in the mission area on the first floor of the Spirit Pattern Master Commune, a young cultivator dressed in a brown short-sleeved shirt suddenly stared intently at the mission token in his hand.

"I've accepted! Master Xuan has accepted my mission!"

His voice trembled with excitement.

The surrounding cultivators all cast surprised glances at them.

"Really? Wang Lin, are you seeing things?"

A burly man with a thick beard questioned.

Wang Lin showed the token to everyone.

"See for yourselves!"

On the token, the previously gray task status has turned green, and there is a line of small text next to it.

"Received, in progress, Master Xuan."

"hiss."

A collective gasp of astonishment filled the air.

"Wang Lin got incredibly lucky!"

Some people said sourly.

"I've heard that Master Xuan's Snowfall Battle Blade is as powerful as a four-star spiritual weapon!"

"That's right, my senior brother queued for three days and still couldn't get one."

As Wang Lin listened to the crowd's discussion, his chin unconsciously rose a few notches.

He patted the storage bag at his waist.

"I've prepared three sets of materials; that should be enough."

Three portions?

A tall, thin monk frowned.

"Brother Wang, I don't mean to discourage you, but the Gale Spirit Pattern on the Azure Rainbow Sword is extremely difficult to inscribe, and three sets of materials might not be enough."

Wang Lin waved his hand.

"It's alright, if it's not enough, I'll prepare more. What's a little extra material when we've managed to get Master Xuan to help!"

Just then, the bell in the mission area suddenly rang, its clear sound echoing throughout the entire hall.

"Mission No. 27 (Category C) is complete. The issuer should proceed to Room No. 3 to collect the item."

Wang Lin was stunned for a moment, then overjoyed.

"So fast?!"

Amidst the envious gazes of the crowd, he rushed towards the third secret chamber. Inside, Yun Que had been waiting for a long time. Upon seeing him enter, she nodded and placed a jade box on the table.

"Please inspect."

Wang Lin eagerly opened the jade box.

A long sword, entirely blue-green in color, lay there, its blade swirling with spiritual patterns, as if a gentle breeze were swirling around it.

He carefully picked up the spirit sword and channeled his spiritual power into it.

"Buzz."

The sword trembled slightly, and a streak of cyan sword energy shot out, leaving a deep mark on the specially made testing stone.

Wang Lin's expression became extremely strange, a mixture of surprise and delight.

"This...this..."

His voice trembled.

"This sharpness is enough to penetrate the defenses of a fourth-tier demonic beast!"

The lark wore a smile.

"Master Xuan has raised the bar from the original requirements. If there are no issues, please sign to confirm."

Wang Lin hurriedly signed the papers, paid the payment, and then clutched the jade box to his chest as if it were a priceless treasure. As he left the secret room, an expression of disbelief still lingered on his face.

"How about it?"

The cultivators who had been waiting for a long time gathered around.

Wang Lin looked around at everyone.

"Master Xuan's mastery of spirit patterns has exceeded everyone's expectations."

"Tell me more details!"

Someone urged.

Wang Lin shook his head and hugged the jade box tightly.

"With the provincial examinations approaching, I cannot comment further."

After saying that, he pushed through the crowd and hurriedly left.

The mission area immediately erupted in chaos.

"Even Wang Lin, that gossip, is keeping his mouth shut. Looks like we've really struck gold!"

"Just who is Master Xuan? He performed a four-star level task on a two-star mission."

"No, I want to post a mission too!"

In an instant, long queues formed at the task posting area, with many cultivators specifically requesting Master Xuan to take their orders. At the same time, the Spirit Treasure District was plunged into unprecedented chaos.

"Three of Master Xuan's works are available for consignment in Lingbao District!"

Someone shouted, and the crowd immediately turned around and surged towards Lingbao District.

"Line up! Everyone line up!"

Jia Zhen, the head of Lingbao District, shouted hoarsely, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

He waved his arms in vain, unable to stop the frenzied crowd.

"I'll offer eight hundred silver coins for the Snowfall Battle Blade!"

"One thousand! I'll offer one thousand!"

"I'll bid 1200 for the Blood Copper Spear!"

Bidding rallies rose and fell, and the scene completely spiraled out of control.

Jia Zhen was squeezed into a corner, his clothes disheveled, his face filled with despair.

This frenzied bidding ended with astonishing prices: Snowfall Battle Blade for 1300 silver coins, Blood Copper Battle Spear for 1600 silver coins, and Gale Boots for 1000 silver coins.

It's worth noting that the price of a mid-grade human-level spiritual weapon on the market is usually between 200 and 300 silver coins.

The news spread throughout Yanxia City in the blink of an eye.

"Have you heard? The Spirit Pattern Master Commune has produced a Master Xuan!"

"The three magical artifacts sold for nearly four thousand silver coins!"

"It is said that the magical artifacts he forges are comparable in power to low-grade Earth-level weapons!"

In the streets and alleys, in teahouses and taverns, everyone was talking about this mysterious Master Xuan.

His name was shrouded in mystery, and even some established spirit pattern masters began to take an interest in him.

Meanwhile, the instigator of this storm was quietly leaving the Spirit Pattern Master Commune.

"Master Xuan, please wait."

Jiang Xuan paused, turned around and saw Chu Feng quickly chasing after him.

The commune deacon had a broad smile on his face and a shrewd glint in his eyes.

"Both the mission area and the spirit treasure area are in an uproar."

Chu Feng lowered his voice.

"You may not know this, but there are currently at least thirty jobs specifically requesting you to take them."

Jiang Xuan's brows furrowed slightly beneath his mask.

He deliberately changed his voice, making it hoarse.

"Starting tomorrow, we will only accept two orders per day."

Chu Feng's eyes showed disappointment, but he quickly put on a smile again.

"Understood, understood. The master needs rest. By the way..."

He mysteriously took out a small jade box from his pocket.

"This is a small token of the commune's appreciation; thank you for bringing such a lively atmosphere."

Jiang Xuan took the jade box, but did not open it on the spot. He simply nodded and turned to leave.

Back at his residence, Jiang Xuan had just pushed open the door when he met Xue Jin's vertical pupils, which shone with golden light.

"The Master Xuan who's been all the rage in the city, could it be you?"

Snow Gold lay lazily on the windowsill, its tail slapping idly.

Jiang Xuan removed his mask, revealing a slightly tired face.

"The news spread so fast?"

"Ah."

Xue Jin scoffed.

"Right now, everyone in the city is talking about a two-star spirit pattern master who can forge four-star level spiritual artifacts."

It suddenly became serious.

"Kid, you're in trouble."

Jiang Xuan's heart tightened.

"What's the trouble?"

"Your mastery of spirit runes will attract the attention of many powerful forces."

Xue Jin jumped off the windowsill and walked over to Jiang Xuan.

"Whether they want to win you over or get rid of you, they will make you restless and unable to eat or sleep."

Jiang Xuan remained silent for a moment.

"Spirit Pattern Master Commune"

"Don't count on them."

Xue Jin interrupted.

"When faced with sufficiently large interests, no organization can be relied upon."

The room fell into a brief silence.

Jiang Xuan could hear his own heartbeat quickening.

"Then what should I do?"

He finally asked.

Xue Jin's eyes gleamed with cunning.

"A vat of soul-burning liquor every day."

"What?"

"condition."

SnowGold licked its paws.

"Starting tomorrow, you will continue to be Master Xuan; you don't need to worry about anything else."

After saying that, it leaped back into its den and soon began to breathe evenly.

Jiang Xuan stood there stunned for a moment, then realized that Xue Jin was expressing her intention to protect him.

A warm feeling welled up in his heart, and Jiang Xuan said softly.

"Thanks."

There was no response, only soft snoring.

Jiang Xuan shook his head, returned to his room, and began to tally up his gains for the day.

He first opened the jade box given to him by Chu Feng, and his breath hitched. An antique ring lay on a velvet cushion, its face engraved with intricate cloud patterns.

"A miniature Sumeru spirit ring?"

Jiang Xuan carefully picked up the ring and sensed the spatial power contained within it.

Such exquisite treasures are rarely seen even at major auctions. Not only is the interior space enormous, but wearing them can also cleanse the mind, nourish the spirit, and regulate the body's energy.

He immediately bit his fingertip and dripped his blood to acknowledge the master.

As the blood was absorbed, a faint light flashed across the surface of the ring before it returned to normal.

Jiang Xuan probed the space with his divine sense and found that the interior was ten zhang square, dozens of times larger than the storage bag he used before.

"The Spirit Pattern Master Commune has really gone all out this time."

Jiang Xuan muttered to himself.

He carefully examined every detail of the ring to make sure it hadn't been tampered with before transferring all his belongings into it.

Next, he tallied up his earnings for the day. Fifty-four gleaming gold coins were neatly stacked on the table, equivalent to 5400 silver coins.

This is the reward for consigning three magical artifacts and completing two artifact crafting tasks, minus the 10% fee taken by the commune.

"That's enough to sustain me for a while."

Jiang Xuan nodded in satisfaction and put the gold coins into his small Sumeru Spirit Ring.

He took out ten crystal-clear jade tokens, points from the Spirit Pattern Master Guild. Each point could be exchanged for three gold coins, but he didn't intend to do so. Within the guild, treasures redeemed with points were often far more valuable than those that could be bought with gold coins.

After taking inventory, Jiang Xuan sat cross-legged and began his cultivation for the day. The ultimate purpose of earning money was to improve his cultivation, and registration for the provincial examination would begin in a little over ten days; he needed to seize the time to enhance his strength.

On the second floor of the Spirit Pattern Master Commune, in a secret room shrouded by an array, candlelight flickered, illuminating Chu Feng's slightly gloomy face.

Sitting opposite him was a young girl dressed in blue, about seventeen or eighteen years old, with beautiful features but a somewhat cold demeanor.

"Aqing, this time is different."

Chu Feng tapped his fingers lightly on the table, a strange light in his eyes.

"The young man's technique for forging magical artifacts is strikingly similar to that of the legendary craftsmen of yesteryear."

Aqing's slender fingers trembled, causing tiny ripples to spread across the surface of the teacup.

"you sure?"

"That gossipy Wang Lin didn't dare utter a single word today."

Chu Feng's lips curled into a cold smile.

"The only thing that can shut that guy up is something truly awe-inspiring."

Aqing remained silent for a moment, her eyes filled with worry.

"Even if he's exceptionally talented, how can you be sure he'll help us? Such a young prodigy is most vulnerable to being manipulated."

So we have to wait.

Chu Feng stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the brightly lit mission area in the distance.

"Wait until he grows strong enough, until he discovers the truth himself. Then he will understand which side to stand on."

Aqing sighed softly.

"I hope your judgment is correct. What if he finds out in the future that we've been secretly observing him?"

"I will personally confess everything to him."

Chu Feng turned around, his gaze resolute.

"But now, we must protect him. Those old fogies' henchmen are everywhere, once they discover his talent."

Before she could finish speaking, Aqing suddenly raised her hand to interrupt. (End of Chapter)