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

"Pfft... Master Xun... you've truly become famous throughout the land."

Inside the dark blue bronze chariot, the space was elegant, with the fragrance of incense wafting through the air, isolating it from the noise of the outside world.

As dusk fell, Su leaned lazily against the soft brocade cushions.

She wore a well-tailored, pure black long dress, the hem of which flowed like the night, making her skin appear even whiter than snow.

A playful smile graced her beautiful face, as radiant as a rose. Through the thin blue gauze curtain, she gazed at the still bustling crowd in the square and at the "Snowfall Battle Blade," revered as the ultimate standard by Master Fangyu, displayed on the high-hanging light screen.

Listening to Master Fangyu's almost effusive praise, even bordering on pilgrimage, on the screen, Mu Wansu finally couldn't help but cover her red lips with her slender fingers and let out a low laugh full of teasing.

"Pfft... Exquisite craftsmanship? Unique and original? And profound knowledge and unparalleled skill? This old man... when he starts bragging, he's quite the expert!"

Sitting opposite her was Wang Lin, dressed in a sharp, short outfit, with a calm expression. Upon hearing this, he also revealed a strange look and said in a low voice.

“Miss, Master Fangyu is a leading figure in the spiritual rune arts of Yanxia City. If he praises him so highly, then ‘Master Xun’ must indeed have extraordinary abilities?”

"Special abilities? Of course I do!"

Mu Wansu lowered her hand, her eyes sparkling with a cunning glint in them, as if she had discovered a secret.

"However... if the people of this city knew the true identity of this 'Master Xun' whom he praised to the skies, they would probably be shocked to their very core."

A questioning look appeared in Wang Lin's eyes.

Mu Wansu stretched out her slender fingers and gently touched the image of the Snowfall Battle Blade on the light screen, pausing particularly at an extremely subtle, almost imperceptible mark at the end of the hilt.

"Did you see that small '寻' (xún, meaning 'to seek') brand mark?"

Her lips parted slightly, her voice carrying a hint of mockery.

"This is the unique mark of that 'Master Seeker'."

And this master… is none other than our old acquaintance from Donglin City, the one who struggled to survive in the slums back then, and who received special 'care' from our young master… Jiang Xuan!”

"Jiang Xuan?! It's him?!"

For the first time, Wang Lin's usually composed face revealed undisguised astonishment, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"Miss, you mean... that teenager?! This... how is this possible! How long has it been? He's already managed to forge a magical artifact that even Master Fangyu highly praises? And he's even become some mysterious Master Xun?"

Mu Wansu picked up a cup of tea from the small table next to her, took an elegant sip, and her beautiful eyes sparkled with a complex light.

"Yes, life is unpredictable. Who would have thought that the inconspicuous little boy in Donglin City would, in such a short time, stir up a storm in Yanxia City and make a name for himself as 'Master Xun'?"

She put down her teacup, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the smooth surface of the cup, her tone tinged with a hint of wistfulness.

"Young Master Shi Xuan... truly has keen insight."

He had said long ago that this boy was no ordinary person; given the slightest opportunity, he would unleash a brilliance that would astound everyone. Now it seems the eldest young master was right.

When the eldest son, Shi Xuan, was mentioned, a hint of barely perceptible awe flashed in Mu Wansu's eyes.

Although she harbored resentment towards Jiang Xuan's stubborn and unyielding temper, which repeatedly caused her to run into obstacles, she had to obey Shi Xuan's will.

“Miss, shall we now…” Wang Lin asked tentatively.

"Pretend to be deaf and dumb, and act as if you know nothing."

Mu Wansu's smile faded, and her tone became serious.

"Now, in this Misty Cloud City, besides us, probably no one else knows that the mysterious 'Master Xun' is Jiang Xuan. This identity is his best protection at present, and it is also a situation that the young master is happy to see. We just need to wait and see, and not cause any unnecessary trouble."

She looked at Wang Lin and solemnly gave him instructions.

“Wang Lin, remember this: no matter who asks, we don’t know any Master Xun, let alone have any connection with Jiang Xuan.”

"Yes! I understand!"

Wang Lin solemnly replied.

"Ah."

As dusk fell, Su nodded slightly, her gaze shifting to the window, her thoughts seemingly drifting elsewhere.

"How are the preparations for the centennial celebration of Shidingzhai in Yanxia City going?"

When the topic turned to business, Wang Lin immediately replied.

"Everything is proceeding according to plan, please rest assured, Miss."

"That's good."

A glint of anticipation flashed in Mu Wansu's eyes.

"The young master has really gone all out this time, specially inviting the world-renowned art cultivator, Liu Qingyan, to come and support him."

The music of this Lady Liu is hailed as "heavenly music," capable of cleansing the soul, and is priceless.

Even I'm getting a little impatient to see it for myself.

"Liu Qingyan?"

A hint of longing flashed in Wang Lin's eyes.

"I've heard her whereabouts are unpredictable. Does Miss mean... she's already arrived in Yanxia City ahead of schedule?"

Mu Wansu smiled mysteriously and nodded slightly.

"good.

The eldest son sent a message that Lady Liu had quietly arrived in Yanxia, ​​awaiting the opening of the celebration.

He must be staying somewhere in the city right now.

Her gaze swept across the gradually dispersing crowd in the square once more, as if trying to catch a glimpse of the legendary artist among them.

Meanwhile, on another bustling street.

Young Master Yan'er, dressed in a green robe, walked lightly forward with her maid Ying'er by her side.

Yan'er possesses a gentle and refined temperament, while Ying'er is lively and spirited. The contrast between the two, one quiet and the other active, is quite striking.

“Ying’er, your attitude towards that passing gentleman was far too rude just now.”

Yan'er's voice was gentle, with a hint of reproach.

Ying'er pouted, unconvinced.

"Young Master! I was only doing this for your own good! That fellow clearly doesn't understand ancient laws and spirit flutes, yet he pretended to advise you to find some Master Xun! No matter how skilled Master Xun is, can he compare to the Grandmaster of Spirit Patterns who specializes in researching ancient artifacts at the Imperial Divine Crafts Institute? I think he's just trying to curry favor with you!"

Yan'er shook her head helplessly.

"We met by chance, and they meant well. Besides..." A hint of hesitation flashed in his clear eyes, and his slender fingers unconsciously brushed against the turquoise jade pendant at his waist.

"Restoring the ancient Xun... is ultimately my obsession. Now that I'm in Yanxia City, and have heard of such a master of spirit inscriptions, why not give it a try?"

Ying'er's eyes widened. "Young Master! You...you really want to try? That Master Xun...is he really that amazing?"

Although she was fiercely protective of her master and spoke her mind, she was absolutely obedient to her young master's decisions.

Yan'er smiled gently as she looked at the little maid's expression that seemed to say, "Have you been fooled?"

"Why not give it a try? Success or failure is all up to fate. Ying'er, would you come with me to the Spirit Pattern Master Commune?"

"Okay...okay!"

Although Ying'er still felt it was unreliable, seeing the hope in the young master's eyes, she immediately patted her chest and assured him.

"Wherever the young master goes, Ying'er will go! To protect the young master's safety!"

The master and servant were talking when they turned to head towards the Spirit Pattern Master's Guild.

Suddenly, an old, hoarse voice, yet carrying an undeniable air of authority, rang out beside them.

"Yan'er!"

The sound wasn't loud, but it seemed to have a penetrating power, causing Yan'er and Ying'er to stiffen at the same time.

An old woman with a hunched back, dressed in faded coarse cloth clothes and leaning on an ordinary wooden cane, appeared out of nowhere in the shadows at the street corner.

Her face was etched with deep wrinkles, her eyes were cloudy, and she looked frail and old, as if a gust of wind could blow her over.

But when her cloudy eyes fell on Yan'er, they suddenly became sharp as a hawk's, filled with deep dissatisfaction and worry.

"Grandma..." When Yan'er saw the person coming, a hint of guilt and coquettishness immediately appeared on her handsome face. She quickly went to greet her, affectionately took the old woman's arm, and spoke in a soft and sweet voice.

"Why did you come out? Didn't I say I'd be back soon?"

The old woman gave a heavy snort, and her withered fingers lightly tapped Yan'er's forehead, but the force was perfectly controlled.

"You! You're getting bolder and bolder! This Yanxia City is a mixed bag, do you think you can just wander around like that? What if... what if something happens to you, how am I supposed to explain it?"

Although her tone was stern, her eyes, when looking at Yan'er, were filled with undisguised doting affection.

"Ying'er! How did you take care of the young master?!"

The old woman's gaze shifted and landed on Ying'er. Her sharp eyes instantly made the little maid shrink back, like a frightened quail.

"Forgive me, Mother-in-law! Ying'er knows she was wrong!"

Ying'er quickly lowered her head, her voice becoming much softer, completely losing her previous fierceness.

"Mother-in-law, it has nothing to do with Ying'er. I just wanted to come out for some fresh air."

Yan'er quickly shook the old woman's arm to change the subject.

"Oh, right, Grandma, you've come at the perfect time! I've heard that a very skilled spirit pattern master has appeared in the city, named Master Xun! I'd like to ask him to take a look at my ancient xun; perhaps he can find a way to repair it! Could you please ask him to come over for me?"

"Looking for a master?"

The old woman narrowed her cloudy eyes, scrutinizing the jade pendant at Yan'er's waist, then looked at her young master's expectant eyes, a hint of doubt appearing on her wrinkled face.

"A spirit pattern master from Yanxia City... can repair the ancient spirit flute? Yan'er, don't be so desperate as to try anything."

"Mother-in-law, why don't you give it a try? What if it works?"

Yan'er continued her coquettish offensive, her voice so soft it could melt your heart.

Seeing Yan'er's appearance, the old woman finally softened and sighed helplessly.

"Sigh...you silly girl...alright, alright, this old woman will risk my reputation and go ask for you! But let me make this clear beforehand, if that 'Master Xun' is just a charlatan or asks for an exorbitant amount, you're not allowed to even consider it!"

"Yes, thank you, Grandma! Grandma is the best!"

Yan'er immediately beamed and clung even tighter to the old woman's arm.

The old woman patted her hand affectionately, but a glint of shrewdness flashed in her cloudy eyes as she muttered to herself.

"Seeking a master... Hmph, this old woman wants to see who this is..."

Smoke and Cloud City, Spirit Pattern Master Commune.

Jiang Xuan escaped the "awkwardness" in the square and went straight here.

The guards at the gate clearly recognized him as the representative of "Master Xun" and treated him with exceptional respect, immediately leading him inside.

As soon as I entered the front hall, I saw Chu Feng hurrying out to greet me.

The usually composed commune leader now wore an undisguised mix of excitement and... uncertainty on his face.
"Young Master Jiang! You've finally arrived!"

Chu Feng strode forward, his voice tinged with urgency. He grabbed Jiang Xuan's arm and led him to his secluded reception room, his voice low and filled with disbelief as he walked.

"Are you...are you alright? The news is going viral outside!"

After entering the quiet room and closing the door, Chu Feng finally let out a long sigh of relief, looking at Jiang Xuan with a complicated expression, as if he were getting to know the young man in front of him all over again.

"Master Fang... Master Fang, did you... did you hear what he said on the telepathic screen just now?"

Jiang Xuan sat down in the chair, nodded casually, and spoke in a flat tone.

"heard it."

"Did you hear that?!"

Chu Feng almost jumped up.

"You...you're just going to react like this? Master Fang's evaluation...it's practically heavenly praise! After this incident, Master Xun's name will surely resound throughout Yanxia City and even several surrounding cities!"

He paused, the excitement on his face quickly replaced by deeper surprise and doubt. He leaned closer to Jiang Xuan, his voice low and trembling slightly.

"But...but that's not the point! The point is...Young Master! How...how did you do that?"

Chu Feng's eyes were filled with shock and lingering fear.

"Do you know? The very night after you surrendered your sword... no, the very night you left the commune! Something big happened in the city! More than a dozen powerful families, and supposedly even the top silver-ranked assassins from Tingyu Tower... joined forces to kill a single target! The commotion was terrifying! But what happened? The next day, everything was calm! All the families involved in the operation closed their doors to visitors, remaining completely silent! They didn't dare release a single word! Tingyu Tower even canceled all related missions and paid a penalty for breach of contract!"

He stared intently at Jiang Xuan, as if trying to read something out of his face.

"Young Master! That target... was you? You... not only survived that deadly trap, but you also... made those dozen or so powerful families suffer such a huge loss without daring to utter a single word?! This... this is simply... unbelievable!"

Chu Feng was so excited that he was almost incoherent.

As the head of the Spirit Pattern Masters' Commune, he naturally had access to a wide range of information.

The eerie calm of last night and the unusual reactions of various forces had already reached his ears through various clandestine channels.

Then, considering that Jiang Xuan was the eye of the storm that night, the horror in his heart was indescribable!
A teenager with the cultivation level of the Human Realm, facing such a terrifying encirclement and attack, not only survived, but also made all the forces involved in the encirclement pay a heavy price and fall silent? The power and methods behind this... just thinking about it makes one's scalp crawl!

Jiang Xuan picked up the hot tea that Chu Feng had prepared, gently blew away the foam, and remained calm, as if Chu Feng had only mentioned a trivial matter.

"Manager Chu," he took a sip of tea, looked up at the shocked Chu Feng, and spoke calmly. (End of Chapter)