Chapter 248: Genius Artificer Fang Hao

Chapter 248: Genius Artificer Fang Hao

Li Xuan looked at the young, chubby boy with a mysterious and sleazy expression on his face, and couldn't help but twitch his mouth. Just looking at his demeanor, one could tell he wasn't selling anything legitimate.

The young chubby boy seemed afraid that Li Xuan wouldn't know who Young Master Shen was, so he added in a low voice, "A first-class young master from the Shen family, Shen Haizhou. Even he praised this treasure!"

Shen Haizhou? Li Xuan raised an eyebrow. Wasn't this the young master from a prestigious family that Xu Yan knew in the Spirit Realm?

Now intrigued, Li Xuan smiled and asked, "Oh? What treasure could impress even Young Master Shen?"

"Brother, come, come, let me show you."

The young chubby boy was overjoyed. With the mention of the Shen family, business was sure to follow!

Li Xuan followed the boy into the shabby shop without any hesitation. "What's your name?" he asked, taking in the disorderly arrangement of forging materials and oddly shaped objects.

"Brother, my name is Fang Hao." As he spoke, Fang Hao closed the door to the shop, explaining, "This treasure needs to be viewed in dim light to truly appreciate it."

He then brought out a box from behind the counter and took out a small box, about a foot long and half a finger thick, with a handle on each side, perfect for gripping with both hands.

Fang Hao pulled out two supports from the back of the box and placed it on the table. With a mysterious and sleazy look, he said, "Brother, pay close attention now. This is a treasure I've meticulously crafted, and even Young Master Shen praised it endlessly." As he spoke, he revealed a jade pendant hanging at his waist. "See this? Young Master Shen gave this to me. Our relationship goes way back."

Li Xuan couldn't help but laugh silently. Fang Hao was clearly afraid that someone would steal his treasure, so he used Shen Haizhou's identity to intimidate others. And from the look of the jade pendant at his waist, it seemed to be a family heirloom.

In the Spirit Realm, where social hierarchy was strictly enforced, Fang Hao's association with Shen Haizhou was indeed enough to deter those with ill intentions.

Li Xuan curiously looked at the box on the table—a square box with a handle on each side and a smooth, mirror-like surface. "This is a treasure?"

He couldn't quite imagine what its function was, though it didn't seem like a weapon.

"Oh, I'd like to see how amazing this treasure is to impress even Young Master Shen." Li Xuan said with a chuckle.

"Just watch, you won't be disappointed," Fang Hao replied with a sleazy smile.

He gripped the handles of the box and channeled his energy into it. Suddenly, the smooth surface of the box began to shine, and a captivating figure appeared on the mirror-like surface.

It was an image of a charming and delicate woman, but what was even more captivating was that the woman in the mirror was completely unclothed.

Li Xuan couldn't help but feel amused by Fang Hao's sleazy expression, and while he had already guessed what the box might do, he still found himself in a state of bemused surprise.

Just when he thought the mirror had revealed its secret, Fang Hao let out a mischievous laugh, and the mirror shone even brighter.

This time, the figure in the mirror moved, and it was now two women, entwined together, their bodies soft and graceful, their poses ever-changing.

Li Xuan was truly surprised this time.

At that moment, he felt like he was watching an erotic film from his past life, except that the figures in the mirror were drawings instead of real people, and there was no sound.

"Well, isn't it a treasure?" Fang Hao asked with a sleazy smile.

In the box, the mirror now displayed two different pairs of entwined women, each pair taking turns to captivate the viewer.

After witnessing Fang Hao's demonstration, Li Xuan realized that the treasure had a limited number of images and movements. It was clearly restricted in some way.

"A flat price of 100,000 spirit crystals," Fang Hao said, his face full of anticipation.

Li Xuan looked at Fang Hao thoughtfully. Was this the genius artificer he sought?

"Did you forge this treasure yourself?" he asked.

"Of course!" Fang Hao boasted. "In the entire Spirit Realm, only I can create something like this. It's a shame that the images are limited, but I plan to improve it."

The more Li Xuan observed, the more he believed that this little fatty had talent. Perhaps the fourth disciple he sought was right before his eyes? But he needed to test him further.

Fang Hao's strength was not impressive; he had only recently entered the Great Master Realm.

For his age and strength, he would be considered a genius among the rogue cultivators.

However, when compared to the spiritual sects and prestigious families, he could only be considered above average.

"Aside from this treasure, do you have any others?" Li Xuan asked.

"What kind of treasure are you looking for?" Fang Hao asked, getting straight to the point.

He pulled out another box from under the counter. Any sale was a good sale, and he had recently purchased a batch of materials that had left him strapped for cash.

Young Master Shen hadn't visited in a while, and Fang Hao had no idea what he was up to. Without that wealthy patron, he struggled to sell his creations.

"Take a look at this," Fang Hao said, taking out a treasure that resembled a pair of binoculars. He put it on and channeled his energy, causing the device to shine brightly and illuminate the dim shop.

"This is a must-have for exploring dark places. Although it consumes a lot of energy, it's still very useful."

Li Xuan couldn't help but smirk. While the device was indeed unique, its high energy consumption made it impractical. Any warrior venturing into dark places would want to maintain their peak condition to deal with potential dangers.

Who would want to continuously drain their energy to produce light, distracting themselves and becoming an easier target?

The device was simply too impractical. Warriors would much prefer using moonlight stones or night pearls for illumination. There was no way this device would sell for a high price, let alone recoup its production cost.

Fang Hao looked a bit embarrassed as he put down the device. "This is just a prototype," he mumbled. "My vision is to have it implanted in the eye, so one could shoot a deadly beam of light with just a glare."

Li Xuan nodded, impressed by Fang Hao's ambition, but the difficulty was clearly beyond the young artificer's capabilities.

Fang Hao then took out a claw-like device and wore it on his hand. As he raised his hand, the claw shone with a brilliant light.

"Scum, behold the claw!"

To Li Xuan's surprise, the claw-like device actually spoke.

"Roar!" Fang Hao waved his hand, and the claw's voice changed to a beastly roar.

"Die!" Finally, a man's angry roar emanated from the claw.

"For now, it can only make these three sounds," Fang Hao explained earnestly. "But when fighting an enemy, it can distract their attention, making it quite practical."

In his original vision, the claw was supposed to produce a magical sound that would strike fear into the hearts of his enemies. However, the finished product could only make sounds without any intimidating effects.

No matter how much he refined it, he couldn't achieve the desired result.

With anticipation, he then asked, "Big brother, which one has caught your eye? I can give you a special discount!"

The more Li Xuan observed, the more he found himself drawn to the young boy, Fang Hao. This chubby little fellow had a mind brimming with innovative ideas and no shortage of talent, making him an ideal candidate for cultivating the unorthodox Martial Way.

"Why do you create these unconventional treasures? They seem somewhat lackluster." Li Xuan inquired with feigned curiosity.

"I find the spirit artifacts in the Spirit Realm uninspiring, and my dream is to become the foremost artificer family, the number one artificer family in the Spirit Realm," Fang Hao stated with determination. "Only by surpassing everyone else and creating new and unprecedented artifacts can I achieve this goal."

"How does a rogue cultivator plan to establish a family legacy?" Li Xuan asked with a smile.

"I know it's difficult, but if I don't give it my all, how can I be content?" Fang Hao replied earnestly.

"Did your family pass down the art of artifact forging?" Li Xuan asked, his curiosity piqued.

"No," Fang Hao shook his head. "My father wasn't very strong. He had just entered the Great Master Realm when he died unexpectedly. I believe my talent in martial arts is mediocre, so I chose to focus on artifact forging instead. I purchased the basic techniques, but I've been self-studying and refining my skills, and now I dare boast that no one in the entire Zheng Nation understands artifact forging better than I do!"

Li Xuan was increasingly pleased with Fang Hao, who indeed possessed remarkable unorthodox talent. He felt that the time had come for his unorthodox Martial Way to make its mark upon the world.

Li Xuan continued to ask Fang Hao a series of questions, to which the young artificer eagerly responded. Eventually, Fang Hao led Li Xuan to the backyard of the shop, a space he had rented.

The front of the property served as the shop, while the backyard provided a workspace for Fang Hao's artifact forging endeavors. In the yard, there stood a forging platform surrounded by an array of various artifact-forging materials. Next to the platform was a life-sized iron-clad puppet.

"This is the war puppet that I've been meticulously refining," Fang Hao explained, a hint of embarrassment in his voice. "However, it currently has significant limitations and cannot fight independently. It requires my input of martial energy to control it, which makes it rather underwhelming."

"But I've come up with a solution to this problem," he continued excitedly, his eyes shining with enthusiasm. "Though it may take a long time to test if it works."

Li Xuan was genuinely surprised by Fang Hao's talent. Even the creation of a combat puppet was within his capabilities.

Li Xuan infused a wisp of divine sense into the war puppet, causing it to come to life. It raised its hand and brandished a war blade, executing a series of slashes—straight, horizontal, and diagonal—repeating these few moves over and over.

It was indeed underwhelming.

However, in the context of the Spirit Realm, it was a groundbreaking innovation.

Fang Hao's face wore a look of embarrassment as he explained, "I want the war puppet to have more autonomous combat capabilities, but it seems incredibly difficult to achieve."

"Didn't you just say that you've found a solution?" Li Xuan inquired, withdrawing his divine sense and smiling.

"Yes, but it's challenging," Fang Hao sighed.

He then shared his proposed solution. "You know about the corpse demons, right? They're formed in special places over a long period. I'm thinking of placing the war puppet in such a location to nurture it. I've already found a unique spot and buried a war puppet there, but it will take a long time to see if it works."

This idea had come to him after learning about the transformation of the Green Sky Flood Dragon into a corpse demon.

However, the birth of a corpse demon required centuries, millennia, or even longer.

It would be a significant amount of time before he could determine if his plan was feasible.

Moreover, even if it worked, the incubation period for the war puppet would be excessively long, and there was no guarantee that the resulting combat power would be substantial.

It seemed like a futile endeavor.

This was the source of Fang Hao's despondency.

"I'll take this war puppet," Li Xuan said, deep in thought. "I have something I'd like to ask you to refine. If you succeed, it means that you and I are destined to cross paths. I will then bestow upon you a grand opportunity."

After a moment's contemplation, Li Xuan spoke, a smile playing on his lips.

"This war puppet isn't cheap, you know. The materials alone cost me..." Fang Hao's eyes lit up as he eagerly began to explain the expenses.

Li Xuan produced several spirit tickets—currency issued by the four supreme spirit sects of the Spirit Realm—which he had obtained from Dai Jia through Xu Yan.

"Here's 500,000 spirit crystals," he said.

"Big brother, the war puppet is yours, and I'll throw in the Spring Mirror as well!" Fang Hao exclaimed excitedly.

Li Xuan twitched his lips. That Spring Mirror, as he suspected, was not something he wanted.

"Keep that item for yourself," he said, shaking his head.

Fang Hao chuckled and quickly asked, "Big brother, what do you want me to refine? I'll definitely make it for you!"

Li Xuan took out a formation map—the smallest, most basic, and simplest one among the formation maps he possessed.

"Do you see this map?" Li Xuan asked. "All you need to do is infuse this formation into an artifact. It doesn't matter what artifact you use, how you do it, or how you arrange the formation's patterns.

"Just infuse the formation into the artifact and decipher its mysteries. If you can do this, it means that you and I are destined to be connected."

This was a test. If Fang Hao could accomplish this task, it would prove that he indeed possessed unorthodox talent, and he would become Li Xuan's fourth disciple.

Fang Hao studied the formation map in his hands, his eyes gleaming with fascination. His intuition told him that if he could unravel its secrets, it would open up a whole new world of possibilities.

"Rest assured, big brother, I will definitely succeed!" Fang Hao declared, his chest puffed out with confidence.

"Good," Li Xuan nodded. "Here's 100,000 spirit tickets as a deposit so you can purchase the necessary materials."

Li Xuan produced another 100,000 spirit tickets.

"Thank you, big brother! You're such a good person, just like Young Master Shen, so generous!" Fang Hao's excitement knew no bounds.

In addition to Young Master Shen, he would now have another steady, wealthy client?

He wouldn't have to worry about lacking spirit crystals to purchase materials for his research anymore.

"The opportunity to change your destiny is right before you, little fatty. Seize it!" Li Xuan laughed heartily and patted Fang Hao's shoulder.

"I'll come by again in a few days," he said, summoning the war puppet into his palm and disappearing from the yard in an instant.

Li Xuan was in high spirits, finally having found a talented candidate for his fourth disciple.

"I hope he passes the test," he thought to himself.

After their conversation, Li Xuan had grown to appreciate Fang Hao's character and ambition. The young artificer had a strong work ethic, dreams, and the focus to cultivate the unorthodox Martial Way and delve into unorthodox techniques.

After Li Xuan left, Fang Hao stared at the formation map in his hands, his eyes gleaming with fascination. The more he examined it, the more he felt that he had stumbled upon something extraordinary.

"If I can understand this and create the artifact that Big Brother needs, it will be incredible!" Fang Hao muttered, his eyes shining with determination.

Suddenly, he paused, struck by a realization.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end