Immortality Begins With The Alchemical Master Chapter 618: Master's Fame Spreads, Old Acquaintance Arrives - Novel Cool

Chapter 618: Master's Fame Spreads, Old Acquaintance Arrives

Chapter 618: Master's Fame Spreads, Old Acquaintance Arrives

Despite the damage, Dragon Abyss Immortal City remained vast in size.

Within its boundaries, there was a mountain with a Taoist temple, rumored to be the cultivation place of Long Yuan True Man.

At the foot of the mountain, a continuous stretch of newly constructed palaces stood.

The headquarters of the Demon Hunter Bureau was located here.

However, as the Long Yuan Auction approached, the Demon Hunter Bureau was no longer the main attraction.

The real star of the city was now the deputy city lord, Master Huofang.

He was a highly accomplished cultivator, one of the few Ninth Level Golden Core experts in the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly, on par with the three Eight-star Demon Hunters of the Demon Hunter Bureau.

At this moment, Master Huofang sat at the head of the hall, listening to the reports on the auction preparations from the people below.

One by one, several individuals entered the hall.

When a young woman in a purple palace skirt walked in, Master Huofang stood up.

"Greetings, Daoist Friend Zi Hou."

Zi Hou smiled coyly, her beauty seemingly adding a special glow to the simple palace.

"The resources collected by the Demon Hunter Bureau have been delivered. They were carefully selected by the Bureau, and I assure you, Deputy City Lord Huofang, they won't disappoint."

Master Huofang nodded in satisfaction and then said, "How have you been considering that matter? Among the many talented individuals in the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly, only someone with your beauty, cultivation, and eloquence can take on that position."

"Haha, it's just a role as an auctioneer. Deputy City Lord, you're too good at flattering people." Zi Hou covered her mouth and laughed, readily accepting the offer.

For an auction of this scale, the chosen auctioneer must be exceptional.

They should either be a renowned appraiser or a high-level cultivator with extensive knowledge.

Master Huofang's choice of Zi Hou was undoubtedly the best decision.

Having accepted the task, she must perform it to perfection.

Zi Hou immediately requested the auction list from Master Huofang. She needed to familiarize herself with the details of the auction items to prepare her introduction during the auction and think of ways to increase prices and create a lively atmosphere.

The order of items on the auction list was only a rough draft, and Zi Hou had to plan it carefully. She couldn't allow valuable items to appear too early, leading to a dull atmosphere later, nor could she make the beginning too boring. Some good items were needed to capture the attendees' interest.

When Zi Hou's gaze fell upon the name of a magical treasure, her expression changed.

"Nine Dragon True Fire Shield?"

Master Huofang, busy nearby, overheard and casually replied, "It's a Superior Treasure sold in a miscellaneous goods store in the city. One of the deacons happened to pass by and found it interesting, so he included it in this auction. I remember the store is called Sunyang Shop, seemingly just a Foundation Establishment family's business, but in reality, it's a means for a Core Formation Artifact Forger to amass wealth. What was his name again? Qingyangzi, Luo Hai..."

As he spoke, Master Huofang paused.

"Zi Hou, does this person have a grudge against you? Should I remove this item from the auction?"

It was a minor matter, not even worth the effort of raising a hand, and he was happy to do Zi Hou a favor.

However, to his surprise, Zi Hou shook her head.

"It's just a Superior Treasure. There's no need to make things difficult for others over such a matter. Moreover..."

She spoke with grace, "Qingyangzi doesn't really have a grudge against me. It's just some entanglement between him and a junior."

Seeing this, Master Huofang nodded.

Loose cultivators were known for seeking revenge, but only when their personal interests were involved.

Most of the time, they adhered to the principle of taking a step back for a broader perspective, fostering harmonious relationships. Conflicts between juniors and seniors didn't escalate as they did in large sects and families.

Scenes of retaliations and escalating conflicts were rare in the loose cultivator world.

For loose cultivators, especially high-level ones, the concept of family ties was somewhat distant.

Just as they were about to set aside the matter and continue their tasks, hurried footsteps echoed from outside the hall.

Soon, a Foundation Establishment deacon entered, his face filled with excitement.

"Deputy City Lord, I've found another treasure!"

"What treasure has you so excited?"

"A water-attributed magical treasure."

"Oh, let me see it!"

Magical treasures were valuable, but their worth depended on the person possessing them.

Cultivators at the Golden Core stage like them often had one or two magical treasures. Especially in preparation for the Nascent Soul stage tribulation, every Golden Core cultivator would spare no expense to forge a destiny magical treasure that resonated with them.

Master Huofang wasn't particularly interested in ordinary magical treasures.

However, when the blue armor fragment landed in his hand, his expression changed.

Caught between surprise and doubt, he infused it with spiritual power, and a blue armor appeared before his eyes, adorned with flowing water patterns.

"Hmm, is this a pure defensive magical treasure?"

Zi Hou, standing beside him, showed a look of astonishment at this sight.

"This is an excellent item. Who would be willing to sell it?"

In the cultivation world, offensive magical treasures were common, as long as one had suitable materials and a skilled forger.

Even unique and unconventional magical treasures were not uncommon.

But solely defensive magical treasures were extremely rare.

Firstly, this was due to the importance of defensive magical treasures in protecting cultivators.

Secondly, and more importantly, the difficulty of forging defensive magical treasures was incredibly high!

The latter was the primary reason.

Destruction was always simpler than creation, and similarly, defense was more challenging than offense.

In forging, offensive weapons only needed to focus on increasing lethality, ensuring they could harm enemies.

Even if these weapons had drawbacks and side effects when used, as long as they could inflict damage, they were considered effective.

However, defensive weapons were different.

They had to be forged without any obvious weaknesses, ensuring that enemies couldn't easily find and exploit flaws during combat.

Imagine the terror of a cultivator's trusted defensive treasure being exploited at a critical moment, turning their once-safe area into a fatal weakness.

Therefore, forging defensive magical treasures was an extremely challenging task.

The requirements for crafting such artifacts are stringent, from the selection of materials to the refining techniques and the compatibility of the engraved formations.

These demands lead to an extremely high failure rate and high production costs for defensive artifacts.

Even renowned forge masters, after crafting some representative defensive artifacts, rarely take on the task of refining purely defensive artifacts.

They prefer to create so-called "dual-purpose" weapons that serve both offensive and defensive purposes.

However, intelligent individuals quickly realize that having both offensive and defensive capabilities means there are weaknesses in both aspects, making pure defensive artifacts more desirable.

But these smart individuals have no other choice and often have to accept the status quo.

For various reasons, the cultivation world has an abundance of artifacts, but pure defensive artifacts are extremely rare.

Now, someone is willing to auction off such a precious treasure?

Even though it is only of low-grade quality, it still seems quite extravagant.

Huo Fang naturally understood the underlying logic and turned to look at the Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

"Who submitted this? Are there any additional conditions for the transaction?"

The Foundation Establishment Cultivator replied without hesitation, "This treasure was submitted by Zhang Jiadi from Qing Yang Store, and there are no additional conditions for the transaction."

Qing Yang Store!

Huo Fang instinctively glanced at Empress Zi, and they exchanged knowing looks.

Earlier, they had discussed this very store and its owner.

Could it be that this treasure belongs to Qingyangzi?

"I remember now. Zhang Jiadi specifically mentioned that when auctioning this treasure, he wanted to promote the reputation of its creator."

"Who?"

"The forge master Qingyangzi!"

Empress Zi's expression became more intriguing at this revelation.

This treasure didn't belong to Qingyangzi but was crafted by him personally!

To be able to refine a purely defensive artifact is no small feat, and the title of forge master is well-deserved. Even the most renowned forge master in the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly, Master Mo Yun, hasn't personally crafted such artifacts in many years.

Is Qingyangzi now on par with Master Mo Yun?

If that's the case, she would have definitely stopped Huang Fu Song from provoking him.

A master-level figure like Qingyangzi, with his reputation, would attract countless people willing to have custom-made defensive artifacts crafted for them.

How could Huang Fu Song's small team compare to Qingyangzi's influence and appeal?

It's clear that Qingyangzi is using the Long Yuan Auction to establish his name, possibly to prevent such provocations in the future.

"Should I take the initiative to visit and offer an explanation for the previous incident?"

"Qingyangzi left room for reconciliation, indicating he doesn't want to offend me excessively."

"However, going there like this might be a bit of a loss of face."

Just as Empress Zi's expression shifted between uncertainty and determination, a rumbling sound came from the side.

It was Huo Fang testing the power of the Mysterious Azure Armor.

After a while, Huo Fang stopped his actions and revealed a satisfied look.

"It's indeed the purest water-type defensive artifact, with a strong suppression effect against fire-type attacks. Additionally, it has a dual-layer design, with an inner armor and a spirit armor, which can also withstand physical attacks."

"In terms of power, when fully activated, it should be able to withstand a full-power strike from an early-stage Golden Core cultivator without damage, and it's also effective against mid-stage Golden Core cultivators' attacks. However, for us, Great Cultivators, it's not much of an obstacle."

"Lastly, this treasure's spirit energy consumption is a bit beyond my expectations, and it even seems like a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator could activate it."

After this assessment, Huo Fang couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

"Qingyangzi's forging skills are impressive. I haven't seen such a high-quality low-grade defensive artifact in years."

"This treasure should be included in the Long Yuan Auction, preferably at the beginning, to pique the interest of both Foundation Establishment and Golden Core cultivators."

"I agree with Qingyangzi's conditions."

Without further ado, Vice City Master Huo Fang made the decision.

This time, he didn't seek Empress Zi's opinion, seemingly forgetting that he had mentioned her grudge with Qingyangzi earlier.

Clearly, personal relationships cannot overshadow the importance of the Long Yuan Auction!

Empress Zi silently observed this scene, refraining from voicing any objections.

But in her heart, she had already made a plan.

She must go to Peng Lake, and not just to observe from the outside as she did before, but to enter personally.

...

The Long Yuan Auction, a rare event in the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly, attracted countless cultivators.

Among them were loose cultivators seeking resources and cultivators from nearby sects and families near Shen Yuan City.

The former came to acquire resources, while the latter aimed to broaden their horizons and look for items that caught their eye.

The auction lasted for two days, a duration that was neither too long nor too short, but enough to liven up the Long Yuan Immortal City.

During the event, the name of a forge master quickly rose to fame, starting from a small circle and then skyrocketing to widespread recognition.

Qingyangzi, the master of Peng Lake, could refine low-grade defensive artifacts!

Many cultivators, after the auction ended, attempted to visit Qingyangzi on Peng Lake, but they were all blocked by formations.

Undeterred by this setback, they flocked to Qing Yang Store, Qingyangzi's business in Long Yuan Immortal City.

Although there were no defensive artifacts for sale, much to the disappointment of the Golden Core cultivators, the store offered high-quality artifacts and a large collection of talismans, delighting the Foundation Establishment cultivators.

They eagerly purchased these items, causing Zhang Jiadi's Daoist companion, Wen Xiu, to raise the prices.

Even then, the demand exceeded the supply.

While the loose cultivators couldn't afford the high prices, the cultivators from Shen Yuan City had ample resources.

Upon realizing the quality of the artifacts and talismans, they didn't hesitate to spend their spirit stones.

This bustling scene attracted attention to the street where Qing Yang Store was located, and even the nearby shops benefited from the increased foot traffic.

The other resources that the Zhang family sold in the store also enjoyed brisk sales.

Inside the small store.

A group of cultivators stared at the empty artifact shelves, voicing their dissatisfaction.

Then, a female cultivator appeared.

Wen Xiu's expression was slightly tense, but his tone remained calm.

"Everyone, there's no need to worry. Master Qingyangzi will occasionally bring his creations to our shop for consignment, and there will be even better weapons in the future."

"As long as you have time, you can come to the shop and take a look. You might just get lucky."

"Besides, all the other goods in our shop are of guaranteed quality. You won't be cheated or scammed."

With these words, the frenzy caused by the auction gradually subsided.

However, it was foreseeable that after establishing their reputation, Qing Yang Shop's business would undoubtedly thrive.

Outside the shop, two cultivators witnessed this scene, one with a gloomy expression and the other with a sense of schadenfreude.

"Master Mo Yun, I wasn't lying to you before!"

Facing Huang Fu Song's ridicule, Master Mo Yun's expression darkened. He admitted that he had misjudged the situation.

He never expected Qingyangzi to be capable of refining artifacts.

But in front of Huang Fu Song, he had to maintain his stance.

"It's just a fluke, and he's showing off. I don't believe Qingyangzi will be able to refine defensive artifacts in the future!"

Huang Fu Song blinked, "What if he really does refine one?"

Master Mo Yun let out a cold laugh, "Would he be willing to sell it in a small shop like this? We Array Masters, when refining defensive artifacts, face high costs and risks. Unless it's a custom order with provided materials and a guarantee against losses in case of failure, we would never start the furnace lightly. Qingyangzi must be crazy to sell a meticulously crafted defensive artifact in a mere small shop."

Huang Fu Song was speechless for a moment, but he scoffed inwardly.

Master Mo Yun's words were as stubborn as a dead duck, and he couldn't help but acknowledge Qingyangzi's forging skills.

Master Mo Yun glanced disdainfully at Huang Fu Song, "Don't even think about causing trouble. My Mo Yun Cave specializes in offensive artifacts. Qingyangzi hasn't provoked me yet, so I won't take action against him for you. Besides, you've already found a new place for your spirit land. Why are you still coveting the Peng Island spirit land?"

Huang Fu Song's face turned red with embarrassment as his intentions were exposed.

He opened his mouth to speak but could only manage to utter a single sentence.

"I didn't mean it that way, I was just concerned for a fellow cultivator."

"Fine, I understand your intentions, but I'm very busy lately, so please don't disturb me again."

With that, Master Mo Yun left with a wave of his sleeve.

Huang Fu Song clenched his fists, his face filled with reluctance.

If Luo Chen were here, he would probably shake his head again.

It was hard to imagine how much resources such a person had wasted to forcibly reach the late Golden Core stage.

...

As evening approached, Master Mo Yun returned to Mo Yun Cave.

Back home, a look of confusion appeared on his face.

"This shouldn't be!"

"During our last exchange, Qingyangzi clearly hadn't reached the level of refining artifacts. How could he have succeeded in just one year, and with a purely defensive artifact?"

His muttering received a response.

"Perhaps, he truly is a forging genius?"

Master Mo Yun turned to look at a gigantic figure with a weary expression.

The figure was gigantic due to his extremely obese physique, as if oil would drip from his body.

However, his face was slender, with a prominent hooked nose, contrasting sharply with his body.

This unique physique would be instantly recognizable to Luo Chen.

It was none other than the loose cultivator, Dan Yi, who had traded the Soul Nourishing Wood with him on Cold Light Island!

"Daoist Friend Ding, I thought I asked you to watch the furnace? That treasure is related to your life, and any mistake is unacceptable."

Dan Yi perked up, waving his hand, "It's fine, I can feel that it's almost done. Otherwise, you wouldn't have put aside your forging matters and rushed out like this, right?"

Master Mo Yun was speechless; the other party was indeed correct.

In the initial forging process, he took the lead.

But in the latter part, the artifact's owner, Dan Yi, would take over.

Since Dan Yi felt it was almost complete, it was most likely true.

However, to be safe, Master Mo Yun reminded him.

"The Live-refined Zhu Yuan Beast will be integrated into the Treasure Basin Fish. The previous steps are not crucial; the crucial part is the nourishment process. It's not something that can be rushed in a day or two. I estimate it will take at least ten years. During this time, there must be no mistakes, Daoist Friend Ding, you must be vigilant."

Dan Yi nodded, as this matter was of great importance to him, and he wouldn't neglect it.

However, at the moment, he became even more curious about the Qingyangzi that Master Mo Yun had mentioned earlier.

"That Qingyangzi, his Dao name is somewhat similar to a powerful demon cultivator I know."

"Who is it?"

"Sunyang Demon Lord."

"Er... I won't hide it from you, that person is indeed Sunyang Demon Lord."

Dan Yi's small eyes narrowed, and his expression became more animated.

"I never expected him to be here at the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly. I should take the opportunity to pay him a visit."

Master Mo Yun waved his hand dismissively.

"Don't even think about it. He's in seclusion and won't see anyone. Even one of the three Eight-star Demon Hunters from the Demon Hunter Bureau, Empress Zi, personally visited, but she was turned away at the door."

Dan Yi was taken aback.

Was he that arrogant?

He seemed different from the person he met on Cold Light Island.

However, at that time, Sunyang Demon Lord had disguised himself, and his true strength was only revealed during the battle on Cold Light Island.

Thinking of Sunyang Demon Lord's prowess, Dan Yi's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Mo Yun is not weak, but his true expertise lies in forging. To go there, his strength might be lacking."

"Compared to Sunyang Demon Lord, his cultivation might be a bit lower, but his actual combat strength is widely acknowledged as formidable."

"With his assistance, my chances of success might be higher."

"Should I have a chat with him?"

For a moment, the fat cultivator's mind was filled with considerations, especially the rumors about Sunyang Demon Lord that kept surfacing in his mind.

Finally, he seemed to have made a decision.

(End of Chapter)

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