"Alright. Once things here are settled, I'll head back to Surging Lake to report." Zhang Jiadi straightened up and looked at Wen Xiu with concern. "You should take care of yourself too, don't overwork."

Wen Xiu laughed and scolded lightly, "They're just trivial matters, and I am an Initiate! How easily do you think I'd get tired? You should head back soon. Qingqing's been getting more naughty lately. Don't let her stir up trouble over at Surging Island."

Qingqing was their daughter. She was four and a half years old, and her full name was Zhang Jingqing. They had originally hoped Luo Chen would name her. However, he remained in seclusion during the first two years and only emerged three years ago. In the end, the couple chose a name themselves. It was simple, but it clearly reflected their respect for Luo Chen[1].

"Hehe, I brought her a little gift. She should be very happy." Zhang Jiadi chuckled, and his smile showed how fond he was of his child.

After parting with his wife, he hurriedly left the shop and flew straight toward the eight-hundred-li Surging Lake. Luo Chen had been crafting artifacts on a large scale and required a lot of raw materials. The Zhang family had benefited from their connection, so it was only right for them to run errands for him.

When he arrived at the newly built Tempest Pavilion outside Surging Lake, a Qi Refinement cultivator stepped forward to greet him. "Greetings, Family Head!"

Zhang Jiadi nodded. This cultivator was one of the rogue cultivators he had recruited over the years as a family retainer. There was no need to pay wages; with cave residences provided, many rogue cultivators were eager for such an opportunity.

His gaze shifted to the area outside the pavilion. A massive creature lay prone on the ground, and a look of surprise crossed his face. "Who is there?"

A magnificent cloud carriage stood nearby, drawn by exotic beasts. It had been parked outside Surging Lake as a sign of respect to its master. The cultivator answered at once, "It's the master of Devil's Cloud Cave."

"The master of Devil's Cloud Cave?" Zhang Jiadi was stunned for a moment, then muttered, "We were just talking about him... Who would've thought he'd come knocking himself? As expected, Senior Azure Yang's reputation has spread widely. He's already secured a place in the Society."

***

On the Surging Island, an old man and a young man sat facing each other. From the smiles that occasionally appeared on their faces, it was clear they were having an enjoyable conversation.

"I went to see your Nine Dragons True Fire Shield. It is truly impressive. The crafting techniques are unlike anything I've ever seen. If the officials hadn't already claimed it, I would've bought it just to study it."

"You flatter me, Cave Master. It's only a top-grade enchanted artifact. When the Dragon Abyss Auction comes around, you can bid for it yourself. A few spirit stones should be nothing to you."

"The cost of a single artifact isn't the issue. But Fellow Daoist Azure Yang, your output is quite high. The impact you're having on the artifact market within the Society involves far more than a trivial amount."

"You're overthinking it. The Society is huge, and Qi Refinement cultivators and Initiates are as numerous as fish in a river. We don't step on each other's toes, and each of us makes his own living. Isn't that for the best?"

"That's fair. No single party should monopolize such a market anyway. Still, I'd like to ask if you plan to enter the enchanted treasure trade in the future."

"Haha, my crafting skills are nowhere near that level. Forget enchanted treasures; I haven't even successfully refined a single supreme-grade artifact yet. You're giving me too much credit."

***

By the shore of Surging Island, Heavenjade's expression turned cold. "Master, he did not come with good intentions!"

Luo Chen waved his hand and narrowed his eyes as he looked in the direction the Devil's Cloud Cave Master had left. "It's fine. He was probably pushed here by someone else. The Society is big, and I'm far from the only one in the artifact market. His visit today was just to test the waters. I deliberately played weak, so he'll think my skills are lacking and won't pay me too much attention for now. Besides, artifact creation is only a small part of what I can do. My sources of income won't be so easily restrained."

Heavenjade nodded. As she spent more time in human form, she had grown used to thinking from a human perspective. Luo Chen's words no longer left her confused as they once did. Now that she thought it through, it was no wonder the master of Devil's Cloud Cave had left in such high spirits. Her master had deliberately shown that he posed no danger. At the same time, his courtesy likely had much to do with Luo Chen's reputation as Devil Lord Azure Yang. Otherwise, a seventh-stage Adept would not have treated someone at the middle stage with such respect.

"How are your injuries? They should be fine now, right?" Luo Chen suddenly asked.

Heavenjade looked at him with gratitude. "Yep, it's all thanks to you! I've long since recovered, and I've also mastered the Heavenspan Wing Codex. My cultivation's been advancing quickly."

Luo Chen nodded slightly. His efforts had not been in vain. Heavenjade possessed a natural wind-element spirit root, and the Heavenspan Wing Codex had been tailored for her. Her rapid progress was only to be expected. Suddenly, his brows arched. "Zhang Jiadi is back. He is probably looking for you. Go."

Heavenjade was startled and released her divine consciousness. After searching for a while, she found no trace of anyone. A chill rose in her heart. Had Luo Chen's divine soul foundation grown stronger again? She had searched deliberately and found nothing, yet he had sensed it without even trying. Could a mid-stage Adept truly possess such a range of perception?

After sending Heavenjade away, Luo Chen remained where he was for a short while before returning to a side hall on the island. The massive Primordial Unity Cauldron stood at the center. Beneath it, blazing flames roared as if they would never be extinguished. As he stood there, he appeared as small as an ant.

He waved his hand, and several streams of light shot out from the cauldron. When the light faded, the items emanating it became visible—swords, sabers, spears, swords, and shields that filled the space, with flying swords being the greatest in number. All of them were supreme-grade enchanted artifacts! If the Devil's Cloud Cave Master had seen this, he would not have left with a smile. This meant that Luo Chen had taken the last step before touching upon the world of enchanted treasures. He was by no means an ordinary artisan stuck with making top-grade artifacts due to a lack of skill!

But when he looked at the quality of this batch of artifacts, he shook his head in dissatisfaction. "In the end, the time was still too short. Even with the system boosting my proficiency, three years wasn't enough for me to refine even a single low-grade enchanted treasure. Now that I think of it, I'm happy I got that old monster to make my cauldron. Those Green Pill Valley people had the cheek to claim that crafting the Primordial Unity Cauldron would be easy... What a load of bullshit."

Luo Chen murmured to himself, then fell silent. The reason he had been crafting artifacts on such a large scale was not to earn spirit stones. If profit had been his goal, the alchemy business alone would have made him immensely rich. In truth, he did it to refine his craft for a greater purpose: to make use of the remains of the Demon Emperor. The artifacts sold through the Azure Yang Shop were nothing more than a way to make use of the excess and recover some funds. As for becoming well-known as an artisan, that was nothing more than a random title assigned to him by mostly irrelevant people.

After a while, he shook his head and laughed at himself. "No, I have to stop being so greedy. Trying to match a century of work for a normal artisan in just three years... I really was too impatient."

He took a deep breath. He waved his hand and extinguished the green flames in the hall, then drew the cauldron back into his body. He closed his eyes, and the scene within his sea of qi came into view. Within the surging sea of fire, a massive bronze basin held countless strands of crimson mana. The cauldron hovered above it, flanked by a pair of wings and a small hammer. High above, a crimson core hung like a blazing sun, radiating brilliant light. Around it, something like a shadow flickered from time to time. Upon closer look, it was not a shadow at all but a flawless white orb that moved like a satellite around the crimson core. The mana within it was just as pure, and its presence felt even more vigorous.

Luo Chen's mana spread outward like ripples on water under his control. The powerful spirit pressure of the fifth stage of Golden Core immediately filled the entire side hall. He slowly opened his eyes and revealed a satisfied expression. Then he manifested his status panel. At once, a curtain of light poured down like a waterfall.

1. Azure Yang is 青阳 (qīng yáng). In the name Zhang Jingqing (张敬青) the 敬 means "respect," while 青 naturally echoes the "azure" part of Luo Chen's title. ☜