Mid-June arrived.

Inside Upper-Grade Artifact Refining Room Number One.

"It failed again, as expected."

Fang Yun looked at the failed Upper-Grade Magical Artifact, but there was no sign of disappointment on his face.

This was another one of his attempts, a test to see if the idea in his mind was correct.

Last month, after discovering the unique aspects of his talent, he had gathered materials and begun refining the Upper-Grade Magical Artifact he envisioned. However, the process hadn’t gone as smoothly as he’d hoped. He failed early on, not even managing to complete fifty percent of the refining.

Since the result was different from what he’d expected, he gathered the corresponding materials and began a new attempt.

This was his final test.

"If I want to refine the Upper-Grade Magical Artifact I’ve designed, I first need to be able to flawlessly refine an Upper-Grade Magical Artifact used by Demons. Otherwise, the material combination I have in mind is almost guaranteed to fail."

Fang Yun had already reached a conclusion.

This conclusion was the result of multiple experiments. He could refine Magical Artifacts powered by Demon Power—be they Lower Grade or Middle Grade—with extreme ease. As a result, he had also succeeded in using his unique material combinations to smoothly refine the Magical Artifacts he envisioned at those two grades.

But when it came to Upper Grade, he was currently unable to do so.

This wasn’t related to his Artifact Refining experience, but rather to the star level of his Artifact Refining talent.

’Once my Artifact Refining talent upgrades to five stars, I’ll know if my later speculations are correct.’

Right now, his Artifact Refining talent was still one hundred and thirty-seven fragments short of upgrading from four stars to five.

After a quick cleanup, Fang Yun decided not to continue with Artifact Refining. He left Artifact Casting Peak and headed for Dan Cloud Peak to concoct pills.

...

「Shentong Mountain.」

This was the third most important location for the Foundation Establishment Shen Family.

Under the Shen Family’s arrangements, Yang Yingjie was stationed here as a guardian. By now, he had been on this support mission for over two months.

Yang Yingjie planned to continue this mission until the Shen Family no longer needed support.

’The double pay is really nice.’

DONG—DONG— 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

The sound of a bell rang out, echoing all around. Yang Yingjie immediately stopped his cultivation.

The bell signaled an enemy attack. The Demons of the Stone Demon Sect had arrived.

Yang Yingjie shot into action. To him, an attack from the Stone Demon Sect Demons also meant he could earn extra rewards for killing them.

He would never complain about too many rewards.

This was the territory of the Foundation Establishment Shen Family. Killing Demons here didn’t come with the same concerns as it did in the Celestial Demon Sect’s territory, where he’d have to worry that killing one Demon might draw out others to deal with him, or even lead to the failure of a subsequent mission.

"What’s the situation?"

Yang Yingjie asked a Qi Refining Eighth Layer Shen Family cultivator.

"There aren’t many Demons. They don’t even have a Qi Refining Tenth Layer Stone Demon Sect Elder with them."

"This attacking force is far too weak," Yang Yingjie said, surprised.

This was Shentong Mountain, the Shen Family’s third most important location. There were three Qi Refining Tenth Layer Shen Family cultivators standing guard here, along with a considerable number of late-stage Qi Refining cultivators.

For the Stone Demon Sect to send such a small group of Demons to attack was truly underwhelming.

"Maybe they just want to annoy us," the Qi Refining Eighth Layer Shen Family cultivator said.

As long as Demons were attacking, every Shen Family cultivator on Shentong Mountain had to be on full alert.

At a time like this, it was impossible to cultivate in peace. They had to be constantly on guard for Demon reinforcements.

"If they want to annoy us, they’ll have to leave something behind."

What Yang Yingjie wanted were the Demons’ lives to increase his extra reward.

After getting enough information from the Qi Refining Eighth Layer Shen Family cultivator, Yang Yingjie set off.

At the base of Shentong Mountain, there were many houses. The Shen Family mortals who lived here definitely had cultivators among their immediate relatives.

Yang Yingjie sensed for fluctuations of Demon Power.

According to the information he had received, these Stone Demon Sect Demons had hidden themselves again shortly after being discovered, concealing themselves somewhere near Shentong Mountain.

If they wanted to kill these Demons, they would have to take the initiative and attack.

Besides him venturing out on his own, a small portion of the Shen Family cultivators guarding Shentong Mountain were also searching for traces of the Stone Demon Sect Demons.

The majority of the Shen Family cultivators remained on Shentong Mountain, which was a more prudent defensive strategy.

The current battle between the Shen Family and the Stone Demon Sect consisted entirely of the Shen Family’s cultivators defending. None of them had appeared in the Stone Demon Sect’s territory to take any action.

’Found one!’

The perceptive Yang Yingjie sensed a fluctuation of Demon Power. If his judgment was correct, it was a Stone Demon Sect Demon at the Qi Refining Seventh Layer.

Killing a Stone Demon Sect Demon of this realm would earn him a reward of fifty Lower-Grade Spirit Stones.

Yang Yingjie’s speed suddenly erupted.

In less than three breaths, he saw a Stone Demon Sect Demon.

Just as he had judged, this Stone Demon Sect Demon was at the Qi Refining Seventh Layer.

Without the slightest hesitation, Yang Yingjie sent a Red Spot Long Sword flying from his Storage Pouch, aiming straight for the forehead of the Qi Refining Seventh Layer Stone Demon Sect Demon.

"How could this..."

The Qi Refining Seventh Layer Stone Demon Sect Demon tried to block the sword, but he never expected that his own defenses would be so easily pierced by an Upper-Grade Magical Artifact.

The sword shot straight through the Demon’s forehead.

Yang Yingjie quickly collected the Stone Demon Sect Demon’s corpse and his Storage Pouch, preparing to find his next prey.

Just then, Yang Yingjie’s body stiffened.

His expression changed as he couldn’t help but look to his front right.

In that direction, a Demon’s Demon Power fluctuated, but this Demon Power did not belong to a Qi Refining Stage Demon.

It was... a Foundation Establishment Stage Demon!

"Your senses are quite sharp... you’re not one of the Shen Family’s Spirit Refiners."

The early-stage Foundation Establishment Vice Sect Leader of the Stone Demon Sect no longer concealed himself.

To be able to quickly kill a Qi Refining Seventh Layer disciple of their Stone Demon Sect with a Qi Refining Ninth Layer cultivation... as far as he knew, no Spirit Refiner from the Shen Family at that realm should be capable of this.

It could only be a disciple of the Celestial Cloud Sect.

He had yet to kill a Celestial Cloud Sect disciple. Today, he would finally get his first taste.

"Where do you think you’re running?"

The Stone Demon Sect’s Vice Sect Leader gave chase to Yang Yingjie.

Sensing the Demon Power closing in from behind, Yang Yingjie knew that if he just kept running like this, he would never make it inside Shentong Mountain’s Grand Array.

"Go!"

Without looking back, Yang Yingjie controlled a pale yellow long sword, guiding it toward the location of the Demon Power he sensed.

Faced with the interference of an Upper-Grade Magical Artifact, the Stone Demon Sect’s Vice Sect Leader paid it little mind.

’I’ll just grab the Upper-Grade Magical Artifact and snap it.’

But as he reached out to grab it, before he could destroy the pale yellow long sword...

A powerful fluctuation of Spiritual Power erupted from within the sword.

BOOM!

The explosion caught the Stone Demon Sect’s Vice Sect Leader completely off guard.

"You’re dead!"

The Stone Demon Sect’s Vice Sect Leader roared in fury. The explosion just now had injured him slightly.

Being injured like this by a mere Qi Refining Ninth Layer Spirit Refiner—even if he was a Celestial Cloud Sect disciple—was unacceptable to him.

Yang Yingjie listened to the other’s furious roar. Although he spoke human words, the sound was closer to that of a Demon Beast.

It was like the howl of an enraged Demon Beast.

"Die!"

Seeing that the Celestial Cloud Sect’s Spirit Refiner was about to enter the range of Shentong Mountain’s Defense Array, the Stone Demon Sect’s Vice Sect Leader spat out a mouthful of a red, blood-like substance.

The liquid was thick with Demon Power.

Just as the red liquid was about to hit Yang Yingjie, a jet-black shield appeared behind him.

The red liquid struck the jet-black shield, erupting with a powerful impact.

Yang Yingjie was sent flying. He skidded across the ground for some distance before finally sliding into Shentong Mountain’s Sishui Yuanmu Array.

The deep green barrier opened just in time to let him through.

The Shen Family cultivator controlling the Sishui Yuanmu Array was highly skilled.