Chapter 247: Chapter 230: Celestial Cloud Upper Echelons, Part 2

Without a doubt, he could tell that Fang Yun was speaking from the heart.

Moreover, he could see from Fang Yun’s eyes that the other man didn’t look down on him in the slightest.

In this, he was just like Song Qiaoqiao.

However, he knew Song Qiaoqiao was different from Fang Yun. Like him, she had a Supreme Elder for a relative. If she were to look down on him, it would be like looking down on herself.

’Elder Fang and Elder Song seem to have a very good relationship.’

Realizing this, Zheng Xiaotian stopped making such comparisons.

The better part of a day later, inside his cave residence on Artifact Casting Peak, Fang Yun stopped refining and absorbing the Upper Grade Spirit Ascension Pill. He opened the stone door and saw Bai Qinying walking in from outside.

"Junior Brother Fang, how have you been?"

Bai Qinying immediately came to Fang Yun’s side.

"Senior Sister Bai, have you finished gathering all the Spiritual Materials?" Fang Yun asked, looking at her.

After his Artifact Refining talent had upgraded to six stars and he had successfully refined a Lower Grade Spiritual Artifact with special properties against Demons, he had gone to find Bai Qinying. He told her he was now capable of refining the Lower Grade Spiritual Artifact she wanted and asked her for the specifications.

After Bai Qinying stated her general requirements, Fang Yun had told her to prepare the necessary Spiritual Materials and give them to him for refining.

According to their previous agreement, he wouldn’t charge her any fees. She only needed to provide the Spiritual Materials for the refining.

"Yes, I’ve gathered all of them."

As she spoke, Bai Qinying placed a Storage Pouch on the table. It contained all the Spiritual Materials Fang Yun required.

"That was fast." This was quicker than Fang Yun had expected. "I’ll find some time within the next half-month to refine the Lower Grade Spiritual Artifact you need, Senior Sister."

"You’re not going to mention the possibility of failure?"

"Refining for you, Senior Sister, is a guaranteed success."

"You’re the one who said it. If you fail, you’ll have to gather the next batch of Spiritual Materials yourself. I’m washing my hands of it," Bai Qinying said happily.

By now, she had a certain understanding of Artifact Refining.

It was common for Artifact Refiners to fail when refining difficult Spiritual Artifacts.

Refining a Lower Grade Spiritual Artifact designed to counter Demons and possessing no drawbacks was undoubtedly a high-difficulty task.

Forget a Lower Grade Spiritual Artifact—not a single other Artifact Refining Elder in the entire Celestial Cloud Sect, aside from Fang Yun, could even refine an Upper Grade Magical Artifact of this kind.

The disciples might not have known, but she, as an Elder, was privy to the fact that even the Management Elder of Artifact Casting Peak was incapable of refining such an item.

As they chatted, Fang Yun steered the conversation toward the current situation.

Bai Qinying told him everything she knew in response to his questions.

An hour later, their conversation wound down, and not wanting to disturb Fang Yun any further, Bai Qinying took her leave.

She would return in half a month to pick up her Lower Grade Spiritual Artifact.

...

On Artifact Casting Peak, inside the Management Elder’s cave residence, Bai Heyan had come to find Xiong Xingfeng.

"Elder Bai, what brings you here today?"

"Your disciple’s wind," Bai Heyan replied as he walked in. After sitting down, he shook his head slightly. "I’m telling you, Old Ghost Xiong, you really don’t know your own disciple well enough."

"Speak plainly. I don’t want to listen to you beat around the bush."

Xiong Xingfeng gestured for Bai Heyan to get to the point, say what he had to say, and leave quickly.

"I’m sure you don’t know this, but your disciple’s talent in Alchemy has improved even more. He only just refined two batches of Cyan Clarity Pills. Not only did the first batch yield three Lower Grade Cyan Clarity Pills, but the second batch actually produced a Middle Grade one, with the other two pills being Lower Grade."

"Old Ghost Xiong, I’m sure you realize what that implies, don’t you?"

"Of course I do. So what?" Xiong Xingfeng scoffed at Bai Heyan’s words. "My disciple can now refine Lower Grade Spiritual Artifacts meant for fighting Demons."

Bai Heyan was surprised by Xiong Xingfeng’s dismissive attitude.

"Fang Yun’s talent for Artifact Refining is that good too?"

"Why are you so surprised? I’m telling you, Elder Bai, you should consider whose disciple he is. Who else has such a good eye for talent?"

What Fang Yun was demonstrating was exactly what Xiong Xingfeng wanted to see.

As far as Xiong Xingfeng was concerned, it was only natural for his disciple to keep improving.

Was he supposed to get worse instead of better?

"Oh, come on, stop patting yourself on the back. If I had fought you for him back then, it’s not certain who Fang Yun would have chosen as his master."

"The outcome was already set. It would have been useless even if you had competed with me," Xiong Xingfeng said with great confidence.

Seeing Xiong Xingfeng’s smug look, Bai Heyan grew determined to one-up him.

He was determined to win this verbal battle against Xiong Xingfeng today.

If Xiong Xingfeng’s only retort was to keep bringing up the fact that Fang Yun was his disciple, then Bai Heyan would consider it his victory.

...

On Cloud Summit, halfway up the mountain, inside a small conference room.

This was where the high-level meetings of the Celestial Cloud Sect were held. Only the Sect Leader and the Supreme Elders were permitted to sit here.

The Sect Leader of the Celestial Cloud Sect, Duan Qingyun, sat in the central seat.

To his left sat two Supreme Elders, Zhong Yankun and Zheng Wuji.

To his right sat Supreme Elder Wang Lingwei, currently the only female Core Formation Cultivator in the Celestial Cloud Sect.

"Supreme Elders, I’ve called you here today regarding a matter concerning Elder Fang Yun," Sect Leader Duan Qingyun began, glancing at the three Supreme Elders.

Based on appearances, Sect Leader Duan Qingyun seemed to be the youngest of all the Core Formation Cultivators, but in reality, he was the oldest.

In his youth, he had chanced upon a Heaven and Earth Spiritual Object whose power had fixed his appearance, making him look perpetually young. This was a source of great envy for Wang Lingwei.

Duan Qingyun, the eldest among them, was also the only cultivator present who had broken through to the mid-Core Formation Stage.

The person present most likely to be the next to break through to the mid-Core Formation Stage was Zheng Wuji.

"Regarding Fang Yun," Zheng Wuji said, stroking his chin. He couldn’t help but glance at Zhong Yankun beside him.

Wang Lingwei, however, did not seem surprised by the Sect Leader’s words, as if she already knew what this was about.

"Sect Leader, has something happened to Fang Yun?" Zhong Yankun asked.

Before Sect Leader Duan Qingyun could speak, Wang Lingwei smiled at Zhong Yankun.

"Don’t worry, Elder Zhong Taishang. This is good news."

If not for the information she had received from Wan Xuanye, Wang Lingwei wouldn’t have known what the Sect Leader was going to say about Fang Yun.

Hearing that it was good news, Zhong Yankun’s interest was immediately piqued, and he waited for Sect Leader Duan Qingyun to continue.

"According to Elder Bai Heyan’s report, Elder Fang Yun has had a new breakthrough in his understanding of Alchemy. His talent for it has been elevated significantly. In the future, for some of the Third Tier pills we old-timers use, we’ll no longer need to have the Purple Mist Sect refine them for us."

"That is truly good news!" Zheng Wuji exclaimed.

"Sect Leader, you can call yourself an old-timer if you want, but don’t include me. I am not an old-timer," Wang Lingwei retorted.

Although her age was quite advanced for a Core Formation Cultivator, she refused to accept such a label. After all, she certainly didn’t look old.

"That kid, Fang Yun, is impressive. This way, the sect can save a fortune on pill refining fees."

Of the four, Zhong Yankun was undoubtedly the happiest to hear this news. After all, Fang Yun was his choice for a great-grandson-in-law.

This would make the goal he had set for Fang Yun even easier to achieve.

Perhaps with Fang Yun’s help, he might even have a decent chance of breaking through to the mid-Core Formation Stage in the future.

"Elder Fang Yun is excellent in every way, except for his poor Spirit Root Talent."

"Indeed," Zheng Wuji agreed with Duan Qingyun. "For Elder Fang to refine Third Tier pills, he’ll have to at least reach the Late-stage Foundation Establishment."

At this, Zhong Yankun immediately made a proposal.

"I believe the sect should search for a Heaven and Earth Spiritual Object that can cleanse a Spirit Root for Fang Yun. If he can break through to the Core Formation Stage in the future, it would be of immense benefit to our Celestial Cloud Sect."

Zhong Yankun looked first at Duan Qingyun, then at the other two Supreme Elders, before his gaze finally returned to the Sect Leader.

"I know Fang Yun’s character. He won’t let Alchemy or Artifact Refining get in the way of his cultivation. He is personally determined to break through to Core Formation in the future."