Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension Chapter 1502 - 813: Artifact Refining Master, Main Family Envoys, and the Land of Self-Forgetfulness

Spanning thousands of miles across its vast expanse, Thousand Island Lake boasts countless islands both grand and modest, though the ones that truly stand out are Divine Light Island, Qianxing Island, and Wohu Island.

In contrast to the other two, which are guarded by Golden Core Masters, Divine Light Island thrives as the liveliest region in all of Thousand Island Lake, doubling as the central stronghold for loose cultivators.

On one particular day, a brilliant ray of light shot in from beyond the island's borders and touched down right before a towering six-story structure. When the radiance faded away, it exposed an elder with flowing white brows, piercing eyes like sharpened blades, and an imposing aura, dressed in flowing purple robes.

This figure was none other than Zhao Sheng in his clever disguise.

After casting a quick look at the gleaming gold plaque reading Treasure Pavilion, Zhao Sheng strode through the entrance.

No sooner had he crossed the threshold than the attendant in green robes hurried over with a warm smile, only to halt at the sight of a striking red gold token.

The attendant's eyes widened in surprise at first, but he soon bent low in deep respect, "I am Ma Liu, greetings to Master Shaoling."

Zhao Sheng tucked the red gold token away and spoke in a cool tone, "Bring me to your Pavilion Master."

"Of course, right away, please have a seat inside. I'll go notify the Pavilion Master without delay." The green-robed attendant kept bowing and gave a subtle nod to his fellow worker.

The other attendant in green caught the signal and dashed off toward the inner chambers without hesitation.

It wasn't long before Zhao Sheng found himself seated across from a stately middle-aged man clad in golden robes, the two divided by a fine jade table in an elegant, roomy parlor.

This golden-robed middle-aged man served as the Pavilion Master of Treasure Pavilion, his true identity a mystery, his cultivation level evidently surpassing Foundation Establishment. Among the folks of Thousand Island Lake, he's simply called "Master Qi."

Once they'd savored some tea and shared light chit-chat, Zhao Sheng drew two plain jade boxes from his sleeve and flung them lightly onto the opposite jade table.

"Master Qi, I've got two freshly forged spiritual artifacts here. Why not inspect them and offer a rough estimate of their worth?"

A flicker of excitement crossed the golden-robed man's face at those words, and he swiftly lifted the jade boxes. Flipping open the covers, he peered within and broke into a wide grin of delight.

One box held a minuscule transparent sword, barely an inch in length, as clear and lustrous as fine jade. Its blade shimmered with a chilling glow, reminiscent of still autumn waters brimming with vibrant spiritual energy.

The second box cradled a duo of azure feather wings, intricate and flawless, every single feather rendered with stunning clarity.

Zhao Sheng explained, "The sword goes by the name Autumn Water Sword, and the wings are known as Floating Cloud Wings—both rank as top-grade spiritual artifacts. Master Qi, go ahead and test them out."

Hearing that, Master Qi snatched up the Floating Cloud Wings with keen interest. As he scrutinized them intently, he channeled his divine sense right into their core.

Shortly after, he set the spirit wings aside and reached for the Autumn Water Sword. The instant he infused it with spiritual power, a crisp, icy sword hum rang out. The Autumn Water Sword launched skyward, morphing into a flashing beam that whipped around the hall thrice in a blink, trailing lingering sword glow and scattering flakes of frosty snow everywhere.

Joy lit up Master Qi's features as he exclaimed again and again, "Incredible, incredible! Daoist Shaoling, you're a true master of artifact forging in this era, crafting such brilliant top-grade sword treasures. And those Floating Cloud Wings? They're one-of-a-kind creations, utterly scarce. Even at the yearly Treasure Auction, they'd steal the spotlight as the grand finale."

Shifting his manner, he added, "Daoist Shaoling, I've got a favor to ask—if it's no trouble, might these two items go up for auction at the gathering three months from now? With every cultivator in attendance, they'd command an even steeper price."

Zhao Sheng dismissed it with a casual wave, "Fine by me, as you suggest, Master. That said... have you gathered the materials I requested?"

Master Qi beamed with relief and promptly fished out a storage bag, sliding it across.

With a flick of his wrist, Zhao Sheng called the storage bag to him, probed it with his divine sense, and soon wore a pleased look.

"You might not realize, Fellow Daoist, but this... Sumeru Stone is incredibly rare. I went to great lengths just to secure a chunk the size of a hen's egg. Top-grade spirit stones, on the other hand, are a dime a dozen. This round, I've managed to get three pieces, carrying Wood, Gold, and Earth attributes respectively." Master Qi elaborated, a touch of jealousy gleaming in his gaze.

Zhao Sheng stowed the storage bag and stated gravely, "As we settled earlier, each top-grade spirit stone I receive means one free refining service from me. So, what spiritual artifact are you looking to have made this time?"

The core deal was at hand!

Composing himself, Master Qi produced yet another storage bag from his sleeve and handed it over with care.

"I need your expertise, Master Shaoling. For this batch, the spiritual artifacts in question are the Xuanyuan Heavy Water Banner and a Water Element Sword Pill. I've assembled all the required heavenly materials and earthly treasures, with full duplicates for two attempts. Should you succeed in the forging, the leftover materials become your bonus. Still, my clan has one humble plea: the resulting spiritual artifacts ought to reach at least top-grade quality..."

Zhao Sheng accepted the storage bag, examined its contents, and gave an approving nod, replying, "That refining demand isn't challenging in the least. We'll stick to our usual terms this go-around—is the Earth Fire Room set up? I'll require it for three full months."

Master Qi, brimming with enthusiasm, assured him, "No worries at all, Fellow Daoist! The finest Earth Fire Room awaits you. Throughout the forging process, I vow no interruptions will mar your work."

"Very well, then I'll get ready to start the refining." Saying so, Zhao Sheng secured the storage bag and rose, offering a cupped-fist salute to his host.

Master Qi jumped to his feet and mirrored the gesture promptly.

...

Meanwhile, as Zhao Sheng assumed the guise of Master Shaoling and immersed himself in forging within the Earth Fire Room.

Ten days passed, and by the banks of Seven Star Lake, a spirit boat stretching three zhang glided lazily along. Aboard it, a weathered fisherman with sun-darkened skin and a sour scowl clutched a wide wooden tub, dumping heaps of pale golden dust into the waters.

The dust gathered into lumps upon contact with the moisture, releasing a potent, intoxicating wine scent.

No sooner did the dust hit the lake than its serene surface bubbled fiercely, sprays shooting up as plump white carp burst from the depths, jostling wildly to snap up the descending flakes.