Steady Cultivation: Starting With the Perk “Work Hard, Rest Hard” Chapter 599: The Turmoil at the Door

The grand banquet was slated to commence in a single month's time.

With the aid of time acceleration, a month's duration offered a substantial opportunity for profound enlightenment.

He meticulously absorbed and consolidated the profound understandings gleaned from the forging of the True Name Heavy Armor, leading to a marked enhancement in his artifact forging prowess and a much more refined mastery over the twenty-ninth-order Chaos True Intent.

Time, as it often does, seemed to vanish in the blink of an eye.

On this particular day, Su Yuan, accompanied by Li Chun, proceeded together to attend the banquet, entrusting the care of their shop to the capable hands of the Zheng siblings.

The designated venue for the banquet was the esteemed Jiaqing Restaurant, situated on a different street.

Even before they drew near the restaurant, a rich and inviting aroma of wine wafted outwards.

Su Yuan drew a gentle breath, and the subtle wine vapor entered his body through his nostrils, transforming into a wisp of exceptionally pure Chaos Origin energy. This energy was readily absorbed by Su Yuan's physical form, yielding an effect equivalent to that of consuming a piece of Chaos Jade.

However, upon taking a second breath of the wine vapor, the potency of its effect diminished considerably. Nonetheless, sustained inhalation for a longer period could still result in the assimilation of a fair quantity of energy.

Su Yuan offered a nod of agreement. He observed numerous individuals lingering in the vicinity of Jiaqing Restaurant, seemingly engaged in the same act of absorbing the ambient wine vapor.

"I heard that Master Youhe has once again initiated the Golden Honor Banquet. This potent aroma of Divine Source wine is undeniable proof. Every Golden Honor Banquet features this exquisite vintage."

"I can only truly envy those fortunate enough to partake in the banquet. A single goblet of Divine Source wine is likely equivalent to a hundred Xi of Chaos Origin energy, wouldn't you agree?"

Positioned before the entrance of Jiaqing Restaurant, a considerable number of Dominators had paused their journeys, becoming spectators to the scene.

Each instance of someone entering the restaurant elicited envious gazes from the surrounding crowd.

Every individual who passed through the doors of the establishment exuded an extraordinary presence.

Su Yuan observed the proceedings for a brief spell before proceeding forward himself.

"Kindly present your invitation!"

At the threshold of the restaurant, an individual stepped forward to halt Su Yuan and his companion.

Su Yuan noted with a glance that others had proceeded directly into the restaurant without the need to display any invitation, yet it was only the two of them who were stopped.

Su Yuan then looked towards Li Chun.

Li Chun, with practiced haste, retrieved a letter from his person. "This is a correspondence dispatched by Master Youhe's retinue."

The guard, however, did not even deign to glance at the missive. "Only those bearing an invitation are permitted entry. Letters can be readily forged and thus cannot serve as confirmation of an invitation."

The individual even adopted an expression of wariness, directing suspicious eyes toward Su Yuan.

Su Yuan offered a wry smile. In this current era, were people still resorting to such rudimentary schemes?

A sizable number of onlookers near the restaurant exhibited expressions of keen interest, their gazes fixed upon Su Yuan and his companion with palpable curiosity.

"Who exactly is this individual?"

"A face entirely unfamiliar; I do not recognize him!"

"He claims an invitation from Master Youhe, yet his demeanor doesn't quite match the expectation?"

Taking the letter back from Li Chun, Su Yuan examined it. Indeed, it bore the appearance of an official invitation from Master Youhe.

He inquired softly, "Might I trouble you to tell me, when Master Youhe extends an invitation to a banquet, does he invariably issue a formal invitation letter?"

"Precisely. Those who underwent prior verification have attended on numerous occasions, thus naturally requiring no further scrutiny. As for yourself, forgive my candor, but without a formal invitation, entry is precluded. You are requested to depart!"

Upon hearing this pronouncement, Su Yuan's eyes narrowed.

A sudden realization struck him: this invitation might very well not have originated from the genuine Master Youhe. After all, he had not resided in Black Flame City for an extended period. How could a figure of Master Youhe's stature possibly become aware of his presence so rapidly?

At that precise moment, Li Chun's face contorted in panic. He immediately transmitted a mental message: "Master, Zheng Bowen has just relayed word that an intruder has breached the backyard. The precise identity of this individual remains uncertain. Their strength is formidable, and neither Zheng Bowen nor Zheng Li could mount any effective resistance!"

Upon receiving this intelligence, Su Yuan emitted a profound sigh. "What a transparent ploy, a classic 'lure the tiger away from its mountain' strategy. Nevertheless, I was already anticipating such a contingency. There is nothing of value within. Are the Zheng siblings unharmed?"

"They are safe. Not even the merchandise within the shop was pilfered. However, the backyard appears to have been thoroughly ransacked. That individual has already made their escape. They inquired whether formal notification should be submitted to the City Lord's Mansion."

Su Yuan gestured dismissively. "It serves no purpose. If someone was intent on infiltration and investigation, they would certainly have taken measures to leave no trace. Even their overt presence might merely be a ruse, a carefully laid trap."

Su Yuan's eyes narrowed further. He was aware that his burgeoning trade activities were bound to incite reactions from his rivals, but he had not anticipated such swift and decisive action.

Once they had thoroughly investigated the situation at his shop, their focus would undoubtedly shift directly towards him personally in the ensuing moments.

Remaining within the city started to feel precarious.

"Master, what is our next course of action?" Li Chun inquired. He felt immense gratitude that they had avoided a confrontation with Master Youhe. Had they not maintained their composure, a dispute or argument with the guard might have ensued.

Su Yuan's gaze drifted towards the inner regions of the Jiaqing Restaurant. He surmised that the architect of this entire scheme might also be among the esteemed guests on Master Youhe's invitation roster.

Turning his attention back to the guard, he posed the question, "Beyond possessing an invitation letter, are there alternative avenues to gain entry to the banquet?"

The guard, momentarily at a loss for words, nevertheless provided a further explanation, "Should you be able to present credentials as a tenth-order Artificer, entry shall also be granted!"

Upon hearing this, Su Yuan surveyed the assembled crowd. "Does anyone here possess a tenth-order Chaos Dominator Artifact that has sustained damage? I shall undertake its repair free of charge, effective immediately!"

These words caused widespread astonishment amongst the onlookers.

One individual reacted with remarkable alacrity, swiftly producing a tenth-order Chaos Dominator Artifact in the form of a flying sword, which had suffered minor damage.

"Haha, Master, this treasure of mine sustained a slight fracture previously. Master, kindly ascertain if a repair is feasible!"

The item presented was a sword fragment, exhibiting a significant fissure down its center, nearly bisecting it into two distinct parts.

Su Yuan, engaging his spiritual sense, assessed the artifact and declared, "It is within the realm of possibility!"

"My deepest thanks, Master!"

Su Yuan accepted the artifact and presented it to the guard. "Behold, a fractured tenth-order Chaos Dominator Artifact. If I succeed in mending it, will this serve as validation of my artifact forging prowess?"

"Y-yes!" The guard stammered, visibly taken aback, before discreetly relaying the unfolding situation to his superiors.

Presently, a young man emerged, choosing not to interfere directly but instead observing Su Yuan's repair endeavors from a nearby vantage point.

Under the collective gaze of the onlookers, Su Yuan employed his hand as a crucible, summoning a sphere of Chaos Flame. He introduced the damaged flying sword into the intense heat, augmenting it with tenth-order raw materials. These were transmuted into a molten state and used to fill the void within the fractured sword. Crucially, Su Yuan exerted his will to re-establish the severed Chaos Dao Patterns, thereby reconstituting the sword's integrity!

Given that the task involved only the repair of a Chaos Dominator Artifact, and importantly, that the compromised Chaos Secret Patterns were not primary to its function, Su Yuan found the repair process to be relatively uncomplicated.

Before the stunned eyes of the assembled multitude, Su Yuan executed a flawless Dominator Artifact repair 'procedure.' The entire operation proceeded with unparalleled smoothness, devoid of any missteps, culminating in the complete restoration of the artifact.

During this process, Su Yuan even invoked a temporal acceleration technique, magnifying the repair speed tenfold!

This action escalated the inherent difficulty of the repair. With time compressed, the necessity for augmented reaction speed became paramount. The precision of control demonstrated in artifact forging thus demonstrably surpassed the tenth-order benchmark.

The young man followed the intricate process with repeated gasps of admiration, utterly astounded by Su Yuan's demonstrated capabilities. Su Yuan's presence was entirely unfamiliar to him, as were his exceptional artifact forging techniques. He certainly did not present himself as a recognized Artificer indigenous to Black Flame City.