Transmigrated into a Total Shou Novel as a Cannon Fodder, but Ended Up 1v1-ing the Male Lead | Chapter 108 | Refining Banners and Restless Hearts | Novela.app

Later that evening, the two entered the jade pendant. The space within had become quite spacious. Nie Shiyun had roughly partitioned it into several areas: one for his own artifact forging, one for Zhai Bairong’s alchemy, and a designated area for Meiqiu to use as he pleased. Although their cave dwelling in the outside world had similar facilities, the time-dilation effect and the denser spiritual energy within the space made every effort yield twice the result. Usually, they prioritized the jade pendant for their work. After his sudden inspiration to study the Soul-Summoning Banner, Nie Shiyun had gained a general understanding of its underlying principles. However, since he had never actually crafted one, he did not dare to start immediately on Shen Yan’s items. Instead, he prepared to practice by refining a brand-new Soul-Summoning Banner from scratch. Soul banners, spirit beast bags, and storage bracelets were similar in that they all involved techniques related to spatial compression. This was considered a relatively advanced skill. Nie Shiyun had begun dabbling in it a few years ago and was now quite proficient. These items shared a common characteristic: they could not contain living things. Spirit beast bags were a slight exception, but from what Nie Shiyun knew, any demonic beast placed inside would enter a state of hibernation, remaining unconscious regardless of how much time passed. In this regard, his unique jade pendant space was likely one of a kind in the entire world. Nie Shiyun glanced at Meiqiu, who was fast asleep beneath the Divine Fire Cover. This was exactly why, although Meiqiu loved the jade space, he would rather die than enter a spirit beast bag. In the cultivation world, contracted beasts that had gained intelligence preferred to stay outside. After all, who would want to sleep away their life in a daze, only to be summoned when needed? Nie Shiyun turned his focus back to the Soul-Summoning Banner. The first step was always the hardest, so he concentrated his mind and began the refinement. Meanwhile, Zhai Bairong sat nearby with his eyes closed, cultivating. He hadn't been rushing his progress lately, yet his cultivation level was rising steadily, now firmly stabilized at the Great Perfection of the Golden Core stage. His talent already far exceeded that of ordinary people, and with Nie Shiyun lending him the space to use, he now balanced work and rest while occasionally refining pills. His cultivation speed was several times faster than a normal cultivator's. If others knew, they would surely be driven to fits of jealous rage. Shen Yan proved to be an excellent guest. Since settling on Nie Shiyun’s mountain peak, he hadn't made a sound. He didn't press Nie Shiyun for progress, nor did he step outside for air, remaining cooped up in his room every day. This saved Nie Shiyun a lot of trouble. He ignored the guest and focused entirely on researching the methods for refining the banners. Seven days passed in a flash. "It's finished?" Zhai Bairong felt the dense aura of a newly completed spiritual tool emanating from beside him and opened his eyes. "It seems so. This was harder than I imagined," Nie Shiyun said, waving the weapon in his hand. A Soul-Summoning Banner was essentially a type of banner-tool. Since Nie Shiyun was not a demonic cultivator and had never studied soul-summoning arts, he could use it, but only to the extent of its basic physical attacks. Even so, setting aside the soul-manipulation aspect, the spiritual tool itself was of excellent quality. "Your artifact forging skills have improved again," Zhai Bairong praised. He had seen many forgers from great sects; most specialized in specific types of tools, and with so many people, they each stuck to what they were comfortable with. Someone like Nie Shiyun, who wanted to master everything and was willing to take any commission, was a rarity. It was precisely because of this that his progress was so rapid. This wasn't just a matter of being born into a family of forgers or having extraordinary talent. Zhai Bairong thought to himself: if it were just that, why were there no rumors of the previous "Nie Shiyun" being a child prodigy in artifact forging? "I did gain some insights this time." Nie Shiyun didn't feign modesty. He felt his efforts were well-spent after concentrating in the space for an entire week without moving an inch. Zhai Bairong stood up and walked over, scrutinizing the Soul-Summoning Banner. The banners carried by demonic cultivators usually exuded a sinister yin energy, but since this one had not yet been infused with souls, it lacked any such peculiar aura. "Only you would be so earnest. You agreed to repair his artifacts, yet you went and refined a completely new one first." "Honesty is the soul of business. I only dare to touch someone else's property once I'm absolutely certain of the process," Nie Shiyun laughed. He felt a bit weary after days of intense focus and stood up to stretch his limbs. He mentioned that Shen Yan was quite generous and happened to be hiding from pursuers in the Yunqing Pavilion. He planned to sell this new Soul-Summoning Banner to him as well; it would surely find a buyer, so the practice wouldn't be a waste. Zhai Bairong didn't know whether to laugh or cry, knowing Nie Shiyun wouldn't miss a chance to accumulate wealth. After moving around a bit, Nie Shiyun decided to strike while the iron was hot and repair the two banners Shen Yan had requested. He called Meiqiu over to help heat the cauldron with Phoenix Essence Fire. Meiqiu dragged himself over reluctantly, grumbling, "It's not even something for us to use, is there a need to be so serious..." Nie Shiyun said helplessly, "You haven't helped in a long time; it's good for you to move around. Besides, we're being paid a lot this time. Not counting that core essence worth five hundred thousand on the market, there's a full three hundred thousand spirit stones in cash." Meiqiu’s eyes widened. "Three... three hundred, plus five hundred... I couldn't tell that guy was so rich!" "I'll give you fifty thousand spirit stones as pocket money when it's done," Nie Shiyun added. Although Nie Shiyun usually bought Meiqiu whatever he wanted, the bird didn't actually carry any money of his own. Upon hearing this, Meiqiu’s attitude shifted instantly, and he trotted over with eager anticipation. Since Nie Shiyun was charging a high price, the materials he used were top-tier. Shen Yan had looted the storage spaces of his enemies and provided many good items, but quality materials also had to be compatible with the treasure. Nie Shiyun picked a few and supplemented them with precious materials from his own stockpile, such as Hundred-Zhang Silk and Nether-Flower Purple Crystal. "I'm ready." Meiqiu extended one arm while the other rested on his hip, looking quite confident. While his other techniques were mediocre, his control over the Essence Fire had become increasingly proficient due to Nie Shiyun’s constant demands for help. Seeing that the two were about to begin, Zhai Bairong took the initiative to wait outside the space. The Phoenix Essence Fire was indeed too overbearing; he had witnessed it twice before. Zhai Bairong lacked a contract with Meiqiu and did not possess a fire spiritual root. Just standing nearby would make him feel unbearably hot—far hotter than when he raised the heat for his own alchemy. With this large sum of money coming in, Zhai Bairong believed that it wouldn't be long before he was only one step away from reaching the Nascent Soul stage. Thinking that he would likely have to return to the Yingyue Sect after his advancement—and would probably face social situations even more troublesome than what Nie Shiyun had just experienced—Zhai Bairong felt a wave of preemptive mental exhaustion. He pondered how to delay his return to the Yingyue Sect for a while longer, unaware of the peculiar situation currently unfolding there. *** "Don't you find it tedious, staying here with me every day?" Duan Mingyu walked into the courtyard and happened to see another cultivator pacing about. He spoke up to ask. The man jumped, not expecting Duan Mingyu, who was supposed to be cultivating inside, to come out. Recalling the task Qu Zhanmeng had given him, he said nervously, "Cultivators are supposed to cultivate every day anyway. I've just moved my temporary cultivation spot here, that's all..." Duan Mingyu looked at him with a melancholy expression. He had been confined here ever since Qu Zhanmeng issued the grounding order. He had been forced to move out of his previous residence, away from most of the Yingyue Sect disciples, to live in this isolated courtyard. However, two fellow disciples had soon moved into the empty courtyard with him. Duan Mingyu often felt eyes on him and immediately realized these two were sent by Qu Zhanmeng to watch him. *Why exactly did Qu Zhanmeng become so displeased and forceful after finding out I wanted to sneak out?* Duan Mingyu was utterly perplexed. The person living in the east wing of the courtyard had remained silent from start to finish, and Duan Mingyu’s several attempts at conversation had failed. However, the cultivator in the west wing before him seemed much easier to talk to. Seeing the man’s flustered expression and wandering eyes, Duan Mingyu finally found a hint of the familiar reaction others used to have when speaking to him. "Cultivating every day must be boring. I'm already sick of it... but Master Qu is too overbearing. He even took away my storage bracelet, saying I was sapping my will with trifles..." As Duan Mingyu spoke, tears seemed ready to fall. Seeing the beauty like a pear blossom bathed in rain, the cultivator was suddenly at a loss. He looked around anxiously and said, "Is... is that so? Perhaps he just has your best interests at heart... Look, he even sends pills to assist your cultivation regularly. We don't get those." Duan Mingyu frowned slightly, thinking that this was true. Come to think of it, it was strange; after taking those pills, his cold body condition would immediately improve and stay that way for a long time. If such a good thing existed, why had he never heard of it before? He pondered the matter in confusion. The tears that had been welling in his eyes hadn't fully receded, making his almond-shaped eyes look moist and shimmering, leaving the cultivator opposite him dazed. Duan Mingyu suddenly looked at him, causing the man to take a nervous step back. "Do you dislike me?" Duan Mingyu asked aggrievedly. "N-no. It's just that we aren't that familiar with each other..." "There's nothing else to do besides cultivating anyway. If you have time, why don't we chat more? That way we'll become familiar, won't we?" Duan Mingyu broke into a smile, his voice crisp and clear. For some reason, looking at Duan Mingyu’s smile, the cultivator couldn't help but nod. "Then it's a promise? It's a deal." Duan Mingyu extended his pinky finger and took the initiative to hook it with the other's. The cultivator was stunned. Before he could react, Duan Mingyu had already turned around and skipped back to his room, satisfied. Left where he stood, the cultivator watched his slender, graceful back and hurriedly withdrew his hand from mid-air with a guilty conscience, thinking that just chatting shouldn't be a problem. *** Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation --- | --- | --- 招魂幡 | Soul-Summoning Banner | A type of spiritual tool used to store or manipulate souls. 百丈蚕丝 | Hundred-Zhang Silk | A high-quality material used in artifact forging. 冥华紫晶 | Nether-Flower Purple Crystal | A rare, precious mineral material for forging. 精元 | Core Essence | A concentrated form of energy or a core from a being/object. 结婴 | Reaching the Nascent Soul Stage | The process of advancing from the Golden Core stage to the Nascent Soul stage. 梨花带雨 | Like a pear blossom bathed in rain | A Chinese idiom describing a beautiful person weeping piteously. 玩物丧志 | Sapping one's will with trifles | An idiom meaning to indulge in hobbies to the point of losing one's ambition.