The damage to the lotus platform was not severe; it was primarily that many of the glass petals had been consumed. They simply needed to be reconstructed in the correct order, a task that was not particularly difficult for Nie Shiyun.
Observing his cousin’s decisive movements and fluid repair techniques, Nie Xing'an couldn't help but marvel. Though Nie Shiyun had reached the Golden Core stage and started artifact forging later than he had, he was already far ahead. Nie Xing'an had no doubt that Nie Shiyun’s forging skills would soon catch up to Nie Li’s, making him a pillar of Yunqing Pavilion.
The process of smelting and shaping was tedious, but when Nie Shiyun began to precisely embed the lotus petals into the perimeter of the platform, even Qi Miaohan was drawn in to watch. The others didn't dare get too close for fear of disturbing him. Qi Xuan'er watched with a thoughtful expression, seemingly reaching a moment of sudden insight.
By the time Nie Shiyun snapped out of his focused state, the lotus platform had been repaired in one smooth, continuous effort. The other three stared at him without blinking.
"Cousin, your forging efficiency... in such a short time, it has improved significantly again," Nie Xing'an praised.
"It’s alright, it’s alright," Nie Shiyun replied modestly. He practiced frequently within the Chaos Space, spending several times more hours than his peers. Having run his own shop for several years, handling these forging tools was as natural to him as using chopsticks to eat.
He usually held back a bit while at the sect, but today he was in a hurry to get back, so he had gone all out to finish the work.
Nie Shiyun had replaced several types of elemental fluids, and he now explained the changes to Qi Miaohan with a serious expression. When it came to serious business, Qi Miaohan stopped fooling around and carefully memorized everything. He had also added an extra Wind-Evasion Array to the back of the base to further increase the flight speed of the magic treasure, which perfectly complemented Qi Miaohan’s spiritual root attributes.
"I won't charge you for this array; my skill with formations is only mediocre. When you have the time, it’s best to find a professional formation master to remove it and replace it with a high-grade Grade Two array to truly match this treasure."
"This is already great! I'll worry about a new array later when I'm free." Qi Miaohan was not stingy with her payment. Even between close friends, accounts should be kept clear, and because they were acquaintances, she was even more generous. However, Qi Xuan'er refused her spirit stones, saying she had only done menial tasks.
"If there’s nothing else, let’s call it a day." Nie Shiyun took the money and prepared to bolt.
"I can see you're eager to get back," Qi Miaohan clicked her tongue. "By the way, I won't show any mercy tomorrow. Don't blame me if I beat up your man!"
"Am I the kind of person who can't distinguish between business and personal matters?" Nie Shiyun gave her a sidelong glance.
After a few more words, seeing that Nie Shiyun’s heart was clearly elsewhere, the group "chased" him away together.
When Nie Shiyun returned to his quarters, Zhai Bairong was making the most of his time, meditating with his eyes closed. Beside him, Meiqiu was lying on his back, snoring loudly.
*How can the gap be so large?* Nie Shiyun thought helplessly.
"You're back? That was fast." Zhai Bairong suddenly opened his eyes.
"There wasn't much wrong with her magic treasure. Actually, they could have done it without me; I just went to make it faster."
Hearing this, Zhai Bairong smiled. "You needn't be so modest. In my view, among artifact forgers below the Nascent Soul stage in this world, none are more skilled than you."
"There is always someone better," Nie Shiyun insisted.
He walked to the couch and poked Meiqiu’s belly. Meiqiu woke up with a start and chirped defensively, "I was cultivating! I wasn't asleep!"
Meiqiu had just finished some medicinal pills, and Zhai Bairong had suggested he cultivate alongside him to fully digest the spiritual energy from the pills he had taken recently. Zhai Bairong also remembered Meiqiu’s affinity for fire and had summoned the remnant soul of the exotic fire he had previously contracted to help them cultivate together. As expected, Meiqiu loved it.
However, after a short while, Meiqiu had grown drowsy and fallen into a deep sleep.
Nie Shiyun felt something was off. He picked him up to inspect him, feeling a faint resonance through their contract.
"Meiqiu, you've reached the peak of the Heaven Rank. You're about to enter the Spirit Rank, aren't you?"
"Gah?" Meiqiu himself was completely unaware and let out a confused cry.
For a demonic beast, the transition from Heaven Rank to Spirit Rank was equivalent to a cultivator moving from Foundation Establishment to the Golden Core stage. Logically, it should be impossible for a hatchling that had only been out of its shell for such a short time to reach this level. But Meiqiu was special; he was born at the Heaven Rank, which was the equivalent of a human cultivator skipping the Qi Condensation stage and going straight to Foundation Establishment. It was truly incredible.
"You're clearly just a hybrid, yet your cultivation speed is so staggering. If the demonic cultivators of this world knew, they’d die of envy. I'm starting to wonder if that deadbeat father of yours was some big shot from the Upper Realm," Nie Shiyun sighed. Meiqiu seemed to know nothing about his own cultivation status, stumbling his way into an advancement. He didn't know whether to call the bird lucky or a fool.
Meiqiu, of course, was just happy to be praised. Nie Shiyun stopped worrying about him; demonic beasts were different from humans. They only attracted heavenly tribulation lightning once they reached the equivalent of the Nascent Soul stage, so Meiqiu was safe for now.
He was soon sent into the jade pendant by Nie Shiyun to continue his long nap. Zhai Bairong knew Nie Shiyun was anxious, and he felt the same. The two of them quickly resumed the intimacy they had intended to continue earlier.
After a long period of passion, Nie Shiyun felt that Zhai Bairong still seemed somewhat unsatisfied, clinging to him with his hand pressed against his body. However, when Nie Shiyun cast an inquiring glance, Zhai Bairong smiled and said, "No more... I just want to be close to you and talk a bit longer."
Halfway through, he looked a bit dejected. "The Cultivation Conference ends the day after tomorrow. Then I must return to the Moon-Reflecting Sect, and you must go back to Yunqing Pavilion. Although I might find excuses to visit you later, like commissioning a magic treasure, I can't do it too frequently... I don't know when this kind of life will end."
The two had been intimate almost every day recently, partly driven by this atmosphere. Even when they lived together daily in Flower City, it hadn't been this frequent.
Nie Shiyun saw Zhai Bairong’s anxiety, but there was nothing he could do. He had freedom of movement in Yunqing Pavilion, but Zhai Bairong was different. He had Nascent Soul and even Soul Transformation cultivators pressing down on him. Unless his cultivation one day stood on equal footing with theirs, he would always have to follow their orders.
"However, we will actually see each other again very soon."
"How so?" Zhai Bairong’s expression sharpened as he asked urgently.
Nie Shiyun hadn't wanted to distract Zhai Bairong from the competition, but now that tomorrow's result was set, he could tell him everything. From the upcoming opening of the Hantian Secret Realm to his plan to enter and seize the remains of an Immortal Tool, Nie Shiyun informed Zhai Bairong of every detail.
"An Immortal Tool... You said an Immortal Tool? Not a Spirit Tool?" Zhai Bairong was so shocked he lost his composure, his voice rising significantly. Realizing his lapse, he cleared his throat and continued, "This is truly... a monumental opportunity."
"Once we enter the secret realm, we'll act as the situation dictates. But if conditions allow, we can meet up first and move together."
Zhai Bairong nodded. "We've run out of communication crystals. It seems we need to prepare more."
As he spoke, he was still somewhat immersed in shock. Things like the Nine Dragons Divine Fire Cover, a demonic beast with semi-divine bloodline, or even exotic fires—while each was enough to make cultivators fight to the death—none could compare to the remains of an Immortal Tool. For a thousand years, no one had been able to ascend. Obtaining this item meant gaining a chance to ascend to the Upper Realm, but it also meant becoming the enemy of almost the entire cultivation world.
After all, nearly all cultivators shared the same goal.
Soul Transformation cultivators had a lifespan of over fifteen hundred years, but they would eventually die. Without ascending to the Upper Realm, they could not continue their cultivation. The Soul Transformation Ancestor of the Moon-Reflecting Sect was nearing the end of his life, with only a few centuries left. That was why he had conceived the idea of refining a once-in-a-millennium Heavenly Yin Body to absorb it. Doing so could extend his lifespan by at least double. For a cultivator, time was hope.
"That excited?" Nie Shiyun saw that Zhai Bairong was still dazed and wondered if he had given him too much information at once.
"This is a matter that could shake the entire cultivation world. If we succeed, then afterward..." Zhai Bairong said with deep emotion.
Nie Shiyun reached out and stroked his back as they leaned against each other. "We'll think about the next step after we succeed. I have some ideas, but until the item is in hand, everything is an unknown. And... even if we do succeed, an Immortal Tool can only allow one person to ascend. Now there are two of us. This matter requires long-term planning."
"...You are truly calm." Zhai Bairong finally laughed helplessly after a long pause.
"I've been keeping this to myself for so many years; I lost the ability to get worked up long ago."
"Indeed, carrying so many things alone for years... it must have been hard on you," Zhai Bairong said with a gentle smile.
Nie Shiyun thought back on everything since he arrived in this world and felt a surge of emotion. He sighed and buried his head in Zhai Bairong’s shoulder, his spirit feeling incredibly relaxed. It wasn't that he had lived in constant tension all these years, but for the first time, he felt there was someone standing behind him, supporting his every decision. It was profoundly reassuring.
Knowing they would have the chance to meet again shortly after the Cultivation Conference, Zhai Bairong was no longer so desperate. He lay quietly with Nie Shiyun, letting the time slip away.
The next day, the two left the house one after the other.
Nie Shiyun went to meet the Yunqing Pavilion group as he had in previous days. If they hadn't known before, it would have been fine, but now that Nie Xing'an and Qi Xuan'er understood what he had been busy with the night before, it was difficult for them to casually ask "How did you rest last night?" as they usually did. Furthermore, they belatedly realized that on the first day they arrived, Nie Shiyun had insisted on having a private room. Looking back, the reason for that was now faintly surfacing.
This was a bit of an injustice to Nie Shiyun. While he had considered that aspect, the main reason was that it made entering the jade pendant to cultivate much more convenient.
When they arrived at the competition grounds, the perimeter was already crowded with people.
The Yunqing Pavilion group found an inconspicuous spot to stand. On the other side, Duan Mingyu’s party had already arrived. Zhai Bairong was there as well, his expression indifferent. After a short wait, Qi Miaohan arrived in a flurry, stepping on her newly repaired lotus platform. Many cultivators present were afraid of this "madwoman" and quickly made way for her.
When the two sides met, old grudges and new resentments flared up. Duan Mingyu looked at her with resentment, while Qi Miaohan swept a triumphant gaze over him, spared a disdainful glance for Xu Yehua, and finally said provocatively to Zhai Bairong, "It’s a pity you weren't there yesterday to see how Duan Mingyu lost to me."
"..." Zhai Bairong narrowed his eyes, his gaze sweeping over her coldly.
"Senior Brother, don't fall for her provocation...!" Duan Mingyu hurriedly whispered, secretly tugging at Zhai Bairong’s sleeve.
On the Yunqing Pavilion side, Nie Shiyun’s expression was normal, as if he truly were just an eliminated contestant here to watch the fun. Nie Xing'an and Qi Xuan'er, the two honest souls, looked around in a panic. They hadn't expected the acting to start so soon and hurriedly hid their shaken expressions, trying their best to pretend they were ignorant bystanders just like Nie Shiyun.
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Transmigrated into a Total Shou Novel as a Cannon Fodder, but Ended Up 1v1-ing the Male Lead | Chapter 58 | A Shared Future | Novela.app | Novela.app
