Having refined the Golden Sun Flower for Duan Mingyu, Zhai Bairong produced five pills in total. All were low-grade Spirit-rank, save for one mid-grade. Zhai Bairong glanced at Nie Shiyun, packed four into a bottle, and surreptitiously handed the mid-grade one to him.
"This item is yang-natured; it will be helpful for your fire-root cultivation as well."
"You’re skimming the best of the lot," Nie Shiyun said with a chuckle.
Zhai Bairong cleared his throat and said with mock solemnity, "He didn't give me any spirit stones, so I was essentially working for free. It’s common knowledge in the alchemist industry that even in legitimate business, many practitioners take a little extra for themselves."
Nie Shiyun considered this. He wasn't so high-minded as to refuse a minor perk that harmed no one. "Then I shall accept it with gratitude."
Artifact refining was much the same. Clients seeking a magic treasure usually provided their own materials, but it was generally agreed upon beforehand that if the furnace exploded or resulted in a heap of scrap metal, the refiner bore no responsibility.
He hadn't realized alchemy was even more lucrative. It made sense; how many pills a single batch produced depended entirely on the alchemist's state and skill. One could secretly pocket a few without anyone being the wiser. In fact, many alchemists explicitly stated they would take a portion of the finished pills as payment when accepting a commission.
The customers were at a disadvantage, but specialized auxiliary talents were rare and in high demand. This was especially true for Spirit-grade pills and treasures, which required exorbitant prices to commission. Furthermore, cultivators needed time to rest and cultivate; whether they were even willing to take on a job was another matter entirely.
Nie Shiyun had no desire to wade into those murky waters. If he had herbs, he left them for Zhai Bairong to handle. If Zhai Bairong wasn't around, he would simply feed the herbs directly to the Chaos Space, too lazy to go around begging others for refinement.
Checking the time, he saw it was nearly sunrise. Nie Shiyun bid Zhai Bairong farewell, agreeing to meet again within the secret realm. Before he left, Zhai Bairong stuffed several basic pills into his hands and ensured he had a sufficient supply of the "sugar pills" refined specifically for Meiqiu. Only then did he let him go.
Nie Shiyun did not return to his lodgings but headed straight for the Cloud Clear Pavilion’s area. Having consumed one Heaven-Mending Spirit Reishi pill the previous night, his complexion looked markedly different today. While others might not know the cause, Nie Xing'an and Qi Xuan'er understood. For Nie Shiyun to have pills on the very day he obtained the spirit herbs, it was surely due to his relationship with Zhai Bairong. Otherwise, an ordinary alchemist would have delayed for several days or even half a month before handing over the finished product.
"Cousin, your cultivation has improved significantly," Nie Xing'an remarked, praising him as if he were happy for his own success.
Nie Shiyun thought to himself that this was only the beginning; he still had more than half the pills left to consume. He didn't let it show on his face, however, offering a few humble smiles in response.
The Great Cultivation Meet had concluded yesterday, making today feel like the final day of festivities. The usually cold and solemn Pinyin Pavilion had become much livelier. For the first time in decades, many vendors were permitted to set up shops on the square. Several auctions were being held at the foot of the mountain, mirroring the atmosphere before the opening ceremony. For the average cultivator who had just come to watch, these few days might have been nothing more than a spectacle. But for others, many things had transpired, and their states of mind had undergone earth-shattering changes.
The group from Cloud Clear Pavilion arrived at the square and found the registration desk for the auxiliary profession exchange competition. All ten members of Cloud Clear Pavilion participated, along with Du Zhi, who had nominally joined a few days prior, taking up quite a few spots. They weren't the only ones, though; many artifact refiners trained by other sects, as well as rogue cultivators with a rudimentary understanding of the craft, came to try their luck. Registration was free, after all, and if one was lucky enough to place, why not?
However, the exchange competition still needed to provide something worth watching for the audience. Pinyin Pavilion conducted a screening process: applicants had to present a refined item, proving they could at least produce a Mid-grade Level 3 artifact to pass. This requirement was actually quite low—Nie Shiyun had already surpassed this level back in the Misty Secret Realm—but it still filtered out many opportunists who were just there for the fun.
Nie Shiyun produced a random trinket he had made for practice and passed the screening easily. However, the female cultivator at the registration desk froze for a moment when she saw him. Since placing in the top eight of the Great Cultivation Meet, many more people recognized him.
Though she knew he hailed from Cloud Clear Pavilion and should naturally have some skill in artifact refining, confirming that he truly was a refiner—and one who could casually produce a high-grade treasure—still gave the receptionist a shock. Her attitude immediately became soft and respectful.
Du Zhi still possessed a youthful temperament. Seeing the stalls selling spirit herbs and talismans, he looked around eagerly. Since they had finished registering, the group discussed it and decided to wander around nearby, planning to return just before the start. Du Zhi wanted to go play, but he seemed hesitant, his eyes stealing glances at Qi Xuan'er.
Nie Shiyun understood perfectly. He had noticed the signs earlier, and though Qi Xuan'er didn't seem to realize what was happening yet, he felt that as a "senior," he should give the boy a chance. He immediately took the initiative to walk off with Nie Xing'an, leaving the bewildered Du Zhi and Qi Xuan'er standing there awkwardly.
From the corner of his eye, Nie Shiyun saw Du Zhi, face flushed, scratching his head as he spoke to Qi Xuan'er. Then, the two of them headed off to browse other stalls together. Nie Shiyun breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that he was certainly putting a lot of heart into the affairs of Cloud Clear Pavilion.
"You are very considerate, Cousin," Nie Xing'an said softly.
"It was just a small gesture. It still depends on whether they have feelings for each other," Nie Shiyun smiled. Such things could not be forced.
He and Nie Xing'an toured the other artifact refining stalls but didn't see anything particularly eye-catching. However, after walking for a while, they ran into Qi Miaohan, who had slipped out from the back mountain with her fellow senior sisters. The group stopped to chat for a while. Qi Miaohan didn't bother with modesty, pulling her sisters over to boast about Cloud Clear Pavilion's refining techniques and declaring they would all go watch the exchange competition later. This put quite a bit of pressure on the two men.
"I heard that lotus platform of Miaohan's was your idea. It's truly beautiful."
"And quite practical, too."
"May I ask what your prices are for custom magic treasures?"
A group of girls crowded together, discussing fervently.
"My father refined it; I only helped from the side," Nie Shiyun said, waving his hands hurriedly. However, the female cultivators didn't take his words to heart, continuing to chatter and laugh as the topic quickly drifted elsewhere.
"Where is Xuan'er?" Qi Miaohan asked.
"Ah, she went to browse elsewhere with a fellow disciple," Nie Shiyun answered evasively.
"I see. Well, I'll see you at the exchange competition later. See you then!" Qi Miaohan didn't give it much thought, waving as she and her sisters departed.
"Aren't you going to tell her?" Nie Xing'an asked honestly.
Nie Shiyun was uncertain. "Her attitude toward romance is currently a bit extreme; she definitely won't have a good impression of any man near her junior sister. If something actually comes of it in the future... it won't be too late to let her know then, right?"
Nie Xing'an didn't know much about such matters and felt his cousin was far more knowledgeable, so he nodded in agreement.
About an hour later, the various groups converged at the exchange competition venue.
"Hey, look. Isn't that the person who made it into the top eight... what was his name?"
"Senior Nie Shiyun," someone chimed in.
"Yes, him. To think he knows artifact refining as well."
"He's from Cloud Clear Pavilion; he must have learned a bit."
The onlookers passing by began to gossip, though they didn't hold Nie Shiyun's skills in particularly high regard yet.
On the broad stage, rows of furnaces and forging tables had already been set up, complete with basic tools like hammers. However, if a cultivator preferred not to use these, they could bring out their own customary tools; Pinyin Pavilion placed no restrictions on this.
Nie Shiyun walked to his position and stood still. Naturally, he did not use the earth fire provided by Pinyin Pavilion, instead summoning his own Core Fire.
Among the many artifact refiners present, only three possessed a cultivation at or above the Core Formation stage, and all three happened to be concentrated in Cloud Clear Pavilion, drawing envious looks from others.
Most of those participating in the exchange were still apprentices who had only ever seen "Core Fire" used by their seniors. However, since those seniors were much older, everyone felt that was normal. It wasn't until today, when they saw a peer summon Core Fire right beside them, that they truly felt the gap.
Many cultivators who originally had no interest in artifact refining also crowded around upon discovering that Nie Shiyun, who had placed in the previous tournament, was on stage. Not only the other disciples of Cloud Clear Pavilion but even Qi Xuan'er felt a bit of stage fright. Practicing behind closed doors was entirely different from refining under the watchful eyes of a crowd; it felt as though every movement would be magnified for all to see.
Qi Xuan'er couldn't help but glance through the crowd at her acquaintances. Her senior brother, Nie Shiyun, was naturally calm and composed; after the match with Xu Yehua, this was a small scene. Nie Xing'an was overly steady, his focus entirely on the forging table before him. Finally, her gaze landed on Du Zhi. The boy blinked and suddenly gave her a silly, simple smile. Qi Xuan'er patted the back of her hand to encourage herself. She was an indoor disciple of Cloud Clear Pavilion; how could she be so hesitant?
"Today's exchange competition is about to begin. The theme is... Implements."
After the female cultivator from Pinyin Pavilion announced the theme, she once again explained the rules.
"Implements" was a rather broad concept. Artifact refining was primarily divided into three categories: weapons, armor, and implements. The first two were self-explanatory, serving primary purposes of offense and defense. Implements, however, could be cauldrons, spirit basins for quenching, brushes for drawing talismans, cages for restraining spirit beasts... it was a very eclectic category.
However, few artifact refiners started with implements when they first entered the craft; most began with weapons and armor. Taking this into account, Pinyin Pavilion had decided to keep the scope broad.
The competition duration was set for three hours. If nothing was produced after three hours, it would be considered a forfeit. At that time, the items would first be ranked by grade, and then specific ratings would be determined by appraisers specially invited by the host, Pinyin Pavilion, from auction houses and consignment shops.
"Did I make it? Did I make it?" Qi Miaohan rushed over frantically, nearly interrupting the host's announcement of the rules. Her senior sisters quickly grabbed her and dragged her to the side.
Unlike the tournament, this exchange competition was less formal and lacked sound-isolating barriers. Those on stage could hear the external noise clearly. However, the artifact refiners on stage paid no mind to the minor commotion in the audience. Once the topic was announced, everyone began racking their brains to decide what to make. Some of the junior refiners already looked pale; they had clearly prepared to refine weapons or jewelry but had never practiced how to forge implements. For a moment, their minds were a complete blank.
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Transmigrated into a Total Shou Novel as a Cannon Fodder, but Ended Up 1v1-ing the Male Lead | Chapter 62 | The Crafting Exchange | Novela.app | Novela.app
