Chapter 35

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Chapter 35: The Damaged Floating Sky Ship

As Xu Fan stood before the Outer Sect Elder, his mind raced.

“Elder, what do you mean by that?”

Xu Fan’s voice carried just the right amount of panic.

“At this critical moment for the sect, we need artifact masters, yet you’re here tending to personal matters,” the elder said, glaring. Inside, though, he was humming a little tune, pleased that the peak master’s task was accomplished.

“I…”

“I originally wanted to contribute to the sect, but half a month ago, I was ambushed while out and suffered serious injuries. I’ve only just fully recovered.”

“The artifact crafting was part of a prior commitment, so I rushed here to complete it.”

“I’ll take on the sect’s tasks starting tomorrow.”

Xu Fan spoke cautiously, knowing that a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator was a big shot he couldn’t afford to cross.

“Ah, I see. It seems I misjudged you,” the elder nodded, then added, “What artifact did you just craft? I can offer some guidance.”

Xu Fan initially wanted to refuse, but seeing the elder’s eager expression, he decided against it.

When Xu Fan brought out the sword box, the elder’s eyes lit up like a gem enthusiast spotting an uncut treasure.

The elder took the sword box and examined it closely.

“Hmm, your rune work is solid, and the formation design is quite creative.”

“The refining, fusion, and shaping are decent, likely thanks to the use of external spirit fire.”

The elder’s eyes grew brighter. This kid’s rune skills were truly impressive. It seemed the Artifact Crafting Peak was about to gain another artifact master.

“How many types of runes do you know?” the elder asked casually.

“206 types,” Xu Fan replied. He had spent half his spirit stones acquiring runes, and even some rare ones he’d learned had already lost their will.

“Not bad at all. Forget the tasks. Wait for me here tomorrow morning, and I’ll take you to the inner sect to repair the Floating Sky Ship.”

The elder patted Xu Fan’s shoulder, leaving a mark on him.

“Then I’ll respectfully await your arrival tomorrow, Elder,” Xu Fan said, taking the sword box with a bow.

“Good.”

From that day on, whenever Xu Fan visited the Earth Core Workshop, he made it a habit to set up several barriers, whether he was crafting or not.

On the Spiritual Wind Boat, Xu Fan glanced back at the Earth Core Workshop. He wanted to complain, but remembering the mark on his shoulder, he kept quiet.

At Ling Shang Peak, the headquarters of the alliance merchant association,

Xu Fan handed the sword box to Pang Fu.

“Master Xu, I sold all three of your artifacts for a total of 200,000 spirit stones,” Pang Fu said.

Xu Fan was stunned. That was a lot more than he expected.

“How did it end up being 50,000 spirit stones more?” He thought 50,000 spirit stones for one artifact was already generous.

“Over the years, the reputation of our artifact masters in the merchant association has grown in the outer sect.”

“So when word got out that your artifacts were for sale, people came in droves.”

“Adding to that, with the sect exchange meeting in two months, the price has gone up quite a bit,” Pang Fu said happily.

“Also, I’ve got orders from 16 disciples who are interested in joining the Battle Hall.”

When Xu Fan heard about so many orders, he was thrilled at first, but then he said with a hint of frustration, “Let’s put those orders on hold for now. I’ve been roped into something by an elder from the Artifact Crafting Peak.”

“No problem, those orders aren’t urgent anyway,” Pang Fu replied.

“Hold onto the 200,000 spirit stones for now. I’ll use them when I need to buy supplies later.”

As he said this, Xu Fan handed Pang Fu a list of items he needed to purchase.

“A full set of bodies from peak Foundation Establishment and early Golden Core stage beasts?”

“Master Xu, are you planning to craft a lot of puppets?” Pang Fu asked, surprised. He had recently helped Xu Fan acquire the body of an early Golden Core stage flood dragon.

“I just feel like life’s a bit too unpredictable,” Xu Fan said with a grin.

“……..”

After returning to his mountain peak, Xu Fan noticed a spiritual sword hovering outside his protective barrier, waiting to deliver a message.

Xu Fan tapped it lightly, and all the information flowed into his mind.

“This protagonist has way too much going on. I don’t need any thanks—just stay away from me.”

After reading the message, Xu Fan decided to bring his two disciples back and then move somewhere secluded to live in peace.

Xu Fan prepared the tools he needed for artifact crafting and then took a break. Crafting precious artifacts took a lot out of him, and he needed some proper rest.

The next morning, Xu Fan arrived early at the entrance of the Artifact Crafting Peak, chatting with some guards.

Suddenly, a massive carriage appeared in the sky, and a force pulled Xu Fan right into it.

Inside the carriage, Xu Fan saw the same elder from the day before.

“Did you rest well?” the elder asked with a smile, clearly in a good mood.

“I’m fully recovered,” Xu Fan replied.

“Have you ever been to the inner sect?” the elder asked with a grin.

“No,” Xu Fan said. He imagined the inner sect was probably located in some high-altitude floating continent or a secret realm.

“Then let me show you something amazing.”

With that, the elder activated the carriage, which was as big as a tower, and it soared into the sky. Xu Fan peered out the window, trying to catch a glimpse of the inner sect in the distance.

“Don’t bother looking; the inner sect isn’t over there.”

As the elder spoke, the carriage plunged into a massive white cloud, and in an instant, the scenery changed completely.

Xu Fan’s jaw dropped as he saw a gigantic door in the distance, towering like a colossal peak.

On either side of the giant door were two sea dragons, each a thousand meters long, guarding the entrance.

“The inner sect is essentially half of a small thousand worlds,” the elder said, clearly pleased with Xu Fan’s awe. It reminded him of his own reaction when he first saw the giant door.

“Elder, what cultivation level are those two sea dragons guarding the door?” Xu Fan asked, watching the dragons glide near the giant door. He’d heard that once they reached the Great Ascension stage, they could evolve into true dragons.

“Core Formation stage. The sect master caught them in the Endless Sea. Pretty impressive, aren’t they?” the elder said with a laugh.

“Yeah.”

“For 10,000 spirit stones, you could even take a ride on one of them,” the elder added, winking at Xu Fan.

“………” Riding a sea dragon isn’t exactly like going to a club—what’s with the suggestive tone?

“I think I’ll pass. For 10,000 spirit stones, I’d rather buy something more practical,” Xu Fan said. “Give me a few thousand years, and I’ll have a few of those myself.”

“That’s a shame. It’s actually quite a thrilling experience,” the elder said, sounding a bit regretful. Back in his day, he’d saved up for ages just to ride one, and it wasn’t as cheap as it was now.

As they spoke, the carriage passed through the giant door. Xu Fan estimated it was at least ten thousand meters tall.

Once inside, Xu Fan saw the battered Floating Sky Ship suspended in the air.

“I brought you here mainly to handle the exterior repairs and fix the damaged runes.”

“Don’t worry about the materials—there are Void Refiners here to help you with that.”

“As for payment, it’ll be based on your workload—1,000 spirit stones per square meter.”

“Oh, and I’ll teach you 20 runes. How does that sound?”

Xu Fan’s eyes lit up at the mention of the 20 runes.

“Elder, do you have any runes related to spatial stability, spiritual energy connections, or spiritual energy manipulation?” Xu Fan asked eagerly.

“Yes, all of them,” the elder said with a sly smile, as if to say he wasn’t the type to force anyone into anything.