Chapter 730

Chapter 730: Opening

The temperature in the room had soared to a level unbearable for ordinary people.

A drop of water fell, instantly turning into steam!

Yet, Wang Chen, standing so close to the ground fire refining furnace, showed no signs of discomfort. An invisible force shielded him from the extreme heat of the outside world.

His right palm seemed glued to the furnace, remaining steadfast.

With less than half an hour left, Wang Chen remained calm, maintaining his refining rhythm as if oblivious to the passage of time.

After nearly the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Wang Chen’s expression shifted, and he swiftly raised his left palm to strike forward.

Bang!

The intensely hot refining furnace roared in response, its lid flying up instantly.

Flames surged out, and among them was a flying knife, glowing a bright red.

Wang Chen drew his hand back and grasped the flying knife, pulling it into his palm.

The knife gradually cooled in his hand, eventually returning to a light golden hue, its sharp edge gleaming brilliantly.

Success!

Wang Chen turned off the ground fire, halting the refining furnace’s operation, and then stood up.

He left the room where he had spent nearly five hours.

“Master, please take a look.”

He respectfully presented the freshly forged Three Mysterious Flying Knife to the examiner waiting outside.

This examiner was a four-star weapon refining master affiliated with the weapon refiner association.

“Hmm.”

The master took the Three Mysterious Flying Knife, and a glimmer of divine light flashed in his narrow eyes.

His right index finger lightly grazed the blade.

“Not bad.”

After a moment, the master nodded and said, “Three Mysterious Flying Knife, upper-grade rank, first-rate appearance.”

He offered a light smile: “Congratulations, you have passed the assessment.”

Wang Chen quickly bowed: “Thank you, Master.”

“It’s part of my duty.”

The master took a document, wrote a few words on it, and then stamped it with his magical seal.

As he handed the assessment document to Wang Chen, he suddenly asked, “Are you a member of the Wang family?”

Wang Chen paused and shook his head, responding, “I arrived in Qianxing six months ago.”

He surmised that the “Wang family” the master referred to was likely a prominent merchant family in Qianxing Immortal City.

That was not something to be casually acknowledged.

“Hmm.”

The weapon refining master gave him a deep look but said nothing more.

Having successfully passed the assessment, Wang Chen promptly received his own weapon refiner badge.

Crafted from dark gold, the badge was not only engraved with special runes but also inlaid with three star-shaped gems resembling rubies, making it both exquisite and luxurious.

It’s worth noting that the badge wasn’t given for free—it cost Wang Chen three thousand spirit stones!

However, with this three-star badge, Wang Chen could potentially earn thirty thousand, or even three hundred thousand spirit stones.

Soon after, he applied to join the weapon refiner association.

This process was far simpler than the weapon refiner assessment. Wang Chen barely had time to warm his seat before he received another badge, officially becoming a member of the weapon refiner association.

While the second badge was free, Wang Chen would need to pay an annual membership fee of five thousand spirit stones to the association.

Failure to pay on time would result in the automatic suspension of his membership.

But it was entirely worth it.

As Wang Chen understood it, the weapon refiner association wielded considerable influence in Qianxing Immortal City. Many families sponsored weapon refiners who were part of the association, and members regularly exchanged information and shared experiences. In times of trouble, they could also seek help and support.

Though such assistance had its limits, having the backing of an organization was far better than being adrift without roots.

Now, Wang Chen could truly say he was part of something bigger!

By the time he returned home, it was already late.

Su Ziling had prepared dinner earlier and had been waiting for his return.

Initially, the girl had wanted to accompany Wang Chen to the assessment, but he, considering the lengthy process, had asked her to stay home and keep an eye on their place.

When Wang Chen walked in, Su Ziling joyfully threw herself into his arms. “Master!”

Wang Chen chuckled and playfully tapped her nose. “Aren’t you going to ask if I passed?”

The girl wrinkled her nose and replied with confidence, “Of course you passed! There’s no need to ask.”

Her faith in Wang Chen was even stronger than his own!

Wang Chen laughed heartily. “Bring out two jars of wine. Let’s celebrate properly.”

It hadn’t been easy. For this assessment, he had poured five months of hard work and effort into his preparations.

But this was only the beginning.

“Ziling, we’ll open in three days!”

The next morning, before the sun had even risen, Su Ziling was already up and about.

She cleaned the shop until it was spotless, then went out to find a craftsman to make a sign. After that, she went door to door delivering invitations.

Over the past six months, Su Ziling had gotten to know many of the neighbors and had built a small network of connections in the area.

Wang Chen had initially planned to open the shop quietly, thinking a small shop didn’t need any grand gestures.

However, the usually compliant girl had raised an objection.

She believed a ceremony was necessary, at the very least to let the neighbors know what the shop sold.

Even if these neighbors weren’t potential customers, they could help spread the word, letting more people know about this affordable shop.

Why not give it a try?

After hearing her reasoning, Wang Chen felt it made perfect sense and was even a little ashamed of his own lack of business acumen as a time traveler compared to Su Ziling.

He readily agreed, not only preparing a thick stack of invitations for Su Ziling to deliver but also booking ten tables at a nearby tavern for the feast.

If they were going to do it, they might as well make it lively and festive!

On the day of the opening, all the neighbors who had received invitations showed up.

They brought banners and baskets, offering Wang Chen, the shop owner, their congratulations and well wishes.

Qianxing Immortal City, known as the City of Merchants, was filled with shops, and it was common to see new ones opening and others closing every day.

Everyone was used to it by now.

In fact, apart from Su Ziling, no one held much hope for Wang Chen’s little shop.

This street wasn’t a bustling commercial area, and the people who frequented it were mostly locals with limited spending power.

Even if they wanted to buy something, they would compare prices at several shops and consider the reputation of the establishment.

A young man like Wang Chen running a shop with just a servant girl seemed almost laughable to them.

No one wanted to take the risk.

Of course, even if they were skeptical, everyone was polite on the surface.

Especially knowing there was a feast to enjoy, the smiles on their faces were quite genuine.

However, the atmosphere shifted dramatically after Wang Chen pulled down the red satin covering the shop’s sign and invited everyone inside!

Though Wang Chen’s shop wasn’t particularly large, its three rows of shelves were packed with a dazzling array of spirit tools and magical instruments, leaving everyone overwhelmed.

What truly caught their attention, however, were the prices displayed, which made their eyes widen in surprise.