Chapter 158: Chapter 158: Artifact Refining Master
Time flowed by as the sun rose and set.
In the blink of an eye, ten days had passed.
Shen Daoxing spent every day in the Venerable Domain practicing the Taiyi Demon-Slaying Sword Array.
Other than the Young Prince Cai Ji at the very beginning, no one else came to disturb him. After all, this was the Shangguan Mansion, not a place just anyone could enter.
"THUD!"
A soft thud came from outside as someone landed on their feet.
Shen Daoxing pushed open the door and looked out to find Lv Yunsheng climbing over the side wall.
"Lv?"
Shen Daoxing was a little surprised.
Lv Yunsheng came forward happily and said, "Yang, I found the Cloud Ship you asked me to look for."
Shen Daoxing’s eyes lit up. "Where is it?"
"Come on, follow me!"
Lv Yunsheng gave a smug smile, then beckoned to Shen Daoxing before leaping back over the wall.
Shen Daoxing tapped his toes lightly and leaped up to follow close behind.
So as not to alert anyone, the two didn’t use the main gate, instead climbing over the wall by the Shangguan Mansion’s back door.
Afterward, Lv Yunsheng led Shen Daoxing toward the west side of the city.
As they walked, Lv Yunsheng said, "I heard that a fifth-rank Artifact Refining Master lives in the West District Market of our Ancient Moon City. His Spirit Flame Forging technique is sublime. When he was young, he single-handedly built a special-grade Cloud Ship that was incredibly fast, able to roam freely all over the East Continent. Back then, he was one of a kind, an object of recruitment for every major power."
A fifth-rank Artifact Refiner!
Shen Daoxing was slightly shocked.
One had to understand that Artifact Refiners were always rare in the East Continent. They were constantly sought after by various powers, especially the Royal Families of different kingdoms. Generally, those Artifact Refiners were retained and honored by Royal Families or various sects.
Moreover, advancing in rank as an Artifact Refiner was even more difficult. For example, the highest-ranking Artifact Refiner in their Martial Kingdom was merely fourth-rank.
This just went to show how rare a fifth-rank Artifact Refining Master truly was.
Shen Daoxing followed Lv Yunsheng all the way to a remote alley, finally stopping in front of a wooden hut.
The wooden hut was dilapidated and crude. Its old planks were cracked from years of neglect, and the simple paper covering the windows was riddled with holes.
"This is where the Artifact Refining Master lives?"
Shen Daoxing found it hard to believe.
Lv Yunsheng was a bit embarrassed by this. This was the place he’d heard about. He looked around; there were no other houses nearby, only this one.
"CREAK!"
Just then, the hut’s door slowly opened, and a child of about eleven or twelve walked out. The child went to a pile of scrap iron and wood by the door and began tinkering with something, though it was unclear what.
Shen Daoxing slowly walked up. "Young man, excuse me, does Elder Mu, Master Mu, live here?"
The child looked up and saw the two of them, seemingly unsurprised by the visit. He turned his head and called into the house, "Grandpa, someone’s here to see you again!"
"Cough! Cough!"
A few coughs sounded, followed by a frail, elderly voice. "Who is it?"
"I don’t know them."
The child shook his head.
"Bring them in."
The elderly voice called out again.
The child then stood up and led Shen Daoxing and Lv Yunsheng into the hut.
The child led them into the innermost bedroom.
Shen Daoxing saw a white-haired old man lying on a bed.
The old man looked very weak, dressed in a worn white cloth robe. One side of his lower body was empty; he had lost a leg for some unknown reason.
"Excuse me, are you Mu Yiheng, Master Mu?"
Lv Yunsheng found it hard to believe, seeing the old man’s condition.
The old man nodded, looking a bit impatient. "What do you want with me?"
Shen Daoxing stepped forward and bowed respectfully. "Elder Mu, please forgive the intrusion. This junior has urgent business in Cangzhou. We heard you own a Cloud Ship. Might it be possible to borrow it?"
Hearing the words "Cloud Ship," Elder Mu’s expression suddenly changed. He said angrily, "What Cloud Ship? I’m not lending it! Not lending it!"
With that, Elder Mu impatiently turned his head to the child outside. "Xing, see our guests out!"
"Yes!"
Xin nodded, then walked into the room and pushed Shen Daoxing and Lv Yunsheng out with both hands.
Shen Daoxing and Lv Yunsheng were both completely baffled, not understanding why Elder Mu would have such a reaction to the mere mention of a Cloud Ship.
"Please leave. Grandpa never lends out his Cloud Ship,"
Xin said from the doorway.
Shen Daoxing couldn’t just give up. He reached to his waist, pulled out a bag of Gold Coins, and walked up to Xin with a slight smile, stuffing the pouch into his arms.
"Xin, please help me persuade your grandfather. He doesn’t have to lend it to us; just giving us a ride would be enough."
Seeing the bag of Gold Coins, Xin’s eyes clearly lit up. He was tempted. He turned to glance at his grandfather inside the house, seemed to think of something, then shook his head and pushed the pouch back.
"I can’t. Grandpa hasn’t piloted the ship in over thirty years!"
Shen Daoxing was surprised.
At that moment, he saw Xing by the door, tinkering with a dark, cylindrical object that looked like a Magical Artifact. However, Shen Daoxing could clearly sense that Xin had not a trace of Primordial Energy fluctuation in his body; he was not a Martial Artist.
"Kid, you don’t cultivate, so why are you making this Magical Artifact?"
Lv Yunsheng asked curiously from the side.
Xin smiled, put his hands on his hips, and said proudly, "Hehe, you wouldn’t understand. This isn’t any ordinary Magical Artifact. It’s a Magical Artifact that even a normal person can use."
’A Magical Artifact that even a normal person can use?’
Shen Daoxing looked at the dark, cylindrical Magical Artifact with deep meaning.
’If this thing could really be made, I wonder what would become of this world!’
Just then, Xing went over to a nearby furnace and began to hammer a piece of black iron. But for his small, thin frame, swinging the huge hammer seemed to be a great struggle.
"Let me."
Shen Daoxing said, taking the hammer from Xin’s hands.
"Okay!"
Xin nodded cheerfully. He then brought over a piece of pig iron from the side and picked up an axe, as if to split it.
Lv Yunsheng leaned in eagerly. "Hey kid, want some help from your big brother here?"
"Okay!"
Xing nodded, then pointed to the side. "You go split that one!"
"A small matter. Leave it to me."
Lv Yunsheng said smugly. But when he turned to look, he jumped in fright. A piece of raw iron ore the size of a small hut sat not far from him, as tall as the wooden hut itself.
Lv Yunsheng looked at the small axe Xin handed him and was dumbfounded.
Shen Daoxing smiled faintly, swiped a hand at his waist, and the Demon Soldier Poison Fiend unsheathed itself.
SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!
Dozens of sword flashes appeared over the mountain of ore. With a loud RUMBLE, the massive ore shattered into countless smaller pieces.
"Big brother, you’re amazing!"
Xin cried out in delight and ran over to gather the shattered pieces of ore.
Seeing Xin smiling so happily, Shen Daoxing tried an indirect approach. "So, Xin? How about it? Help me persuade your grandpa. Just giving us a ride would be enough."
Xin paused, hesitated for a moment, and then said with difficulty, "But... Grandpa really hasn’t piloted the Cloud Ship in a very long time."
