Spirit Realm

The Artifact Requesting Hall was just next to outer sect’s martial field.

Every martial practitioner who came to Armament Sect to request a tailor made spirit artifact had to explain in detail what their specific needs were to the Artifact Requesting Hall.

What their realm was, their height, weight, how their spirit art worked, and even their palm size. Every specification needed to be explained with absolute clarity. Then, the artificer would forge a spirit artifact very specifically geared towards many aspects of the requester.

During this process, many martial practitioners would reveal their secrets, such as the way their spirit art channels spirit energy, the techniques they use in life threatening situations, the trump cards the have to overturn dangerous circumstances…

In order to forge a spirit artifact that would be one hundred percent compatible , an artifact requester would often relinquish all of their secrets.

Some of these secrets must never be revealed to outsiders.

That was also why the Artifact Requesting Hall was separated into many private rooms so that the artifact requesters’ secrets would not be leaked to outsiders.

In one such private room Yi Yuan, Ouyang Jingjing, and the Ling sisters were all seated in a soft chair, waiting for Qin Lie’s arrival.

Time passed slowly, but Qin Lie still hadn’t shown up. This caused Ouyang Jingjing’s face to turn uglier and uglier.

She finally could not suppress the dissatisfaction in her heart and yelled at Yi Yuan, “Did you really communicate this with Qin Bing properly?”

“I did, he said he would come,” Yi Yuan laughed awkwardly.

“Then where is he?” Ouyang Jingjing angrily demanded.

“Give it a moment, just give it a while longer. Maybe he’ll shown up soon.” Yi Yuan looked extremely embarrassed.

“If Qin Bing goes against the deal, then our deal will be off as well. Lian Rou’s family will also never acquire the ownership of those mines!” Ouyang Jingjing said with a cold expression.

Yi Yuan could only smile.

“This is the ninth private room, is it?” Tang Siqi’s voice came from outside.

“Yeah, Yi Yuan told me that it was the ninth private room and that Qin Bing will come over today,” Lian Rou answered.

Over the previous six months, Qin Lie had stayed at the plaza where the twelve spirit pattern pillars were to understand the magic of the spirit diagrams. Since the plaza was sealed off previously, not even Tang Siqi and Lian Rou could meet him.

After he came out of the plaza, he was then immediately guided by Ying Xingran to the back of Flame Volcano to Blood Spear’s training ground.

The back of the mountain was forbidden grounds for outer and inner sect disciples, so not even Tang Siqi could enter the area easily. That was why she had not been able to meet Qin Lie all this time.

She finally learned from Lian Rou that Qin Lie would come to the Artifact Requesting Hall today, so she immediately put down every trivial matter on her hands and rushed over with Lian Rou.

Hearing Lian Rou and Tang Siqi, Yi Yuan’s expression shook. It was as if he had seen rays of hope shining down. He hurriedly opened the private room and let the two girls in.

“Where’s Qin Bing?” Lian Rou swept her gaze around the room but did not find Qin Lie. She couldn’t help but frown on the inside. “Yi Yuan, did he really promise you that he would come?”

“Of course he did,” Yi Yuan smiled bitterly.

“I don’t care anyway. If Qin Bing doesn’t give me an explanation today, then don’t even think about taking back those two mines of yours!”

Ling Yushi and Ling Xuanxuan quickly saluted politely with slightly formal expressions when they saw that inner sect disciples had come over.

They had come from Ling Town, a force that wasn’t even a Limestone force. Although they had leaped into a whole new level and entered Dark Fiend Valley, there was still a trace of wariness in their bones when facing against the core disciples of such a large force. This caused them to be somewhat anxious and not as free as Ouyang Jingjing.

“How about letting Siqi help forge your artifacts?” Lian Rou’s eyes turned as she said hurriedly, “Siqi can also forge Profound Grade spirit artifacts. The artifacts of Dark Asura Hall’s commander were all forged by her. She may be slightly less proficient than an inner sect elder, but no one’s attainments in artifact forging can exceed Siqi’s among the inner sect disciples.”

After a pause, Lian Rou emphasized, “Not even the current Qin Bing!”

“I had promised Lu Li that I would definitely get an inner sect elder to forget their artifacts. Senior Sister Tang may be great, but she still can’t compare to an elder.” Ouyang Jingjing was actually moved by the idea, but her attitude was still harsh, “Of course, Senior Sister Tang is pretty good, but it was still a little different from what I had envisioned earlier. Moreover, I also want to get an explanation out of Qin Bing!”

“You want to get an explanation out of Qin Bing?” Tang Siqi was ready to agree for Lian Rou’s sake, but the moment she heard that Ouyang Jingjing was going to get an explanation out of Qin Bing, her beautiful eyes could not help but narrow. “Ouyang Jingjing, is it? I know that you’re the daughter of Mystical Fiend Valley’s valley master, but you have to remember that this is Armament Sect, not your Mystical Fiend Valley!”

Ouyang Jingjing’s expression changed.

“Liang Shaoyang’s status isn’t lower than yours, is he? And where is he now?” Tang Siqi lifted her eyebrows and said coldly, “He is Liang Yangzu’s son. Not long ago, he was the focus of everyone’s attention and the future successor in the sect master and three great reverends’ eyes. His status, talent, and realm were all greater than yours. And now he’s dead and that’s it. Did anything happen to Qin Bing?”

“Senior Sister Tang, I didn’t mean that. It’s just, I just thought that he shouldn’t break his promise,” Ouyang Jingjing stuttered.

“So what? Even if he breaks his promise, with his current status and identity, even the sect master and three great reverends themselves will have to wait for him. And you can’t even wait for a moment?” Tang Siqi gave her no quarter.

Ouyang Jingjing no longer said anything. She simply glared at Yi Yuan in a harsh manner once before turning quiet again with the Ling sisters.

The wait lasted for a whole day. In the end, Qin Lie did not show up.

Tang Siqi was also waiting for him.

The next day, not even Lian Rou could endure it any longer as she angrily glared and scolded Yi Yuan, “Did you really make sure of the time?”

“The promise was yesterday,” Yi Yuan’s said dispiritedly.

“Then go to the back of the mountain and ask Qin Bing again,” Lian Rou ordered.

Yi Yuan’s expression turned bitter as he shook his head and responded, “It’s not time yet. The next training session in the back of the mountain is still half a month away. During this period, those who are still in the observation period like us cannot enter the training ground whenever we want, so even I don’t have a way to see Qin Bing.”

“Senior Sister Tang, Senior Sister Lian Rou, we’ll be leaving then.” Ouyang Jingjing stood up.

Ling Yushi and Ling Xuanxuan also helplessly stood up and were about to leave along with Ouyang Jingjing.

It was at this moment that a cold aura suddenly seeped through from outside the walls of the private room. It was as if frigid ice had suddenly appeared.

Everyone inside the room suddenly felt chilled in their hearts. They felt the room’s temperature had plummeted several times!

But Yi Yuan’s eyes abruptly lit up.

Tang Siqi and Lian Rou were also moved. They immediately realized that Qin Lie had come over and hurriedly winked at Yi Yuan for him to open the door.

“Senior Sister Tang, Senior Sister Lian Rou, Yi Yuan, and Ouyang Jingjing, please come out for a moment.” At the entrance of the private room came Qin Bing’s chilly voice, “I want to talk with the two artifact requesters alone and confirm their specific needs. Some of them may not be convenient for you to hear.”

As if given a huge pardon, Yi Yuan was the first to rush out of the room.

Tang Siqi and Lian Rou matched each other’s eyes once before exiting the private room as well. They stood in front of Qin Lie side by side.

After such a long time, Qin Lie was still as chilly as ever. Anyone who stood beside him would feel like they had suddenly been dropped into a frozen lake and would feel uncomfortable all over.

“Qin Bing, there is something I’d like to talk to you about,” Tang Siqi smiled seductively.

“Alright, we’ll talk later.” Qin Lie nodded.

Ouyang Jingjing had also walked out. Without even the slightest pleasantries, she asked directly, “Do you know how to forge artifacts?”

“I do,” Qin Lie answered.

“And can you forge them better than the inner sect elders?” Ouyang Jingjing snorted once.

“I don’t know. But I think I can do it. Moreover, the reason I came here is to test my skill. Whether it succeeds or not, the cost of the spirit materials needed to forge their artifacts will be borne by me. I will not accept any compensation either,” Qin Lie expressed his thoughts.

The moment he said those words, Tang Siqi, Lian Rou, and Yi Yuan all wore shocked looks on their faces. Even Ouyang Jingjing was stunned.

“Are you for real? You will bear the cost of all the spirit materials? And you won’t accept any compensation either?” Ouyang Jingjing asked uncertainly.

“That’s correct. I will continue even if I fail. All the materials will be paid by the sect. I will forge them until it succeeds so I can build a solid foundation for my first true artifact forging!” Qin Lie confirmed.

Ouyang Jingjing was surprised. She nodded her head and without saying anything else, allowing Qin Lie to enter the private room.

Qin Lie closed the stone door from inside the ninth private room. Then, he touched a stone ball and swiveled it.

“Kachik! Kachik!” A stone passage leading towards the underground suddenly appeared on the private room’s stone ground.

Qin Lie pointed at the stone path and said, “Let’s go in there and talk. Only the underground private room can completely isolate any sound so that no one can hear what we say.”

Ling Yushi and Ling Xuanxuan followed his words and entered the stone path.

Qin Lie, Ling Yushi, and Ling Xuanxuan sat on top of a cushion respectively. Inside the completely sealed underground stone room, he looked deeply at Ling Yushi as the coldness melted away slowly from his eyes.

It had been three years, and Ling Yushi was still as attractive and elegant as ever. There was even a trace of maturity on her beautiful face that caused her disposition to be even more outstanding than three years ago.

The long blue skirt also complemented her well endowed body perfectly. It fitted very well with her temperament that was as cool as water.

Her bright and gentle pair of eyes were like rippling water as they moved around, causing Qin Lie’s heart to grow excited, so much so that he was having trouble controlling his feelings.

“Qin Bing, to think that he also has the surname ‘Qin.’ But he is completely different from Qin Lie. This kind of cold and icy aura was definitely not something Qin Lie would have. But his eyes are staring at me a little strangely…” Ling Yushi’s expression was indifferent. She frowned slightly under his gaze and felt that he was being overly wanton.

But due to Qin Lie’s honorable status, she did not express it on her face, nor did she voice out the opinion.

“So you’re that peerless genius Qin Bing who caused all twelve spirit pattern pillars to react, and after learning the frost concept, used it to cause the world itself to change?” Ling Yushi did not say anything, but Ling Xuanxuan was the one who led the conversation with a soft exclamation. She stared straight at Qin Lie with actual admiration in her eyes, “Are you really the person who did all that?”

Qin Lie woke up from his reminiscing and shifted his gaze from Ling Yushi to her. He nodded, “That’s me.”

“Would you really forge our artifacts? We all heard what you said outside. You’re serious, aren’t you?” Ling Xuanxuan said happily, “Although we brought our own spirit materials as well, to be honest, we were quite anxious about the whole thing. If it were to fail, we won’t have enough spirit materials for another attempt. But you just said that you would bear the cost of all of the spirit materials, right?”

“Yes,” Qin Lie nodded again.

“Why have you given us special treatment?” Ling Xuanxuan’s face was a bit red, “I heard from Sister Jingjing that as long as you give the nod, you can make the inner sect elders help us to forge the artifacts. But you have insisted that you would do it yourself. Why?”

She wore a slight blush on her face, yet still continued to ask questions.