Ambush

Ambush

When Xu Fan bid farewell to the young couple, he felt a little regretful. Those two Magic Artifact materials were not especially precious, but refining them was the most troublesome part.

"On the fifteenth of next month, I'll leave the sect to attend their wedding."

"It'll be my first long journey. I should make some preparations." Xu Fan looked at the invitation in his hand.

He took out his Mobile Phone Magic Artifact and sent Pang Fu a message.

The next day, Xu Fan first went to the Alliance Base, which had already been renamed the Merchant Guild. Pang Fu had been waiting outside for quite some time.

After three years of development, the Merchant Guild Pang Fu had established was now a renowned Merchant Guild within the Outer Sect. It was said that the guild had a Pill Refining Master in its service, and there might be high-quality Elixirs suitable for the Qi Refining Stage in its Inner Area.

There was also an Artifact Refining Grandmaster. As long as one met the master's requirements, the master could tailor a Magic Artifact specifically for them, one that would definitely be no worse than an ordinary Fine Magic Artifact.

With two masters in the Merchant Guild, its directly affiliated personnel had now grown to over ten thousand.

Inside the Guest Reception Room, Pang Fu respectfully handed the Storage Bag in his hand to Xu Fan.

"Master Xu, someone from Artifact Refining Peak asked me to pass on a message. They want to recruit you into Artifact Refining Peak to help repair the Floating Sky Vessel." Pang Fu spoke respectfully. He had no choice but to be respectful—Xu Fan was now the main pillar of the Merchant Guild.

It could be said that half the Merchant Guild's success was due to its two mysterious masters, one of whom was Xu Fan before him.

"Mm, I'll go. The Merchant Guild's Artifact Refiner has become too famous, so I can't go under that identity."

"I understand." Pang Fu nodded.

"Oh, right. One of our sect's newly risen Heavenly Prides wants to commission you to refine a Treasure Artifact. Will you take the commission?" Pang Fu added.

"What Treasure Artifact?"

The protagonist was already commissioning Magic Treasures?

"What Treasure Artifact, and what is the reward?"

"A Sword Box that can hold one hundred flying swords. Its grade must reach Treasure Artifact level."

"The reward is a piece of Soul Iron that you've been trying to purchase for a long time without success. The Soul Iron weighs roughly four jin."

The moment Xu Fan heard that the reward was Soul Iron, he was instantly excited. This was an important material he had always lacked. When he had refined the accompanying Magic Artifact for the Flood Dragon Pearl, he had used less than three taels of it.

"No problem. What are his requirements?" Xu Fan said happily. It felt as though heaven was watching over him—whatever he wanted, came right to him.

"It must nurture flying swords and increase their spirituality. Most importantly, the Sword Box must have a system that converts Spirit Stones into spiritual energy."

"There's also a rather strange requirement: the flying swords must not get bored inside it." Pang Fu said with a strange expression.

"Not get bored?" After pondering for a moment, Xu Fan understood what that meant.

"That can be done. I'll make a list later. Charge that Heavenly Pride the material costs according to the values listed on it." Xu Fan said confidently.

"Alright."

After leaving the Merchant Guild, Xu Fan went straight to Earth Core Workshop and began refining several Magic Artifacts he would need for his journey.

A month later, fully armed, Xu Fan left the Heavenly Gate Sect for the second time. The last time had been when he tested the Flood Dragon Soul Pearl.

The place where Wang Yulun was holding his wedding was an Immortal City called Daiding City, over six thousand kilometers from the sect. Wang Yulun's Clan was considered middle-tier within the Immortal City.

Just as Xu Fan left the Heavenly Gate Sect and was about to bring out the Spiritual Wind Vessel and activate its Concealment, he was interrupted by a rapidly approaching Flying Light.

A Young Man with sword-like brows and starry eyes, graceful and unrestrained, appeared beside the Spiritual Wind Vessel while riding a sword.

The moment Xu Fan saw the man, the joy of his trip was doused like a bucket of cold water.

Why was it this guy? Don't tell me we're heading the same way?

"Junior Brother Xu, it's been three years since we last met, hasn't it?"

"After the Mystic Realm, I wanted to find Junior Brother Xu and become friends, but trivial matters always kept me occupied."

"I never expected to meet Junior Brother Xu here today. What fate."

Ye Xiaoyao spoke as he cupped one fist in the other hand, his gaze toward Xu Fan filled with sincerity.

He still remembered that warm, encouraging sentence from when he had been in adversity.

"What a coincidence, Senior Brother Ye. I heard you became one of our sect's Heavenly Prides. I haven't congratulated you yet." Xu Fan smiled and returned the gesture. Faced with such a sincere expression, Xu Fan could not exactly shut him out coldly.

"There's no need for such formalities between us."

As Ye Xiaoyao spoke, he casually landed on Xu Fan's Spiritual Wind Vessel.

"Junior Brother Xu, is the tail fin at the rear of your Spiritual Wind Vessel specially designed to increase speed?" Ye Xiaoyao asked curiously.

Xu Fan made up his mind. Before leaving the sect in the future, he absolutely had to use a disguise.

"I got it in the Mystic Realm. The tail fin has wind-force Runes added to it. In critical moments, it can increase the speed by several degrees."

"Senior Brother Ye, if you have business, you should go take care of it first, lest you delay anything important." Xu Fan said. If this guy did not leave soon, he would delay his journey.

"I'm attending a junior brother's wedding. What about you, Junior Brother Xu?" Ye Xiaoyao asked, feeling a little regretful inside. Another innocent and adorable junior sister had disappeared from this world.

"Is Senior Brother Ye's junior brother named Wang Yulun?"

Xu Fan had a bad feeling.

"Haha, exactly. Junior Brother Xu is attending as well?"

"Perfect. We can travel together, and I can chat with Junior Brother Xu on the way."

As Ye Xiaoyao spoke, a Sword Light shot out from behind him. A Sword Vessel then appeared beside the Spiritual Wind Vessel.

"Junior Brother, ride my Sword Vessel. It's faster." Without waiting for Xu Fan to agree, Ye Xiaoyao directly brought Xu Fan onto the Sword Vessel and signaled for him to put away the Spiritual Wind Vessel.

What the hell...

Helpless, Xu Fan could only travel with Ye Xiaoyao.

Boom—

A sonic boom rang out. It took only one second to accelerate from zero to the speed of sound. In that instant of acceleration, Xu Fan immediately added a layer of air shield around himself.

On the Sword Vessel traveling at supersonic speed, Ye Xiaoyao realized that he had not activated the protective barrier.

"Sorry, Junior Brother Xu. I didn't notice just now." Ye Xiaoyao apologized. He had forgotten that Xu Fan's Cultivation Base was only at the Qi Refining High Stage.

"It's fine. I'm the one who disturbed you." Xu Fan said flatly, while a sense of foreboding began to rise within him.

On the Sword Vessel, Ye Xiaoyao began earnestly entertaining Xu Fan. Top-Level Immortal Fruits and Spirit Tea never stopped appearing.

"Alright, alright, Senior Brother Ye, stop taking things out. The Table can't hold any more." Xu Fan looked helplessly at the Spirit Fruits covering the Table. This protagonist was far too enthusiastic.

The bromance index had already reached Xu Fan's warning line.

At that moment, almost simultaneously, both men looked ahead.

Ye Xiaoyao turned into a Sword Light Rainbow and shot out of the Sword Vessel.

"Junior Brother Xu, wait here a moment. There are a few bugs I need to clear out."

"Rats, this place is less than ten thousand li from my Heavenly Gate Sect, yet you dare act so brazenly."

Ye Xiaoyao stood proudly before the Sword Vessel with sword in hand, five Peerless Flying Swords circling around him.

Flying swords of the Five Elements—metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. Does the protagonist have obsessive-compulsive disorder? Xu Fan looked at the five flying sword Magic Treasures around Ye Xiaoyao.

"Ye Xiaoyao, you killed my senior brother from the Desire Devil Sect. Even if you were inside the Heavenly Gate Sect, you would still have to die."

As a soft, sinister voice rang out, five Sword Vessels carrying Desire Devil Sect Cultivators surrounded them.

Damn it, I knew nothing good could come from following the protagonist. Xu Fan frowned.