Provocation

As soon as the words fell, several young cultivators clad in black robes walked in through the door.

The leader wore an exceptionally arrogant expression, glancing left and right as though searching for someone. His cultivation was not low either—he had reached the sixth level of Qi Condensation.

Seeing this, Chen Ming Hui immediately stepped forward and said somewhat coolly, "Everyone from the Luo Family, please refrain from shouting indiscriminately, lest you disturb the customers in our shop."

"Alright, alright, I get it."

Though the man agreed readily enough, he did not lower his voice in the slightest. His eyes continued to wander everywhere, and the people who had entered with him behaved in exactly the same manner.

At that moment, a skinny, sharp-looking youth in black spotted Chen Heng sitting at the large square table in the inner private room.

He whispered, "Brother Lei, he's over there!"

Hearing this, Luo Yu Lei looked in the direction he pointed and indeed caught sight of Chen Heng.

The bastard who had defeated his sister, causing the Luo Family to lose the contest and throw away who knew how many Spirit Stones for nothing.

Although Chen Heng had matured somewhat compared with over a year ago, his features more fully grown, his appearance even more handsome and refined, and his frame taller as well,

Luo Yu Lei had watched the contest recordings countless times and recognized him at a single glance.

He shoved Chen Ming Hui aside and strode swiftly toward Chen Heng's area.

"Well, well, you must be that newly arrived little artifact refiner of the Chen Family, right?"

With the corners of his mouth lifted, Luo Yu Lei looked at Chen Heng with an exaggerated expression as he spoke.

Chen Ming Hui was about to step forward and argue, but Chen Heng waved him off. He could only return to attending to the other customers.

Yet his gaze still flicked this way from time to time.

Chen Heng gave Chen Xing Shan a slight nod, then walked out of the private room with an unchanged expression and faced the man directly. "Fellow Daoist, what business do you have here?"

At that, Luo Yu Lei revealed an amused smile. "I have long heard that the Jade Spring Artifact Pavilion under your Chen Family possesses exceptional artifact-refining skill. We came specifically to commission the refining of a magical artifact."

At this time, Chen Xing Shan also emerged from the private room. Hearing this, he smiled. "Our Jade Spring Artifact Pavilion opened its doors to do business."

He walked to Chen Heng's side, paused, and continued, "If young friend Luo wishes to commission a magical artifact from our shop, feel free to state your request."

"But let me make the ugly words clear first. You should know the marketplace's rules—do not deliberately pick fights and cause trouble."

Luo Yu Lei curled his lip and looked at Chen Heng with blatant provocation. "Today, this young master wants him to refine an artifact for me."

"Ming Heng is currently a first-grade mid-tier artifact refiner. According to the marketplace's rules, he will not accept commissions for first-grade mid-tier magical artifacts or above."

Chen Xing Shan sat to one side, holding a cup of spiritual tea and taking a light sip as he spoke.

"This young master naturally knows that. There is no need for Shopkeeper Xing Shan to remind me again and again and yet again," Luo Yu Lei said irritably.

Having heard this, Chen Heng stood with his hands behind his back and said calmly, "In that case, what magical artifact does Young Master Luo wish for me to refine? Please, let me hear it."

Heh heh!

"This young master wishes to have a first-grade mid-tier treasure fan refined. It must, at minimum, be inscribed with three artifact patterns of different properties: attack, defense, and trapping enemies."

"As long as you can fulfill my requirements, I am willing to pay three hundred low-grade Spirit Stones."

Chen Shi Shi, who had been listening nearby, cried out, "Inscribing three artifact patterns with different properties at once, and on a mid-tier magical artifact at that—how could that be possible?"

Hearing him, Luo Yu Lei glanced at Chen Shi Shi, who was only at the third layer of Qi Refining and still had a youthful face, then feigned surprise. "Oh? It seems even your own people do not think highly of you, Chen Heng."

"Chen Heng, do you dare accept this commission? Doesn't your Chen Family call itself the Artifact Talisman Chen Family, claiming to have built its clan on artifact refinement and talisman making? Don't tell me it is merely an empty reputation?"

The moment those words came out, the customers in the shop immediately assumed the expressions of people watching a show.

Chen Shi Shi knew he had spoken out of turn. His face flushed red, and he hesitated, wanting to argue but not knowing where to begin.

Yet contrary to Luo Yu Lei's expectations, Chen Heng replied evenly, "I accept this order. Leave the materials and deposit, then you may leave."

His tone was exceedingly confident, and his bearing utterly composed.

Luo Yu Lei narrowed his eyes. According to the information sent back by the Luo Family's spy planted within the Chen Family, Chen Heng had studied artifact refinement for less than a year.

As for the news that his artifact-refining ability had reached the first-grade mid-tier, it was merely something that had spread around and could not be confirmed with absolute certainty.

That was precisely why he had come here to stir up trouble.

But Chen Heng seemed to possess considerable confidence.

"Chen Heng, I hope you truly can refine it successfully. This young master will leave the materials and deposit here," Luo Yu Lei said with an indifferent expression.

Before his words had even finished, the man who had first spotted Chen Heng placed a low-grade storage pouch on the counter.

Chen Heng immediately picked it up and examined it. After confirming that everything was correct, he said calmly, "Come collect it in five days."

Chen Xing Shan, who had been sitting calmly to one side, furrowed his brow. Even as a first-grade high-tier artifact refiner, he could not guarantee success in refining it within five days.

After all, inscribing different artifact patterns onto a single magical artifact multiplied both the time and effort required.

Hearing this, Luo Yu Lei was instantly overjoyed. At first, he had thought Chen Heng's calm composure might mean that he truly possessed some skill. Looking again now, however, the other party was clearly an arrogant fool.

After all, to refine a first-grade mid-tier magical artifact inscribed with three different artifact patterns,

even that artifact-refining genius of their clan, who had advanced to first-grade mid-tier artifact refiner at merely fifteen, had spent ten days on it.

"Good, Chen Heng. You have laid down your words before everyone here, and all the fellow Daoists present have heard them. Five days—five days from now, I, Luo Yu Lei, will come to collect the magical artifact. At that time, I hope everyone will come and lend your support."

After saying this, Luo Yu Lei left the Jade Spring Artifact Pavilion with his people, his face brimming with delight.

"Everyone, then we too shall return in five days. The gathering will not have ended by then anyway. We will certainly bring more fellow Daoists to show Master Chen our support."

Many customers who had originally only come to purchase magical artifacts or materials wore expressions of those who feared no uproar when watching a spectacle, and they began calling people over one after another.

How could they possibly miss the sight of two of the three great Foundation Establishment Families of South Ridge—the Chen Family and the Luo Family—tearing into each other?

At this time, Chen Xing Shan led Chen Shi Shi, who looked like a child who had done something wrong, over to Chen Heng. Rubbing his chin, he asked, "Ming Heng, are you truly confident?"

Chen Heng patted Chen Shi Shi on the shoulder to indicate that it was nothing, then smiled. "Five days is already enough. It is only that I will be unable to contribute to the pavilion these next few days."

Chen Xing Shan waved his hand, indicating that this was no more than a trivial matter.

Seeing this, Chen Heng did not delay further. At the fastest speed possible, he completed the handover with Gao Hong, the pavilion's Attendant artifact refiner.

Then he shut himself inside the artifact-refining room.

Refining a magical artifact inscribed with three different artifact patterns was not difficult for him.

The Ruyi Water-Fire Cudgel and the Water-Fire Treasure Gourd were both magical artifacts inscribed with more than three artifact patterns.

Although neither was a first-grade mid-tier magical artifact inscribed with three artifact patterns of different properties,

Chen Heng was exceedingly confident that he could refine one.