Return to the City

As soon as the words fell, the two vanished from their spot and instantly appeared tens of thousands of meters up in the sky.

At this moment, the Heaven and Earth Profound Meaning rippled around them, as if they had become one with this stretch of sky and earth.

The middle-aged man's divine sense spread outward, enveloping several dynasties, as if searching for something.

As his divine sense swept through those dynasties without restraint, it startled the Nascent Soul Old Monsters who had been in seclusion for years within those realms.

But none of those Nascent Soul Old Monsters could trace the source of this divine sense.

"Such powerful divine sense—it even pierced through the secret chamber I had sealed with layers of formations."

Inside a hidden chamber, a Nascent Soul Old Monster was deeply shaken, as if all his secrets had been laid bare.

A few minutes later, the middle-aged man withdrew his divine sense and shook his head. "Not here."

Then the two vanished again, flying off in another direction.

Meanwhile, an old man sat inside a carriage, his aura completely concealed, like an ordinary mortal.

He gazed out the carriage window at the sky, his deep eyes tinged with weariness.

He muttered under his breath, "Almost got caught by that old bastard."

Yang Lingtian had already been away from Tianchen City for eight or nine days. He knew his Foster Father was probably getting anxious.

So he rushed back toward Tianchen City without stopping.

A day later, Yang Lingtian appeared in Tianchen City.

During this time, the Chen Family had been searching for him vigorously, even posting his portrait in many places.

So the moment he showed up, someone recognized him.

"Isn't that Yang Lingtian from the Chen Family, the one who's been missing for ten days?"

"That's right, that's right—I thought he'd died out there!"

"Hmph, a waste like him shouldn't have come back. He's just a burden to the Chen Family."

"Not necessarily—I've heard he's a First-Rank Artifact Refiner."

"You actually believe that? You might as well believe my dog is a First-Rank Artifact Refiner."

"Haha, exactly. I'd say he's worse than a dog. A dog can at least guard the door. He can't do anything, and he's a spendthrift."

Faced with the crowd's chatter, Yang Lingtian initially wanted to ignore them.

But being compared to a dog—how could a strong man tolerate that!

Rage and resentment churned inside him, yet his expression remained calm and composed.

Then, his eyes turned icy as he glared at the two who had said he was worse than a dog. He snapped, "Your mouths are filthy. Careful, or I'll smash them for you!"

His voice was low and forceful, dripping with menace.

But those two weren't afraid. In their minds, Yang Lingtian was not only a waste at Qi Refining Level 2 but also spineless by nature.

And they themselves were already at Qi Refining Level 6, considered decent fighters in Tianchen City.

They sneered arrogantly, "Haha, what can a waste like you do to us?"

"A waste is a waste—all talk, no bite."

A cold smirk flickered in Yang Lingtian's eyes as his aura slowly began to rise.

In that instant, a powerful burst of energy erupted from his body, shocking everyone present.

"Qi Refining Level 7 aura—he actually broke through to Qi Refining Level 7!"

"No way—wasn't he at Qi Refining Level 2 not long ago? How did he suddenly reach Qi Refining Level 7?"

Some exclaimed in surprise, shattering their previous perception of Yang Lingtian.

In a flash, Yang Lingtian appeared beside the two men. He suddenly raised his right foot and swiftly kicked them in turn.

"Ah!"

Two screams rang out simultaneously. Both men were sent flying, crashing heavily to the ground, writhing in agony.

The entire scene fell silent. Passersby stared in shock.

They couldn't believe that Yang Lingtian, once looked down upon, had become so formidable.

Two cultivators at Qi Refining Level 6 had been kicked away without any chance to fight back.

The two men looked up at Yang Lingtian in terror, having truly felt the power of that kick.

Even an ordinary Qi Refining Level 7 expert wouldn't have such overwhelming force.

Yang Lingtian walked slowly toward them and said coldly, "Should I smash your mouths, or will you do it yourselves?"

Terrified, they quickly replied, "We'll do it ourselves! We'll do it ourselves!"

Then they began slapping their own faces repeatedly, drawing laughter from the crowd.

In public, Yang Lingtian had made an example of them.

Only after their mouths were swollen and red did Yang Lingtian finally leave.

Soon, Yang Lingtian arrived at the gates of the Chen Manor.

News of Yang Lingtian's return had already reached Chen Zhengqing's ears, so he ordered a servant to summon Yang Lingtian to the Main Hall.

Inside the Main Hall, Chen Zhengqing wore a stern expression.

"Lingtian, so you remember to come back. You left for so long without a word—I thought you'd already met with misfortune!"

Chen Zhengqing's tone carried both reproach and a hint of concern.

Yang Lingtian replied calmly, "Foster Father, I only went to the outskirts of the Monster Beast Mountain Range to hunt beasts and train."

"I've grown up now, I'm not a child anymore. I know my limits."

Since he had returned safely, Chen Zhengqing didn't press further. Instead, he shifted the topic to other matters.

"Lingtian, one of the Weapon Workshops reported that you forged a Low-Grade Spirit Sword yourself. Is that true?"

Chen Zhengqing looked at Yang Lingtian with eager anticipation.

"That's right. I forged a suitable spirit sword myself. Deduct the material cost from my allowance."

Yang Lingtian spoke flatly, as if stating something utterly ordinary.

Then he produced the Low-Grade Spirit Sword.

"What? It's real? I thought the Weapon Workshop people were just talking nonsense. I never expected it to be true."

Having received confirmation, Chen Zhengqing was overjoyed. He immediately picked up the Low-Grade Spirit Sword and examined it closely.

His pupils dilated, and his face filled with shock. "Marvelous, marvelous! From this spirit sword alone, it's clear the forging skill is very seasoned."

"Lingtian, when did you learn to forge spirit tools? This is something only a First-Rank Artifact Refiner can achieve!"

Yang Lingtian replied again, calmly, "I picked up this skill not long ago. I only just learned it."

Chen Zhengqing stared at Yang Lingtian in astonishment, feeling as though he could no longer see through him.

Amid his confusion, a storm raged within his heart—utter disbelief.

Not only had Yang Lingtian's cultivation broken through from Qi Refining Level 2 to Qi Refining Level 7 in a single month, but he was also a First-Rank Artifact Refiner.

It all felt so unreal. He remembered how he himself had practiced diligently for decades before becoming a First-Rank Artifact Refiner.

Yang Lingtian seemed to have become a First-Rank Artifact Refiner overnight. The change was too sudden, too staggering.

He grabbed Yang Lingtian's wrist and checked his pulse, only to find that his damaged meridians had fully healed.

This only deepened his confusion. Had his foster son somehow obtained a Meridian-Renewing Elixir on his own?

Still, since he knew it was healed, there was no need to dwell on it.

He no longer had to search for a Meridian-Renewing Elixir either.

By now, the way Chen Zhengqing looked at Yang Lingtian had changed. His heart was a mix of shock and delight.

"In just a few days, Lingtian's cultivation has soared from Qi Refining Level 2 straight to Qi Refining Level 7. That shows his talent is far from poor."

"And now, at only eighteen, so young and already a First-Rank Artifact Refiner—his future is bound to be limitless."

"I once married off my daughter only for the sake of a promise. But now it seems that if she marries him, it would be well worth it."

At this moment, the Chen Family was in dire need of a First-Rank Artifact Refiner to oversee the weapons being sold.

Yang Lingtian's appearance was just the solution to the Chen Family's pressing problem.

Chen Zhengqing said seriously, "Lingtian, lately our Chen Family's Weapon Workshop has only had one First-Rank Artifact Refiner overseeing the weapons ready for sale."

"He can't manage running back and forth alone. I hope you can help out and serve as the second Chief Artifact Refiner."

"Once we recruit a new First-Rank Artifact Refiner, you can step down. Of course, I'll increase your allowance during this time."

Yang Lingtian frowned slightly. Waiting until they recruited a First-Rank Artifact Refiner—how long would that take?

But remembering that helping the Chen Family was a long-term system quest, he agreed anyway.

"Fine. I'll report for duty tomorrow."

However, Yang Lingtian had another plan—to find someone and train them properly.

Even if the person he trained couldn't become a First-Rank Artifact Refiner, they could at least reach a decent standard and handle the quality control of the weapons for sale.

That was far more reliable than trying to recruit a new First-Rank Artifact Refiner.

After all, the number of First-Rank Artifact Refiners in all of Tianchen City could be counted on one hand.

And since one of the Chen Family's First-Rank Artifact Refiners had been assassinated not long ago, the others were even more reluctant to apply.

In fact, artifact refining apprentices were divided by skill into Beginner Apprentice, Intermediate Apprentice, Advanced Apprentice, and Top Apprentice.

As long as someone could be trained to Top Apprentice, they could handle the task of inspecting the quality of various weapons.

But most of the apprentices in the Chen Manor's Weapon Workshop were Beginner Apprentices, with only a few Intermediate Apprentices.

There were no Advanced or Top Apprentices at all.

That was because those First-Rank Artifact Refiners had no time to teach them. They only taught the basics—enough to turn someone into a Beginner Apprentice who could do the work.

The rest was left for them to figure out on their own.

After all, those apprentices weren't truly disciples of a First-Rank Artifact Refiner—just workers hired by the Chen Family.

Returning to his own courtyard, Yang Lingtian began cultivating the newly acquired Movement Technique, Flowing Cloud Wind Movement.

To become a strong man, one must train relentlessly, so he didn't want to waste any time.

He directly took the Enlightenment Pill rewarded by the system, swallowing it to boost his comprehension, with its effects lasting most of the day.

Yang Lingtian started practicing according to the cultivation mantra of Flowing Cloud Wind Movement.

This Movement Technique required extremely high control over one's own strength—meaning he had to learn to circulate the Spiritual Power within his Dantian and apply it.

This would enhance his agility and allow his body to move swiftly.

Under the effect of the Enlightenment Pill, his mind grew clearer, and his understanding of Flowing Cloud Wind Movement deepened.

He closed his eyes tightly and began repeatedly visualizing himself moving lightly through the wind.

His body started to mimic the nature of the wind, becoming soft and nimble.

Then he imagined himself as a cloud, flowing freely through the air without any obstruction.