Yang Lingtian was truly enraged this time. As a powerful cultivator, he had actually been provoked by a servant.
An uncle might endure it, but an aunt certainly could not.
He said nothing more. Instead, his body swayed slightly, both feet lightly touching the ground as he crossed the distance to the attendant in the blink of an eye.
Then he struck out with his palm, slamming it hard into the attendant.
Before the attendant could react, he was sent flying and crashed heavily to the ground.
Yang Lingtian's action immediately sent a shock through the kitchen, followed by silence.
Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at him, dumbfounded.
A second-level Qi Refining cultivator had actually knocked down a fourth-level one in a single blow?
What they did not know was that Yang Lingtian had already broken through to Qi Refining Level 6.
Their understanding of him still remained stuck at the fact that he was at Qi Refining Level 2—and had failed to break through for three years.
He had remained at Qi Refining Level 2 for three whole years, which was why he had been called a good-for-nothing.
The attendant, meanwhile, lay on the ground in pain, clutching his chest and groaning.
It was clear that the blow had been extremely powerful, leaving the attendant seriously injured.
Yang Lingtian swept his sharp, resolute gaze around the room.
Then he slowly walked toward the attendant and looked down at him coldly.
He said, "Remember this. Keep your mouth less foul from now on. If we were outside, you would already be dead."
The attendant looked at Yang Lingtian in fear and did not dare say another word.
He could sense that Yang Lingtian's cultivation was definitely higher than his own.
And Yang Lingtian's frigid gaze filled him with overwhelming terror.
After establishing his authority, Yang Lingtian grabbed several steamed buns and walked out.
The servants gathered along the way hurriedly made room for him, their faces filled with shock and confusion.
Only after Yang Lingtian had left did they dare begin discussing him.
"My heavens, when did Yang Lingtian become so powerful?"
"Wasn't he at Qi Refining Level 2 before? Now he can even defeat someone at Qi Refining Level 4 in one move."
"And his temper has changed too. He throws a punch whenever someone says the wrong thing. We have to be careful from now on and stop badmouthing him in front of him."
By the time Yang Lingtian returned to his room, night had already fallen.
Thus, he began circulating the Chaos Dao Divine Art to cultivate. This was his first cultivation session since his meridians had been repaired.
He closed his eyes and drew a deep breath, adjusting his mind and body to their optimal state.
The moment he circulated the technique, he felt the spiritual energy around him surge into his body like a rising tide. Its speed was indeed much faster than before.
Still unsatisfied, he directly took out one hundred thousand Spirit Stones and absorbed the Spiritual Power within them.
After all, cultivating by absorbing Spirit Stones was far faster than simply absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.
Suddenly, the Chaos Bead in his dantian seemed to have been stimulated again and began to tremble faintly.
Then, astonishingly, the one hundred thousand Spirit Stones he had just taken out were completely drained by it within a few minutes, with only a small portion spilling into Yang Lingtian's dantian.
Afterward, the Chaos Bead once again fell into silence.
Yang Lingtian's cultivation, however, had broken through to Qi Refining Level 7.
He could not help sighing. "This Chaos Bead really is a bottomless pit. It absorbed all those Spirit Stones!"
This time, though, the system did not issue a reward for his breakthrough. It seemed that such a minor breakthrough was still insufficient for the system to bestow a reward.
After dawn broke, Yang Lingtian rose and headed for the Weapon Workshop, intending to forge a long sword of his own.
In Tianchen City, the Chen Family and Tang Family, two of the four great families, both possessed businesses that forged and sold weapons.
It could be said that the Chen Family and Tang Family dominated the weapon-manufacturing industry between them.
Both families had First-Rank Artifact Refiners, with numerous disciples under them.
For ordinary weapons, those disciples were enough to complete the forging.
However, a First-Rank Alchemist was also needed to inspect and oversee them before they could be sold.
Soon, Yang Lingtian arrived at one of the Chen Family's Weapon Workshops, where all kinds of weapons were sold.
However, he did not take any of them seriously, because he planned to forge a Low-Grade Spirit Sword.
A Low-Grade Spirit Sword belonged to the Spirit Artifact rank and could only be forged by a First-Rank Artifact Refiner. Moreover, the forging process was extraordinarily difficult.
As a result, every Spirit Artifact was exorbitantly expensive, and very few people in Tianchen City could afford one.
Aside from Chen Zhengqing, who was himself a First-Rank Artifact Refiner, the Chen Family had two other First-Rank Artifact Refiners.
However, one of those artifact refiners had recently been assassinated, while Chen Zhengqing, as the family head, did not personally participate in the forging work.
Thus, the Chen Family effectively had only one First-Rank Artifact Refiner currently involved in its operations.
This had caused some weapons forged by the disciples to enter the market without being inspected and approved by a First-Rank Alchemist.
As a result, the rate of defective products had risen considerably, seriously damaging the Chen Family's reputation.
After arriving, Yang Lingtian entered the weapon-forging area. Many disciples were still forging ordinary weapons inside the Weapon Workshop.
When they saw Yang Lingtian arrive, they were puzzled and began whispering among themselves.
"Isn't that the family head's adopted son, Yang Lingtian? What is he doing here?"
"Who knows? He usually spends his days eating, drinking, and fooling around. He rarely comes to a place like this. I wonder what got into him today."
"Hmph. I don't know why the family head took him as an adopted son. His cultivation talent is terrible, he can't do anything, and he squanders money. He's a complete good-for-nothing."
When Yang Lingtian arrived, the disciples ignored him and treated him coldly.
Yang Lingtian's expression darkened as he called out, "Where is the steward? Come out for a moment!"
His voice echoed through the workshop, creating a brief silence.
Only then did the steward slowly emerge. This person was called Steward Xu, and he walked directly toward Yang Lingtian.
"Don't you know that only artifact refiners are allowed in here? Young Master Yang, what are you doing here?"
Yang Lingtian replied directly, "Of course I'm here to forge a weapon."
"Prepare these materials for me at once, then find me a quiet place to forge."
He took out a note and handed it to Steward Xu.
Steward Xu glanced at the materials and immediately recognized that they were used to forge Low-grade Spirit Artifacts.
His brows drew tightly together as he said, "Young Master Yang, are you joking?"
"You probably can't even forge an ordinary weapon, yet you want to use materials for forging a Spirit Artifact?"
Hearing Steward Xu's words, Yang Lingtian sneered. "I told you to prepare them, so prepare them. I intend to forge a Low-grade Spirit Artifact."
Steward Xu and the other disciples burst into laughter when they heard this.
Steward Xu said with disdain, "Young Master Yang, don't you know that only a First-Rank Artifact Refiner can forge Spirit Artifacts?"
"You are an outsider who struggles even to forge ordinary weapons, yet you want to forge a Spirit Artifact?"
"Young Master Yang, you keep coming up with more ways to squander money. These are precious materials. If you mess around with them, they will only go to waste."
Steward Xu's words displeased Yang Lingtian somewhat. He knitted his brows and glared at Steward Xu.
Then he said, "Steward Xu, you don't need to remind me. I won't waste these materials. Today, I am forging a Spirit Artifact."
Steward Xu continued mockingly, "Young Master Yang, you really are naive. Do you think you can forge a Spirit Artifact with materials alone?"
"If someone like you could forge Spirit Artifacts, wouldn't everyone be able to do it?"
Yang Lingtian had already run out of patience. His eyes fixed sharply on Steward Xu.
His tone turned cold. "Stop talking nonsense. Go prepare them now."
"If anything is wasted, I will take full responsibility."
Steward Xu was frightened by Yang Lingtian's icy gaze and tone. He then said, "Fine. You said it yourself. If the higher-ups blame me later, I won't accept any responsibility."
Soon, Steward Xu brought over the materials that only a First-Rank Artifact Refiner could use.
Yang Lingtian carried the materials to the forging platform and arranged them in order.
Once everything was ready, he began forging.
He first placed the Refined Iron and other materials on the forging platform. Fierce flames roared to life atop it.
The heat of the flames made the surrounding air tremble slightly, forming waves of hot wind.
This was Yang Lingtian's first time forging a weapon, but the method of forging was engraved in his mind.
It was as if he had forged countless weapons before; not a trace of unfamiliarity showed in his movements.
He first heated the Refined Iron until it glowed crimson, then soaked it in a specially prepared medicinal solution to remove the impurities within the iron.
Next, he began infusing the other auxiliary materials into the Refined Iron, each addition precise beyond compare.
Then he repeatedly fired, polished, and forged it, constantly hammering the sword's body throughout the process.
Steward Xu and the other disciples watched Yang Lingtian's movements in astonishment.
They had originally doubted Yang Lingtian's forging ability, but seeing him wield artifact-refining techniques with such skill left them deeply shocked.
They had only witnessed a scene like this while observing a First-Rank Artifact Refiner.
They could not help wondering, Could Yang Lingtian really be a First-Rank Artifact Refiner?
"That's terrifying. Is he an eighteen-year-old First-Rank Artifact Refiner? His talent is simply heaven-defying."
Under Yang Lingtian's skillful movements, the Refined Iron on the forging platform gradually took shape amid waves of blazing fire.
At that moment, Steward Xu and the other disciples' eyes were practically fixed on Yang Lingtian's hands.
"This... this is simply..."
Steward Xu's eyes widened. He could hardly believe what he was seeing.
As a manager, he often had the opportunity to see First-Rank Artifact Refiners.
Thus, he understood their refining methods far better than the other disciples did, and had also seen First-Rank Artifact Refiners forge weapons more often.
The technique Yang Lingtian displayed truly resembled that of a First-Rank Artifact Refiner.
This left him utterly astonished.
The forging process was long and arduous. Yang Lingtian sweated like rain, yet he never stopped.
His gaze was firm, as though during the forging process he had already seen what the completed sword would look like.
Finally, when the last drop of medicinal solution merged into the Refined Iron, he knew that the Spirit Sword had taken preliminary shape.
He extinguished the flames and carefully placed the newly formed long sword into the water.
Hissing steam instantly rose into the air, and a powerful force radiated from the Spirit Sword, making the surrounding air seem to tremble.
Yang Lingtian gently worked the Spirit Sword with his tools. The crimson blade gradually cooled and hardened.
Afterward, he continued polishing it, carefully removing every imperfection and meticulously refining every part of the sword's body.
Yang Lingtian picked up the forged Spirit Sword. A faint hum rang out, as though announcing its birth.
Under the light, the Low-Grade Spirit Sword emitted streaks of sword light, radiating a sharp and fierce aura.
A powerful presence emanated from the blade, revealing its exceptionally high quality.
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