"Little brother, you must have been waiting a long time. I'm pleased to say I managed to get it done," a slightly weary voice said. It was the jewelry shop owner.
"Boss, you've gone to a lot of trouble." Ling Tian hurried to his feet. Seeing how tired the owner looked, he could tell the man had spent a great deal of Mental Power.
"Heh, I was paid to do a job. Here, take a look and see if you're satisfied." As he spoke, the owner handed Ling Tian a small, palm-sized box. Though he put it that way, there was a hint of pride in his voice. This was the work he was most proud of in his life. It had taken an immense effort, but he felt it had been worth it.
Ling Tian carefully took the small box. It was exquisitely crafted, with a faint sandalwood fragrance—elegant without being gaudy. He opened it with great care. Inside lay a pair of earrings. They were made entirely of intertwined purple metal threads, woven into a little butterfly in mid-flight. Its wings were openwork, and the Green Jade Stone was set at its center, making the butterfly look even more lifelike. The earrings were luxurious yet graceful. A breeze stirred their wings, making them flutter lightly as if they were alive.
"Wow, these are unbelievably beautiful! Boss, you're amazing!" Ling Tian couldn't help exclaiming.
"Heh, you're flattering me, little brother. You came up with the design and supplied the materials. I only put in some effort. I should be thanking you—in all my life, I never thought I'd get to see such exquisite earrings." The owner didn't dare take credit. He even bowed to Ling Tian as he spoke, his sincerity plain.
"You're too kind, Boss. If there's nothing else, I'll be off. Perhaps we'll meet again someday." Ling Tian carefully put away the earrings and bid the owner farewell.
The owner took one last, lingering look at the earrings, then nodded helplessly and watched Ling Tian leave the shop.
"Mother, you're amazing! You designed those earrings on the spur of the moment, and they turned out so beautiful. I love you!" Once outside, Ling Tian exclaimed happily to Humei.
"Hehe, of course! Do you know who I am? Still, I was following your ideas, so you did well too." As befitted Lingyun's wife, Humei had the same knack for boasting and showing off.
"Ah, it's already dark! I've been waiting that long?" Ling Tian looked up. Stars glittered overhead, strewing the sky with countless points of light.
Humei bounced up and down a few times, a trace of amusement in her heart, but she said nothing.
"Do I really have to walk back in the dark? It'll take ages. Oh, heavens." Ling Tian felt his head ache. Qingyou Peak was at least two hundred miles away, and even at his speed, the journey would take two hours.
"Actually, we can use Object Flight to get back," Humei's voice sounded in Ling Tian's mind, soft and alluring.
"But I don't know how, Mother. Um, um, Mother, you can do it?!" Ling Tian first froze, then quickly came to his senses and stared in shock. It wasn't his fault; he had never seen Humei use Object Flight, not once, in all his life.
"Look at that expression. You don't believe your mother, do you? Then walk back by yourself. I'll be going ahead." As she spoke, she summoned a jade-colored flute from within her body. The Jade Flute grew in the wind, instantly reaching a length of about ten feet.
"Mother, I was wrong. Take me with you." Ling Tian gently stroked Humei's fur and tried to appease her.
"Fine, let's go." She leaped onto the Jade Flute. When Ling Tian jumped on too, she focused her mind, and the flute shot away with a whistle.
A short while later, they returned to Qingyou Peak. Lingyun was waiting for them in the courtyard. When he saw Ling Tian, he said nothing, merely tossing him a Storage Ring. Looking pale and exhausted, he turned and went inside with Humei without another word.
"Father, what's in here?" Ling Tian asked in puzzlement.
"Some things you can use, and some things for your little girlfriend. When you get back, use your spiritual sense to attune yourself to your things. It'll do you good." Lingyun's voice drifted back, slightly hoarse and weary. Then he fell silent.
Ling Tian stood dazed for a while. His father must have gone to great pains preparing all this for him. Feeling quietly grateful, he headed back.
Back in his bedroom, Ling Tian swept the Storage Ring with his spiritual sense and found all sorts of things inside. The first things he spotted were several hundred iron beads much like the ones he had made, though these were pitch-black and far heavier. They must have been made with Mysterious Iron and other unusual, heavy metals.
The moment Ling Tian's spiritual sense entered them, he sensed the difference. These beads could readily meld with his spiritual sense, then quickly establish a connection with it.
So these are Magic Artifacts with a degree of spiritual awareness, Ling Tian thought. He felt deeply grateful to his father. There weren't just one or two beads—there were hundreds! No wonder his father had looked so exhausted. Refining them must have taken a tremendous amount of effort.
In the Cultivation World, there were many grades of weaponry, from lowest to highest: Mortal Iron, Treasure Artifacts, Magic Artifacts, Spirit Artifacts, Immortal Artifacts, and other, even higher grades that were less well known. Mortal Iron needed no explanation. It couldn't communicate with the mind and was considered beneath notice. Next came Treasure Artifacts, made with a few rare materials and cultivation methods. They possessed a trace of spirituality and could communicate with the mind to a limited extent. Above those, Magic Artifacts, Spirit Artifacts, and Immortal Artifacts each had nine grades. Never underestimate the difference of a single grade; the gap in power was enormous, to say nothing of the gap between entire ranks. Lingyun had given Ling Tian hundreds of Treasure Artifacts, and judging by their appearance, they were at least fifth-grade Magic Artifacts—possibly even sixth-grade.
Father gave me so many. He must have had a hard time preparing them for me. Ling Tian silently resolved not to let his father's kindness go to waste. He quickly attuned himself to each Mysterious Iron Bead with his spiritual sense. Before long, he was done, though the effort had drained him badly. Even his formidable Mental Power had struggled under the strain, showing just how much effort the beads must have taken. Still, he felt a connection to each one. With a thought, a bead appeared in his hand.
"Mm, they're much livelier and easier to control than before I attuned them. I should be able to use my mind to alter their direction and speed a little." Ling Tian was delighted. Being able to change their speed and direction was extraordinary. He imagined two people facing off: a bead flew toward the enemy, who relaxed—then suddenly, the bead changed course...
Ling Tian carefully put away the Mysterious Iron Beads and looked through the other things.
"Huh, throwing knives! Sleeve Arrows! Flying Needles! There are way too many kinds!" Ling Tian couldn't help exclaiming. The Storage Ring was full of every kind of concealed weapon, and none of them seemed to be low-grade.
"Heh, Father really thought of everything, and so thoroughly." Ling Tian couldn't help marveling at how meticulous his father was.
"A bow and arrows? These are much more powerful. They look like Spirit Artifacts." Ling Tian continued scanning with his spiritual sense. Soon, he found a bow and three arrows. A rich spiritual aura swirled around the bow, making its presence strikingly powerful. The three arrows were the same.
Ling Tian gently drew the bowstring. At once, a vast aura of slaughter surged forth, making the air around him ripple and twist. It was already this powerful without an arrow. Ling Tian had no doubt that if he drew it farther, the force of its aura would flip the entire house over.
"Whew, but it takes a lot out of me. It must be even more powerful when fueled by spiritual energy." Ling Tian had only drawn the bow for a moment, yet he already felt the energy draining from his body. He couldn't help marveling. He still couldn't unleash the bow's true power.
"Spirit Artifacts really are far more powerful than Magic Artifacts. No wonder they can grow." Having experienced the bow's power, Ling Tian couldn't help praising it.
Magic Artifacts couldn't grow. They could be integrated into the body, but not into a Golden Core. Only Spirit Artifacts and higher-grade treasures could be integrated into a Golden Core and become a Natal Dan Artifact. Then, nourished by the Golden Core's Alchemy Fire and spiritual energy, they could keep growing and evolving. Spirit Artifacts were rare, however. Even on Qingyun Mountain, only a few peak masters and other highly accomplished cultivators possessed them. Some people even reached the Golden Core Realm and still couldn't find a Spirit Artifact, leaving them without a Natal Dan Artifact.
"I wonder what Father gave Min'er. How powerful is it?" Ling Tian soon calmed down after marveling for a while. Knowing his father wasn't an ordinary cultivator, he could understand. But he was even more eager to see what his father had prepared for Hua Min'er. With that thought, he continued searching with his spiritual sense.
"Could it be this Small Sword?" A moment later, Ling Tian found an unusual little sword.
The Small Sword was about the size of a palm, light and nimble, with spiritual energy swirling around it. Its blade was crystal clear, like a pool of autumn water, filled with all the world's splendor. It looked more like a toy for a young girl. Yet whenever it turned, a faint sword cry rang out, its killing intent held in check.
"By the looks of it, this Small Sword is probably no weaker than the bow. It's small and nimble, though, so it suits a girl like Min'er. She'll definitely love it, hehe." Ling Tian was happier over this sword than he was over his own weapons.
"Hehe, I can't wait to see Min'er's expression tomorrow. She'll be so surprised." Ling Tian toyed with the Small Sword in one hand and took out the little box holding the earrings with the other, imagining the delighted look on Hua Min'er's face tomorrow.
"Whew, time to sleep. I haven't slept in ages. I need to be full of energy tomorrow when I go to Qingyun Peak." Ling Tian muttered to himself. He felt a little anticipation, then toppled into bed.
Before long, his breathing grew slow and steady as he slept in comfort. In his dream, he saw that enchanting figure he had been longing for, and a sweet smile touched his lips.
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