Three months passed in a flash. Before they knew it, Li Chen and the others had arrived in the heartland of the Golden Sun Gate and had even stayed there for a while, waiting for the celebration to begin in the middle of the month.
During this time, Li Chen, Gu Mocheng, and the others stayed in guest quarters arranged by the Golden Sun Gate. Every day, they introduced acquaintances to one another, befriended fellow cultivators, and spoke with envoys sent by the sect. By now, they had a fairly clear idea of the expansion work ahead.
On this day, the first of the third month, Li Chen once again arrived at the main hall of the quarters where several Foundation Establishment cultivators had agreed to meet.
Someone had obtained an enormous map several zhang across through connections within the sect. When Li Chen entered, quite a few people were already standing before it. Seeing him approach, they greeted him with smiles. "Artisan Li, you're here."
Li Chen replied, "Good morning, fellow cultivators."
A burly man who towered several heads above everyone else spoke in a deep, rumbling voice. "Artisan Li, we're discussing where to establish our granted territories. Have you already settled on somewhere?"
His name was Li Fengxing, and he was a Foundation Establishment Master Artisan who specialized in metal-aspect enhancements. His body of steel had undergone repeated enhancements and modifications, making him immensely powerful.
His actual attainments, however, were another matter.
To say he was not a Master Artisan would be wrong, as his increased cultivation had long since brought him past the qualifying threshold. Yet to call him one was also questionable, since his accumulated knowledge and relevant attainments remained lacking. His path toward further advancement and enhancement had been extraordinarily arduous, and he was nowhere