Testing the Waters

In a hall within the Ye Family Stockade.

"Our Ye Family Stockade is actually a lineage that secretly forges divine weapons for the Cloud Nation's imperial family. Every year, we send a shipment to the Cloud Nation Capital. This time, I'd like you to help escort it, young Wang. Would you be willing?" Ye Mingtian asked Wang Yan, fixing his gaze on him.

"Well... when would we leave?" Wang Yan's brows furrowed slightly at this, and he quickly asked.

"In about half a month!" Ye Mingtian replied at once.

"Oh! Is Shisan going too?" Wang Yan suddenly looked at Ye Shisan as he spoke. Beside him, Ye Shisan looked eager to give it a try.

However!

"My son's cultivation is limited, so he won't be going!" Ye Mingtian said instead.

"Ah! Father! Let me go too!" Ye Shisan hurriedly pleaded.

"I see! My cultivation has only just advanced, so I probably can't go either!" Wang Yan said with a frown, tactfully declining.

"Hmm? You've advanced, young Wang?" Ye Mingtian looked at Wang Yan in surprise, then paused and frowned. "All right, then! I'll have to ask for your help next time!" He then turned to Ye Shisan and suddenly scolded him. "Look at you! I told you to learn more from young Wang. He advanced in just over a month. And you? How many years has it been?"

"But... Wang told me, Father, you..." Ye Shisan hurriedly tried to argue.

"Hehe! Uncle Ye! I was already close to advancing, and the spiritual energy here in your Ye Family Stockade gave me a helping hand. The right opportunity simply came along! I'm sure Shisan will advance soon too!" Wang Yan hastily interrupted Ye Shisan. Naturally, he could hardly tell Ye Mingtian about Card Fairy's examination of Ye Shisan's condition. As he spoke, he quietly nudged Ye Shisan's back.

"I see! Since you've only just advanced, you must still need to cultivate and stabilize your realm. I'll ask for your help next time, then!" Ye Mingtian's attitude seemed to have changed considerably. He detected nothing amiss and answered casually.

"Certainly!" Wang Yan promptly replied.

Ye Shisan still wanted to go, but Ye Mingtian refused to allow it no matter what, leaving Ye Shisan deeply displeased...

Only after another round of pleasantries and small talk did Wang Yan leave... Ye Shisan followed him out.

As he watched Wang Yan and Ye Shisan walk away.

"..." Ye Mingtian's expression grew grave. Suddenly, a figure emerged from one side of the hall and asked in a low voice, "Is it him?"

"Probably not. Judging by his reaction, he probably hasn't come for the Black Iron Divine Weapons!" Ye Mingtian replied gravely without even turning his head.

"Mm! I think so too. If he really had come for the Black Iron Divine Weapons, I'm afraid he would have agreed immediately!" the figure said at once.

"But what exactly is his purpose? Could he really be nothing more than a rogue cultivator?" Ye Mingtian continued.

"In any case, we can't let our guard down. Cultivators place great value on that thing too!" the figure went on.

"Mm!"

"By the way! Are we really escorting the Black Iron Divine Weapons in half a month?" the figure suddenly asked.

"Of course not! That was a test for that boy! If he makes any suspicious moves in half a month, we'll know for certain it's him."

"Mm! All right, that puts my mind at ease! I'll head back, then!"

"I'll leave everything in your hands, elder!"

"No problem!"

"..."

Walking along a mountain path...

"Ah! Father really is something! In terms of martial cultivation, I'm stronger than Brother Shi, but he's letting Brother Shi go and not me! Hmph!" Ye Shisan grumbled endlessly.

"..." Wang Yan seemed lost in thought and paid Ye Shisan no heed.

In fact, inside Wang Yan's mind.

"I think he probably suspects you of something, so he deliberately tested you!" Card Fairy analyzed within Wang Yan's mind.

"Mm! That's what I thought too!" Wang Yan promptly replied. In truth, he had been thinking the same thing...

Although he did not know what the Black Iron Divine Weapons were, he had seen the blades used by the mortal warriors of the Ye Family Stockade. Moreover, when he had fought Shi Nu, the man's spear had actually withstood his spell attacks. That told him the so-called Black Iron Divine Weapons were weapons forged with black mother iron ore mixed into them.

Wang Yan actually knew the approximate location of the black mother iron ore as well. It was somewhere within the Ye Family Stockade's Back Mountain. But he had not gone there rashly, since that would easily arouse suspicion. Besides, he had no intention of acting yet. He had no use for the black mother iron ore anytime soon, so naturally, he was in no hurry...

Still, Ye Mingtian's sudden test today clearly meant he continued to suspect Wang Yan of harboring ulterior motives.

However, Wang Yan had also learned that the Ye Family Stockade was not as simple as he had imagined.

It was actually a lineage of craftsmen who forged weapons for the Cloud Nation's imperial family.

No wonder security was so tight. Clearly, that was because of the Black Iron Divine Weapons too.

Suddenly!

"Brother Wang! Don't you think I'm right?" Ye Shisan asked Wang Yan.

"What?" Wang Yan had hardly been listening to Ye Shisan's endless complaints. Naturally, the question caught him off guard, but he knew Ye Shisan's temperament and quickly said, "You're overthinking it. If you want to accomplish anything, you should improve your martial skills and cultivation first!"

"Ah! Brother Wang! Why do you sound just like my father?" Ye Shisan complained. He paused, then frowned. "Of course I know cultivation is important, but my aptitude isn't as good as yours! I'm not as clever as you either, so naturally, my cultivation improves more slowly. I've already refined that whole bottle of pills, but I still haven't advanced!" At this point, he suddenly seemed to remember something and hurriedly added, "Right! Brother! Didn't you say you'd help me find a cultivation method? Have you found one?"

"Oh! I would've forgotten if you hadn't mentioned it! Here!" Wang Yan gave a helpless smile. Spiritual light flashed in his hand, and the jade slip containing the Earthforce Art appeared. He tossed it to Ye Shisan.

Deep down, Wang Yan actually felt a trace of envy toward Ye Shisan for having a strict father by his side. Wang Yan had never even seen his own parents. Whenever he thought of this, longing and determination surged through his heart. He had to cultivate and forge the Resurrection Card!

"Ah! Is this the cultivation method? So this is one of those jade slips I've heard about?" Ye Shisan asked excitedly as he caught it.

"That's right! You know how to read it, don't you? There are explanations inside already. If there's anything you don't understand, come and ask me!" Wang Yan replied. If there really was something Ye Shisan did not understand, naturally, he would ask Card Fairy to help...

"Great! Thank you so much, Brother! I'll go study it right away!" Ye Shisan said, thrilled beyond measure. With that, he dashed off like a gust of wind...

"Tsk! That silly Shisan!" Watching Ye Shisan sprint away, Wang Yan shook his head with a wry smile.

Just then.

Thump, thump, thump! Ye Shisan came rushing back in a fluster, shouting as he ran, "Brother! You haven't taught me how to read this jade slip yet!"

"..." Wang Yan nearly toppled over at that... This Ye Shisan...

Winter passed and spring arrived, and time flowed on.

In the blink of an eye, Wang Yan had been at the Ye Family Stockade for four months.

Wang Yan sat cross-legged inside the Cave Abode.

An extremely intricate formation had been drawn on the ground beneath him in blood-red runes. Red spirit stones were embedded throughout it, emitting threads of spiritual light that sank into the formation. The entire formation rippled with astonishing red spiritual energy, which transformed into countless strands of red light and surged wildly into Wang Yan as he sat on the ground.

Astonishing strands of red light streamed from Wang Yan's body. Countless runes covered him from head to toe, and his entire figure was enveloped in a tremendous red glow. His expression looked somewhat pained.

Suddenly!

Whoosh, whoosh! A startling vortex of red spiritual light surged and rippled out from Wang Yan's body. Countless waves of red light spread outward, as though red spiritual energy were leaking from him.

"Retract!" He abruptly opened his eyes, and red light flashed out. The red glow covering him steadily drew inward, and his aura gradually returned to calm...

Just then...

Crack, crack, crack, crack! A series of cracking sounds rose from the ground. The spiritual light of the spirit stones embedded there dimmed one after another, and they shattered into fragments.

Wang Yan's expression, however, had regained its calm.

"Tsk! Failed again?" Before Wang Yan could speak, Card Fairy smacked her lips and spoke inside his mind.

"Yes!" Wang Yan replied helplessly. The red runes on his body also began to dim, turning to ash and flaking off. His expression grew somewhat grave.

"Whew!" Wang Yan let out another long breath, stood up, stretched his limbs, and shook the dust off his body. Somewhat helplessly, he said, "Ah! Card Fairy! I'm running out of time to cultivate this Spell Collection Card. Why don't I practice some spells first, then come back to it? I don't think reaching the peak of the Cultivation Realm will be that simple!"

"No! How many times have I told you? Cultivation is the foundation. Once you reach the peak of the Cultivation Realm, you'll be able to learn plenty of spells with hardly any effort. Why waste time on those things?" Card Fairy clearly disagreed and fired back.

"But I'm almost out of pills, and I've used up all the fire-type spirit stones too. How do you expect me to cultivate?" Wang Yan asked helplessly.

"Well..." Card Fairy was at a loss too. She faltered, fell silent for a moment, then said, "Ah! Then why bother practicing spells at all? Haven't I told you many times? As long as you master Artifact Refining, Talisman Refining, and Formation Arts, and successfully cultivate the Spell Collection Card, you'll be able to use many divine abilities without practicing spells! Back then, I developed the Immortal Card Artifact precisely to save time on practicing spells!"

"Ah! But there's only one of me. How could I possibly master Artifact Refining, Talisman Refining, and Formation Arts all at once in such a short time?" Wang Yan complained.

"Wait! What did you just say?" Card Fairy suddenly cried out.