Jade Palace Impurity Breaker

After arriving in Phoenix Cry Prefecture with the old bird of the Fei Household, the Sect Leader Kang Da saw the brand-new Office of the Duke of Qin and was truly amazed by the world.

As the ridge of the Office of the Duke of Qin loomed like a dragon in the twilight, the nine layers of vermilion doors reflected the gleaming gold spirit barrier meticulously carved by a master talisman master.

The twelve lion statues cast from smelted wild green stone are comparable to the elixir of Golden Core and are guarding the central courtyard.

Each beast head held a chain of black iron that snaked down to the ground. Each piece of blue brick was engraved with cloud and thunder seal script to suppress evil spirits, which was enough to keep ordinary demons away. It was just right for the Office of the Duke of Qin, which was located near the demon land.

As Kang Dabao, filled with admiration, followed Fei Tianqin through three layers of refined gold flying dragon gates and stepped onto the Dan Chi (a platform), countless jade lotus lanterns on both sides suddenly lit up one after another.

Just as the lanterns lit up, the gold and silver inlaid landscape painting on the screen wall behind the door suddenly flowed. A crimson koi leaped from the scroll, creating a mist that fell into the inkstone, splashing water droplets onto the inkstone.

Above the half-rolled golden silk curtain, a faint star map seemed to be visible, with pure white jade beads embedded on it, like full moons, hanging down from the dome, instantly casting the shadow of the Big Dipper's handle on the Taiyin stone floor tiles, a sight of breathtaking beauty and noble grandeur.

Such a welcoming scene would be extremely difficult to achieve without finding a clever person to put in the effort and spending a lot of resources. It also made Sect Leader Kang Da face the so-called "imperial demeanor" for the first time.

You should know that when Sect Leader Kang Da arrived at the Ying Prefecture clan's territory, he was already quite amazed.

Only now do I realize that compared to the real royal family of Great Wei, even the renowned Ying Prefecture Fei Household Lower Vehicle far short in terms of extravagance and prestige.

News had already arrived before the new year that Kuang Liuting had obtained Emperor of Wei's permission to specially summon six Third Tier geomancers to borrow a side hall from the Mystic Firmament Palace in Great Abyss Capital as a temporary residence.

Outsiders say that Emperor of Wei bestowed all the female officials in this palace upon them, and that the palace is indeed a place of wine pools and meat forests, a paradise on earth, tempting people to admire it.

The rumors spread like wildfire, causing nearby cultivators to marvel at Kuang Liuting's extraordinary actions, proving that he was indeed a legitimate but not officially recognized imperial heir.

However, Kang Dabao had no time to appreciate the magnificent palaces and beautiful female officials. He simply followed Fei Tianqin and quickly entered the somewhat remote Artisan Office.

The first Artisan Office of the Office of the Duke of Qin was surnamed Gu, with the given name Rong. He was the junior brother of Zhu Rongzi, the current leader of the Chen Craft School. Both of them were peak Third Tier weapon masters, and could be considered among the top figures below the True Person.

It is worth mentioning that, just like Sect Leader Kang Da, this Master Gu was also once the son-in-law of the Fei Household.

However, the latter's wife was not of good aptitude. After both families spent most of their resources, she only managed to barely achieve the False Core. She still could not stay with Gu Rong for a long time, and she has now passed away for a hundred years.

Now that Gu Rong's second wife is the daughter of the Luochuan Baili Household, he has had some awkwardness with the Fei Household over the years.

However, after the news spread that Fei Nanying had achieved a mid-grade Dan, the two families resumed their close relationship.

After all, the Chen Craft School is of the same lineage as the Lu Craftsman Sect in the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty, and has had a long-standing friendship with the Ying Prefecture Fei Household. Anyone with a bit of foresight would not engage in such a petty squabble.

This has always been the case with aristocratic families and sects. When the Aristocratic Clan emperor was alive, each family might have been able to conceal it to some extent. However, in the past thousand years, as the power of the imperial clan has declined significantly, the influence of each family and household has become deeply entrenched. Even many remote branches of the imperial clan are no different.

To be honest, even Emperor of Wei himself probably couldn't distinguish between loyalty and treachery, which forced him to spare no effort in recent years to select scholars from poor families, but to little avail. He was still secretly ridiculed by so-called visionaries like Fei Ye Shui.

Born into a noble family and having studied under a prestigious master craftsman, Gu Rong had a dignified appearance, unlike the Buxiu image of a craftsman that most people would associate with such a person. On the contrary, this master craftsman looked like a handsome young gentleman, with little trace of the grime of fire and smoke, but rather red lips, white teeth, and brightly colored clothes.

Sect Leader Kang Da subconsciously compared the image of Yuan Jin forging weapons in his mind back then, only to find that the difference between the two was beyond description.

Although Gu Rong had a somewhat otherworldly appearance, he was not arrogant at all. As soon as he received the news that Fei Tianqin had come to his door in person, he immediately rode out to greet him on his yellow dragon steed.

Upon seeing the latter, he showed no airs whatsoever, and instead bowed respectfully, saying, "I was unaware that the Ancestor had come in person today. I apologize for not welcoming you properly and hope the Ancestor will not take offense."

"Yes, you've come all the way from the Desert Sea Circuit, and you haven't even stopped by for a meal. It must be hard for you."

A rare hint of appreciation and delight appeared in the old bird's eyes, but it disliked small talk. After exchanging a few brief words with Gu Rong, it pulled up the Sect Leader Kang Da behind him and said in a low voice:

"Young man Kang, this is your Uncle Gu from the Gu family, why don't you pay your respects?!"

Given Kang Dabao's so-called lineage of the Double Brightness Kang Clan, even going back eight hundred years, it would be difficult for him to have any connection with someone like Gu Rong. However, since the old bird had just spoken, the two of them couldn't utter a single word of rebuttal, and it was considered that they had tacitly accepted this kinship.

After another round of tedious greetings, Kang Dabao, having received instructions from Fei Tianqin, finally stated his purpose:

"I have come to see you, Uncle, for two reasons: first, to renew our kinship, and second, because my Golden Core Elixir has just been completed and I am powerless to protect myself. I have come to ask you to craft a magical Law Treasure to safeguard my life."

Gu Rong's brow twitched upon hearing this. Although he lived a secluded life, he was not someone who was out of touch with the world.

In fact, once he arrived at such a crucial place as the Office of the Duke of Qin 'Artisan Office, no matter how indifferent Gu Rong was, he would still be bombarded with information that was considered highly confidential by ordinary people, as if it were free.

Gu Rong could even clearly explain how many superior cultivator heads were stored in Kang Dabao's tent and their quality, so how could anyone really believe that the former was a weak superior cultivator who had just achieved the Golden Core stage?

Gu Rong stroked his long beard and said with a faint smile, "Nephew is indeed being modest." However, after responding, a hint of unease appeared on Gu Rong's face.

Before Sect Leader Kang Da could speak, Fei Tianqin asked coldly from the side, "What's wrong? Is there some difficulty you're facing?!"

Gu Rong repeatedly denied it, but then said, "Grandpa has misunderstood me. The Duke just issued an urgent order, and we are short-handed. How could I be making excuses?!"

"An urgent order?" Fei Tianqin was somewhat puzzled. Given his position in the Duke's mansion, he had never heard of such a thing, which found quite strange. However, he didn't dwell on it and simply asked again:

"When will you finally have some free time, Gu boy? This Kang boy has provoked some extraordinary individuals. If you don't have a suitable magic Law Treasure, I, your old ancestor, will really be worried about him for a while, which wouldn't be good."

These words from the old bird made Gu Rong's expression become much more serious. After a moment of thought, he said softly, "The old master knows the Duke's temperament. If this delays important matters, I'm afraid even the Chen Craft School will offend the Duke, and he won't have any peace for the next three to five years. Please forgive me, old master and nephew!"

"It's been this long?!"

Both the Sect Leader Kang Da and the old bird of the Fei Household were simultaneously surprised. "Is the Office of the Duke of Qin up to something big again? How come even I, the patriarch/Ancestor Tianqin, haven't heard of it?!"

However, Kang Dabao was a man of inner strength. His expression remained unchanged, and he simply cupped his hands and said, "Three to five years it is then. I have come to bother you without prior notice, Uncle, how could I dare to utter a word of blame?!"

"What's with the greeting?" Fei Tianqin pulled out a feather and tapped the Sect Leader Kang Da on the head, saying with displeasure, "I've come to see Gu boy, why the need for a greeting?!"

Its words were domineering, but Gu Rong only smiled wryly for a moment before saying, "My dear nephew, you misunderstood. It is my honor that the Ancestor could come; how could it be considered an intrusion?"

The old bird was fairly satisfied with what Gu Rong said. After nodding for a while, he spoke up again, "You kid, as one of the top weapon makers in the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty, and recruited by the Duke's Mansion with great effort, I'm too lazy to praise your skills."

A master craftsman like you must have some treasured pieces in your collection. Don't be stingy; quickly bring them out for your nephew to examine. All the selection fees will be on the old man's shoulders."

Fei Tianqin paused here, then continued, "My judgment has never been wrong. This lad has a bright future ahead of him and won't owe you a favor, young Gu."

"Haha, how could I dare not believe what the Ancestor says?!" Gu Rong nodded repeatedly, then turned to Kang Dabao and asked softly, "But I wonder what kind of Law Treasure my nephew desires?"

Upon hearing the sound, Sect Leader Kang Da hurriedly retrieved the broken pieces of the Slaughter and Extermination, which unexpectedly caused Gu Rong, a seasoned weapon craftsman who often worked with True Person and top-tier Golden Core cultivators and was accustomed to grand occasions, to let out a soft exclamation.

"This short halberd is quite interesting. Although the forging method is terrible, they are generous with the materials. If the person who handled it had some knowledge of forging techniques, then this short halberd might be able to become Law Treasure."

Furthermore, this artifact seems to contain the true essence of several of the original owner's halberd techniques. Combined, these two aspects make it a fairly good top-grade Spirit Artifact.

Don't be fooled by Gu Rong's simple praise of Slaughter and Extermination; for someone like him, even many low-grade magic Law Treasure might not elicit a few kind words from him. This is enough to show how much effort and resources Yuan Buwen truly invested in crafting the weapon.

"Uncle, could you please save it?"

Over the years, Kang Dabao has become quite adept at using this Slaughter and Extermination, even severing the heads of several Golden Core cultivators. If Gu Rong truly has a solution, he wouldn't mind paying for it again to keep it as a reserve or bestow it upon someone else for future generations.

"Help?" Gu Rong seemed to find something amusing, his smile becoming more genuine. He then explained, "It would be much easier if I could play another round for you."

Kang Dabao smiled upon hearing this, but the lingering affection in his eyes as he looked at the broken halberd was hard to conceal, which stirred a sense of warmth in Gu Rong. After listening to the latter ponder for a while, he then said, "However, the material of this broken halberd is not bad, so perhaps it can still be used."

"Isn't this Daoist priest supposed to be too inept to craft treasures?"

Just as this doubt arose in the mind of Sect Leader Kang Da, he saw Gu Rong reach for his waist, take out a double-eared halberd from his Storage Bag, and say with a laugh:

"This Law Treasure is called 'Jade Palace Impurity Breaker,' and it is made primarily from Wind Mercury Sand, supplemented with 101 kinds of spiritual treasures."

However, in my early years, my abilities did not match my ambitions, and I also required that the left halberd ear contain the Southern Brightness Li Fire and the right halberd ear contain the Profound Dark Nether True Water, with the Ten Thunder Command Talisman engraved on the halberd shaft.

However, it was unexpected that ordinary people lacked Divine Sense, and this treasure consumed a great deal of spiritual energy. How many superior cultivators in the world would be willing to control it?

Therefore, although this treasure is made of high-quality materials and its power is comparable to most top-grade Law Treasure in the world, it can only be considered a defective item. I have always been concerned about my reputation, so I have never had the nerve to give it away.

Despite its many drawbacks, it was still a work of great effort on my part back then. I wonder if my dear nephew will find it objectionable?!

Gu Rong's humble question was indeed unnecessary for Sect Leader Kang Da, after all, the latter had cultivated for over a hundred years and had not yet encountered many items that could rival this treasure.

As for the drawbacks of Divine Sense and energy consumption, they don't seem to be any major problems for Kang Dabao.

Even Fei Tianqin, who had been listless, seemed to have become somewhat interested. Suddenly, he spread his wings and with a flash of light, he took the Jade Palace Impurity Breaker Halberd from Gu Rong's hand and examined it carefully.

This old bird's eye was far superior to that of ordinary people, but after examining the Law Treasure for a while, its eyes lit up with admiration, and it exclaimed, "Not bad at all, much better than the halberd used by Nanying."

Gu Rong smiled and said a few more humble words, then pointed to the broken halberd in his hand and said softly:

"I will spend several more months fusing these two broken halberd pieces back in, firstly to remove the traces of gold dust left from the improper forging process; and secondly, so that they can more or less make you a better nephew in command, saving you several years of nurturing and repairing."

"Thank you, Uncle," Sect Leader Kang Da said, his mind clear as day. Though he thanked Gu Rong aloud, he thought to himself, "Ancestor Tianqin's influence is truly effective. These favors are piling up and will be hard to repay."

However, Kang Dabao, who had been accustomed to being heavily in debt since his youth, only sighed for a while before putting the debt of gratitude behind him. After all, once he obtained the treasure, he would just obediently serve as a henchman for the Fei Household. Once he had accumulated enough Golden Cores, he would eventually be able to pay off his old debts.

"Don't worry, you can take out your tools and clean up that damned Jade Palace Impurity Breaker for that kid Kang. As for the Duke, I'll personally ask for leave for you; at least I'll give him some face. I'm also curious to know what kind of secret matter warrants such a large-scale operation, one that even I haven't heard a word about."

----The sleeping quarters of the Office of the Duke of Qin

Kuang Liuting, who was sitting cross-legged on the jade couch, suddenly opened his eyes. He had rarely gone out in the past few years, and his former sharp and aggressive temperament was hard to find. Instead, he seemed more unfathomable and even more intimidating.

Since he Core Formation, he has rarely made a move. Some outsiders believe that he is now comparable to True Person, but many more say that he has simply faded into obscurity and is worried that the title of "Illustrious Scholar of the Imperial Clan" will be taken away by someone else, which is why he has adopted a quiet and unassuming nature.

However, even the wife of this Duke of Qin probably didn't know that he was merely lying low, waiting for the opportunity to make a name for himself.

Judging from the current situation, this opportunity is getting closer and closer.

Kuang Liuting picked up the talisman in his hand, and as he wrote, he silently recited in his mind. "The Star-Picking Pavilion is making frequent moves, and Hehuan Sect Xiang Tianxing abducting people for no reason, perhaps with a deeper meaning. Pay special attention to the two gates of Five Old Mothers Mountain and Hehuan Sect, especially the several array bases of the Demon-Locking Barrier on the Shannan Circuit, and be wary of Bai Canhong stirring up demon chaos."

The two talismans fluttered up like butterflies, but their movements were swift. Before they could even rest, they were already enveloped in spiritual light and fluttering out again.

Kuang Liuting calculated with his fingers, watching the two points of light gradually disappear from his eyes, before muttering again, "I wonder how many years it will take."