Qian Duoduo only felt dozens of spiritual powers pressing against his back. These spiritual powers exerted force together, pushing him forward.
Without time to speak, Qian Duoduo poured all his spiritual power into the Golden Rooster Sword without reservation. The Golden Rooster Sword glowed brightly, and its speed sharply increased.
“Whoosh!” Qian Duoduo overtook Deng Feihong.
The earthy-yellow her cried out anxiously, “Brother, wait for me.”
“Swish!” Qian Duoduo passed Cao Yueying.
Cao Yueying lowered her body, and her red sword continuously shot out flames.
Dugu Yunshan’s figure grew larger and larger in Qian Duoduo’s eyes.
He felt someone catching up from behind, turned his head to look, and was somewhat surprised to see Qian Duoduo.
“That’s interesting.” He nodded, showing his approval of Qian Duoduo. However, he stomped his foot, and the Sword Shield Gold suddenly accelerated, now only about ten zhang from the light screen ahead.
Just as Dugu Yunshan thought victory was assured, a Cold Flame Pure Snow Spear appeared beneath Qian Duoduo’s feet.
“Boom,” the Cold Flame Pure Snow Spear exploded behind Qian Duoduo. The shockwave violently pushed Qian Duoduo forward.
Qian Duoduo quickened his pace, rapidly closing the distance with Dugu Yunshan, while simultaneously spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood with a “poof.”
“Boom, boom, boom!” Three spears exploded consecutively. Qian Duoduo spat out three more mouthfuls of blood.
However, Qian Duoduo also surpassed Dugu Yunshan!
In his astonished gaze, Qian Duoduo passed through the light screen.
Dugu Yunshan was one body length behind Qian Duoduo!
Outside the light screen, it was still Red Cloud Valley, but already out of the Burial Instrument.
Above their heads was the flying bridge. On the flying bridge, the Sect Leader, Palace Lord, and Elder were all staring at Qian Duoduo.
“It’s Bu Huan!” Zhangzuo Dajiu stood up.
Sect Leader Niu Jinshui nodded slightly. Palace Lord Ping Yundan remained expressionless, sitting steadily.
On the viewing platform, all the Disciples from both mountains stood up, craning their necks to watch.
“Senior Brother Jin!” This loud voice belonged to Huang Guiren.
“Senior Brother Jin!” A burst of cheers erupted from Mengyuan Mountain.
Qian Duoduo coughed, then spat out another large mouthful of fresh blood. The continuous explosions of three Dan artifacts left him seriously injured.
Dugu Yunshan emerged from the light screen and stood before Qian Duoduo, a look of seriousness in his eyes for the first time. “Not bad. We can have a fight when you’re free.”
“Let’s talk after you defeat Lu Xi.” Qian Duoduo had no ill will towards this cultivation fanatic, but he also didn’t want to fight him. His steel feet and iron hands would surely make a fight very painful.
Dugu Yunshan nodded, bowed to the flying bridge, then disappeared into the clouds and mists of Mengyuan Mountain after a few leaps.
…
After the selection battle, Purple Gold Manor was as lively as summer.
Cao Yueying, Xu Fa, He Shi'an, and others came over, asking Qian Duoduo to appraise the Magic Treasures they had obtained. Together with Qian Duoduo, they discussed how to repair their flaws. In Qian Duoduo’s Immortal Cave, they directly lit the furnace fire and repaired the obtained Magic Treasures. Qian Duoduo also obtained over thirty Magic Treasures, making the biggest gain.
They all entered the top one hundred. Cao Yueying, Xu Fa, and He Shi'an even made it into the top ten, and will participate in the Sect Elite Ultimate Battle with Qian Duoduo a month later.
Cao Yueying was a little suspicious of Qian Duoduo’s identity. When she received the repaired Hundred Burning Fang Mace, she suddenly said, “Junior Brother Bu Huan, your Artifact Refining skill is at least that of a Third Grade High-Level Artifact Refiner. Why haven’t I seen your icon on the Golden Pillars of Wanjin Pavilion?”
Qian Duoduo’s heart skipped a beat, thinking, if your Cao Fan organization’s Capturing Rat Squad is trying to catch me, who would dare show their face?
“Me?” Qian Duoduo feigned awkwardness, “I’m a wild card, not fit for polite society. I’ve never even taken the exam. What exactly is this Golden Pillar you speak of?”
Cao Yueying rolled her eyes at Qian Duoduo, clearly not believing his nonsense. After a pause, she suddenly said, “On the ten Golden Pillars in Wanjin Pavilion Square, the top of five of them currently has a Golden Toad—”
Her red hair suddenly moved a foot closer to Qian Duoduo, and Cao Yueying stared at Qian Duoduo, saying, “This Golden Toad, I don’t know who it is, is so devious and quite arrogant. I haven’t beaten him in Artifact Refining. How about it, Junior Brother Bu Huan, will you step in and teach him a lesson?”
“I’m a wild card, I can’t beat this Golden Toad.” Qian Duoduo waved his hands repeatedly. “These are all empty titles, no need to bother with them.”
Cao Yueying smiled and nodded, “Alright. I’ll listen to Junior Brother, if you don’t want to bother, then don’t bother.”
During this time, Huang Guiren stayed by Qian Duoduo’s side, holding a Jade Slip in his left hand and a pen in his right, recording Qian Duoduo’s every movement and every word.
Another person who stayed by Qian Duoduo’s side was Wang Meiruo. She stared with wide eyes, looking hostilely at Cao Yueying and the visiting female Disciples, occasionally calling Qian Duoduo “Brother Bu Huan” in a willful manner, as if they were trying to snatch Qian Duoduo away.
Yu Yixiang came once, then didn’t show up again. Qian Duoduo most wanted her to praise him a word or two, but he didn’t hear it.
Wang Dahei and Senior Brother Lei Jiashu came to offer congratulations. They had watched the entire process from the viewing platform, through the projected images outside the Burial Instrument. They said they had all started learning Artifact Refining. Wang Dahei and Lei Jiashu had even passed the first volume…
It was lively for three full days; everyone who was supposed to come had come, and everyone who was supposed to leave had left. As night fell, the Immortal Cave became quiet.
Qian Duoduo softly called out, “Old Liu, have you ever seen this Burial Instrument?”
Sect Leader Niu Jinshui was at Nascent Soul Great Perfection cultivation. When he was present, Liu Boli found it inconvenient to meet, to avoid being discovered by the Sect Leader.
“This Burial Instrument is quite miraculous. I feel it was refined by a Sixth Grade Artifact Refiner as a Treasure Artifact, and it has an Artifact Spirit. If I were to show myself, this Burial Instrument would know.” After Dan artifact is Profound Weapon, after Profound Weapon is Spiritual Artifact, and only after Spiritual Artifact is Treasure Artifact.
“That powerful!” Qian Duoduo remembered the Sect Leader saying that Refining Spirit Sect was originally called Spirit Artifact Sect and had produced a Sixth Grade Artifact Refiner.
“This Treasure Artifact has suffered serious damage and is broken. It has an Artifact Spirit, but the Artifact Spirit may not have awakened. Otherwise, even if I hid inside the Golden Toad, it would know.”
“What’s going on with the Magic Treasures inside?”
Qian Duoduo took out the repaired Nine-Section Poison Whip and the organized Magic Treasures, handing them to Liu Boli.
“These Magic Treasures are all refined using ancient methods.” Liu Boli pondered for a moment, then returned the Nine-Section Poison Whip and Magic Treasures to Qian Duoduo. “Refining Spirit Sect is not as simple as it appears on the surface. A Sect capable of refining Treasure Artifacts is a top-tier power in this Immortal Cultivation World.”
“I feel our Refining Spirit Sect is quite formidable. I’ve been to Kongfang City, and those Ba Ling Sect and Shengling Sect are just so-so.” Qian Duoduo said, playing with the Nine-Section Poison Whip.
“—This world is vast.” Liu Boli returned to the Golden Toad, sat cross-legged, “When you have time, take the defense Magic Treasure exam again. The more you understand, the more you’ll feel how little you know. In Artifact Refining, learn from Dugu Yunshan and pursue the ultimate.”
“No. That’s too tiring, not a life for a human. I just want to be happier, more joyful, to slack off and lie flat.” Qian Duoduo shivered thinking of Dugu Yunshan refining all the joints in his body into Magic Treasures.
“Then you can continue to rely on self-detonating Magic Treasures to win, that’s the most comfortable, absolutely comfortable.” Liu Boli was too lazy to argue with Qian Duoduo, closed his eyes, and ignored him. Exceptionally talented, yet lacking ambition, this made Liu Boli speechless. But he knew Qian Duoduo’s rebellious nature; the more he pushed him, the more he would flee.
“Heh heh.” Qian Duoduo laughed at himself twice. It was true he couldn’t beat Dugu Yunshan, but Qian Duoduo had a way to win against him, which was good enough.
However, defense Artifacts indeed needed an upgrade. This time, the consecutive explosions of three Dan artifacts injured Qian Duoduo, and the Golden Claw Armor was also damaged. If he could research a protective armor that wasn’t afraid of explosions, then who at the same level could defeat him?
After three days of secluded cultivation, late at night, Qian Duoduo found the gray robe he wore in the Gold Vault, smeared some dirt on his face, put on a cotton hat that the laborers wore for warmth, and quietly pushed the door open to walk down the mountain.