“Cough.” Qian Duoduo lightly coughed, buying himself a few breaths of time.
“I think it’s suitable to put it in both Mengyuan Mountain and Xiongjin Mountain. The two mountains are close, making travel convenient. However, the main part of Purple Gold Manor is in Mengyuan Mountain, and I also live in Mengyuan Mountain. If Cang Jie lives in Mengyuan Mountain, when I visit her, it would be more convenient to roast something or cook a dish. Moreover, the manor would be right under Cang Jie’s nose, so she could order whatever she wanted to eat. Whatever Cang Jie orders, I will make.”
As Qian Duoduo spoke, Azure Phoenix nodded. Everyone understood that she wasn't called Cang Jie for nothing. Palace Lord Dajiu’s face broke into a wide smile.
Niu Jinshui laughed heartily, “Then let’s first stay in the Phoenix Garden in Mengyuan Mountain. If it’s inconvenient or unsatisfactory, we can change.”
As they spoke, they landed in Purple Gold Manor. Such a grand spectacle immediately stunned Huang Guiren, Wang Dahei, and others who were working in the manor.
Upon entering the Phoenix Garden, Azure Phoenix was still a bit arrogant, but when her Spiritual Awareness sensed the Seven-Colored Golden Bull and Purple-Forehead Golden Tiger, she immediately reined in her haughtiness.
In Purple Gold Manor, she wasn't the only Xuan Beast.
Ping Yundan gave Luan Phoenix a look, “You’re usually too tired from cultivation. Take a good rest here today. Fellow Daoist Azure Phoenix, please excuse us.”
As she left, Palace Lord Dajiu and the Sect Leader also bid farewell and left the manor one by one. They knew about Qian Duoduo killing the City Lord’s Young Master and becoming a Four-Rank Refiner. They surely wanted to say something and ask something, but the timing wasn’t right, so they didn’t ask.
Qian Duoduo and Yu Yixiang quickly found an excuse to leave the Phoenix Garden, leaving the private time to Azure Phoenix and Luan Phoenix.
Before Yu Yixiang returned to her residence, she handed Qian Duoduo a golden paper slip with three large golden characters on it— “spirit commerce certificate.”
“Here you go.”
“What’s this for?” Qian Duoduo flicked the paper slip.
“Don’t you love doing business? With this certificate, you can open a shop in the Middle Road or Upper Road, or you can be an itinerant merchant in various places.”
“Anywhere?” Qian Duoduo flipped the spirit commerce certificate over to look at its back. It had complex spirit patterns and vaguely a Formation, meaning this item couldn't be forged.
“Of course, you can.”
“Then this must be very expensive, right?” Qian Duoduo wasn’t very eager to have this spirit commerce certificate; it seemed he already owed Yu Yixiang quite a bit. The unique Magic Treasure he was supposed to give her hadn’t been refined yet.
Yu Yixiang walked towards her residence down the mountain, “Not expensive. I’ve forgotten where I picked it up. I don’t like doing business, so it’s perfect for you.”
Qian Duoduo stared blankly at her retreating back, not believing her words about picking up the spirit commerce certificate from somewhere.
The Refining Spirit Sect, as a sect, could only open one shop in Kongfang City, a Lower Road city. Yet this spirit commerce certificate allowed opening shops in the Middle Road and Upper Road. Wasn't that more powerful than the Refining Spirit Sect?
The mask Yu Yixiang gave Qian Duoduo last time also held great secrets. Not only could it change one's appearance, making it undetectable even to Cultivators in the Heavenly Human Realm like Liu Boli, but it could also conceal one's cultivation Realm. For example, if you were at the Ninth Level of Qi Condensation, wearing the mask could make people only detect you as Qi Condensation Level Six.
She was quite mysterious. However, everyone has their own secrets, and besides, she bore no ill will towards Qian Duoduo.
That evening, Qian Duoduo changed into a blue robe, put on his mask, and quietly walked to Wanjinge Square.
The square was still lively, just as it was before he left for his mission. Having learned from his previous experience of being caught by Cao Yueying, Qian Duoduo carefully observed for a long time. Only after confirming that no one was lying in wait did he quickly slip into the Wood House of the seventh golden pillar.
The artifact scroll assessment startled Qian Duoduo.
There were no standard answers for each assessment question.
As soon as he entered the virtual space, ten types of materials immediately appeared inside. They were completely mismatched in properties, varied in size, and seemingly unrelated. You could refine artifacts however you wished; as long as you could explain what your refined artifact was for, you would get one point. Refining a second Magic Treasure would earn two points. Refining a third would earn four points. A fourth would earn eight points. And so on. For the same set of materials, the more artifacts you refined, the higher your score, with subsequent scores being double the previous one.
When you felt you couldn't refine any more, you could give up on that set and proceed to the next.
After entering the next set, scoring would start from one point again.
There were a total of ten sets.
Qian Duoduo didn't know how long he had been immersed in the Wood House. When he emerged, the sky was already bright—he had been inside for at least two hours.
Qian Duoduo didn’t even dare to look back. With his hand on his cotton hat, he darted into the Mengyuan Mountain path. Only after confirming no one was around did he take off his mask.
This was the most exhausting and also the most exhilarating assessment he had ever taken. After the assessment, Qian Duoduo’s Jade Slip gained another scroll of content, the eighth scroll, the Puppet Scroll.
Returning to his Immortal Cave, he opened the Puppet Scroll. This scroll explained how to refine human-like Magic Treasures—Puppets.
Puppets could help with serving tea and pouring water, assist with raising chickens and herding cattle, and even charge into battle.
The starting point for Puppets was the Dan artifact. This meant that anyone who could refine a Puppet was directly a Third-Rank Refiner. Or, conversely, only a Third-Rank Refiner could refine Puppets.
“This is the Magic Treasure I most want to refine!” Qian Duoduo flipped through the Puppet Scroll once, almost so excited he wanted to cry.
With Puppets, wouldn’t he be able to live the ‘lying flat’ life Qian Duoduo most desired?
All the grilling, all the farming, all the fighting—all handled by Puppets. Creating Puppets, creating the best and strongest Puppets, became Qian Duoduo’s goal…
After returning to the sect, the weather grew warmer day by day, and the Spirit Ant Bee Queen’s health improved daily.
By noon on the fifth day, Qian Duoduo was still studying the Puppet Scroll. She had already walked out of Qian Duoduo’s Immortal Cave and was moving around in the courtyard.
A noticeable protrusion was growing on her back, where a sharp barb was forming. Although she didn't know that Qian Duoduo was related to Liu Boli, she accepted the current situation and regarded Qian Duoduo and Liu Boli as one person. She clearly understood that Liu Boli had fused with her Soul, and Qian Duoduo had fused with her body.
Of course, Qian Duoduo also treated her, a high-level battle beast, with great respect, generously feeding her golden honey and royal jelly every day.
In Purple Gold Manor, Qian Duoduo had already asked Huang Guiren to designate a thousand mu of land for a Spirit Ant Bee Garden. With the Spirit Ant Bee Queen present, Qian Duoduo believed she could cultivate a valiant and skilled team of Spirit Ant Bees.
The Spirit Ant Bee Queen’s survival completely surprised Azure Phoenix and Yu Yixiang. They attributed the success to Qian Duoduo’s good luck, coupled with the blessings of golden honey and royal jelly. Haha, how could they know that Liu Boli had played a huge role in this?
In the courtyard, Qian Duoduo watched the Spirit Ant Bee Queen walk step by step, adapting to her new body. She stretched out her wings—the damaged parts had been repaired by Qian Duoduo—and was about to try if she could fly again when a shout came from outside the courtyard—
“Junior Brother, come quickly! Zi'e Sister-in-Law is about to give birth!”
He called Brother Hu 'Brother Hu,' and following that relationship, he called the Purple-Forehead Golden Tiger 'Zi'e Sister-in-Law.' These past few days, he had carefully looked after Brother Hu and Sister-in-Law Hu, and they got along very well.
Huang Guiren’s shout startled the Spirit Ant Bee Queen so much that she almost fell.
“Don’t rush, take your time.” Qian Duoduo instructed the Spirit Ant Bee Queen, then quickly went back with Huang Guiren to the Tiger Garden.
Entering the tiger cave, Qian Duoduo immediately saw Chu Wannian, Palace Lord of Wen'an Peak, accompanied by Palace Lord Dajiu Tang Honggong.
The companion Cultivator knew every move of their companion beast. Chu Wannian naturally knew that the Purple-Forehead Golden Tiger was about to give birth. When he arrived, Tang Honggong naturally had to accompany him.
“Greetings, two Palace Lords.” After Qian Duoduo bowed to them, he looked towards the innermost part of the cave.
The fluorescent stones illuminated the cave as brightly as the outside. The Purple-Forehead Golden Tiger lay on the violet clover hay, her belly large and swollen. Brother Hu stood guard beside her, his eyes gazing tenderly at the Purple-Forehead Golden Tiger.
Suddenly, the Purple-Forehead Golden Tiger stood up on her front half, and a puddle of amniotic fluid flowed out from behind her.
Everyone became tense. Was she about to give birth?