The Magical Artifact emitted a pleasant precious light, subtly exuding astonishing power.
The eyes of the onlookers instantly turned red.
“Town shop, I have an important matter to discuss, could you let me win? Afterwards, I am willing to give you 30,000 gold coins.” A voice enhanced by a secret technique came from an unknown direction. This voice could only be heard by Qian Duoduo.
Qian Duoduo was stunned. The person who used the secret technique to transmit the message reacted quickly and had a lotus heart. He wanted to buy Qian Duoduo off with 30,000, while still benefiting by 20,000.
However, people who dream too beautifully are all narcissists, accustomed to treating others as fools.
The best way to deal with such people is to pretend not to hear them.
Qian Duoduo bowed deeply to Master Wang.
Wang Shuhuo waved his hand again, stopping Qian Duoduo's words of gratitude, “The Dao of Artifact Refining is a grand Dao. It can connect heaven, earth, and man, link with demons and ghosts, turn death into life, and weakness into strength. The wonders within it, one will know their true flavor as long as one Cultivates…”
Half an hour later, Wang Shuhuo’s long speech finally died down.
He specifically lectured on his Artifact Refining insights. Although Qian Duoduo was overjoyed listening to him, he also secretly thought, ‘The President’s desire for expression is too strong. Could he be the legendary show-off, getting more excited the more people there are?’
If the President came to lecture every day, it would not only benefit the popularity of the Refining Spirit Sect’s shop but also help him embark on the path of Artifact Refining more quickly.
Regardless of his intentions, it was entirely beneficial to Qian Duoduo, with no harm.
“Good! Thank you, President, for your guidance!” Thinking of this, Qian Duoduo shouted loudly.
“Don’t thank me yet.” Wang Shuhuo glanced at Qian Duoduo, “I hope you don’t lose this month, and even more so, don’t stop the competition after losing.”
He had a hidden meaning in his words. If Qian Duoduo lost one match, he would lose 100,000. Ten matches would be a million, and a hundred matches would be ten million.
What Wang Shuhuo meant was that this month, even if Qian Duoduo lost, he had to be able to afford it and persevere to the end.
This cut off Qian Duoduo’s retreat.
“I would rather close the shop than stop the competition.” Qian Duoduo hardened his heart.
“Good.” Wang Shuhuo nodded slightly, “If you don’t lose this month, you can come to the guild to find me, and I will exceptionally test you to become an Artifact Refiner.”
…
In the blink of an eye, a month was almost over.
This month, Qian Duoduo had several matches every day. Even when the sect shop closed for the night, Qian Duoduo dared not slack off, burying himself in the purification of Artifact Refining materials.
As he purified more and more, Qian Duoduo gradually observed the tiny particles of Ming Iron. The so-called purification was to make the particles arrange more neatly. The more neatly the particles were arranged, the fewer other impurities were mixed in, naturally making it purer.
Controlling the fire to the extreme was not about having the highest temperature, but about maintaining a consistent overall temperature, and using the fire to generate thrust, repeatedly blowing out the impurities floating on the surface.
The so-called purity was actually subtraction. Reducing impurities and reducing the disorderly arrangement of the same particles.
Most wonderfully, from the increasingly pure Ming Iron, Qian Duoduo actually felt a constantly strengthening vitality.
Could it be that these dead materials could turn into living things?
That would truly be too profound.
However, before the Ming Iron turned into living things, the business of the sect shop had already come alive, and it was quite explosive.
The shop was packed with people every day, and the turnover soared, making Chu Tianqi and the others feel as if they were on stimulants, their shouting sales turning into singing.
For Qian Duoduo, the shop’s protector whose cultivation was lower than theirs but whose strength was greater, their fear had turned into reverence.
In the past, because the sect shop often lost, they were unwilling to leave the shop, fearing ridicule, but now, when they walked into the market, their heads were held high.
“In one more day, this month’s business battle will end. As long as we don’t lose today’s match, Ba Ling Sect and Shengling Sect will be our defeated opponents; copper coins will step on swords and blades!”
Qian Duoduo said to Chu Tianqi and the others before pushing open the shop door.
“Alright, alright, alright!” Chu Tianqi and the nine other shop assistants replied in unison.
The word Qian Duoduo loved to use the most, they now loved to use too.
“Alright!” Qian Duoduo pushed open the main door, took a deep breath, and the hundred scents of Kongfang City market rushed into his nostrils. It was another vibrant day.
He set out the cauldron, placed the gold coins and the Magical Artifact, just as the city’s bell for opening the market rang.
Qian Duoduo sat cross-legged, circulating the Eternal Wealth and Nobility Cultivation Technique, preparing to welcome challengers.
These days, he had grown accustomed to Cultivating anytime, anywhere, training during matches and matching during training. His Spiritual Veins had all turned bean-green, and were transitioning towards plum-green. The first level of the Eternal Wealth and Nobility Cultivation Technique had advanced from the fourth to the fifth stage.
The pressure of the competition, which he dared not relax even a bit, brought progress to his Cultivation Technique much faster and more solidly than simply sitting in meditation on his Spiritual Platform.
In the morning, three Artifact Apprentices competed with Qian Duoduo. After noon, he won against two more people. Just as Qian Duoduo was catching his breath, a black figure stood before him, followed by a waft of fragrant wind. Behind the wind was a floral skirt with blade-patterned edges.
It was Cai Fuxue, the Shengling Sect’s shop protector, who hadn’t shown up for a long time.
“Shengling Sect, Artifact Apprentice, Liang Liben, will play a round with Brother Bu Huan.” Cai Fuxue fanned himself, spoke a sentence, swayed his body, and introduced the black figure in front of him.
This guy, sending someone at just the right time, had no good intentions.
Liang Liben’s eyes were fixed on his nose, his nose on his mouth, remaining silent, like a piece of unrefined Ming Iron ore.
Qian Duoduo smiled and said to Cai Fuxue, “Alright. However, when Ba Ling Sect’s Protector Lang entered the arena, he added a 100,000 gold coin wager…”
Cai Fuxue swayed his floral skirt and said, “That dead fatty didn’t know Brother’s prowess, of course he foolishly gave away money. We’re just playing around, don’t take it seriously.”
“What if I lose? Would Protector Cai not want these 200,000 gold coins and the President’s Magical Artifact?” At this point, there were three or four hundred Cultivators watching, and Qian Duoduo said this for them to hear.
“That wouldn’t be good. If Brother Bu Huan loses and doesn’t give the money and Magical Artifact, wouldn’t that break the rules he set himself?” Cai Fuxue closed his folding fan and said earnestly.
“When Shengling Sect sends someone, it’s a competition between sects. Ba Ling Sect and Refining Spirit Sect competed, with a win/loss of 100,000 each, which is fair and reasonable. Now my wager is 200,000 plus a mid-grade Dan artifact. If Shengling Sect wants to compete with me, the win/loss must also be these wagers. Everyone, tell me, am I right?”
Qian Duoduo raised his voice.
This Cai Fuxue had a good plan, wanting to wait until the end to win a big advantage from him.
If Cai Fuxue were a Loose Cultivator, Qian Duoduo could tolerate it.
But he was from Shengling Sect, the Shengling Sect that made Refining Spirit Sect unable to raise its head, and Qian Duoduo could not tolerate that.
Wanting to do business with no capital? That won’t do. If you want to take a big advantage, you have to put up a big wager.
“Right, right, right! It must be fair, it must be reasonable!” Those watching the show wished the stage were even higher.
Cai Fuxue’s pale face wrinkled, and his folding fan rustled.
“Shengling Sect, are you perhaps afraid of losing?” Qian Duoduo opened his mouth, feigning surprise and saying loudly, “Or are you reluctant to part with money, or is your shop’s cash flow tight, out of money…”
At this moment, if he didn’t vigorously trample on Shengling Sect’s face, when would he?
Qian Duoduo threw a pile of smelly excrement, and a flower bloomed in his heart.
“Alright, stop talking nonsense—” Cai Fuxue snapped his fan shut, “If you want fairness, I’ll give you fairness. Bring the money and the Dan artifact.”