Spirit Realm

“Look through the requests first.”

Inside the cave, Tang Siqi passed over the artifact forging list Tan Dongling had given her to Qin Lie. Then, she began to casually walk inside the cave.

Her bright eyes roamed everywhere as she observed the furnace in the cave and the spirit materials on top of the cupboards, trying to determine if Qin Lie had been forging recently.

After a while, she appeared to be disappointed. Judging from the furnace and the surrounding materials, Qin Lie probably hadn’t started for real yet.

“Why did you want me to look at this?” Qin Lie did not understand.

“I want you to help me forge these together. Relax, I’ll pass a portion of the contribution points to you.” Tang Siqi was no longer looking about as she turned around and stared at Qin Lie with glittery eyes, saying, “Since you are an artificer as well, you should have no problem forging these spirit artifacts now, right?”

Tan Dongling’s request was to make sure that all six spirit artifacts were controlled at Profound Grade One. She wanted to clear up exactly what Qin Lie’s artificer rank was through the spirit artifacts’ grade requirements.

—This was a problem that had plagued her for a very long time.

“I probably can’t help you.” Qin Lie frowned.

“You can’t, or you don’t want to?” Tang Siqi stared into his eyes.

“I can’t,” said Qin Lie as he shook his head. “I only know the most basic spirit diagram inscriptions, and I have no experience in forging Profound Grade spirit artifacts. I really don’t have the skills to help you with this.”

“Really?” Tang Siqi was a little disbelieving.

“I can help you forge the artifacts, but you should perform the final step—that is, inscribing the spirit diagram—yourself,” Qin Lie said.

Tang Siqi looked surprised as she asked, “What rank of an artificer are you anyway?”

“I… I don’t know myself,” Qin Lie hesitatingly answered. “Before I came to Armament Sect, I have never formally learned how to forge artifacts. I only practiced inscribing spirit tablets first and did not really learn how to forge arti… I’m telling the truth!” Seeing surprise coloring the entirety of Tang Siqi’s face, he had no choice but to speak louder to emphasize his point.

Tang Siqi’s beautiful eyes rolled about, and suddenly, a radiant smile appeared over her recently serious face.

Seeing Qin Lie acting slightly embarrassed, her mood suddenly grew much better. An attractive curl lifted from the corners of her lips as she smiled, saying, “So you really didn’t lie to me? It’s just as you’ve said a few days ago, that you’ve only learned how to inscribe spirit diagrams and never truly learned how to forge artifacts?”

Qin Lie replied dejectedly, “That’s right.”

She didn’t know why, but after she confirmed that Qin Lie did not lie to her, it was as if the dark clouds in her heart had been cleared away in an instant. Her feelings had turned sunny in an instant.

An intoxicating smile once again spread across her beautiful face. Her entire being seemed to be filled with high spirits. “Never mind. I suppose I’ll forgive you about the… matters from back then.”

Qin Lie was a little confused. He wasn’t sure exactly what Tang Siqi was forgiving him for. He didn’t remember offending her at all, did he?

So how would this “forgiveness” come into picture then?

Qin Lie shook his head on the inside. He realized that he still couldn’t understand a woman’s mind. He just didn’t know what a woman’s occasional words meant at all.

“Alright. Then you’ll just assist me by forging the artifacts. I will complete the final step and inscribe the spirit diagram.” Tang Siqi was full of smiles. “We are still lacking a few spirit materials. The sect just ran out of stock recently, so we’ll have to stop here today. Tomorrow, you’ll go out with me to the city to purchase all of the missing spirit materials.”

“Oh,” Qin Lie nodded. Then, pretending carelessness, he asked, “What exactly did Sect Master ask you guys to gather for?”

“For a spirit tablet. A spirit tablet called the Spirit Gathering Board.” Tang Siqi’s feelings were better, and so, her box of words had also been opened as she began to explain everything about the Spirit Gathering Board, the two ancient diagrams inside it, and Xie Jingxuan’s request in great detail.

When she was done, she was a little angry. “It was just a spirit tablet with an ancient diagram inscribed on it. Because there was no way to grasp the spirit energy used to inscribe the spirit lines, even if it was possible to view the diagram’s interior with a wisp of mind consciousness, there is no way to learn it. But Sect Master had actually agreed to her requests and agreed to trade it for two spatial rings. This is just unbelievable…”

“Qin Bing! Are you listening to me?” Tang Siqi suddenly frowned.

She noticed that Qin Lie’s expression had turned incredibly odd when she mentioned the Spirit Gathering Board, and when she heard that Xie Jingxuan had exchanged it for two spatial rings his entire body had even shuddered once, as if he was deeply shocked inside his heart.

“I’m listening.” Qin Lie sucked in a deep breath and recovered from the massive shock. “I was just really surprised. It was just a spirit tablet, how can it be worth two spatial rings.”

“Spatial rings are rare alright. Even I do not have the qualifications to forge them. Only the inner sect elders of our Armament Sect have the capabilities to forge these items.” Tang Siqi was very much in agreement. “Perhaps it’s because ancient diagrams are too rare nowadays. I should be able to get it from the great elder and look at it myself some time later. I also want to see what’s so special about it, how it was worth so much attention from the sect master, the three reverends, and seven elders.”

Qin Lie no longer said anything else. He was still sunk in deep shock.

Right now, he was plagued with so much regret he could die. At the time he had only sold the Amplification Spirit Gathering Board to Xie Jingxuan for only five Profound Grade One spirit stones. At the time he had even thought it was expensive.

But he could not imagine that Xie Jingxuan would be able to exchange it for two spatial rings after bringing it to Armament Sect!

“Looks like the four spirit diagrams inside the Soul Suppressing Orb are far more valuable than Armament Sect’s so-called spirit diagrams. I must be very careful in the future!”

……

“Young master.”

“Young master.”

At the Water District of Armament City’s Earth, Fire, Water and Wind main districts, Liang Shaoyang arrived at a secluded house. The moment he walked in, there were many martial practitioners with dark gazes saluting him respectfully.

Liang Shaoyang’s expression was cold. He walked to a secret room behind the house and shook a special bell.

Not long after, two thin, middle-aged men appeared like ghosts before him. Their figures formed bit by bit, and it took a few seconds before they really turned solid.

“Greetings, young master,” respectfully said the duo after having knelt on one knee.

“Our plan will have to change.” Liang Shaoyang slowly controlled his emotions and stared at the two great shadow guards, Gray Shadow and Black Shadow. He withdrew his usual arrogance and said, “It will be very hard for me to control Tang Siqi. Since this path is impassable, then we have no choice but to change to a new one.”

There were strange, flowing lights on Gray Shadow and Black Shadow’s faces. This caused their faces to be blurry and unrecognizable. They looked at Liang Shaoyang and did not interrupt him, awaiting their next orders.

“Father’s plan is for me to court Tang Siqi, and after she takes over the sect master’s position, to control Armament Sect from the shadows through her.” Liang Shaoyang calmed down as his thoughts quickly became clear. “Now, we can change that plan. Since I have also incited a reaction from the spirit pattern pillars and become a future sect master candidate, once Tang Siqi is dead, there will be no one left to compete with me. Then, I can ascend to the sect master’s throne directly!”

“You would like to attack Tang Siqi, young master?” Gray Shadow asked with a raspy voice.

“Yes. Keep a close eye on Armament Sect’s entrance. She should be going out to purchase spirit materials soon. I want her to die outside Armament Sect.” Liang Shaoyang’s expression was cold and brutal. “Most of Blood Spear’s experts operate inside Armament Sect and the surrounding regions. Pay attention when you act, and stay away from Armament Sect’s entrance as much as possible.”

“Understood.” Gray Shadow and Black Shadow withdrew quietly.

“If I can’t get you, then I may as well destroy you. I won’t feel uncomfortable when I see you then.” coldly exclaimed Liang Shaoyang in a low tone after the two people disappeared .

He stayed only for a little while before leaving quietly again. With that, he then returned to Armament Sect very quickly.

……

On the other side of Armament City.

“Liang Shaoyang has gone to a house in the Water District. It should be Shadow Tower’s base at Armament Sect. Gray Shadow and Black Shadow should be hiding inside it.” The moment Xie Jingxuan returned, Liang Zhong had quickly reported the latest findings, “I’ve been following him all the way and saw him enter the house. There should be a secret passage inside that house since I didn’t see him walk out. However, I have just confirmed that he has returned to Armament Sect. He should have appeared on the other side of the street through the underground secret passage and escaped me before leaving from some other location.”

“You have a confirmation on the location?” Xie Jingxuan’s eyes turned cold.

“There is no mistake,” Liang Zhong nodded.

“Very good.” There was terrible killing intent brimming inside Xie Jingxuan’s clear and cool eyes. “We wait. We’ll wait until he uses it the next time! It will be best if we can act at night, and we will kill everyone inside the house and not leave a single man alive. We must not let Armament Sect have any leverage.”

“Mn. If the news slipped through, and Armament Sect realizes that we are the ones who did it, then we may not be able to leave Armament City,” Liang Zhong said solemnly.

“Continue watching Armament Sect’s entrance. When Liang Shaoyang comes out, I want to know immediately,” Xie Jingxuan ordered.

“Mn.”

……

The next day.

Tang Siqi had arrived at Qin Lie’s cave very early in the morning as she yelled, “Qin Bing, come with me for an outing today.”

“Oh.” Qin Lie opened the cave entrance and walked down the mountain with her. “Should we inform First Senior Brother?”

“He can’t bother with my business. Just ignore him.” Tang Siqi was wearing a luxurious, dark red artificer robe. The corner of the skirt was adorned with flowers of flames, and when she moved her waist, the flames at the corner of her skirt would dance along as if burning furiously. It was like it could draw out the dark desires in one’s heart, causing people to feel hot and bothered.

“Senior Sister Tang, Junior Brother Qin, are you guys going out to the city?” Lian Rou asked in surprise after seeing the two.

“Yeah, we’re going to purchase some spirit materials and help those people from Dark Asura Hall to forge some spirit artifacts.” Tang Siqi’s smiled cheerfully, “How is Yi Yuan as of late? I don’t see you looking for him for the past few days?”

“Who knows where that bastard went to,” Lian Rou cursed in a low tone.

“He has probably entered Blood Spear’s exam,” Qin Lie interrupted.

“Blood Spear?” Tang Siqi and Lian Rou’s expression shook slightly before they nodded. They did not say a thing but seemed to be very surprised.

When they arrived at the plaza at the foot of the mountain, Lian Rou went to a outer sect elder to inquire about some things. Meanwhile, Qin Lie and Tang Siqi had arrived at the entrance and gone out the sect together.

There were many people selling spirit materials along the streets of Armament Sect. The moment they saw someone from Armament Sect come out they would surround the person and advertise their products.

When Tang Siqi and Qin Lie had come out, there were many such people who passionately walked forward and yelled about some precious spirit materials they have, hoping that they would be selected by the people of Armament Sect.

One of them, wearing a normal face, was mixed amidst the crowd.

When he saw Tang Siqi and Qin Lie coming out together, not only did he not go up and surround them, he had even backed away suddenly. He only watched the two moving away from afar.