As one of the rare grand events, the auction drew countless cultivators. Some were rogue cultivators; others came from sects and families near Divine Origin City. The former came for resources, while the latter mostly came to broaden their horizons while also seeing whether anything caught their eye. The auction lasted two days. It wasn't all that long by cultivator auction standards, but it was more than enough to fill the city with excitement.

And during the auction, the name of an artisan went from modest renown to sudden fame. The master of Surging Lake, Azure Yang, could craft low-grade defensive enchanted treasures! For a time, many cultivators tried visiting Surging Lake after the auction, only to be blocked by formations. Still, they were not discouraged and instead flooded into the Azure Yang Shop. Sadly, the shop did not offer defensive enchanted treasures for sale, which left many Adepts disappointed. But the fine enchanted artifacts in the shop, along with the large stock of talismans, made the Qi Refinement cultivators and Initiates delighted. They rushed in to buy to the point where Wen Xiu was forced to raise prices.

Even so, supply still fell short of demand. Those prices were beyond many rogue cultivators, but the cultivators from Divine Origin City usually had deep pockets. Once they saw the enchanted artifacts and talismans, they spent spirit stones without blinking. The spectacle shook the whole street where the Azure Yang Shop stood, and even ended up boosting nearby businesses. Naturally, the Zhang family's other goods sold through the shop also earned a fortune.

Inside the shop, a group of cultivators stared at the emptied enchanted artifact shelves and voiced complaints. Then Wen Xiu appeared, looking slightly tense, but her tone remained steady. "No need to worry, everyone. Master Azure Yang will occasionally place his works in our shop on consignment, and there will be even better weapons in the future. Just drop by whenever you have time, and you might happen upon one. Besides, all the other goods in our shop are quality guaranteed. You won't be losing out, and you certainly won't be cheated here."

After those words, the buying frenzy brought by the auction gradually subsided. But it was obvious that with its name established, Azure Yang Shop's business would only thrive.

Outside the shop, two cultivators watched. One wore a dark expression. The other looked openly pleased at the misfortune. "Fellow Daoist Devil's Cloud, I did not lie to you back then, did I?"

Faced with Huangfu Song's mockery, Devil's Cloud's face darkened. He admitted he had misjudged. He had not expected Luo Chen to truly craft enchanted treasures. But in front of Huangfu Song, he held firm. "A lucky success, that's all, and he dares show off over it? I don't believe Azure Yang can keep crafting pure defensive enchanted treasures."

Huangfu Song blinked. "And what if he really can?"

Devil's Cloud sneered. "Then would he be willing to sell them in a shop like this? For artisans like us, crafting defensive enchanted treasures is costly and risky. Unless someone commissions it, provides the materials, and takes responsibility for any losses if the crafting fails, we simply don't bother trying. Azure Yang would have to be mad to put a painstakingly crafted defensive enchanted treasure up for sale in some tiny little shop."

Huangfu Song had no reply, but inwardly he sneered. Devil's Cloud really is stubborn to the bitter end. For all his bluster, isn't he still admitting to Azure Yang's skill in artifact creation?

Devil's Cloud shot Huangfu Song a disgusted look. "Don't bother trying to stir me up. The Devil's Cloud Cave deals mainly in offensive enchanted artifacts and enchanted treasures. Azure Yang hasn't provoked me, and I'm not about to make a move against him for your sake. Besides, you've already moved your operations to another spirit land. Why are you still eyeing him?"

Having his intentions exposed, Huangfu Song flushed red. He opened his mouth, paused, and then only managed to say, "That's not what I meant. I was only thinking of your well-being."

"Well, I understand your intentions, but I've been truly busy lately. You shouldn't waste so much of your precious time to visit me."

With that, Devil's Cloud swept his sleeve and left. Huangfu Song remained where he was with clenched fists and a face full of resentment. If Luo Chen had been there, he would likely have shaken his head again and wondered how someone with a disposition like this had ever reached the late stage of Golden Core.

***

As evening fell, Devil's Cloud returned to Devil's Cloud Cave, and only after he sat down in his own seat did he allow confusion to appear on his face. "This shouldn't be possible. The last time we exchanged pointers, Azure Yang clearly hadn't reached the level needed to craft enchanted treasures. How did he manage to craft one in just a year, and a pure defensive enchanted treasure at that?"

His muttering actually received a response. "Maybe he really is a genius in artifact creation?"

Devil's Cloud turned and looked at the massive and weary figure behind him. To call the man a small elephant was no exaggeration; he was so obese he seemed as if he would sweat oil instead of water. Yet his face was gaunt, with a sharp nose that stood out in stark contrast to his body. It was a strange and distinctive appearance. If Luo Chen had been there, he would have recognized the man at a glance. It was none other than Ding Yi, the rogue cultivator who had sold him the Soul-Nurturing Wood on Coldlight Island.

"Fellow Daoist Ding, didn't I tell you to keep watch over the furnace? That treasure is tied to your life, and there can't be even the slightest mistake."

Ding Yi roused himself and waved a hand. "It's fine. I can feel it's almost done. Otherwise, you wouldn't have set aside your work and rushed out. Am I right?"

Devil's Cloud was speechless. What the man said was true. He had led the earlier stages of crafting. But in the later stages, the process depended primarily on Ding Yi, as the future owner of the enchanted treasure. Since Ding Yi felt it was nearly complete, then that was probably the case. Even so, to be safe, Devil's Cloud still offered a few words of warning.

"The live refinement of Shoal Yuan[1] and merging it into that Treasure Basin Fish wasn't the critical part. The real key is the nurturing you have to do afterward. That's not an overnight job. By my estimate, it'll take at least ten years. And during that time, you can't make a single mistake. Fellow Daoist Ding, you really need to keep a close eye on it yourself."

Ding Yi nodded. This concerned a matter of great importance to him, so he would naturally not be careless. But at this moment, he found himself even more curious about the person that Devil's Cloud had just mentioned.

"This man you're talking about... His name sounds rather similar to the Dao title of a devil path expert I met a while back."

"Who?"

"Devil Lord Azure Yang."

"Uh... Did you happen to meet him on Coldlight Island? He really is Devil Lord Azure Yang."

Ding Yi's small eyes narrowed, and his expression grew rather interesting. "I never thought he'd be in the Myriad Immortal Society as well! I really should find a chance to pay him a visit."

Devil's Cloud waved a hand. "Don't even think about it. He's been in seclusion lately and isn't seeing anyone. Purple Empress personally went to visit him and even she was turned away."

Ding Yi froze for a moment. That was rather different from the man he had met on Coldlight Island. Then again, he was well aware that the man had been in disguise, and even his true abilities had only surfaced during the battle of Coldlight Island.

At the thought of Luo Chen's battle prowess, Ding Yi narrowed his eyes slightly. Devil's Cloud isn't weak, but he's a master artisan above all. For going to that place, his combat abilities fall a little short. Devil Lord Azure Yang might be lower-level, but that's just in cultivation. His actual battle strength is recognized by everyone. If he's willing to help me, my chances of success might be even higher. Should I talk to him?

For a time, the chubby cultivator weighed the matter endlessly, especially as all the rumors surrounding Devil Lord Azure Yang surfaced one after another in his mind.

At last, he seemed to have made a decision.

1. 鼋 (yuán) is a giant softshell turtle that is quite different from regular ones. They have a softer shell, as the name implies, and a frog-like face that looks like this. ☜