The Artifact Refining Workshop’s rules were strict, but not inflexible. In fact, they were quite adaptable.

These two guards were also very discerning. One look at Ye Xuan told them he was no ordinary person. That, combined with the behavior of the Little Purple Mink on his shoulder and the two Tokens he presented, was enough for them to grant him immediate passage.

’Perhaps this young man is a Core Disciple from some major power, simply unwilling to reveal his identity.’

"Huh, that kid actually got in." Zhou Chengping and his companions wore looks of surprise.

He had seen Ye Xuan flash his Tokens, but he hadn’t seen what kind they were, leaving him stunned and uncertain.

’Could this guy be the scion of some prominent family? Or a disciple from a major power?’

After entering the Artifact Refining Workshop, Ye Xuan swept his gaze over his surroundings, his face impassive.

Dozens of people were already gathered in small groups inside the Artifact Refining Workshop.

A quick survey revealed that most of them were young disciples, generally in their twenties or thirties. There were a few older individuals, but not many. Moreover, the strongest people present were only a few Tier Six Martial Venerables. There wasn’t a single Tier Seven Martial King.

This puzzled Ye Xuan.

’The works of a Tier Seven King Level Artifact Refiner should attract not just Martial Kings, but even Martial Emperor experts. Why aren’t any of those powerhouses here? Or are they somewhere else?’

Though puzzled, Ye Xuan didn’t dwell on it, instead turning his attention to the exhibition hall.

Past the entrance of the Artifact Refining Workshop was a massive exhibition hall. All sorts of refined creations were on display throughout the space.

Weapons, armor, accessories, Profound Soldiers, soul armaments, and even Profound Treasures were all neatly arranged.

Some of these pieces were personally crafted by Master Lu Li, while others were made by his disciples. Without exception, the craftsmanship was exquisite and of the highest quality, truly a sight to behold.

Ye Xuan casually examined a few items. Even the pieces crafted by Master Lu Li’s disciples were on par with his own Dragon Pattern Sword, clearly representing the pinnacle of the Thirteen Nations Alliance’s skill.

As for Master Lu Li’s own creations, they were even closer to perfection—meticulously detailed and verging on works of art.

Ye Xuan noticed that despite the many Spiritual Treasures and Profound Treasures on display, not a single person had made an offer to purchase anything.

After asking Luo Cheng, Ye Xuan learned that the items in the exhibition hall were not for sale. They were purely for display. Even if they had price tags, the prices were far beyond the items’ actual worth.

Unless one had an exceptionally high status or a background powerful enough to deal directly with the Artifact Refining Workshop, it was impossible to purchase anything from the exhibition hall.

To put it bluntly, the items in the exhibition hall were merely a showcase of the Artifact Refining Workshop’s skill in Artifact Refining.

Before the displays, many scions of prominent families were busy critiquing the works.

Among them, a group of five particularly caught Ye Xuan’s eye.

The five of them had an air similar to Murong Yunxiao’s; wherever they went, they were the center of attention, with others naturally flocking to them.

The group consisted of four men and one woman.

The young woman wasn’t very old and, like Murong Yunxiao, was exceptionally beautiful, with a delicate, oval-shaped face.

The contours of her face were soft and smooth, as if sculpted to perfection, without a single flaw.

Her skin was also incredibly fair. The smooth calves visible beneath her dress were like polished jade, flawless and pale.

Despite her dress, her graceful figure and elegant curves were still hinted at with her movements, drawing the attention of many.

The only slight imperfection was her extremely cold demeanor. Her slightly raised brows indicated she was a woman with a strong will and immense self-confidence.

"Look at this longsword. It’s said that Master Lu Li personally forged it decades ago when he was still a Tier Five Artifact Refining Master. He blended Celestial Domain Profound Crystal with Profound Heart Iron and Refined Cold Steel. See these lines? They’re so smooth and fluid. Each one requires several quenching processes..."

Wherever this young woman and Murong Yunxiao went, the young men around them would talk animatedly, eager to show off their knowledge of Artifact Refining.

Some young men would even pretend to be passing by just to greet them.

The young woman, however, only offered a cold nod in return, saying little.

"Young Master Ye, that young lady is Miss Zhou Qingwei of the Zhou family, one of the four great families of our Imperial Capital," Luo Cheng explained quietly from the side. "I hear that, like Miss Yunxiao, she will also be joining Gale Light Academy this year."

Ye Xuan nodded without a word.

’I didn’t come here to meet beautiful women, but to see Master Lu Li. Of course, everyone can appreciate beauty, so having someone nice to look at isn’t a bad thing.’

But just then, Zhou Qingwei unexpectedly walked over to Ye Xuan.

"That little mink of yours is very cute. Will you sell it to me?" Zhou Qingwei asked coolly, her eyes fixed on the Little Purple Mink.

All eyes in the vicinity immediately turned to Ye Xuan, their gazes filled with envy.

’What kind of damn luck does this guy have? Miss Zhou Qingwei actually approached him on her own. If we’d known this would happen, we would’ve brought cute pets too!’

In an instant, the gazes of many young men on Ye Xuan burned with jealousy.

’This guy’s a complete unknown. We have no idea what family he’s from. The only reason she’s talking to him is because of that pet. Otherwise, what right would he have to speak with Miss Zhou Qingwei?’

A complicated look appeared in Murong Yunxiao’s eyes. She had also taken a liking to the Little Purple Mink on Ye Xuan’s shoulder, but due to their previous encounter, she felt too awkward to approach him about it.

’If Zhou Qingwei gets that Little Purple Mink, I’ll be upset for a long time.’

Under the crowd’s watchful eyes, Ye Xuan was taken aback.

He then shook his head. "Not for sale."

He was speechless. ’The items in the Artifact Refining Workshop aren’t even for sale yet, but someone’s already trying to buy my Little Purple Mink?’

Zhou Qingwei said nothing, but some of the surrounding young men grew indignant.

"Kid, it’s an honor that Miss Zhou has taken an interest in your pet."

"If you know what’s good for you, name your price and sell the mink to Miss Zhou."

One young man seized the opportunity to speak up, hoping to make a good impression on Zhou Qingwei.

Zhou Qingwei’s brow furrowed. ’I can’t believe he refused me. Everywhere I go, I’m the center of attention. The young disciples of every great family are desperate to give me gifts. I want one little mink, and someone actually refuses to sell it to me?’

’If he was trying to get my attention, he certainly succeeded. Unfortunately for him, it’s not a good one.’

Just then, the Little Purple Mink yawned on Ye Xuan’s shoulder, looking exceptionally lively and adorable.

Zhou Qingwei gazed at the Little Purple Mink. Ordinarily, she would have simply turned and walked away, but the mink was just too cute. Its intelligent and nimble expression only strengthened her desire to have it.

Frowning, Zhou Qingwei said, "Just name a price. I really like this Little Purple Mink. Whatever price you name, I will certainly buy it. And I promise, I’ll give you one of my handkerchiefs."

For the sake of the Little Purple Mink, she was pulling out all the stops.

’A handkerchief?’

Ye Xuan stared at Zhou Qingwei. ’Is there something wrong with her? Does she really think a handkerchief is enough to trade for my Little Purple Mink?’

But when he glanced at the fiery, envious gazes of the other young men, Ye Xuan was rendered speechless. ’There’s just no getting through to these people!’

’These youths of the Imperial Capital are all fucking idiots.’

He remained composed and asked coolly, "Any price at all?"

"That’s right," Zhou Qingwei nodded.

"Alright, in that case, I’ll even give you a discount," Ye Xuan said slowly.

SQUEAK SQUEAK!

The Little Purple Mink waved its paws, puffed out its cheeks, and its eyes darted about in protest. Its clever and lively antics only made it more endearing.

"What’s the price? Just say it."

Zhou Qingwei said coolly. ’So he said it wasn’t for sale just to get my attention. The moment he heard I’d give him a handkerchief, he immediately caved. How pathetic.’

Scorn immediately filled her. ’If it weren’t for the Little Purple Mink, I wouldn’t waste another breath on this guy.’

"Alright, I’ll name my price: ten billion Profound Stones!"

Ye Xuan stated the number calmly.

The moment he spoke, the entire hall fell silent.

"Ten billion Profound Stones? Has this kid lost his mind?"

"Is he messing with Miss Zhou?"

"This guy’s nerve is unbelievable, asking for such an outrageous price."

"The Zhou family may be a great house, but even if you sold off all their assets, they probably couldn’t come up with ten billion Profound Stones, could they?"

The young people present were all dumbfounded, murmuring amongst themselves and staring at Ye Xuan as if he were a complete idiot.

Zhou Qingwei was also stunned. "You..."

Her gaze grew even colder, a hint of anger flaring in her eyes.

She had expected Ye Xuan to just name some price, and while he did just that, the price he named was utterly absurd.

Ye Xuan smiled faintly. "I meant supreme-grade Profound Stones."

At this, the atmosphere in the hall turned frigid.

’Supreme-grade Profound Stones? Does this guy think his mink is a Tier Nine Emperor Level Profound Beast?’

In the Sky Empire, the commonly circulated currency was Lower Grade Profound Stones. Mid-grade ones only appeared at major trading venues like auction houses for exchanging priceless treasures. As for Upper Grade Profound Stones, they were exceedingly rare and considered valuable treasures in their own right.

As for supreme-grade Profound Stones, it was debatable whether a single one even existed in the entire Sky Empire.

This kid making such an outrageous demand—ten billion supreme-grade Profound Stones for a pet—was clearly just toying with them.

"Are you making a fool of me?" Zhou Qingwei glared at Ye Xuan, her eyes like ice.

Ye Xuan’s face was impassive. "Weren’t you the one who told me to name any price? Frankly, I still think ten billion supreme-grade Profound Stones is too low."

SQUEAK SQUEAK!

The Little Purple Mink danced on Ye Xuan’s shoulder as if to confirm that the price was indeed too low. It then gesticulated wildly, as if to say, ’I’m a priceless treasure!’

Its vivid, human-like expressions made many of the young men present look on in amazement.

Zhou Qingwei’s gaze was cold and she remained silent, but the other young men could no longer contain themselves.

"Kid, it’s an honor that Miss Zhou wants your pet. How dare you refuse to sell?"

one young man shouted, his expression indignant.

Ye Xuan shot him a cold glance and sneered, "Whether I sell or not is none of your damn business. If you’re so eager to sell something, go sell yourself."

"Sir, this is the Imperial Capital. You’d best watch your tone. We’re all just trying to help you."

Another young master in a white robe also sneered, frequently glancing toward Zhou Qingwei as if he were upholding justice on her behalf.