Chapter 83: Restless
Wang Jie continuously conversed with Jiang Cai, extracting a significant amount of information regarding Celestial Refinement Masters from him. Of course, amidst their discussions, Wang Jie occasionally sprinkled in his own interpretations of Celestial Refinement, making them sound profoundly mysterious. Jiang Cai, despite not understanding a word, found himself awestruck, convinced that these were esoteric truths beyond his comprehension.
Within just a dozen days, Wang Jie had pieced together a thorough understanding of Celestial Refinement Masters, including market trends, the Dao of Artifacts, and Celestial Artifacts.
Meanwhile, Jiang You Sheng sat silently, listening.
Jiang Cai relayed everything Wang Jie had shared, word for word: “So, why is the Method of Celestial Refinement unique? Because when one holds no Celestial Force within, Celestial Force naturally flows. The world possesses spirit, and Celestial Force too has its limits…”
Jiang You Sheng had never heard such theories before, nor had he encountered many Celestial Refinement Masters. The universe was vast, yet Celestial Refinement Masters were exceedingly rare.
“Tower Master, this great master speaks in such profound ways that I simply cannot comprehend,” Jiang Cai admitted.
Jiang You Sheng smirked. “If you could, you’d already be a Celestial Refinement Master yourself. Go, continue serving the master. He seems rather pleased with you.”
“Yes, Tower Master.”
Through his inquiries, Wang Jie learned that ordinary Celestial Refinement Masters would deplete their own Celestial Force entirely when bestowing it upon materials, requiring at least three days to recover. He followed this standard timeframe as well.
Jiang You Sheng had provided him with over twenty materials, meaning this process would take roughly two months.
As for Star Stones, aside from the agreed price, it was customary for the patron to provide additional Star Stones for the Celestial Refinement Master to restore their strength. This was an unspoken rule.
Wang Jie couldn’t profit from the refining process itself, as all his Celestial Force was drained into the materials. One Star Stone worth of Celestial Force precisely completed the refinement of one material. The only profit he made came from Jiang You Sheng’s compensation for his recovery—an amount equivalent to twenty percent of the total Star Stones paid.
Spending a total of forty days on Celestial Refinement, Wang Jie worked far faster than Jiang You Sheng had anticipated. When the Tower Master arrived at Wang Jie’s courtyard, he was met with a neat arrangement of materials, all infused with Celestial Force—transformed into components fit for forging Celestial Artifacts.
Jiang You Sheng bowed deeply. “Master Wang, your skills are truly exceptional. I hold nothing but admiration.” With that, he presented a storage ring. “A small token of appreciation—I hope Master Wang will not find it lacking.”
Wang Jie responded with a faint nod. “Many thanks.”
Jiang You Sheng ordered his men to collect the refined materials, then hesitated before addressing Wang Jie again.
“Tower Master, is there something else?”
Jiang You Sheng hesitated. “There is something I wish to ask, but I’m unsure if I should.”
“Speak freely.”
“Master Wang, it seems you cultivate Lock Force, is that correct?”
Wang Jie chuckled. “And what connection does Celestial Refinement have with Lock Force Cultivation?”
Jiang You Sheng was stunned. Was there truly no correlation? If one cultivated Lock Force, how could they bestow Celestial Force onto materials? He found himself utterly perplexed.
Wang Jie continued, “My fortune was poor. My origins were lowly, and I never obtained a method to cultivate Celestial Force. However, even with Lock Force, I can still utilize it to drive Celestial Refinement. Tower Master, do you doubt me?”
Jiang You Sheng hastily rose to his feet. “Master Wang, please do not misunderstand. I meant no such thing.”
Wang Jie’s voice remained indifferent. “I am weary today. Tower Master, please take your leave.”
Jiang You Sheng once again bowed. “Master Wang, please rest well. I shall visit again in a few days.” Before leaving, he placed another storage ring on the table as an offering of goodwill.
Wang Jie let out a deep breath. He had long anticipated Jiang You Sheng raising this question.
If he could deceive Jiang You Sheng, he could surely deceive others as well.
And the reason he dared to act so boldly was simple—Celestial Refinement Masters held an even higher status than he had imagined. Their greatest value wasn’t in refining artifacts for mere profit, but in being sought after by Hundred Star Realm cultivators as invaluable assets.
Breaking through from Hundred Star Realm to Star-Refining Realm required refining select materials into oneself. The better the materials, the greater the breakthrough’s success and resulting power. Thus, every Hundred Star Realm cultivator desperately desired a Celestial Refinement Master to refine all their materials for them.
This was the true worth of a Celestial Refinement Master.
That Yan Fu Yu? Merely at the Wandering Star Realm.
Anywhere a Celestial Refinement Master appeared, they could easily attract the attention of Hundred Star Realm powerhouses. With a single word, they could change the balance of an entire Star Chain.
The prouder he acted, the more justified it seemed.
His gaze landed on the two storage rings left behind. One contained 100,000 Star Stones, while the other held 200,000 Star Stones—twice the agreed-upon payment. Jiang You Sheng was indeed generous.
Now, it was time to take a stroll.
Leaving his courtyard, he encountered Jiang Cai, who immediately bowed.
“Escort me for a walk.”
Jiang Cai hesitated briefly before nodding and leading the way.
Due to the recent assault on the Fourth Defensive Line, all Puppeteers were forbidden from leaving Puppeteer Tower. But this rule did not apply to a Celestial Refinement Master.
After all, such a master’s wishes were to be met without question.
Moreover, all Wang Jie wanted was to take a short walk.
After a brief excursion, he returned to his courtyard.
“Oh, by the way, where is Bei Feng? I haven’t seen him in some time. I’d like to catch up.”
Jiang Cai immediately led the way, though he couldn’t fathom what connection Wang Jie had with Bei Feng.
Bei Feng’s residence wasn’t far from Wang Jie’s—perhaps due to his cultivation, his living conditions were relatively high.
When Wang Jie arrived, Xia Bei Yi was taken aback. He quickly invited Wang Jie inside. Both men were within their respective puppets, unable to see one another’s true forms.
“Brother Bei Feng, it’s been a long time. Have you been well?”
Xia Bei Yi eyed Wang Jie warily. This man… was actually a Celestial Refinement Master?
“I’ve been well. By the way, I never got your name last time.”
“A name is merely a label,” Wang Jie replied indifferently. “Why bother with such trivialities?”
“Brother, where do you hail from? And what brings you here? You look travel-worn—surely, you have some grand ambitions?”
Wang Jie bombarded Bei Feng with questions, his enthusiasm unrelenting. Bei Feng, suppressing his impatience, answered as best he could while his mind raced.
Never had he imagined that this journey would lead him to such an interrogator. The man treated their conversation like an inquisition. Worse still, Bei Feng had no choice but to answer. A Celestial Refinement Master was not someone an ordinary person could afford to offend.
Gritting his teeth, he endured. He couldn’t fathom why this man was so fixated on him. Was he simply overfriendly?
“Ah, I feel as though we’ve known each other for years! And since we’re both here at the Puppeteer Tower, we should make it a point to meet often. For now, let’s call it a day, but tomorrow, yes—tomorrow, I shall return.”
Bei Feng was speechless. He had to force himself to respond cordially, even going so far as to extend a welcome for the man’s return.
The following day, sure enough, Wang Jie showed up again. This time, Jiang Cai was absent, as movement within Puppeteer Tower was unrestricted.
Day after day, Wang Jie sought Bei Feng out. His intent was clear—to extract as much information as possible. Wang Jie was soon to return to the Silver Radiance Empire, where Blue Star was located. Otherwise, the Seventh Star Chain would have been a fine destination for a Celestial Refinement Master like him.
Besides, the Frost Splendor Sect had used him as a scapegoat. That was a debt he intended to settle.
For six days straight, Wang Jie pestered Bei Feng. Finally, Bei Feng could take no more.
“Damn it, at the very least, tell me your name!” he fumed inwardly.
Then came an unexpected visit—the Eight-Prison Berserk Clan had arrived, seeking the Celestial Refinement Master’s power.
Wang Jie found himself staring at the two imposing berserk creatures before him, silent and contemplative.
“Master, if you have any demands, please state them freely.”
Wang Jie lifted his gaze. “Demands? None in particular. I’m merely curious—how many weapons requiring Celestial Refinement does your clan need?”
The berserk creatures exchanged glances, hesitant to answer.
Wang Jie smirked. Good—he wasn’t worried about them wanting too much; he was worried about them wanting too little. The more they ordered, the greater his profits.
As for war? That wasn’t his concern.
The Frost Splendor Sect had started this conflict—they were surely prepared for it. With battle on the horizon, a few Star Artifacts wouldn’t make a difference in the grand scheme.
“One hundred pieces.”
Wang Jie’s eyebrows shot up. “How many?” His voice rose involuntarily.
The berserk creatures hesitated but repeated, “One hundred pieces.”
Wang Jie fell into deep thought.
Beyond the courtyard, Bei Feng arrived just in time to overhear. His expression darkened. This was no trivial matter. The Eight-Prison Berserk Clan acquiring a hundred Star Artifacts would be a catastrophic blow to the Frost Splendor Sect. Yet, he had no means to stop it.
“That’s too many—I’ll die from exhaustion,” Wang Jie finally spoke.
The berserk creatures responded, “We are aware of the burden, Master. That’s why our clan has decided to pay you double for your efforts. Please, Master, grant us your aid.”
Wang Jie sighed dramatically. “Do you know how much it costs me to refine these weapons? How much time I waste? Have you ever seen a Celestial Refinement Master neglect his own cultivation like this? Go back and let me consider it.”
The berserk creatures withdrew.
Wang Jie grinned. This was a windfall. He decided to go shopping.
With Jiang Cai leading the way, Wang Jie exited Puppeteer Tower, making sure to pass by his designated mission site.
“Brother! Brother!” Bei Feng called out, running after him.
Wang Jie turned.
“Brother, are you heading out?”
“Yes.”
“Could you bring me along?”
Wang Jie tilted his head in curiosity. “Why does Brother Bei Feng want to go outside?”
“I’m restless.”
“So am I! We’re alike in that way—we both crave excitement.”
“Indeed.” Bei Feng smiled. “Then let’s go together.”
“No.”
Bei Feng was caught off guard. “Why not?”
Wang Jie’s expression turned serious. “I don’t want to break the rules.”
With that, he strode off, leaving Bei Feng standing there, speechless.
Outside Puppeteer Tower, Wang Jie breathed deeply, reveling in his freedom. They wanted to use him as a scapegoat? Let’s see who played whom.
As he walked, he finally took in the sights of Green Mountain City with fresh eyes.
Following Jiang Cai’s lead, he set out to purchase some defensive gear. First on his list was Cataclysmic Material, a purchase that cost him a hefty hundred thousand Star Stones. He bought so much that his storage ring couldn’t contain it all. Next on his agenda—buying a new Storage Ring.
He settled on one that required two hundred thousand Star Stones.
The price was absurd—equivalent to twenty Star Artifacts. But quality had its price. Storage Rings were rare. Even among the well-connected trial participants of Armor One Sect, not everyone possessed one.
A standard Storage Ring only had a few cubic meters of space. His own was no exception. Even someone like Wen Zhao likely had a modest one.
But this ring—this one could store an entire small mountain.
With cultivation reaching higher realms, certain items couldn’t simply be crammed together. Proper spacing was necessary. The limited capacity of ordinary rings was impractical.
Two hundred thousand Star Stones—a painful expenditure.
But for long-term convenience, he clenched his jaw and made the purchase.
After all, it was Jiang You Sheng’s money.
Jiang Cai looked on enviously. Two hundred thousand Star Stones, spent without hesitation. Truly, a Celestial Refinement Master lived on another level.
Next, Wang Jie bought a Formation Book.
This was no ordinary book—it was a condensed Formation Dao, capable of being activated at a moment’s notice. Like a scroll, but far more powerful.
The one he selected contained the Three Illusions Formation, designed to deceive even formidable foes, aiding in escape.
Rumor had it that it worked even against cultivators at the Full Star Realm.
Fifteen thousand Star Stones—and worth every coin.
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