Chapter 2737: Summoning Clan Members to Refine Artifacts

Qinglian Island, Qinglian Peak.

In a secluded courtyard, Wang Changsheng gazed at the immense body of the Mirage Dragon, a look of approval on his face.

The Mirage Dragon remained a lower-grade sixth-tier creature, though its body had grown considerably. As a descendant of a true spirit, it required more cultivation resources to advance, and its growth rate had slowed significantly after reaching the sixth tier. Ordinary spirit herbs were of little use to it. Spirit fruits and herbs like the Heavenly Illusion Fruit were rare, so Wang Changsheng had already sent family members to search for them. The Twin-Pupiled Mouse was perched on the Mirage Dragon's head, gnawing continuously on a golden spirit peach held in its paws. After years of coexisting, they had grown very familiar and close.

In a remote corner, some blood-red thorns had bloomed with a few crimson flowers. The Wood Spirit also remained at lower-grade sixth-tier. The Soul-Devouring Golden Cicada flew over, its coloration growing increasingly vibrant. The Soul-Devouring Golden Cicada had advanced relatively late, but it had consumed a large number of ghostly entities, allowing it to reach mid-grade sixth-tier. If the Mirage Dragon had consumed a similar abundance of Heavenly Illusion Fruits, it would likely have already reached mid-grade sixth-tier as well. The Twin-Pupiled Mouse was still a lower-grade sixth-tier creature. Its advancement speed would also be rapid if it had access to abundant ten-thousand-year spirit herbs for consumption, but unfortunately, it did not. The Wang family indeed possessed many ten-thousand-year spirit herbs. However, most were used for alchemy, with the resulting elixirs either stored in the family treasury or sold externally. Giving the Twin-Pupiled Mouse one or two ten-thousand-year spirit herbs occasionally was acceptable, but providing them in bulk was not feasible.

Wang Changsheng took out a cyan communication disk, inscribed a spell into it, and Wang Moshan's voice rang out: "Ancestor, Ancestor Qingfeng and the others have returned and are waiting in the Earthfire Hall."

Wang Moshan had swiftly recalled most of the high-tier artifact refiners in the clan to assist Wang Changsheng.

"Understood. I'm on my way."

Wang Changsheng put away the communication disk and turned to leave.

Upon arriving at the Earthfire Hall, Wang Changsheng saw Wang Qingfeng and over seventy other clan members gathered inside. After thousands of years of development, the number of artifact refiners in the Wang family had increased significantly, making the crafting of treasures more convenient and efficient for the clan.

"Father, I heard you're going to craft treasures, and most of the high-tier artifact refiners have returned," Wang Qingfeng said with a smile.

"Greetings, Ancestor," Wang Jiye and the others saluted respectfully.

"Many of you have crafted treasures with me before, while some clan members have not participated. I need your assistance to refine several treasures; this is also an excellent opportunity for our family's artifact refiners to exchange knowledge. Feel free to ask any questions you may have." Wang Changsheng's voice, though not loud, resonated throughout the hall.

Wang Jiye and the others agreed in unison, their voices carrying far.

Excluding Wang Changsheng, there were seventy-five high-tier artifact refiners in total. Wang Changsheng divided them into eighteen groups of four people each. Wang Qingfeng, Wang Jiye, and Wang Liangyan would each supervise six groups, guiding the clan members in artifact refining. Wang Changsheng took out the refining materials, clarified each group's division of labor, assigning them to refine specific portions of the materials. He planned to first craft a sixth-tier puppet beast as a trial run to ensure coordination. Under Wang Changsheng's command, each group of clan members received their materials and entered separate refining rooms, beginning their work.

Guangyuan Sect, Guangyuan Peak.

In a tranquil manor, Wang Mengshan and Su Qingheng sat chatting in a stone pavilion. Wang Mengshan had handed over a key to Su Qingheng of the Cold Flame Sect, receiving some rewards in return. These rewards were far less than what his family had given him, but they earned him Su Qingheng's higher regard. Li Yu, Wang Mengshan's disciple, had advanced to the Void Refinement stage with Wang Mengshan's help. With the Wang family's assistance, the Qianyuan Sect now boasted four Void Refinement cultivators, a fact that greatly envied others.

"Fellow Daoist Wang, these are items my master wishes to collect. Please keep an eye out for them; there will be a substantial reward if you find any." Su Qingheng took out a blue jade slip and handed it to Wang Mengshan.

What was initially just an impulsive idea to use the Guangyuan Sect for his own purposes had turned out more significant than Su Qingheng expected; he hadn't imagined Wang Mengshan could find a key to the Profound Spirit Grotto-Heaven.

Wang Mengshan took the blue jade slip, his brow furrowed. These items were far too valuable for him to acquire with his current strength. While he could seek help from his family to find some, he wouldn't be able to explain it to Su Qingheng.

"I know the Guangyuan Sect has limited capabilities," Su Qingheng explained, "I'm merely asking you to keep an eye out. It's best if you can find them, but it's fine if you can't."

"Understood. I will certainly dispatch people to look out for them," Wang Mengshan replied, breathing a sigh of relief. He agreed, thinking that he would simply inform his subordinates, and whether they found anything was another matter entirely.

"Oh, and by the way, unless absolutely necessary, don't get into major conflicts with the Qianyuan Sect. The Wang family's prestige is currently too strong, so it's best to lie low for a while." Su Qingheng cautioned him, noting that the Qian family had been severely weakened by the Wang family. Unless there were significant interests at stake, Void Refinement cultivators would not fight to the death. The Wang family was in a period of ascent; there was no need to provoke them at this time, unless it involved rare cultivation resources.

Wang Mengshan was more than happy to comply and readily agreed. He had no desire to provoke the Qianyuan Sect; after all, it was now an affiliated force of the Wang family.

"Well, I have other matters to attend to, so I won't stay any longer. If anything urgent arises, you can find me or my wife at the Cold Flame Sect." Su Qingheng rose to take his leave.

"Wait, Fellow Daoist Su," Wang Mengshan called out, his face full of anticipation, "What about that matter I mentioned to you last time?"

He had previously asked Su Qingheng for help in acquiring one or two defensive-type Heaven-Reaching Spirit Treasures. Ordinary Heaven-Reaching Spirit Treasures were easier to come by, but defensive ones faced fierce competition. This request also fit the identity of a minor sect leader; previously, the Qianyuan Sect had dispatched experts to bid for defensive Heaven-Reaching Spirit Treasures.

Su Qingheng frowned and said, "I've been keeping an eye out for you. If you perform a great meritorious deed, there will naturally be no problem. You should send more people to participate in large-scale auctions; you might be able to find them there." He, Liu Chuanting, and his disciples all needed defensive-type Heaven-Reaching Spirit Treasures. Since Wang Mengshan had not performed any major meritorious deeds, it was naturally impossible to easily give him a defensive-type Heaven-Reaching Spirit Treasure.

Wang Mengshan's face showed disappointment, but he agreed.

After seeing Su Qingheng off, a hint of mockery appeared at the corner of Wang Mengshan's mouth. He was merely acting. He possessed even a sixth-tier puppet beast, and two defensive-type Heaven-Reaching Spirit Treasures were well within his means to acquire; he simply chose not to display them easily.

Entering a secret chamber, Wang Mengshan sat cross-legged on a yellow cushion and began cultivating.

The Five Flame Mountain Range, located in the southwestern part of the Profound Spirit Continent, stretched for hundreds of millions of li, dotted with over a hundred thousand volcanoes of varying sizes. Here was a large market town, Five Flame Valley, one of the market towns controlled by the Nine Flame Sect. It primarily sold metal ores, and many artifact refiners came here to purchase materials for their craft. In the southwestern part of the Five Flame Mountain Range lay a gigantic valley with routes extending in all directions. Outside the valley stood a green stone tablet over ten zhang tall, bearing the three golden characters "Five Flame Valley." The streets were bustling with people like a tide and carriages like flowing water, making it exceptionally lively.

In a secluded small courtyard with red tiles, there was a two-story red pavilion and a red stone pavilion. Wang Mengbin and Bai Yuqi sat in the stone pavilion, chatting idly. They had traveled across the mainland for many years, befriending numerous Void Refinement cultivators.