"Young man, don't be so hot-tempered." Qin Shangwu mediated, pulling Ji Bozhai aside. "Artifact Smiths all have eccentric temperaments. Best not to provoke him further."
"But he doesn't seem like an Artifact Smith," Ji Bozhai argued. "A Divine Tool like 'The Moment I Arrived' would require at least a Fighter with purple-level Essence Power to craft. His Meridians are ordinary—not even close to green, let alone purple."
Qin Shangwu pondered this before responding with a wry smile: "Yet he did present us with a top-tier Divine Tool. We can only give him a chance."
If by some miracle they'd encountered a genius, all their troubles would be solved.
Ji Bozhai lowered his gaze and acquiesced. "I'll go train at the arena."
"Go ahead." After seeing him off, Qin Shangwu hurried back to Sun Liao's side, attempting to engage him with questions about Artifact Crafting.
However, Sun Liao proved thoroughly impatient, refusing to answer anything. After giving the Academicians' Court a cursory glance, he flicked his sleeves dismissively. "Just wait for me."
Qin Shangwu nodded respectfully as Sun Liao departed, but once the man was out of sight, he signaled for two men to follow him.
Sun Liao swaggered away from the Academicians' Court, feeling immensely pleased with himself. Noticing the two shadows trailing him, he scoffed and made a show of returning to the Sun residence, even ordering servants to purchase soft iron.
The two watchers settled outside the Sun estate, but Sun Liao remained unperturbed. Slipping out through the back gate, he headed straight for Mingyi's courtyard.
Inside, Mingyi was teaching Xiuyun how to create molds for the simplest Divine Tool components when an obsequious voice called from outside: "Is Master Ming available?"
Recognizing Sun Liao's voice, Mingyi's eyes lit up. "Our money delivery has arrived."
Xiuyun brightened too—this Young Master Sun was famously foolish and wealthy. Last time they'd crafted "The Moment I Arrived" for him, the materials had only cost thirty thousand Shell Coins, yet they'd quoted him two hundred fifty thousand, expecting him to haggle down to a fraction. To their surprise, he'd paid in full without bargaining, even thanking them profusely and promising to return.
Such deep-pocketed clients were rare. Both quickly tied up their masculine hairstyles and opened the door to welcome him.
Sun Liao stood with uncharacteristic humility, head slightly bowed. "Master Ming, that Divine Tool you crafted was exceptional. I'd like to commission several more."
Mingyi raised an eyebrow. "That one was already attack-defense balanced—shouldn't that suffice for your needs?"
Anything more advanced would exceed his Essence Power capacity anyway.
"More is always better, and money's no object." Sun Liao produced a thick stack of Shell Coin Notes.
Who could resist such a customer? Struggling to contain her glee, Mingyi adopted a solemn expression before reluctantly asking, "What are your requirements this time?"
"I need a Divine Tool suited for someone with fierce Essence Power—also attack-defense balanced with exquisite craftsmanship. Ideally something only a purple-level Fighter could wield."
This sounded like a gift. Mingyi didn't pry further. "Purple-tier Divine Tools are premium-grade masterworks. The price would far exceed 'The Moment I Arrived.'"
"Naturally, naturally." Sun Liao tapped the stack of notes. "For this masterpiece, I'll pay one million."
An audible gulp escaped Xiuyun's throat.
"But I have one condition." Sun Liao glanced at the ordinary Divine Tools being crafted in their yard. "Stop setting up street stalls. Work exclusively for me."
"That seems unreasonable," Mingyi said sternly. "Everyone deserves access to Divine Tools."
"I'll pay double the market rate."
"Deal."Mingyi took the shell notes from his hand and calmly saw him out: "The newly ordered Divine Tool will be ready early the day after tomorrow."
"Much obliged, much obliged." Sun Liao left satisfied, pausing outside to glance back at the small courtyard with a meaningful smile.
As soon as the door closed, Mingyi and Xiuyun simultaneously jumped up, spinning excitedly in circles: "Money comes so easily! We're not far from buying our beast-drawn carriage now!"
"How is the Sun family so wealthy? I underestimated them before," Xiuyun marveled, her eyes gleaming as she counted the shell notes.
The casual remark caught Mingyi's attention. She raised an eyebrow: "Were the Suns stingy before?"
"Not exactly stingy, but certainly not this extravagant with millions. Though they're merchants, they have several good-for-nothing heirs who squander money. Their finances weren't this comfortable before."
Then why would they spend such a fortune on a Divine Tool? Mingyi couldn't figure it out.
Ordinary Divine Tools were for self-defense, while higher-grade ones were undoubtedly for combat. But since he couldn't enter the Academicians' Court, where would he even fight?
After brief contemplation, seeing Xiuyun happily counting the jingling shell notes, Mingyi shook her head. The payer was king—why concern herself with his motives?
The type of Divine Tool Sun Liao requested was something She Tianlin used to craft frequently. Purple Essence Power Fighters were exceedingly common in Sunspire City, so the process was familiar, though the materials were more expensive and drained more of her Essence Power.
The former wasn't an issue—they had money. As for the latter, Mingyi intensified her training.
Though she could never regain her former strength, gradually repairing her Meridians would not only strengthen her Essence Power but also lessen her pain. There was no reason not to.
Two days later, Sun Liao strutted arrogantly into the Academicians' Court.
The long-coveted Azure Mist Robe lay before him. He stared at it in a daze before reaching out with trembling hands, his eyes brimming with excitement.
The exquisite texture represented supreme glory—he could finally wear this robe.
Nearby, Qin Shangwu was equally thrilled. The newly forged "Thundering Force" was a top-tier Divine Tool previously only seen in Sunspire City, but this version had been enhanced, surpassing its original power and usability.
With talent like this, how could they fear the Artifact Smiths of Sunspire City?
Fan Yao tested the Divine Tool, channeling a wisp of purple Essence Power into it. From the other end, a tripled-force wind blade shot forth.
"With this, what does Zuo Ping even matter?" he exclaimed excitedly, turning to Ji Bozhai beside him. "If Lord Ji had a Divine Tool, wouldn't he be invincible?"
"I don't need Divine Tools. Even without them, few in the Azure Cloud Realm are my match," he replied coolly.
The boast was arrogant, yet true. Qin Shangwu couldn't help but burst into confident, raucous laughter.
Sun Liao, listening nearby, grew impatient. "So young, yet such a big mouth."
The inexplicable hostility puzzled Ji Bozhai. He studied Sun Liao briefly but couldn't recall ever meeting him, leaving the source of this animosity unclear.
With the Artifact Smith secured, their training could officially begin. However, Qin Shangwu turned to Sun Liao: "Your next task is to forge Divine Tools for each of them."
Sun Liao's smile stiffened. He lowered his eyes. "Forging Divine Tools consumes Essence Power. I can't do it so frequently. I'll need time to recover."With his meager Essence Power, he relied solely on talent to forge Divine Tools. Qin Shangwu naturally couldn't press him too hard, merely saying, "Hurry up."
"Got it." Waving his hand somewhat irritably, his fingers nearly hitting Qin Shangwu's nose, he paid no attention and simply brushed his sleeve as he left the training ground.
Luo Jiaoyang frowned at his retreating figure and muttered, "I don't really like him."