The Heavens: Man Covers the Heavens, Refines Treasures to Become an Emperor

"Come on! Sparring with you? I want to live a few more years. I've heard all about what you did in the Bloodthirsty Camp in Qingyang Town. You were a living beast. I'm a businessman now, fighting and killing aren't for me."

The two exchanged a few jokes, which lightened the atmosphere considerably.

Jiang Xuan put down his teacup, his expression turned serious, and he explained his purpose.

"Shi San, I've come here to ask you for a favor. I have a batch of supplies that I'd like to sell through Shi Ding Zhai in exchange for gold coins."

Upon hearing this, Shi Yu raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? What kind of supplies? How much?"

Jiang Xuan did not answer directly, but instead took off the small Sumeru ring on his finger and moved his divine sense.

The next moment, a flash of light appeared, and items poured out of the ring like flowing water!

First, there are all sorts of magical weapons! Knives, swords, spears, halberds, axes, whips... there are many kinds, ranging from human-grade to earth-grade, although most of them are somewhat worn.

But the quantity was so astonishing that it quickly piled up into a small mountain!
Following that were hundreds of sets of uniformly styled black outfits, soft armor, leather boots, and other equipment, with faint traces of the Chi family's unique markings still visible on them.

Finally, there were a full seven hundred standard military crossbows, gleaming with a cold, eerie light! And a large quantity of matching bolts!
In a short time, the originally spacious palace grounds were filled with mountains of spoils!

The cold glint of the magical artifacts, the menacing aura of the equipment, and the icy chill of the crossbow bolts intertwined to create a powerful visual impact!

Shi Yu's smile froze instantly, and the teacup in his hand fell to the table with a "clatter," the tea splashing onto his clothes without him even noticing.

He suddenly stood up, walked to the pile of supplies, picked up a short crossbow, and examined the markings on a piece of soft armor. His expression became extremely solemn and shocked!
"These...these are...the standard equipment and magical artifacts of the Chi family!"

Shi Yu gasped, turned sharply to look at Jiang Xuan, and his voice changed.

"Jiang Xuan! Where...where did you get so many things from the Chi family? Do you know what this means? You're utterly offending the Chi family!"

Jiang Xuan remained calm, downed the remaining "Flowing Light and Dancing Gold" in his cup, and said indifferently.

“I know. These are all things I seized from the Chi family cultivators who came to kill me. Since I left Yanxia City, the Chi family has sent no less than ten groups of people to intercept and kill me along the way, from the Human Gang Realm to the Heaven Gang Realm, from ambushes on the ground to the Ziying Warship... Unfortunately, none of them could stop me.”

He paused, looked at Shi Yu, his gaze deep.

"As for my identity... my real name is Jiang Xuan, and my parents are Jiang Wenjing and Luo Qingxun."

Upon hearing this, Shi Yu's pupils suddenly contracted, and the shock on his face deepened!
He clearly knew Jiang Xuan's parents' names, and the meaning behind them!
He remained silent for a moment, then sighed deeply, sat down again, and said with a wry smile.

“I see… No wonder… No wonder you dared to do it, and had to do it… I understand.”

He rubbed his temples and gave instructions to Lu Chuan, who was standing at a distance.

"Go, summon the four appraisers from the warehouse immediately."

Before long, four elderly men dressed in robes of different colors, exuding a solemn aura, strode into the hall.

When they saw the mountain of supplies piled on the ground, clearly bearing the Chi family's mark, their faces showed astonishment.

But they quickly regained their professional attitude and began to carefully count and authenticate the items.

About half an hour later, the four appraisers finished their discussion in hushed tones. One of them, an old man in a gray robe who was the leader, stepped forward and bowed to Shi Yu.

"Third Young Master, the inventory and assessment have been completed."

This batch of supplies is of various types.

However, the quantity is large and the quality is excellent. If estimated based on normal market purchase prices, the total value is approximately 74,200 gold coins.

Shi Yu nodded; the price was fair.

The old man in the gray robe changed the subject, his face showing difficulty.

"However... Third Young Master, as you have seen, this batch of goods... has a special origin; they are all standard items from the Chi family. If our Shidingzhai were to acquire them on a large scale and allow them to enter the market, it would inevitably cause strong dissatisfaction from the Chi family, and might even trigger a commercial conflict."

Therefore… according to the rules, these kinds of sensitive supplies need to be sold at a discount and through special channels, which will significantly increase costs. After calculation… we can only offer a maximum of 60,000 gold coins.”

Shi Yu frowned; he knew the old man was telling the truth. Although Shi Dingzhai was powerful...

However, they also did not want to easily clash head-on with a top-tier aristocratic family like the Chi family.

He looked at Jiang Xuan and said helplessly.

"Jiang Xuan, look at this..."

Jiang Xuan's expression remained unchanged.

Seeing this, the old man in the gray robe added.

"However, since you are a friend of the Third Young Master, we are willing to compromise further and offer a final price of 64,000 gold coins."

This is already the highest price offered, out of consideration for the Third Young Master.

Shi Yu sighed and said to Jiang Xuan.

"Sixty-four thousand...that's a bit less than expected."

But it's still a huge sum of money. You see…”

Just as Shi Yu was about to agree on Jiang Xuan's behalf, Jiang Xuan suddenly raised his hand to stop him.

"and many more."

Jiang Xuan's voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly.

Seeing Jiang Xuan suddenly speak up to stop him, the gray-robed elder Qiu, who was in the lead, and the other three appraisers all showed obvious displeasure on their faces.

In their view, the price of 64,000 gold coins was already the limit they could offer out of consideration for the Third Young Master Shi Yu.

This young man is still not satisfied?
They are absolutely insatiable!

Old Qiu's face darkened, and his tone turned cold.

"Young master, I have already made myself very clear. Sixty-four thousand gold coins is the highest price that Shidingzhai can offer!"

We both know perfectly well where this shipment came from; it's extremely risky! If it weren't for the Third Young Master's influence, we wouldn't have taken it on at all! If you feel it's unsuitable, you can always find someone else!

Another appraiser in red robes couldn't help but snort.

"Young man, you have too big an appetite. Be careful not to overeat."

Upon seeing this, Shi Yu frowned. He knew the status and temperament of these appraisal masters at Shi Ding Zhai, and he understood that what they said was indeed true.

He was worried that Jiang Xuan was young and impetuous and might clash with the masters, which would make things difficult to handle.

He quickly got up, walked to Jiang Xuan's side, gently tugged at him, and whispered.

"Jiang Xuan, may I speak to you in private?"

Without further ado, he pulled Jiang Xuan into a secluded rest room next to the palace.

After closing the door, Shi Yu, with a helpless yet solemn expression, spoke to Jiang Xuan.

"Jiang Xuan, I know you might think the price is too low."

But you must understand, Shi Ding Zhai isn't run by me alone; it has its own rules and considerations. The Chi family is powerful, and while our Shi family isn't afraid, there's no need to needlessly sever ties with them over this shipment. This 64,000 gold coins is indeed the limit I can negotiate. If you insist any further, the masters might turn against us, and the deal would fall through, damaging our relationship instead.”

He looked at Jiang Xuan and spoke earnestly.

“I know you urgently need the money right now. But some things can’t be rushed. Take this money first; it should be enough for your initial needs.”

Looking into Shi Yu's sincere yet slightly worried eyes, Jiang Xuan understood that he was genuinely thinking of him.

But he shook his head, his tone calm yet unusually resolute.

"Shi San, I appreciate your kindness. But it's not that I think the money is too little, nor do I want to put you in a difficult position."

He paused, his gaze sharp.

"I'm just asking for fairness. I risked my life to get this batch of goods. Their value should be calculated according to market rules. As for the pressure from the Chi family..."

That's a problem for Shidingzhai to consider; it shouldn't be passed on to me in terms of pricing. If Shidingzhai isn't even willing to take this small risk, then this deal is off.

Upon hearing this, Shi Yu was taken aback. He hadn't expected Jiang Xuan to be so principled.

He smiled bitterly.

"But…"

Jiang Xuan interrupted him, a meaningful smile curving his lips.

"Moreover, Shi San, what I just showed you was really only the most ordinary part. I have... something even better, and I need to ask a few masters to take a look."

"Something better?"

"Yes."

Jiang Xuan nodded.

"So, let's go back. We'll trade the first batch at the market price of 74,200 gold coins. Then we can discuss the rest."

Seeing Jiang Xuan's resolute attitude, Shi Yu sighed, knowing that further persuasion would be useless, and could only nod.

"Alright, since you insist... let's go back and talk about it. But be careful what you say to those masters."

The two returned to the main hall.

The appraisers' expressions remained grim upon their return. Elder Qiu, in particular, bowed respectfully and spoke with a distant tone.

"Third Young Master, if this gentleman still has objections to the price, we have other important matters to attend to, so we will take our leave now."

Clearly, they have lost patience.

Jiang Xuan seemed not to hear the implied dismissal in his words. He walked straight to the center of the hall, calmly scanned the crowd, and spoke.

"The first batch of supplies will be traded at the market price assessed by the masters, at 74,200 gold coins."

Upon hearing this, the appraisers were all stunned, and even Shi Yu was somewhat surprised.

Just now you insisted on paying the market price, why did you suddenly agree?

Moreover, the agreed-upon price was the market price they had previously quoted, but which was discounted due to risk.

Old Qiu frowned, feeling that Jiang Xuan was playing them for a fool, and his tone became even colder.

"Young master, are you perhaps toying with me? Just now..."

Before he could finish speaking, Jiang Xuan flipped his hand, and something appeared in his palm.

It was a metal block about the size of a fist, with a deep dark gold color and a surface covered with naturally formed, mysterious patterns that resembled a winding, intricate path.

As soon as this item appeared, the spiritual energy in the entire hall seemed to stagnate slightly, and a thick, scorching yet strangely spiritual aura spread out!
"This is…?!"

Old Qiu, who was about to leave, suddenly stopped in his tracks!

The other three appraisers, including the white-robed elder who hadn't said much, were instantly drawn to it!

Their eyes were fixed on the metal block in Jiang Xuan's hand, their faces showing disbelief, shock, and fanaticism!
"Nine-curved patterns... a dark golden luster... containing the aura of supreme yang spiritual fire... could this... could this be the legendary 'Nine-Curved Heart Iron'?!"

The red-robed appraiser gasped in shock, his voice trembling!

"That's right! It's this one! Ancient records state that the Nine-Bend Heart Iron is a rare treasure of heaven and earth, born from the intersection of the earth's core lava and the power of stars, containing the innate fire spirit! It is an excellent material for forging top-tier spirit fire furnaces and refining high-grade pills and divine weapons! It has been extinct for thousands of years!"

Another appraiser in a blue robe added excitedly.

The three appraisers almost involuntarily gathered around.

His eyes burned with desire, as if he couldn't wait to take that piece of metal in his hand and examine it closely!
Old Qiu, who had claimed to have important business and had already turned away, was now experiencing a great deal of turmoil in his heart!

As the most experienced appraiser, he understood the value of the "Nine-Bend Loyal Heart Iron" better than anyone else!
This thing is absolutely priceless!

Its rarity even surpasses that of many Heavenly Rank spiritual artifacts!

His feet seemed rooted to the ground, his heart filled with conflicting emotions.

On the one hand, he couldn't bring himself to turn away immediately; on the other hand, his instinct as a top appraiser made him extremely eager to personally appraise this legendary treasure!
Out of the corner of his eye, he couldn't help but glance again and again at the piece of metal in Jiang Xuan's hand that emitted an alluring light.

Shi Yu was completely stunned!

Although he is not a professional appraiser.

But as a core member of the Shi family, he was well-informed and had naturally heard of the famous "Nine-Bend Loyal Heart Iron"!

He knew that this thing was a treasure coveted by countless alchemy masters and weapon crafting masters!

Its value cannot be measured in ordinary gold coins!

More importantly, as far as he knew, this divine iron only existed in the deep, dangerous Annihilation Sea at the easternmost edge of the empire!
Jiang Xuan… how could he possibly have obtained something like this?!
His gaze toward Jiang Xuan was filled with shock and incredulous confusion.

Jiang Xuan stood there calmly, holding the Nine-Bend Heart Iron.

A single treasure instantly transformed the arrogant appraisal masters from their previous disdain and impatience into their current shock and fervor!
When Jiang Xuan took out the spiritual flower with thirty-six crystal-clear petals, veins as clear as glass, and a cool yet fragrant aroma.

The entire hall fell into a deathly silence once again!
If "Nine-Bend Loyal Heart Iron" is a legendary material in the world of weapon crafting and alchemy...

Then this spiritual flower in front of us is a sacred object that all cultivators who are trying to break through to the Wheel of Refinement Realm and condense their natal spirit dream of!

"This...this is...the Thirty-Six-Leaf Pure Void Spirit Flower?!"

The white-robed appraiser, who had been relatively silent until now, trembled and his eyes shone with an unprecedented light.

"The legendary 'Lord of Spiritual Medicines' that can cleanse the soul, solidify the foundation of one's cultivation, and greatly increase the success rate of condensing one's natal spirit! Heavens! In my lifetime, I have actually witnessed it with my own eyes!"

“It really has thirty-six leaves! Ancient records state that the Pure Void Spirit Flower grows one leaf every three hundred years, so thirty-six leaves... This spirit flower is over ten thousand years old!”

The red-robed appraiser was so excited that his beard was trembling.

Even Qiu Lao, who had been trying to remain calm and standing to the side, could no longer maintain his composure!
He whirled around, rushed forward, his cloudy old eyes fixed on the spirit flower, his breathing rapid, his face filled with shock and fascination! (End of Chapter)