Martial Peak
chapter-1103

Editor and Proofreader: Leo of Zion Mountain

Yang Yan’s expression didn’t contain any traces of deception, but as he knew nothing about her, Yang Kai was naturally not going to take her at her word.

“Since you’re an Origin Grade Artifact Refiner, why are you so poor and miserable?”

“Because no one believes me,” Yang Yan muttered in distress, “No one has dared ask me to refine high-grade artefacts. Those who came to me for refining all just wanted junk, so the payment I could receive was also quite poor.”

“Back in the lobby of Artifact Refining Pavilion, I heard someone say that you made a Saint King Grade High-Rank artefact drop in quality to a Saint King Grade Mid-Rank one, is that true?” Yang Kai gave her a weird yet inquisitive look.

“That’s right,” To Yang Kai’s surprise though, Yang Yan actually nodded and admitted it was true, continuing on in an unabashed manner, “The cultivation of that guy was only Third Order Saint Realm. With that kind of strength, he can’t fully control a Saint King Grade High-Rank artefact, Saint King Grade Mid-Rank is his bottom line. By lowering the grade of that artefact, I increased the amount of power he can display in battle. When his cultivation improves, he can just come to ask me to enhance the artefact again.”

“I also heard that you have refined a large machete for someone who asked for a sword…”

“What does he know? His cultivation technique, Martial Skills, and even Saint Qi attribute are all designed for broad weapons. A long sword is too elegant of a weapon, he wouldn’t be able to exert his full strength using one, a big machete is his best option. After he uses it for a while, he’ll understand my good intentions and thank me for being so considerate.”

Yang Kai sighed, not knowing whether he should believe what this woman was saying. If everything she said was true, she might really be an Origin Grade Artifact Refiner, something incredibly rare considering her age.

From her appearance, it seemed like this Yang Yan was even younger than Yang Kai himself, so it was only natural no one believed she was an Origin Grade Artifact Refiner.

Whether she was lying or not, and Yang Kai couldn’t discern.

“Yang Yan, you can’t act that way. As an Artifact Refiners, your highest priority should be to meet the requirements of your customers, not refine artefacts according to your personal ideas. You aren’t them, how do you know what is best for someone else? You making an arbitrary decision like that will just end up causing problems.”

Yang Yan seemed even more aggrieved when she heard this though and muttered, “But I can’t stand seeing those people waste so many good materials like that.”

Yang Kai shook his head and said no more.

After a short while, the pair arrived at Dragon Cave Mountain and landed in front of the mountain cave. Yang Kai was surprised to find that Yu Feng and a group of familiar faces were actually moving around, seemingly carrying some things into the cave.

Noticing Yang Kai’s arrival, Yu Feng ran over with a big grin on his face and patted Yang Kai’s shoulder affectionately, “I heard Young Lady say you decided to stay, is that true?”

“En.”

“En, very good, in any case, you don’t have any family or acquaintances on Shadowed Star, remaining here and helping out the Young Lady is simply the good luck your ancestors passed down to you. En, Young Lady asked us brothers to help you arrange this cave,” Yu Feng pointed at the cultivators who were walking in and out of the cave, all of whom Yang Kai had seen aboard the Starship.

Taking out a Space Ring, Yu Feng handed it to Yang Kai, “This is the ring you were originally wearing, my brothers and I have put a little welcome gift inside it for you, everyone made some contributions. In the future, we’ll all be one family, so don’t refuse.”

Yang Kai took it and swept the contest with his Divine Sense, discovering a few hundred Low-Rank Saint Crystals and several bottles of commonly used healing pills. There wasn’t much inside this Space Ring, nothing compared to how much it originally contained, but Yang Kai still accepted it seriously and nodded in thanks.

It was only then that Yu Feng seemed to realize the existence of Yang Yan, exclaiming in surprise as he stared straight at her for a moment before grinning ambiguously, “Brother, you’re quite fierce, after such a short time here you’ve actually managed to bring back a woman from the outside? Where did you find her? She’s superb, quickly tell brother so I can look for one myself.”

Yang Yan’s face went cold as she stared gloomily towards Yu Feng.

Yu Feng immediately let out a dissolute laugh.

Yang Kai then explained, “This is Grandmaster Yang Yan.”

“Grandmaster?” Yu Feng’s face froze stiff, “What kind of Grandmaster?”

“I invited her here from Artifact Refining Pavilion, she is proficient in Artifact Refining and is going to help me arrange a Spirit Array.”

“An Artifact Refiner?” Yu Feng immediately put away his frivolous smile and respectfully cupped his fists while bowing deeply to Yang Yan, “This Yu had acted disrespectfully to Grandmaster and humbly asks for forgiveness!”

Although Yu Feng looked like a delinquent and oftentimes seemed unreliable, even he understood how distinguished an Artifact Refiner was, so despite Yang Yan appearing quite young, he didn’t dare treat her casually, because no one could guarantee that this woman wouldn’t one day become an outstanding Artefact Refiners he would need to request help from in the future.

Yang Yan’s complexion was still somewhat bad but she still gently nodded.

Yu Feng quickly added, “Since this Young Lady is an Artefact Refiner, can you help me refine an artefact?”

“Sure.” Yang Yan’s eyes immediately brightened and she quickly agreed, “What type and grade of artefact?”

“You two talk… I’m going to inspect things!” Yang Kai couldn’t bear to look at Yu Feng’s sloppy expression and quickly found an excuse to leave.

Many cultivators moved in and out of the cave, appearing quite busy. After spending a few months aboard that Starship, Yang Kai became acquainted with and made friends with this group. Some people he was familiar with while others he wasn’t, but under Wu Yi’s command, these people had come here to help Yang Kai set up his cave residence. There was no trace of dissatisfaction on anyone’s face; on the contrary, they all seemed quite enthusiastic.

Many people called out to and said hello to Yang Kai, with Yang Kai thanking them in response.

After a brief walk around the cave, Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling a bit warm.

The cave had been completely transformed. In the stone room, Yang Kai had chosen as his bedroom, a large bed, chairs, benches, and lighting had been put up, giving it a cosy feel. The other places nearby had also been cleaned up and expanded, making the cave more spacious and habitable.

It was clear that these men had worked quite diligently, many of them coming up to Yang Kai, patting him on his shoulder with a smile, and telling him that if he ever felt aggrieved or was bullied in the future, he could come to the Hai Ke Family’s manor to find them and they would help get justice for him.

Yang Kai smiled and accepted their good intentions.

Very satisfied with the renovations inside the cave, Yang Kai came back out.

Yu Feng stood nearby with a somewhat pensive look on his face, but Yang Yan had disappeared.

“Where is that woman?” Yang Kai came up and asked.

“Oh, she said she was going to survey the nearby terrain and that she’d be back in a little while,” Yu Feng responded casually, his expression suddenly becoming bitter as he asked, “Yang Kai, I asked her to help refine me a Spirit Grade artefact, and I even provided all the necessary materials, so why did she still charge me fifty Low-Rank Saint Crystals? Isn’t that price a bit too high?”

“A penny invested is a penny well spent!” Yang Kai patted him on the shoulder and said gravely, “Just accept it, you took the initiative to ask her yourself so it’s too late for regret.”

Yu Feng still felt annoyed, “If I knew earlier I would have gone to Artefact Refining Pavilion in Heavenly Fate City to find someone to refine it, then the cost would have only been half as much. It’s a big loss. That girl seemed poverty-stricken so I felt some pity for her and tried to give her some business but this is how things turned out… I just hope she doesn’t ruin my materials.”

“Ruining the materials isn’t likely, but getting an artefact you want might be a bit tricky…Right, why do you want a Spirit Grade artefact?” Yang Kai asked in confusion. Yu Feng was a First Order Saint King, a Spirit Grade artefact wouldn’t be able to increase his strength in the slightest. Something of that grade would only be used by True Element or Immortal Ascension Boundary cultivators.

“It’s a gift for a Junior,” Yu Feng grinned.

After some time, Yang Yan returned.

Without a word, she took out the pen and paper from her Space Ring and then began sketching something, from time to time her brow furrowing as she became lost in thought. Yang Kai and Yu Feng stood to the side and didn’t disturb her.

After the time it would take to boil a cup of tea, Yang Yan looked at the sketches in her hand and nodded with satisfaction before handing them over to Yang Kai and saying, “Modify the nearby terrain according to these diagrams. You seem to have a lot of people here so it should only take you a day or so.”

Yang Kai took the diagram and examined it together with Yu Feng.

Yu Feng wasn’t able to glean anything from this sketch but Yang Kai was actually thoroughly shocked, immediately realizing that Yang Yan possessed impressive skills. Regardless of her true ability in Artifact Refining, she was definitely a Grandmaster in terms of arranging Spirit Arrays.

If the terrain was modified according to this diagram, it would be far simpler to arrange the Spirit Array Yang Kai wanted and the benefits it would provide after being completed would be significantly stronger.

“Understood,” Yang Kai put the diagram away and turned to Yu Feng, “I’ll have to trouble all of you for a bit.”

Yu Feng said with a grin, “No need to act polite, Young Lady has already ordered us to help you in any way necessary, naturally, we’ll put our best into it. Just wait a moment, I’ll gather up some people.”

After Yu Feng left, Yang Yan said, “Did you understand the markings I made?”

Seeing Yang Kai nod, she nodded back and said, “Then you supervise their work, I’ll go refine the other components of the array. Right, give me the necessary materials.”

Yang Kai took out all the materials he had previously purchased and gave them to Yang Yan.

Yu Feng soon led a group of people out of the cave, and after Yang Kai gave them a brief explanation, all of them readily agreed to help.

Dragon Cave Mountain immediately became lively, with several dozen cultivators moving about in groups of three to five, digging up valleys, levelling off hills, or felling extra trees, transforming the surrounding terrain in exact accordance with the drawings of Yang Yan.

No one here was an ordinary mortal so the task of remodelling the terrain was naturally quite easy for them and was completed in less than a day.

When the crowd returned to the cave, Yang Yan had just finished her work as well and ran out carrying several oddly shaped objects, causing some confusion amongst the onlookers.

Ignoring everyone else, she simply nodded to Yang Kai before flying off. Everybody only saw her petite figure shuttle through the mountains, landing in here and there from time to time, appearing quite busy.

Yu Feng scratched his head and asked with a puzzled look, “Yang Kai, what kind of Spirit Array are you arranging that requires so much effort?”

“You’ll understand soon enough,” Yang Kai didn’t say anything and simply waited with a smile.

He was now completely confident in the Spirit Array that Yang Yan was arranging.

Yang Yan soon arrived at the last hill and after a brief bit of work, flew up into the sky and stood mid-air, waving towards the crowd with her small hand.

“Finished!” Yang Kai muttered lightly before waving back to Yang Yan, the latter quickly flying back over.