Chapter 619 600: Master Wang is Here

At this thought, Kun Yaoyang finally broke into a smile. He had found Wang Meng's greatest weakness after all!

Even if someone was helping Wang Meng, it was nothing to worry about. After all, *that* person was the true big shot. As long as he could win that person's favor, the Kun Family's position in Wang City would be unshakable, and they could even advance further.

Fortune favors the bold. Kun Yaoyang couldn't help but lick his lips. Besides, there was no turning back on this path for him. He had to see it through!

After returning to Wang City, Wang Meng stayed with the Bai Family.

The Bai Family had seen better days and was now in decline, but a lean camel is still bigger than a horse. They still owned quite a few residential estates and courtyard houses in Wang City.

Fatty had given Wang Meng the best of their courtyard houses directly. The yard was immaculate, and it was clear it had been cleaned in a hurry, showing many traces of magical cleaning. It was obvious the entire Bai Family had put a lot of effort into it.

Wang Meng soaked in the tub for a full ancient hour before getting out. The bathwater was filled with various herbs he had gathered from the Taiyuan Bone Land. In truth, Wang Meng's body had already undergone significant changes. With the rise in his Cultivation and his deliberate tempering, it wasn't obvious through his clothes, but his physique was starting to become defined and angular. Without a sufficiently powerful body, he wouldn't be able to handle his rapid advancement—a point Master Wang was paying close attention to.

Refreshed in body and mind, he stepped out, clean as a whistle, only to see the filthy Old Horse glaring at him with a heavy expression.

Wang Meng grinned. "I almost forgot about you."

Old Horse turned its head away, clearly displeased that Wang Meng still had a hidden stash. Old Horse might be incredible, but no matter how incredible it was, it couldn't use a Qiankun Bag!

Master Wang shrugged helplessly. "I've been scrimping and saving myself. Come on, Old Horse, life isn't easy for me either. Look, you've gotten fat lately, while I'm still so pale and wan. Do you have the heart?"

Old Horse's horsey face immediately turned pale. Frankly, it couldn't stand him. Why did such a bizarre human exist? He was completely... completely nonsensical. Sometimes he was like a hero, other times an old rogue. He was even better at being shameless than it was. So, Old Horse decisively trotted off. Its own accommodations weren't bad, after all.

Wang Meng chuckled. His top priority was to seal the five Five Elements True Essence Beasts. He had gone to great lengths to find five suitable Third-Transformation True Essence Beasts. Using Third Transformation beasts for the Profound Wheel Realm was a bit of a waste, but they were just strong enough to withstand Wang Meng's power. Those Spirit Beasts were ones Wang Meng had culled from his collection. The problem was, an ordinary Spirit Containing Ring really couldn't handle his usage. Once the five True Essence Beasts were sealed, he should be able to use his own Power of Life Wheel. To be honest, Wang Meng was starting to miss his own strength.

The next day, first thing in the morning, Wang Meng arrived at the Divine Artifact Pavilion.

Compared to sealing them, it was naturally more important to first forge a suitable Spirit Containing Artifact.

Pang Hong was in the Artifact Dao Room, forging a Spirit Containing Artifact. Sweat poured off him like rain, and his expression was one of intense focus. Three months ago, he had successfully been promoted to a noble Third Grade Refiner, taking a crucial step forward. His sole goal was to become an Artifact Refining Master within ten years.

As long as he became an Artifact Refining Master, he would officially enter the circle of nobles. Moreover, an Artifact Refining Master was like a protective talisman, a symbol of wealth and status no matter where one went.

In the first few days, Wang Meng had been a huge shock to him. He couldn't imagine that someone younger than him could actually be an Artifact Refining Master. But later, everyone found out that it was probably a misunderstanding, because this Wang Meng was supposedly the legendary Wang Rencai. If a guy like that could be an Artifact Refining Master, then rabbits could grow their teeth backward.

And to be honest, no one had ever actually seen Wang Meng in action from start to finish. As time passed, Pang Hong's desire for a showdown faded, and he confidently continued his own training.

Becoming a Third Grade Refiner was a major hurdle; once crossed, one could advance by leaps and bounds. And now, at the Divine Artifact Pavilion, Pang Hong was without a doubt a key figure. His name was already officially registered there.

Pang Hong desperately forged Spirit Containing Artifacts every day. But the more he forged, the more he discovered that the Tier Three Spirit Containing Artifact he had created in a flash of inspiration that day had become an insurmountable barrier for him. No matter how much effort he put in, how much he researched, the new Spirit Containing Artifacts he created—even other Tier Three ones—still couldn't surpass that single piece in terms of quality!

That wondrous feeling of having everything under his control was just too sublime. Pang Hong believed that as long as he could grasp that feeling again, he could create miracles. He refused to believe it was due to someone else's influence; it had to be his own ability. He just needed to find that feeling of a "serendipitous masterstroke" again.

While Pang Hong was busy with his training, Xie Xian was having a grand time. Since he handled most of the daily affairs, and with Pang Hong's backing, he had nothing to worry about in the Artifact Refining Pavilion. He was living a comfortable life. Xie Xian wasn't as ambitious as Pang Hong; he just wanted to master a trade and live comfortably, so he was quite content.

"Where's Pang Hong?" A voice interrupted Xie Xian's pleasant leisure.

Xie Xian turned his head. "Ah, Master... you're here. Master, Senior is still training. He's barely left his room for the past three months. He's been incredibly diligent."

Xie Xian laid on the flattery thick. Flattery pierces all defenses; there was no harm in piling it on.

Yang Qi nodded with satisfaction. It seemed Wang Meng's presence had indeed spurred Pang Hong on. Otherwise, with a young man's typical frivolity, he would have inevitably become arrogant for a while after overcoming the Third Grade hurdle. Now, Pang Hong had gained a new level of dedication. "Have him keep practicing. Notify me immediately if anything comes up."

'It's a shame Wang Meng left Wang City.' He didn't care about the rumors regarding Wang Meng in Haojing. He was a straightforward man and had no interest in the nobles' bullshit. He only trusted what he saw with his own eyes.

"Yes, Master." Xie Xian nodded, pleasantly surprised.

Just then, a disciple rushed over. Without even seeing the Chairman, he gasped out, stuttering loudly, "Brother Pang! Brother Pang... The... The Master is back!"

Reaching the door of the Artifact Dao Room, the disciple suddenly slapped a hand over his mouth. "Chair... Chairman... You're here too."

"So reckless! What's the meaning of running around the Divine Artifact Pavilion like this? Is the sky falling?!" Yang Qi hadn't clearly heard the disciple's stuttering and snapped angrily. He hated it when people ran around the Divine Artifact Pavilion in a panic!

The disciple lowered his head and kept quiet, putting on an expression of deep remorse. This was a time-tested strategy: when being scolded by the Chairman, the best thing to do was to meekly accept the lesson. Otherwise, he would definitely keep berating you until you submitted.

But since Master Yang had started, he wasn't one to stop halfway. He cleared his throat and launched into a grand, flowing critique. Not a single word was wasted; most of it was commentary on the disciple's recent performance, naturally focusing on criticism, but he also provided solutions and methods for improvement.

What does it mean to be a master of lecturing? It's not about scolding someone until they cover their ears and run away screaming—that's just cursing them out! Lecturing is when you scold someone in such a way that they listen with relish and have to thank you profusely afterward. *That's* what makes a master.

After he finished, seeing the disciple nodding repeatedly with a lively sparkle in his eyes, Yang Qi was satisfied. Then he suddenly asked, "Right, what were you yelling about just now? You could barely get the words out."

"Oh, Master Wang Meng is here." The disciple finally remembered what he wanted to tell his Senior. "He's up front selecting materials..."

Before the disciple could finish his sentence... he found that Master Yang Qi's figure had vanished!

(Reached 600 chapters. To all my dear readers, to commemorate this special day, please cast your monthly votes! By the way, I went to a buffet today and got all sorts of envious looks from the ladies and aunties around me for happily eating a huge plate of whipped cream by myself, haha.) (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)