Soaring the Heavens

Chapter 146: Refining Artifacts (3)

Translator: Kelaude Editor: - -

Yao Ruoxian was instantly stupefied.

Whereas Miao Yi was looking at him excitedly.

The two of them stared at each other silently for awhile. Yao Ruoxian felt as though he was being strung along, so he asked with a grim expression, “You have so many Blaze Resins, and you still say you want to buy them from me at a high price? Are you messing with me?”

He had ample reason to believe that Miao Yi was trying to pull the wool over his eyes, because the item in question was being taken out of the storage ring on Miao Yi’s own hand. He had seen Miao Yi wearing those storage rings from the moment he had met him, and they were not hidden on his body like the storage rings belonging to the seventy-two Fort Masters.

“No, no, I wouldn’t dare.” Miao Yi replied joyfully, “Senior Yao, so these really are Gold Blaze Resins and Blue Blaze Resins then?”

Yao Ruoxian scoffed and said coldly, “Where did you get so many Blaze Resins? The seventy-two Fort Masters?”

Miao Yi was ecstatic beyond belief. Back when he had killed Madame Wu Hua and examined the items inside her storage ring, he only saw a large crate full of colorful rocks and jewelleries being kept together. He had even thought that they were just some kind of gemstones. Never did he expect that they were actually the Blaze Resins that were used for refining artifacts. He had even almost thrown them away.

“No, it was a gift from a friend of mine. I think even he didn’t know they were Blaze Resins.”

“To have so many with just a simple grab, your friend must have given you quite a lot, right?”

“Not really, this is all there is.”

“Is that so? Let me check for a bit.”

Miao Yi wanted to dodge at first, but in the end Yao Ruoxian grabbed hold of his wrist, then forcefully invoked his arts and invaded the storage rings that Miao Yi had just examined.

‘Crash!’ A large crate flew out and landed on the ground.

Looking at the crate full of brilliantly shining Gold, Blue, and Red Blaze Resins under the sunlight, Yao Ruoxian instantly scowled. Shoving Miao Yi away, he grabbed piece after piece of the Blaze Resins and examined them, as if he found it a little difficult to part with them.

There was such a large quantity of Blaze Resins that it was easily a figure in the tens of thousands. What was worse is that they weren’t just Red Blaze Resins, but also a large pile of Gold Blaze Resins, and Blue Blaze Resins as well. With no regard for grade, they had all been stuffed inside a single crate, as though they weren’t thought of as anything precious at all.

Yao Ruoxian’s eyes brightened. To someone who refined artifacts, Blaze Resins were definitely one of his favorite items, because it was a necessity when it came to refining artifacts.

He could confirm that they didn’t belong to the seventy-two Fort Masters. How could the seventy-two Fort Masters possess so many Blaze Resins? If the seventy-two Fort Masters could amass such a fortune, there was no reason that Yuan Kaishan couldn’t.

“Don’t tell me your friend actually had a Blaze Resin mine or something?” Yao Ruoxian swiftly turning his head around to say in indignation. It was the grief of falling short when you compared yourself with another person.

For a White Lotus Third Grade cultivator to actually be able to pull out such a large crate of Blaze Resins so casually, how would he - a rare talent that had refined artifacts for countless years - be able to bear being deprived of this?

If he ever discovered that Miao Yi had nearly thrown this box of Blaze Resins away back then, he would have definitely jumped in anger and called him a wastrel.

Miao Yi shook his head, to show that he didn’t know.

How would he know if Madame Wu Hua had a mine or not? Not to mention, he wasn’t Madame Wu Hua’s friend. He had just used that to trick Yao Ruoxian.

After all, he wasn’t clear of Yao Ruoxian’s background. As far as he was concerned, the matter of him having murdered someone and stolen their belongings was best kept a secret. It wasn’t good to have too many people know about it. It was not something to brag about anyway, so why give others the opportunity to hold something over his head?

What he was most concerned about now, was that this sloppy old man would try and take this crate of Blaze Resins away from him.

“The ore veins of Blaze Resins are situated deep in the ocean, and are strictly controlled by those Demonic Behemoths. It’s the largest source of revenue that they took from the Six Sages after joining forces against them. In order to maintain the market value of the Blaze Resins, they wouldn’t release a large amount into the market easily, so that the Blaze Resins weren’t sold too cheaply. It was precisely through this method of heavily controlling the market for Blaze Resins, that the Demonic Behemoths had obtained their own cultivating resources….” Yao Ruoxian mumbled continuously as he fiddled with the Blaze Resins in the crate, unwilling to let go.

On the other hand, Miao Yi was deep in thought as he listened, ‘Wasn’t Bi Youbo a descendant of a Demonic Behemoth? For Madame Wu Hua to have so many Blaze Resins, there was probably a connection to Bi Youbo somehow. It seems that being a concubine with some influence has its perks.’

As he was thinking, Yao Ruoxian suddenly turned around, and viciously said, “Kid, split half of this box of Blaze Resins with me. Think of it as payment for me refining an artifact for you!”

“HALF?” Miao Yi, who had finally come to realize the worth of the Blaze Resins, shouted in surprise, “What kind of artifact would need to be refined for such a large payment? Weren’t you going to do it for free? Can I ask you not to refine it anymore?”

‘Goddamnit! With so many Blaze Resins, you think I’d be afraid that I won’t be able to find someone to refine a First Grade Transcendent Artifact for me?’ Miao Yi cursed to himself.

“NO YOU CAN’T!!” With bloodshot eyes, Yao Ruoxian began shouting angrily, “You can go around asking how I handle my business when it comes to refining artifacts. I have always been a man of my word. I won’t take back my promises!”

If he didn’t have to worry about the tiny mantids, he couldn’t guarantee that he wouldn’t have forcefully taken them away.

Similarly, Miao Yi angrily said, “Senior Yao, you can’t just lie to my face like that. What do you mean you don’t take back your promises? Weren’t you going to do it for free?”

“I…. I…. I…” After stuttering for awhile, Yao Ruoxian’s eyes brightened as his gaze swept across Miao Yi’s body, as he seemed to have come up with some kind of excuse. He suddenly declared in a rational manner, “I only promised that I would refine one for you without payment. I still need to charge you for refining the others.”

“What others?” Miao Yi was stunned.

Yao Ruoxian came closer with his hands behind his back, and circled around Miao Yi. He tapped on Miao Yi’s shoulder as he said, “I’ll help you refine another set of armor. How about it?”

He was clearly going in circles to try and take the Blaze Resins. Miao Yi was a little worried as he said, “I don’t need you to refine anything else. You can just help me refine a spear for free.”

‘With so many Blaze Resins, if I were to just take out a few dozen Gold Blaze Resins, would I have any fear of being unable to obtain a set of armor? Is there even a need to give half of the crate away? I don’t think I look like such an idiot, do I?’

Yao Ruoxian pointed his finger at Miao Yi’s nose, and said with a pained expression, “Kid, some things are just material objects. Don’t be sad to part with them. Getting a good set of armor to protect yourself is the wisest decision. Not to mention, how could the transcendent artifacts that I refine be compared with one made by your everyday artifact artisan? As long as it has been done by my hand, then they’ll all be of high quality. Normal people wouldn’t even be able to ask me to refine for them even if they wanted to. You’re in luck, kid. Meeting me could also be your fate.”

“No matter how high the quality is, it will still just be a first grade transcendent artifact! Refining a first grade armor set costs half a crate of Blaze Resins? I have a large sum of Gold Blaze Resins here. Gold Blaze Resins, I tell you!” The Great Cave Master Miao argued with an aggrieved expression on his face.

With a wretched look on his face, Yao Ruoxian’s gaze swept around and finally descended on Charcoal who was lying by the shore. He pointed to Charcoal and added, “Don’t you regard that fat thief rather highly? I’ll help you refine a set of armor, and refine another set of steed armor for that fat thief. How’s that?”

Miao Yi was angry now. He couldn’t take Yao Ruoxian trying to set him up, and said, “Senior Yao, just say it if you want to steal my Blaze Resins. Have you ever seen a dragon steed wearing armor in the entire cultivation realm? Where would I find so many materials for you to work with?”

Without mentioning anything else, and just speaking of Charcoal’s body, there was so much meat there! If Charcoal were to be equipped from the head down with armor, how much materials would be thrown away just like that!?