Chapter 1198: 1198 Disappointment

Chapter 1198: Chapter 1198 Disappointment

A day passed in the blink of an eye.

In the grand hall of the Artificer Guild, ten Artifact Refiners had already gathered early.

Li Yun and the other Artifact Refiners respectfully saluted Feng Wuchen: “Greetings, Divine Grade Artifact Refiner, sir.”

“I am no Divine Grade Artifact Refiner; you all don’t need to act so formally,” Feng Wuchen replied with a faint smile.

“Even if that’s true, Feng Daren’s divine skills in artifact refining are worthy of our admiration,” Li Yun said with utmost respect and without a hint of irreverence.

“If there’s an opportunity, we’d humbly request Feng Daren to guide us in artifact refining,” Shi Potian promptly added respectfully.

At this, Feng Wuchen faintly smiled and said, “If there’s a chance, we can exchange knowledge and learn together.”

“That would be wonderful! Many thanks, Feng Daren!” Li Yun and the others were overjoyed and hurriedly expressed their gratitude.

Soon, Bai Hun, along with the elders and the esteemed refiners of the Artificer Guild, entered the hall, each casting a respectful glance at Feng Wuchen first.

“President Bai, three esteemed elders.”

Today was the day to enter the Heavenly Tomb, and the refiners were visibly excited.

Standing at the center of the hall, Bai Hun happily remarked, “The Heavenly Tomb is about to open; I’m certain all of you are filled with anticipation.”

“President Bai, I’ve heard rumors that the ancient battlefield within the Heavenly Tomb is brimming with treasures. Is that true?” Shi Potian asked excitedly.

“Of course, it’s absolutely true,” Bai Hun replied with delight.

“The Heavenly Tomb will only remain open for seven days. While it’s true there are countless treasures within, whether you’re fortunate enough to find them is another matter. One more thing I must warn you: the Heavenly Tomb is incredibly dangerous—don’t let greed lead to the loss of your life,” Yang Qianxiao cautioned.

“Rest assured, Elder Yang, we’ll be extra careful,” Liu Tianyu said eagerly, clearly impatient to enter the Heavenly Tomb.

“Follow me,” Bai Hun said with a calm smile, then led Feng Wuchen and the ten refiners toward the entrance of the Heavenly Tomb.

“Wind Shadow!”

As Bai Hun and the others stepped out of the hall, a voice echoed through the guild, immediately followed by an overwhelming aura sweeping through the air.

“Who dares trespass upon the guild? Stop them!” The guards of the Artificer Guild instantly stepped forward.

As guards of the Guild, they feared no one—not even powerhouses of the Heavenly Deity Realm.

After all, the Artificer Guild had no shortage of Heavenly Deity Realm experts.

“A Heavenly Deity Realm powerhouse?” Yang Qianxiao frowned slightly.

“Brother Tianming?” Feng Wuchen was momentarily stunned before quickly shouting, “Stop!”

“Stand down!” Bai Hun commanded loudly, signaling the guards to retreat.

“Whoosh!”

A figure appeared out of thin air; it was none other than Tianming of Tianying Pavilion.

“The top-tier assassin of the ‘Sky’ rank, Tianming!” Upon seeing the newcomer, Li Yun and the rest were visibly shocked, their faces filled with fear.

“A top-tier assassin of the ‘Sky’ rank!” Realizing it was Tianming from Tianying Pavilion, even the guards of the Artificer Guild showed expressions of terror.

The mid-aged man before them was one of the top assassins in the Heavenly Realm.

“President Bai, Elder Yang, it has been a long time. I trust you’ve been well,” Tianming greeted politely with a cupped fist and a smile.

“Ah, the famed top-tier assassin of the Heavenly Realm, Tianming. Indeed, it has been a long time,” Bai Hun said with a friendly nod and smile.

In the Heavenly Realm, none were unfamiliar with Tianming. Long before the destruction of the Heavenly Spirit Stone mine, Tianming was already renowned as a top-tier assassin in the Heavenly Realm.

“Brother Tianming, why are you here?” Feng Wuchen asked in surprise.

“I came to find you for an urgent matter,” Tianming answered hastily, his demeanor visibly excited.

“An urgent matter?” Feng Wuchen raised his brow.

“President Bai, please wait for a moment.” Without waiting for Bai Hun’s approval, Tianming simply pulled Feng Wuchen aside.

Seeing this, a Heavenly Grade refiner attempted to step forward to intervene but was stopped by Bai Hun.

“Everyone, please wait a moment,” Bai Hun said with a calm smile, seemingly indifferent to Tianming’s actions.

Given Tianming’s familiarity with Feng Wuchen, along with Tianming’s undeniable strength, Bai Hun naturally extended him proper respect.

“Wind Shadow, is the news true?” Tianming asked hurriedly, his eyes brimming with anticipation as he stared at Feng Wuchen.

“What news?” Feng Wuchen asked in reply.

“That you’re a Divine Grade Artifact Refiner! Stop playing dumb—this rumor is all over Spirit Capital. Quickly, tell me—is it true?” Tianming pressed impatiently.

“Brother Tianming, the news is indeed true, but I’m not a Divine Grade Artifact Refiner; I’m currently only at the Heavenly Grade level,” Feng Wuchen replied with a helpless smile.

“Who are you trying to fool? The moment I reached the Guild’s gate, I heard people talking about how you’re a Divine Grade Artifact Refiner and that you crafted an Immortal Artifact in the blink of an eye with your Thought-Forming Instrumentation,” Tianming said adamantly, refusing to believe Feng Wuchen’s words.

“Wind Shadow, just be honest with me—can you craft Divine Artifacts?” Tianming asked earnestly, his eyes filled with hope and eagerness, tinged with desperation.

Tianming wasn’t asking without reason.

Feng Wuchen possessed powerful Divine Artifacts, and such rumors had now emerged, leading Tianming to conclude that Feng Wuchen could indeed craft Divine Artifacts.

That was precisely why Tianming rushed to find Feng Wuchen.

Seeing the hope mixed with desolation in Tianming’s eyes, Feng Wuchen already had an inkling of Tianming’s intentions.

“Brother Tianming, I’ve heard about your situation. I’ve even gone to see Ling’er—she’s very adorable. It’s not that I don’t want to help you, but I truly can’t do anything. I’m truly sorry,” Feng Wuchen said with difficulty, his expression tinged with helplessness.

“Even you can’t help?” Tianming’s voice dropped to a whisper, his face filled with disappointment, his complexion pale, his gaze overwhelmed with sorrow.

The greater the hope, the greater the disappointment.

Tianming’s heart sank to the bottom as if he’d aged decades in an instant.

Seeing Tianming’s expression of despair, Feng Wuchen also felt profoundly unsettled.

“Brother Tianming, it’s been so many years—you should let go,” Feng Wuchen advised gently.

“Ling’er was only four years old—four years old! How can I let go? Ling’er had just learned to call me father, just learned to call me father… It’s my fault; I failed Ling’er—it’s all my fault for being so useless!” Tianming choked out, trying hard to hold back his tears but ultimately unable to, his mind flooded with memories of his daughter’s adorable smile.

But the more powerful his longing, the more overwhelming his grief became. At last, tears of sorrow rolled down Tianming’s face.

“Brother Tianming…” Feng Wuchen found himself unsure of how to provide comfort, his heart heavy.

At the entrance of the hall, seeing Tianming’s visibly distraught and teary expression from afar, Shi Potian and the others couldn’t hide their surprise.

“President, why would Tianming suddenly start crying?” Shi Potian asked in astonishment, finding it hard to believe that the famed top-tier assassin could shed tears.

“Ah… It’s a long story,” Bai Hun sighed while shaking his head.

After pondering for a moment, Bai Hun finally spoke: “This goes back decades. Back then, before Tianming joined Tianying Pavilion, he had a four-year-old daughter named Ling’er. I will never forget that year when he held his dead daughter, begging for help at the guild’s entrance.”