Chapter 165: How to Repay

He had collected a lot of this material, Vermilion Demon Red Ore.

Gathering the next set of materials would be much easier.

Fang Yun had said that if the refining failed, he would only charge fifty Lower Grade Spirit Stones, but if it succeeded, he would charge one hundred.

"Alright," Fang Yun nodded.

Then, he put away the Spirit Stones and all the materials.

Refining this Upper Grade Magical Artifact would be a test for him as well.

Processing many of the materials couldn’t be judged by his existing experience alone; he would have to rely on his intuition.

’My four-star Artifact Refining talent shouldn’t let me down.’

"After this move of yours, getting more Vermilion Demon Red Ore from the Stone Demon Sect’s territory won’t be so easy."

Yang Yingjie quickly understood what Fang Yun meant.

"I wanted to get more Vermilion Demon Red Ore, too, but I couldn’t carry any more."

After this, the Stone Demon Sect would definitely increase the manpower for transporting the Vermilion Demon Red Ore. Perhaps the Guardian of the Vermilion Demon Red Ore mine would even be a Foundation Establishment Stage Demon.

After chatting more with Yang Yingjie, Fang Yun also learned more information about the Celestial Demon Sect’s territory.

In the Celestial Demon Sect’s territory, there were six other Foundation Establishment-level Evil Sects like the Stone Demon Sect, whose overall strength was considered average among them.

After Yang Yingjie left, Fang Yun organized the information he had gathered, then quickly took an Upper Grade Qi Enhancement Pill and continued to refine and absorb it.

「Three days later.」

It was now early in the seventh month.

Fang Yun woke from his sleep. Before he went to bed, he had drawn a Life Talent eighty-one times in total.

The Life Talents he obtained this time were relatively balanced.

After leaving his residence, Fang Yun planned to go to Artifact Casting Peak to refine that difficult Upper Grade Magical Artifact.

’I hope I can succeed on the first try.’

...

「Outside the Celestial Cloud Sect.」

Huang Mengzhu had just left the sect’s main gate.

Exactly three years had passed since she became a disciple of the Celestial Cloud Sect.

Today, after those three years, she was going to carry out missions just like the other disciples.

It also meant that today, she could leave the Celestial Cloud Sect to visit her family.

According to the sect’s rules, new disciples could not leave the Celestial Cloud Sect for their first three years, unless they applied for special permission and it was granted.

She hadn’t been home in a long time, and Huang Mengzhu missed her parents dearly.

Injecting Spiritual Power into the Light Silk Boots on her feet, Huang Mengzhu ran with incredible speed.

These were the Light Silk Boots that Fang Yun had modified for her; they were a perfect fit.

"Father! Mother!"

Before she had even reached home, Huang Mengzhu saw her father and mother in the distance.

"Mengzhu!"

In the distance, Huang Datong and his wife, Zhang Chuzhen, called out at the same time.

Huang Mengzhu burst forward with even greater speed, quickly arriving in front of them.

"Excellent, excellent! You’re already at the Qi Refining Fourth Layer." Huang Datong was overjoyed; his daughter was doing better in the Celestial Cloud Sect than he had expected. "Your Cultivation Realm has already surpassed your parents’."

Huang Datong and Zhang Chuzhen were both currently at the Qi Refining Third Layer. They also both had Five Spirit Roots.

"I was only able to cultivate so quickly thanks to Brother Fang Yun’s help." As she spoke, Huang Mengzhu gestured for Huang Datong to look at the Middle Grade Magical Artifact she was wearing. "He gave this to me."

Hearing this, Huang Datong was even more surprised. "Oh? Tell me the details."

Before Fang Yun entered the Celestial Cloud Sect, they had hoped he would look after Huang Mengzhu a little.

But this went far beyond just ’looking after’ her. He had even given her a Middle Grade Magical Artifact. How could they ever repay him?

The meal they had treated Fang Yun to back then was nothing in comparison to this Middle Grade Magical Artifact.

"Well, it’s like this. Brother Fang Yun..."

Huang Mengzhu began to recount everything she knew.

The more Huang Datong listened, the more astonished he became.

Fang Yun had become a disciple of the Celestial Cloud Sect because of his talent in planting. Subsequently, he not only demonstrated an Alchemy Talent and an Artifact Refining talent, but he was also exceptionally strong in Magical Combat.

He had even been accepted as an apprentice by a Celestial Cloud Sect Elder just over two months ago.

It was truly hard to imagine that all of this had happened to Fang Yun in just over two years at the Celestial Cloud Sect.

Seeing the disbelieving looks on her parents’ faces, Huang Mengzhu made sure to emphasize that everything she said was true.

"I believe you," Huang Datong replied, then continued, "Mengzhu, what I’m thinking about now is, with Fang Yun taking such good care of you, how are we supposed to repay him?"

Initially, when Huang Datong asked Fang Yun to look after Huang Mengzhu in the Celestial Cloud Sect, he hadn’t intended it to be a one-sided favor.

Fang Yun had Five Spirit Roots, while his daughter had Three Spirit Roots.

For the first few years, Fang Yun would look after his daughter in the Celestial Cloud Sect, and once her Cultivation Realm rose, she could, in turn, help Fang Yun.

That had been his original idea.

But now, it seemed unlikely his daughter would be able to offer Fang Yun any help in the future. He was now an Elder’s apprentice, a status far higher than that of an ordinary disciple within the Celestial Cloud Sect. His chances of reaching Foundation Establishment and becoming an Elder himself were even greater.

"Oh, Father, why are you thinking about that? Even if someone is going to repay Brother Fang Yun in the future, it should be me, not you." At this, Huang Mengzhu smiled. "I’ve already thought it through. In the future, I’m going to become a Spirit Chef and let Brother Fang Yun enjoy all the Spiritual Food in the world."

"Such big words. Do you even have the talent to be a Spirit Chef?"

"I don’t know yet, but I’ll find out soon enough. I believe in myself."

"Yes, I believe in you too." Zhang Chuzhen felt her daughter could definitely do it.

Looking at his wife and daughter, Huang Datong had no choice but to believe as well. ’But talent isn’t something you can have just by wishing for it,’ he thought.

On the way home, Huang Mengzhu walked and chatted with her parents.

Her first three years in the Celestial Cloud Sect had been unremarkable. Aside from recounting the many things she had heard about Fang Yun, she mostly talked about what the Stewards had taught them.

Before they arrived home, Huang Mengzhu, whose hearing was sharper due to her mid-stage Qi Refining cultivation, heard the faint sound of a baby crying from inside their house.

"...There’s crying in our house!" Huang Mengzhu said immediately.

The moment Zhang Chuzhen heard this, she quickened her pace toward home.

Huang Mengzhu stopped and looked at her father beside her.

"I was planning to give you a surprise after we got back inside," Huang Datong said with a smile. "Six months ago, your mother gave birth to a little brother for you."

"A little brother!" Huang Mengzhu’s face lit up with delight. "What’s his name?"

"Your brother’s name is Huang Mengyang... Wait for me."

As soon as she heard her brother’s name, Huang Mengzhu took off at a sprint, so fast that Huang Datong couldn’t have caught her even if he tried.

「Inside the house.」

When Huang Datong stepped through the door, he saw his wife comforting their son while his daughter watched quietly from the side.

Huang Mengzhu curiously watched the little brother her mother had given her. When he stopped crying and fussing, she gently poked his chubby cheek with her finger.

"Mengyang, look, this is your sister," Zhang Chuzhen said with a gentle smile.

"When my little brother’s Spirit Root is tested in the future, he’ll join the Celestial Cloud Sect with me." Huang Mengzhu was already starting to dream about the future.

’In ten years, after my brother joins the Celestial Cloud Sect, I’ll be able to take good care of him as his older sister.’