Chapter 25 - 21: Artifact Refining Institute Director

Xiao Qifeng did not disappoint Shen Lang and actually managed to bring him into the Artifact Refining Institute.

"So... what exactly do you want to do in the Artifact Refining Institute? Where are we going?"

The moment they stepped through the gates of the Artifact Refining Institute, Xiao Qifeng couldn’t help but ask.

The Artifact Refining Institute was brightly lit, completely lacking the tranquility found elsewhere. It seemed the business of Artifact Refining was truly exhausting.

Shen Lang glanced around and said, "I know the Artifact Refining Institute holds classes well into the night. Take me to... the one taught by the highest-level Artifact Refiner. I have some matters to discuss with someone of influence."

Xiao Qifeng’s legs went weak, and he nearly collapsed. "Listen, brother, I do know where the greatest Artifact Refining Master is teaching, but the problem is, I can’t go! If I tried, I’d just get thrown out! You know it’s impossible for a lousy student like me to go learn Artifact Refining from the Dean. Only the elites of the Artifact Refining Institute get to receive his guidance."

"Are you that lousy?" Shen Lang’s expression darkened. "If you’d said you were lousy fifteen minutes ago, I wouldn’t have cared—I wouldn’t have even bothered with you. But after I spent all that time teaching you, you still think you’re lousy? Are you insulting yourself, or are you insulting me?"

"..." Xiao Qifeng was speechless. He didn’t know why, but even though this kid clearly looked younger than him, standing beside him made him subconsciously feel a head shorter, as if he were in the presence of a great senior.

Seeing his cowardly expression, Shen Lang shook his head helplessly. "You’re a hopeless case... Just take me there. If anyone stops you, tell them you’ve refined a Third Grade Spiritual Artifact and want to show it to... that’s right, the Dean."

"What? Say *I’m* the one who refined this Spiritual Artifact?" Xiao Qifeng’s face soured. ’If I get exposed, I’m screwed. Daring to deceive the Dean is like having a death wish. I could even get expelled on the spot.’

Shen Lang felt a headache coming on as he looked at Xiao Qifeng. He frowned and said, "Don’t tell me that after I spent all that time demonstrating for you, you didn’t memorize it? You still haven’t learned?"

"I... I learned it! I really did! I memorized everything..." Xiao Qifeng said hastily, watching Shen Lang’s expression. "But the Spirit Array Map on this Spiritual Artifact..."

The guy wasn’t stupid. After learning to refine the Profound Iron Flying Shield, he actually wanted to learn Shen Lang’s Spirit Array Map as well.

This was a Spirit Level Third Grade Spirit Array Map. Even if he learned it, his current Divine Thought was too weak to use it. But still, it was a Spirit Level Third Grade Spirit Array Map!

’If I just spend some time studying it, I could definitely learn so much.’

’Then, after a few years of cultivating my Divine Thought to a sufficient level, I could become a Spirit Level Third Grade Artifact Refiner!’

’I’d be skipping several levels!’

"You want the Spirit Array Map... It’s not out of the question. A Spirit Level Third Grade Spirit Array Map is nothing to me. It’ll depend on your future performance. Remember my name. I’m Shen Lang. You can call me Young Master Lang. For now... just lead the way!" Shen Lang said, a hint of impatience in his voice.

Xiao Qifeng’s eyes lit up. He had only mentioned it as a probe, never expecting it might actually be possible...

’For this hope alone, it’s worth the risk!’

’A Spirit Level Third Grade Spirit Array Map... No, to this young man, that might really be nothing. How could the value of a Spirit Level Third Grade Spirit Array Map possibly compare to this mysterious, black-clad youth himself?’

’As long as he’s willing to teach me, my future accomplishments on the Artifact Refining Dao will surely surpass Spirit Level Third Grade. Maybe even Fourth and Fifth Grades won’t be a problem!’

’For that, even getting expelled would be worth it!’

"Yes, yes, of course! This way, Young Master Lang. I’ll take you there right now!" Xiao Qifeng felt as light as a feather. He puffed out his chest and led Shen Lang straight toward their destination.

Shen Lang’s plan actually worked. As Xiao Qifeng walked along, carrying the Profound Iron Flying Shield, whenever someone tried to stop him, he would just say he had just refined a Third Grade Spiritual Artifact. This claim stunned everyone, and their path was completely unimpeded.

There weren’t many Artifact Refiners in Tayun Academy capable of creating a Third Grade Spiritual Artifact. That required a Spirit Level Third Grade Artifact Refiner, and the entire academy only had enough of them to count on two hands.

Xiao Qifeng looked to be about eighteen or nineteen years old. For someone that young to become a Spirit Level Third Grade Artifact Refiner was a sign of astonishing talent. No ordinary person would dare to offend him.

Just like that, the two of them arrived directly inside the Artifact Refining Hall of the Artifact Refining Institute.

The Artifact Refining Hall was situated deep within a mountain valley. It was said that magma flowed beneath the ground here, making it very convenient to collect Earth Fire. That was why Tayun Academy had placed its most secretive Artifact Refining Hall in this location.

There were also several Array barriers along the path, making it extremely difficult for any ordinary person to force their way in.

"What a coincidence! Young Master Lang, look! The person lecturing in the main hall right now is the Dean of our Artifact Refining Institute, Mo Liusheng. What should we do now?"

Xiao Qifeng grew a little nervous, praying that Young Master Lang hadn’t come to cause a scene. If he had, it wouldn’t be a simple matter of expulsion. ’Whether we could even leave here alive would be a real question.’

Shen Lang gazed out and saw that in the enormous hall, only about twenty or so people were standing before their Furnace Cauldrons, listening quietly to the lecture. He couldn’t help but nod slightly.

’It looks like these students are the elites of the Artifact Refining Institute.’

He scratched his head and said, "Let’s go take a closer look first."

The two of them swaggered right in.

When the Dean of the Artifact Refining Institute was teaching, what student would dare make a peep?

But Shen Lang’s swagger was too conspicuous. The sound of his footsteps, TAP, TAP, TAP, immediately drew a few glances.

Most of them, however, only found it briefly strange before turning their heads away again.

Only one person stared as if he had seen something unbelievable, his mouth hanging open for a long moment.

The person stared at Shen Lang and Xiao Qifeng for a long while before snapping out of it. He quietly left his position and walked toward them.

"Xiao Qifeng! What are you doing bringing that waste of space Shen Lang here? Are you looking to die?! Damn it, it’s true what they say, birds of a feather flock together. Two losers actually found each other!" the pale, skinny young man hissed, almost grinding his teeth.

Shen Lang paused. ’I don’t remember this guy at all. Who’d have thought he recognizes me? Looks like my reputation is pretty widespread.’

He frowned and shifted his gaze to Xiao Qifeng, only to see the guy with his head hung low, trembling like a mouse that had just seen a cat.

"If I’m a loser, then you’re less than a loser! Who the hell do you think you are, running your mouth in front of me? Get lost!" Shen Lang was relatively restrained, keeping his voice down.

The young man was stunned. He apparently hadn’t expected Shen Lang to be so brazen as to dare speak to him like that.

Just then, Xiao Qifeng snapped out of it. Afraid that Shen Lang would be at a disadvantage, he shielded him with his body and said timidly, "Xiao Chunfeng, don’t go too far. Shen Lang and I are here on business."

"Business? Who are you kidding? One is the infamous loser of the Shen Family, the Sleep God of Tayun Academy. The other is a good-for-nothing from the Xiao Family, an idiot who hasn’t improved at all after years of Cultivation. What kind of business could you possibly have? Daring to cause trouble here, in front of the Dean, aren’t you afraid of getting expelled on the spot?" Xiao Chunfeng said with a contemptuous sneer.

’The loser of the Shen Family? Shen Lang...’ Xiao Qifeng scratched his head. ’No wonder the name sounded familiar.’ But what Shen Lang had just done was so shocking that in his excitement, he hadn’t thought about it. He never expected it was *that* Shen Lang...

Both from one of Celestial Phoenix City’s Four Great Families, the Shen Family and the Xiao Family. What a coincidence...

Xiao Qifeng was still marveling at the coincidence when he suddenly saw a foot lash out from behind him, kicking Xiao Chunfeng squarely in the stomach.

"OOF..." Xiao Chunfeng clutched his stomach with both hands, doubling over like a shrimp. He opened his mouth to cry out, but before a sound could escape, Shen Lang stuffed a rag—which he’d seemingly pulled from nowhere—into it.

"Talking to people like this is a waste of time and breath," Shen Lang said, clearly displeased. Then, his right hand chopped down on the back of Xiao Chunfeng’s neck like a Hand Saber. A powerful surge of Thunder Power shot into the youth’s body, knocking him out instantly. He crumpled to the floor, motionless.

Shen Lang beckoned to Xiao Qifeng and continued walking forward without a moment’s pause.

Xiao Qifeng stood there, dumbfounded. For a moment, he couldn’t process what had just happened.

The person who had just done the beating was the most famous loser in the entire academy, in all of Celestial Phoenix City.

He was said to be useless, good for nothing but sleeping, with a Cultivation of only the Power Martial Realm Second Heaven.

But this loser, just a short while ago, had refined a Third Grade Spiritual Artifact in only fifteen minutes!

And never mind anything else, just inscribing that Spirit Level Third Grade Spirit Array Map would take most people several days!

And the one who got beaten was Xiao Chunfeng, the Artifact Refining genius of his own family!

The very same guy who had always kept him under his thumb, suffocating him!

Not only was this guy an Artifact Refining genius, but his Cultivation was already at the Qi Martial Realm First Heaven...

And a loser at the Power Martial Realm Second Heaven just knocked out a genius at the Qi Martial Realm First Heaven with a single kick and a chop?

’This is completely different from the rumors...’

But the rumors weren’t the real issue. The real issue was that he had just knocked out a genius student during the Dean’s lecture. This... How were they supposed to handle this situation?

’Young Master Lang, oh, Young Master Lang, you’ve really done it this time! You’ve doomed me!’

’After this, I probably won’t be able to stay at the academy, and when I return to the family, I’ll be punished for sure!’

’Did the heavens really send you just to mess with me?’

The heavens did indeed seem to be toying with Xiao Qifeng. Because while his fingers were still trembling and he was desperately trying to figure out a way to resolve this, Shen Lang made another move.

"A Spirit Array Map generally needs to be inscribed on a material of a corresponding Attribute to maximize its effect. For you, Dean, to inscribe a Fire Spirit Array Map onto a Spiritual Artifact made of a Water Attribute Material... it certainly looks impressive, but the effectiveness is greatly diminished. What a waste..."

SWISH! In an instant, all twenty-plus students whipped their heads around, their mouths agape, wide enough to fit an egg.

Mo Liusheng, who had been proudly displaying the Spiritual Artifact he had just successfully refined, froze. The blazing flames atop the Spiritual Artifact singed his long beard, snapping him out of his stupor.

SLAM! Mo Liusheng slammed his palm down on the Black Iron platform. A chilling aura immediately spread through the hall. The students, all familiar with his temper, couldn’t help but shudder...