“What tier of weapon refiner are you right now?!”
President Song and Master Ji exchanged glances, both seeing nothing but sheer bewilderment in each other's eyes.
The question was so abrupt that the two wondered if they had misheard—or if Fat Liang had suffered a slip of the tongue.
Asking her what tier of alchemist she was would be completely normal, but asking what tier of weapon refiner she was? That was utterly absurd!
Liang Guan had asked only because he was fairly certain of his guess.
Shi Yu had been able to tell that his heat control was off. That alone was something no ordinary weapon refiner could easily do. Furthermore, earlier she had blurted out the Heavenly Cold Flower and the Soul-Deviance Vine without even pausing to think, naming two spiritual plants that synergized perfectly. Such depth of insight was something even Liang Guan himself might not have matched off the cuff.
The young girl before him was undoubtedly a weapon refiner!
Shi Yu felt a slight headache coming on, unsure of how to answer.
Unlike her time back in the marketplace, the main city was fraught with undercurrents between various factions. She had no wish to draw too much attention to herself or get dragged into their squabbles. Being known as an alchemist was manageable, but if her identity as a weapon refiner were exposed as well, it would inevitably invite trouble.
She did not fear potential danger, but she dreaded being entangled in mundane affairs that would consume her precious time.
Noticing her hesitation, Liang Guan offered reassurances, “There are only the four of us here. Speak freely—I promise not to let a word slip to anyone.”
Shi Yu hesitated briefly before speaking softly, “Tier-2.”
Liang Guan fell silent for a long moment. It was quite a while before he murmured, “Tier-2... A sixteen-year-old Tier-2 weapon refiner.”
How could a phrase as simple as “prodigious genius” even begin to describe this?
His gaze turned complex as he paced back and forth, sighing repeatedly, “Tier-2... Tier-2...”
President Song and Master Ji looked at each other. By the time they finally sorted out their thoughts and grasped the situation, their minds were filled with complete disbelief.
Judging by the exchange and reactions between the old man and the girl... was little Ah Yu actually a weapon refiner?
It was utterly mind-boggling. Master Ji was the first to break the silence, asking, “Girl Yu... do you really know how to refine artifacts?”
Shi Yu nodded helplessly.
Master Ji suddenly recalled the time he showed off his prized cloud boat, only for Shi Yu to point out its flaws at a single glance.
At the time, he had merely assumed the girl possessed extraordinary sharp eyes, never imagining she had spotted those issues through her perspective as a weapon refiner.
President Song gradually recovered as well. Though his shock had not diminished, he immediately realized the problem this posed.
Looking at Fat Liang's stance, was the bloated fellow trying to steal her away? He hurriedly stepped in front of Shi Yu and issued a warning: “Little Ah Yu has already joined my Alchemist Association. Even if she knows artifact refining, she's still a member of my Alchemist Association!”
To his surprise, Liang Guan snorted. “So what if she joined the Alchemist Association? Does joining yours mean she can't join another? Be reasonable!”
So long as one had sufficient capability, there was indeed no rule prohibiting someone from joining two associations at the same time.
However...
The four auxiliary Daos—artifact refining, alchemy, array formations, and talismans—were vast and boundless. Delving into any single one required immense mental energy, demanding a cultivator's entire lifetime of study.
It wasn't that one couldn't pursue two at once, but attempting to master everything usually resulted in accomplishing nothing, leaving one unable to reach deep proficiency in either.
In the past, there had been cultivators talented in two disciplines who couldn't bear to abandon either. In their youth, their raw talent carried them through without obvious issues. But as they grew older, they became increasingly mediocre, utterly squandering what had once been remarkable potential.
Clearly, pursuing both was far from a blessing.
At this thought, President Song began to regret bringing Shi Yu here to refine an identity jade token in the first place.
His expression turned cool as he set aside their long-standing friendship, speaking plainly to Liang Guan: “You know full well the cautionary tales of those who tried studying two paths at once. If you truly care about Girl Yu's best interests, drop this idea of pulling her into the Refinement Association, lest you hold her back.”
That said, now that he had encountered such peerless talent, how could Liang Guan possibly let her go so easily?
Liang Guan sneered in response. “Hold her back? How do you know dragging her into the Alchemist Association isn't holding her back? For all you know, the girl has greater talent in artifact refining, and forcing her into alchemy is what's holding her back!”
“You!” President Song sputtered with anger. “Do you have any idea that both times Little Ah Yu concocted pills, she produced high-grade ones?!”
“So what?!” Liang Guan's gaze shifted to the Flowing Radiance spirit robe Shi Yu was wearing, and he suddenly asked her, “Who refined that robe you're wearing?”
He had heard about Master Ji specially auctioning off two spools of Mist-Cloud Silkworm silk for Shi Yu, yet no weapon refiner in the association had stepped up to craft a robe for her. Now, the answer was obvious.
Sure enough, Shi Yu bit the bullet and answered, “I refined it myself.”
Liang Guan offered President Song a triumphant grin. “Did you hear that?! Do you know how seasoned her refining technique was for that robe? As I see it, she was born for artifact refining, and alchemy is what's holding her back!”
President Song shot a glare at Master Ji. “Old Ji, look what you've done! Of all things to gift her, why did you have to give her silk?!”
Master Ji: “...”
Taking a brief moment to criticize Master Ji, President Song immediately turned back to fire another volley: “Fat Liang, don't push things too far!”
“Old Song, stop acting so spoiled when you've already gotten a huge bargain! What's so bad about letting her join my Refinement Association?!”
The two bickered incessantly. Outside the refining room, passing weapon refiners cast bewildered glances inside, completely confused by the scene.
In the end, unable to reach a conclusion through arguing, the two barely managed to calm down and talk things over reasonably.
Liang Guan suggested, “How about this: let the girl join our Refinement Association first, and let her pursue both artifact refining and alchemy simultaneously. Later, whichever discipline she reaches Tier-3 in first, she focuses on that one exclusively. How about it?”
President Song was reluctant, but he had no better solution, so he could only agree for now.
Fortunately, Shi Yu was still young, so studying both would not waste too much time. Once she reached Tier-3, it would become clear whether her talent lay in alchemy or artifact refining, and she could dedicate herself to that single path.
President Song was confident in this. Shi Yu was exceptionally blessed in the Dao of Alchemy, so she would definitely reach Tier-3 in alchemy first.
President Liang was equally full of confidence.
What neither knew was that Shi Yu was merely at Tier-2 due to her cultivation level. Once her cultivation rose, barring any surprises, both disciplines would advance to Tier-3 at the exact same time.
Seeing the sparks flying between the two, she wisely kept this piece of information to herself.
After this commotion, Liang Guan had no mood left to continue refining. He simply stated that once the token was completed in a few days, he would have someone deliver it to her.
Finally, he asked Shi Yu, “I've heard about your situation a few times. You took the certification exam back then just to gain entry to the Xie Clan's grand auction, right?”
Shi Yu nodded.
Liang Guan asked with a aggrieved look, “Since you're both an alchemist and a weapon refiner, why did you specifically choose the Alchemist Association for your assessment instead of my Refinement Association?”
Seeing such a resentful and sulky expression on Liang Guan's chubby face was rather comical. Shi Yu cleared her throat lightly and answered truthfully, “That day, I was traveling with a companion who was taking his assessment at the Alchemist Association. I simply went along with him since it was convenient.”
What a straightforward and unadorned reason.
Liang Guan beat his chest in frustration, utterly despising the companion Shi Yu mentioned—why on earth did the fellow have to be a blasted alchemist?!
“...” President Song and Master Ji were speechless, inwardly overflowing with silent gratitude toward Zhou Shuo, who had taken the test alongside her that day.
What a sensible, fine young lad. The next time he visited, they would definitely give him some private tutoring and guidance!
Rate on N.U.
