Immortal Martial Emperor

Beichen Family, East Courtyard.

This was the largest courtyard in the entire Beichen Family estate, its decorations nothing short of magnificent.

It was originally the residence of Patriarch Beichen Ba, but ever since he suddenly announced he was entering seclusion half a year ago, it had become Wang Fei’s exclusive domain.

Wang Fei sat quietly upon the main seat.

An exquisitely handcrafted dress, perfectly tailored by Qin Royal City’s most exclusive shop, the Tailoring Art Pavilion, clung to her voluptuous figure. The outfit, worth a staggering Thirty Thousand Gold Coins, made her look both elegant and sensual. With every sway of the skirt, a slit that ran all the way up her leg offered tantalizing flashes of a pale thigh.

It made the guard kneeling below her gulp involuntarily.

Wang Fei said coolly, "Are you saying Miss Beichen has cast aside her usual demeanor and become exceedingly aggressive?"

"Yes, Madam!"

The guard replied.

Wang Fei nodded and waved her hand. "I understand. Have someone take Granny Hua to be properly cared for."

"Yes, Madam. I will take my leave."

The guard rose to leave.

Just as he reached the door, he heard Wang Fei’s chilling voice from behind. "The next time you dare let your eyes wander, I won’t hesitate to cripple that third leg of yours."

"Huh?"

The guard froze.

A sharp pain suddenly shot through his left leg. He looked down to see a bloody gash. Starting from his upper thigh, his leg slid sideways and toppled over, cleanly severed in two.

The guard screamed in agony but didn’t dare to linger, scrambling away wretchedly on his remaining leg.

A pool of fresh, red blood stained the floor where he had been.

Wang Fei merely furrowed her brow, as if the act of casually severing the guard’s leg had nothing whatsoever to do with her.

She rose slowly, muttering to herself, ’That girl, Beichen Celestial Frost, has always been against me. Even after that good-for-nothing Beichen Ba went into seclusion, he installed her as vice-chairman to restrain me. She was reasonably obedient before, so I couldn’t be bothered to deal with her. But now... it seems that little bastard’s return has made her decide to oppose me for good!’

Her scarlet tongue darted across her lips as her sinister voice echoed through the room...

"Since someone won’t listen, they’ll just have to be dealt with!"

...

「West Courtyard.」

Beichen Celestial Frost looked at Hong Yu. "Is Little Feng asleep?"

Hong Yu made a hushing gesture, pulled the door shut, and stepped out of the room. "He’s exhausted from the journey."

"Mm."

Beichen Celestial Frost nodded.

...

For a moment, neither of them could find anything to say, and an awkward silence fell between them.

Hong Yu was a complete novice when it came to women. The ones he’d interacted with most were Yun Mengyao and Sister Qin, so he had very little experience. Being alone with a woman now, he honestly didn’t know what to say.

As for Beichen Celestial Frost, she was one of the four great beauties of Qin Royal City and had never lacked for suitors. But she had always maintained her decorum, rarely even speaking to a man alone, so she naturally wasn’t sure how to interact with Hong Yu either.

After a long moment...

Hong Yu finally broke the silence. "Miss Beichen, there’s something I’d like to ask you."

"Please, go ahead, Mr. Hong," Beichen Celestial Frost replied, slightly surprised.

Hong Yu rubbed his nose. "Well, it’s like this... I’ve heard that the Qin Royal Family possesses a Secret Manual called the *Celestial Soul Nine Refinements*. This manual is extremely important to me. To be honest, the entire reason I came to Qin Royal City was to find it. But I’m new here and don’t know anyone, so I have no idea where to even begin."

Hong Yu had thought this through carefully.

He would never have revealed his purpose to an ordinary person.

However, after interacting with her for half a day, Hong Yu had discovered that while Beichen Celestial Frost might seem cold, she was actually very sincere.

Coupled with their connection through Little Feng, Hong Yu chose to trust her.

Beichen Celestial Frost frowned. "The Royal Family does possess the *Celestial Soul Nine Refinements*; that isn’t a secret. However, they guard all of their Secret Cultivation Technique Manuals with extreme care. It’s only possible to obtain one if you make a major contribution to the Qin Kingdom or receive it as a personal reward from the King."

"A major contribution to the Kingdom?"

Hong Yu gave a wry smile.

Contributions like that usually meant meritorious service in war, expanding the Kingdom’s borders, or helping the Royal Family solve a major crisis.

Hong Yu had no desire to get too entangled with the Qin Royal Family.

So that option was out.

As for the second option...

’A reward from the King? What could I possibly do to make His Majesty so pleased? Don’t tell me I have to gift him a pretty girl or something?’

He couldn’t help but size up Beichen Celestial Frost. ’If I tied her up and presented her to the King of the Qin Kingdom, he’d probably be overjoyed. But... wouldn’t that just be giving that old geezer a freebie? No way, absolutely not!’

As Hong Yu stood there, lost in thought and shaking his head,

Beichen Celestial Frost watched him with a puzzled expression. She waved her slender fingers in front of his face. "Mr. Hong? Mr. Hong..."

"Huh? Ah! What did you say?"

Hong Yu started, then rubbed his nose in embarrassment.

Beichen Celestial Frost gave a wry smile. "I was just saying that if you truly want to obtain the *Celestial Soul Nine Refinements*, there is actually another way."

"Oh? What way is that?"

Hong Yu’s eyes brightened as he asked.

Beichen Celestial Frost began to explain. "Mr. Hong, you may know that among the Southern Ten Nations, our Qin Kingdom has always been known as the ’Refining City.’ This is because our standard in the Artifact Dao far surpasses that of the other kingdoms. For this reason, everyone in the Qin Kingdom, from the Royal Family to the common powers, places immense value on Artifact Dao Spiritual Craftsmen..."

Through Beichen Celestial Frost’s explanation, Hong Yu finally understood the method she was talking about.

The Qin Kingdom held the Artifact Dao in extremely high regard.

Even the smaller family factions in remote areas frequently held competitions to scout for powerful Spiritual Craftsmen to join their ranks.

As the rulers of the Qin Kingdom, the Qin Royal Family naturally placed great importance on Artifact Dao Spiritual Craftsmen as well.

Every ten years, the Royal Family held a grand Youth Spiritual Craftsman Competition.

Any Artifact Dao Spiritual Craftsman under the age of thirty was eligible to participate. Should they distinguish themselves in the competition, they would not only have the chance to be nurtured and promoted by the Royal Family. Even if they didn’t place in the top ranks, a strong performance would still draw the attention of the major families and powers, all of whom would be eager to recruit them.

It was a golden opportunity for a meteoric rise to fame and fortune.

"Master Fan, whom you met earlier, participated in that same competition twenty years ago. He took fourth place, so he wasn’t recruited by the Royal Family. My father recruited him instead, and he became an honorary Elder of our Beichen Commerce Association, as well as an Elder in the Kingdom’s Spiritual Craftsman Guild," Beichen Celestial Frost explained.

Hong Yu was stunned. ’Fourth place was enough to land a position as an Elder in the Spiritual Craftsman Guild? Then aren’t the top three even more incredible?’

Beichen Celestial Frost seemed to read his mind and smiled. "The first-place winner from that year has long since broken through to become a Tier Three Artifact Dao Spiritual Craftsman. He is now the Sect Leader of the Guiyuan Sect. The second-place winner is also with the Guiyuan Sect and is now a revered Elder—also a Tier Three Spiritual Craftsman."

"As for the third-place winner, he’s the only one of the top three from that year who remained in the Qin Kingdom. He is now the Chief Spiritual Craftsman for the Qin Royal Family. He is also the Chairman of the Qin Kingdom’s Spiritual Craftsman Guild."

Hong Yu was left speechless.

These people were all titans in their field!

And they had all participated in this so-called Youth Spiritual Craftsman Competition!

Hong Yu looked at Beichen Celestial Frost. "So you’re saying I should enter this competition?"

Beichen Celestial Frost nodded. "Since you want to obtain the *Celestial Soul Nine Refinements* from the Royal Family, the Youth Spiritual Craftsman Competition is your best option. I’ve heard that the Royal Family is taking this year’s competition very seriously. The top three winners will be allowed to choose any Treasure from the Royal Treasure Vault!"

"Of course, that’s only if you’re an Artifact Dao Spiritual Craftsman and have been certified by the Spiritual Craftsman Guild. Otherwise, you won’t even qualify to register."

Hong Yu nodded. "I’ll go back and think about it."

"Registration for the competition closes in seven days, so you have time to consider it," Beichen Celestial Frost added, then said no more.

She didn’t really believe Hong Yu had the ability to contend for a top spot in the competition.

With his hands clasped behind his head, Hong Yu returned to his room, his mind heavy with thoughts. He sat cross-legged on the stone bed.

"Little One, what Level of Spiritual Craftsman would you say I am right now?" Hong Yu asked.

Little One replied lazily, "According to the rating system left behind by Master, you’re only at the entry level of Tier One. However, going by the local standards for Artifact Refining and Spirit Array Rune Inscription, you’re probably no worse than a Tier Two Junior Spiritual Craftsman!"

’A Tier Two Junior Spiritual Craftsman, huh? There can’t be that many Tier Two Spiritual Craftsmen under the age of thirty. If I enter this competition, I should have a decent shot at the top three!’

Hong Yu clenched his fists, muttering, "But I heard you need to be certified by the Spiritual Craftsman Guild to register... I’ll head over there tomorrow, then."

The night passed uneventfully as he cultivated in silence.

「The next morning.」

Hong Yu went to check on Little Feng and found that the injuries on the little guy’s face had healed considerably. After talking with him for a bit, Hong Yu left the Beichen Mansion.

In Qin Royal City, the Spiritual Craftsman Guild held a status that was both lofty and sacred.

The Royal Palace was situated at the northern end of the Royal City, while the Spiritual Craftsman Guild was at the southern end, facing it from across the city.

Hong Yu walked through the bustling streets and soon arrived at the Spiritual Craftsman Guild.

It was a colossal tower, a full hundred meters high. Its entrance alone was sixteen or seventeen meters tall, wide enough for three chariots to pass through side by side.

Above the entrance, the insignia of a giant hammer was branded into the frame.

It gave off a feeling of weight and solemnity.

Hong Yu stepped into the Spiritual Craftsman Guild and walked up to the reception desk.

A cute girl sat at the desk, staring blankly at the ceiling, and didn’t even notice Hong Yu’s arrival at first. Not until Hong Yu gave a resigned cough did she snap out of it, her face flushing red. "Oh, I’m so sorry! Sir, how may I help you?"

Hong Yu rubbed his nose. "I’d like to apply for the Spiritual Craftsman certification exam."

"Of course. Is this your first time taking the certification?" the girl asked.

Hong Yu nodded. "My first time."

The girl handed Hong Yu a form. "Take this with you to the second floor. An exam will be starting shortly."

"Thank you."

Hong Yu took the form and left.

He didn’t notice, however...

...that in a shadowy corner, a white-haired old man was slowly emerging, a malicious grin playing on his lips.

The old man’s gaze followed Hong Yu until he disappeared around the corner leading to the second floor. Only then did the elder step completely out of the Darkness, chuckling sinisterly...

"That little bastard actually wants to become a certified Spiritual Craftsman? Heh heh, it seems today’s examiner is none other than that worthless disciple of mine!"