Qin wandered through the market several times, finding countless low-tier and mid-tier spiritual artifacts—common street wares—but not a single one sparked the urge to purchase. He felt a pang of disappointment and frustration.

He paused, a slight, amused thought crossing his mind: items merchants put out for sale were likely things others discarded. If anything truly good appeared, surely some sharp-eyed cultivator would have snatched it up before it ever reached his discerning gaze.

Realizing this, Ye Qin ceased lingering in the marketplace. He departed, planning to visit the few artifact forges within the city. He still possessed two materials harvested from the Demon Bat King: the King’s wing and the King’s fang. He wondered if the master smiths at one of the forges could fashion them into spiritual artifacts.

In Xian Yuan City, there were hundreds of forges, large and small. The smaller ones were primarily staffed by Qi Refining stage smiths. The major forges, numbering perhaps three to five, housed at least three or four Foundation Establishment stage smiths, some even boasting over ten.

Artifact refining was a popular trade in Xian Yuan City, rivaling alchemy in prestige. Alchemy had a lower barrier to entry; Qi Refining cultivators could concoct low-grade spirit pills. However, refining artifacts required a significantly higher threshold. Only the innate True Fire of a Foundation Establishment cultivator could forge a spiritual artifact, and the Samadhi True Fire of a Core Formation cultivator was needed for even more powerful magical artifacts. Clearly, the Yang Fire emitted by Qi Refining smiths lacked the necessary intensity to produce spiritual artifacts.

Nevertheless, these smaller workshops served a purpose. Take iron ore, for instance: they could use Yang Fire to refine thousands of catties of ore, purging the dross and yielding small blocks of refined iron. These blocks would then be sold to the larger forges. Foundation Establishment smiths would then process hundreds of these blocks, burning off remaining impurities, adding a touch of other metallic ores, and employing specialized refining techniques to ultimately forge an exceptionally sturdy, metal-aligned spiritual artifact.

Frankly, these small forges operated as rudimentary processing centers, doing the grunt work for the larger establishments, earning meager profits without genuine technical skill. The real money lay with the large forges employing Foundation Establishment smiths.

These major forges were flush with capital, typically occupying a prominent, bright building on the main street. The front served as the shop, receiving clients, while the rear courtyard was dedicated to refining, where numerous low-level smiths toiled. In the recent days, many cultivators, returning to Xian Yuan City with spirit minerals, spirit wood, and materials harvested from slain demonic beasts in the Spirit Mist Grand Canyon, had flocked to these large forges, paying handsomely for their masters to craft them into spiritual artifacts.

The largest forge in Xian Yuan City—the "Bao Feng Artifact Forge"—sat in the busiest section of the main street. It was a magnificent, three-story structure, occupying a larger footprint than its neighbors, with eaves noticeably taller than those of adjacent buildings.

The first floor was a vast hall, easily a hundred feet wide and long. Numerous male and female attendants, clad in blue or red, bustled about, entertaining the hundreds of cultivators currently inside. Most of these attendants were only at the first or second layer of the Qi Refining stage; their cultivation too low to risk hunting in the Spirit Mist Grand Canyon, they earned coin working within the city for the forge. They treated any high-level cultivator entering or exiting the building with utmost deference, never daring to show the slightest neglect.

Ye Qin arrived at the entrance of the Bao Feng Forge. He observed the crowded hall inside, hesitated briefly, then ultimately decided to step in. He had already passed by the other major forges; they were all equally busy, none significantly less so than this one. Returning to the others seemed less practical than simply addressing his needs here.

Ye Qin entered the hall.

This ground-floor reception area featured long, rosewood counters displaying rows of spiritual artifacts: exquisitely crafted scabbards and sword sheaths, delicate accessories for men and women, imposing cloaks and armor, everything from hair ribbons to boots. Hundreds of artifacts, arrayed in complete sets, radiated the imposing five-element spiritual energies of their respective types—flame, profound cold, crisp clarity, keen sharpness, or pale frost—leaving one deeply awed and impressed.

Qin couldn't help but sigh inwardly. It seemed Bao Feng Forge didn't just craft items for hire; they also retailed spiritual artifacts ranging from low to high grade. These items were undeniably top quality, utterly flawless, though undoubtedly expensive—nearly twenty percent pricier than comparable goods in the outer market.

Immediately, a young female attendant in her early twenties approached him, bowing slightly with a respectful smile. "Honored guest, are you looking to purchase a spiritual artifact, or commission a refinement? If you wish to buy, I can certainly offer introductions."

Qin stood with his hands clasped behind his back and replied calmly, "I heard this is the finest forge. I came specifically to see if you can refine any material we bring you?"

The attendant smiled brightly. "Bao Feng Artifact Forge is the largest in Xian Yuan City and is an enterprise of the Rogue Cultivator Alliance. We have over a dozen Foundation Establishment masters stationed here. If our forge cannot refine it, I doubt any other forge in the city could succeed. However, our fees are the highest among all forges. May I ask what your materials are, and what kind of spiritual artifact you intend to craft?"

Ye Qin glanced around. Though the two materials taken from the second-tier Demon Bat King might not be commonplace, he certainly had no intention of displaying them openly for the hundreds of cultivators present to admire for free.

The attendant instantly understood. "This area is crowded, and prying eyes abound. Please follow me up to a private room on the second floor for a detailed discussion. Bao Feng Forge has dedicated appraisers who can offer you various consultations."

Ye Qin followed the attendant to the second floor.

The second floor contained dozens of rooms, each completely sealed by a faint, thin light barrier. Qin briefly considered it and guessed these were likely soundproofing or defensive spells, meant to prevent clients' secrets from being leaked.

The attendant inquired, "Honored guest, what category do your materials fall under? Are they ores, wood, or materials taken from demonic beasts? We have appraisers specializing in all three major categories. They can assess the quality of your materials and recommend the most suitable spiritual artifacts to refine them into, before commencing the forging process."

"Demonic beast category."

Ye Qin stated without hesitation.

The attendant expressed surprise. Materials harvested from demonic beasts were usually obtained by hunting in the Spirit Mist Grand Canyon, making them far trickier than ores or lumber. Ye Qin appeared very young—even younger than her—yet his cultivation had reached a level capable of hunting demonic beasts. She felt a flicker of envy, nodded, and led him toward a private chamber at the rear. "This chamber houses Bao Feng Forge's most experienced demonic beast material appraiser; I trust you will be very satisfied." She produced a peculiar token, tapped it lightly against the light barrier, and a small opening appeared. She didn't enter but pushed the chamber door open, inviting Ye Qin inside.

Ye Qin smiled faintly and stepped through the barrier. The light instantly sealed itself, returning to its initial state.

The chamber was quite spacious, furnished simply: a table and a few chairs, the tabletop covered with clean white cloth. A richly dressed elderly man was intensely focused on a piece of demonic beast bone he was examining.

Qin swiftly scanned the elder with his Spiritual Eye technique; the man appeared to be at the fourth layer of Qi Refining, his cultivation not particularly high. He smiled and sat down opposite the elder.

Though the elder's cultivation was modest, his appraisal skill was evident. He wore an air of mild arrogance. He looked up impassively at Ye Qin, noted his cultivation was only at the fifth layer of Qi Refining, and judged him to not look like a wealthy patron, causing his brow to furrow slightly. Without bothering with pleasantries, he gestured with a small piece of bone. "What material? Place it here for this old man to see."

Ye Qin retrieved two items from his storage pouch: a pair of fangs from the Demon Bat King, and a pair of its snow-white wings. Both materials were substantial; the wings, especially, were nearly ten feet long, entirely monopolizing the space on the small table.

"This... this appears to be the Demon Bat King's fangs and wings? Did you manage to infiltrate the Demon Bat Cave and slay the King?" The embroidered-robed elder was stunned at first, then his gaze swept eagerly over the snow-white wings on the table, only to become confused. "As far as this old man knows, the Demon Bat King is entirely black, and its fangs are blood-red. Why are these wings and fangs entirely white?"

"These were indeed cut from the Demon Bat King! As for why they are white, that I cannot say," Ye Qin explained calmly.

The elder looked at Ye Qin with astonishment, his haughty expression vanishing instantly. Regardless of how Ye Qin managed to slay the Demon Bat King, one fact was proven: without immense strength, survival inside the Demon Bat Cave was impossible, let alone hunting the King.

The elder emitted faint golden light from both hands and carefully scanned every part of the wings. After inspecting the wings and fangs, he clicked his tongue in appreciation. "These Demon Bat King wings have perfect skeletal integrity, entirely unbroken. They haven't even suffered damage from spiritual artifacts or spells. Though the membrane shows minor piercing marks, it won't affect refinement. These fangs also have no cracks or hidden injuries—superb quality. Flying beasts are much harder to kill than terrestrial ones. How did you achieve this?"

Qin remained silent, offering no reply to the question.

The elder realized he shouldn't press further. Having finished the appraisal of the two items, he launched into an extensive explanation:

"These two pieces of demonic beast material belong respectively to the Wind element and a Special element, and both can be used to forge spiritual artifacts!"

"Ordinary Demon Bat fangs can be forged into the offensive spiritual artifact, the 'Demon Bat Blood Thorn,' which possesses a strong blood-draining effect. Once it pierces an enemy's flesh, it can drain all their blood within a very short time—a truly malicious weapon. Since these are the fangs of the Demon Bat King, they are naturally far more potent than the ordinary ones."

"And the Demon Bat wings can be forged into the rare flying spiritual artifact, the 'Demon Bat Wings.'"

"You must understand, Qi Refining cultivators, unless they possess flying-type magical artifacts, are almost entirely incapable of flight. Most spiritual artifacts cannot allow a Qi Refining cultivator to ascend either. There are only two exceptions: first, spiritual artifacts that possess wing or feather structures; second, possessing a rare, soaring exotic bird capable of carrying the cultivator while flying and even assisting in combat. However, raising exotic birds is incredibly difficult, and their upkeep is prohibitively expensive—far less convenient than wing or feather-type spiritual artifacts that can be carried on one's person." (To be continued. For subsequent events, please log onto www**com for more chapters, support the author, and enjoy genuine reading!)