“Qingqing, I like this,” Tang Zifeng said.

Qin Ruqing was momentarily stunned, then her eyes lit up with the joy of having a niche preference recognized.

“Right? You think it’s special too, don’t you!”

Tang Zifeng tightly held the jade pendant and nodded in agreement.

“Yes, it’s very nice,” Qin Ruqing said, hugging her magical item with satisfaction. “But just giving this isn’t enough. I need to go to the Void Realm and find something good for you.” She quickly added, “The things I find later aren’t just a return gift; they’re an investment! An investment in helping you become a divine-level forger quickly, so my magical item can upgrade to a real divine artifact.”

She spoke in a very practical way, but Tang Zifeng understood her meaning without needing more words.

He simply replied with a “Good.”

Upgrading Qingqing’s Quashi-divine artifact to a real divine artifact was undeniably his next goal.

Qin Ruqing’s friends, Qi Rong and Lu Wei, gathered around.

Luwei, with a hint of a smile, teased:

“Are you just giving a gift to Little Qingqing? What about us, Qirong and me?”

Tang Zifeng actually nodded and said, “Yes. I’ve designed a new blueprint for Lu Wei’s alchemy furnace, improving its performance twofold compared to the previous one. Even without alchemy fire, it can maintain temperature for a long time.”

Lu Wei was taken aback and blinked rapidly, feeling the same joy as Ruqing.

“Wow, Big Brother Tang, you’re amazing… It feels like we’ve got a really impressive ally!”

Tang Zifeng then looked at Qirong, and sensing his gaze, Qirong pointed to himself, “Do I get something too? But I’m a physical cultivator and don’t use magical items.”

Tang Zifeng’s eyes were clear and calm as he replied, “While physical cultivators are strong, using specific weapons can double their attack power. Physical cultivators from Xiling often use wolf fang gauntlets in battle. I’ve already forged one for you; it just needs the final refining step.”

Qirong tugged at his clothes, “I really have a gift too!”

A forger who can create semi-divine artifacts has made a wolf fang gauntlet for him. Qirong also felt the same joy.

Qin Ruqing, holding her magical item, proudly said, “See, my choice was really good back then!”

Who would have thought that the mysterious black robe from the Zhang family would become such an impressive master forger?

It was definitely her sharp eye.

Seeing Qin Ruqing’s bright eyes and the approving looks from Qirong and Lu Wei, Tang Zifeng’s gaze flashed, recalling what Lin Yijun had told him.

“You shouldn’t just focus on refining artifacts. In our Western Ridge sect, there’s a long-standing tradition of pursuing female cultivators. Why aren’t you learning from that? If you can’t make progress with the little monster you like, you should at least try to win over the people around her!”

“We, as artifact refiners, are always in high demand wherever we go. It’s a shame not to use your excellent skills. If you can charm the people around her, they’ll speak well of you. When your crush hears about you from them, she’ll naturally start seeing you in a better light.”

When Tang Zifeng heard this, he didn’t react much.

Lin Yijun thought he just wasn’t getting it and criticized him for being stubborn.

But Tang Zifeng was someone who worked quietly and was already almost done refining the spiritual artifacts that Qirong and Lu Wei needed.

After chatting for a while, Luwei noticed Qin Ruqing holding her magical artifact like a treasure and said with a smile, “Didn’t Brother Tang say you could store the artifact in your dantian with a blood pact? Why not do it now so you don’t have to hold it all the time?”

Lu Wei’s comment was playful, but Qin Ruqing nodded seriously, her face growing solemn. “Alright! I’m going to form a blood pact with my natal artifact now, haha!” Her last laugh revealed her excitement.

Carefully placing the glowing artifact on the table, Qin Ruqing looked at Tang Zifeng, who nodded back.

She pricked her fingertip, letting a drop of blood fall onto the artifact.

The jade lotus absorbed the blood, its petals expanded, and after a few movements, it floated up and turned into a white light that entered Qin Ruqing’s body.

As soon as the artifact entered her body, Qin Ruqing felt a mysterious connection with it, as if she could summon and control it with just a thought.

Qin Ruqing touched her chest and said in amazement, “How amazing.”

After the pact was made, feeling like a task was completed, the four of them sat back down.

Qin Ruqing sighed and said, “Now that the conference is over, we need to start preparing for the Void Realm.”

“Do we need to prepare for the Void Realm?” Qirong asked in confusion.

When it came to serious matters, Qin Ruqing’s expression turned serious.

She immediately set aside any emotions and said earnestly, “The Void Realm is an ancient battlefield. Inside, there are not only the resentful souls of ancient human powerful beings but also the resentful souls of monstrous beasts, which are directly hostile to humans. Besides that, there are many unknown dangers.”

“Besides environmental dangers, there are also dangers from people. It’s said that upper-tier families use their whole family’s resources to train Void Seeds, who are even more talented than the elites of the Hundred Clans Conference. The competition for inheritance is critical, and these people won’t show mercy just because we are all human.”

“If we don’t find a way to improve ourselves, we might not just miss out on opportunities in the Ruins but might even lose our lives.”

Qin Ruqing was always clear-headed, never confused, and could immediately focus on the most important tasks.

The arrival of the items made everyone’s expressions more serious.

Lu Wei pondered for a moment and said, “Actually, when I went to the Alchemy Guild, Grandmaster Yuwen told me something.”

“She said she wanted to take me as her apprentice and asked me to stay at the Alchemy Guild to study before entering the Void Realm.”

Lu Wei recounted her experience at the Alchemy Guild.

…

After the Alchemy Guild event, due to Grandmaster Yuwen’s offer and her curiosity about the Heart-Mind State, Luwei went to the Alchemy Guild and met Grandmaster Yuwen.

When Grandmaster Yuwen saw Lu Wei, her first words were, “I want to take you as my disciple. Are you willing?”

Lu Wei had initially thought she was there just to learn, so she was surprised by this big offer.

She was momentarily stunned.

But the surprise lasted only a moment.

Lu Wei quickly remembered what Qingqing often said: if there’s an opportunity, you must seize it immediately!

Anyone could say that, but Qin Ruqing also mentioned that seizing the opportunity depends on both capability and perception.

If you have enough capability, the opportunity usually won’t slip away. If not, you need to rely on perception to enhance your chances.

In other words, you need to read the situation and guide it in your favor.

Almost immediately after this thought, Lu Wei looked up and quickly assessed the understated Grandmaster Yuwen.

Grandmaster Yuwen’s face showed signs of age, but it was clear that she could easily maintain her youth if she wished. For a grandmaster in alchemy, staying youthful is quite easy.

However, she chose not to. It was evident that she had a calm and accepting attitude toward everything.

Lu Wei quickly understood that this grandmaster must appreciate a steady and modest disciple.

So, she took a moment to think before not immediately agreeing.

She first paid her respects and then said, “Although I feel I have some talent in alchemy, I’m not yet at the top level. There are many younger alchemists who are more outstanding. Why would Grandmaster Yuwen choose me as her apprentice?”

Grandmaster Yuwen looked at Lu Wei with a satisfied expression.

She had noticed Lu Wei’s quick assessment but wasn’t offended.

Instead, she was pleased.

In any field, being rigid and inflexible can limit achievement, but alchemy especially requires innovation and adaptability.

Grandmaster Yuwen likes stable juniors, but not the kind who are rigid and stubborn in their stability.

She nodded and spoke slowly:

“Actually, I noticed you from the beginning of the conference. You drugged Fang Yuqing from the Fang family, hid her in the grass, and made her sleep through the whole event, causing her to miss the conference and get eliminated.”

Lu Wei was taken aback that Master Yu Wen immediately brought up her “mischief.” She kept her composure and nodded, “Yes, the Fang family has a grudge against my Qin family. She stole my spiritual herbs first, so I naturally had to ‘return the favor.'”

Lu Wei openly admitted that she sought revenge.

Master Yu Wen smiled, “Don’t be nervous, I’m not blaming you. I only noticed you because of this incident.”

“You come from a family of alchemists, with solid fundamentals and exceptional talent in alchemy, especially your attention to detail and sensitivity.”

Master Yuwen had sharp eyes and had already noticed Lu Wei’s greatest strengths—her meticulousness and sensitivity.

Just like when Qin Ruqing once mentioned the improvement of a medicinal formula, Lu Wei instantly picked up on the subtle clues.

Her sensitivity was evident.

“Besides, you also possess qualities of ‘calm’ and ‘steadiness.'”

Here, calm refers to genuinely dedicating oneself to research, while steadiness means maintaining composure even in the face of great challenges.

“In terms of alchemy talent and skills, the child from the Leng family might be better than you. However, your temperament is even more suitable for alchemy.”

In Grandmaster Yuwen’s view, this kind of temperament was also a form of talent.

“I am getting old, having become a senior member of the Alchemy Association, which means I am somewhat detached from my family and have no children of my own. I have been focused on my cultivation and hadn’t considered taking on disciples until I saw you.”

“Your temperament aligns perfectly with my alchemical philosophy.”

“So, child, after saying all this, would you be willing?”

Master Yuwen’s hands naturally rested in front of her, and she looked into Lu Wei’s eyes, seeing a reflection of the Qin family’s top scholar in her.

That was a very distinct trait, though it was more pronounced in Lu Wei because it was clearly learned and appeared somewhat awkward.

Master Yu Wen thought for a moment, considering Lu Wei’s feelings, and said, “That top scholar from your Qin family is probably your sister? If you join the Alchemy Association and receive our training, your future achievements… well, they shouldn’t be much less than your sister’s.”

Master Yu Wen intended to say “not worse,” but stopped abruptly.

She realized that the top scholar with three golden bells was a prodigy with a touch of destiny, making it difficult to surpass.

So she revised her words to “not much less.”

Master Yu Wen’s intention was to use this point to persuade Lu Wei.

She, too, came from a prestigious family and knew that competition among siblings was very common, especially when one of them was extraordinarily brilliant.

Suddenly, Lu Wei smiled.

She looked up with a firm yet inexplicably proud expression and said:

“Why should I compete with the moonlight?”