"Fellow Daoist Lin is back!"
"Fellow Daoist Lin! Forgive our unannounced visit."
"Fellow Daoist Lin…"
Just as Lin Feng noticed the crowd blocking his cave dwelling entrance, they spotted him too. A chorus of greetings immediately rose, most faces beaming as they hurried towards him. Lin Feng recognized them instantly – they were the cultivators who had shared the ship journey to Demon Loong Island. The smaller group lagging slightly behind were unfamiliar faces, but it didn't take much thought to guess they were likely 'clients' introduced by his acquaintances.
Despite his eagerness to return to cultivation, business couldn't be turned away. Lin Feng smiled, exchanging greetings with each person individually. While there had been over two hundred on the ship, a cultivator's memory far surpassed an ordinary person's; Lin Feng could recall nearly every name.
"Fellow Daoist Lin," one cultivator began, barely after the pleasantries, "I'm here again to ask for your help repairing this magic treasure. I've managed to gather all the restoration materials." He presented several items eagerly. His treasure had been unrepairable before due to missing materials, so he'd scrambled to find them immediately upon returning yesterday and rushed here today.
"Fellow Daoist Lin, mine too, please." "Fellow Daoist Lin, this is my friend. He also humbly requests your expertise in repairing a magic treasure…"
Lin Feng had just accepted the first cultivator's items when several others pressed forward. Surveying the slightly chaotic group, he cupped his hands respectfully. "Everyone, please quiet down for a moment. Rest assured, I will do my best to repair treasures for all who need it. However, it's inconvenient to discuss this out here. Please, follow me into my cave dwelling."
Lin Feng then ushered the group of over twenty inside. Fortunately, the main hall was spacious enough, with sufficient seating. Once everyone was settled, Lin Feng engaged in some light conversation, inquiring about each person's purpose. Only a few were there purely to pay respects to the newly renowned 'Artifact Master' and build rapport. The vast majority had come with commissions. By the end of the round, Lin Feng had collected another sizable pile of damaged magic treasures.
It was noticeable that the introduced newcomers harbored skepticism about Lin Feng's ability to repair their treasures. To them, he seemed far too young, even appearing in conversation like a greenhorn fresh out of seclusion, inexperienced in the ways of the world. Could such a person truly possess the astonishing strength rumored – capable of single-handedly killing Wu Luosen? And be a Grade 6 Artifact Craftsman?
Lin Feng naturally perceived their doubt, but it didn't bother him. Facts would soon convince them. As he had accepted each treasure, he'd already used his [Repair Technique] to confirm they were all repairable.
Just as Lin Feng felt it was time to see his guests out, a cultivator with a sallow complexion stood up and cupped his hands. "Fellow Daoist Lin, I have one more favor to ask…" He produced a brick-sized crystal emitting a faint golden-purple glow. "I possess this piece of Purple-Gold Profound Stone. I wish to entrust you with crafting a magic treasure from it. Would that be possible?"
Lin Feng blinked, slightly taken aback, then offered an apologetic smile. "This… Fellow Daoist Li, I must apologize. My skills in artifact crafting are truly rudimentary. I fear I cannot assist you with this. I only accept repair commissions."
"Is it truly impossible?" The Li cultivator's face fell with disappointment, but he pressed on. "I understand forging carries risks of failure. You could forge any treasure you envision from it; even if it fails, I won't hold it against you." He recalled Lin Feng mentioning his lack of skill in crafting, but had assumed it was merely modesty. In his understanding, an Artifact Craftsman capable of repairing even top-grade spirit artifacts surely couldn't be terrible at crafting.
"My apologies, it really is beyond me," Lin Feng shook his head firmly, adding with a helpless smile. "Otherwise, I'd only end up wasting your precious material for nothing." A plausible explanation occurred to him. "To be honest with everyone, I once chanced upon the legacy of a powerful senior. That senior was undoubtedly a formidable Artifact Craftsman. However, the inheritance I received was incomplete. The parts concerning artifact forging were missing, but the knowledge regarding artifact repair was remarkably comprehensive. Therefore, my studies focused solely on the art of artifact restoration. Consequently, while I might not even qualify as a novice in artifact crafting, I can confidently claim expertise in repair. That is why I accept only restoration commissions, not forging requests."
"Ah, so that's how it is…"
Lin Feng's explanation brought instant clarity to the group. It also conveniently explained the source of his seemingly powerful treasures – inherited from the senior. Such fortuitous encounters were not uncommon in the cultivation world; it was simply a matter of exceptional luck. Many couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy inwardly.
…
After sitting a while longer, the guests tactfully rose to leave. Lin Feng informed them they could return at the same time tomorrow to collect their repaired treasures. Of course, a few hadn't known what materials their treasures required. Following the 'standard procedure', Lin Feng would need to 'analyze' the damage first, then inform them of the necessary materials, letting them decide whether to provide them or not. This meant an extra trip for them, but a day or two's delay was insignificant to cultivators.
Once everyone had departed, Lin Feng settled into cultivation. The afternoon passed swiftly. He was jolted from his focus by the sound of the 'door chime' near evening – several more cultivators had arrived seeking his services. After accepting their commissions and seeing them off, he retrieved the treasures collected that day and began his 'work'.
The next day, the previous visitors arrived as promised, leaving delighted with their fully restored treasures. The newcomers witnessed Lin Feng's repair prowess firsthand, their initial skepticism completely replaced by conviction.
That day, besides those collecting yesterday's repairs, Lin Feng received yet another group of visitors. By day's end, he had accepted even more commissions than the day before.
The pattern repeated itself on the third day. Nearly half of the cultivators who had shared the ship journey had now visited him, almost always bringing friends. Besides these 'acquaintance referrals', some cultivators also came purely 'drawn by reputation' to seek Lin Feng's repair services.
For several consecutive days, Lin Feng's cave dwelling truly took on an air of bustling activity. A steady stream of cultivators sought his services. This influx even began to encroach significantly on his cultivation time; he often spent half the day receiving 'clients', and the majority of his evenings repairing treasures.
However, this didn't mean his cultivation progress stalled. For him, repairing artifacts was itself a form of cultivation. Moreover, the [Stellar Brilliance Art] he practiced was extraordinary; even without deliberate focus, it circulated his spiritual energy constantly. Therefore, his cultivation progress didn't slow in the slightest; his power continued to grow steadily, albeit quietly.
Busy days always seem to fly by. In the blink of an eye, a full month had passed. During this time, the uproar surrounding the Demon Loong Island incident gradually subsided. Current rumors suggested the Zhenhai Alliance was conducting a secret investigation, but no concrete results were known. Ordinary cultivators paid little heed to it now, treating it merely as occasional gossip.
In that same month, however, another name became widely discussed within Zhenhai City's cultivator circles – Lin Feng.
The initial fame sparked by the Demon Loong Island events had first made his name known. But as stories about his artifact repair abilities spread, they quickly overshadowed the earlier tales of his 'heroic' fight against Wu Luosen on the island, becoming the new focal point of discussion.
Word spread like wildfire through Zhenhai City and the surrounding region: a new figure had emerged, possessing an anomalous flame and capable of repairing any spirit artifact or lower-grade treasure. He was dubbed the 'pseudo-Grade 6 Artifact Craftsman'. The 'pseudo' prefix stemmed from his peculiar specialty: he excelled solely at 'repair', possessing no skill whatsoever in 'forging'.
After a month of such widespread talk, Lin Feng had cultivated a small but solid reputation in the Zhenhai City area. Since he himself had claimed expertise in artifact restoration, this phrase caught on and became his unique designation: the Artifact Restoration Expert.