"Since you've put it that way, I'll take you up on your offer. I'll have someone prepare the materials right away for you to refine another batch of Spirit Swords!"
Of course, Shi Xueyun wasn't going to refuse. Merak Palace usually couldn't afford to hire a Third-Grade Blacksmith for Artifact Refining, as the cost was quite steep. The materials themselves were already a huge expense; hiring an expert on top of that was even more costly.
Now, with Yi Tianyun helping, they could undoubtedly create more Spiritual Artifacts for far less money. This alone was enough to raise the overall strength of Merak Palace by a huge margin!
DING! Congratulations to Player 'Yi Tianyun' for accepting the quest: Complete the Artifact Refining task arranged by Shi Xueyun. Reward: 5,000 Experience Points, +10 Favorability.
'Huh, another quest triggered... and this time it includes Favorability?'
Yi Tianyun was taken aback. He hadn't expected a Favorability increase. Thinking back, the quests he'd accepted before hadn't been for individuals; they were either for a group or against enemies.
Defeating enemies would obviously only increase Hate Value, not Favorability.
This time was special, as it involved gaining Favorability with Shi Xueyun.
'I wonder if I can check my aunt's Favorability?'
With a thought, Yi Tianyun immediately saw Shi Xueyun's Favorability toward him—three hundred and thirty points.
He didn't know what this number signified, but a list of standards quickly appeared.
0 Favorability—Stranger.
10 Favorability—Acquaintance.
100 Favorability—Good Friend.
200 Favorability—Family or Lover.
300+ Favorability—Inseparable Through Life and Death.
The system was divided into these stages. There was also negative Favorability, though he hadn't seen an example of it. If Master Kong hadn't left, he was certain he would have seen a negative score.
'So Aunt's Favorability toward me is this high...'
Yi Tianyun was stunned for a moment, though on second thought, it wasn't entirely surprising. 'This Favorability score is just too high; it's already at the 'Inseparable Through Life and Death' level... Will it even do anything if it keeps increasing?'
"What's wrong? Why are you staring at me like that?" Shi Xueyun blinked, wondering why Yi Tianyun was looking at her.
"It's nothing. I just think you're very beautiful, Aunt," Yi Tianyun said with a smile.
"You smooth-talker!"
Shi Xueyun reached out and tapped him lightly, a blush creeping onto her cheeks. Then she huffed, "I'm going to prepare the materials now. You get ready!"
Soon, she had people bring over a large quantity of materials. Yi Tianyun accepted all of them and began a frenzy of Artifact Refining.
DING! Congratulations to Player 'Yi Tianyun' for successfully forging a Mid-Grade Spiritual Artifact, gaining 50 Skill Level points and 1,000 Experience Points!
...
He refined one Spiritual Artifact after another, earning a thousand experience points each time. The returns were quite substantial.
Then, an idea struck him. Just as he was about to successfully complete the next refinement, he activated Madness Mode, doubling his experience gain!
Although it consumed some Madness Value, it was well worth it. He instantly received double the experience, though unfortunately, his Skill Level gain was not affected.
Continuing this way, Yi Tianyun only activated Madness Mode just before successfully completing a refinement. Otherwise, if he left it active from start to finish, he wouldn't have nearly enough Madness Value to sustain it.
DING! Congratulations to Player 'Yi Tianyun' for successfully forging a Mid-Grade Spiritual Artifact, gaining 50 Skill Level points and 2,000 Experience Points!
...
His experience points skyrocketed. He was refining artifacts with a huge smile on his face. Others consumed Spiritual Power during Artifact Refining, and while he did as well, the rewards he reaped were tangible!
If he kept this up, not only would his cultivation level break through, but his Forging level would also rise.
Soon, he had finished refining all the materials—eight Spiritual Artifacts. It wasn't a huge number, as the available materials were quite limited. Merak Palace's resources were meager to begin with, so naturally, they couldn't provide any more.
These materials had originally been intended for Master Kong to forge, but now, Yi Tianyun had used them all.
DING! Congratulations to Player 'Yi Tianyun' for completing the quest. Reward: 5,000 Experience Points, +10 Shi Xueyun Favorability.
DING! Congratulations to Player 'Yi Tianyun,' you have successfully leveled up to the second level of the Spirit Refining Stage!
The system notifications rang out. He had leveled up just by completing that quest. 'I really just refined a few Spiritual Artifacts and easily broke through to the next level. Who else could possibly have it this good?'
"Is that all?" Yi Tianyun asked Shi Xueyun.
He wasn't quite satisfied yet. He wanted to raise his Forging skill and gain more experience points—the more, the better.
"That's all for now. I can't believe you succeeded with every single one, and they're all Mid-Grade Spiritual Artifacts!" Shi Xueyun was ecstatic. So many new Spiritual Artifacts would undoubtedly bolster Merak Palace's main fighting force.
"Hehe, as long as you ask me to refine them, Aunt, any amount is no problem. By the way, do you have any Spirit Medicines? I can do Alchemy, too!" Yi Tianyun said with a grin.
"You... you can perform Alchemy, too?" Shi Xueyun was dumbfounded.
"I know a little bit..." Yi Tianyun rubbed his nose, looking a bit sheepish. 'After obtaining the Immortal Fire, any kind of refining has become much easier.'
"Really?!"
Shi Xueyun threw her arms around him, exclaiming in delight, "This is wonderful! If you can really do all of this, our Merak Palace won't have to curry favor with anyone ever again!"
Yi Tianyun rubbed his nose, enjoying the soft, fragrant warmth. 'This is a pretty nice perk...'
"It's just that we don't have any Spirit Medicines here right now; we'll have to go buy some." Shi Xueyun, not paying much mind to his reaction, quickly added, "How about this? I'll send people to purchase some right away, including more materials for Artifact Refining!"
'Go purchase some, huh...'
Yi Tianyun's eyes lit up. He hadn't left the palace since he'd arrived. He immediately volunteered, "Aunt, why don't you send me? I can purchase what we need and sell some of these Spiritual Artifacts to earn more money for Merak Palace."
"Letting you go wouldn't be a bad idea. It can count as a training experience."
Shi Xueyun nodded and said, "Unfortunately, I can't go with you, but I can have others accompany you. How about this: I'll have An Ling and Qin Xue go with you. They will be your companions when you enter the Celestial Sinking Ruins. You can use this chance to get familiar with them, which will help you cooperate better inside."
"No problem. We'll do as you say, Aunt."
Yi Tianyun smiled. 'This isn't a bad arrangement. I can travel with them and build some rapport, which will help us cooperate in the Celestial Sinking Ruins. How could we possibly work together if everyone is cold and distant?'
"Alright then, I'll go make the arrangements right now!"
Shi Xueyun hummed happily and walked out with a smile to speak with the other elders.
Watching Shi Xueyun's cheerful figure depart, Yi Tianyun felt a warmth spread through his heart. As far as he could remember, he had rarely seen her smile so happily. She was constantly worrying about Merak Palace's affairs on one hand and his on the other—there was simply no time for smiles.
'Aunt, I will protect you forever!'
Yi Tianyun's eyes narrowed. 'I will help my aunt solidify her position and make Merak Palace stronger. That is my goal for now!'