At this moment, the bustling marketplace, the cultivators that Han Li observed in the outer areas, numbered no more than twenty or thirty—truly quite sparse! "Have they all moved to the Star-Dust Pavilion in the center?" Han Li found himself wondering. Yet, he didn't immediately head off toward that pavilion. For the forge shop had been overly confident! (The shop specializing in seal-making only returned equivalent spiritual stones and materials upon failure!) This piqued his curiosity. So, after circling the entire area, Han Li found himself naturally stepping inside. The shop wasn't particularly large—only three rooms and a small courtyard. When Han Li entered the front hall, he found an older man dressed in scholarly robes already engaged in conversation with an elderly man who had white hair but a vibrant complexion, while a sturdy, dark-skinned man stood respectfully beside them. The two were deep in conversation, and though they noticed Han Li's arrival, they didn't pause to continue their discussion. To the contrary, the sturdy man stepped forward with great diligence and politely asked, "Sir, are you looking to purchase an item of spiritual equipment, or would you like one custom-made?" "First, let me take a look at what you have in stock, and then decide whether to go for a custom piece," Han Li said calmly. "Very well, then—would the gentleman be interested in mid-tier spiritual equipment, or upper-tier?" Seeing that a genuine customer had arrived, the man's face brightened with genuine enthusiasm. "Top-tier spiritual equipment, and specifically, top-tier masterpieces!" Han Li spoke softly, yet this single sentence immediately stunned the man before him. Both of them, who had been enthusiastically discussing, instantly fell silent, now exchanging astonished glances at Han Li. "Sir, you're looking for top-tier spiritual equipment—and specifically, masterpieces?" The man, regaining his composure, could hardly believe he hadn't misunderstood. Top-tier spiritual equipment was no ordinary purchase—often requiring hundreds of low-tier spiritual stones. Generally, even after a lifetime of saving, most cultivators wouldn't be able to afford a single piece of spiritual stone. Yet Han Li insisted on selecting a premium item from the top-tier category. It was no wonder the sturdy man was so visibly startled! "Little Black, come back! Don't show any disrespect to this elder!" The white-haired elder finally recognized Han Li's Foundation Stage cultivation level, his face instantly changing, and he hurried over to push the sturdy man aside. "Old man here is the owner of this shop. Please go ahead and let me know what you need!" Clearly, both the elder and the scholar were still at the Qi Stage of cultivation. When they unexpectedly encountered Han Li, a "master" of such stature, visiting their modest shop, they felt both nervous and uneasy. "Nothing much. Do you have any particularly fine spiritual artifacts here? If so, I'd like to purchase one or two!" The elder sighed in relief upon hearing Han Li's words, yet still felt somewhat embarrassed and said, "I'm afraid we may fall short of expectations. Though we do have a few top-tier artifacts, they are merely for show—nothing particularly exquisite." Facing Han Li, a Foundation Stage cultivator, the elder could not conceal his honesty and thus spoke plainly. Upon hearing this, Han Li felt a wave of disappointment. Yet he could not help but silently chide himself for his own oversight—how could he have taken the grand claims on the shop's signboard so seriously, when such claims were merely a means to attract customers? Shaking his head, Han Li turned to leave. However, as he approached the doorway, he paused and turned back with a touch of dissatisfaction, saying, "Then, it seems the claim on the sign—that we can craft top-tier artifacts—is merely a mere pretense!" "No, Master Han, you've misunderstood. Our shop is committed to integrity. Every word on the sign is genuine—there is not a single falsehood." "As long as suitable materials are available, I am indeed capable of crafting top-tier artifacts," the white-haired elder quickly interjected, eager to defend the reputation of his shop. "You can actually craft top-tier artifacts?" Han Li was deeply surprised, a flicker of doubt passing through his eyes—his tone carried clear skepticism. He had assumed another person was responsible for crafting the artifacts, not this very elder. After all, crafting top-tier artifacts is no simple matter like producing mid-to-high-tier ones, which can be achieved with ordinary earthly flames. It requires the refinement of artifacts akin to crafting foundation pills—using primordial true fire or terrestrial fire—something that is far more demanding. Yet this elder was only at the Qi Condensation stage of cultivation and would not possess primordial true fire. Moreover, the surrounding area seemed devoid of terrestrial fire. How, then, could he have successfully crafted top-tier artifacts? "It's quite natural that you're unfamiliar with our shop, as this is your first visit," the elder explained. "Master Xu has a deep family tradition in artifact crafting, and his skill is absolutely on par with that of renowned masters from major sects." Moreover, the Xu family has nurtured a fire phoenix at the second-level initial stage for several centuries. Its magical flame is three parts stronger than the innate true flame, sufficient to craft top-tier artifacts without any concern. The middle-aged scholar, who had been quietly listening all along, suddenly spoke up to clarify a few points for the elder, yet this only deepened Han Li's confusion. "Magical flame? I've only heard of true flame and earth flame being used for crafting artifacts and pills. I've never heard of magical flame being used for such purposes!" Han Li furrowed his brows, still finding it hard to believe. "Ah! The elder may not be aware—using magical flame for crafting artifacts or pills requires certain special techniques. It is considered a lesser, unconventional method, often overlooked by the major immortal sects and not formally recognized. It has, however, gained widespread popularity. Our family would not have dedicated itself to studying this art if we hadn't occasionally come across such a fire phoenix." The elder picked up on the scholar's words and explained a few details to Han Li. "Ah, that makes sense!" Although Han Li had listened to the explanation, he still hadn't seen it with his own eyes, so he remained somewhat doubtful. "Might the senior also need custom-made top-tier artifacts?" the elder, noticing Han Li lowering his head and pondering, asked with growing curiosity. "If I were to provide you with ample materials and ask you to craft a top-tier artifact, how confident would you be?" Han Li raised his head, asking without committing to a definite answer. "It depends on the quality of the materials and the specific requirements you have for the artifact. If both the materials and the requirements are average, I'd have a one-third chance of success. However, if the top-tier artifact fails, our shop won't compensate for the materials—since failure rates are too high! Double compensation only applies to mid-tier and upper-tier artifacts. Otherwise, I'd have been ruined long ago!" The elder, pleased by Han Li's question, promptly replied with serious composure. After all, such a master craftsman was particularly short on high-quality raw materials for practice. The process of refining some top-tier artifacts would certainly elevate his craftsmanship significantly! And this one, though sounding young, is clearly a Foundation Stage cultivator—someone who can certainly offer something far beyond ordinary. This has sparked his great anticipation. "I do have some materials that you can try crafting with. However, while you're refining the artifact, I'll need to observe closely. Please rest assured—I won't interfere at all. And as a reward, should you succeed, I'll personally gift you a portion of the raw materials. You won't be working in vain!" After a moment of silence, Han Li finally resolved to say this. To him, it was far more advantageous to directly transform those precious Mo-Jiao materials into practical artifacts than to trade them for spiritual stones. After all, while his top-tier artifacts were quite numerous among Qi Stage disciples, he still felt uncertain when compared to other Foundation Stage cultivators. But one would surely expect others to be no less numerous. "Of course! Shall we begin now, Master? I'm ready at any moment!" The elder, seeing Han Li truly insist on having him craft a top-tier artifact, became excited immediately and readily agreed to Han Li's request, expressing his enthusiasm. "I still have a few things to purchase. I'll come back to start here after I finish my errands!" Han Li shook his head and said. "Very well! Then I shall await your arrival here!" Seeing that Han Li wasn't ready to begin right away, the elder felt a bit disappointed, yet quickly regained his composure and bowed respectfully. With everything settled, Han Li had no desire to stay any longer. He simply made a polite farewell and turned to leave the shop. Yet, just as he had taken a few paces away from the room, a voice from behind suddenly called out. "Master, please pause a moment!" Han Li paused, hesitated slightly, and then stopped. Then turning around, he spotted the scholar hurrying after him. At that moment, the scholar was smiling warmly at Han Li. "Is there something I can assist you with?" Han Li frowned slightly, speaking in a clear, cool tone. He wasn't particularly fond of people who interrupted him without cause. "My name is Zi Ling. I've been residing in this marketplace for some time now. I'd like to inquire whether you're looking for any specific goods. Perhaps I can be of some help, saving you considerable time!" Upon hearing this, Han Li glanced at the scholar with a touch of surprise, then smiled gently. "Are you Feng Xingzi?" Though the scholar couldn't see Han Li's facial expression due to the cloak, he clearly picked up the warmth in the tone, which eased his mind. He quickly replied, "You've guessed correctly. I'm not employed by any particular shop—this is merely a rare occurrence for me. So please, feel free to rely on me!" Han Li nodded indifferently, but said calmly, "Although I don't mind whether you're specifically hired by the shop, this time I'm looking to buy some array flags and array discs—seems like only the Star Dust Pavilion would be the best choice, and I don't really need any assistance!" (We'll continue working late tonight to deliver another chapter, so you'll have fresh content to read in the morning—please don't forget to keep supporting us!)