Chapter Sixty-Nine: The Selection

Upon entering the Treasure Pavilion of Flame Valley, an array of dazzling spiritual artifacts appeared before Shen Qingyun, each emanating waves of spiritual energy of varying intensity.

His gaze was immediately drawn to a particularly radiant artifact, blazing with brilliant golden light. It was a pair—a set of two. Shen Qingyun thought of Ling Xiao at once, and strode forward to pick up the golden gauntlets. Their form and the aura they radiated gave one a sense of weightiness, as if they were forged from mountains themselves.

“These are the Golden Gauntlets, fourth-tier spiritual artifacts,” Fire Qing explained, approaching Shen Qingyun as he noticed his choice.

“Only fourth-tier?” Shen Qingyun glanced at him, his tone full of surprise—not in awe, but in disappointment.

“Not satisfied?” Fire Qing’s brows furrowed slightly, thinking, “Is Shen Qingyun too picky? Even in Cangyun, fourth-tier artifacts are rare!”

Shen Qingyun toyed with the gauntlets, dismissively remarking, “Average.”

Spiritual artifacts were ranked from first to ninth tier; fourth-tier was below the median.

Fire Qing said nothing, though his gaze grew displeased. Any artifact allowed in this pavilion had passed his own scrutiny—these artifacts were, in a sense, his children. To call them merely “average” before their father—who would be pleased?

Thinking of the sect master’s instructions, Fire Qing suppressed his displeasure. “If you don’t like it, pick another.”

Shen Qingyun caught the hint of dissatisfaction Fire Qing struggled to conceal. With a mischievous smile, he flicked his wrist, and the golden gauntlets vanished into his storage ring.

“Average as they are, I can still make use of them.”

Fire Qing was momentarily stunned.

Was this really necessary?

The Treasure Pavilion was vast, with rows of shelves neatly arranged, each displaying artifacts as if they were common cabbages—seemingly random, yet meticulously ordered. Ordinary disciples would have been overwhelmed, but Shen Qingyun was not. He judged not by the artifact’s appearance or type, but by the waves of spiritual energy they emitted, weighing their strength before considering their suitability. The best weapon was not merely the strongest, but the one most suited to its user.

After browsing two shelves, Shen Qingyun appeared to Fire Qing more like a leisurely shopper than a seeker of treasures.

Was he truly selecting?

At the third shelf, Shen Qingyun paused, eyeing two pieces of armor glowing with white luminescence. Their cloud-like patterns lent them a lightness and elegance.

“These two artifacts, their aura is unusual,” Shen Qingyun remarked, raising a brow.

Fire Qing hesitated, unsure how to respond. His feelings were a mix of bitterness, but mostly heartache.

“These are Twinborn Spiritual Armor, seventh-tier artifacts,” Fire Qing said, suppressing his pain. These were among those he least wished Shen Qingyun to take.

He had hoped Shen Qingyun would be ignorant of their worth and simply grab a few lesser artifacts. But reality proved otherwise.

“Oh?” Shen Qingyun was intrigued. The Twinborn Spiritual Armor seemed perfect for girls, and he thought of Qiao Xinran and Qiao Xinyu. These would suit them well.

“Elder Fire, could you explain the Twinborn Spiritual Armor in more detail?”

Fire Qing glanced at him, certain now that Shen Qingyun would take them. His heart ached all the more, and he had little interest left in explanations.

He said curtly, “The Twinborn Spiritual Armor was forged by the previous Valley Master upon retirement, and holds great commemorative significance.”

His words carried an implicit plea, hoping Shen Qingyun would spare the armor.

Shen Qingyun understood the subtext, but why miss out on a good thing? He brushed his hand over the armor, and they entered his storage ring.

Seeing Fire Qing’s face twisted in pain, Shen Qingyun nearly laughed. “Three artifacts now, Elder Fire.”

“Fine, fine,” Fire Qing replied absentmindedly. Now, only a handful of high-tier artifacts remained in the pavilion.

If Shen Qingyun knew Fire Qing’s thoughts, he would retort, “So few high-tier artifacts, and you dare call this a Treasure Pavilion?”

At the end of the third shelf, Shen Qingyun picked up a dagger made of unusual materials, though its rank was not high. The Shadow Dagger felt weightless as paper, with an excellent grip. The drawback was the biting cold seeping into the palm, needle-like and uncomfortable.

A fourth-tier artifact—Fire Qing’s demeanor improved slightly.

With four artifacts chosen, two remained. Now, Shen Qingyun would not hold back.

He walked straight toward a corner of the pavilion. Fire Qing’s pupils contracted sharply, and he called out, “What are you doing?”

Shen Qingyun turned, grinning, “Choosing artifacts, of course.”

Fire Qing broke into a sweat, “Why search the corners? You should check each artifact one by one, or you might miss something valuable!”

“Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing,” Shen Qingyun replied, continuing toward the corner.

“You know—” Fire Qing nearly cursed. That corner was deliberately hidden, never meant for artifact selection.

Fire Qing was known in Cangyun Sect as the Iron Rooster—not that he was stingy, but he was strict. Any disciple coming to Flame Valley, unless for a custom commission, had to pay a steep fee in sect points or merit to enter the pavilion. Yet only the inferior artifacts were available then; his aim was to weed out the dross.

He cleared out the lesser artifacts, keeping the best. He never displayed the treasures, only letting disciples choose from the common ones. Over time, he earned the nickname Iron Rooster.

A dazzling brilliance burst forth in the pavilion, eclipsing all other artifacts. Seeing this, Fire Qing could no longer hide his pain—his face twisted in agony.

“What a fine sword!” Shen Qingyun exclaimed. The blade brought both heat and chill upon contact, forcing him to channel spiritual energy to dispel the discomfort. But what fascinated him most was the harmonious coexistence of fire and extreme ice within the sword.

The blade was mainly crimson, adorned with icy blue-white patterns, radiating both hot and cold energy.

“Elder Fire, does this sword have a name?” Shen Qingyun asked.

“Red Snow,” Fire Qing replied coolly.

“Red Snow—a worthy name. I’ll take it!” Shen Qingyun began to store it in his ring.

Fire Qing strode over and seized Shen Qingyun’s wrist, shouting, “You’ve already taken two exceptional artifacts, you can’t take another!”

“Elder Fire, your composure, mind your composure,” Shen Qingyun smiled, prying Fire Qing’s fingers from his wrist.

“I care nothing for composure now,” Fire Qing’s face flushed red. “You may choose another artifact—two, even three, I can approve. But not Red Snow. You must leave it!”

Shen Qingyun kept smiling, methodically peeling off Fire Qing’s fingers. “Elder Fire, do you recall what the sect master said?”

“Even if you invoke the sect master, it’s no use. You’ve gone too far!”

“But if the sect master learns you’re hoarding such a high-tier artifact, what then?”

Fire Qing froze, his hand stiff in the contest.

Seizing the moment, Shen Qingyun stored Red Snow in his ring, considering that he’d need a special sheath, as an ordinary one would not suffice for its unique properties.

“Elder Fire, I’ll choose one last artifact.”

He squatted down, rummaging through a pile of miscellaneous items. Though called junk, it was really a collection of first and second-tier artifacts—nothing worthy of display on the shelves, so they were relegated to the corner.

By the time Fire Qing realized what was happening, Shen Qingyun had already dug out a black box from the pile. Fire Qing’s eyes widened, his mouth opened and closed as if words were caught in his throat.

Without a word, Shen Qingyun stored the box in his ring—it was a treasure.

Fire Qing stared at him for a long moment, finally waving his hand irritably, “Go, go, get out! Don’t clutter up my pavilion!”

Shen Qingyun chuckled, bowed, and quickly departed the Treasure Pavilion and Flame Valley.

He had already seized all the best treasures—there was no reason to linger.

The one most troubled was Fire Qing; the rare high-tier artifacts had been swept away by Shen Qingyun, and he couldn’t even complain. If the sect master found out, he would face punishment.

Leaving Flame Valley, Shen Qingyun realized half a day had passed. He turned and headed straight toward Flower Valley.

When Bai Yiran saw Shen Qingyun, she looked at him in astonishment. “Shouldn’t you be at the assembly, organizing the disciples for the trial teams? Why are you here in Flower Valley?”

Shen Qingyun instantly understood. As the chief disciple of Cangyun Sect, he was expected to oversee the important task of organizing the trial teams.

Such an assumption was normal, so Shen Qingyun smiled lightly, “They’re busy with their own excitement, and I’ve been completely left out.”

Bai Yiran paused, then understood what he meant. She asked, “So you came to Flower Valley to find those two little girls?”

“Little girls?” Shen Qingyun was briefly puzzled, then nodded with a smile, “Yes, are they here?”

“They are,” Bai Yiran replied. “All of Flower Valley is off organizing teams for the Ghost Valley trial. They wanted to go as well, but I strictly forbade it!”

“Forbidden? Why?”

“Their cultivation isn’t sufficient, and they want to join the trial? That’s courting death!” Bai Yiran was visibly angry—the two sisters had clearly vexed her.

Her reaction was understandable; perhaps the girls didn’t grasp their importance to Cangyun Sect, but the sect treasured them dearly. Ghost Valley trials were dangerous, and the sect would not allow them to participate without adequate strength.

“I won’t disturb your meditation, Senior Sister. Farewell!” Shen Qingyun bowed.

As Shen Qingyun turned to leave, Bai Yiran quickly said, “You haven’t told me why you’re looking for them.”

“I want them to join my team,” Shen Qingyun replied, turning to face Bai Yiran. “If you don’t permit them to enter the Ghost Valley trial, then that’s that.”

“Who says I don’t permit it?” Bai Yiran’s words surprised Shen Qingyun, and she continued, “I’m not their master; I know how to be flexible. With others, their safety can’t be guaranteed, so I refused. But with you, it’s different—I trust you fully!”

Shen Qingyun’s expression remained impassive as he walked over and handed her the Twinborn Spiritual Armor.

“This…” Bai Yiran looked down at the armor, then up at him.

“These were acquired from Elder Fire, called Twinborn Spiritual Armor. Perfect for them,” Shen Qingyun explained. “With these, their self-preservation will be much improved in Ghost Valley.”

“But… I know—” Bai Yiran stammered, “How did you manage to get the Twinborn Spiritual Armor from the Iron Rooster?”

Clearly, she recognized the armor and knew how much Fire Qing prized it, hence her astonishment.

Shen Qingyun merely smiled, offering no explanation. If she knew he’d taken all of Fire Qing’s treasures, her reaction would be even more dramatic.

“Very well, Senior Sister, please let them know to gather at my place tomorrow evening. I trust you know my cave residence number.” With that, Shen Qingyun turned and left.

...

Two days remained before the trial began—one day for assembly, and another for familiarization.

Walking along the winding paths of Bamboo Peak, Shen Qingyun considered the coming events.

Suddenly, he saw a graceful figure standing ahead on the mountain road. He paused, recognizing Wu Xier.

But it was none of his concern.

As he passed her, Wu Xier bit her lip and called out, “Chief Shen, do you have a moment?”