Maiden Galaxy

"But this Divine Clinging Cinnabar is nothing more than the crystallization of the Star Energy This King lost from originally being shut in the treasure chest. For it to surprisingly have such an effect." Zhongli Sanmei stroked her chin, feeling that she herself was truly too praiseworthy. Even while sealed away, she was still able to produce spirit sand that would drive a casting master into a frenzy.

"How about I shut you in there again?" Chen Mo chuckled.

"Sure. As long as you have this ability, This King will humor you." Zhongli Sanmei provocatively curled the corner of her lips.

"What a party pooper." Chen Mo laughed. Compared to having a Star General like the King Of Extinguished Ashes at his side, the Divine Clinging Cinnabar was not worth a mention.

Over the next few days, Chen Mo would go to the Jin Mansion whenever he had time to consult Jin Wuliang about spirit imbuement. To have a Middle Stage Casting Master imparting his experience, this kind of matter was something many casting masters were unable to imagine. Possessing a book of theory on casting and receiving the teachings of a Middle Stage Casting Master, Chen Mo's forging level simply advanced by leaps and bounds. He was not idle either. When he asked for advice, he would also sometime speak with Jin Wuliang about some things from the Book Of Casting, allowing him some benefits as well.

On this day, after Chen Mo finished consulting Jin Wuliang on spirit imbuement theory, he searched for a time when he could go buy some materials for casting.

They heard the gate suddenly open.

Jin Wuliang wrinkled his brow.

Several Three Flower Overhead warriors were knocked over, tumbling in. When the gate opened, two women appeared. One had a petite body and a ferocious gaze, wearing black long robes and a shroud over her face. On her forehead was a small dot, her eyes like sunken stars. The other woman wore a similarly black skintight long skirt that hid her natural figure; the skirt was half see-through, the contours of her thighs vaguely visible. She had a blood-red sash around her waist, and her hair was tied in a ponytail.

This woman's eyes were as clearly contrasted as black and white. Faint eye shadow was left around the corners of her eyes, giving her a bit of a wicked air.

"So you're Jin Wuliang? I hear that you're Little Jade City's best casting master." This evil-looking woman flatly laughed.

"The others better be only flattering me, however, Your Servant is confident in at least some of his own ability. Ladies, what is the meaning of this?" His Three Flowers Overhead guards were sprawled on the ground, yet Jin Wuliang remained aloof.

"Ha, ha, ha, ha, what a very good attitude." The woman laughed: "Modesty, arrogance, I like both."

"Apologies, Your Servant is not fond of arrogant and rude customers. Please go back." Jin Wuliang bluntly issued gave them notice to leave.

"Hey, Her Highness is giving you face, don't think that you're so…" The eyes of the female bodyguard beside her chilled, her attitude arrogant.

"Rude, how can you quarrel with a casting master. Slap your own face." The woman coldly said.

The bodyguard lowered her head apologetically, slapping herself in the face. The sounds of the slaps had clear force, without any leniency at all. The hand-shaped marks on her white face were becoming deeper and deeper.

Jin Wuliang could not watch any longer. Why did he feel like he had become the bad guy. The man coldly said: "Enough, there's no need to do this."

The woman held up her hand, and the bodyguard finally stopped slapping her face. However, her eyes remained lowered.

"Are you foreigners?" The races from the Periphery and the Star Fields were not too different from each other. Jin Wuliang had lived in Little Jade City long enough to be able to tell from some clues, including the black hair, the tall stature, and the sharp gaze of the woman that beneath the surface, she was brimming with grace that came from beyond the Western Regions.

This grace could kill a person.

"Is that important?" The woman asked.

"Not at all." From the very beginning, the Great Tool Court spoke business when casting weapons. Any sect, cultivator, or even Star General could come forth for forging. "But I generally will not easily cast for anyone." Jin Wuliang loftily replied.

As a Middle Stage Casting Master, not any cultivator could find them. Even Lesser Thunder Tribulation cultivators did not necessarily have this qualification. He was unable to judge this woman's cultivation, but perhaps she did not reach the level of Greater or Lesser Thunder Tribulation.

"You think I generally would easily let anyone cast for me?" The woman disdainfully curled the corner of her mouth, "If you want to help cast for me, then we must see if you have the qualifications or not, no matter if you're a Middle Stage Casting Master or not."

From the side, Chen Mo said to himself that this woman was tricky, to have used reverse psychology. From the perspective of a proud, arrogant Middle Stage Casting Master, excellent forging skill was the source of their confidence. As expected, Jin Wuliang smirked, "Then good, I actually want to see just what you're showing off."

"If I may ask, what is this." The woman turned her hand over. A pile of grit appeared in her palm. It was seemingly like snow or salt, crystalline, chestnut-shaped, and very small.

Jin Wuliang's sneer vanished.

The man's eyes widened. Staring for a long while, he overflowed with cold sweat.

Jin Wuliang's cheeks were a complete red, then they turned from red to white, then to green. He had lived in the Western Regions for decades, and he was confident he had seen all the spirit sand and spirit stones there were. There was nothing in the Great Chong Dynasty that he did not recognize, but he honestly did not know this. "This…This is Foreign spirit sand. The Star Fields have innumerable Spirit Sands. Just the Tail Fire Star Field has more than seventy-three hundred types. The Foreign regions have even more. I'll need time in order to know it." The man's tone weakened enormously.

"What the hell kind of casting master are you, to not even recognize this. Your Highness, it seems there is no need to count on him." The bodyguard said with disdain.

The woman who was addressed as a Highness showed a bit of disappointment.

Hearing these words, Jin Wuliang even wanted to die.

Jin Wuliang was unable to recognize it, but Chen Mo did. His brow wrinkled, but he hesitated to speak.

"What do you want to say?" The woman spotted Chen Mo and asked.

"This is Heavenly Mother Cloud Sand.¹ In the Foreign Star Field, it's also called Paradise Snow." Chen Mo said. There was a record in the Book Of Casting. Heavenly Mother Cloud Sand was produced at Heavenly Mother Mountain in the Western Regions, one speck every five hundred years. Normally, it was used in the Western Regions to refine pills and was never circulated outside. Jin Wuliang naturally would not recognize it. Chen Mo recalled this Heavenly Mother Cloud Sand was in the possession of only a few tribes in the Western Regions, but those tribes should already have gone extinct.

Chen Mo's words made the two women show some astonishment.

It seemed that he was right. This was indeed Heavenly Mother Cloud Sand.

"How do you know?" The woman's gaze was sharp, her tone vaguely containing a wisp of hostility.

"I've traveled through the Star Fields before, seen some wondrous things." Chen Mo matter-of-factly said: "This Heavenly Mother Cloud Sand is mostly used to refine pills. I'm afraid using it to cast tools will get you nowhere."

"What's your name?' The woman asked back.

"Before you ask for another person's name, you ought to announce yours first."

"You would surprisingly dare say such a thing to Her Highness!" The female bodyguard was angered.

"Shut up, do you want to slap yourself in the face again?" The woman shouted back. She stared at Chen Mo, her eyes full of interest. This youth was far more unfathomable than that middle-aged man, to surprisingly be able to know about Heavenly Mother Cloud Sand.

"You can call me Manao."²

Manao?

What a weird name.

"You can call me Shi Jin." Chen Mo said.

"Since you know the background of this Paradise Snow, I wonder if you can use it or not?" Manao asked.

Chen Mo pondered for a long time. Heavenly Mother Cloud Sand was among the highest quality spirit sand. Casting it into armaments could allow a cultivator to wield their weapon as if it was as light as a feather, yet its might would be as heavy as the Five Sacred Mountains. If concocted for a pill, it could achieve a Flying Immortal effect. It held so many advantages. In the Book Of Casting's spirit sands chapter, it was ranked number ten.

If he could use the Heavenly Mother Cloud Sand for Northern Dipper's Casted Star…

Chen Mo's heart was slightly moved.

"I heard about it before, but I'm just a casting master. I don't concoct pills." Chen Mo thought it over and knew that he was unable to conceal this point.

Manao's eyes said, "That was honest of you," but she said aloud: "I do not need you to concoct a pill, but I will require you to help forge something for me." 

"Let's talk outside."

Manao looked around, then turned and walked out of the courtyard.

"Be careful, foreigners all are very fond of doing that." Jin Wuliang urged him in a low voice.

Chen Mo nodded.

In an alley, the female bodyguard stood guard in the surroundings.

Once there were no people, the woman took out a blueprint. This diagram was dragged along by Star Energy, as if it was a chariot.

Astral Tool Diagram?

With only a glance, Chen Mo could see this was the composition for a Astral Tool.

The so-called Astral Tool Diagram was the same as a pill recipe. Pill recipes recorded a type of medicine's formula, proportions, and concoction procedure. Similarly, an Astral Tool Diagram recorded the forging process for an Astral Tool or Astral Treasure. However, Astral Tool Diagrams were exceedingly rare. Generally, those sect-level casting masters left these behind.

However, even an ordinary Astral Tool Diagram was enough to allow a casting master to reap endless benefits.

Contained within was but the condensed experience of a sect-level casting master.

Chen Mo was moved.

"You should be able to see what this diagram is." Manao was very impressed at Chen Mo's feigned composure. This youth was too interesting.

"You want me to forge an Astral Treasure?" Chen Mo was quiet.

"Not bad. I'll provide all the materials for you. You only need to forge the Paradise Snow into it during the casting process. Can you do this?" Manao's tone was strict.

Chen Mo thought about it. If he had an Astral Tool Diagram, any Early Stage Peak Casting Master would have some grasp of it. He had also received the tips of a Middle Stage Casting Master over the past few days and would most likely have no problem.

"What do I get in return?" Chen Mo asked.

"In return, I can give you some of this Paradise Snow. I can also gift this Astral Tool Diagram to you, and I will also give you some of the Western Region's precious spirit stones, spirit sands, and pills. They absolutely will be of benefit to your casting." Manao showed a seemingly vague grin, "To a casting master like yourself, forging an Astral Treasure is but a once in a lifetime opportunity. You ought to not squander it."

"When do you need it?" Chen Mo knew there was no way to hide from her. When someone was giving already prepared materials to cast, only a fool would reject her.

"Seven days."

"Seven days? That's too fast, I'm only an Early Stage Casting Master. Seven Days is absolutely impossible. You'd better seek out that Middle Stage Casting Master. Maybe he can do it." Chen Mo shook his head.

"He didn't recognize the Paradise Snow, I won't ask him. Then how long do you need?"

"Fifteen days."

"Too long." Manao did not hesitate to decline. "Eight days!"

"Fourteen days."

"Nine days!"

Bargaining like this, the time they finally settled on was ten days.

1. 天母雲砂 ↩
2. 瑪瑙, it literally means "agate." I doubt it's a deliberate reference to the mineral, but it's probably a transliteration of a word from a foreign language. ↩