Chapter 53: A New Home

Time flowed like a galloping horse. In the blink of an eye, four more years had passed.

Gu Yuan was now thirty-five year old. He had broken through to the Third Stage of Golden Core, and his comprehension of Heavenly Shadow Traversal had reached the point where he could finally use it in battle. All his other techniques had also become much more proficient.

During these four years, however, the thing that made Gu Yuan the happiest was his progress in Array Formation. Even though he was still only a Spirit-Grade Array Master, he was advancing steadily, and constructing an array formation that could help him refine the Crimson Fire should be feasible within the next ten years.

Gu Yuan was prepared to continue his seclusion when he suddenly sensed a presence outside his room.

It was not the twins.

Those two were never considerate enough to wait politely. They would have simply entered. This presence belonged to his master, Luo Yunjin.

Gu Yuan opened the door with a thread of spiritual sense and invited her in with proper courtesy.

"Please enter, Master."

Luo Yunjin stepped inside, and seeing her Gu Yuan added, "You didn’t need to come here, Master. If you had sent me a message, I would have gone to you instead."

"It’s fine. I was in a hurry."

Luo Yunjin shook her head and sat down across from him. Her movements were natural, carrying the dignity expected of a master, but she did not make herself overly imposing or treat him with the usual aloofness a master might show toward a disciple.

She was slightly surprised when her gaze landed on him. His appearance remained neat and inconspicuous as always, but the treasures he carried were all of an extremely high rank.

Could they have been given to him by her master?

The thought only flashed through her mind for a moment before she dismissed it. It wasn’t her place to pry into where Gu Yuan had obtained his treasures, especially when he had clearly not intended to mention them himself.

"I heard from Yuning that you had something you wanted to ask me. What is it?"

So it was for this? Gu Yuan felt a little strange inside.

"I wish to hone my skills further as a Forging Master. For that reason, I hoped to set up a forge either inside the hall or beside it... if it is possible."

His tone was careful. He knew that his request might be asking for too much. However, he was quite comfortable here in this hall, and having his own workshop here would naturally be the best option.

Luo Yunjin thought for a moment before saying, "Instead of setting up a forge here, how about you move to a cave abode of your own? You can do whatever you want there."

Gu Yuan remained silent for a moment.

He liked it here in this hall precisely because it belonged to Luo Yunjin. No one would dare make any moves against him here.

But if it wasn’t possible to set up a forge here, perhaps moving really was the better choice.

Besides, Gu Yuan hadn’t forgotten Ji Yan’s request.

He was already late.

"Understood. I’ll move to a cave abode," he said.

"Then let’s go there immediately."

Just like that, Gu Yuan suddenly found himself kicked out of his previous home and on his way to a new one with Luo Yunjin, his master.

No matter what, he was a little reluctant at first. However, when he finally arrived at the cave abode he was going to move into, he had to change his mind.

The cave abode was located deeper within the Inner Sect, far away from the more lively areas where disciples frequently came and went. The surrounding area was quiet and largely empty; no neighboring residences in sight, only natural rock formations and sparse vegetation.

The isolation gave it a sense of privacy that his previous room in the hall had never possessed. Though the interior remained undecorated and simple, the density of Spirit Qi here was noticeably higher than what he had grown used to.

"Can I really have this cave abode?" Gu Yuan asked to confirm, finding the situation a little hard to believe.

"Yes, you can have it."

"What about the price?"

According to his knowledge, cave abodes were not that common in the Inner Sect, and they were quite valuable. The better ones were usually reserved for high-ranking disciples and elders, and obtaining one normally required paying something of equal value.

"It’s free," Luo Yunjin said calmly. But when she saw the suspicious look in Gu Yuan’s eyes, she sighed inwardly and explained, "It’s a gift from me, your master. I saw how hardworking and diligent you were."

"Thank you very much for your care, Master."

Gu Yuan bowed as he sincerely expressed his gratitude.

Even if this cave abode was expensive, he was prepared to cough up whatever price was required.

It was love at first sight.

What he didn’t know was that this was a cave abode that money couldn’t buy.

And that was only natural.

This was the cave abode that had once been occupied by the Great Elder. How could it possibly be sold?

"Even after moving here, if you need anything, you can still come and find me. I’m still your master."

After saying those words, Luo Yunjin didn’t linger any longer and finally took her leave.

Left alone, Gu Yuan spent some time exploring the cave abode.

The entire cave abode was quite spacious, with several hundred square meters of usable space. The main cultivation chamber occupied the largest portion, while there were several smaller rooms at the side. The interior was simple, with smooth stone walls and a ceiling high enough that even techniques requiring vertical movement would not feel constrained.

After looking around, Gu Yuan selected a suitable corner and decided to modify the interior there to make a separate chamber for his forge. Having a dedicated space for forging would be much more convenient than placing the forge in his main cultivation chamber, especially once he began forging more frequently.

He immediately began making the necessary changes.

But he had barely started when he realized that there were more than a few materials and items he lacked to properly set up the forge.

Having already made up his mind, Gu Yuan left his new cave abode and headed toward the Black Desolation Exchange Hall.

Unlike the open market in the Outer Sect, the Exchange Hall was much larger and more authentic. It was jointly managed by several Inner Sect Elders and operated under the direct supervision of the Black Desolation Sect.

A disciple could spend several hours browsing the Outer Sect market for a suitable Spirit Medicine and still have doubts about whether it was genuine.

If they were willing to pay more, they could simply come here.

The moment Gu Yuan stepped inside, a woman approached him with a bright smile. Her clothes were clearly chosen to highlight her beauty, while her expression carried the confidence of someone who had long mastered the art of dealing with customers.

"How can I help you, Senior Brother?"

"I want Spirit Iron, Earth Essence Stone, and Fire Stones," Gu Yuan listed the materials he needed.

The woman’s eyes lit up slightly.

"Is Senior Brother a Forging Master preparing to set up a personal workshop?"

Gu Yuan gave a small nod.

"In that case," she said smoothly, "instead of ordinary Earth Essence Stone, I would recommend using Earthheart Stone. It is more stable when exposed to high temperatures, making it better for constructing the foundation of a forge. It can also help stabilize the Spirit Qi around the forge, which will make your forging process smoother."

Gu Yuan thought about it and nodded.

That made sense.

The woman continued before he could speak.

"And if Senior Brother is setting up your own workshop, I would also recommend using Fire-resistant Jade for the walls and floor around it. Forging fires tend to make the entire room unbearably hot over time. Fire-resistant Jade will not only withstand the heat, but also prevent the temperature from spreading into the surrounding rooms."

"That does sound useful."

"Of course. There are also Formation Jades. A simple heat-dispersing formation would make the environment much more comfortable, especially if you intend to forge for long periods."

Gu Yuan fell silent for a moment.

He had only come here to buy a few materials.

Why did everything she recommended sound useful?

"Actually," the woman continued with a smile, "if Senior Brother wishes, our Exchange Hall can also help you set up the workshop itself. We can arrange the materials, formations, and furnace according to your requirements."

"No need. I can handle that myself."

"Of course."

She didn’t seem disappointed at all.

"Then shall I prepare the materials?"

Gu Yuan nodded.

In the end, he bought most of the things she had recommended. He had originally expected to spend only a few High-Grade Spirit Stones. Instead, he ended up spending dozens, even after haggling over the price with her for nearly half an hour.

Gu Yuan looked at the woman as he prepared to leave the shop. She smiled sweetly in return.

She was really professional!

It felt like he had been cheated, yet he wasn’t unhappy.

Rather, he felt that this had been a pretty good shopping experience.

Gu Yuan shook his head and finally made his way back to his cave abode, where he resumed his work on setting up his forge.