The Immortal Path of the White Lotus Slowly Unfolds Volume 1 Chapter 47 Forty-Seven, Delivering News

  Liu Qianbi was puzzled and said: "Rong Rou came here to find a master to refine the instrument? Although there are also masters with good craftsmanship here, they still can't compare to the masters of Bai Yu Bieyuan. Why didn't Rong Rou directly ask the masters of Bieyuan for help in forging?"

  Xiao Yao smiled and explained: "I'm not looking for a master to refine equipment, I just want to find a better shop to rent a furnace and ask a few questions."

  "Will Chong Rou still be able to refine equipment?" Liu Qianbi was shocked, as refining equipment wasn't like refining dan or drawing talismans, but rather a physically demanding task. Therefore, most equipment refiners were born with strong physiques and few were women. Even if there were one or two female refiners, they would also be physically robust. Someone like Chong Rou, who cultivated the Dao, had a physique no different from that of an ordinary woman, making it hard to imagine her as a skilled equipment refiner.

  Xiao Yao said with a hint of shyness: "I learned it because I liked it, but my skills are still not good enough to show off in front of Qian Yun."

  Here is the translation:

  "As I was saying, Liu Qianbi couldn't help but take another look at Xiao Yao, seeing her wearing a plain and simple sky-blue robe, with a healthy and natural complexion, and no visible strong muscles or bones. She thought to herself that it wasn't necessary to buy a furnace or find a good master, as she could just learn from Xiao Yao casually. So, she patiently introduced the situation on 'Five Skills Street' to her: 'This street is full of all sorts of people, with more than half of the so-called masters only knowing some superficial skills, either cheating for money or seeking fame; only three or four layers are truly relying on their craftsmanship to make a living. Among these, there are nine layers that are famous families or sects' master craftsmen, but generally, they don't come here themselves, instead sending their apprentices to manage the shops and do the forging work. Due to their reputation, these shops always have long queues in front of them, and it's easy to tell just by walking around the street for a while; after filtering out the rest, there are only four or five shops that are truly old brands that have been built up over time through hard work. I suggest you go take a look at these shops, as they don't have any big background, and although their craftsmanship may not be as good as the famous masters, they are actually better than the apprentices of those famous masters if you ignore their reputation. Plus, since people nowadays like to chase after famous masters, there will be fewer people in these shops. At the very end of this street, there is a 'Jin's Forging Shop', where Master Jin's craftsmanship is among the best; if you trust me, why not go try it out?"

  Xiao Yao silently memorized it in her heart and gratefully smiled at Liu Qianbi, saying: "Thanks a lot, thank you, Qianbi."

  "It's just a small matter, since we're already friends, why be so polite?" Liu Qianbi smiled slightly and then seemed to think of something, saying: "If Rong Rou is interested in alchemy, you might consider signing up for the Alchemy Competition held by 'Zhai Xing Ge' five years from now. This competition will cover the entire star district and will be unprecedentedly grand. If you can get into the top ten in the competition, aside from the rewards, you'll also have the opportunity to learn from a famous master; if you can enter the top three, you can even get guidance from Wan Jia Shifu, the most renowned alchemy master in the star district, and have the chance to go to the main island to become an alchemy master within 'Zhai Xing Ge'."

  "Refining Equipment Grand Prix? When was this news released, why haven't I seen any announcements?" Xiao Yao searched her mind for a moment, but there wasn't even a hint of information. As someone from the White Jade Pavilion, which is known for being well-informed, if such an event really existed, it should have spread like wildfire and she would have heard something about it by now.

  "The main island was also just finalized in the past two days, and it's considered one of the biggest competitions in nearly ten thousand years. The official news will be spread tomorrow." Liu Qianbi held a jade cup and explained the reason: "Do you still remember the magic drum we obtained in the 'Kunlun Realm'? Not long after the magic drum and the demon-repairing primordial infant were sent to Dijun Floating Island, Senior Bai Yuzi convened an emergency meeting with various forces from the Star Region. This Refining Equipment Grand Prix was one of the decisions made during the meeting. As for the purpose, it's said that they plan to cultivate a batch of powerful refining masters, hoping to gather the strength of all the masters and forge equipment that can match the sacred magic artifacts of the Demon Spirit Realm, preparing for the Great War between Spirits and Demons in tens of thousands of years. The Liu family and White Jade Courtyard are related, so we got the news a bit earlier, which is considered a privilege."

  Xiao Yao thought about it and felt that this was indeed the case. Such major news would generally be transmitted to the leaders of each faction and tribe first, and then gradually passed down. As Liu Qianbi was the eldest daughter of the Liu family, it was not surprising that she would receive the news first.

  Such an event would normally not be something that Xiao Yao would attend, but now she urgently needs to improve her skills and cannot afford to miss any opportunity. This Refining Equipment Grand Competition might just be a shortcut if utilized properly. She then asked Liu Qianbi for more information: "This is quite interesting, I wonder what kind of reward one can get if they enter the top ten."

  Xiao Yao's arrival sparked interest, and Liu Qianbi revealed everything she knew: "There are treasures, techniques, elixirs, spiritual beasts, and precious materials. Once the news is released, a list of prizes will be announced, all of which were personally gifted by Senior White Jade. However, due to the vast scope of the competition, a preliminary selection will be held on each floating island one year before the official start of the tournament. Only the top two masters from each island will qualify for the final trial on the main island of Di Jun Xing, and the ultimate winner will be judged by Senior White Jade himself."

  After a while, Xiao Yao firmly locked the word "Kung Fu" in her mind. When she sees the list tomorrow, she will know if this trial is worth participating in!

  Liu Qianbi saw that she was lost in thought, staring at the tea water in her hand, and knew that she was hesitant. She thought she was worried that the competition would be too difficult, so she comforted her: "Since Rong Rou is just happy to participate, there's no need to be too obsessed with winning or losing. Just take it as an opportunity to understand the level of equipment refining in the Eastern Extreme Realm, broaden your horizons and gain experience."

  Upon hearing these words, Xiao Yao knew that the other party had taken her polite words to heart, but she was too lazy to explain, and besides, the other party was also sincerely advising her, so she sincerely thanked him: "Qian Yan's words are indeed true, thanks for letting me hear such good news ahead of time."

  With a snort, Liu Qianbi couldn't help but laugh out loud, her eyebrows and eyes curving upwards. "You're being too polite, this isn't some exclusive news that I'm only telling you, even if I didn't say anything, by tomorrow it would be all over the city anyway. If you still want to thank me, just invite me for tea another day, I heard there's a teahouse on West Street that sells ancestral spiritual tea that's not inferior to this 'Guanyin Spiritual Tea'."

  She saw her smile and said with a bright laugh: "Alright, as long as Qian Yun speaks up, it's fine even if we drink all the tea houses in this White Jade City."

  The two women continued to chat until a maid outside the door knocked and reported that the family asked the young lady to go back for a while, and the two of them reluctantly stopped their conversation, leaving each other with a token of connection before parting ways.

  Xiao Yao left the tea house and followed Liu Qianbi's words to come to "Jinji Duanzao Shop" at the end of the street.

  I've been feeling like I'm writing slower lately. It's weird, I don't feel stuck or anything, but somehow the time it takes me to write 3,000 words before is now only enough for 2,000 words. It's frustrating!