The Geared Immortal

The Great Wu Cultivation Academy: 5

/*unedited*/

In a long hall, a beautiful petite woman wearing a blue long robe walks beside a young cultivator. The young woman does not project an aura which means she is just a normal mortal. But of her left upper chest is a badge that signifies that she is a middle-grade crafter. A status that evens the cultivators in this edifice respected very much.

Even the young man is acting politely towards her as he guides her to an office.

A few weeks ago, she is just a lowly commoner with good crafting skills. But now, because of her status and skills, she has earned respect from the people who could see her. Not many people could wear the badge of a craftsman. In the Great City of Wu, before anyone could work as an artifact craftsman. One should attain the badge which signifies their skill.

And so after a week of training and basic crafting from her master, she was able to learn a lot of things immediately. This is her innate gift since young which her master really likes about her.

Ai Ji was excited at first when her master told her that she is now ready.

"We will go to the Craftsman\'s union and obtain a badge for you, okay?" Shin Jiao said at that time.

The two then went to the Craftsman\'s union building. There was a long line of people trying to enter the building and obtaining a craftsman\'s badge. This way they can work on artifacts and would be able to sell it legally inside the city. As this is the rule in the city.

Suddenly…

"What is a little mortal girl doing in this place? Get out of here… this is not a place for you to tarry." A man in his 30\'s said in a cold voice.

The man seems to discriminate mortals and cultivators. Shin Jiao could not blame the man as this is the norm in this place.

So, he just grabs Ai Ji\'s hand and drags her in front of him to protect her from the man\'s vicious gaze.

"Hah! So you two are lovers? Shameless bastards… You two get out of this place. This place does not welcome those who mingle with lowly mortals." The man scowled.

He is a man of status and really despises mortals as a whole and those who mingle with them. He even chased out his kin who doesn\'t have spiritual roots as he deemed them as trash. This hatred in him is because of his mother. His mother is actually a mere mortal woman. But when he and his father were away and cultivated in seclusion for 5 years. They discovered that the woman he called mother left their home and was never found again. His father was angered and cursed the woman, making him have resentments against her. He then develops a heart demon that consumed him and was unable to progress in his cultivation.

They discovered that their house was burglarized and that his mother was taken. But he blamed it because his mother is a weak mortal. If she was a strong cultivator and not a trashy mortal, then she would be able to fight for herself. He really despises his mother because of the circumstance of his father. And from then on hated every mortal he could see.

When his father died, his resentment just grew. Now he is the head of the Lobai family, one of the big families in the Great City of Wu.

The man is called Guang Lobai, and he is with his daughter Meng Lobai taking the exam in being a primary craftsman.

When she saw her father lashing out, she suddenly moves to his side.

"Dad, not here. Please…" Meng Lobai said.

She is a very kind young woman. Though she has grown in a rich family where their tradition is to have mortals, she is different. She didn\'t care about her father\'s opinion, what matters to her are her growth when it comes to crafting. Since she discovers the art of crafting, she became interested and hooked. From then on she practiced the Dao of crafting and has achieved small success in it.

She can now make basic artifacts, but the effect is not that strong yet as her cultivation is still too low. But she works hard every day just to improve her skills.

And today, she feels that she is not ready to make a good artifact that cultivators can use in the outside world. One of those is the fireball slab which can project up to five fireballs. Though the power of the artifact is only comparable to a core-forming realm, still it is enough to grant her the status of a primary craftsman.

Gritting his teeth in disgust, Guang Lobai just humphs coldly.

He doted this daughter of his too much as she is very charming and skillful. He saw how she grew up to be a talented craftsman and he is proud of this as she would be the first craftsman in their family. If she can attain great honor in this, their family would become well-known in the Great City of Wu.

As the line, moves on, it was Shin Jiao\'s turn to the counter.

"Who\'s the one taking the test?" the woman wearing a purple robe asked politely.

She knew that these people if accepted would be respectable craftsmen. So she didn\'t want to offend them. She was taught to not judge the participants by their looks or the way they dressed. And true to her training, she politely assisted each of the participants.

"I and my apprentice would like to take the exam." Shin Jiao said with a smile.

When the woman heard this she suddenly turns her gaze to the beautiful young woman besides Shin Jiao. She can clearly tell that the young woman is just a mortal, how can she be an artifact craftsman?

But she didn\'t hesitate to take out two wooden slabs.

"Please insert your spiritual Qi in these slabs to register your identities." The woman said helplessly.

But before her eyes, Shin Jiao took the half palm-sized slabs and gave one to Ai Ji, and left the counter.

She just shook her head and move on to entertain the next person in line.

Guang Lobai saw this and grunted in disdain. How can a mortal also take the artifact crafting examination? The two are just waiting to shame themselves. The young man is clearly a cultivator, why would he take a mortal as an apprentice? He is just some crazy stupid young person.

Shin Jiao and Ai Ji reached the examination room and saw a middle-aged man waiting outside.

"Please show us your slabs." The middle-aged man in purple robe asked.

He then scanned the slabs to determine if the Qi inside is enough for them to qualify for the exam.

But when his gaze turns to Ai Ji, he froze.

"Umm… Sir, you can\'t bring your mortal maid in the examination room." The middle-aged man said with an apologetic smile.

"Oh, she is also taking part in the exam." Shin Jiao said.

When the people around them heard this, they look at Shin Jiao in disdain. How can a mortal become an artifact craftsman? This is just too absurd.

Everyone began to murmur jeering words at the young man who doesn\'t know the immensity of heaven.

"Hey, young brat! It\'s better if you go home and just leave your servant. Don\'t cause a ruckus here."

"Yeah! Just beat it. You\'re just a young man without knowing the hardship in making artifacts. Do you think with just your talent you are able to help your servant when you can\'t even help yourself?"

"Get out of here!"

"Look at him, he\'s just someone who knows a little crafting and he wanted to try and become an artifacts craftsman, what a joke."

They didn\'t know who started it, but the people seem to become incensed as they began to mock the two. Shin Jiao knows that these cultivators are just blowing off their steam as they are pressured in this crafting exam.

He already heard from Mingsha Wu that this exam is very astringent and around 90% is unable to pass. This is because making a truly working artifact is not that easy.

"Haha, this little brother is really funny. I have warned you about taking a mere lowly mortal in this place. Trash would always be trash if I were you I would just leave that trashy mortal at home." Suddenly a cold voice behind them said.

It was Guang Lobai who walks haughtily towards Shin Jiao and Ai Ji.

"Dad, don\'t be like that. Please…" Guan Lobai\'s daughter, Meng Lobai said while following him from behind.

"You… Mark my word. I don\'t want you to associate yourself with these trashes. Look at this young man, his future would be bleak just because he is always with that mortal slave of his." Guan Lobai said with a disdainful look.

Shin Jiao didn\'t want to fight against these people as it is below him, but he can\'t let his apprentice suffer this kind of humiliation. He suddenly turns around as was about to refute those people, but Ai Ji suddenly grabs his hand.

"Master, it\'s okay… I\'m used to it." Ai Ji said with a faint smile.

She knows how Shin Jiao admired her talent and how he gave her his best just to teach her artifact crafting. She has dedicated all her time and effort in this, and she would be crazy if she fell in these people\'s provocation. She just decided to show them all who the trash is.

Her actions would speak louder than their words.