"A Golden Core cultivator?!"
Lin Feng's heart skipped a beat, followed by a surge of excitement. He said to Zhang Fangzhou, "Go! Take me down to meet him!"
Zhang Fangzhou nodded quickly. "Alright! I already invited him to wait in a private room. I'll take you there now."
The main hall of the Lai Yue Inn had rows of private rooms lining both sides. Led by Zhang Fangzhou, Lin Feng arrived at the door of one on the right. He pushed it open and entered, while Zhang Fangzhou remained outside, clearly still intimidated by the presence of a Golden Core cultivator.
Upon entering, Lin Feng immediately saw the person sitting inside, leisurely sipping tea. However, seeing the man's face clearly made him pause momentarily—he had assumed a so-called 'Golden Core cultivator' would be quite elderly, but the person before him appeared to be a young man, seemingly only a few years older than himself.
"Is this really a Golden Core cultivator?"
A trace of doubt arose in Lin Feng's mind. Instinctively, he employed the Yuan Perception Art. A faint glimmer of white light flashed imperceptibly in his eyes as he looked towards the youth before him.
"Golden Core Layer Two!!"
The observation startled Lin Feng inwardly. Although he was now relatively proficient with the Yuan Perception Art, he could barely discern the man's cultivation level. With great effort, he finally perceived the other was at the Golden Core Layer Two stage!
While the Yuan Perception Art was a rare cultivation-probing technique, it naturally had limits. Its threshold was roughly seeing through cultivators one major realm higher than the user. Lin Feng, currently at Foundation Establishment Layer One, could typically discern the cultivation of those up to Golden Core Layer One (though the effect could be hindered if the target possessed concealment techniques). Therefore, he could only barely perceive this person as likely Golden Core Layer Two; he couldn't even be completely certain.
"A probing technique?"
The moment Lin Feng used the Yuan Perception Art, the youth opposite him raised an eyebrow slightly. He immediately detected Lin Feng's action, which was unsurprising given his Golden Core Layer Two cultivation—failing to notice would have been abnormal.
Lin Feng's heart tightened. He realized he had been rash. In the cultivation world, casually probing another's cultivation was considered impolite and could easily provoke displeasure. He swiftly retracted the technique, feeling somewhat awkward as he clasped his fists respectfully towards the man. "My apologies for the presumption, Senior... uh... I ask for your understanding."
Calling someone who looked his own age 'Senior' felt strange, but such were the conventions of the cultivation world. Unless they shared familial or sect ties, hierarchy was determined by cultivation level. Besides, while this person appeared to be in his twenties, he could easily be decades old. Cultivators lived far longer than mortals, and their bodies aged slower. It wasn't uncommon for cultivators over a hundred, or even hundreds of years old, to maintain a middle-aged or even youthful appearance. The cultivation world even possessed a miraculous pill called the Appearance-Freezing Pill, capable of locking one's appearance at the moment it was consumed, remaining unchanged until death.
Seeing Lin Feng's reserved demeanor, the young man chuckled. "Haha, Fellow Daoist Lin, there's no need for such formality. Please, don't call me 'Senior'. I'm not much older than you. Let's interact as peers."
Hearing this, Lin Feng felt relieved but also inwardly astonished. Was the other truly only in his twenties? A Golden Core cultivator in their twenties could undoubtedly be termed a genius—at least in a place like Biquan City, it would be a talent encountered once in a century. However, he recalled Long Chengkong mentioning that Biquan City's Golden Core cultivators were all older figures; this young genius hadn't been mentioned. Could he be an outsider?
His doubts flashed by quickly. Seeing the other's friendly attitude, Lin Feng relaxed a little. He walked over and sat down opposite the youth, smiling. "Since you say so, Fellow Daoist, I won't stand on ceremony. I am Lin Feng. May I ask how you are addressed?"
The young man smiled faintly. "Dongfang Yuhui. It's a pleasure to meet you, Fellow Daoist Lin."
"So it's Fellow Daoist Dongfang. An honor..." Lin Feng smiled again, clasping his fists, while taking the opportunity to observe the man more carefully: a cyan robe that wasn't overly opulent but certainly not cheap, clean and well-fitting; long, slender fingers; a face not classically handsome but pleasant enough; a sincere, unforced smile playing on his lips; sword-like brows framing clear, bright eyes; long, smooth hair cascading over his shoulders. He made a very favorable first impression.
Dongfang Yuhui spoke, "Fellow Daoist Lin, my visit today is somewhat presumptuous. I actually have a request. I heard that... your respected master is capable of repairing Spiritual Artifacts. I happen to possess one in need of repair. Might I trouble your master to assist?"
—Business has indeed come knocking!
Lin Feng felt a surge of internal delight. He nodded, "If it's a Low-Grade Spiritual Artifact, and you know the required repair materials, then there should be no problem."
"It is a Low-Grade Spiritual Artifact. I am aware of and have prepared the necessary repair materials. However..." Dongfang Yuhui hesitated slightly, "this artifact is rather unique. It is a Light-Aura Defense Artifact. I wonder if your master could repair such an item?"
"A Light-Aura Defense Artifact?! And a Low-Grade Spiritual Artifact at that?!" Lin Feng was greatly surprised. Light-Aura Defense Artifacts were vastly more precious than ordinary artifacts. Even a Low-Grade Spiritual Artifact level Light-Aura Defense Artifact was almost equivalent in value to an ordinary High-Grade Spiritual Artifact! The fact that Dongfang Yuhui possessed such a treasure strongly suggested his background was anything but ordinary.
After a second of stunned silence, Lin Feng spoke again, "As long as its grade is Low-Grade Spiritual Artifact and the repair materials are correct, there should be no issue. If it truly proves irreparable, not a single coin will be charged."
A glint of hope appeared in Dongfang Yuhui's eyes. With a flip of his hand, he retrieved a small sword, about three inches long, from his spatial ring and handed it to Lin Feng. "In that case, I must trouble you and your respected master, Fellow Daoist Lin."
Lin Feng had seen Light-Aura Defense Artifacts before, usually in the form of tokens or jade talismans. A small sword shape was a first, and a Spiritual Artifact level one at that. He reached out and took it, examining it closely.
Though shaped like a small sword, it was crafted from jade, a deep golden hue throughout. Intricate, mysterious runes covered its surface. On one side of the hilt, Lin Feng spotted two small characters: '九辰' (Nine Dawns), perhaps the artifact's name. A faint light emanated from the artifact, though for a Spiritual Artifact, this glow was noticeably dim. Moreover, the entire piece was covered in numerous fine cracks, giving the impression it might shatter if handled with even slight force.
"Artifact Damage Level: 70%" "Irreparable."
With a mere thought, the artifact's damage information surfaced in Lin Feng's mind. Seventy percent damage was severe; without repair, it would likely become useless after only a few more uses.
After his inspection, Lin Feng looked up at Dongfang Yuhui. "Whether it can be repaired remains to be tested. But regardless of success or failure, Fellow Daoist Dongfang, you may return tomorrow at this time to retrieve it."
Given the overwhelming number of artifacts received that morning—impossible to repair entirely by the next day—Lin Feng had no plans to go to the Free Bazaar tomorrow. He had only instructed the customers with the first half of the order numbers to collect their artifacts at the Free Bazaar tomorrow; Zhang Fangzhou and the others could handle that.
"Good. I shall return then." Dongfang Yuhui nodded, then inquired, "As for the repair fee..."
Mention of the fee immediately sharpened Lin Feng's focus; this was also his primary concern. Light-Aura Defense Artifacts are far more valuable than regular ones, so charging a higher fee is justified, right? Would asking for one million low-grade spirit stones be considered extortionate? But this is a Low-Grade Spiritual Artifact level Light-Aura Defense Artifact, worth nearly a standard High-Grade Spiritual Artifact! And with seventy percent damage... one million shouldn't be unreasonable...
Lin Feng's experience and perspective were still limited. He wasn't entirely sure how artifact repair fees were typically calculated in artifact shops. Though acquainted with the managers of the Treasure Pavilion, he hadn't felt comfortable asking directly back then, only having Zhang Fangzhou gather some rough estimates to base his own fees on.
While hesitating over what price would be appropriate, Lin Feng suddenly had an idea. He looked up at Dongfang Yuhui and asked, "Fellow Daoist Dongfang, by any chance... do you possess a Third-Grade Spirit Gathering Array Disk?"