It didn’t take long for people to start paying attention to Arthur’s shop. In a city where most buildings followed the sa traditional patterns and refinent styles, anything that broke that norm stood out imdiately, and the Spirit Tool Pavilion did exactly that.
By the next morning, even before the marketplace had fully co to life, a small group had already gathered outside the shop, their curiosity drawn not by the reputation of the shop, but by the alien structure of the shop itself.
The clean symtry, the smooth surfaces, and the strange glass panels reflecting light made the shop feel like it didn’t belong in this world at all. So stood with their arms crossed, studying it with suspicion, while others whispered among themselves, debating whether this was so kind of gimmick or a genuinely new approach to artifact refinent.
One of the younger cultivators leaned slightly forward, trying to peer through the transparent front. “It doesn’t even look like a proper artifact shop,” he muttered, his tone uncertain.
Another, older and clearly more experienced, narrowed his eyes as he observed the details more carefully. “That’s exactly why it’s worth checking,” he replied. “No one builds sothing like this unless they’re confident in what they’re selling.”
The mont soone noticed the sign hanging above the entrance changed to open. One by one, they stepped inside, their initial curiosity quickly turning into sothing closer to surprise the mont they entered the shop.
The interior completely shattered whatever expectations they had ford outside. The marble floor beneath their feet reflected the ambient light so cleanly that it almost felt unreal, and the glass racks displayed the artifacts in a way none of them had seen before, each piece placed with deliberate spacing so it could be observed from multiple angles without obstruction.
But what truly caught their attention was the lighting itself. There were no visible lamps, flas, or formations carved into the walls, yet the entire shop was illuminated evenly with a soft, consistent glow without being harsh on the eyes. It wasn’t just functional, it enhanced everything around it, making even ordinary items appear refined.
As they walked deeper inside, their movents slowed unconsciously, their gazes shifting from one artifact to another as they tried to make sense of what they were seeing. “What kind of setup is this…” one of them whispered, reaching out to pick up a displayed weapon but was stopped by a force field.
Before anyone could ask what happened, Arthur stepped out from one of the inner rooms, his expression was calm and composed as if he had expected this exact reaction from them.
“Welco to the Spirit Tool Pavilion,” he said with a smile, trying to sound as approachable as he could. “What would you like to buy?”
The question broke their daze, and almost imdiately, they gathered around him, their curiosity shifting into active inquiry. Questions ca one after another, so curious, so skeptical, and so directly challenging.
They asked about the materials, the refinent process, the functions of the artifacts, and whether the designs were even stable or just experintal pieces ant to attract attention. Arthur didn’t react to the skepticism. Instead, he answered each question patiently, explaining not only what each artifact did, but how it functioned, how energy flowed through it, and how it compared to conventional refinent thods used in the cultivation world.
At one point, when a man hesitated after hearing the explanation, Arthur simply gestured toward one of the displayed weapons and said, “You can try it.” The man blinked, clearly not expecting that level of confidence. “Try it?” he repeated, unsure if he had heard correctly. Arthur nodded once, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “It’s easier to understand that way.”
That was all it took. The mont the man picked up the weapon and infused it with his spiritual energy, his expression changed instantly. The flow was smooth, far smoother than what he was used to, and the response was imdiate, without the usual resistance or loss during activation.
He turned the weapon slightly in his hand, testing it again, and this ti his brows furrowed in disbelief. “This… this is too good,” he muttered, unable to hide his surprise. The others quickly followed, and within minutes, the initial skepticism had completely vanished, replaced by genuine interest.
The first purchase happened almost naturally after that, then another followed. Word spread faster than Arthur expected it to, mostly due to the simple fact that people who left the shop did so with expressions that others couldn’t ignore.
By midday, the shop was filled with custors who moved in and out constantly, voices overlapping as questions, and negotiations blended into a continuous flow of activity. Arthur handled everything without rushing, his approach unchanged regardless of who stood before him. He didn’t need to push sales, the artifacts spoke for themselves.
By the ti night approached and the flow of custors finally slowed, the results were clear. More than thirty artifacts and weapons had been sold, and the total earnings reached around five thousand spirit stones.
Arthur stood behind the counter, briefly going through the numbers, his expression unchanged even as he acknowledged the significance of the amount. For most people, that was a month’s inco, sothing earned through consistent effort and risk. For him, it was a single day’s outco.
But it was expected as professions like, pill refiners, formation masters, artifact refiners were always in high demand. And the amount Arthur earned was actually on the lower side, but Arthur intentionally sold the artifacts at a lower price and he would continue to do so for two more days to expand his network.
“For now, reach matters more than profit,” he thought as he closed the shop for the day. Word of mouth was far more effective in the early stages, especially in a profession where reputation dictated long-term success. By allowing more people to access high-quality artifacts at a lower price, he ensured that his na would spread faster and wider than any advertisent could achieve.
And speaking about leaving the planet, he had no intention to do so before excavating a spirit stone mine or two. His reason to open the shop was to at least earn so spirit stones even if his plan to find spirit stone mines failed.
After sealing the shop, Arthur didn’t rest. Instead, he shifted his focus on sothing else. Inside the quiet space, multiple components floated before him as he began working on sothing far more complex than the artifacts he had sold earlier.
These were probes, but not the simple versions he had used before. Each one was constructed with a blend of advanced technological fraworks and intricate runic systems, combined together to bypass limitations that either system would face individually.
He worked with precision, assembling each unit piece by piece, embedding concealnt runes so refined that even his own senses struggled to detect them once activated. The previous issue he faced with the barrier had been resolved through these new designs.
These probes didn’t just avoid detection, they operated as if they didn’t exist within conventional perception fraworks at all. When he tested one briefly, extending his awareness toward it, he paused, realizing he couldn’t sense it at all.
“…Good,” he murmured quietly.
After completing ten of them, he deployed them across the city, letting them disperse silently into their assigned positions. They embedded themselves into the environnt, observing, collecting, and transmitting data without leaving any trace. It was a test run, but even at this stage, the results were already satisfactory as he was able to breach even the barrier covering the guard office of the city.
…
The next two days passed exactly as he had predicted. The shop’s popularity surged, and by the second day, lines had already ford outside the entrance. By the third, those lines stretched far enough to draw attention from nearby shops, so were curious, so annoyed, and so were already beginning to see him as competition.
People waited patiently, not because they had nothing better to do, but because they heard the lower prices would only be available for two more days.
They were mainly so eager because they didn't want to lose out on the chance to buy a quality artifact at a low price.
A few individuals approached him with offers to purchase his artifacts in bulk, presenting themselves as rchants or representatives of small factions. They offered higher prices, attempting to secure exclusive access to his products.
But Arthur refused every single one of them mainly because of two reasons, first he couldn't possibly create the amount of artifacts they were asking for in just two days and second, for now he wanted to reach as many people as he could rather than a few people hoarding his artifacts.
So didn’t take that well, there were attempts to pressure him. But Arthur had already anticipated that possibility. Before anything escalated, he had taken a simple precaution, he gifted a few well-crafted artifacts to the city guard captain.
The gesture was enough to secure official attention, and soon enough, guards began maintaining a visible presence around the shop. That alone was enough to deter anyone considering causing trouble.
…
Two days later, inside the branch office of the Artifact Refiners Union, a middle-aged man sat behind a desk, a report laid open before him. His expression was focused as he read through the details again, his fingers tapping lightly against the surface as he processed the information. After a mont, he looked up at the man standing before him.
“Did you find out who this person is, and where he ca from?” he asked.
The man shook his head. “No, Chief Chen. We used every channel available to us, but they were unable to find anything on this man, there are no records, background, or origin. It’s like he appeared out of nowhere.”
Chen Yuze leaned back slightly, his gaze narrowing as he considered that answer. “Hmm… That’s not possible,” he said quietly. “No one with this level of skill just appears out of nowhere.”
He picked up a dagger from the table, one of Arthur’s creations, and examined it carefully. Even after multiple attempts, he still couldn’t fully understand how it had been made. The balance, the energy flow, the integration of functions, it didn’t follow any known refinent thod.
“I’ve never seen artifacts made like this,” he muttered, turning it slightly in his palm. “Even now, I can’t figure out how it works.”
He placed the dagger back down slowly, his expression shifting from curiosity to intent.
“We must have this man join us,” he said finally.
Chen looked back at the man standing before him. “Continue with the investigation.”
The man nodded imdiately. “Yes, Chief.”
As he left the room, Chen’s gaze remained fixed on the dagger, a faint smile forming on his lips.
“Spirit Tool Pavilion…” he murmured.
***
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