My Crazy Upgrade System-Chapter 101 - 100: Worry
A week later, Yi Tianyun walked out of his room. He looked completely disheveled and unkempt. After being cooped up in his room crafting things for so long, how could he possibly look presentable?
When he arrived in the main hall, many disciples laughed when they saw him. It was a comical sight. He was usually so well-groomed, but today’s messy appearance was rather bizarre.
"Auntie, I’m here," Yi Tianyun said with a smile as he walked over.
"Celestial Cloud... you’ve worked hard." Shi Xueyun watched Yi Tianyun approach. Unlike the others, she didn’t laugh at him; instead, she thanked him gently.
She had also been buried in work these past few days, continuously expanding their recruitment of disciples. Because their reputation had spread, many Cultivators were flocking to join. Some with considerable talent, who could have joined second-grade factions, even came to join Merak Palace.
However, this time, Merak Palace was screening applicants meticulously, much more strictly than before. The previous betrayal had made them more cautious. They insisted on clean backgrounds; anyone with a questionable history was rejected outright.
Therefore, when selecting disciples, talent could be a lower priority, but a clean background was an absolute must. This was more important than anything. No matter how heaven-defying one’s talent was, if they stabbed you in the back, they were worthless.
So for the past few days, she hadn’t had a single moment to check on Yi Tianyun, being completely occupied here. But her heart was constantly concerned about him. Her beautiful eyes were filled with care and worry, but more than anything, they showed exhaustion.
She was also mentally and physically exhausted; otherwise, she would have gone to see Yi Tianyun long ago. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂
Yi Tianyun was deeply moved. ’Only my auntie would disregard everything for me. No matter what state I’m in, she’ll never leave my side, always willing to stay with me.’ Just that one sentence was more than enough.
"It was no trouble. I’ve already crafted a batch. If it’s not enough, I’ll keep going," Yi Tianyun said with a faint smile.
"Then come this way. The elders are in the assessment hall."
Shi Xueyun led him to the assessment hall, where dozens of disciples were waiting to be tested. Every one of them looked incredibly nervous. Whether or not they could join Merak Palace depended on their performance in this assessment.
"Great Elder, please pause the assessment for a moment. We’re going to a room to distribute some items," Shi Xueyun said.
When the Great Elder saw Elder Yi, she immediately stood up. They all knew what was about to happen.
However, Yi Tianyun’s appearance made many of the young women hoping to join look over, sizing him up with curiosity.
"I heard Merak Palace only has one male elder. I think that’s him?"
"He looks like a mess. What was he just doing?"
"I heard he’s very powerful. I wonder if it’s true?"
The young women began to discuss amongst themselves. As the only male elder in Merak Palace, he naturally piqued their curiosity. The main reason was the rampant rumors circulating outside. Some said Yi Tianyun was incredibly powerful, even stronger than the Palace Master. Others claimed he was a demon who killed without batting an eye.
The rumors were varied and grew more exaggerated with each telling.
"Hold on." Yi Tianyun held up a hand to stop them. Then, under everyone’s watchful eyes, he waved his hand, and all the weapons and Elixir Pills appeared, piling up in the assessment hall.
There were dozens of high-grade Spiritual Artifacts, and even more than ten top-grade Spiritual Artifacts! In addition, there was a large batch of Body Refining Pills. While others might have them bottle by bottle, he had them in piles. There looked to be over a hundred bottles, and they weren’t small ones either. Who knew how many pills were inside each one!
This was the fruit of his labor after refining all the materials: dozens of weapons and several thousand Elixir Pills. It was an astonishing scene. The new disciples undergoing the assessment were also stunned when they saw it.
They didn’t know what kind of Elixir Pills were in the bottles, but they knew the grade of the weapons on display. The lowest were high-grade Spiritual Artifacts, and the highest were top-grade Spiritual Artifacts! As for the Soul Artifact Level, to be honest, Yi Tianyun already had some confidence in Forging them, but the materials were too low-grade for him to succeed. Otherwise, the shock would have been even greater!
There’s a saying that one shouldn’t flaunt their wealth, but he wanted to do just that—to thoroughly awe everyone. He wanted these new disciples to know that Merak Palace possessed abundant resources that could be invested in them.
"This is all part of Merak Palace’s resources. These Elixir Pills are Body Refining Pills and Spirit Refining Pills. As long as you perform well enough and work hard enough, all of this can be yours!" Yi Tianyun said, turning to look at them.
Shi Xueyun now understood what Yi Tianyun was doing. To put it bluntly, it was an enticement, but more than that, it was a way to motivate them.
"Really? All of this could be ours!"
"Th-This is amazing! Those are all Spiritual Artifacts, and high-grade ones at that! And there are even top-grade Spiritual Artifacts over there!"
"Heavens! I once passed by the Treasure Pavilion and caught a glimpse of a Spiritual Artifact, but it was far inferior to these!"
They immediately erupted, shaken by the display of Elixir Pills and weapons. They never imagined Merak Palace’s foundation was so strong; it was beyond their wildest dreams.
The few elders exchanged glances but said nothing. Displaying it all here was actually a good idea. This scene wasn’t just witnessed by the new disciples; some of the original disciples of Merak Palace also had their eyes light up.
"That’s right. These resources are just a small fraction. Whether you are a new disciple or one who has already joined, as long as your performance is outstanding and you are loyal enough to Merak Palace, we will invest a great deal of resources in you!" Shi Xueyun added from the side, causing the existing disciples to stir with excitement. This was great news.
Seeing their expressions, Yi Tianyun nodded in satisfaction. This was the result he wanted. For disciples who had just joined and were unfamiliar with the palace, giving them a powerful shock like this was undoubtedly the best choice.
After finishing the announcement, Yi Tianyun and Shi Xueyun walked out.
"We’re out of materials for now. I plan to go purchase some myself. I’ll be back after a while," Yi Tianyun said with a faint smile. "Auntie, I’ll leave things here to you. This batch of Elixir Pills should be enough to last for a while."
"There’s no need for that. I can just order someone to make the purchases. You don’t have to go yourself," Shi Xueyun said.
"It’s not about that. Lian’s father is gravely ill at home, and I plan to go see him. Lian has taken such good care of me all this time. I can’t believe her father is so sick, yet she didn’t want to say anything and stayed here to look after me. If I hadn’t noticed something was off, she probably wouldn’t have gone back at all..." Yi Tianyun sighed.
Shi Xueyun was taken aback, and then her expression turned sorrowful. "No wonder I sensed something was wrong with her before. So that’s what happened, and she wouldn’t say a word... In that case, fine. You can leave things here to us."
"Alright. I’ll purchase some materials on the way back. This time, we must elevate Merak Palace to a second-grade faction and solidify its status!" Besides completing his main quest, Yi Tianyun also wanted to make Merak Palace stronger.
This was Shi Xueyun’s life’s work; he couldn’t possibly neglect it.
"Goodness, you’re starting to sound more and more like an elder. Didn’t you say you weren’t going to meddle in these matters?" Shi Xueyun said with a beaming smile.
"Well... I was just worried Auntie would be too busy, so I wanted to help share the burden, that’s all," Yi Tianyun said with an awkward laugh.
"Alright then. From now on, remember to help me share the burden more!" Shi Xueyun thought for a moment, then grabbed Yi Tianyun’s hand and said worriedly, "Celestial Cloud, you must be careful. I know you’re very powerful now, but there’s always someone stronger out there. Don’t go looking for trouble. If something happens to you, what will I do...?"
As she spoke, her eyes began to redden. So many things had happened recently, and she had been terribly worried.
Yi Tianyun looked at her pitiable expression; she didn’t look like a Palace Master at all. He gently pulled her into his arms and said with determination, "Don’t worry, I’ll be perfectly fine. If I died, how could I ever see Auntie again? I swore that I would protect Auntie for the rest of my life..."
"Celestial Cloud..." Shi Xueyun’s tears fell softly. She no longer had the imposing air of a Palace Master, but rather the look of a young, vulnerable woman.
