"Yes!" 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Chen Yan took a deep breath and nodded in agreement.

Advance payment for three months it is—who knows when I’ll return to this sect again.

Senior Sister Le turned and made a complex hand gesture to the puppet.

The puppet immediately turned and went to the storeroom in the back, swiftly bringing out a contract.

Chen Yan glanced over it briefly, then pressed his handprint on it without hesitation.

Senior Sister Le put away the contract without looking at it and tossed it into the puppet’s hands.

Chen Yan didn’t hold back, taking out the Jade Scroll of the Nan Family’s artifact refining knowledge. He directly cast another spell to copy and record the contents into a new Jade Scroll.

Throughout the process, Senior Sister Le said nothing. It wasn’t until Chen Yan finished casting the spell that she seemingly casually asked, "Junior Brother, what Cultivation Technique did you record?"

Chen Yan’s heart skipped a beat, and he replied with a smile, "I happened to acquire a craftsman’s insights and notes. Out of curiosity, I copied them to review at leisure."

Senior Sister Le looked deeply at Chen Yan, waved her hand, and Chen Yan, understanding the gesture, bid farewell and left.

It wasn’t until Chen Yan had left that a hint of peculiarity appeared in Senior Sister Le’s eyes.

"Using a Transformation Technique? Quite skilled, but it’s a pity..."

Her tone was indifferent, and after muttering to herself, she lowered her head and continued writing or drawing something, unknowingly.

·

Unaware that his Transformation Technique had been detected, Chen Yan went to the northwest corner of the Outer Sect, where the Artifact Refining Hall is located—the Artifact Refining Hall and the Alchemy Hall are divided into inner and outer halls within the Celestial Demon Yin Yang Joyful Sect: one on the mountain’s ground for the Outer Sect, another in mid-air for the Immortal Mountain Inner Sect.

At this moment, Chen Yan’s identity is an Outer Disciple, working under the hall. This identity does not qualify him to step onto the Immortal Mountain Inner Sect to seek out Nangong Sheng.

He arrived at the Outer Sect’s Artifact Refining Hall, displayed his Token to reveal his identity, and took out the Jade Scroll recording the Nan Family’s artifact refining knowledge, along with a letter he had written.

The content of the letter was quite simple. Chen Yan mentioned meeting someone named Nan Qiao, a preparatory Outer Disciple, who offered up his family’s artifact refining insights. After reading it, feeling inspired, he presented it for Nangong Sheng’s approval.

Chen Yan didn’t say a word more; with Nangong Sheng’s intelligence, he would naturally understand the intent of the introduction upon reading the letter. Whether Nangong Sheng saw value in it or appreciated Nan Qiao was beyond Chen Yan’s control.

Having fulfilled this, Chen Yan had completed his transaction with Nan Qiao.

The Artifact Refining Hall occupied a vast area, much larger than the Equipment Hall that merely distributed supplies and traded simple weapons—their status within the sect was vastly different.

There were quite a few disciples within the Artifact Refining Hall, but all were very busy. Chen Yan could hear the faint sounds of various tools being hammered in the backyard of the hall, and even the temperature here seemed higher than elsewhere.

The disciple who received Chen Yan didn’t look friendly at first. However, upon Chen Yan revealing his identity and specifying that he had business to report to Nangong Sheng, the disciple’s attitude became much more amiable.

Evidently, as an Inner Sect Disciple and someone of considerable standing in the Artifact Refining Hall, Nangong Sheng commanded respect among these Outer Disciples.

The disciple earnestly accepted Chen Yan’s entrustment, informing him that it would be sent to the top of the Immortal Mountain with the daily business via a specialized array connecting the sect’s inner and outer areas. Only then did Chen Yan nod in acknowledgment and leave.

But before leaving, that person called Chen Yan back, glanced at him, and suggested, "Since you’re a newly initiated disciple, it’s best to change into the Outer Sect Disciple attire—walking around in preparatory Outer Disciple attire will make people think we in the Artifact Refining Hall don’t know the Outer Sect’s rules."

Chen Yan nodded in thanks and found a room in the Outer Sect’s Artifact Refining Hall to change his clothes before leaving.

Having finished the transaction, Chen Yan felt a weight lifted from his mind, and on his way back, he felt a bit more relaxed.

He observed the territory of the Outer Sect, its buildings, courtyards, and halls. These were places he hadn’t visited previously.

Now that he was an Outer Disciple, naturally he felt more curious about this Saint’s sect.

After a few steps, he glanced at a towering pagoda in the distance, feeling a stir in his heart.

He recognized it should be the Library of Techniques.

As the name suggests, it is likely the place where the sect’s inherited Cultivation Techniques, Divine Techniques, and secret manuals from predecessors’ handbooks are stored.

Of course, the Library of Techniques in the Outer Sect wouldn’t house anything too profound; more advanced items would naturally be in the Immortal Mountain above.

But being a sect of Saints, it would still possess a fair amount of knowledge, whether in spells or talisman arts, probably with unique insights.

Chen Yan’s interest was piqued. He wasn’t necessarily keen on stealing anything—now having a disciple’s credentials, he could legitimately go over and perhaps borrow something to read?

Learning a spell or two suitable to him would be considered a gain.

With this intention, Chen Yan didn’t need to return to the Outer Institute immediately but turned toward the Library of Techniques instead.

Wearing the Outer Sect Disciple’s attire, he encountered several other Outer Disciples along the way. Seeing him in the Outer Sect’s attire, they paid him no mind, not even glancing his way.