The Qiankun Ring was popular on the Qianyuan Continent, making it easy to produce. Qi Ze spent an entire evening crafting three of them. Eager to receive the final payment as soon as possible, he mailed them out early the next morning.
"The items have been sent, please check for receipt. If you need to customize similar items, please prepare the materials yourself." Qi Ze thought for a moment and added, "Please remember to give a great review, darling!"
He had heard that the more five-star reviews a shop received, the higher its level climbed, making it more visible online. Qi Ze wanted to promote the Supreme Divine Creation Sect, so he had to manage it carefully. Fortunately, the script of the Qianyuan Continent was only understood by a few old aristocrats in the Empire, so he didn't have to worry about a lack of high-quality customers.
Erebus seemed to be online all the time and replied quickly, "I will pay the final installment after inspection. If you try to cheat me, the consequences will be unbearable for you."
Qi Ze sent a pouting and cute expression with a grim face before promptly closing the webpage.
Downstairs, Yan Junyu was making breakfast in the kitchen. Ouyang Ye stared at a sizzling piece of meat with a complex expression. He didn't want to eat that kind of thing at all, but Wang Miao was too enthusiastic, cooking everyone's breakfast meat and even labeling the plates with their names. It would seem strange if someone did not eat it.
"Wang Miao, you're too polite. From now on, we'll make our own food; you don't have to bother with it." Mo Tianlei was very moved, praising Wang Miao's cooking skills while eating.
"It was just convenient for me. There are still many ordinary ingredients in the fridge. They should all be Qi Ze's items, but I've never processed them, so I didn't dare touch them. Still, Instructor Yan has more experience. His cooking is a lot better than mine." Spotting Qi Ze descending the stairs, Wang Miao waved him over. "You're awake? Come over and have breakfast. Instructor Yan made you some porridge. It smells delicious."
Qi Ze sealed his sense of smell with spiritual energy and calmly walked through the thick "roast meat aroma." Passing by Ouyang Ye, he whispered menacingly, "Let me see you throw up once. Eat quickly; after you're done, go practice swordplay. Transferring the energy you can't absorb to Wind Forest and Fire Sea will make you feel much better."
Ouyang Ye's eyes welled up with tears as he swallowed the roasted meat and praised insincerely, "Wang Miao, who did you learn this from? Delicious!"
Wang Miao modestly smiled and replied, and Qi Ze was finally satisfied. He stroked the head of the Young Master Ouyang dog and whispered in consolation, "Good boy, when no one is in the dormitory, I'll cook something nice to make up for this."
Ouyang Ye hugged Qi Ze's waist and buried his head against his abdomen, rubbing fiercely. To the outside world, he was acting spoiled in front of his boyfriend, but only Qi Ze knew that he was crying, using his clothes to wipe away his tears. To eat such smelly and poisonous food every day, the resilience of meta-humans was truly remarkable!
"How good your relationship is. How long have you been together?" Wang Miao asked curiously, a right amount of envy evident on his face.
"More than two years, almost three." Ouyang Ye wanted to label Qi Ze exclusively in front of everyone, but he was afraid of making him unhappy and so passed over the matter vaguely.
Yan Junyu emerged with a tray, on which sat a bowl of white rice porridge, a plate of vegetable salad, and a cubed fruit. He reminded, "Come eat breakfast. Afterward, I'll take you to register for the Mecha Manufacturing Department. You didn't receive the energy stones yesterday, and I didn't see any staff coming to deliver them. I'll ask about it for you."
"Was it embezzled? The Mecha Manufacturing Department is the territory of the Mu family." Ouyang Ye's expression darkened.
"We don't know yet. If someone really embezzled it, I'll handle the matter." Yan Junyu pressed the unwilling youth to sit down and said firmly, "With me here, you don't have to worry about anything."
"Tsk, do you think you're so great? Wait until you reach the same level as Li Ziqian before you speak. He had accumulated a dozen special-class merits before even becoming an adult, and you're still wasting time at school in your thirties." Ouyang Ye rolled his eyes.
Yan Junyu only stared at Qi Ze eating, ignoring the words of Young Master Ouyang. He had slowly learned that the best way to deal with guys like Ouyang Ye, who immediately sought trouble the moment they opened their mouths, was to ignore them.
Sensing something was off in the atmosphere, Mo Tianlei kept his head down eating meat, not daring to interject. Wang Miao smoothed things over, "You can't say it like that. Li Ziqian was just at the right place at the right time. When the Zerg had a queen appear, he was urgently dispatched to the front lines before he even graduated. If Instructor Yan had the same opportunity, he could succeed too. We should feel fortunate to be living in a relatively peaceful era."
Qi Ze, who had been silent all this time, suddenly looked up, his smile tinged with a strange meaning. Ouyang Ye immediately fell silent, and Yan Junyu glanced at Wang Miao thoughtfully.
After breakfast, Yan Junyu led Qi Ze to register with the Mecha Manufacturing Department. The staff were friendly. When they heard that the supplies hadn't arrived yesterday, they immediately handed over five energy stones to Qi Ze and repeatedly apologized for their oversight, as if it wasn't intentional.
Qi Ze didn't say much, staring at the energy stones for a moment, his heart slightly disappointed. These energy stones had too many impurities; refining them would only provide enough energy for one day's cultivation, and their effect wasn't significant. As a result, he would have to earn more money to purchase higher-grade energy stones.
The Empire had many affiliated planets and wasn't lacking in energy resources, but the production of energy stones was always controlled by the major families, rarely flowing out to the outside world. They divided energy stones into ten grades. The higher the grade, the more energy contained, and the fewer impurities. Only the military, psychics, and mecha constructors could legally purchase energy stones with relevant certificates, and there was even a purchase limit policy in place.
The only way for a newcomer like Qi Ze to obtain energy stones was through school supplies. To buy a little more, he would have to obtain a mecha manufacturing qualification certificate. This certificate was also divided into grades. Grades 1 to 5 could purchase five energy stones of the corresponding grade each month; grades 6 to 8 could purchase ten energy stones of the corresponding grade each month; grades 9 to 10 could purchase twenty energy stones of the corresponding grade each month; S-SSS grades had no upper limit.
In other words, once Qi Ze obtained a Grade 1 mecha manufacturing qualification certificate, he could purchase an additional five Grade 1 energy stones each month. If he obtained a Grade 2 Qualification Certificate, he could purchase five Grade 2 energy stones each month, and so on.
This was a long and arduous process. If he failed the exam three times in a row, he would no longer have the opportunity to advance. Many students got stuck on the path to obtaining their certificates, but if they followed the right mentor and received professional guidance, and even learned the exam questions in advance, the process would be much easier.
The mentor's status determined the student's future, so all the students tried their best to get under the name of the Mu family's mentors. Only the Mus could offer them the most advanced technology and the brightest future. Even if they learned nothing substantial, at least they would look good on the outside.
Yan Junyu knew the inside story and also understood that Qi Ze had offended too many people, so he wouldn't be favored by the Mecha Manufacturing Department. He had already arranged a mentor for him. After retrieving the supplies, he suggested, "Let's go. I'll take you to visit my second uncle, Yan Zhongkui. He agreed to take you as his student."
Ouyang Ye stepped forward, blocking him. "Wait a moment. My uncle also arranged a mentor for Qi Ze. Have you heard of Li Bingchen of the Li family? His skills won't be inferior to Yan Zhongkui's."
Li Bingchen was a Grade 10 Mecha Constructor, but for some reason, he hated the Mu family to the bone. He had criticized the Mu family's monopoly countless times, even accusing the Mu family's super psychic mecha of having fatal flaws, yet he couldn't provide concrete evidence, so he was judged by the outside world as a lunatic. In comparison, Yan Zhongkui was more low-key and didn't have much conflict with the Mu family.
"His skills won't be inferior? My second uncle just advanced to an S-Class Mecha Constructor." Yan Junyu said calmly.
Ouyang Ye, "..." Well, he seemed to have lost again, but now wasn't the time to sulk. For Qi Ze's sake, finding him a more powerful mentor was necessary.
"Let's go visit Master Yan Zhongkui then." He scratched his head, his expression somewhat depressed.
"What are the requirements Master Yan Zhongkui has for students?" Qi Ze wasn't in a hurry to act.
Yan Junyu opened the mentors' introduction section and read word for word, "Smart, hardworking, diligent, obedient, and well-behaved..." His voice grew quieter the more he read, clearly realizing that these requirements were too difficult for Qi Ze. He was smart; there was no doubt about that. Diligent and hardworking were still unknown. But the label of "obedient and well-behaved" could never be placed on his head.
On the contrary, he was a man of strong will, even a bit domineering. Putting him together with Yan Zhongkui, who had the same temperament, would likely not result in a beautiful outcome.
"Let's check out Mentor Li Bingchen's column." Qi Ze had lost interest in his second uncle from the Yan family.
Ouyang Ye said awkwardly, "No need to look. There's nothing written in his column."
"Then let's go take a look at his research laboratory." As a result, Qi Ze became even more interested in Li Bingchen. Why didn't he write anything? It was either that there were too many requirements, or there were no requirements at all. And he didn't seem afraid of not having students choose him, causing him to be downgraded. Such a person had character and would be interesting to get along with.
Yan Junyu followed behind the two of them, a bitter smile on his face. He had gradually realized that Qi Ze liked people with strong personalities, and if it wasn't for the fact that he was relying on that little life-saving grace, he probably wouldn't have caught his eye. No wonder he had become so infatuated so quickly and came to his senses even faster. But the problem was that when he came to his senses, Yan Junyu himself seemed to be deeply entangled.
With a heavy heart, Yan Junyu sent a text to his second uncle to cancel the meeting. No one knew how much energy he had expended to arrange everything perfectly for Qi Ze.
Li Bingchen was already over three hundred years old, considered a long life for an S-Class psychic. He had white hair and a youthful face, spritely and energetic. He was wearing a dirty work uniform and squatting among a pile of parts.
"You're Qi Ze? Let me tell you, I like students with strong self-study abilities. You can use my laboratory as you like, and you can read the experimental results as you like, just one thing: don't come to me and ask questions all the time. Can't you look up information when you can't understand something? Can't you use your brain to think? Did I lend you my research notes over the years for decoration? If you can disappear when there's nothing to do and come over to help with work when there is, I'll take you as a student." The old man rubbed his nose, leaving behind a black fingerprint.
If it weren't for the school's strict rule that every student must be bound to a mentor, Qi Ze really wouldn't need to learn from anyone. He had already used the Spherical Light Technique on Mu Ran; how could he fear not coming into contact with the most advanced technology?
However, Li Bingchen's character was to his taste. Back in the day, his father had also said to him: every path to enlightenment has its own founder. So who did that founder learn from? Naturally, from himself. If one wanted to make a breakthrough, if one wanted to attain enlightenment, imitation was the stupidest method. Innovation was the right path.
Therefore, Qi Ze immediately agreed, "Thank you, Mentor. You can give orders when necessary; when there's nothing, I'll figure it out myself."
So straightforward? Li Bingchen was clearly surprised. He paused for a moment before recovering and aimed the transmission device at Qi Ze's smartbrain. He instructed, "This data is the result of my research in recent years. Look at the time records below; they are all linked together, so don't think I'm holding back. Just learn in order. Master each stage thoroughly, and there's no problem with taking the Grade 8 exam in one go. Once you obtain the Grade 8 certificate, come work in my laboratory. I'll pay you five Grade 8 energy stones as a reward each month. As for whether you can obtain the Grade 10 certificate, it all depends on how hard you work."
When Li Bingchen laughed, there was a somewhat villainous flavor, but Qi Ze didn't feel it was troublesome at all and swiftly agreed.
"Alright, then you can go back. I don't need you for the moment. Get your certificate first. If those Mu family bastards dare to make things difficult for you, I'll break their butts!"
Qi Ze repeatedly thanked him and leftâ
At the same time, a robot courier delivered a small package to an empty and silent manor.
"So fast?" The person who opened the door was a burly middle-aged man. Without inspecting the goods, he signed the delivery note right away.
"Darling, can you give a five-star review?" the courier said, thickening his face.
The man raised his head, his expression somewhat complex. He rubbed his face and seriously advised, "I don't know where that lunatic came from. He tricked our boss out of three billion and insisted that our boss give a five-star review. You shouldn't learn from him."
"Three billion?" The robot's eyes suddenly widened, and its square mouth turned into an O-shape.
"Yes, let him play with that money for now. Our boss will get it back anyway, and it doesn't matter if it's a day or two late. Fine, there's no five-star review right now. When you come to deliver goods next time, I'll make it up to you."
"You must remember, darling!" The robot courier clasped his hands and formed a heart, and a pink heart appeared on the screen on his chest.
"Alright, alright, you hurry along. It's painful to see you." The man covered one eye, pinching the box in his other hand and quickly ran up to the third floor.
This was an extremely dim and cramped room. The windows and curtains were tightly closed, all pitch-black and not allowing any light through. An old computer was the only source of light in the room, and a mechanical hand was pressing the keyboard, moving very slowly. Suddenly, the mechanical hand stopped, then clicked a few times, immediately scattering into a pile of parts. Thick black smoke emerged from the broken circuit board, suffocating.
"Boss, I'll have the mechanic come and replace your hand." The middle-aged man immediately went forward to clean up the mess.
"There's no need to replace it. It'll just be eroded by this deathly aura anyway." The owner of the mechanical hand turned around, his face even paler under the blue light emitted by the computer screen. A closer look would reveal that his legs and waist were also made of machinery. This kind of extensive damage would probably have been fatal on an ordinary person, but apart from being physically thin and temperamental, he didn't seem to have much of a problem.
Of course, for someone who was once healthy, this was already the most cruel result.
"How can it not be replaced?" The middle-aged man's voice was somewhat raspy. "The hand is so broken, the legs and waist must have problems too. I have to find a mechanic to take a look right away. Don't worry; this time we'll definitely use stronger alloys to build the parts, ensuring they last for three months."
"What can you replace when you've used super alloys already?" The man, or perhaps we should call him Erebus, slowly controlled the wheelchair to the subordinate's side and pointed at the box in his hand. "The legendary divine artifact has arrived? Open it and let me see."
"What's there to see. I already sent Afeng to look for someone and guarantee that I'll bring him in front of you. I'll make him spit out that three billion bit by bit. Now these tricksters are too rampant; they dare to boast about anything." As the man spoke, he carelessly tore off the outer packaging, took out three rings, and then froze.
Erebus stroked his chin and smiled. "Beautiful appearance. No, describing it as beautiful is too impoverished; I need to find a better word." He took the rings and weighed them in his palm. "Magnificent, mysterious, like a night filled with falling stars. Just based on this appearance, I can forgive the owner's deceitful behavior."
He lived too boringly and always wanted to find some fun for himself, and this shop owner was his greatest amusement recently.
"Hmm, there's also a letter in the box, Boss, take a look." The middle-aged man couldn't read these ancient square characters and only scanned it once with a scanner, for safety.
"The writing is really beautiful. It seems this swindler is from the nobility." A hint of interest finally flowed from Erebus's golden-brown vertical pupils. Without ten or more years of careful teaching, one could never write such beautiful calligraphy. And genuine Xuan paper, brushes, ink slabs, and other items used in the process were all very expensive. An ordinary person wouldn't even have seen them, let alone spend money to buy them.
"The ink fragrance is strong, and the characters have their own style. This is not something a second- or third-rate noble can present." Erebus carefully studied the letter, only then opening the envelope, taking out the letter paper, and reading it at a glance.
"What does 'please drip blood to recognize the master' mean?" He looked at his subordinate.
"It should be to squeeze a drop of blood over it."
"Is that so? For the sake of this fine writing, I'll play along with him a little more." Erebus bit his tongue, sprayed saliva on the three rings, and said indifferently, "What material is this? It doesn't look like a stone, doesn't look like metal, and yet..." He suddenly stopped, a strange expression on his face.
"What's the matter, Boss? Is there something wrong with the ring?"
"No, there's nothing wrong." Erebus's voice was a bit hoarse. He moved another intact mechanical arm and ordered, "Find three antique clocks for me."
"Okay, I'll go right away." The middle-aged man didn't dare ask more and hurriedly went downstairs.
Erebus then revealed a shocked expression and hastily placed the rings on the table, careful not to drop them. He thought for a moment, found a soft gift box, put the rings inside, closed the lid tightly, and pressed it against his knee.
"Why haven't you gotten them? Why are you so slow?" In less than half a minute, he began to loudly urge, as if he had lost patience. The instant the blood splashed, an inexplicable method of using the three rings appeared in his mind. For him, whose psychic power was always at its peak, this was definitely not an illusion.
"Boss, these clocks are very valuable. Which three do you want?" The middle-aged man was uncertain.
"Whichever. Hurry up."
"Fine, fine, I'm coming." The middle-aged man brought up three antique alarm clocks, and when he saw the gift box placed on his boss's knee, he couldn't help but be stunned. It was just thrown around in his hands, but how did it suddenly become a treasure in just a moment?
"Turn off the shield." Erebus spoke solemnly.
The man felt increasingly strange in his heart but obediently turned off the manor's shield. At the same time, the manor's coordinates disappeared from the main brain's holographic map. No transportation instrument could arrive under this state, and no surveillance camera could operate normally.
For three small rings, this already secluded manor unexpectedly activated the highest defense state. This couldn't help but make the man think more.
"Boss, are these three rings real?" His voice was somewhat trembling. Rings that could store living things meant that a Master Mecha Constructor surpassing Mu Feixing was in the Empire; it also meant that the Divine Realm had been broken. But there was no news from the outside world, which was clearly abnormal.
"If there were really such a Master Mecha Constructor, he would have been treated as a god by the Imperial family. Why would he lower his status and open an online shop?" He immediately denied the nearly absurd speculation.
"Whether it's real or not, we'll know after checking." Erebus used his psychic power to store the three alarm clocks separately into the spatial rings and waited for a moment before taking them out again.
An unbelievable situation occurred. One of the alarm clocks had sped up significantly, another seemed to have stopped moving, and the third had no error. Erebus repeatedly experimented many times and even had his subordinate find three saplings and put them into the three rings respectively.
"B, B, B, BOSS," After patiently waiting for two hours, the middle-aged man stuttered, "This sapling has grown taller! The other two haven't changed much, but they're all alive and well. That shop owner isn't a swindler!"
"Mm." Erebus, on the contrary, completely calmed down and opened his mouth with a smile. "It seems that the heavens finally let me get lucky before my death. A Divine Mecha Constructor, it's real!" His eyes reddened, his expression agitated, and he repeatedly took several deep breaths before ordering in a trembling voice, "Transfer the final payment immediately. My arm is broken, which will affect the operation. It won't be beautiful if I enter the wrong amount."
"I'll go do it immediately." The middle-aged man hurried out, as if remembering something and turned back, hesitating. "Boss, wasn't the price we offered before a bit too low? Should we add a little more?"
"Since the Master agreed, we don't need to go overboard. Their kind of people all have strange temperaments. Just listen to whatever they say."
"Okay, I'll go make the transfer immediately." The middle-aged man went out again, then turned around and instructed, "Boss, don't forget to give the Master a five-star review. Click five times on the computer; you can do it, right?"
Erebus, "... I can give him a sky full of stars review."