Chapter 81: True Craftsmen
<span style="font-weight:400">Li Lang’s abrupt actions had startled his twopanions. They both jumped out of their bed in a reflexive reaction to Li Lang jumping up.
<span style="font-weight:400">“B-boss?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Umm, are you okay over there?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Li Lang felt his heart pumping, so he took a few deep breaths to calm himself down before responding.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I’ve…broken through. I think I’m in the fifth stage now!”
<span style="font-weight:400">It was only at his words that his twopanions noticed the auraing from Li Lang had changed. They had been too preupied with their own cultivation, but in hindsight, they should’ve instantly been able to tell Li Lang’s aura had changed.
<span style="font-weight:400">It was now denser, thicker, and more resilient. It was the aura of a fifth stage Energy Gatherer!
<span style="font-weight:400">“Congrattions!”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Haha, so you’ve finally caught up. But don’t ck off. I’ll make another breakthrough soon enough.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Li Lang had been on the cusp of a breakthrough even before The Orchid Covenant’s tournament had started. He felt liberated.
<em><span style="font-weight:400">Was the catalyst the Brushweaving techniques or my spiritual roots strengthening? Hmm…It should be. Brushweaving is a Qi controlling technique first and foremost. That means my little bottleneck was caused by myck of Qi maniption skills…</em>
<span style="font-weight:400">Li Lang made a lot of realizations from this breakthrough. While he knew the path forward was to absorb more Qi into his body. Qi control was the key to that. Before, he had to slowly train his control during his cultivation sessions. While the results took time to build up, it was steady.
<span style="font-weight:400">Now, he found that Brushweaving could help train his Qi maniption as well.
<em><span style="font-weight:400">Does this mean the other crafts can do the same? In Alchemy’s case…I didn’t do it through the proper techniques. If I used my Qi sense to monitor the pill and control the mes, I should be able to improve my Qi control, too.</em>
<em><span style="font-weight:400">I’ll have to pick between the mass production method and the traditional method for quality, which also helps me train at the same time.</em>
<span style="font-weight:400">Li Lang tired out his mind from thinking of all the possibilities before he fell asleep.
<span style="font-weight:400">The next morning, after refining more Nourishment Pills and morning training, he arrived at Yi Lin’s house once again. However, when he entered, his mentor didn’t wee him inside, but instead dragged him out of the house with him.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Good, you’re here. It’s high time we get on our way, otherwise, those old fools at the guild will make us wait.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“What? Where are we going all of a sudden?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“To the Brushweaver Guild, of course! Now that you have sessfully inscribed a talisman, you should get certified so you can make use of their services. Plus, it’ll look good on my record to have trained an apprentice.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“...I see.”
<span style="font-weight:400">While Li Lang believed his mentor was doing this more for himself, he wasn’t opposed to it. He benefited from his Alchemist certification, and he didn’t doubt Brushweaving would be the same.
<span style="font-weight:400">The only issue he worried about was if the Brushweaver Guild allowed a member of the Alchemist Guild to join their ranks.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Just one question…Can I still take the test to be an official Brushweaver if I am already an alchemist?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“That’s fine. I’ve seen that ring on you. I wouldn’t take you over for a wasted trip.” Seeing Li Lang’s skeptical expression, Yi Lin continued. “Many cultivators dabble in multiple crafts. It’s not rare to have certification from multiple guilds. What is rare are those who excel in all of them. You’ll see that the people at the higher ranks mostly specialize in one profession.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“So no one has ever practiced all five of the crafting professions to a high level?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Hmm…It’s not that there aren’t, but those are chosen geniuses that are too rare to be part of the norm. Those who are able to practice all five to a high level are referred to as ‘True Craftsman’, but I haven’t heard much about it besides the name. There hasn’t been such a genius on our Violet Isles.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Then where did you hear about the True Craftsman?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“The visitors from the maind. It wouldn’t be surprising if they did actually have a few True Craftsmen among them. They have much richer resources, heritages, bigger poptions, and multiple immortals that have reached the Heaven Link realm.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“...If that ce is so great, why don’t you move there instead?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Haha, I wish. It’s not that easy. The maind is blocked off by the Great Cloud Sea. Only those in the Spirit Divide realm can safely go through it. And I don’t know about you, but I don’t have any friends in the Spirit Divide realm to take me.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“...”
<span style="font-weight:400">The two passed the time quickly through their conversation and they soon found themselves before a grand building, much like the Alchemist Guild. However, the architecture and decoration of the ce had apletely different feel.
<span style="font-weight:400">The Brushweaver Guild gave off the atmosphere one would expect from a gathering of artists, while the Alchemist Guild was closer to that of a pharmacy.
<span style="font-weight:400">This could be felt the moment Li Lang entered the grand building. As soon as they entered, the sound of water could be heard. That was because the entrance led to a wooden bridge that went over a small indoor river.
<span style="font-weight:400">On the two sides of the doorway, there were two streams of water pouring down into the waterway below. The two small waterfalls were only one story tall, but the impact they had on the atmosphere was enormous.
<span style="font-weight:400">The path ahead was obscured by mist, but the haze could not obscure the sound of people conversing.
<span style="font-weight:400">Under Yi Lin’s guidance, the two quickly crossed the bridge into the real lobby of the Brushweaver Guild.
<span style="font-weight:400">While Yi Lin immediately headed for the counter, Li Langgged behind as he surveyed his surroundings.
<span style="font-weight:400">He found numerous people there. Many of them were sitting around on benches, chatting or meditating, while some were appreciating the various calligraphy pieces neatly framed on the walls.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Li Lang, don’t fall behind now,” Yi Lin’s voice rang out.
<span style="font-weight:400">Li Lang quickly caught up with his mentor at the desk.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Sorry about that, Xixi. As I was saying, I would like to have my apprentice here registered.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“That, I can take care of, but the guild master still wants to see you.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“...Oh, fine. Just make sure he’s finished by the time I’m done from being lectured.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“It’s your fault for always beingte for yourmissions,” the receptionist immediately quipped.
<span style="font-weight:400">“...Well, Li Lang. You follow this ‘nice’dy here. I should be done by the time you finish up.”
<span style="font-weight:400">With those words, Li Lang’s mentor swiftly disappeared up the nearby staircase.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Sorry, you had to see that. I’m sure you may already know, but your mentor isn’t exactly an organized person.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Haha…right.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Anyway, please wait a moment. One of our Brushweavers on duty wille to administer your exam.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Li Lang didn’t have to wait long before a tall and elegant old man strode toward him with a straight back, and the receptionistdy politely nodded his way.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Come with me, young one,” the man kindly said like an old grandfather.
<em><span style="font-weight:400">He really does give off the impression of a schr that fits right into this ce.</em>
<span style="font-weight:400">The old man guided him up the same stairs Yi Lin had taken and continued climbing until they reached the third floor. From there, they navigated to a narrow hallway with doors spaced evenly over every dozen steps.
<span style="font-weight:400">It was almost perfectly quiet on this floor, and the two soon entered one of the rooms.
<span style="font-weight:400">Inside was a spacious room filled with desks that were set up like a ssroom. It had enough space for over twenty students, but there was only Li Lang and the old man there right now.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Go ahead and pick any desk you would like. I take it you have brought your own tools, correct?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes, Senior.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“No need to be polite with me. I’m just a caretaker around here. The one star Brushweaver who will be administering your exam will be here soon. Please use this time to prepare yourself.”
<span style="font-weight:400">The old man then quickly excused himself, leaving Li Lang alone.
<em><span style="font-weight:400">So he wasn’t a Brushweaver…</em>
<span style="font-weight:400">Li Lang soon threw any idle thoughts aside as he prepared his Moon Brush and inkstone for the uing test. However, even when he was done setting up and waited for over half an hour, no one came.
<span style="font-weight:400">Just when Li Lang was about to take a peek outside, the door opened in front of his face. He swiftly hopped back as a towering figure entered.
<span style="font-weight:400">The neer was at least a head taller than the six-foot Long Yi. He also had a muscr build, with arms thicker than Li Lang’s thighs. He red down at Li Lang with his arms crossed.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Li Lang…Only thirty minutes and you are already getting impatient?”
<em><span style="font-weight:400">Don’t tell me, this guy is the one star Brushweaver? He doesn’t look like someone who would hold a brush at all…and he made me wait on purpose?</em>