I Was Forced to Marry a “Trash” Cultivator, But She Turned Out to Be a Reborn Empress!

Chapter 251: Accepting Disciples

Several days later, as Qiu Ruoli was meticulously inventorying the mountain of gifted materials, a transmission jade slip buzzed through the air and hovered before her.

She scanned it with her Divine Sense. It was a message from Chen Min, the Chief Refiner of the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion.

“Master Wang! The Ice Spring Armor you entrusted to us has sold for 30,000 High Grade Spirit Stones!” Chen Min’s voice trembled with excitement. “The buyer is a top-tier Fourth-Rank Refiner from Maple Leaf City. He is insisting on paying his respects to you personally!”

A flicker of surprise crossed Qiu Ruoli’s beautiful eyes.

30,000 High Grade Spirit Stones… for a single high-grade spirit treasure? That’s absurd.

She glanced at the refining room where Shen Xian was working. That armor was something he threw together casually. How is his work so valuable?

She carried the jade slip to Shen Xian.

He took it, scanning the contents with a raised eyebrow.

“30,000? That’s 10,000 more than the estimate.” A faint smile touched his lips. “It seems my performance in the second round added quite a premium to the brand.”

In the world of cultivation, reputation was currency. The more famous the artisan, the higher the price of their work.

Good. I need every stone I can get.

With this windfall added to his previous earnings, he was closing in on the one-million mark. Once the Refining Assembly concluded, he would have the funds to establish himself in the Dao Xuan Holy City.

As for the buyer wanting to meet him…

Shen Xian’s gaze drifted toward the refining room, where Ai Xiao was currently polishing a sword blank.

Is this another one looking for a master?

He tapped his finger on the table, thoughtful.

“Ai Xiao… he is a piece of uncarved jade.”

Over the past few weeks, Shen Xian had observed the rough-looking refiner closely. Beneath the boisterous exterior was a mind of surprising depth and an obsession with the craft that mirrored Shen Xian’s own.

He recalled walking past the workshop three nights ago. Ai Xiao had been hunched over a spirit treasure, eyes bloodshot, muttering about heat distribution. He hadn’t slept for three days, refusing to rest until the artifact pattern was perfect. When he finally succeeded, the smile on his face was one of pure, unadulterated joy.

You couldn’t fake that kind of passion.

“More importantly,” Shen Xian mused, “while he looks like a brute, his mind is delicate. He noticed details in my technique that even Elder Mo missed.”

And then there was his attitude. Ai Xiao was respectful but not servile. He understood the hierarchy, yet retained his dignity.

Shen Xian walked to the window, looking out at the bustling city.

To conquer the Dao Xuan Holy City, he couldn’t do it alone. He needed a faction. He needed loyal subordinates to handle the logistics, the sales, and the information gathering while he focused on the Grand Dao.

“Taking a few capable disciples… it is a sound investment.”

Shen Xian made his decision.

He flicked his finger, sending a stream of spiritual energy into a communication talisman.

“Ai Xiao. Come see me.”

Moments later, Ai Xiao entered the main hall. He stood by the door, his large, calloused hands nervously rubbing the hem of his robe.

“Master Wang?”

Shen Xian sat in the center of the room, his expression unreadable. “Ai Xiao. I have been watching you these past few days. Your dedication is… acceptable.”

Ai Xiao held his breath.

“Are you willing to worship me as your Master?”

Ai Xiao’s body jolted as if struck by lightning. He looked up, his eyes widening with disbelief and a sudden, fierce hope.

“Master… I am willing!”

He had dreamed of this moment since the day he saw Shen Xian casually refine a masterpiece. He had prepared himself for years of servitude just for a chance. He never expected the door to open so soon.

“Kneel.”

The single word brought Ai Xiao to his knees.

Thud.

His forehead struck the blue stone floor with a heavy, solid sound.

“Disciple Ai Xiao pays respects to Master!” His voice cracked with emotion.

Shen Xian nodded slowly. “From today on, you are my eldest disciple.”

“Remember this: In my lineage, the cultivation of the heart comes first. The craft comes second. If your heart is crooked, your artifacts will be flawed.”

“Yes, Master!”

“If you encounter difficulties in your cultivation or crafting, you may ask me at any time.”

Ai Xiao kowtowed again, weeping openly. “This disciple will not let Master down!”

In the corner of the room, Qiu Ruoli leaned against a pillar, watching the scene with a complicated expression.

This evil cultivator… actually accepting a sincere disciple? And preaching about the ‘heart’?

The next morning.

Shen Xian sat in the courtyard, sipping tea under the shade of a spirit tree.

Suddenly, he sensed three distinct auras approaching his gate. They were strong, stable, and deliberate.

He looked up to see three cultivators standing outside.

The first was a young man in blue robes. He was handsome in a scholarly way, with a jade pendant hanging at his waist. He stood straight as a pine, his eyes clear and intelligent.

“Junior Zhang Yu, Fourth-Rank Middle-Grade Refiner,” the young man bowed with perfect etiquette. “I have come to pay my respects to Master Wang. Having witnessed your elegance in the arena, I was overcome with admiration and wish to enter your tutelage.”

Shen Xian recognized him. This was the buyer who had paid 30,000 spirit stones for the Ice Spring Armor.

Clean aura. Solid foundation. A scholar’s mind.

The second was a giant of a man with a wild beard and a massive iron hammer strapped to his back. He looked more like a bandit than a refiner.

“Name’s Tie Shan!” the giant boomed, his voice shaking the leaves on the tree. “Fourth-Rank High-Grade Refiner! Master, that match yesterday got my blood boiling! I just wanna smash metal like you do!”

Shen Xian’s eyes narrowed, focusing on the man’s hands. Despite his rough appearance, his fingers were long and dexterous. A unique, flame-like pattern pulsed at the base of his thumb.

A natural Fire Spirit Body?

That was a rare constitution, granting an innate affinity for flame control. A natural-born smith.

The third was a woman. She was tall, with eyes like autumn water and a quiet, intense demeanor.

She curtsied gracefully. “This humble woman is Su Mu. Fourth-Rank Top-Tier Refiner. I wish to follow Master and learn the true Dao of Artificing.”

Shen Xian set down his teacup. “All three of you are established Fourth-Rank Refiners. You have status. You have wealth. Why bow to me?”

Zhang Yu stepped forward, his expression earnest. “Junior can refine spirit treasures, but I have hit a wall. My technique is rigid. When I saw Master’s Resonance Smelting, I realized I have been looking at the sky from the bottom of a well.”

Tie Shan slapped his chest. “I’ll be straight with ya! That trick you did with the needles to break the formation? I wanna learn that! You teach me that, and I’ll do anything you say! I’ll carry your sedan chair if I have to!”

Su Mu spoke softly, her voice like a cool breeze. “My soul is… different. Standard refining methods clash with my constitution. But Master’s technique flows like water. I believe… it is the key I have been searching for.”

Shen Xian nodded internally.

A scholar, a brawler, and a prodigy. A balanced set.

“Talent is common,” Shen Xian said, his voice cool. “Character is rare.”

He flicked his wrist, and a jade slip flew through the air, hovering before them.

“This slip contains a refining problem. I give you three days to comprehend it here in the courtyard. Whoever can understand thirty percent of its content may enter my door.”

The three exchanged glances. Their eyes burned with determination.

“We obey!”