Plate Eighty-Nine: The First Step of Tempering—Making Money

Sang Sang waved her hand. “That’s your task now. I believe you can do it—after all, you’re destined to become the strongest man in the stars.”

The Heavenly Emperor straightened his back with pride. “All right, leave it to me. The power of time and space is like clay in my hands—I can shape it however I wish. There’s nothing I can’t do!”

Sang Sang smiled encouragingly at him, then cut off their contract link. She thought to herself, whether he succeeds or not, at least the Heavenly Emperor now has something to occupy him; the chances of him making trouble should decrease significantly. She could finally focus on comprehending the mysteries of the Danxia Painted Realm.

Passing through thick clouds, the land of the Danxia Painted Realm came into view below, its shape resembling a pen lying flat, stretching a million miles in length.

It truly was a small world; with a single spatial leap, Sang Sang could traverse it twice over.

The energy in the air began to change, growing purer and more singular in nature. When she was only ten thousand meters from the surface, the air contained just one kind of energy, brimming with vibrant life.

This was energy refined and transformed by the origin of the Lord of Danxia, which the people of Danxia called “spiritual energy.”

Was this the act of Creation?

Sang Sang took a deep breath, then shook her head. Though the energy was filled with the breath of primordial earth, a branch of the life element, it had not yet reached the realm of true creation.

As usual, there were two paths for advancing in a small world. One, the high-end route: avoid mortals altogether and directly comprehend the world’s origin, or choose one of the realm’s top experts as a teacher in a formal educational mode. The other was to immerse oneself deeply in the small world, walking the low-end route: starting from the basics, experiencing the self-cultivation and growth of mortals from weakness to strength.

Some said the educational model was too rigid; others claimed the self-cultivation mode was too unstable. Which was better? To this day, there was no definitive answer. One thing was certain: if you could not endure hardship, you should take the first route. Only those with exceptional talent, insight, and unwavering determination could attempt the second.

Sang Sang had no choice in the matter. She fell straight into a forest; the only convenience granted by the Lord of Danxia was an identity tablet. Money and connections—those she’d have to figure out herself. She could only walk the path of trial.

Fortunately, though Boya delighted in not telling her the principles behind the Creation Painting, forcing her to explore on her own, he did give her the basic information about the Danxia Painted Realm. For example, monetary issues could be solved by condensing standard energy crystals. She was advised to seek out a painting institute first to understand the situation, and if she gained nothing else, to study materials like paper, ink, paint, the air, water, flora, and so on—everything, including humans, was part of the law of creation here.

The three of them rested among the trees, working together to condense energy crystals and fill their wallets. Spiritual energy from thousands of miles around surged toward them, forming a mighty vortex. Sang Sang and the Heavenly Emperor sat at its heart, chatting as bean-sized crystals rained down with a musical clatter.

The Heavenly Emperor rested his chin on Sang Sang’s head. “Where to next?”

“I’ll start by finding a painting institute to learn about Danxia painting techniques, good or bad,” Sang Sang replied, tilting her head to make him move away. “This world is small—one blink and I can make a round trip. Don’t worry, you can go study with Uncle Kane.”

The Heavenly Emperor rolled away, then plopped his chin on Sang Sang’s shoulder. “I still want to ponder time and space.”

Sang Sang mused, “True enough.”

“Ahem.” Kane cleared his throat and handed Sang Sang a chip. “I scanned the Danxia Painted Realm while condensing energy just now. Except for a few special locations, the whole world’s map is here, marked by spiritual energy density. Hope it’s useful.”

“Very useful!” Sang Sang nodded vigorously. Seeing Kane’s gaze settle on the Heavenly Emperor, she had an epiphany. “Heavenly Emperor, in a world this small, you can ponder time and space even on the farthest edge. No more excuses to skip class.”

“That’s all it takes to win you over?” The Heavenly Emperor wailed. “I could have mapped the world for you even more thoroughly!”

Sang Sang shook her head. “Too late for that. As my future Captain of the Guard, if you’re not professional, people will mock me.”

The Heavenly Emperor sulked. “You always used to say ‘walk your own road and let others talk.’ If anyone dares laugh, I’ll crush them.”

“Kane will laugh at you,” Sang Sang said.

Kane nodded. “I absolutely will.”

The Heavenly Emperor contemplated the gap between himself and Kane, conceding for now. “All right. Uncle, make a course schedule. If I get ahead, I want a vacation.”

“Deal.” Kane wasn’t bothered by the Heavenly Emperor’s evasions. That was his nature—eager for combat training, but always running from theory. Still, he was true to his word; any promise made would be kept. The Heavenly Emperor was too wild—a dangerous temperament. Kane worried he’d end up on the Temple’s blacklist one day. That’s why interstellar law was a must: not just learning it, but mastering how to avoid legal pitfalls, leaving referees no chance to catch him.

Suddenly, the Heavenly Emperor sat up straight. “Someone’s coming—hostile, brimming with killing intent.”

Sang Sang frowned, then a sly smile tugged at her lips. “None above Sky-rank. They can’t penetrate my illusion.”

The Heavenly Emperor raised his brows. “Huh, there are more farther out. Did we poke a hornet’s nest?”

Sang Sang looked up at the vortex of spiritual energy triggered by condensing crystals. “Do you think this looks like a legendary artifact or spiritual treasure materializing?”

“Pretty much—just needs a bit of rainbow light,” the Heavenly Emperor replied, never missing a chance to stir things up. He casually nudged Sang Sang’s illusion, making a massive seven-colored pillar of light erupt at the vortex’s core.

Outside, the crowd grew even more frenzied, pouring into the woods. Some, not even having found the treasure, started fighting each other. Sang Sang and the Heavenly Emperor stood at the heart of the vortex, offering commentary.

“Painters here channel spiritual energy, and their attack methods resemble spiritual arts.”

“They seal demon beasts within paintings, releasing them when needed.”

“But these demon beasts aren’t physical entities or souls—they’re energy forms. There’s no technology here. What maintains their combat awareness?”

“The sealed landscapes feel a lot like illusions!”

“I thought Creation Paintings were just about tossing painted things into the Pool of Incubation, and that only the Law of Creation was noteworthy here. Who knew there were such interesting sealing paintings—and they’re not even spatial techniques! I can’t wait to learn more.”

Sang Sang left behind a box of twelve candies infused with the law of life, then selected a mid-spiritual-energy city from the map. She shifted through space, dissolving the illusion at the very moment she departed. Those who fought so bitterly for the “treasure” would not regret it—the law-infused candies were ordinary in advanced civilizations, but here, they were treasures that could guarantee ascension to Sky-rank.

On that day, the Qinghe Painting Institute of Redleaf City accepted a rather unusual student. Firstly, she possessed a royal identity jade tablet that was impossible to forge. Secondly, she paid a hefty fee for painting supplies. Thirdly, her spiritual energy affinity was at maximum.

Qinghe Painting Institute was among the top hundred schools in Danxia, famous for only admitting those who could afford the exorbitant tuition or possessed noble status—one or the other was required. This time, however, they valued the third point even more. In just half a year, the continent-wide painting competition that reshuffled the rankings every five years would begin. To receive a student with both foundational skills and extraordinary talent at this moment was like welcome rain after a long drought. Not to mention, Sang Sang’s background and wealth far exceeded the Institute’s requirements.

Sang Sang bid farewell to her enthusiastic instructor and began to explore her new dormitory.

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