136 Trust?

Jiang Feng affirmed his suggestion: "Not only that, but we must also incorporate the demonic energy and the demonic caves. Demonic energy, also known as Dark Bright Force, is like a mirror image of our own Bright Force; it is structurally opposite yet interconnected. By harmonizing martial cultivation with demonic energy, we can construct a massive artifact that envelops the entire city..."

Bai Guo, Hua Su, and Lü Bainian were stunned into silence. Jiang Feng’s vision was truly grand and incredibly compelling.

They looked toward Gan Fuxing and Jiang Feng, asking in unison, "Is this feasible?"

Jiang Feng replied, "My understanding of the structure of Bright Force has not yet reached that level; I can only assist with the legwork. It depends on Master Gan..."

Gan Fuxing gazed up at the sky, pondering in silence. The four people beside him waited patiently. Finally, Gan Fuxing slammed his hand on the table and declared loudly, "It is feasible!"

His face flushed with excitement as he beamed. "Jiang Feng is absolutely right. This is indeed an artifact—a magnificent, large-scale artifact!"

Bai Guo asked tentatively, "If we manage to create it, what grade of artifact would it be?"

Gan Fuxing replied, "An artifact of this scale would be at least Prefecture Grade!"

The tiers are: first-line (Rookie), second-line (County), third-line (State), fourth-line (Prefecture), and fifth-line (National).

Gan Fuxing was a third-line artifact master, capable of skillfully crafting various artifacts below the State level and experimenting with Prefecture-grade ones. If he could successfully complete ten Prefecture-grade artifacts recognized by the Artifact Catalog, he would be promoted to the fourth line.

The higher one climbs as an artifact master, the more difficult it becomes. Jiang Feng’s concept had undoubtedly opened a new door for Gan Fuxing.

The more he thought about it, the more excited he became. Pacing back and forth, he said, "This idea is excellent; it is absolutely worth a try! Furthermore, this way, we don't need to actually link the Bright Force of those martial cultivators; we only need to adjust the frequency of the output."

Hua Su and Lü Bainian simultaneously realized the benefits: "In other words, we don't need to disrupt the veterans' Bright Force circulation again?"

"Exactly! No need for actual physical linking, so of course, it won't be disrupted!"

Joy appeared on the faces of both Hua and Lü, and after sharing a look, they laughed heartily. Gan Fuxing said, "However, for an artifact of this scale, time is too tight. I cannot complete it alone."

Bai Guo wore an excited smile, but Gan Fuxing’s gaze had already turned to Jiang Feng. Jiang Feng smiled and said, "I will cooperate with all my might!"

Gan Fuxing laughed, "That is exactly what I was hoping for!"

With the possibility of "not needing to perform the actual link-force method and disrupting the circulation again," Hua Su was overjoyed. He held the State Seal of Yushui State and was temporarily in charge of all affairs here.

He did not hesitate to send men to the Taicang City Artifact Master Association to mobilize all available artifact masters to assist Gan Fuxing.

The group did not move from their location; they set up their workspace right in the pavilion on the Thousand Lion Bridge.

There were one hundred and thirty-five artifact masters in the Taicang City association, and twenty-four were currently in the city. Two were second-line and twenty-two were first-line. All of them were summoned.

Being able to assist a third-line master was a rare learning experience. Most felt honored and excited, though a few timid ones felt uneasy about being so close to the demonic caves.

As it happened, the first task Gan Fuxing assigned them was to approach the demonic caves.

Jiang Feng had proposed a new approach: treating the demonic caves as part of the massive artifact meant that their structural assessment had to be redone.

The artifact masters were divided into teams, armed with measurement protocols and standards drafted by Gan Fuxing, and sent to investigate the various caves in groups.

Bai Guo was a first-line artifact master and Gan Fuxing’s apprentice; he was used to being ordered around. Gan Fuxing unhesitatingly assigned Bai Guo a team.

Bai Guo remained expressionless, but he glared fiercely at Jiang Feng as he left.

During the discussion of the specific plan and task allocation, Gan Fuxing had been consulting with Jiang Feng, seeking his opinion as if he were a true collaborator.

This left Bai Guo feeling deeply dissatisfied. In his eyes, Jiang Feng had merely proposed an impractical fantasy. Were it not for his master, the idea could never be executed!

Jiang Feng happened to catch his gaze. He frowned slightly and called out, "Wait a moment."

Bai Guo stopped. Jiang Feng turned and said, "It would be better to have someone else lead this team."

Bai Guo was stunned, his face turning red with anger. "Why? Do you not trust me?"

Gan Fuxing was also somewhat confused. "Bai Guo's practical skills are quite strong; measuring a few sets of data won't be a problem."

Jiang Feng spoke plainly: "He is Master Gan’s apprentice, so his competence is not in question. However, he is currently mentally unsettled. Data measurement requires great precision and caution; a slight deviation can lead to a massive error. It is not suitable for him to go this time."

Mentally unsettled? Gan Fuxing’s mind was so full of design concepts that he hadn't noticed his apprentice's subtle feelings. Hearing this, he turned and examined Bai Guo carefully. Knowing his apprentice well, he nodded after a few moments. "Hmm, let someone else go. Send a local who is more familiar with the terrain."

Bai Guo, never expecting his teacher to agree with Jiang Feng, felt tears of frustration welling up. He shouted, "Why? What did I do wrong?"

Gan Fuxing replied, "You did nothing wrong, but your current state of mind is too restless for such delicate work."

Gan Fuxing was working on a massive Prefecture-grade artifact that concerned the entire city of Taicang. If his apprentice were sidelined at such a crucial moment, it would be a huge loss of face.

"I am not! I can do it, trust me, Master!" he pleaded.

He took a few deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down. "I have been watching when you measured the data before; I know better than anyone what you are looking for. I can complete this task!"

Gan Fuxing had always cherished this apprentice and hesitated, glancing at Jiang Feng.

That glance made Bai Guo’s temper flare up again, though he suppressed it and forced a smile.

Jiang Feng hesitated for a moment and said, "Very well. Then assign him to the demonic cave near the Thousand Lion Bridge."

He pointed forward, and Bai Guo immediately understood. That cave was nearby; if the data were wrong, it would be easy to correct. Jiang Feng still didn't trust him!

He gritted his teeth, but Gan Fuxing had already agreed decisively. "That’s a good choice. I was actually planning to send Bai Guo there anyway." He turned to Bai Guo and said sternly, "You know the importance of artifact data as well as I do. Be careful, check it multiple times, and do not make mistakes."

In truth, Gan Fuxing often gave him such instructions, but Bai Guo, outwardly calm but inwardly anxious, felt more and more convinced that even his teacher didn't trust him.

He forced a stiff smile, turned, and led two men toward the demonic cave.

Meanwhile, the other eleven teams departed for various corners of Taicang City.

Jiang Feng watched Bai Guo’s retreating back for a while, feeling that something was amiss. Gan Fuxing shook his head. "The boy is still young and impetuous."

Jiang Feng snapped out of it and smiled. "He reached the first line at eighteen. With such talent, a little impetuousness is nothing."

Gan Fuxing laughed, "Look at your own age!" He shook his head, refocused on the table, and pointed to a spot. "How do you think we should handle this?"

Jiang Feng immediately refocused, engaging in a serious discussion with him.

...

...

Bai Guo walked along the banks of the Changchuan River, his anger growing with every step.

When had Master Gan ever treated him like this? Not even trusting him with the simple task of measuring data! It was all because that brat was sowing discord!

Hmph, he had to find a way to make him realize his true strength...

He subconsciously tightened his grip on his sleeve, then suddenly felt something was wrong and quickly let go, looking around nervously. The two artifact masters on his team were busy examining the river and hadn't noticed him, so he finally let out a sigh of relief.

Bai Guo looked toward the Changchuan River, and at that sight, he let out a surprised "Huh?"

Huh? Why couldn't he see the demonic cave?

Did he walk too far?

He glanced back—one kilometer from the Thousand Lion Bridge... yes, it was right here!

Bai Guo looked left and right, finding nothing. Gan Fuxing had marked all the locations of the demonic caves on the map of Taicang City, and he clearly remembered there was one here. But the river was completely clear, with not a trace of demonic energy!

He turned to the two artifact masters with him. They looked toward the riverbank and said in surprise, "You’re right, this cave has been sealed!"

"Yes, I heard about it. This cave was sealed by that young man named Jiang Feng, buying us a few more days in Taicang City."

Bai Guo froze and turned to ask, "Sealed by Jiang Feng? How is that possible? He is only at the Dawn Realm!"

Previously, Gan Fuxing had been occupied with the preliminary work, and Bai Guo had been so busy with tasks that he had missed this major news.

"That youth is no ordinary person; he has done much more than that!"

The artifact masters were better informed than others. The two chatted excitedly, introducing the big news of Taicang City to Bai Guo. The more he heard, the more shocked he became. "Impossible, right? He is only at the Dawn Realm; how could he possibly do these things?"

The artifact master said, "Martial Emperor Hua said so himself, the Heaven-Reaching Ranking has confirmed it, and there are many witnesses. No one knows how he did it, but it is a fact!"

Bai Guo was speechless, a deep sense of frustration washing over him. He had just broken through to the Heaven-Bright Realm and was a first-line artifact master; in both martial cultivation and artifact crafting, he was a cut above Jiang Feng. But he had enough self-awareness to know that the things Jiang Feng had done were beyond his reach even in ten years!

Was he really... going to lose?

Bai Guo snorted coldly and said dismissively, "Setting that aside, a sealed cave still leaves traces and can still be measured and surveyed. It’s just a bit more troublesome than an ordinary cave. Listen to me..."

As he spoke, Bai Guo suddenly paused and looked toward the Thousand Lion Bridge.

Could it be that Jiang Feng sent him here not because it was closer and convenient for re-checking, but because it was more difficult?

Was this... a sign of his trust?