In cities across the country, foundational courses in the crafts of spirit arts were flourishing. Skilled artisans had replaced pop idols as the new symbols of admiration. At the same time, craftsmanship assessments were officially added to the national college entrance exams, with many universities offering special admissions for students with exceptional craft skills.
Having a strong background in one of these disciplines had become a ticket to joining The SEIU, earning a high salary and enviable benefits. It was now a dream job for many. With more and more elite crafters coming into the spotlight, there were even live performances featuring spirit-infused creations that captured the public's imagination.
On Xiaozhu Hill, however, Song Miaozhu remained quietly secluded. Other than her early-morning classes in the underworld, she only left the house to train in the forests surrounding Xiaozhu Mountain and Yunwu Mountain.
The brief burst of attention she received after someone filmed her falling from a tree while possessed by a twin-bun paper soldier had long since faded.
In the eyes of those in Yuanshan Town, the top local cultivators were clear: Master Zhao of the Wood Carving Guild was the first to open his spiritual platform in Lingcheng and remained the most advanced; Master Shi from the Stone Workshop was trailing behind but had already opened his spiritual platform and amassed a thousand units of spiritual energy. Meanwhile, the Chen mother-daughter duo had landed steady SEIU jobs, considered a mark of success.
As for Song Miaozhu of the Anshou Hall Paper Shop? She hadn't even joined The SEIU. She probably hadn't inherited the Song family's techniques, and her cultivation must be mediocre at best.
The "Song Miaozhu" listed as a spirit merchant selling goods on the SEIU app must just be someone with the same name.
When Chen Shuanghe told her what people in town were saying, Song Miaozhu was quite pleased.
Good. Now she didn't have to worry about being bothered.
Look at Master Zhao's workshop—it had basically become a tourist attraction.
While people didn't dare crowd the entrance, they still swung by to take photos and check in. As long as they weren't causing trouble or blocking the way, no one could stop them.
Just as she was enjoying her low profile, Lingcheng University and Jiangcheng University both contacted her.
"What? Be a university lecturer? Teach intermediate and advanced paper crafting courses to cultivators? I don't even have a certified artisan qualification!"
"Huh? I can be hired before getting certified? No thanks. I really don't think I'm qualified."
She turned them all down.
Who would have thought universities were already opening cultivation-related majors?
It had only been two months. Everything was moving too fast.
She knew herself well. What could she teach? Folding ingots and paper lotus flowers? That was material for the beginner classes.
Real paper crafting masters, like Master Zhang Yunxi, had long since mastered paper construction techniques. She, on the other hand, had only learned how to make one type of paper horse.
Unless she was going to teach the secret method of spiritual infusion through paper crafting, what was there to offer?
In the elite artisan group chat, other crafters were discussing the same thing.
Many had received similar invitations from their local universities.
[Yu Lichuan]:I accepted.（￣︶￣）↗
[Yuan Liben]:Me too. ( •̀ᴗ•́ )و
[He Zhen]:Same here. (｀・ω・´)ゞ
[Zhang Yunxi]:We used to need state subsidies to keep traditional crafts alive. Now people are begging us to teach—in universities, no less. (＾▽＾)／
[Zhang Yunxi]: I'm going to recruit some talented students! (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧
[Le Pengkun]: What can they learn in four years? Probably not even how to hold a hammer right.
(¬_¬ )
[Le Pengkun]: In my opinion, training should start from childhood. But The SEIU issued a quota, so we have no choice. (;一_一)
[Wu Qingfeng]: Exactly. Lately the spiritual energy we absorb during cultivation is dwindling.
(´-ι_-｀)
[Wu Qingfeng]: I can barely keep up with my apprentices, let alone teach university students.
(︶︹︺)ゞ
[Wu Qingfeng]:Too many classes would be exhausting, but too few and they won't learn anything. This kind of hands-on skill can't be taught in big lecture halls like cultural studies.
[Xie Wushuang]: I'm traveling abroad for inspiration.
(ﾉ≧∀≦)ﾉ・‥…━━━★
[Xie Wushuang]: I used contribution points to have another master cover the teaching for me. (￣ω￣)ゞ
[Xie Wushuang]:There's less spiritual energy overseas, but fewer cultivators too. Lots of places still have untouched energy. You all should consider traveling abroad.
[Yin Chunan]:Isn't it hard to get travel approvals? (・_・?)"
[Yin Chunan]: Could we send spirit kites carrying bowl-holding paper men overseas to collect energy?
(☉‿☉✿)
Reading this, Song Miaozhu chimed in.
[Miaow Zhu]:In theory it's doable, but you'd have to consider how much energy the spirit kites consume. (´･ω･`)?" Is it even worth the trade?
[Yu Lichuan]: Then we better act fast. Other countries haven't officially announced their spiritual revival like we did, but they're clearly developing their craft industries. (☉д⊙)ﾉ
[Miaow Zhu]: I just made a new batch of bowl-holding paper men. Want some?
(◕‿◕✿)
[Zhang Yunxi]: Absolutely! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧
[Yu Lichuan]: Yes, please! (๑˃ᴗ˂)ﻭ
She sold them each one of her standard spirit-infused bowl-holding paper men, using red spiritual energy.
The blue-infused ones could absorb energy even faster.
She hadn't sold any of the spirit-grade ones yet.
She was saving those to further solidify her image as someone with naturally high cultivation. While others were panicking about the dwindling supply of spiritual energy, she had spirit-grade bowl-holding paper men collecting it nonstop and energy-rich spirit stones at her disposal.
She had no reason to worry.
Thanks to the Scholar's Elixir from the Blueflower Jade Dew Bottle, she eagerly absorbed knowledge from the ghost instructors, steadily advancing her craft.
Her collection of blue spirit crystals continued to grow.
The day her blue spirit energy surpassed ninety thousand units and she fully condensed the first tier of blue spirit crystal panels, a message arrived on her phone.
[SEIU Headquarters: Great news! Welcome Master Yang Shuqin and her Spirit-Mirroring Bronze Mirror to the Elite Masters Exchange Group! [Image attached]]
Song Miaozhu had a little paper servant managing her phone. She had it leave a congratulatory comment, then opened the elite spirit item vault to examine the new addition.
[Spirit-Mirroring Bronze Mirror]: Powered by spiritual energy. Capable of identifying the exact functions of a spirit item.
"An appraisal-type spirit item?" Song Miaozhu was surprised. This was likely the first of its kind. She had never seen anything similar in the contribution store or the elite vault.
While spirit items varied by crafter and could develop unique traits, sometimes two different craftsmen could create items with identical functions.
Take Master Yu Lichuan's Spirit-Nurturing Jade Pearl, for example. The contribution store now had several spirit items capable of storing energy.
There were the Spirit-Storing Gold Bean made by a goldsmith master, the Spirit-Storing Wood Boat from a woodworking master, a Spirit-Storing Grass Basket from a weaver, and even a Spirit-Storing Abstract Painting by a master artist. Each stored a different amount of energy, and some had time limits on storage.