Chapter 199 - 181: Crafting 2 Tier-2 Magical Artifacts, Going to Yue Country
Chapter 199: Chapter 181: Crafting 2 Tier-2 Magical Artifacts, Going to Yue Country
He picked up the Hundred Waters Magic Disc again, stroking its surface. "However, Junior Brother, rest assured," he said confidently. "With this Magic Disc’s foundation and the quality of these two Spiritual Materials, once I upgrade it to Tier Two Middle-Grade, its power and potential will place it at the top of its class among Magical Artifacts of the same tier."
"What’s more, its foundation is so solid that if you find the right opportunity in the future, it wouldn’t be impossible to upgrade it to Tier Two High-Grade! As your Senior Brother, I’ll make you a promise today, Junior Brother. If I’m ever lucky enough to reach the High-Grade Realm in my craft, I will certainly help you again and push this Magic Disc one step further!"
"Then I thank you in advance, Senior Brother!" Lu Zhao replied, bowing solemnly. This was an incredibly valuable promise.
"Alright, it’s settled then." Zhou Xianlu carefully put away the Magic Disc and Spiritual Materials before asking, "You mentioned you had another Spiritual Material, Junior Brother?"
Lu Zhao nodded and took a massive turtle shell from his Storage Bag. It was the one he had gotten from Li Xuerou, and it radiated a dense Water Essence Aura. The shell was a deep, inky blue, its surface covered in natural, mysterious patterns. Its edges held a faint, jade-like luster, exuding an air of both tenacity and great age.
The moment the turtle shell appeared, it completely captured Zhou Xianlu’s attention. He strode forward, his fingers lightly brushing across its surface. He felt its cool touch and the vast Water Element Spiritual Power it contained, and his eyes glinted.
"This is..."
Zhou Xianlu carefully examined the shell’s patterns and texture, his brow furrowed with a hint of uncertainty. "From the patterns and aura, it looks like the Back Armor of a Tier Two Middle-Grade Profound Water Turtle. But its color is deeper, and its Power of Water Essence is purer and more restrained. It also resembles a Black Jade Turtle... No, that’s not it either. This jade-like luster on the edges is rather peculiar..."
He examined it again and again, even infusing a trace of his Magical Power to stimulate the shell’s innate Spirit Light. Finally, he shook his head and looked at Lu Zhao with a mixture of awe and confusion. "Junior Brother, I can’t quite place the origin of this turtle shell. Its original Demon Beast owner must have had an extraordinary bloodline—perhaps it was a rare species, or it underwent some sort of mutation. However, there is one thing I am certain of!"
He declared with certainty, "The Power of Water Essence within this turtle shell is incredibly pure and vast, and the material itself is exceptionally tough, far surpassing that of an ordinary Tier Two Middle Stage Turtle-type Demon Beast! With this as the Main Material, supplemented by a few common Tier Two Water Attribute Auxiliary Materials, crafting a Tier Two Middle-Grade Defensive Spiritual Artifact will be more than enough!"
"In fact, if the Artifact Refining Technique is masterful enough and with a bit of luck, crafting a masterpiece approaching Tier Two High-Grade isn’t entirely out of the question!"
Lu Zhao was secretly overjoyed, but his expression remained unchanged. "I’ll leave it entirely up to you, Senior Brother. I’m a complete novice in this field, so please craft it however you see fit."
Zhou Xianlu nodded with satisfaction, carefully putting the turtle shell away as well. He mused for a moment before saying, "Junior Brother, refining two Magical Artifacts at once will take a considerable amount of time. Upgrading the Hundred Waters Magic Disc requires me to carefully prepare the Spiritual Materials and re-engrave the Spirit Patterns."
"This defensive artifact from the turtle shell, on the other hand, must be crafted from scratch. Shaping, Array Carving, Spirit Fusion—each step requires precise control. Let’s do this: come find me at the Artifact Hall in three months to retrieve your items. How does that sound?"
"I can wait three months," Lu Zhao replied.
Zhou Xianlu looked at Lu Zhao and suddenly chuckled, speaking with the nostalgic air of a veteran. "Ah, Junior Brother, you’ve only just reached Foundation Establishment and you already have two Tier Two Middle-Grade Magical Artifacts—one for offense, one for defense. Tsk tsk, what a fortune. You’re far wealthier than I was back in my day."
"When I first reached Foundation Establishment, I was still using a Tier One Top Grade ’Fire Crow Pot.’ To pay back the massive debt of Merit and Spirit Stones I’d incurred for my Foundation Establishment Pill, I spent a full decade pinching every penny, taking on missions and doing Artifact Refining just to get by. I couldn’t even bring myself to buy a single decent Pill. Nothing like you, Junior Brother..."
Lu Zhao simply listened with a smile, not adding to the conversation. ’Most of this fortune came from Li Xuerou, and those things weren’t easy to get; it meant facing down a Fake Core Clan. The rest of it I earned by risking my life to fight the Zheng Family, which was no easy task either. The details aren’t something I can share with others.’
Once Zhou Xianlu finished his reminiscence, Lu Zhao finally spoke up. "Senior Brother, what is your fee for refining these two Magical Artifacts?"
Zhou Xianlu stroked a non-existent beard, pondered for a moment, and said, "Junior Brother, you’ve just reached Foundation Establishment, so I imagine your Great Merits are limited. Let’s do this: the upgrade for the Hundred Waters Magic Disc mainly relies on the Top-Grade Spiritual Material you provided. My part is just the labor of guiding the process and the Array Carving. As for the Turtle Shell Spiritual Artifact, you’re also providing the Main Material. The Auxiliary Materials..."
His gaze swept over some of the non-essential fragments on the turtle shell’s edge. "We can just use the scraps from refining this shell to cover the cost. It won’t require many truly valuable Auxiliary Materials anyway. As for the refining fee, five Middle-Grade Spirit Stones for both Magical Artifacts will suffice."
Five Middle-Grade Spirit Stones! The price was far lower than Lu Zhao had expected. He had assumed that the cost of the Auxiliary Materials and labor for the Turtle Shell Spiritual Artifact alone would be more than that, to say nothing of the Hundred Waters Magic Disc’s upgrade. Zhou Xianlu was practically giving it away; this was a clear gesture of goodwill.
Lu Zhao understood. He immediately gave Zhou Xianlu a deep, solemn bow. "Senior Brother, I will not forget your great kindness! I, Lu Zhao, will remember this debt!"
Zhou Xianlu accepted the bow without hesitation, his smile widening as he helped Lu Zhao up. "You’re being too formal, Junior Brother. It’s only natural for fellow sect members to help one another. In the future, when you make a name for yourself in the Sect, just don’t forget this small bit of help I offered today."
"Rest assured, Senior Brother," Lu Zhao nodded, acknowledging the favor. He had accepted the debt.
Leaving the Artifact Hall, Lu Zhao was met with the clamor of the outside world. He stood in the square before the hall, feeling the unceasing flow of Liquid Magical Power within him—immeasurably more potent and condensed than during his Qi Cultivation Stage—yet he felt little sense of ease.
The matter of the Magical Artifacts was settled; he would have them in three months.
However, after this transaction, most of the Middle-Grade Spirit Stones and Tier Two Spiritual Materials he had accumulated himself or obtained from Li Xuerou were now gone.
’If I want to keep raising my Cultivation and improving my Puppetry quickly, I’ll need a large amount of Spirit Stones and Spiritual Materials. It looks like it’s time to deal with that illicit ’inheritance’ from the Zheng Family.’
’Ordinary Spiritual Materials and Magical Artifacts are one thing, but their signature Magical Artifacts and Cultivation Technique Jade Scrolls will be hard to get rid of. The Bixia Sect Law Enforcement Hall is not to be trifled with. Although the incident of the Zheng Family’s extermination seems to have died down, there are bound to be eyes still watching from the shadows.’
Lu Zhao’s eyes narrowed, his thoughts racing. ’My aptitude isn’t the best. I need to take advantage of my youth to raise my Cultivation quickly and prepare for the bottlenecks I might face later. That batch of items has to be dealt with as soon as possible, converted into more Middle-Grade Spirit Stones. The Bixia Marketplace is too risky; it’s too easy to leave a trail. But other Marketplaces would have a hard time absorbing such a large haul of Magical Artifacts and Spiritual Materials without it attracting unwanted attention.’
’Perhaps I should consider going to the Yue Country. With my current flying speed, the trip wouldn’t take too long...’
His mind made up, Lu Zhao didn’t hesitate. Having decided to make the trip to the Yue Country, he activated his Thousand Waters Spirit Transformation Escape and flew toward his Cave Abode. His Escape Speed at the Foundation Establishment Stage was incredibly fast, and the scenery below blurred as it rushed past.
As Lu Zhao flew on, he continued to refine his plan. ’How can I sell off those Magical Artifacts and Spiritual Materials quickly and covertly?’
Reaching Foundation Establishment was merely a step onto a higher stage. In this Cultivation Realm, where the weak are prey for the strong, every move had to be made as if treading on thin ice. Figuring out how to handle the resources he’d gained from destroying the Zheng Family was the first true test he faced after his breakthrough.