Immortal Refiner

Overnight riches!

That was the only thought that crossed Li Qing’s mind after inventorying all the spoils.

Truly overnight riches! All it took was killing a cultivator, and Li Qing went from being a penniless cultivator to one with considerable wealth.

A storage pouch, a Magic Artifact of unknown grade, three jade slips, and a few Vital Blood Pills that were better than nothing.

Moreover, even the two garments inside the storage pouch were no ordinary items.

Just now, when Li Qing took them out, he instinctively infused them with a trace of mana. To his surprise, he discovered that the garments possessed a calming and purifying effect, and ordinary swords and blades couldn’t even scratch them.

Realizing this, Li Qing couldn’t help but exclaim:

”Damn, no wonder they were kept in the storage pouch! Cultivators really pay attention to even their clothes!”

Of course, Li Qing also realized that the so-called cultivation world was probably far from peaceful.

He had once imagined cultivators as ethereal beings who lived on wind and dew, soaring high above the mundane world, untouched by worldly concerns, and solely devoted to the pursuit of the Dao.

Now, it seemed his perception needed some adjustment.

Li Qing had gained such a rich harvest from killing a Mid Qi Refining Realm cultivator struggling to survive in the End of Dao Era. He had seized the fruits of the cultivator’s nine years of toil in the cultivation world in one fell swoop.

The thrill of killing and looting, of reaping rewards without effort, almost made Li Qing addicted.

He even entertained a daring thought: Should he search for other cultivators in this world and hunt them down?

”No, I can’t get lost in this mindset!”

Li Qing immediately snapped back to reality. Xiang Fa had only been a Mid Qi Refining Realm cultivator, and Li Qing had caught him off guard to succeed.

If Old Man Xiang had been prepared, wearing his magical robes and wielding his Crimson Shadow Umbrella, and had fought with his full strength, regardless of spiritual energy expenditure, Li Qing wasn’t sure he could have defeated him.

Not every cultivator was as easy to manipulate as Xiang Fa. Once a cultivator felt their life was in danger, who knew what unpredictable methods they might unleash?

Li Qing quickly put reverence back at the forefront of his mind. Never underestimate any cultivator!

”Don’t get cocky, don’t get cocky!”

”If I were to stumble in a ditch, kick an iron plate, and lose my life, it wouldn’t be worth it.”

As the saying goes, those who go barefoot aren’t afraid of those who wear shoes. While Li Qing might be a bit impoverished, his path to the Dao was promising. Compared to the cultivators of this world, who were trapped in the End of Dao Era, he was the one wearing shoes!

”Let’s finish up here and go back to switch cultivation manuals!”

Li Qing was already impatient. Just now, from the three jade slips, he had obtained two complete Qi Refining Realm cultivation manuals, a Pill Refinement guide, and two pill recipes!

The first was the wood-attribute Azurewood Art, and the second was the fire-attribute Fire Origin Art. Both manuals could sustain Li Qing’s cultivation through the entire Qi Refining Realm.

As Li Qing was putting everything back into his storage pouch, a flash of inspiration struck his mind!

”Wait!”

Li Qing froze in place, then, as if remembering something, he hurried towards the blacksmith shop he owned in the city.

That’s right, Li Qing realized he had obtained a jade slip like these long ago!

”That’s it! No wonder these jade slips looked so familiar. I already have one!”

Over the years, Li Qing had accumulated a considerable amount of possessions. He skillfully exploited the unique properties of interdimensional travel to store various items.

For instance, during his time in Shengtian, he had stored his belongings in the blacksmith shop of Giant Rock City in the World of Eternal Night.

Because when he traveled back, he would reappear in the exact spot he had left.

Thus, whether he was in Small Jade Ridge, Shengtian, or anywhere else, Li Qing could always return to the World of Eternal Night to deposit items in the blacksmith shop in Giant Rock City, retrieving them whenever he needed.

However, this method had a drawback: it wasn’t entirely secure. If a thief were to strike, he wouldn’t even know what had been stolen.

It was only because the people of the World of Eternal Night had no interest in anything other than food—their sole precious commodity—that Li Qing dared to take such a risk.

Later, when he left the Imperial Capital of Maple Country, he naturally stored all the items he no longer needed but felt reluctant to discard in the blacksmith shop in the World of Eternal Night.

Among these were several Martial Arts manuals, the Earth Origin Manual, and the white jade token engraved with the characters ”Lingyun.” Li Qing carefully concealed them all.

Back at the Blacksmith Shop, Li Qing ignored the thick layer of dust on the floor and immediately began rummaging through chests and cabinets.

”Cough, cough, cough... That’s it! This jade slip!”

From deep within a pile of miscellaneous items, Li Qing retrieved a jade slip with a smooth, cool texture, similar in style to the ones he had obtained just now.

He had traded a pile of Dark Wheat Mushrooms for it at a market stall in Blackrock City years ago, from a vendor practically giving away jade.

The incident had faded from Li Qing’s memory long ago. If he hadn’t stumbled upon the other jade slips today, he might never have recalled it.

With a tentative thought, Li Qing poured the last of his spiritual energy into the jade slip.

In the next instant, the familiar characters reappeared in his mind:

Zhang Clan’s Notes on Artifact Refinement: Spirit Tempering and Inscription!

This was a jade slip related to artifact refinement! Li Qing’s heart surged with excitement as he read the first line.

”Ah, this must be something a cultivator left for their descendants.”

”Since the descendants were mortals without Spiritual Roots and unable to cultivate, the cultivator naturally wouldn’t have included a cultivation manual in the jade slip.”

”Because opening the jade slip requires spiritual energy, the old jade merchant who sold it must have had a cultivation manual like a book. If any of his descendants were born with a Spiritual Root and embarked on the path of cultivation, this jade slip would then become useful.”

Li Qing nodded in realization, then continued reading the summary of artifact refinement techniques with undisguised delight.

The jade slip not only described artifact refinement but also revealed the identity of the person who had recorded it.

It stated that the jade slip was recorded by a cultivator named Zhang Weifeng. After failing to achieve Foundation Establishment and having his Dao path severed, he devoted himself entirely to artifact refinement.

He left this legacy hoping that if any of his descendants became cultivators, they would have a skill to rely on. By mastering artifact refinement, they could quickly accumulate the resources needed for Foundation Establishment and pursue the greater Dao.

This would prevent them from suffering the same fate as him—missing the optimal age for Foundation Establishment, making their chances of success slim.

”So there’s this much to consider when it comes to Foundation Establishment.”

Li Qing raised an eyebrow and continued studying the artifact refinement manual.

I must admit, this cultivator surnamed Zhang has a profound understanding of artifact refinement, covering a comprehensive range of aspects.

”No wonder my creations are only considered pseudo-magical artifacts! So this is how it’s done!”

The process of refining a Magic Artifact can be roughly divided into three steps.

The first step is shaping. As the name suggests, shaping involves using techniques like melting or forging to mold various spiritual materials into the desired form of the artifact.

Shaping is merely the introductory stage. Li Qing has essentially mastered this step, which is why the Peerless Divine Weapons he forges are only considered pseudo-magical artifacts!

The second step is Spirit Tempering!

Once the pseudo-magical artifact is shaped, it must be tempered with spiritual energy to imbue it with sentience.

Spirit Tempering is also highly meticulous. If the shaping in the first step isn’t done well, the pseudo-magical artifact may shatter during Spirit Tempering, making it impossible to infuse it with sentience.

However, if the spiritual materials used in the artifact are of exceptional quality and inherently possess abundant spiritual essence, Spirit Tempering becomes relatively simpler.

Completing the second step results in a semi-finished Magic Artifact. Artifacts at this level already possess a certain degree of offensive power.

For example, the few pieces of magical robes Li Qing had just obtained could be damaged if struck with a Spirit-Tempered sword or blade.

The third step of artifact refinement, and the most crucial one, is inscription!

The reason why the Magic Artifacts used by cultivators possess such dazzling and wondrous abilities is precisely because of inscription!

After a pseudo-magical artifact undergoes Spirit Tempering, various inscriptions can be carved onto its surface. Combined with the properties of the artifact’s material, these inscriptions unleash a myriad of extraordinary powers!

Some powerful Magic Artifacts can even incinerate mountains and boil seas with ease!

Of course, the jade slip also emphasized one point:

Forging, Spirit Tempering, and inscription—these three steps represent only the most widely known and fundamental stages of artifact refinement.

The path of artifact refinement is vast and profound. After countless years of development within the cultivation world, numerous unique and secret schools have emerged, some employing methods so imaginative and unconventional that they are beyond the comprehension of ordinary cultivators!

Furthermore, the cultivation world is home to exceptionally rare and precious natural treasures.

For instance, someone once obtained a Ten-Thousand-Year Divine Wood. This divine material requires neither Spirit Tempering nor inscription. Simply nurturing it day and night with one’s own spiritual energy is enough to transform it into an incredibly powerful Magic Treasure!

Reading this, Li Qing couldn’t help but gasp, a surge of longing coursing through him.

At the end, the artifact refinement master, Senior Zhang, left a message for his descendants:

”When entering the world of cultivation, do not belittle yourself, nor should you aim too high. Maintain a calm and balanced heart!”

After a long moment, Li Qing, having fully absorbed the inheritance, bowed deeply to the jade slip.

”Senior Zhang’s artifact refinement legacy is like a guiding light to me. I offer my deepest gratitude!”

Indeed, though this artifact refinement manual only covered the most basic steps, the annotations and accumulated experience within were invaluable to Li Qing.

Having lived two lives, he understood that even the tallest tower begins with the ground. The foundation was paramount, a truth he grasped more clearly than anyone.

Those exclusive, secret artifact refinement schools might be incredibly intricate and profound.

But this basic artifact refinement legacy was precisely what Li Qing needed to truly open the door to the art of artifact refinement!

(End of the Chapter)

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