From Family Fisherman to Water Virtue True Immortal-Chapter 26: Refining Treasures as Refining People

"Li Quanqing, first place in the Artifact Hall examination, with a grade of 'A Superior!'"

With the Examiner's announcement, the jade bell rang, and all the disciples' gazes converged in unison towards the same direction.

Li Quanshu watched the proudly spirited youth with complex and hard-to-define emotions.

She had also registered for the examination of the Earth-level school but, alas, failed and did not pass.

To be precise, among the more than sixty young boys and girls who once studied and learned to read in the same room,

Only Li Quanqing succeeded.

Leaving his peers far behind.

"Junior brother, congratulations."

Li Quanlin said with a smile brimming on his face: "As a Heavenly One level student, you are already considered a quasi-Artifact Refiner, just one step away from the final goal!"

Yet this mere one step has trapped many people for decades on end.

"Senior brother, does the promise we made still count?"

Li Quanqing chuckled, as their relationship had grown familiar over the more than six months of interaction.

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Li Quanlin nodded: "Of course, it counts. I've been keeping that Green Carp Sword for you!"

After setting a time, Li Quanqing sorted out the miscellaneous affairs of the fishpond and then followed his senior brother into the Magic Hall area.

Family Artifact Refiners each have their own Artifact Refining Hall deep inside the Artifact Hall.

Arrays rumbled to life and light faded, Li Quanqing carefully examined the layout of the Artifact Refining Room.

Walls built of giant black rocks, tough and enduring, soundproofing, the ground paved with ice jade, waves of chill sweeping through, nullifying the residual heat in the air.

Around the Artifact Refinement Platform, various ores and spiritual materials were piled in an orderly chaos, in a corner lay Magic Artifacts ruined from refining, covered with a thick layer of dust.

Li Quanqing glanced at Li Quanlin with his bright and shining Daoist robe and did not expect his senior brother to have such a sloppy side.

"Junior brother, how is your control over the Fire Control Skill?"

Li Quanlin, also somewhat embarrassed, intentionally changed the subject.

"The compatibility with my Spirit Root is off, I'm average at that spell."

Li Quanqing answered honestly, as Alchemy and Artifact Refining always involve dealing with fire.

"For Cultivators like us, whose Fire Spirit Root is not superior, to reach the pinnacle of Artifact Refining often requires the aid of external things."

Li Quanlin gestured to a pile of wood that radiated a warm and scorching aura: "For instance, Yang Attribute Spiritual Wood, which when burned, provides a tame and mild flame, easier to control."

"Or domesticating a few Fire Demon Beasts, using their Demon Fire for Artifact Refining. Its temperature is intense, and perhaps more suitable than that of Fire Spirit Root Practitioners."

Senior brother took out a Spiritual Beast Bag, and out flew three fire crows, pitch black in color with crimson claws and glittering golden pupils.

Caw Caw!

The fire crows flapped their wings, curiously inspecting Li Quanqing, feathers splayed out, with fine threads of high-temperature flames burning on their wings.

"Junior brother, which would you like to choose?"

Li Quanqing looked at the spiritual wood and then at the fire crows, tentatively asked: "Senior brother, can I have them all?"

Li Quanlin was stunned for a moment, then laughed heartily: "Of course, you can. It just happens that we are refining two Magical Artifacts, and it's quite suitable."

This Artifact Refining session was meant to be instructional, not shying away from trouble.

Li Quanqing carried over the spiritual wood, this type of wood called Green Sun Wood, emerald green like jade with elliptical leaves, continually emitting heat, a small piece could warm the entire room.

The Li Family planted thousands of acres in Spirit Medicine Valley, exclusively for the Artifact Refiners to use.

Hiss!

Both brothers raised flames in the palms of their hands and set the spiritual wood alight, the serene fragrance of herbs immediately enveloping the nostrils.

A foot-long piece of Green Sun Wood could burn for a day and night, only a Cultivator's Mana could ignite it, impervious to the common folk.

A pale green Spirit Fire rose up, a wave of heat sweeping around, heating the furnace to a glowing red.

Li Quanlin put several ores into the furnace, while practicing the Fire Control Skill to preheat, and took out two Sword Embryos to explain.

"Engraving Artifact Patterns on Magic Artifacts, you must first identify Mana nodes, just as we must find our own meridian points in order to refine Spiritual Energy for cultivation."

"Junior brother, please locate the Mana node positions for this Green Carp Sword."

Li Quanqing took the Green Scale Treasure Sword, Mana slowly and gently seeping into the blade.

Mana flowed leisurely within the Sword Embryo, like a stream winding through an unseen dark maze.

Where Mana stagnates indicates too many impurities and poor conductivity, spots that one should avoid when engraving Artifact Patterns.

Sometimes Mana can break through, but with great difficulty and obscurity; marking Artifact Patterns there would result in a high failure rate.

Li Quanqing marked each Mana node, and if they could be connected from start to finish in a line, it would form a Mana conduction route that penetrates the entire Magic Artifact.

Each Sword Embryo has unique nodes, requiring the Artifact Refiner to tailor their approach, marking the Artifact Patterns accordingly.

Hiss!!

Under the guidance of his senior brother, Li Quanqing's fingertips shone with a golden light as he employed the Geng Metal Finger to begin engraving Artifact Patterns, some deep and some shallow.

This process, just like Drawing Talismans, must be done in one go; any slight hesitation would mean all previous efforts were in vain.

Hum!!

After thirteen Spirit Patterns were inscribed, the sword hummed resoundingly, and Spiritual Energy automatically gathered, coating the Sword Embryo with a layer of treasure light.

"Next, I'll leave it to senior brother!"

Li Quanlin placed the Sword Embryo into the furnace; the ores had already been smelted into essences of metal, flowing like lava.

"Swift!"

The senior brother continuously formed seals with his hands, his Mana surging forth, casting rays of light from countless restrictive spells.

The essences of various materials covered the surface of the Sword Embryo, actively burrowing into the Spirit Patterns, hissing as they did.

The entire Green Carp Sword kept shrinking, various iron filings and impurities were extruded, immediately incinerated to nothingness by the flames.

Li Quanqing watched intently.

Each spiritual material merged at different locations, requiring extremely precise control, to ultimately become one.

An hour later.

Clink!

The sword body vibrated, and a sharp aura assaulted the face.

Li Quanlin formed the final Seal Technique, and layers of cyan fish scale-like Spirit Light burst forth, turning into strands of silk that followed the Spirit Patterns into the depth of the sword.

Numerous mysterious symbols quietly ignited and crystallized, before vanishing completely, making it difficult for outsiders to pry into.

"It's done!"

With a tug of his Mana, Li Quanlin summoned the Green Carp Sword from the furnace, landing it in front of his junior brother.

The Green Carp Sword was still radiating residual heat, causing the surrounding air to slightly distort.

Li Quanqing examined it closely; the sword was pure green without a flaw, its light flowing. It had gained an additional layer of luster as gentle as rippling water.

The quality barely reached that of a Low Grade Magic Artifact.

"Rest for three hours, then we will continue with the refinement of the Green Scale Shield."

Li Quanlin looked at his junior brother, who seemed to have had a realization, giving him time to reflect and summarize.

Two days later.

Li Quanqing stepped out of the Artifact Refining Room, his mood quite cheerful.

"Now that I have senior brother's endorsement, I can demonstrate my true level of Artifact Refining and become a true Artifact Refiner."

He left Qingyu Island, controlling the Spirit Boat while pondering, carefully recalling the gains of this experience, which could be described as substantial.

Those Artifact Refining knowledge had at last been practically observed and executed by his own hands, along with his new insights.

"Those Spirit Patterns inscribed inside the Magic Artifact are like the bone meridians within a human body; Mana activates the Artifact Patterns to ultimately cast various Spells."

"No wonder those Golden Core True Masters, Nascent Soul True Monarchs prefer creating their Lifebound Magical Treasures."

"Isn't this also a systematic summary and verification of their own cultivation path?"

"Even if cultivating the same techniques, when refining their Lifebound Magical Treasures, the outcomes can be vastly different."

"Refining Artifacts is like cultivating, and refining treasures is akin to refining oneself!"

Li Quanqing sighed lightly.

Though his knowledge had been 'cheated' into being with the Light Group, the information was firmly lodged in his mind, and he had his own thoughts.

Returning to the fishpond, he opened up the Array; an Iron Bone Crab King with a size comparable to a basin sunbathed on the rocks, its body larger than the Spiritual Crabs beside it.

Gurgle gurgle~

The large crab spewed bubbles from its mouth, its eyes rolling lazily, slanting a look at Li Quanqing.

This was the Iron Bone Crab King who had conquered all his siblings, the only juvenile among the crabs in the group.

And it had the most stubborn temperament.

Splash!

The Iron Bone Crab King extended its large pincers, stirring into the water a few times, causing a spray of water in which it suddenly caught a vigorously thrashing big green fish.

What does this mean, inviting me for a fish meal as gratitude for its upbringing?

Li Quanqing watched the foolishly staring big green fish, feeling somewhat puzzled.

Then, with a crack, the crab's pincer came down, directly severing the body of the green fish into two halves!

Blood splattered, and the body was severed!

In an instant, Li Quanqing felt his blood pressure soar!

"You damned crab, how dare you kill my fish?!"