Chapter 68

"Qin Lie, three taels of flowing sand gold, quickly!"

"Qin Lie! Three pieces of turbid crystal!"

"Qin Lie! Two pieces of mystic cold jade!"

"Qin Lie!"

"..."

In the refining hall, Yao Tai was drenched in sweat, busily working beside the furnace, constantly shouting out loud.

The flames formed by dozens of fire crystal stones burned, turning the furnace red-hot like a branding iron, with rolling heat waves rising and spreading, making the temperature inside the hall astonishingly high.

Yao Tai continuously broke down the spiritual materials, his eyes fixed on the furnace, calculating the time, observing the changes in the spiritual materials inside the furnace, and placing the spiritual materials into the furnace one by one, constantly directing Qin Lie to quickly bring the required spiritual materials.

Inside the hall, Qin Lie was drenched in sweat, swiftly moving around in various corners, finding the specific spiritual materials for Yao Tai.

Beside the furnace, spiritual materials were scattered all over the ground, many of them broken and ground into powder, mixed with other spiritual materials outside.

As the changes inside the furnace occurred, the required spiritual materials would randomly change, and the quantity of spiritual materials needed would also need to be re-determined.

— During the refining process, every subtle change would lead to changes in the subsequent steps, which would directly reflect on the spiritual materials.

The temperature of the fire crystal stones, the roasting surface of the furnace, the solubility of the spiritual materials inside, the conflicts between the spiritual materials, and the control of the heat...

The process of refining into a tool required considering too many aspects, and it had to be comprehensive. A tiny mistake could lead to the failure of the refining, rendering all previous efforts in vain.

Qin Lie continuously moved around, following Yao Tai's instructions, precisely measuring the amount of spiritual materials. Each time he delivered the spiritual materials to Yao Tai, they were exactly the amount Yao Tai required, with no slightest error.

— The drawing of the spirit array diagram required even more precision and meticulousness than the refining process!

Any spirit line, even if it was off by a tiny bit in thickness, could lead to the collapse of the entire spirit array diagram, rendering the drawing process futile.

Thus, in terms of precision, Qin Lie could be extremely meticulous and precise!

This morning, relying on the spirit array diagram drawn in his dantian spirit sea, he successfully gathered a vortex in his spirit sea, thereby breaking through to the ninth level of the Body Tempering realm.

Now that the spirit sea vortex was formed, as long as he cultivated his spirit energy, the vortex would spin, helping him refine his spirit energy.

Through this breakthrough in realm, he had a new understanding of refining and martial arts, and his previously hesitant and wavering mindset had become calm and serene.

Before, on the paths of refining and martial arts, he had always been indecisive.

Several times, he had once given up on refining and wanted to devote himself entirely to the growth of martial arts, striving to break through to a higher realm as soon as possible, hoping to join the Senluo Hall earlier and reunite with Ling Yushi sooner.

He originally thought that his immersion in refining would affect his cultivation, making his realm progress slower.

It wasn't until last night, after that profound realization, and through the drawing of the spirit array diagram, solving the problems that had troubled him for a long time, and helping him cross into the ninth level of Body Tempering, that he finally felt at ease.

"A powerful martial artist wanting to become a skilled refiner is not an easy task, and it might even be impossible."

"However, a skilled refiner with a deep understanding of spirit array diagrams, if they want to become a powerful martial artist, it is easy and simple, with almost no barriers or obstacles!"

"Many skilled refiners are themselves the strongest martial artists, with a deep understanding of the rules of martial arts!"

These words were also what his grandfather had once said. He didn't feel it deeply before, but now he regarded them as the truth!

Thus, in the cultivation of refining, he finally made up his mind.

Yao Tai was his first teacher on this path, the first person who could truly help him, so he studied with great dedication.

"Almost done, now we just need to wait for the spiritual materials to thoroughly mix and melt, gradually forming the shape of the tool inside the mold."

After being busy until evening, Yao Tai finally stopped shouting, sitting down beside the furnace like a pile of mud, wiping the sweat from his face while looking at the furnace with sparkling eyes.

Qin Lie hadn't rested for several hours and was almost exhausted. He sat down beside Yao Tai and asked, "What's next?"

Yao Tai turned around, his slightly plump face showing a hint of surprise, praising, "You're more meticulous than all the guys before. What you do alone is better than what two or three people could do together!"

At this point, he snorted, "The guys before, even after following me for a few years, might not have done as well as you today. When they brought materials, they often didn't meet my requirements in terms of precision, and I had to select and polish them again, wasting my time in refining!"

Over the past twenty years, about seven or eight people had followed Yao Tai as assistants, helping him refine and assisting him in handling materials.

Those people, even after one or two years, might still make mistakes when bringing materials. If he asked them to bring three taels of flowing sand gold, they might bring a little more. To them, a little might seem insignificant, but that little difference could lead to other variables in the refining process.

One variable often led to more variables, ultimately causing the entire refining to fail.

Yao Tai had never expected much from Qin Lie, thinking he would be like the previous apprentices, making many mistakes in the early stages, frequently making errors during busy and anxious times, significantly reducing his refining efficiency, and even leading to his failure.

However, Qin Lie's astonishing accuracy, meticulous handling of spiritual materials, and quick reaction amazed Yao Tai.

Because Qin Lie exceeded his expectations in every aspect, what he thought would take until tomorrow to complete the initial melting was actually finished by evening, far exceeding his expectations.

He was very satisfied with Qin Lie and found him extremely handy to use.

"This kid... is definitely a genius," Yao Tai squinted his eyes, sizing up Qin Lie, feeling deeply impressed.

"What's next?" Qin Lie asked again.

"Below the furnace, there are molds. As the solution slowly settles, it will form the initial shape of the tool," Yao Tai smiled, explaining to him seriously, "After cooling, it becomes a rough tool, then we start polishing it to make it look refined and beautiful. Then we embellish it with special gemstones and spiritual materials to enhance a particular aspect of the tool's power. Finally... we draw the spirit array diagram on the tool."

Qin Lie listened carefully, feeling that he had gained a lot. Although he was busy to death today, he learned a lot.

Today, he had a direct understanding of refining and a clearer grasp of the process.

The next day, when he came to the refining hall, he saw that the furnace had already been extinguished.

He went over to look and found that the bottom of the furnace had a groove, where different molds were placed. For refining swords and knives, sword and knife molds were placed, for axes, axe molds, and so on.

Yao Tai was refining a hammer, and the mold was still there. The rough hammer was in Yao Tai's hands, and he was using a cloth to polish the uneven parts, making it smooth...

Qin Lie watched silently.

Yao Tai first smoothed the hammer body, then embedded three brownish-yellow crystals in the handle, saying, "These are Qianyun Crystals, a sixth-grade spiritual material. They are the finishing touch, capable of converting spirit energy into mist. When combined with the spirit array diagram, this hammer can create a cluster of gray clouds when swung, making it very suitable for those who practice the Wave Technique."

Yao Tai continued to work while explaining to Qin Lie, and it wasn't until it was almost dark that he seemed to have completed the task, embedding the three Qianyun Crystals into the hammer.

"The final step, and the most important one, is naturally the drawing of the spirit array diagram, which truly determines the grade and level of the tool!"

Yao Tai smiled calmly, saying, "This step is too far from you and too profound, not something you can learn in a short time. Well, starting from tomorrow, I will be drawing the spirit array diagram and need quiet, so you don't need to come for the next five days. You're on leave."

"Alright," Qin Lie didn't fuss, nodding to show his understanding.

From Kang Zhi, Han Feng, and others, he already knew that Yao Tai regarded his spirit array diagrams as his life, and would never easily teach them to others.

Therefore, once it was time to draw the spirit array diagram for the tool, he would habitually give his assistant a break, not allowing anyone to enter the refining hall, and not letting anyone disturb him.

Qin Lie was mentally prepared for this, so he accepted it calmly and left the hall cheerfully.

Yao Tai, however, showed a hint of surprise. After Qin Lie left, he frowned and muttered, "Strange kid, didn't even ask one more question, didn't show any intention of staying. Well, maybe it's just the beginning, and he can still keep his cool. I wonder if he will be like this in the future..."

He looked at the door, thoughtfully stroking his chin, and said, "I hope this kid can last longer. Even if he has deep intentions and is here for the spirit array diagram, at least he is really handy to use."

...

Qin Lie was given a break by Yao Tai and suddenly felt relaxed, so he had the idea to go to Li's shop.

The next day, he went to Li's shop and found that it was still empty, and Li Mu seemed to have not returned yet.

He didn't mind, as he had the key, so he went to the small room and sat down silently.

Now that he had reached the ninth level of Body Tempering, as soon as he cultivated, the vortex in his dantian spirit sea would start spinning, helping him refine his spirit energy. Once all the spirit energy in his dantian spirit sea was thoroughly refined, he could prepare to break through to the Origin Formation realm.

He had put aside the practice of drawing the amplification array diagram for a long time. This trip to Li's shop was to take advantage of his free time and continue practicing the amplification array diagram.

"After such a long time, my mind has truly calmed down. I hope this time it goes well, and I can succeed within the next five days."

He took out the first spirit board, first visualizing the amplification spirit array diagram in his mind, then took a deep breath, and placed his finger on the spirit board.

The moment his finger touched the board, he suddenly became completely still, no longer hearing any other sounds.

It seemed as if the entire world was just him, the spirit board in his hand, and the world within the spirit board.

...

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