59: Chapter 59 Refining Thunderfire Dates

The morning frost of late autumn already carried the chill of winter; most of the bamboo leaves on Emerald Bamboo Peak had withered, leaving bare branches swaying in the cold wind.

In the Quiet Room, Lin Xuan sat cross-legged, holding a dark red jujube in his palm.

The silver-red patterns on the surface of the thunder fire jujube shimmered faintly under the dim light of the room. Holding it in his hand, he could feel both the tingling of the Thunder attribute and the warmth of the Fire attribute; the two attributes were strangely intertwined, yet distinct.

Lin Xuan closed his eyes and circulated the Purple Heaven Divine Thunder Art. The Thunder Spiritual Energy in his Dantian surged out, transforming into a pale purple air current that enveloped the jujube.

Thanks to the "Thunder Gathering" talent's natural affinity for Thunder Spiritual Qi, the refining process went much smoother than expected.

The pure Thunder Spiritual Qi within the jujube was extracted like a stream, guided by his spiritual energy into his Meridians.

This spiritual energy was gentle and mellow, originating from the same source as the Thunder Spiritual Energy cultivated by the Purple Heaven Divine Thunder Art, so it merged into his Dantian vortex with almost no need for further refining.

As for the Fire attribute portion, Lin Xuan carefully stripped it away—he possessed a pure Lightning Spiritual Root, and forcibly absorbing Fire Spiritual Qi would only disrupt his own spiritual energy attributes, doing more harm than good.

The Fire Spiritual Qi dissipated into the air under the wrapping of the Thunder Spiritual Energy, leaving only a faint warmth.

Once the thunder fire jujube was refined, Lin Xuan opened his eyes, a flash of surprise in them.

"The spiritual energy in this single jujube is actually comparable to three months of bitter cultivation."

He felt the significantly strengthened vortex in his Dantian, his cultivation having steadily advanced a step toward the Middle Stage of Qi Refining Level 4.

More unexpectedly, during the refining process, he had captured a faint "Concept" of "Thunder and Fire complementing each other" contained within the jujube.

Although he couldn't directly comprehend it, observing the operation of this trace of Concept gave him a deeper understanding of Thunder Spiritual Energy.

"Thunder magic is not just about being fierce and overbearing..." Lin Xuan thought thoughtfully, "Lightning also has variations; it can be as wild as heaven's punishment, or as delicate as weaving a net."

He stood up and walked into the courtyard, pressing his right hand out into the air, and the Thunder Net Technique was quietly executed.

Pale purple electric light intertwined in his palm; this time, the weaving of the electric net was faster and steadier than ever before.

A five-foot square thunder net unfolded in the air, with a certain rhythm in the flow of electric light; it was no longer a simple accumulation of spiritual energy.

"Control has improved a notch." Lin Xuan put away the Spell and nodded with satisfaction. Although his Spiritual Root was poor, his Comprehension Ability was quite good.

After refining the spiritual jujube, Lin Xuan returned his focus to Talisman making.

On the wooden table in the Quiet Room lay Talisman paper, with cinnabar, a Talisman brush, and over a dozen completed or half-finished Talisman scattered nearby.

The top few were "Golden Light Talisman", with smooth patterns and stable spiritual light—after over a month of hard practice, the success rate of the Low Grade Golden Light Talisman had increased to about seventy percent.

But today, what he wanted to challenge was the "lightning strike talisman".

Creating Thunder-attribute Talisman was much more difficult than general Talisman.

Thunder Spiritual Energy was inherently violent, so precisely controlling it and solidifying it into the Talisman pattern was a huge test of the Talisman maker's ability to manipulate spiritual energy.

Lin Xuan spread out a new piece of Talisman paper and dipped his brush in ink.

The cinnabar at the tip of the Talisman brush was mixed with special spiritual ink, glowing with a dark red luster under the lamp. He held his breath and focused, channeling Thunder Spiritual Energy from his fingertips into the brush shaft, flowing slowly out from the tip.

The brush tip lightly touched the Talisman paper, beginning to outline the basic thunder patterns.

The first stroke, the second stroke... The patterns spread on the paper like vines. At first, it went smoothly, but when the Thunder Spiritual Energy was infused into the third turn, the tip of the brush suddenly trembled!

"Sizzle—"

The Talisman paper spontaneously ignited, turning into ash.

It failed.

Lin Xuan's expression did not change; he replaced it with a new Talisman paper and started over.

The second time, the Thunder Spiritual Energy was injected too quickly; before the pattern was completed, the spiritual energy lost control and exploded.

The third time, the pattern was finished, but the spiritual light was as dim as a firefly, not even qualifying as Low Grade.

The fourth time, the fifth time...

For an entire morning, consuming over thirty pieces of Talisman paper, only two barely formed lightning strike talisman were added to the table.

The spiritual light on the Talisman was weak; he estimated the power was only equivalent to seventy percent of his casual strike, making it very cost-ineffective.

But Lin Xuan was not in a hurry.

He regarded Talisman making as the ultimate training for spiritual energy control.

He carefully reviewed every failure, sensing the subtle changes in the flow of Thunder Spiritual Energy within the patterns, which stroke should be fast, which turn should be slow, and how to grasp the rhythm of spiritual energy infusion...

"Talisman making is like cultivation; it cannot be rushed."

He put away the Talisman brush and carefully put away the two successful lightning strike talisman. Although the power was insufficient, they were made by his own hands, so they had a different meaning.

His mind sank into the Spirit-Taming Tower Space.

Inside the space, the thunder-attracting vine had grown another foot, and the pale golden flower bud at the top already showed signs of blooming.

The Thunder-Light Bug hovered at the tip of the vine, its body flickering with purple light, periodically sprinkling Thunder Spiritual light dust to nourish the soil below.

The Herb-Seeking Mouse was digging holes at the edge of the thunder-patterned soil, seemingly wanting to plant something. And the Pangolin...

Lin Xuan's gaze fell on the Pangolin.

The little guy's changes were very obvious.

Its calf-sized body lay at the roots of the thunder-attracting vine, and the dark golden thunder patterns on its dark brown scales seemed about to burst out, forming a faint golden halo on the surface of the scales.

With every breath, faint electric currents flowed around its body.

Through the contract, Lin Xuan could clearly perceive that the Pangolin was already at the Peak of Qi Refining Level 4, just one step away from a Breakthrough.

Its instinctive longing for both Earth and Thunder attributes was becoming stronger and stronger, and the emotions it transmitted were full of yearning for greater power.

"It's almost time." Lin Xuan exited the space, deep in thought.

Two days later, the courtyard door was knocked on with a "bang, bang."

Lin Xuan opened the door, and Chen Hao burst in, his face full of undisguisable excitement.

"Lin Xuan! Great news!"

"Come in and talk." Lin Xuan stepped aside to let him in and closed the door.

Chen Hao sat on the stone stool in the courtyard, not selling the suspense, and said directly: "I've taken a Master!"

"Taken a Master?" Lin Xuan was startled, "Which Senior?"

"Junior Martial Uncle Han Lie of Flame Peak, an Artifact Refiner at the Middle Stage of Foundation Establishment!" Chen Hao's eyes brightened, "Didn't I take an escort mission last month? Escorting a batch of Artifact Refining Materials from an affiliated Family to Flame Peak. We encountered a small group of Yao Beast attacks on the way, and I risked injury to protect the supplies. Junior Martial Uncle Han happened to be there for the handover and saw the whole process."

He spoke very fast: "Junior Martial Uncle Han said that although my cultivation is not high, I have drive, and Artifact Refining requires this kind of Heart-Nature! He asked me on the spot if I was willing to learn Artifact Refining from him, and of course I was willing! I performed the apprenticeship ceremony yesterday, and now I am a Named Disciple!"

As Chen Hao spoke, he took out a crimson long saber from his Storage Pouch. The blade was about three feet long, entirely crimson, with fire-resistant beast skin wrapped around the hilt, and flame patterns faintly visible on the blade.

"This is the 'Blazing Flame Saber' bestowed by Master, High Grade of the first tier! And this—" He took out a thick booklet, "《Basic Manual of Artifact Refining, Master told me to memorize it first, and start helping out in the Artifact Refining Room next month!"

Lin Xuan took the saber; it felt slightly heavy in his hand, and warm Fire Spiritual Qi flowed through the blade; it was indeed a high-quality item. He was genuinely happy for Chen Hao: "Congratulations! Artifact Refiners are respected everywhere; this is a good path."

"Hehe!" Chen Hao scratched his head and smiled, "Master said that my talent is not bad, and having a Fire Spiritual Root has an advantage in learning Artifact Refining. It's just that my temper is a bit impatient, so it needs to be tempered."

He paused and lowered his voice: "However, I heard from Senior Brothers that Master has recently accepted three Named Disciples, all of whom are Fire attribute and have steady Heart-Nature. The front line is tight now, the consumption of Magical Artifacts is high, and the Sect is urging all Peaks to accelerate the training of Artifact Refiners. Our batch of people can be considered to have caught up with the right time."

Lin Xuan nodded. Sure enough, behind Chen Hao's Opportunity was the background of the Sect preparing for war. But in any case, this was a good thing for Chen Hao.

Chen Hao stood up and patted Lin Xuan on the shoulder: "Brother, I will live on Flame Peak from now on. Take care of yourself. Once I have laid a solid foundation in Artifact Refining, your Magical Artifact maintenance and upgrades are on me!"

Lin Xuan laughed: "Then I will rely on Great Master Chen for care in the future."

"Easy, easy!" Chen Hao laughed, chatted about recent events for a while, and then got up to leave.

After seeing Chen Hao off, Lin Xuan returned to the Quiet Room, feeling moved.

It is a good thing for an old friend to embark on a new journey. In this increasingly chaotic world, having an extra skill is an extra capital to settle down.

He composed his mood and took out the communication jade tablet from his Storage Pouch.

It was time to handle another important matter.

Lin Xuan took out a communication jade Talisman from his Storage Pouch—this was the contact method left by the broker when he bought the Earth Vein Spiritual Milk before.

Injecting spiritual energy, the jade Talisman lit up with a faint light.

A moment later, a low voice sounded in his mind: "Fellow Daoist, what do you need?"

"Earth Vein Spiritual Milk, do you have any in stock?"

The other side was silent for a few breaths: "Yes. But the price is high, and the origin... cannot appear in the open. Fellow Daoist should understand that such Heaven And Earth Treasure rarely flows out through proper channels. Most of what we middlemen collect are items of unknown origin, or obtained from adventures and kept quiet."

"Understood. What is the price?"

"Eighty contribution points per drop, sold in batches of ten. If you are sincere, seven hundred and fifty points, including a jade bottle that isolates spiritual aura."

"How long will it take to arrive?"

"Within half a month. The old rules, the back alley of 'Hundred Flavors House' in the market, one hand pays the money, one hand delivers the goods."

"Okay. I want ten drops."

Cutting off the communication, Lin Xuan let out a light breath.

Seven hundred and fifty contribution points is a huge sum for a Disciple in the Qi Refinement Stage.

But thinking about the huge help it would provide for exploring the Black Iron rock layer in the back mountain and even future mineral exploration after the Pangolin's Breakthrough and the expansion of "Earth Perception" range and precision, the money was well spent.

Outside the window, the cold wind of the winter night passed through the bamboo forest, making a wailing sound.

Lin Xuan sat cross-legged and entered the Beast Taming Space.

The Pangolin sensed him and immediately crawled over, gently rubbing its head against his leg, conveying emotions of longing and expectation.

"Soon." Lin Xuan touched its cold scales, "In half a month, when the Earth Vein Spiritual Milk arrives, I will help you with your Breakthrough."

The Pangolin didn't fully understand, but it could feel its Master's intentions and made a low "gurgling" sound.

The Herb-Seeking Mouse also hopped over, holding a few freshly picked electric glow grass leaves as if presenting a treasure. The Thunder-Light Bug flapped its wings on the thunder-attracting vine, sprinkling dots of purple light.

Exiting the space, Lin Xuan sat cross-legged in the Quiet Room.

Outside the window, night fell, and the stars began to appear.

He closed his eyes and operated the Purple Heaven Divine Thunder Art. Thunder Spiritual Energy surged through his Meridians, and the Dantian vortex rotated slowly; with every rotation, his cultivation improved a fraction.

Feeling the improvement in cultivation, the hardship of Talisman making, the gratification of a friend embarking on a new path, and the anticipation of the arrival of Earth Vein Spiritual Milk in half a month and the possible Breakthrough of the Pangolin.

The outside world was gathering storm clouds, but in this small courtyard, he was steadily weaving his own web of power.

There was no talk all night, only the faint sound of thunder during cultivation, echoing gently in the Quiet Room.