179: Chapter 179 Green Snake and the Hundred Treasures Assembly
"I recall that My Lady is an Artifact Refining Grandmaster?"
As the river boat moved forward, Jiang Mo asked.
"It's just a small craft, that's all."
Xu Qing began his daily display of modesty.
"Then does My Lady know the news about the recent opening of the Hundred Treasures Court Assembly in the Cultivation World?"
Jiang Mo asked.
For the past year, Xu Qing had been cooped up in his small River God Temple, cultivating Buddhist Dharma every day and deducing the Green Snake Heart Method in seclusion.
How could he possibly know any information about the outside world?
"Then, as an Artifact Refining Grandmaster, does My Lady know of the spirit artifact ranking list?"
Jiang Mo asked again.
Although Xu Qing read extensively, he did so with a specific purpose.
Recently, while deducing and perfecting (furiously plagiarizing) the Green Snake Heart Method, the books he read extensively were naturally famous Cultivation Techniques and mind-cultivation methods.
Naturally, he hadn't paid any attention to things like the spirit artifact ranking list.
Therefore...
"I don't know."
Xu Qing said.
"Eh?"
Jiang Mo had a look of shock on his face.
He had an expression that said, "Are you really an Artifact Refining Grandmaster? You're not an impostor, are you?"
Argh, Jiang Mo was actually questioning his Artifact Refining skills.
Xu Qing couldn't accept this.
One must know that his Artifact Refining craft had always been his greatest source of pride.
"The spirit artifact ranking list is a cultivation miscellany published after each decennial Hundred Treasures Court Assembly."
"It is organized by the various Artifact Refiner Associations in the Cultivation World."
"Top-tier and famous Artifact Refining Grandmasters will all receive invitations."
"Top human and yao powers provide sponsorship, such as the Xuanji Sect, Bodhi Temple, Yao Beast Imperial Court, Longhai Dragon Court, and Penglai Island."
What Jiang Mo described sounded just like the legendary Ascension Banquet.
However, the Ascension Banquet seemed to have a greater reputation; occurring once every three hundred years, it was a grand feast for the entire Cultivation World.
"So what is written in the spirit artifact ranking list?"
"The spirit artifact ranking list records and ranks the Spiritual Artifacts of the world, with a total of one hundred slots."
"Every ten years, Artifact Refiners re-evaluate the newly emerged Spiritual Artifacts in the Cultivation World and update the rankings."
Xu Qing understood.
So it was exploiting the competitive vanity of Cultivators to create a ranking for Spiritual Artifacts.
Xu Qing wasn't so idle as to expose his trump cards.
Although getting on the ranking would be really cool.
Imagine in the future, when he's in a fight and draws the Xiliang Sword.
The opponent exclaims in shock.
"It's actually... it's actually the Xiliang Sword, ranked fifty-first on the legendary spirit artifact ranking list!"
"You... you're the Green Snake Swordsman, Xu Qing!!"
At that moment, Xu Qing would slightly lift his bamboo hat.
"I didn't expect you to recognize me."
"Since that's the case, I have no choice but to ask you to die."
"Ah, no, please no!"
Argh, just thinking about it feels so cool.
Xu Qing's heart wavered.
"Does Lord River God have the spirit artifact ranking list from previous Hundred Treasures Court Assemblies?"
"Naturally."
"This is the spirit artifact ranking list issued last time."
Jiang Mo took out a folded long scroll and handed it to Xu Qing.
On the cover were the words "spirit artifact ranking list."
He opened it.
Rank 1: dao seeking furnace; Belonging to: Penglai Island.
Rank 2: god locking chain; Whereabouts unknown.
Rank 3: demon suppressing pagoda; Belonging to: Bodhi Temple; Destroyed a thousand years ago.
Rank 4: leaping dragon gate; Belonging to: East Sea Dragon Court.
Rank 5: Yao Emperor Crown; Belonging to: Yao Beast Imperial Court.
...
Rank 27: twin swords; Belonging to: Xuanyun Sect.
...
[Note: The above rankings are based solely on the humble opinions of some Artifact Refiners. If you have any questions, please contact the Xia Dynasty Artifact Refiners Association. If you feel the ranking is incorrect, then you are right; it was an error of this Hundred Treasures Court Assembly and a subjective judgment error of the Artifact Refiners. You must be right.]
"How should I put it... the organizers have a very strong will to live."
After reading everything, Xu Qing couldn't help but comment when he saw the last section.
"After all, every Hundred Treasures Court Assembly usually ends up turning into a spell-fighting convention."
"The Artifact Refiners fight each other."
"Or the owners of the Spiritual Artifacts fight to decide the rankings."
"But the top ten on the spirit artifact ranking list are still very prestigious."
"Even though the demon suppressing pagoda has been destroyed for a thousand years, its rank hasn't dropped a single spot."
Hearing this, Xu Qing remembered.
He still had the demon suppressing pagoda spire fragment rewarded by the System.
It seemed he needed to carefully consider the use of this demon suppressing pagoda spire.
"As an Artifact Refining Grandmaster, My Lady might receive an invitation to this session's Hundred Treasures Court Assembly."
"To serve as a treasure appraisal expert."
After hearing this, the corners of Xu Qing's mouth twitched.
If that really happened, should he...
"...Accept bribes and secretly adjust the rankings?"
"There's potential in that."
As it turns out, talented people never complain about their environment.
"Are there no benefits to attending such a Hundred Treasures Court Assembly?"
Xu Qing asked.
They couldn't just use an invitation to drag so many noble Artifact Refiners there to do free labor, right?
"Of course there are."
"The Hundred Treasures Court Assembly is also a grand exchange meeting between Artifact Refiners of the entire Cultivation World."
"It provides a significant boost to Artifact Refining techniques."
"Besides that, there is also..."
"Artifact Refining with Solar Essence Fire."
"The various top Sects use secret methods to draw down Solar Essence Fire, distributing it to the Spiritual Artifacts that achieve a rank at the assembly."
"Then, all the Artifact Refiners gathered from across the Cultivation World will refine them."
"Using the sun as fire and being refined by thousands of Artifact Refiners."
"This is a rare and immense benefit for Spiritual Artifacts."
Just listening to Jiang Mo's description, Xu Qing could already see that grand scene.
Using the sun as fire and the earth as a furnace, with thousands of Artifact Refiners putting in their full effort.
How magnificent.
No wonder people were willing to leak their trump cards just to get their treasures onto the spirit artifact ranking list.
Xu Qing was also moved.
It was for the benefits, not because getting on the spirit artifact ranking list was cool or anything.
It was just for the benefits, the benefits!
"It seems My Lady has already made a decision."
"Well... I suppose so."
Afterward, Xu Qing also asked for information about previous Hundred Treasures Court Assemblies.
After arriving at the Min River.
Xu Qing and his party bid farewell to Jiang Mo and returned to the River God Temple.
Returning to the Snake Cave.
Xu Qing took out the heaven-stealing lamp, and after a thought, dropped two drops of dragon gate liquid into it.
The heaven-stealing lamp spewed out clear Qi, and bursts of dragon roars echoed out.
Xu Qing sniffed the aroma of the wine and nodded in satisfaction.
As for the remaining drop of dragon gate liquid, he kept it as a collection.
This dragon gate liquid was useful for Transforming into a Jiao, but Xu Qing had his own evolution path and didn't need to fixate on that.
"Next is the re-refining of the hell pagoda."
Xu Qing took the heaven-accepting gourd from his waist.
Then he took out the heavy water he had traded for.
The hell pagoda had already been refined into five layers, but the fourth and fifth layers only contained Yin Qi without any methods of torture.
And this heavy water was as heavy as a thousand jun.
It was perfect for creating a water torture, giving the souls an unexpected surprise.
Pouring out the heavy water, Xu Qing spat out a mouthful of Green Fire, which enveloped the heavy water as it fell into the fourth layer of the hell pagoda.
Soon, the gloomy and Yin-filled fourth layer was submerged by the heavy water.
Next, he guided some souls into the fourth layer.
The souls struggled frantically in the heavy water, but it was as heavy as a thousand jun.
The torture of suffocation relentlessly assailed them, yet they remained conscious within the Yin Qi.
"Jie jie jie!!!"
Looking at the suffering souls, Xu Qing laughed excitedly.
Resentment surged up continuously.
The green snake laughed even more happily.