93: Five years have passed, Master of Weapon Refining

Five years passed in a flash, and time flew by. In early February, outside the Bailu Smithy, several groups were waiting in a disorderly fashion. Most of these people looked wealthy and were accompanied by numerous subordinates.

“I wonder what good items Bailu Smithy will release this month?”

“Who cares? Anything from Master Chen, how could it be bad? I’ve lived for over eighty years and consider myself well-traveled, but I never expected to see so many High Grade Magical Artifacts among first-tier ones.”

“Indeed, like the fish-feeding gourd that Qingyu Sect acquired last time, it increased their Spirit Fish production several times over!”

Outside Bailu Smithy, various groups of people were loudly chattering, creating a lively scene. Several Innate Experts with impressive cultivation leaned against their carriages, chatting idly.

“That’s not all. There’s also that Flying Sword that’s incredibly fast. Is it really a first-tier Medium Grade Magical Artifact? Two years ago, I saw Hongguan Shangren use it to cut off the head of that Decayed Wood Ape, which was holed up in the Wu Hui Marsh, with a single strike!”

“It truly is a first-tier Medium Grade Magical Artifact, but Master Chen inscribed four extreme speed runes on it, which already exceeds the limit that pure refined gold can withstand. I truly don’t know how Master Chen managed it! Alas, it’s shameful to admit, but I, Yue, also spent eight Spirit Stones to buy an extreme shadow sword, yet it’s difficult to control!”

Upon hearing this, everyone couldn’t help but feel envious. Yue Chou, the Old Ancestor of the Yue family, who made his fortune from butchery, has been established in Xueshan City for nearly seventy years and has already secured a Cross-Boundary quota.

Five years ago, Chen Cuo, thinking of buying Foul Beasts’ blood for Body Refining, began refining Magical Artifacts in advance. The contract stipulated no wages for the first year, but a contract is ultimately dead. He still borrowed two Spirit Stones from Dai Xiong to buy a few Artifact Refining Materials and began refining Magical Artifacts.

The first two times, due to not grasping the rhythm, he only refined substandard Magical Artifacts, but this already made White Egret and Dai Xiong look at him with new eyes. What was even more astonishing was that he truly refined a first-tier Low Grade Magical Artifact.

After that, things spiraled out of control. Chen Cuo almost never failed when refining Magical Artifacts. If there was a failure, it was only because he was researching new rune inscription combinations.

With such Artifact Refining skill, White Egret immediately knew she had found a treasure. She immediately added supplementary clauses to the agreement, stipulating that any Magical Artifacts Chen Cuo refined beyond the agreed-upon work quota would be split fifty-fifty, with the Artifact Refining workshop providing the Materials. The more he refined, the more he earned.

After earning money for the first time, Chen Cuo finally had some funds. As for the first year, there were indeed no wages, but there was a share from Artifact Refining, and a large quantity of Materials to practice with. Chen Cuo, of course, gladly agreed. From then on, Chen Cuo officially became an Artifact Refiner.

Thus, five years passed, and Chen Cuo’s reputation spread throughout Xueshan City. For instance, he refined Green Light Swords, Spirit Armor, and even various obscure and bizarre Magical Artifacts. There was nothing you hadn’t seen; there was nothing Master Chen couldn’t do.

Although the highest grade of Magical Artifacts he refined was only first-tier Medium Grade, everyone knew that it wasn’t that Master Chen couldn’t refine first-tier High Grade Magical Artifacts, but rather due to the limitations of this world.

Anyone who used a Magical Artifact refined by Master Chen praised it. Even three years after Chen Cuo became famous, Hongguan Shangren, an Innate Perfection expert and one of Xueshan City’s administrators from the Vajra Sect, personally visited Bailu Smithy to have Chen Cuo refine a sword-shaped Magical Artifact.

Coincidentally, Chen Cuo used Hongguan Shangren’s name as an opportunity to introduce his newly researched extreme shadow sword. This sword was a first-tier Medium Grade but was inscribed with four runes, all of the same type: extreme speed.

This sword had no other advantages; it was simply fast, so fast that when it struck, Innate Experts could only see a blur.

Normally, no material could withstand the same rune four times, as it would cause the Artifact Refining material embryo to become extremely unstable, leading to Artifact Refining failure. Therefore, no one knew how Chen Cuo managed to refine such a Medium Grade magical sword comparable to a High Grade one.

After Hongguan Shangren obtained the extreme shadow sword, he immediately went into the Foul Beasts’ Wu Hui Marsh and, with one sword strike, beheaded a particularly troublesome Decayed Wood Ape hiding within.

One must know that the Wu Hui Marsh not only contains various puddles and mud pits, but deeper within, there are also mangrove-like shrubs and trees growing in the swamp.

Numerous Foul Beasts inhabit it, among them a Decayed Wood Ape whose intelligence, influenced by the Wu Hui Marsh, was far superior to other Foul Beasts. Several times, it led Foul Beasts teams to raid the scattered residences outside the city or attack Martial Artists hunting in the marsh.

Once surrounded by an Innate Perfection expert like Hongguan Shangren, it would immediately flee, making it extremely difficult to deal with.

Hongguan Shangren, having obtained the extreme shadow sword, went to seek out this beast. Perhaps he himself didn’t expect that with a gentle surge of True Qi, the extreme shadow sword would cut down the Decayed Wood Ape at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye.

From then on, Chen Cuo’s reputation soared. People flocked to Chen Cuo to custom-order extreme shadow swords or other Magical Artifacts. Yue Chou was also able to acquire one at almost its original price, despite the extreme shadow sword being in such high demand, due to some other dealings with Chen Cuo, which was enough to make those around him quite envious.

The key was that Chen Cuo could not only forge common Magical Artifacts but also meticulously research various Magical Artifacts with strange effects and different rune inscriptions.

For example, Spirit Fish Sect is an external cultivation family that established its power by sending clan members to cross the boundary. Its disciples are skilled in aquaculture. They cultivate Spirit Fish using a water vein on the outskirts of Xueshan City, earning considerable profits.

They visited previously, wanting Chen Cuo to refine a Magical Artifact capable of gathering Earth Vein Origin Qi for them. Unexpectedly, after Chen Cuo succeeded, he also promoted his new product, the fish-feeding gourd, saying that it could be used to nourish fish food and increase the probability of Spirit Fish advancing.

It could greatly increase the chance of a Low Grade Spirit Fish advancing to Medium Grade. Spirit Fish Sect bought it back to test, and it indeed proved to be another successful new type of Magical Artifact.

In just five short years, Bailu Smithy’s business flourished, almost completely dominating the entire Artifact Refining industry in Xueshan City. However, White Egret was not an unwise person.

Although the agreement stipulated that Chen Cuo would earn more by refining more, she also understood the principle of moderation. Other Artifact Refining workshops also had backgrounds and strength, so they couldn’t push things too far. This wasn’t out of fear, but simply to avoid trouble.

So, after discussion, the two unanimously decided to only sell a dozen or so Medium Grade Magical Artifacts and a few Low Grade ones at the beginning of each month, depending on Chen Cuo’s Artifact Refining enthusiasm.

It was precisely because of this tight supply that bosses from other forces flocked to the Artifact Refining workshop, waiting early at the entrance, fearing that if they arrived late, this month’s Magical Artifacts would be gone.

When the sun rose in the east, the shop assistant, Wang Er, was about to open the door when he turned around and saw Dai Xiong and White Egret arriving together. Wang Er immediately asked, “Shopkeeper, Master Dai, should we open now? The customers are getting impatient!”

“Open it. Bring out the two boxes of Magical Artifacts from the outermost part of the warehouse and sell them along with the Magical Artifacts refined by Master Dai!”

The ones at the very outside of the warehouse were all substandard items refined by Chen Cuo, not the most exquisite ones.

As for the most exquisite Medium Grade Magical Artifacts, White Egret had already carefully preserved them. Thinking of this, her heart burned with excitement.

She secretly mused, “With these resources, my branch should be able to return to Lingbao Mountain, and perhaps even rejoin the Bai family. Then, with the return of Spirit to True, perhaps I can even hope for Foundation Establishment!”

“There are still about twenty years until the Cross-Boundary. I must keep Chen Cuo. If I report his situation to the Old Ancestor, and after Lingbao Mountain knows about it, with Chen Cuo’s Artifact Refining talent, he might even be able to contend for a True Disciple position!”

She looked towards Chen Cuo’s secluded room. At this moment, a strange, rather unpleasant smell was emanating from within. All the shop assistants, servants, and apprentices dared not approach.

Chen Cuo was now also at the ‘advanced age’ of thirty-seven. Inside Chen Cuo’s residence, he was currently shirtless, pouring bottle after bottle of black and red blood over himself. The blood carried a wild, intoxicating power, and also emitted a faint stench.

As Chen Cuo consumed a bottle of light blue medicinal liquid, his entire body radiated bubbling heat, and wisps of blood mist floated out.

Finally, Chen Cuo’s body stretched, and his bones exploded with cracking sounds, like continuously popping beans. He raised his hand and punched, erupting with golden light, creating roars like tigers and leopards, and intense sounds like thunder.

“It’s done! The second layer of the Dragon Tiger Golden Body, Tiger-Leopard Thunder Sound!”