44: Refining

After the unification of Bright Stream, Gu Yuchuan finally had time to begin his cultivation. However, his cultivation had only just advanced to the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining. Even with his decent Aptitude, there was still a significant distance to the tenth layer. That tenth layer was the Qi Refining Great Perfection, the final Realm of the Qi Refinement Stage. For the past few days, he had been focusing on his Artifact Refining techniques.

Using Spirit Stones, he had requested Great King Hui She to set up an Earth Fire for him in this Immortal Cave, which was an excellent asset for Artifact Refining. It was said that compared to ordinary flames, Earth Fire could not only increase the success rate but also enhance the power of the finished product. He spent three full days studying an introduction to Artifact Refining before preparing to start.

In truth, he had deliberated for a long time regarding the Hundred Arts of Immortal Cultivation. He knew that as the most brilliant civilization of the Human Race's Immortal Dao, these arts were incredibly powerful. Learning one or two could not only boost his combat power and influence but also elevate his status. In the Human Race, Alchemy Masters, Artifact Refining Masters, and Formation Masters were all highly respected.

He had pondered over Artifact Refining, Alchemy, Formations, and Talismanic Incantations for a while. Formations were the first to be excluded; he simply couldn't understand them. He completely lacked the Aptitude for Formations; even when a Formation was unraveled and laid out before him, he still couldn't grasp it. There was really no point in continuing with that. Next were talismans. Although they were important, in reality, they were currently much weaker compared to the other three, so they were also excluded.

He hesitated between Alchemy and Artifact Refining for a long time. There were actually commonalities between the two, and he had a bit of talent in both. However, even with a 'cheat' in hand, he couldn't pursue Dual Cultivation in these arts. Among the Hundred Arts, mastering even one would inevitably affect one's cultivation; pursuing two was simply seeking death. Ultimately, he chose Artifact Refining. Firstly, because he had his cheat, he wasn't very dependent on Medicinal Pills. Secondly, because he possessed a green jade mine, providing him with the resources for Artifact Refining, he could start practicing immediately. Thus, Artifact Refining was decided.

Regarding Artifact Refining, the most basic technique was the Fire Refining Art. Although he was a water-attribute Yao Beast, didn't he have the Earth Fire? It was actually much more useful than fire-attribute Spells.

He sat in the Artifact Refining secret room and began practicing the refining methods. The Hundred Arts of Immortal Cultivation were indeed formidable; he recognized every single character, yet when they were put together, he found them incomprehensible. Finally, with a determined look, he slapped his head. Reading ten thousand books was not as good as traveling ten thousand miles; he had to try it himself. Back in his previous life at university, he knew that things he couldn't learn in theory classes could be mastered in a single lab session. It was the same now.

He held a refining manual for a Low Grade Magical Artifact, the green snake poison needle. These needles were very suitable for the Yao Race. In the early stages, the Yao Race did not have human forms and naturally couldn't use most weapons, so their Magical Artifacts were mostly these types of sneak-attack tools. There were only two main Materials for refining the green snake poison needle: green jade and toxin. Gu Yuchuan had plenty of both; even if he failed multiple times, he could afford it.

The first step of Artifact Refining was melting the Materials. This step wasn't actually difficult; it involved using magic power and flames to melt the Materials into a liquid mass. Gu Yuchuan controlled his magic power to channel the Earth Fire. The temperature of the Earth Fire was not something the green jade could withstand, and gradually, the jade turned into a mass of green liquid.

The second step was adding the toxin. Baring his teeth, he spat out a mouthful of venom. The moment the venom entered the green liquid, the liquid exploded, nearly injuring Gu Yuchuan.

He sighed, but quickly pulled himself together. He wasn't the kind of Yao who would be afraid to act after a single failure. Moreover, he knew why it had exploded: his venom was Yin-attributed and very cold, so entering such boiling liquid all at once was bound to cause an explosion.

This time, he activated his Green Scale Shield before starting the refinement. Indeed, Artifact Refining was a dangerous business; he needed to protect himself. Just because he wasn't hurt just now didn't mean he wouldn't be in the future. He had to remember this: whenever he refined artifacts in the future, he must have protection active. One who often walks by the river is bound to get their shoes wet.

After taking a moment to recover, he restarted the refinement of the green snake poison needle. This time, he preheated the toxin in the Earth Fire first. Although this would inevitably damage the toxin, it seemed sufficient to kill Mid Qi Refining Stage Cultivators and could still harm Late Stage ones. That was enough. After all, it was a Low Grade Magical Artifact; by the Late Stage of Qi Refining, it wouldn't be very useful anyway, being mainly effective for Early and Middle Stage Cultivators.

This time, the mass of green liquid turned dark green, looking saturated with poison. The third step was shaping. This step tested a Cultivator's control over their magic power and Divine Sense.

He slowly shaped the green snake poison needle. Soon, a three-inch green needle took form. However, it wasn't finished yet; the most important part was quenching. This was the step where the mystical properties were born.

Quenching created mystical effects through rapid temperature changes, and it was also the stage most prone to failure. Fortunately, he had some experience with controlling water. He happily began the quenching, but as expected, the poison needle exploded. He couldn't even figure out what had gone wrong. He tried again, but failed once more.

However, a small smile appeared on his face. Failing twice in a row let him know where the problem lay: it was in the first step of melting. He had let the liquid's temperature get too high, so during quenching, the temperature difference was too extreme, causing the explosion. This time, he carefully controlled the temperature, and finally, the green snake poison needle was successfully refined. Looking at the green needle before him, he happily wagged his tail. As expected, he was a Genius little snake.

His face beamed with a smile as he fantasized about the future scene of being sought after as an Artifact Refining Master.

In one go, he refined four more green snake poison needles, intending to give them to his four subordinates. The highest cultivation among them was only the Fifth Level of Qi Refining; a Low Grade Magical Artifact would significantly boost their combat power. Now that the Flood Dragon Palace had just been established, giving them some rewards would put their minds at ease and make them work harder.

Gu Yuchuan immediately sent a voice transmission, calling them to the meeting hall. By the time he arrived, all four were there.

He didn't waste words and brought out the four Magical Artifacts.

Raising his head with great pride, he said, "This Seat has become a Tier 1 Low Grade Artifact Refiner. Although these green snake poison needles aren't incredibly powerful treasures, they are quite good for your use. Consider this the first real benefit of joining the Flood Dragon Palace. Take them, and put more heart into your duties from now on. When you are outside, do not tarnish the reputation of our Flood Dragon Palace."