The Dao of Artifact Refining

The next location was still within the Taoyuan Mountain Range, about seven li from Xingde Mountain, situated in a canyon.

"Mount Wulei is to the northwest, and Wangyue Mountain is to the southeast. This valley leads east towards the great road to Dongting..." Standing at the canyon entrance, Lord Xingde pointed to the sides, explaining to Liu Xiaolou.

As they spoke, several people descended from the mountains on either side. They walked along the mountain path eastward, preparing to leave Taoyuan. Seeing Lord Xingde and Liu Xiaolou, they asked, "Were you guys also driven out by the Qingyu Sect?"

Lord Xingde remained silent with a cold expression, but Liu Xiaolou answered, "Are all of you?"

As more people gathered, these individuals began to complain, "May all those Qingyu Sect bastards die!"

"What business is it of theirs to stop us from living here?"

"It wasn't us who robbed the Zhou family. I heard about it and rushed over, wanting to get a piece of the action, but it was already looted, and I missed out. Now, I didn't get any benefits, but I took the blame for nothing. What an injustice!"

"If Taoyuan won't let us live, where else can we go?"

"Where else? Go back to your hometowns."

"Brother, where is your immortal home? I'm not going back; there's no way to make a living there."

"Alright, you're most welcome! I'm from Heishan. Brother, you can come to Heishan, and we'll plan great things together..."

"Heishan?"

"North Cliff of Heishan."

"North Cliff? Do you know the Thousand-Faced Butcher?"

"Yo, so we're all family! Brother Tu is my elder brother. Though not by blood, he's closer than a brother..."

"Closer than your mother! You brute, you're just acting out, but we're side-by-side!"

"Hey... why are you fighting? Brothers, what did we say? Ouch..."

"Go back and ask that butcher, then I'll beat you to vent my anger, and then I'll drag you to North Cliff of Heishan to settle the score and get my sister back!"

At the canyon entrance, flying swords and long sabers clashed, water jets mingled with fireballs, and the area instantly became a chaotic mess.

Liu Xiaolou quickly pulled Lord Xingde and they left, soon disappearing into the valley. Lord Xingde looked back and sneered, "These rogue cultivators!"

Liu Xiaolou rolled his eyes, thinking, Isn't this perfectly normal?

The valley was dense with trees and vines, making it difficult to traverse. Liu Xiaolou led the way, hacking a path with his sword into a jumble of rocks.

Lord Xingde pointed to a large rock. "Move it."

After the large rock was moved, a narrow underground cave was revealed beneath it.

"What kind of mine is this?" Liu Xiaolou asked curiously.

"This isn't a mine; it's an ancient tomb," Lord Xingde replied, then leaped in.

Descending into the tomb, he lit a torch. Before them was a tomb passage about ten feet long. Following it inward, they entered a stone chamber with a stone coffin in the center.

"When I found this place, all the burial objects had been stolen, not even the bones remained. Only the mercury in this coffin was left. Perhaps the tomb raiders couldn't carry it away."

Liu Xiaolou approached the coffin and saw it filled with a thick layer of liquid silver. Probing it with his sword caused slight ripples. It was indeed mercury.

"I heard mercury can preserve a corpse from decay. Is it true?"

"It is indeed. However, it requires a great deal of mercury, which most people can't obtain. The tomb's owner must have been a prominent figure in his time."

"So, it's a bonus for us."

"Mercury can help spiritual energy gather without dispersing. It's indispensable for artifact refining, but remember not to use too much; the key is a thin, even layer. Most artifact refiners in the world believe that adding more will better lock in true essence. In reality, this is a mistake. Adding too much will make the magical artifact lose its nimbleness, leaving it only clumsy."

Another secret of artifact refining. Liu Xiaolou quickly jotted it down.

Lord Xingde took out a small bamboo tube and had Liu Xiaolou collect a tube of mercury from the stone coffin.

Afterward, the two collected realgar, saltpeter, and other materials from various mountains. By then, the sky had darkened.

Lord Xingde had no intention of returning to the observatory. Instead, he took advantage of the night and left Taoyuan with Liu Xiaolou, heading east. Occasionally, they would deviate from their path, going to some desolate mountains and wild ridges, or some deep ravines and streams, to collect the necessary items.

He told Liu Xiaolou that while the materials for artifact refining were ever-changing, some were needed for most magical artifacts: the five metals and eight stones.

The five metals were gold, silver, copper, iron, and tin. The eight stones were cinnabar, realgar, mica, azure stone, sulfur, Rong salt, orpiment, and saltpeter. Each metal and each stone had different types and classifications, with vastly different effects. The characteristics displayed by a refined magical artifact would depend on the quality of the materials used.

The quality was determined by color, hardness, weight, and purity, ultimately categorized under the Five Elements.

The essence of artifact refining was refining the Five Elements.

As they walked and talked, Liu Xiaolou listened attentively, occasionally asking questions. In the blink of an eye, it was dawn, and he had learned a great deal.

The path of artifact refining was vast and profound. Lord Xingde himself said that what he was explaining was merely the art of formation disks in artifact refining. Even so, Liu Xiaolou felt his head spinning, understanding the what but not the why. This was not something that could be accomplished overnight; it required slow and repeated learning.

While learning, Liu Xiaolou also understood Lord Xingde's good intentions. By passing on his family's secret artifact refining methods, Lord Xingde was likely repaying a debt of gratitude. This made Liu Xiaolou extremely happy, and he studied with even greater diligence.

Fortunately, the cultivation techniques of the Three Xuan Sect included a method for refining Misty Incense Tendons, on which Liu Xiaolou had spent years of hard work. Many things were interconnected, so his learning feedback was very quick, leaving a superb impression on Lord Xingde.

Unknowingly, they suddenly saw a vast expanse of clear blue water ahead. Dozens of fishing boats, with sails raised, were casting nets and fishing on the water. They had arrived at Dongting Lake.

There was a large island in the center of the lake, invisible from the shore because Dongting Lake was so vast. That unseen island was Junshan, one of the blessed lands in the world and the location of the Qingyu Sect's mountain gate. Liu Xiaolou gazed toward the center of the lake, filled with longing.

Following the lake shore southward, they made a large circle and then left the lakeside, heading northwest for over twenty li. They saw a manor with stacked tile roofs and eaves.

Lord Xingde stopped advancing and led Liu Xiaolou into the nearby woods to eat some dry rations.

Liu Xiaolou asked, "Were you looking at that manor just now, Senior?"

Lord Xingde said, "This is the Zhou family's manor."

Liu Xiaolou exclaimed in surprise, "The one that was looted a few days ago? It doesn't look as prosperous as the Zhang family manor in Xiangnan."

Lord Xingde replied, "Are you referring to Zhang Xianbai's Jinping Mountain Villa? The Zhou family manor has a much deeper foundation than Jinping Mountain Villa, and the experts and cultivators within are not comparable to those at Jinping Mountain Villa. Aside from Zhang Xianbai, Jinping Mountain Villa has no other skilled individuals. However, the current generation of the Zhou family boasts three great experts, two of whom have already reached Foundation Establishment and are inner disciples of the Qingyu Sect."

Liu Xiaolou glanced at Lord Xingde and tentatively asked, "Your injuries, Senior, are from..."

Lord Xingde nodded, "My injuries were sustained here."

Liu Xiaolou's eyes lit up with joy. "So, Senior also received a Hero's Invitation! Or perhaps, Senior is the one who issued it? May I ask, Senior and Old Boss Wang..."

Lord Xingde looked bewildered. "What Hero's Invitation? What Old Boss Wang?"

Seeing that he wasn't faking it, Liu Xiaolou quickly changed the subject. "Senior, you mentioned that the Zhou family has no good people, so why are you here? Could it be that the Zhou family possesses a treasure for artifact refining? Is Senior planning to emulate the heroes from a few days ago... no, to emulate those thieves and raid the manor again?"

Lord Xingde shook his head. "I'm just passing by this time. My main purpose is to gather materials in the vicinity. However... since I'm here, do me a favor and lure Lady Zhou Qi from the manor over here."

Liu Xiaolou was stunned, then a smile spread across his face. "I see. Rest assured, Senior, this is something I'm quite good at. Does this Lady Zhou Qi have any cultivation? How strong is she?"