The Art of Refining: Earning Spirit Stones

The Geng Metal Cloud Splitting Needle, under the control of Ling Pengyun's array plate, was reintegrated into the ground and nurtured within the underground Spirit Vein.

The enormous Geng Jin light curtain in the sky transformed back into more than three hundred golden array patterns, merging into the ground.

Once the formation was removed, Ling Pengyun, who was deep inside the Snake Cave, put away the array plate of the Geng Metal Splitting Needle Grand Array and quickly left the depths of the Snake Cave. He walked to the side of the lifeless Red Phosphorus Demon Python corpse, which lay on the ground dozens of feet away from the Snake Cave and had been cut in two.

Ling Pengyun reached out and picked up the inner core of the Red Phosphorus Python King, which had just blocked the Geng Metal Cloud Splitting Needle, from the ground, and examined it carefully.

Upon observing the surface of the inner core, there was a small pit, but it did not damage the core's essence. A look of joy appeared on his face as he muttered to himself and pondered for a moment.

"This small pit must have been caused by the Geng Jin -Splitting Golden Needle. Fortunately, it did not damage the essence of this inner core. If it were on the market, this inner core could sell for at least four or five hundred Spirit Stone."

Then, he shifted his gaze to the ground, where the head of the Red Phosphorus Demon Python had been severed.

"It's a pity about the scales on this Demon Serpent. Many of them were shattered by the golden needles Geng Metal Splitting Needle Grand Array and the hundred arrows fired by the Immortal Spirit Crane King, which reduced the overall value of this python's body."

"However, this Demon Serpent is six zhang long, and many of its scales are still intact."

"It is estimated that the scales and flesh of this Demon Serpent can still fetch a price of around four hundred Spirit Stone."

After this deliberation, a glint suddenly appeared in Ling Pengyun's eyes.

Right now, he is most in need of Spirit Stone.

He needs to gather nearly ten thousand Spirit Stone to purchase a bottle of Hundred Spirits Water for his Natal Spirit Plant to aid in its future Foundation Establishment.

Although he had forged a large number of Azure Spirit Sword for his Lineage in his early years, and his Lineage still owed him a lot of Spirit Stone, there was still a shortfall of three or four thousand Spirit Stone, which he had to earn himself.

"Hunting Foundation Establishment Demon Beast is a quick way to earn Spirit Stone."

"Otherwise, it would take a full year to absorb Spiritual Qi before the Geng Metal Splitting Needle Grand Array can be restored to its full strength after a single full-scale attack."

"Otherwise, while stationed in this Snake Cave, we could use the Geng Metal Splitting Needle Grand Array set up in the Snake Cave to lure two or three Early-Stage Foundation Establishment Demon Beast to this place and kill them."

"It would be quite easy to earn enough to buy a bottle of Hundred Spirits Water, which is the three or four thousand Spirit Stone I'm missing."

Ling Pengyun sighed inwardly, a hint of helplessness in his voice.

A year may seem very short to a cultivator, as it can be completed in a single seclusion.

However, the Rock Scale Snake Den, where the Geng Metal Splitting Needle Grand Array was set up, was located in a place teeming with Demon Beast. Although the Snake Cave had a qi-concealing array to hide its aura, there were no Foundation Establishment Demon Beast within a hundred miles.

It's better to be safe than sorry.

If some Foundation Establishment Demon Beast that are extremely sensitive to Spiritual Qi find this place, the Geng Metal Splitting Needle Grand Array Formation is not yet at its peak. Ling Pengyun and the Immortal Spirit Crane King, who are stationed in the Rock Scale Snake Den, are somewhat vulnerable due to their Early-Stage Foundation Establishment cultivation.

It was precisely for this reason that Ling Pengyun abandoned his idea of using the Geng Metal Splitting Needle Grand Array to lure and kill Early-Stage Foundation Establishment Demon Beast in order to earn Spirit Stone.

As for not relying on the power of the formation, Ling Pengyun had never considered that he and the Immortal Spirit Crane King could work together to search for and kill Early-Stage Foundation Establishment Demon Beast in the Serpent Dragon Lake area.

Today, without the help of the Geng Metal Splitting Needle Grand Array, even if he and the Immortal Spirit Crane King joined forces, they probably wouldn't be able to keep that Foundation Establishment Level 1 Red Phosphorus Demon Python alive; at most, they could only severely injure it.

Just as Ling Pengyun was secretly regretting that he couldn't use the Geng Metal Splitting Needle Grand Array to kill the Early-Stage Foundation Establishment Demon Beast, the Immortal Spirit Crane King in the sky landed beside Ling Pengyun.

It cried out twice at Ling Pengyun, and then used its crane claws to move the lifeless Red Phosphorus Demon Python's body.

Startled by the crane's cry, Ling Pengyun snapped out of his daze.

He observed the actions of the Immortal Spirit Crane King and immediately understood its thoughts.

"You can have all the flesh and blood of that Demon Serpent Demon Serpent, but could you give me its inner core and the scales on Demon Serpent body?" Ling Pengyun nodded in response and asked.

The Immortal Spirit Crane King also contributed this time, so Ling Pengyun naturally wouldn't keep all the spoils for himself.

Upon hearing this, the Immortal Spirit Crane King glanced at the inner core in Ling Pengyun's hand, which contained the pure spiritual power of the Red Phosphorus Demon Python. After hesitating for a moment, he looked at the Demon Serpent's flesh and blood, which emitted an enticing fragrance, and made his decision.

Having awakened its intelligence, it naturally understood that Ling Pengyun had also participated in slaying the Red Phosphorus Demon Python. It could not keep both the inner core and the Demon Serpent's flesh and blood for itself. As for the hard snake scales, it didn't care for them.

Thinking back to the past, its Master, Ling Yunhong, had given it many Foundation Establishment Demon Beast cores over the years, so it nodded and agreed to Ling Pengyun's suggestion.

Upon seeing this, Ling Pengyun's expression brightened with joy.

Overall, he gained some small advantages in this distribution of benefits.

"Thank you very much," Ling Pengyun said.

The Immortal Spirit Crane King didn't seem to care. It cried out a few times, urging Ling Pengyun to quickly remove the hard scales from the Demon Serpent's body so it could eat more easily.

Ling Pengyun received the signal and did not delay. He mobilized his Divine Sense to control the two Azure Steel Mother-Child Flying Swords and began to peel the skin off the Demon Serpent.

Once the python skin is peeled off, its scales naturally separate from its flesh.

After removing the snake bones again, Ling Pengyun finally stopped.

He looked at the scales on the python skin beside him, which were somewhat different from the Qi Refining -to-late stage Qi Refining Demon Serpent that the Immortal Spirit Crane King had captured in the past few days. They were all from the Red Phosphorus Fire Python clan.

In addition, based on the previous speculation that this Demon Serpent had tracked it to this place by following the Immortal Spirit Crane King, Ling Pengyun's expression changed slightly, and he asked the Immortal Spirit Crane King, who was using its beak to peck at the Demon Serpent's flesh and blood.

"Are the Red Phosphorus Fire Python you've hunted and killed in the past few days from the same species as this Early-Stage Foundation Establishment Red Phosphorus Fire Python?"

Upon hearing the question, the Immortal Spirit Crane King, who was enjoying his meal, nodded slightly and continued to devour the flesh and blood of the Early-Stage Foundation Establishment Demon Serpent.

"How many Foundation Establishment Fire Pythons are there in that Red Phosphorus Fire Python clan?" Ling Pengyun asked again.

The Immortal Spirit Crane King used its crane claws to move the flesh and blood of the skinned Demon Serpent in front of it, indicating that it was the only one.

Upon seeing these answers, Ling Pengyun's expression brightened, and he spoke.

"Take me to where the Red Phosphorus Fire Python are."

The Immortal Spirit Crane King, who was eating, was somewhat dissatisfied upon hearing this order, as it was not yet full.

The crane cried out in protest twice.

Seeing this, Ling Pengyun explained in detail.

"We'll eat later. Quickly take me to where that group of Red Phosphorus Fire Python is. There are no Foundation Establishment fire pythons guarding that group, so we can completely annihilate the entire clan."

"The flesh and blood of this Early-Stage Foundation Establishment fire python in front of you is not much, but if we can kill all the remaining Qi Training Stage fire pythons in that fire python clan, the flesh and blood we can obtain will be enough for you to eat for at least one or two months."

"If we arrive too late, we might be discovered by other groups of Demon Beast and wipe out the Red Phosphorus Fire Python prematurely."

Upon hearing this, the Immortal Spirit Crane King, who was already dissatisfied, felt somewhat tempted.

After hesitating for a moment, the Immortal Spirit Crane King first used its claws to drag the meat of the Early-Stage Foundation Establishment fire python, which had eaten a little, back into the Rock Scale Snake Den and put it away. Then it spread its wings and soared into the air, leading the way for Ling Pengyun, who was lurking on the ground.

Ling Pengyun did not ride the Immortal Spirit Crane King because the Immortal Spirit Crane King was Flying Demonic Beast that flew high and had no cover in the sky. If Ling Pengyun rode the Immortal Spirit Crane King, he would be more easily discovered by the Demon Beast than if he hid on his own.

Demon Beast are extremely hated by human cultivators.

Several hours later, Ling Pengyun followed the Immortal Spirit Crane King for hundreds of miles and finally stopped at the foot of a mountain that was a hundred feet high.

Meanwhile, the Immortal Spirit Crane King that led the way circled in the sky above the hundred-foot-high mountain.

Ling Pengyun did not rush into the mountain, but instead used his Divine Sense to scan the hundred-zhang-high mountain in front of him.

He was relieved when he realized that there were indeed Demon Beast among them, but none of them were Foundation Establishment Realm Demon Beast, only some Qi Training Demon Beast.

Then, he formed hand Hand Seals and used the Aura Observation Technique to strengthen his eyesight, allowing him to see Demon Beast lurking in the mountains.

"It really is a group of Red Phosphorus Fire Python."

Ling Pengyun sighed with delight, made hand Hand Seals, and cast a Primal Water Technique to enhance his body, transforming it into Primal Water Light Screen. He then summoned the Azure Steel Mother-Child Flying Swords and rushed into the mountain to kill the Qi Training Stage Red Phosphorus Fire Python.

Seeing Ling Pengyun make a move, the Immortal Spirit Crane King in the sky also sent down a barrage of feather arrows to bombard the Qi Refining Red Phosphorus Fire Python in the mountain.

Within this hundred-zhang-high mountain, the Red Phosphorus Fire Python were all only at the Qi Training Stage. Even though they had a numerical advantage, the overwhelming force of the higher-level power brought the battle to an end in less than half an incense stick's time.

After the battle, Ling Pengyun quickly stored the corpses of the dozens of Qi Training Stage fire pythons he had killed into the nine Storage Bag on his body. He then searched the entire Spirit Mountain to see if there were any spiritual items.

Unfortunately, only a few low-level fire-attribute Spirit Plant were found, which were not of much value, but Ling Pengyun still carefully transplanted them.

Once everything was finished, he quickly took the Immortal Spirit Crane King and flew away from this place.

Several hours later, deep within the Rock Scale Snake Den.

After using the Azure Steel Mother-Child Flying Swords to skin the last of the many Qi Training Stage Red Phosphorus Fire Python he had just killed, Ling Pengyun carefully calculated the number of python skins he had obtained during his trip to the Red Phosphorus Demon Python's lair.

There are a total of thirty-one First Rank Low Grade fire python skins, eighteen First Rank Middle Grade fire python skins, nine Qi Training Late Stage fire python skins, and two Qi Training Completion fire python skins.

Aside from the python skin, there were also several low-level Fire Element Spirit Plant that had just sprouted.

"The value of those few Fire Element Spirit Plant is negligible, but the quantity of sixty fire python skins is quite good."

"I wonder how many Gather Fire Daoist Robe I can successfully refine from these sixty fire python skins."

Ling Pengyun looked at the small pile of fire python skins and several Fire Element Spirit Plant in front of him, his expression slightly expectant, and muttered to himself.

Selling these fire python skins directly is far less profitable than refining them into Law Artifact, given that Ling Pengyun's artifact refining skills are not weak either.

Although the scales of the Red Phosphorus Fire Python are hard, they are still less durable than those of many other snakes and pythons of the same level that primarily focus on defense.

Of course, this python's scales also have advantages, namely that they contain a lot of fire Spiritual Qi.

Under these circumstances, the python's skin and scales are not suitable for crafting the Golden Scale Inner Armor, but rather for crafting the Gather Fire Daoist Robe, which can gather fire Spiritual Qi.

Three days ago, Ling Pengyun used the skins of the three mid-to-late stage Qi Refining Red Phosphorus Fire Python captured by the Immortal Spirit Crane King to refine Gather Fire Daoist Robe.

As for the Second Rank Low Grade python skin obtained from the Early-Stage Foundation Establishment Red Phosphorus Demon Python that he had previously killed, its grade was too high, and Ling Pengyun was not yet able to refine Second Grade Magic Tool. In addition, he was short of Spirit Stone, so he thought of selling it.

Ling Pengyun made up his mind and didn't linger any longer. He casually planted the few Fire Element Spirit Plant that he had transplanted from the place where the Red Phosphorus Fire Python lived on the ground deep in the Snake Cave and then left them alone.

Those Fire Element Spirit Plant were of too low a grade, and Ling Pengyun was too lazy to cultivate Spirit Field for them. In addition, the Spiritual Qi here was rich enough to support the growth of those low-grade Fire Element Spirit Plant.

However, their growth rate will be much slower than that of plants grown in the Spirit Field.

Having finished this task, Ling Pengyun closed his eyes and meditated for a while before taking out Refining Furnace and a small pile of Blazing Firewood. He then used a piece of skin from Red Phosphorus Demon Python in the Early-Stage Qi Training Refining to refine Gather Fire Daoist Robe.

For the next month, he would set aside time every day to refine the Gather Fire Daoist Robe twice.

Using these sixty Red Phosphorus Demon Python, a total of nine First Rank Low Grade -Gather Fire Daoist Robe, three First Rank Middle Grade Gather Fire Daoist Robe robes, and one First-Tier Superior-Grade Gather Fire Daoist Robe were crafted.

Ling Pengyun, who had just finished refining the last batch of Gather Fire Daoist Robe, looked at the thirteen Gather Fire Daoist Robe he had just made beside him and was overjoyed.

"Once I sell these thirteen Gather Fire Daoist Robe, I can earn 650 Spirit Stone. Even if I sell them cheaply because of the large quantity, I can still earn at least 600 Spirit Stone."

"With this Law Artifact, plus the twenty-five First Rank Middle Grade Golden Scale Inner Armor Snake Cave nine first-grade high- First-Tier Superior-Grade Golden Scale Inner Armor I crafted from the Qi Refining of the strong-defense mid-to-late stage Immortal Spirit Crane King Refining snakes and Demon Beast that I captured during my three years stationed in this snake cave, as long as I sell them all, it will be enough to make up for the three or four thousand Spirit Stone I lack to buy that portion of Hundred Spirits Water for the Thorn Vine."

"In that case, the Second Rank Low Grade fire python skin that I obtained from that Early-Stage Foundation Establishment Red Phosphorus Fire Python a month ago doesn't need to be sold immediately. I can keep it and wait for my weapon-refining skills to improve in the future so that I can refine it into Law Artifact myself. That would be more worthwhile."

"As for the inner core of that fire python, it is of the Second Rank Low Grade, which is more than enough to serve as the main ingredient of the Second Rank Low Grade Spirit Gathering Pill. This inner core can be entrusted to the Third Grandfather to help refine it into Spirit Gathering Pill, so as to save some Spirit Stone to buy Spirit Gathering Pill."

On the market, First Rank Low Grade Gather Fire Daoist Robe is worth at least thirty Spirit Stone, First Rank Middle Grade is worth eighty Spirit Stone, and First-Tier Superior-Grade is worth one hundred and fifty Spirit Stone.

After some deliberation, Ling Pengyun felt even more delighted.