Kuisui Essence

An indescribable flavor burst across Song Changsheng's tongue, like threads of electric current spreading through his mouth, nearly making him swallow his own tongue.

"This..." Song Changsheng's chopsticks fell like rain. He ate half a plate of dried meat in quick succession before finally relying on his formidable willpower to restrain himself. Otherwise, he would have wiped out the entire plate.

Song Changsheng's reaction greatly pleased Zhu Yiqun. He leisurely picked up a piece of dried meat, took a sip of wine, and chewed them together. At once, he closed his eyes in enjoyment as well.

Song Changsheng copied his method and ate a piece. He found that the flavor truly rose to an even higher level. Moreover, once the spirit wine entered his stomach, it immediately transformed into pure Spiritual Power and flowed into his Dantian. He could clearly sense that his cultivation had increased by a trace.

He immediately realized just how extraordinary that seasoning was.

"You can feel it already, can't you? While enhancing the flavor, my seasoning can maximize the use of the Spiritual Power contained in spiritual food and convert it into cultivation."

Zhu Yiqun Smiled, speaking with considerable pride.

"A Medicinal Chef's methods are indeed extraordinary. I believe it now—Jade Food Pavilion's dishes truly are not worth mentioning beside yours." Song Changsheng was thoroughly convinced. The man really had not been boasting.

Merely taking out a bottle of seasoning had elevated Jade Food Pavilion's food by an entire level. If he cooked personally, it would surely be even more incredible.

"You flatter me, you flatter me. Fellow Daoist, your attainments in the path of arrays and artifact forging also earn my admiration."

After a round of mutual commercial flattery, the two continued raising cups and exchanging drinks. By the end, neither could remember how much they had consumed. Not until sunset did they walk out of Jade Food Pavilion with their arms around each other's shoulders.

That meal cost Song Changsheng thirty Spirit Stones—truly exorbitant.

Only after leaving their Divine Sense on each other's Communication Jade Slips as a bridge for future contact did they part reluctantly.

Upon returning to Treasure Seeking Pavilion, Song Changsheng discovered Song Changqian standing at the entrance, seemingly waiting for someone.

This surprised Song Changsheng somewhat. Ever since he had effortlessly defeated Cheng Xiao Last Time, Song Changqian had not appeared before him face-to-face for more than half a year.

Had the sun risen in the west today?

Still, it had nothing to do with him. Reeking of alcohol, he intended to head back and wash up properly. He ignored her and walked straight past her.

Unexpectedly, just as he was about to go upstairs, he heard Song Changqian murmur in a voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz, "Thank you."

Song Changsheng paused, then replied without turning his head, "We're both doing our part for the Lineage. There's no need for thanks."

With that, Song Changsheng returned to his room, leaving Song Changqian standing dazed at the entrance alone...

After returning to his room, Song Changsheng washed away the alcohol smell and then took out all the things he had acquired while wandering the Market today.

"I wonder whether this Kongming Iron can give me a pleasant surprise."

Song Changsheng took out a short blade and began peeling away the outer shell of the Kongming Iron as though drawing silk from a cocoon, fine powder rustling down alongside his movements.

Soon, the fist-sized raw ore had dwindled to the size of an egg. At this point, Song Changsheng could already clearly sense the fluctuations of Water Spiritual Energy Emanated from within.

"It's at least Second-Tier. I've made a profit." Song Changsheng Smiled Slightly and began removing the final thin layer of shell.

As the blade rose and fell, an oval piece of metal appeared before Song Changsheng.

The metal was a dreamlike blue overall, its surface smooth as a mirror and marked with clearly visible rippling gradients like water waves.

"This... Could it be Kuisui Essence?" Song Changsheng was Overjoyed. He turned it over and over in his hands, unable to stop examining it.

After a while, Song Changsheng took out the Water Element Shield, a defensive Magic Artifact that had been badly damaged in battle, and said with a chuckle, "You're in luck this time."

This Magic Artifact had been one of his early practice works, but over the years, it had shielded him from many storms. Ever since it was damaged in the Last Time battle, he had been unable to find suitable materials to repair it.

But now, he had found a suitable one.

Kuisui Essence was a relatively rare Second-Tier Water Attribute spiritual material. It was fairly hard in texture. Adding a portion of it when refining Magic Artifacts could improve their quality and enhance the strength Water Attribute cultivators could unleash. It was a perfect match for the Water Element Shield.

If he used it to reforge the Water Element Shield, its quality would certainly improve by A Large Chunk.

He acted as soon as he made up his mind, locking himself in the Artifact Forging Room once more. After several days of work, he raised the Water Element Shield to First-Tier Peak Grade and re-inscribed the Array within it.

Looking at the renewed Water Element Shield in his hand, Song Changsheng said thankfully:

"Since cultivating the Water-Fire Control Technique, I've become extremely sensitive to the fluctuations of water and fire Spiritual Power. Otherwise, I would have missed this Fortuitous Encounter."

Next, he smelted the other few Ores with the Bronze Cauldron. This time, there was nothing unusual about them; together, they were worth four or five Spirit Stones.

Only after processing those Ores did Song Changsheng take out the damaged Formation Base and Fragmented Jade.

The disc-shaped Formation Base now had only two-thirds remaining. Its surface was Spread Across with Spiderweb-like Cracks, and its spiritual glow had completely dimmed.

No one would spare such trash a second glance even if it were thrown onto the street, yet Song Changsheng had spent ten Spirit Stones to buy it.

It was not because he was foolishly rich, but because he had discerned something unusual within it.

The Cracks on the Formation Base's surface looked as though they had been caused by an attack. Yet from an Array Master's perspective, those Cracks followed a certain pattern, much like the Formation Patterns used when Arranged an Array.

Song Changsheng focused his mind and calmly traced the surfaces of those lines bit by bit with his fingertips. An identical image then appeared in his mind.

He had replicated it within his Sea of Consciousness using Mental Energy.

As the image gradually became complete, Song Changsheng became increasingly certain that these were Formation Patterns. Moreover, they were exceptionally profound, something he had never encountered before.

According to recorded accounts, Arrays originated in the Ancient Era, passed down by great powers of the Upper Realm. They were a cultivation art containing the ultimate principles of the Great Dao.

Cultivators with profound cultivation perceived the peculiar laws governing the movement of heaven and earth. After being altered by human hands, they became Formation Patterns.

Different Formation Patterns could Arranged different arrays; they were the foundation upon which Arrays existed.

The Song Clan possessed a Third-Tier array inheritance, and Song Changsheng had pored over those texts since childhood.

After comparing them, he determined that this was a Second-Tier set of Primordial Formation Patterns.

This made Song Changsheng rather excited. These were the purest Formation Patterns, containing faint traces of the laws governing heaven and earth.

If he could comprehend them fully, his attainments in the path of Arrays would surely rise by A Large Chunk.

"Though a third is missing, with my understanding of Arrays, there's still hope of completing it. These ten Spirit Stones were well spent."

Song Changsheng hurriedly took out a Jade Slip and imprinted the incomplete Formation Patterns from his Sea of Consciousness onto it for safekeeping, intending to study them again whenever he had the chance.

Finally, he turned his gaze to the Fragmented Jade. The first two had both given him surprises, and his heart was full of anticipation for This Item...