Uncle Qiaoan

"Uncle Qiaoan."

"You're this old and still working as a menial disciple?"

In the courtyard.

Song Chengan and Yuan Fusheng each held a huge bowl of noodles, eating until they were drenched in sweat.

Partly because there was too much chili.

Partly because it was too hot.

When Yuan Fusheng heard that Song Chengan was also a menial disciple, he opened his mouth wide in astonishment.

After that, he kept calling Song Chengan uncle.

He was a youth who could never keep words bottled up. Through their interactions these past few days, Song Chengan had already learned his background.

He was the son of a blacksmith from Yanghua Town, under the Fire Refining Sect.

He had been found to possess cultivation aptitude.

But because his aptitude was not particularly good, he became a menial disciple.

Mm.

And he had still gotten in through Elder Hong's connections.

"I couldn't survive anymore!"

Song Chengan said with a smile.

Now he finally did not have to pretend to be a down-and-out young man.

Putting on an act these past few days had truly been exhausting.

"Then you can live a good life from now on."

Yuan Fusheng said.

"You can eat your fill here every day!"

"You can eat meat too!"

"We'll just eat a little in the morning. At noon, I'll take you to the dining hall, and you can have meat!"

"Alright!"

Song Chengan nodded.

He was an enthusiastic youth.

"Sigh, going hungry must feel terrible."

"I heard from my father that my grandfather starved to death back then."

"They said he ate Guanyin Soil. His belly was huge when he died."

Yuan Fusheng said.

"I've never seen it, but I imagine it must have been awful."

"But my father was capable!"

"He learned blacksmithing from someone!"

"Though he can't forge magical artifacts with astonishing power like the masters of the Fire Refining Sect, he made sure I never went hungry from childhood!"

"Look how sturdy I am!"

Song Chengan burst out laughing at that.

The youth's spirit had infected him.

What a polite youth.

Compared to him, Brother Dan was truly a rude little brat.

"Uncle Qiaoan, find somewhere to wander around on your own. I'm going to work!"

"Leave the bowls there. I'll wash them when I come back!"

"Oh, right, don't go near the cave residences. A few senior brothers over there are hard to get along with."

Yuan Fusheng reminded him.

Song Chengan nodded to show that he understood.

After washing the bowls, Song Chengan went for a stroll.

His goal was very clear.

Skyfire Plaza.

Song Chengan saw Skyfire Plaza.

It was an enormous plaza.

It was circular, built from some kind of red stone.

Countless furnaces spewed flames.

There were also many disciples in the plaza.

They were hammering away at something, strike after strike.

Song Chengan lightly sensed the flames within those furnaces.

This is the Skyfire I need.

But it seemed like he could not just run over and cultivate there directly.

What a headache.

Song Chengan's head hurt.

At the end of the day, it was because he was a Rogue Cultivator.

If he had also come from some cultivation Aristocratic Clan, he would only need to say the word to the Fire Refining Sect and could directly borrow its Earth Fire for cultivation.

But the problem was that he was only a Rogue Cultivator.

First, the Fire Refining Sect had no interest in paying attention to him.

Second, if the Fire Refining Sect learned that he possessed a Middle Sixth Grade true qi cultivation method... then it would be a case of a common man being innocent, yet guilty for possessing jade.

Song Chengan did not dare gamble that everyone in the Fire Refining Sect was a modest gentleman.

One had to know that the Fire Refining Sect's Vermillion Bird Blazing Fire was only a Middle Fifth Grade true qi method.

How could the Fire Refining Sect possibly not be tempted?

Song Chengan did not dare gamble.

He was only a Rogue Cultivator.

If he died, then he died.

"Our Furnace Management Department's duty is to manage these furnaces."

"After these disciples finish their cultivation for the day, we must inspect every furnace and make sure they have been properly sealed."

Hong Ying appeared at some point and spoke.

"Senior Sister Hong Ying!"

Song Chengan cupped his fists.

Among cultivators, the strong were revered.

Hong Ying nodded.

"Senior Sister, are you planning to refine an artifact?"

"I'll help you!"

Song Chengan said as he looked at the ores Hong Ying was carrying.

"So heavy!"

Song Chengan nearly failed to catch them.

Hong Ying smiled. "They're all iron ore, of course they're heavy."

Song Chengan followed behind her to a furnace beside the plaza.

Hong Ying then threw the ores into the furnace and began smelting them.

"I thought cultivators refined artifacts by directly burning them with Divine Fire, then shaping them with their thoughts."

Hong Ying said, "Elders with profound cultivation naturally do it that way."

"Because using true fire for smelting and divine sense for shaping requires at least Foundation Establishment cultivation."

"As for disciples like us in the Dao Seed Realm, we can only hammer away, strike by strike. There is not much difference between us and mortal blacksmiths."

"In truth, many artifact refiners are no different from mortal blacksmiths. They do not possess true qi as powerful as our Fire Refining Sect's Vermillion Bird Blazing Fire. Many artifact-refining materials can only be slowly forged, purified, and then inscribed with Magic Formations."

Song Chengan was somewhat surprised. "Then every great artifact-refining master is also a top-tier formation master."

"More or less."

"But formation masters are still a little more formidable. After all, they devote their life's work to studying Magic Formations."

"Artifact refiners merely study the portion of Magic Formations that can make magical artifacts stronger."

"Speaking of which, what kind of magical artifact do you like?"

"I can forge one for you in the future."

"A staff, I suppose."

"I think staffs look pretty cool."

"Mm."

"Grandpa Hong said your wife abandoned you?"

"I was useless."

Song Chengan said.

"Once you succeed in cultivation and go back, will you kill her?"

Song Chengan froze for a moment.

What kind of question was that?

He shook his head.

"When I left home, I truly was filled with resentment."

"But now, I do not hate her as much."

"Those who cherish me, I cherish; those who reject me, I abandon."

"She left me behind, which means we were never meant to walk the same path."

"Why should I harbor resentment toward someone who is not walking the same road as me?"

"On my way to the Fire Refining Sect, someone already tested my aptitude and said I possessed cultivation aptitude."

"Think about it. I'll become an immortal in the future. How could I kill a mortal over old grievances, much less someone I once loved?"

"I believe that as immortals, we should have more patience with mortals, tolerate their ignorance more, and forgive their mistakes more."

Hong Ying fell into thought.

After a long while, she spoke.

"I have never heard such reasoning before."

"But I think you are right."

"We should have more patience with mortals. They do not understand as many principles as we do."

"You made me think of those ignorant relatives back in my hometown. Sometimes I despise them, believing them to be foolish and ignorant."

"But after hearing your words today, I feel that I was wrong."

"They are people who have never received the teachings of sages. The world as they see it is simply like this, and they believe that this is only natural."

"They have done nothing wrong."

"I was merely a little luckier than them and became an immortal."

"Still, we do not call ourselves immortals."

"We are Qi Refiners."

As Hong Ying spoke, she took out a book and tossed it to Song Chengan.

"Some basic knowledge about Artifact Refining. You can read it."