Uncle Qiaoan

"Uncle Qiaoan."

"You're still working as a Menial Disciple at your age?"

In the courtyard.

Song Chengan and Yuan Fusheng were both eating large bowls of noodles, sweat dripping down their faces.

Partly because of the excessive chili.

Partly because it was too hot.

Yuan Fusheng's jaw dropped in astonishment when he heard that Song Chengan was also a Menial Disciple.

From then on, he had been calling Song Chengan "Uncle."

This was a boy who couldn't keep secrets. Through their interactions over the past few days, Song Chengan had learned about his background.

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

He had been tested and found to have cultivation potential.

However, because his potential wasn't that great, he became a Menial Disciple.

And...

He had gotten in through Elder Hong's connections.

"I can't go on living like this anymore!"

Song Chengan said with a smile.

He finally didn't have to pretend to be a down-on-his-luck youth anymore.

Acting these past few days had been exhausting.

"Then you'll be able to live a good life from now on,"

Yuan Fusheng said.

"You can eat your fill every day here!"

"You can even eat meat!"

"We'll just eat a little something in the morning, and I'll take you to the Canteen at noon, where you can eat meat!"

"Okay!"

Song Chengan nodded.

This was an enthusiastic young man.

"Sigh, going hungry must be terrible."

"My dad told me my grandpa starved to death back in the day."

"He ate 'Guanyin soil' and his stomach was huge when he died."

Yuan Fusheng said.

"I never saw it, but I imagine it must have been awful."

"But my dad is capable!"

"He learned blacksmithing from someone!"

"Even though he can't forge powerful Magic Tools like the masters in the Fire Refining Sect, he's made sure I've never gone hungry since I was young!"

"Look how strong I am!"

Song Chengan burst into laughter upon hearing this.

He was infected by the boy's spirit.

What a polite young man.

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

"Uncle Qiaoan, just find a place to wander around yourself. I have to go to work now!"

"Put the bowls there. I'll come back and wash them later!"

"Oh, and don't go near the cave dwellings. There are a few senior brothers there who are difficult to get along with."

Yuan Fusheng cautioned.

Song Chengan nodded, indicating he understood.

Song Chengan washed the bowls and then started to wander around.

His target was clear.

Skyfire Plaza.

Song Chengan saw Skyfire Plaza.

It was a huge plaza.

Circular in shape, it was built from a type of red stone.

Countless furnaces spewed flames.

On the plaza, there were many disciples.

They were hammering something with each strike.

Song Chengan lightly sensed the flames in those furnaces.

This is the Skyfire I need.

But going over to cultivate directly seems difficult.

What a hassle.

Song Chengan got a headache.

Frankly, it was because he was a rogue cultivator.

If he had come from a cultivation family, he would only need to say a word to the Fire Refining Sect and could directly borrow their Earth Fire to cultivate.

But the problem was, he was just a rogue cultivator.

Firstly, the Fire Refining Sect had no interest in bothering with him.

Secondly, if the Fire Refining Sect found out he possessed a Middle Sixth Grade True Qi cultivation method... it would be a case of "an innocent man is guilty when he possesses a treasure."

Song Chengan didn't dare to gamble that the people of the Fire Refining Sect were all gentlemen.

After all, the Vermillion Bird Blazing Fire cultivated by the Fire Refining Sect was only a Middle Fifth Grade True Qi method.

How could the Fire Refining Sect not be tempted?

Song Chengan dared not gamble.

He was just a rogue cultivator.

If he died, he died.

"Our duty in the Furnace Management Department is to manage these furnaces."

"After these disciples finish their day of cultivation, we have to inspect every furnace to ensure they are sealed properly."

Hong Ying appeared at some point, she said.

"Senior Sister Hong Ying!"

Song Chengan cupped his fists.

In cultivation, the strong were respected.

Hong Ying nodded.

"Senior Sister, are you planning to refine artifacts?"

"Let me help you!"

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

"So heavy!"

Song Chengan almost couldn't catch them.

Hong Ying chuckled, "They're just iron ores, of course they're heavy."

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

Then Hong Ying threw the ores into the furnace and began to forge them.

"I thought cultivators refined artifacts by directly using divine fire to forge and shaping them with their thoughts."

Hong Ying said, "Elders with high cultivation naturally do it like that."

"Because forging with true fire and shaping with divine sense requires at least Foundation Establishment cultivation."

"And disciples like us in the Dao Seed Realm can only hammer them one strike at a time, not much different from mortal blacksmiths."

"In reality, many artifact refiners are no different from mortal blacksmiths. They don't have powerful True Qi like our Fire Refining Sect's Vermillion Bird Blazing Fire, so many artifact refining materials can only be slowly forged, purified, and then inscribed with magic formations."

Song Chengan was a little surprised upon hearing this, "Then, in that case, every artifact refining master is also a top-tier formation master."

"Roughly."

"But formation masters are still more formidable, as their entire lives are dedicated to researching formations."

"While artifact refiners only delve into the specific formations that can make magic tools powerful."

"Speaking of which, what kind of magic tool do you like?"

"I can help you craft one in the future."

"Me, a staff, I guess."

"I think staffs are pretty cool."

"Mm."

"Grandpa Hong said your wife left you?"

"I'm useless, aren't I?"

Song Chengan said.

"When you achieve success in cultivation and return, will you kill her?"

Song Chengan was stunned for a moment.

What kind of question was this?

He shook his head.

"When I left home, I was indeed full of resentment."

"But now, my heart doesn't hate her as much."

"'Those who cherish me, I cherish them; those who dislike me, I cast them aside.'"

"'She left me, which means we are not on the same path.'"

"'Why should I harbor resentment towards someone who is not on the same path as me?'"

"'On my way to the Fire Refining Sect, someone already tested my aptitude and said I had the potential for cultivation.'"

"'Think about it, I will be an immortal in the future. How can I kill a mortal, especially someone I once loved, because of some old grudges?'"

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

Hong Ying fell into deep thought.

After a long while, she said.

"I have never heard such reasoning."

"But I think you are right."

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

"You remind me of my ignorant relatives back home. Sometimes I really dislike them, finding them foolish and ignorant."

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

"They are people who have not received the teachings of a Sage. The world they know is this one, and they consider this to be natural."

"They are not wrong."

"And I am just a little luckier than them, to have become an immortal."

"However, we are not called 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 take a look."