Three-Star Hundred Refinements Bow

As the Asura Warship landed, the members of the Asura Sect quickly arranged accommodations for Zhuge Xiang and the others. About two thousand people were all gathered on one of the peaks named Green Bamboo Peak, covered in lush green bamboo groves. There were over two thousand independent courtyards, and the scenery of Green Bamboo Peak was quite pleasant.

Without saying much, Zhuge Xiang casually picked a courtyard for himself and walked in. It was fairly nice—a living room with two rooms on each side. One could be used for rest, and in the other, if willing, he could apply to the sect for a maidservant to attend to his daily needs like meals and such. This was the welfare a formal disciple of the Asura Sect could enjoy.

Additionally, formal disciples of the Asura Sect could receive a fixed monthly allowance of one hundred Spirit Stone Coins. In the Asura Sect, or in the Cultivation World at large, Spirit Stone Coins were the unified currency for transactions. Whether it was the internal trading area of the sect or the rewards for sect missions, everything used Spirit Stone Coins as the standard currency.

With these one hundred Spirit Stone Coins, you could buy materials you wanted, artifacts, Martial Arts sold by other disciples, or even pills—all at your own discretion.

Of course, this didn't mean that once you became a formal disciple of the Asura Sect, you could live like a parasite. Within the Asura Sect, formal disciples had to participate in an annual Assessment Assembly. If, within five years of entering Asura Headquarters, you failed to break through to the Body Tempering Realm, you would be stripped of your formal disciple status and reduced to an ordinary staff member of Asura Headquarters.

The Asura Sect's rules were simple: how you cultivated or how you used the Spirit Stone Coins the sect gave you didn't matter, but your cultivation couldn't fall behind. Otherwise, once the five-year deadline arrived, you'd be expelled.

Sitting in his room, Zhuge Xiang picked up the items placed on the table: one hundred Spirit Stone Coins, a booklet of the Asura Sect's rules, and a map of some areas within the headquarters. It marked the Pill Hall, Martial Arts Arena, Trading Area, Quest Hall, Forging Hall, Martial Arts Pavilion, Dining Hall...

If you wanted to cultivate, you could go to the Martial Arts Arena to observe how others trained. The arenas were places where observation and exchange were allowed. If you were interested in forging or pills, you could go to those places. And if you wanted to gain experience, you could head to the Quest Hall, where both sect-issued missions and missions posted by other disciples were available. Not only could you gain experience, but you could also earn rewards...

After roughly understanding the basic knowledge of Asura Headquarters, Zhuge Xiang smiled and closed the manual in his hands. Asura Headquarters was very lively, with two hundred thousand formal disciples. The scale of the headquarters was like a city, except everyone here was a cultivator.

Having grasped the situation, Zhuge Xiang stepped out, roughly oriented himself, and headed toward the Forging Hall. With a hundred peaks in the headquarters, there naturally wasn't just one Forging Hall or Quest Hall. These peaks were connected by massive iron chain bridges but were vaguely divided into ten major areas. Each area had its own institutions like the Quest Hall.

Zhuge Xiang had won first place in the Grand Tournament that day, and one of the rewards was a certificate to upgrade an artifact's quality. Upon arriving at the headquarters, his primary task was naturally to upgrade the artifact's quality. At the same time, he also needed someone to help forge the Wolf Fang Arrow crafting formula.

The Forging Hall was a massive hall. Around it, many stalls set up by Asura Sect disciples could be seen. Clearly, many of them had learned forging skills. For those who felt they had no hope in cultivation, learning a craft was a way to make a living and also a way to make money.

With the certificate in hand, Zhuge Xiang walked straight into the Forging Hall. After a brief glance around, he found one of the forgers and took out the Hundred Refinements Bow and the certificate.

Since he had the chance to upgrade quality for free, the higher the quality, the better. However, although the Blade of Blockade was a Three-Star Artifact, even if its quality was upgraded, it wouldn't be particularly helpful in combat. So, for Zhuge Xiang, upgrading the only Two-Star Artifact, the Hundred Refinements Bow, was the best choice.

"Hmm, upgrading this Two-Star Artifact's quality will take about two cups of tea's time. Wait a moment," said the Beginner Artificer, a middle-aged man around forty who gave off a steady impression. He put away the certificate, examined it briefly, and spoke calmly.

"Wait..." Seeing the forger about to turn and leave, Zhuge Xiang took out the Wolf Fang Arrow crafting formula and said, "Excuse me, I have an arrow crafting formula here. Could you help forge it?"

"Hmm, this arrow crafting formula is quite good. I'll forge a hundred for you for free. After that, it'll be one Spirit Stone Coin per arrow," the forger said, a hint of delight on his face as he examined Zhuge Xiang's Wolf Fang Arrow formula.

"Free for a hundred? One Spirit Stone Coin per arrow after that?" Hearing the forger's words, Zhuge Xiang was a bit stunned. One Spirit Stone Coin per arrow wasn't cheap, but he was puzzled about why he'd get a hundred for free.

Seeing Zhuge Xiang's expression, the forger looked at him with some curiosity and said, a bit surprised, "You're at the fourth layer of the Qi Cultivation Realm. Could you be a newcomer to the headquarters?"

"That's right, I am a newcomer. This certificate was my prize from the Grand Tournament," Zhuge Xiang admitted without hiding anything.

"A newcomer? Already at the fourth layer of the Qi Cultivation Realm? And with so many artifacts?" The forger looked at him with surprise when Zhuge Xiang confirmed it.

Although in Asura Headquarters, the fourth layer of the Qi Cultivation Realm and a set of artifacts weren't particularly outstanding, for a new disciple, it meant something significant. After all, even the most senior disciples had started as newcomers step by step.

"To think I'd run into a genius disciple among the newcomers right when they arrive at Asura Headquarters. Lucky me," the middle-aged forger said with a smile after restraining his surprise. Such genius disciples had a higher chance of rising, and their demand for artifacts would be great in the future. Building a good relationship with such a disciple meant better performance later, so the forger's attitude became noticeably warmer.

"So you're a newcomer, no wonder you didn't know. Artifact crafting formulas can be exchanged at the sect for about five hundred Spirit Stone Coins. By having me forge these Wolf Fang Arrows, I learn the technique, so naturally, I give you some free ones as compensation. One Spirit Stone Coin per Wolf Fang Arrow afterward is already a discount for you. If other disciples came to buy, the price would be higher," the forger explained with a smile.

Pausing briefly, the forger continued, "If you're willing to give me this Wolf Fang Arrow formula, I'll monopolize the technique, and I can forge a hundred Wolf Fang Arrows for you every month for free."

A hundred Wolf Fang Arrows every month? Or keep the formula? Zhuge Xiang thought for a moment, then nodded and handed over the Wolf Fang Arrow formula.

Although the formula was valuable, what Zhuge Xiang needed now were the arrows. As a newcomer, he was short on money everywhere. Saving a hundred Spirit Stone Coins each month was almost like getting an extra sect welfare payment. As for unlocking his own life profession system later? That was still unknown when.

Having obtained the Wolf Fang Arrow formula, the forger was clearly in a better mood. Although he was an official sect forger, good performance brought many benefits. Taking the Hundred Refinements Bow and the formula, he went off. Zhuge Xiang waited about half an hour before the forger came out, handing him the Hundred Refinements Bow and a quiver of arrows.

"Here are a hundred Wolf Fang Arrows. There's another hundred for this month that you can pick up in five days. Remember, if you need anything forged in the future, come to me. People around here call me Old Tie," the middle-aged forger said with a smile as he handed the items to Zhuge Xiang.

"Got it, Master Old Tie. I'll definitely trouble you again," Zhuge Xiang replied politely, nodding. Then he looked down at the Hundred Refinements Bow and the Wolf Fang Arrows.

The Wolf Fang Arrows' effects were correct: Attack +8, with an Ignore Defense 5 effect. As for the Three-Star Artifact Hundred Refinements Bow, it was even more of a pleasant surprise.

Hundred Refinements Bow (Three-Star Artifact): Requires Qi Cultivation Realm Layer 4, Attack Range 120 meters, Attack 45-60, Ignore Defense 45, Durability 33/33, Weight 11.

Requires Qi Cultivation Realm Layer 4? 120-meter attack range? Zhuge Xiang looked up in surprise. Upgrading an artifact's quality was supposed to just improve its stats, but the required cultivation level had also increased?

"I saw you were at the fourth layer of the Qi Cultivation Realm, so I slightly enhanced it beyond the standard Three-Star Artifact. It requires more strength, but the attack range is longer, and the attack power is a bit extra," Old Tie explained with a smile, seeing Zhuge Xiang's stunned expression.

"Thank you, Master Old Tie," Zhuge Xiang said, his gratitude more sincere this time.

The Three-Star Artifact Hundred Refinements Bow had nearly doubled its attack power. Such a weapon wouldn't be shabby even in the hands of a disciple at the tenth layer of the Qi Cultivation Realm, let alone Zhuge Xiang at the fourth layer. With this bow, Wolf Fang Arrows, and Piercing Arrow, who could stop him? Zhuge Xiang believed that even the Two-Star Demonic Moth he had encountered before could be directly injured now, without needing to target a weak point.

With the Hundred Refinements Bow and Wolf Fang Arrows in hand, Zhuge Xiang was in high spirits. With these, he was fully capable of long-range sniping of One-Star High-Grade Monster Beasts.

Leaving the Forging Hall, Zhuge Xiang's steps were much lighter. He returned to the peak where this batch of disciples was housed. However, as he walked onto the iron chain bridge and saw the situation on Green Bamboo Peak, his steps paused slightly...

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