Treating Guests and Steam Fire Engraving (Requesting Follows Monthly Tickets Recommendation Tickets)

The husband and wife were beside themselves with excitement after confirming that Zhou Ling had truly entered the Fourth Layer of Qi Condensation.

Zhou Shan excitedly paced a full circle around the courtyard.

In the end, the couple decided to give Zhou Ling a proper treat today and invite a few friends from the Medicine Seeking Team to a feast in celebration.

The jump from the Third Layer to the Fourth Layer of Qi Condensation was a major threshold, like advancing from middle school to high school.

For Zhou Ling to reach the Fourth Layer of Qi Condensation at nine was like getting into a key high school.

After all, for a rogue cultivator, this was a crucial step in life.

It was well worth celebrating.

Zhou Ling could not help but pause. Since today was a Rest Day, he had already promised Wang Xin and the others that he would go out with them.

When Li Ru heard this, she smiled and told him to invite Wang Xin, Yuan Hu, and the other friends he was close to as well.

Zhou Ling thought about it. Other than Wang Xin and Yuan Hu, the other disciples from the same study hall were merely nodding acquaintances.

There was naturally no need to invite them.

After breakfast, Li Ru went out shopping and took a day off from the restaurant.

Zhou Shan went to invite his friends.

Before long, Yuan Hu came to fetch Zhou Ling.

Hearing that there would be food today, he was even more overjoyed.

His cultivation was only at the Qi Condensation Second Layer now, and it would be very difficult for him to reach the Fourth Layer of Qi Condensation next year.

But he also knew that even if he did reach the Fourth Layer of Qi Condensation, his family might not be able to continue supporting his cultivation at the Dao Academy.

Still, he was an optimist and did not think too much about it.

He had the attitude that when the boat reached the bridge, it would naturally go straight.

The two promptly headed out to bring Wang Xin along.

Over the years, the place where they met Wang Xin had always been the entrance to the Dao Academy.

They had never been to Wang Xin's home either.

Zhou Ling guessed that Wang Xin probably lived near the Dao Academy.

After all, the spiritual energy in this area was abundant.

It was the most expensive district in West City.

He was also calculating in his heart that once he had saved enough Spirit Stones, he would rent a small courtyard nearby as well.

The spiritual energy at his home was only at First-Grade Low-Rank density.

Now that he had entered the Fourth Layer of Qi Condensation, it was no longer enough to support both his parents' cultivation and his own at the same time.

But there was no rushing this matter. He still had to solve the issue of the brewing furnace first.

At the entrance to the Dao Academy, they met Wang Xin. When she heard Zhou Ling say that his family was hosting a feast because he had entered the Fourth Layer of Qi Condensation, her Catherine Big Eyes curved into crescent moons, brimming with delight. Still, she said somewhat embarrassedly, "But I haven't prepared any gift!"

"We're good friends. What do we need gifts for?" Zhou Ling said with a smile.

Wang Xin thought it over, and it did seem to make sense. Filled with delight, she followed Zhou Ling along.

Zhou Ling did not head straight home. Instead, he went to the Lu Family Workshop.

He was planning to invite Master Lu. Over the past year, he had earned quite a few Spirit Stones from the Lu Family Workshop, and his artifact-crafting skills had improved as well.

Seeing Zhou Ling enter, Master Lu, who was hammering an artifact blank, stopped and handed the work in his hands to Lu Liuan.

He pulled out a towel, wiped his face, and greeted Zhou Ling with a smile. "Brother Ling is here!"

After exchanging greetings, Zhou Ling invited Master Lu.

Wang Xin and Yuan Hu were afraid of the heat, so they waited outside the courtyard.

Hearing Zhou Ling's invitation, Master Lu agreed with a beaming smile.

"Master Lu, I'll have to trouble you to forge a Crystal Jade brewing furnace blank in the next couple of days!"

After discussing the invitation, Zhou Ling sat on a stone bench beneath the locust tree and stated the main purpose of his visit.

Master Lu sat on the stone bench opposite him, poured Zhou Ling a bowl of tea, fanned himself a few times with a palm-leaf fan, and asked, "A brewing furnace? Is it for your own household, or...?"

"For my household. Please use good Crystal Jade, Master Lu." Zhou Ling took the tea bowl.

Master Lu nodded. "That won't be cheap. It'll cost over forty Low-grade Spirit Stones, plus a fifteen-Spirit-Stone deposit, so I can purchase the materials first."

Zhou Ling took out the fifteen Spirit Stones he had prepared in advance from his Spirit Stone Pouch and handed them to Master Lu. Then he asked, "Master Lu, do you know where I could find a Steam Fire Engraving pattern?"

Master Lu drained the tea from his bowl in one gulp, let out a breath, and shook his head. "This is an artifact-crafting workshop. We have plenty of tools and implements, large and small."

"But as for a Steam Fire Engraving pattern, we really don't have one."

Zhou Ling was slightly disappointed, but on second thought, it was only normal. When an Inscription Master left a workshop, they would surely take their engraving patterns with them.

Aside from the engraving patterns belonging to the workshops themselves.

"However, I did take in a Crystal Jade Brewing Furnace before. It's somewhat damaged and can no longer be repaired."

"It does have a Steam Fire Engraving on it. I don't know whether that engraving is damaged, though. If you want it, I'll have someone bring it over for you to take a look!"

After thinking for a moment, Master Lu refilled his bowl of tea and said.

Hearing this, Zhou Ling's eyes lit up. "Then I'll have to trouble you, Master Lu!"

As long as it had a Steam Fire Engraving, even if it was damaged, he could gradually master the correct engraving with the help of [Basic Insight] and [Basic Analysis].

"Gouzi, go to the Artifact Room and bring that damaged Brewing Furnace over!"

Master Lu called out to a disciple again.

Before long, the disciple came over carrying a furnace.

The Brewing Furnace was shaped much like an ordinary Cauldron. It was made of Crystal Jade, its surface clear and gleaming, carved with Cloud Patterns.

Yet there was a faint crack running across the middle of the furnace.

Master Lu took the Brewing Furnace and placed it on the stone table.

"Take a look. Is it of any use?"

Master Lu pointed at the Cauldron with a smile.

Zhou Ling carefully examined the Brewing Furnace.

Soon, he found the engraved pattern at its base.

Looking at the engraving, which had been almost completely worn away, Zhou Ling's gaze sharpened slightly.

He turned the Brewing Furnace on its side, leaned closer, and focused his attention as he examined it again.

[You are observing the Steam Fire Engraving. Basic Observation +1]

[You are analyzing the Steam Fire Engraving. Basic Analysis +1, Steam Fire Engraving proficiency +1]

"A Thirteen-Engraving Pattern Steam Fire Engraving!"

As his talent activated, Zhou Ling gradually made out the paths of the engraving lines within the blurred pattern.

A hazy structure of the Steam Fire Engraving also emerged in his mind.

After some thought, Zhou Ling asked, "Master Lu, could you sell this Brewing Furnace to me?"

Although the engraving was exceedingly blurred, with several of its lines already damaged, its general structure could still be seen clearly.

With the talents [Basic Insight] and [Basic Analysis], as long as he observed and analyzed it carefully, he could still gradually obtain the correct engraving.

Moreover, it had been properly engraved upon the Brewing Furnace. As long as he analyzed it meticulously, it would also greatly help him draw it himself.

Master Lu asked in surprise, "That engraving has been damaged for quite some time. Does it still have any use?"

"Yes. I only want to observe it and understand some of the engraving's structure," Zhou Ling explained.

"In that case, just take it," Master Lu said, waving his palm-leaf fan.

He then had Lu Liuan bring over a basket and place the Brewing Furnace inside it.

Taking the basket, Zhou Ling thanked Master Lu and was about to sling it onto his back.

Master Lu waved a hand. "It's a trivial matter, not worth mentioning. Have Anzi deliver it for you!"

"No need! I can handle it myself!"

Zhou Ling hoisted it directly onto his back. With his Body Tempering cultivation, already close to Mid First-Tier, he could easily lift even ten Brewing Furnaces.

Master Lu did not insist.

Before leaving, Zhou Ling reminded Master Lu once more to arrive on time at noon.

Master Lu smiled and nodded.

Thanks to the brothers Mortuary Abbot, Carefree Divine Sovereign, Clear Breeze and Gentle Rain, Musi, and several others for their rewards! Thank you!