"Sure enough, no matter what world it was, there were always people like this who shone and gave off heat."
Feeling himself inferior, Wu Tao turned back and shut the door. He sat down in his chair, picked up the two books on refining magic tools from the table, and began to read.
Spirit Wandering Boots.
A First-Rank Level 5 speed-type magic tool.
Based on a First-Rank Level 5 Spirit Wandering Restriction and supplemented with five first-rank intermediate spiritual materials, they were refined into magic-tool boots. Their speed surpassed the Wind-Speed Magic Robe by three levels, and the boost they provided to speed was naturally beyond comparison.
He was now at the Third Level of Qi Refining. An artifact refiner relied on cultivation to support the refinement of magic tools, and in theory, the upper limit was capped at three levels above.
In other words, with Third Level of Qi Refining cultivation, he could refine magic tools up to First-Rank Level 6.
One level higher than that, his cultivation would not be enough to support it. If he forcibly attempted the refinement, he would inevitably suffer backlash.
As for the great Immortal Sects, they possessed inherited Artifact Refinement Techniques. However, such inheritances merely raised the success rate of refinement and did not offer much help in raising the upper limit of a magic tool's rank.
Among rogue cultivators, anyone capable of crossing one level to refine a magic tool was already considered remarkable.
But even if someone at the Third Level of Qi Refining could refine a First-Rank Level 4 magic tool, the success rate would not be very high. Generally speaking, skilled refiners succeeded three times out of ten, average ones twice out of ten, and it was perfectly normal for trash ones to succeed only once out of ten.
Of course, many factors were involved: cultivation technique, refinement secret manuals, proficiency, one's state of mind at the time, one's physical condition at the time, the type of magic tool... Specific problems required specific analysis and could not be lumped together.
"In terms of speed, they cannot compare to a Godly Travel Talisman. But in terms of value, they are worth more than Godly Travel Talismans. With my artifact refiner profession, I should be able to break through the three-level limit. Tomorrow, I'll begin practicing this Spirit Wandering Restriction on spirit boards."
Wu Tao made up his mind at once.
Afterward, he began reading the secret manual for refining the Light-Splitting Sword magic tool.
At first glance, he was astonished.
"This is actually a Combination Restriction..."
The more powerful a magic tool was, the more restrictions it contained. Such restrictions were known as Combination Restrictions. A Combination Restriction referred to a combination of two or more restrictions.
One restriction could be regarded as a complete "one," but two restrictions became "two," rather than "one."
Only by becoming one could spiritual power enter the restriction and activate it, forming an uninterrupted Spirit Energy Circuit. Two restrictions, however, would inevitably create sluggishness, and that was when this problem had to be solved.
Combination Restrictions solved this problem perfectly. They used specific Restriction Runes to combine two restrictions, transforming them into one complete "one," thus forming a Spirit Energy Circuit.
In terms of knowledge from Wu Tao's previous life, it was like a series circuit.
Restrictions with the same attribute, or attributes that generated one another, were easier to combine. Combining restrictions with mutually opposing attributes required resolving far more issues.
Wu Tao had not yet learned artifact-refinement knowledge related to this area.
He only knew the basics—for instance, restrictions sharing the fire attribute were of the same attribute.
Metal generated water, so metal-attribute and water-attribute restrictions were mutually generating attributes.
The Combination Restriction used by this Light-Splitting Sword consisted of a First-Rank Level 6 Metal Sharpness Restriction with the metal attribute and a First-Rank Level 6 Light-Splitting Restriction with the water attribute.
The Light-Splitting Restriction could manifest a water sword. Because it gleamed brilliantly beneath the sun, the artifact refiner who created this magic tool named it the Light-Splitting Sword.
"A Combination Restriction... This is a challenge for me."
After reading the refinement method, Wu Tao set down the two books on refining magic tools and said, "The road must be walked step by step, and food must be eaten bite by bite. First, I'll inscribe the First-Rank Level 5 Spirit Wandering Restriction and refine the Spirit Wandering Boots. Then I'll consider the Light-Splitting Sword."
"Now, I'll brew the medicine, temper my body, and practice the Dragon Spear Technique."
Inside the Cultivation Room.
Wu Tao gripped the Three-Pointed Great Spear and thrust out. yin and Yang pressed against one another at the spearblade, thunder erupted, dazzling lightning flared, and the sound of rushing wind arose as the spear shot straight ahead.
Rumble—
Like a clap of thunder, it swiftly faded away.
Wu Tao withdrew his spear. He felt that this thrust possessed tremendous power, as though even space had twisted slightly.
"At the proficient level, the Wind and Thunder Spear can already produce the sound of wind and thunder. Its power is formidable, but likewise, its consumption is great. This strike feels as though it drained more than ten percent of my spiritual power and physical strength."
It had been one month and twelve days since Wu Zhongxing had come to his home.
Over the past month or so, Five Spring Mountain and Ghost Dao Sect still had not gone to war. It seemed the emotions on both sides needed a long time to ferment. Since they had not fought for so long, rumors began to spread through the Outer City that Five Spring Mountain and Ghost Dao Sect might not fight after all.
It rather had the rhythm of thunder booming loudly while the raindrops remained small.
Of course, that was the view of only some rogue cultivators. Other rogue cultivators still believed they should prepare for danger in times of peace and ready more means of preserving their lives. What if a war truly broke out?
Prices in the Marketplace began to fall, though only by a little.
For example, the First-Rank Level 4 magic tools in Shopkeeper Yu's material shop could originally sell for two mid-grade spirit stones, but now their prices had been lowered by twenty low-grade spirit stones.
How much Shopkeeper Yu sold them for had little to do with Wu Tao. He continued supplying goods as usual.
Putting away his spear, he prepared to temper his body.
Dragon Spear Body Tempering Art: Flesh Refining (99%)
For one month and twelve days, he had taken a medicinal bath every day, gaining one point of progress each day. Now, he lacked only one more point before completing the Flesh Refining stage and entering the Tendon Refining stage.
"The medicinal bath has finished brewing. Today, I enter the second stage—Tendon Refining."
Wu Tao was greatly invigorated.
He poured the Medicinal Liquid into the bath barrel, removed his clothes, and stepped inside. He began absorbing the Medicinal Liquid to strengthen his physique.
After absorbing all the Medicinal Liquid in the bath barrel, Wu Tao felt that his body had reached a critical point. Every muscle in his body had undergone a complete tempering.
He took a deep breath, his entire body shuddered, and with a sudden burst of force, he leaped out of the bath barrel. Then he seized the Three-Pointed Great Spear and thrust it forward. With this thrust, all the muscles in his body seemed to become one whole, incomparably coordinated. Every muscle was fully mobilized, and not a shred of strength was wasted.
This thrust had risen by another level.
He stopped and carefully sensed the changes in himself. He discovered that his Five Senses and Six Perceptions had also strengthened considerably. His ear twitched slightly, and he suddenly spun around. A fly was caught between two fingers, then burst into flame and burned into drifting ash.
Shaking his fingers, Wu Tao said with delight, "The Flesh Refining stage has finally been completed."
His body was now well-proportioned, and the density of his muscles had increased. His weight had risen considerably as well, yet he could control it as easily as he pleased. His qi and blood had also improved; through inner perception, he could sense that his qi and blood were like thick slurry, while his heart beat powerfully.
It was as though his entire person had become more confident.
His bearing naturally radiated outward as well.
He admired himself for a moment.
Afterward, he opened his Personal Status to check the progress he had made over the past month or so.
[Cultivation Technique: Three Yang Technique: Qi Refining Chapter (Third Level): 22%] [Secondary Profession · Body Cultivator: Dragon Spear Body Tempering Art: Tendon Refining (0%), Dragon Spear · Fire Sweep Proficient (5%), Dragon Spear · Wind and Thunder Proficient (9%)] [First-Rank Level 5 Spirit Wandering Restriction (16%)]
As the Body Tempering Art advanced, the boost it gave to his absorption of spiritual power also increased. Now, he could gain eleven points of progress in one month.
Both the Dragon Spear Technique's Fire Sweep and Wind and Thunder Move had been trained to the proficient level. He could launch and withdraw the moves as he pleased, and their increased power was terrifying.
As for the First-Rank Level 5 Spirit Wandering Restriction, under normal circumstances, he could increase its progress by one point every three days. If the Lucky Bonus triggered, it would increase further. This was not because his practice had slowed; rather, with his Third Level of Qi Refining cultivation, crossing the upper limit by two levels and achieving this progress was not bad at all.
"This feeling of being able to sense my strength growing every day is truly amazing!"
Wu Tao closed his Personal Status and prepared to leave.
Today was also the day he was to deliver goods to Shopkeeper Yu's Spirit Material Shop.
Before you continue