Two quarters of an hour later.
Wu Tao and Jin Ke arrived at Fragrant Spring Road. At the entrance to the Five Spring Artifact Refining Hall Assessment Branch, two long lines had formed. Every rogue cultivator in line carried the thick scent of Starfire Stone.
The smell was pungent; one whiff told you they had spent years refining magic tools.
He found a cultivator wearing a Five Spring Artifact Refining Hall Branch Uniform and respectfully asked, "Sir, is this where you recruit loose cultivator artifact refiners?"
The cultivator looked Wu Tao over, seeing that he was quite young, and said, "See those two long lines at the entrance? The one on the left is for those with a First-Rank Intermediate Artifact Refiner Certificate. The one on the right is for those whose artifact refining level has reached that standard but who have not yet earned the certificate."
"Thank you."
Wu Tao thanked him. Good thing he had asked in advance; getting into the wrong line would have been quite troublesome.
He went before Jin Ke. Shopkeeper Yu had merely asked Jin Ke to escort him here, so he still needed to thank him for seeing him off. "Senior Jin, this is Five Spring Artifact Refining Hall territory. No one should dare cause trouble here. If you have urgent matters to attend to, please go ahead. Looking at this, it won't be settled anytime soon."
Jin Ke thought for a moment and said, "All right. Once you finish your assessment, Artifact Master Li, be careful on your way back."
After watching Jin Ke leave, Wu Tao went to join the line on the right.
There were actually fewer than a hundred people in both lines combined.
Among loose cultivator artifact refiners, First-Rank Junior Artifact Refiners were the most numerous. The talent required for intermediate artifact refining was much greater, so even if the Artifact Refining Hall recruited across the entire West Outer City, it might not recruit a hundred people.
Once a loose cultivator artifact refiner could refine a First-Rank Level 7 magic tool, he would live in the Inner City or join a Slightly Larger Cultivation Faction. His life would be beyond comparison with that of an artifact refiner in the West Outer City.
First-Rank Level 6 and First-Rank Level 7 might differ by only one level, but that single step was even harder than a rogue cultivator breaking through to Foundation Establishment.
The main reason was that their financial resources were not substantial enough to support a First-Rank Level 7 artifact refiner.
After standing in line for roughly half an hour, they finally entered the Artifact Refining Hall. An Artifact Refining Hall artifact refiner led them into a Main Hall to wait, while someone came to register the spiritual materials they needed for refining.
After registration, they waited nearly another half hour before Wu Tao and nine other loose cultivator artifact refiners entered an artifact refining room.
There were ten artifact refining slots in the room, each furnished with Starfire Stone and spiritual materials.
"Li Mo, Artifact Refining Slot Number One."
"Zhou Jiong, Artifact Refining Slot Number Two."
After the artifact refiner announced the positions for all ten people and they had taken their places, he said, "The spiritual materials you require have been prepared. You have one incense stick of time. If you cannot refine a first-rank intermediate Magic Tool within that time, you will be judged to have failed."
Upon hearing that they had only one incense stick, several loose cultivator artifact refiners' expressions changed slightly.
Loose cultivator artifact refiners had no Artifact Refinement Technique and came from rogue paths. Ordinarily, they did not have enough spiritual materials to improve their proficiency through repeated practice. One incense stick of refining time was indeed pressing for them.
"Begin!" The Artifact Refining Hall would not care about such matters. At the shout of "Begin," an incense stick had already been set upright.
Wu Tao took a deep breath and swept his gaze around. The other nine artifact refiners had already lit their Starfire Stones and begun refining magic tools.
But he did not. Instead, he first swallowed a Qi Condensation Pill and restored himself to peak condition. It took nearly ten minutes before his Essence, Qi, and Spirit were complete, and only then did he toss the Starfire Stone into the earth pit.
The Artifact Refining Hall artifact refiner glanced at him. His face revealed nothing, but inwardly, he was greatly impressed.
Bairen Wood, Heaven Spider Silk, Demon Silkworm Silk... Wu Tao had long since achieved a hundred-percent success rate in refining Spirit-Absorbing Robes. Perhaps it was because of the primary profession's effect: as long as he grew increasingly proficient, there would be no possibility of failure.
Normally, when refining Spirit-Absorbing Robes, the process was as practiced as the old oil seller, and he did not need one incense stick of time. But under everyone's watchful eyes, Wu Tao naturally chose to control his pace and keep a low profile. Third place would do.
Methodically, after processing the Bairen Wood, Heaven Spider Silk, and Demon Silkworm Silk, Wu Tao began to refine the rough form of the magic robe before moving on to inscribe the Spirit-Absorbing Restriction.
Sensing eyes fixed upon him, Wu Tao's dantian trembled slightly, forcing a few beads of sweat onto his forehead. He put on an expression of great strain.
After the matter involving Xie Tao and Fang Ming, Wu Tao had learned that when he did not know the other party's character, he needed to know how to hide his capabilities appropriately.
What if you performed too well, and instead of appreciating you, they envied you?
It was best to perform in an ordinary, unremarkable manner.
Time slowly passed, and only an inch of the incense stick remained unburned. At that moment, a cry of surprise rang out. It came from the loose cultivator artifact refiner at slot number seven, who held up his successfully refined magic tool and shouted in wild delight, "I succeeded! Hahaha..."
No sooner had his voice fallen than, moments later, another person successfully refined a magic tool.
The incense stick was nearly burned out.
Wu Tao glanced over from the corner of his eye. The remaining seven artifact refiners all wore anxious expressions, their mindsets growing unstable. Once their mindsets faltered, three sizzling sounds rang out, and three loose cultivator artifact refiners had their restrictions interrupted and failed their refinements.
Seeing this, the other loose cultivator artifact refiners hurriedly steadied their minds, not daring to let their thoughts run wild.
"One incense stick, the time..."
"Combine!"
"Is up."
At the final moment, Wu Tao finally refined the Spirit-Absorbing Robe. Relief and lingering fear appeared on his face as he held the robe in both hands and respectfully presented it. "Sir, I refined it."
"Very good. Three succeeded—not bad. Those who failed, leave. You three, come with me."
The three successful candidates followed the Artifact Refining Hall artifact refiner out of the artifact refining room and into a hall resembling a Conference Room. Many rows of long tables stood inside, and more than a dozen loose cultivator artifact refiners sat reading the contracts in their hands.
"Two junior brothers, these three do not have First-Rank Intermediate Artifact Refiner Certificates, but they have just passed the First-Rank Level 4 artifact refiner assessment. I'll leave the rest to you."
"Understood. Take care, Senior Brother Zhang."
The artifact refiner surnamed Zhang said to Wu Tao and the other two, "Read the Recruitment Contract here."
The two artifact refiners in charge of the Recruitment Contracts immediately produced three contracts and handed them to Wu Tao's group. "Find a place to sit and read the contracts. If there are no issues, sign them and press your palm prints."
Wu Tao took the Recruitment Contract, found an empty seat, and began carefully reading it clause by clause.
After reading it, Wu Tao thought inwardly, The benefits really weren't as profitable as working alone and earning spirit stones, but for the sake of preserving my life, they were still acceptable.
The contract roughly stated the following.
Upon signing it, one would go to the Inner City and work for the Artifact Refining Hall refining magic tools. One had to refine for four hours each day, rested one day every seven days, received food and lodging, and earned Five Mid-Grade Spirit Stones per month.
Generally, a top-notch loose cultivator artifact refiner who had reached first-rank intermediate could earn around eight Mid-Grade Spirit Stones a month, after deducting the costs of failed attempts.
Wu Tao had the profession bonus, so he could not be counted as an ordinary loose cultivator artifact refiner.
Then, during the period of employment, magic tools, talismans, pills, and spiritual herbs would all be available to loose cultivator artifact refiners at discounted prices.
Once the war with the Ghost Dao Sect ended, the Artifact Refining Hall would hold a month of artifact refining knowledge lectures for all loose cultivator artifact refiners. It would also bring out five First-Rank Advanced Artifact Refining Manuals for instruction.
In this era, when artifact refining knowledge was monopolized, this was undoubtedly immensely attractive to loose cultivator artifact refiners.
Finally, the issued First-Rank Intermediate Artifact Refiner Certificate would bear a new mark. With that mark, it would prove that you had contributed to Five Spring Mountain's war effort, granting one year of tax exemption and half-price rent for one year.
Seeing the second clause—that pills, talismans, magic tools, and the like could all be bought at a discount—Wu Tao gave up on buying life-saving talismans later. Buying them at the Inner City Artifact Refining Hall would be more cost-effective.
"Five Mid-Grade Spirit Stones a month is too little for me, but most artifact refiners answering this call came for Five Spring Mountain's protection. Sigh, these days, safety is the most valuable thing."
Wu Tao stopped hesitating and directly signed his name and pressed his handprint.
Before you continue