Magic Robe

After a long while, Wu Tao finally recovered from the failure, his spirits lifting slightly.

Failure was the mother of success.

Failure was also a kind of experience. He had to learn to find what could be improved from failure, increasing the chances of success for the next refinement.

Wu Tao changed into a fresh set of clothes and sat beside the earth pit. By now, the Starfire Stone had burned out completely. In truth, he had already prepared himself for the possibility that the first refinement would fail, thinking he could accept the result.

But he was too poor.

The cost of failure was too high, and it still made his heart ache.

"Though engraving formations on a Formation Practice Board and engraving them during the refinement process are almost negligibly different, there is still a tiny distinction. Engraving formations during refinement requires greater delicacy and more precise control of spiritual power."

"No wonder they say Masters of the Four Arts of Cultivation are all forged by piling up resources."

"Only through trial and error, again and again, can one set foot on the road to success. Without resources to support you, it is hard to go far."

"I have the Artifact Refiner Talent Bonus, but I cannot rely entirely on it. I still need to work harder and comprehend more, so I can reduce the cost of trial and error."

"There are four Starfire Stones left, and one jin of Demon Silkworm Silk remaining. I only have one chance left. Success is permitted; failure is not."

"Today, my Essence, Qi, and Spirit have been overdrawn. I can only refine again tomorrow."

Having finished his summary, Wu Tao rubbed his slightly swollen forehead and muttered, "Last night's sleep quality was terrible, and my mental state was a little poor. If the neighbors aren't noisy tonight and I'm in better spirits, would that bring me a little closer to success?"

"Or perhaps I could beg Zhang Li..."

The thought had barely surfaced before Wu Tao snuffed it out, shaking his head repeatedly. "She makes her living with her door open. We are merely neighbors with shallow ties. What reason would I have to ask her to close up for a day?"

"She may seem easygoing normally, but what if..."

Wu Tao was afraid of running into a wall as well. Without spirit stones, living in a neighborhood with such poor facilities, he could only swallow these troubles whole.

"When all is said and done, it is poverty."

He could not help letting out a long sigh.

It was already morning, and his stomach began sending signals of hunger. Wu Tao got up to cook. After eating, he sat cross-legged on the bed and circulated the Sanyang Technique, absorbing the thin spiritual power drifting between heaven and earth to restore himself.

Only after meditating for a full two shichen did he recover his Essence, Qi, and Spirit.

At that moment, he could not help missing the time before the original owner had fallen into evil possession. Back then, he had still been a miner. Though life had been tight, he could occasionally cultivate with spirit stones.

If he used spirit stones, he could recover in half a shichen.

"If you miss the past, then your present life must be going badly."

Wu Tao sighed again and said, "I heard the disciples of Azure Spirit Sect's Five Spring Mountain cultivate using pills, while the upper ranks directly hug spirit veins and gnaw on them. I wonder when I'll get to hug a spirit vein and gnaw on it too?"

Wu Tao's state of mind at that moment was like that of a poor man wondering whether the emperor farmed with a golden hoe or a silver hoe.

It was nearing dusk.

He had refined magic robes in the morning and restored his condition in the afternoon. Just like that, the day had passed.

Time to eat!

After eating, Wu Tao took out the artifact-refining book, <Refining Method for First-Grade Dharma Robes and Five Types of Restrictions>, and read by candlelight for half a shichen, even though he had already memorized it from cover to cover.

When it was time to sleep, Wu Tao had just lain down when he sat halfway up again, his expression strangely conflicted.

"Or perhaps I should beg Zhang Li..."

"I only have one refining chance tomorrow. If I fail, I will not survive this deadly calamity. This concerns life and death—so what if I run into a wall? If I succeed, if I sleep well and my mind is sharper, even a little more chance of success might save my life."

After struggling inwardly for a moment, Wu Tao got up and put on his shoes. As he rose to open the door, a thought flashed through his mind. Perhaps I can do it like this...

He stepped outside and came to Zhang Li's door. A faint candlelight shone within. At this hour, it was still early, and Zhang Li had not opened her door for business yet. Taking a deep breath, Wu Tao raised his hand and knocked.

Very soon, footsteps sounded inside. The door opened, and Zhang Li looked at Wu Tao with mild shock on her face. Yet she knew that in Wu Tao's state of evil possession, he would not come to patronize her business.

Even if he did, she would not dare accept him!

Thus, Zhang Li asked, "Fellow Daoist Li, what is the matter?"

Wu Tao looked at Zhang Li, dressed in her undergarments, and stammered for a while before saying, "Fellow Daoist Zhang, does the promise you made last time still count?"

"A promise? What promise?" Zhang Li could not recall it for the moment.

Wu Tao said directly, "Fellow Daoist Zhang said last time that once I had dispelled the evil spirit, you would let me have one time for free. Better to seize the day than wait for another—how about tonight?"

After saying that, he visibly relaxed.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Li's eyes widened. Only after a long while did she curse irritably, "Are you trying to get me killed? You're still harboring an evil spirit, and you want tonight? I think the evil qi has gotten into your brain and muddled your mind. Get lost, get lost, get lost!"

As she spoke, she moved to push Wu Tao away.

Wu Tao immediately realized he had not explained himself clearly and said, "Fellow Daoist Zhang, you misunderstand. That is not what I mean."

"If that's not what you mean, then what do you mean?" Zhang Li stopped in the middle of pushing him, folded her arms over her chest, and rolled her eyes at him.

"I mean that you should not open your door to receive customers tonight. Then tonight can count as receiving me. Of course, I will not actually do anything with you. In short, that promise can count as fulfilled by Fellow Daoist Zhang." Wu Tao explained with considerable effort.

Zhang Li understood. She stared at Wu Tao for a long time, then noticed the dark circles around his eyes and laughed. "Why didn't you make yourself clear sooner? You scared Mother half to death. Fine, fine, I understand. Go back!"

Wu Tao hurriedly bent at the waist in thanks. "Many thanks, Fellow Daoist Zhang. Great kindness needs no words of thanks."

Zhang Li was a woman of her word. That night, she hung up a sign saying she was closed for the evening, allowing Wu Tao to sleep soundly until dawn. His Essence, Qi, and Spirit were full, and his dark circles had vanished.

When he returned from dumping the night soil, he thanked Zhang Li once more.

Wu Tao took a bath in the washroom, washing away all his bad luck, then changed into clean, dry clothes and sat beside the earth pit.

All preparations were complete.

"Guanyin Bodhisattva who saves the suffering and delivers the distressed, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, Tathagata Buddha, Primordial Lord of Heaven, Laojun, Lord of the Heavenly Sect, Satan, Odin, Zeus... please bless me with success!"

"Begin!"

After praying once to all the gods and Buddhas he knew, Wu Tao threw two Starfire Stones into the earth pit, ignited them with the spiritual power of the Sanyang Technique, took the remaining jin of Demon Silkworm Silk cocoons at his side, and began drawing silk and unraveling cocoons.

He had succeeded at the first and second steps yesterday, and experience lay before him, but Wu Tao still did not dare be careless. He carefully controlled the spiritual power and heat as before.

Time slipped silently away amid the tense refinement work. Spiritual power flew like a shuttle, and the shape of a magic robe appeared before Wu Tao's eyes.

The final step—engraving the formation. This was where I failed yesterday. This time, I must stay steady.

Wu Tao adjusted his mindset and stopped thinking about failure, afraid that pressure would arise in his heart. Spiritual power became a blade, engraving stroke after stroke upon the magic robe as the Wind-Speed Restriction gradually neared completion.

You have triggered the Artifact Refiner Profession Lucky Skill. Lucky Bonus: 50%!

Heaven is helping me!

Wu Tao was overjoyed, but his Essence, Qi, and Spirit did not slacken. His hands became steadier and steadier. As the final stroke of the formation fell, a complete Wind-Speed Restriction instantly emerged upon the magic robe.

"Melt!"

"Refine!"

"Merge!"

As the three soft cries fell, the Wind-Speed Restriction settled upon the magic robe. The two fused seamlessly. A flash of inspiration flickered past, then swiftly withdrew within.

Wu Tao was overjoyed. He drew the magic robe over and could not help laughing. "It is finally done—a First-Rank Level 2 Wind-Speed Magic Robe."

"Thanks to myself, thanks to the artifact refiner profession, and thanks to Zhang Li!"