After obtaining the spiritual materials, Lin Chen refined the Starshatter Sword to tier-three fine quality that very night.
The improvement in his Life-Bound Divine Artifact's quality gave Lin Chen's idle farming efficiency a slight boost.
More importantly, as its quality rose, so did the chance of a critical-hit drop.
For instance, the mental secret art and Wind-Eroded Crystal Core Lin Chen had obtained had both dropped after his Life-Bound Divine Artifact reached tier three.
Of course, the level of the idle farming map was another key factor.
If Lin Chen were still farming monsters in Wild Wolf Valley, even if every strike were a critical hit, only ordinary materials would drop.
Time slipped quietly by, and another month passed.
Firecloud Valley, Scarlet Rock Martial Arena.
Today, disciples from Firecloud Valley's two lines filled the sides of the arena, standing in separate groups with a clear divide between them.
The Fire Vein Contest, held once every ten years, was taking place here.
Unlike previous contests, however, one side in this arena match was an outsider—and one from the Four Seas Merchant Guild, among Cloud Province's most powerful factions.
At the center of the arena, the martial stage gleamed dark red. Inscriptions of an array allowed it to withstand the full-force attacks of a Profound Martial Realm warrior.
Liu Yan already stood on one side of the stage.
He wore a dark red robe with golden fire patterns embroidered on its cuffs. His hands clasped behind his back, he stood as still and deep as an ancient well.
The pressure of a fourth-layer Profound Martial Realm warrior seeped faintly from him, making the disciples near the stage feel a flutter of dread.
"The Great Elder really has broken through!"
"The fourth layer of the Profound Martial Realm... There's no suspense in