In the time it took to drink a cup of tea, the round-faced Daoist nun prepared a set of materials for the [Plain Moon Paper-Cutting Box] for Wang Quan-the finest available for under a million coins.
These materials cost Wang Quan over nine hundred thousand Green Fly Coins.
But Wang Quan felt they were worth it.
Everything was packed into a single bundle. The round-faced Daoist nun left the Miscellaneous Goods Hall with Wang Quan, then lowered her voice. "That Daoist just now is at the ninth level of qi refining, nearing perfection."
Wang Quan was bewildered. The ninth level of qi refining? What does that mean?
Thinking he simply did not know to be afraid, the round-faced Daoist nun continued, "He's a mainstay of a small group. He knows plenty of spells and is very difficult to deal with."
"You spoke too harshly to him today. He's bound to scheme against you later!"
"For the foreseeable future, you mustn't leave the lower courtyard!"
"That way, he won't get a chance to take revenge!"
Wang Quan nodded. "Don't worry. I won't be leaving the lower courtyard for now!"
Only then did the round-faced Daoist nun breathe a sigh of relief.
He was a customer referred by her own roommate, and she had earned a commission. The least she could do was warn him.
Now Wang Quan asked curiously, "Senior Sister, what did you mean by the ninth level of qi refining?"
The round-faced Daoist nun was stunned. "Have you only just started cultivating?"
Wang Quan shook his head.
The Round-Faced Daoist Nun's expression turned odd. "Were you studying Daoist scriptures all this time?"
Wang Quan nodded.
The round-faced Daoist nun exhaled a stale breath. "No wonder!"
"Two years ago, a new method arrived. Its practitioners call the way we cultivate the old method."
"The old method involves studying Daoist scriptures and using them as a foundation, mainly gathering the Sun-Moon Essence and such to refine magical power. As long as you master enough scriptures, you can quickly master all kinds of spells, artifact refining, pill refining, and other skills."
"The new method mainly uses different cultivation techniques and so-called spiritual roots to absorb spiritual energy and refine magical power, without being restricted by Daoist scriptures. That makes refining magical power faster, but without the support of scriptures, they have to slowly hone their spells and learn artifact refining, pill refining, and other skills bit by bit."
"They divide the qi refining realm into ten levels."
"Each level can hold a hundred strands of magical power."
"Overall, the old method excels at developing techniques, but not refining magical power; the new method excels at refining magical power, but not developing techniques."
"Over the past two years, more and more people have been learning the new method."
"That Daoist just now is called Qin Feng. He's a mainstay of one of the new-method groups, and he's very troublesome."
Wang Quan nodded. "Thank you, Senior Sister. I understand!"
The round-faced Daoist nun added, "The new method is already hostile toward the old method. With this clash on top of that, that Daoist Qin Feng will absolutely scheme against you."
"You must be careful!"
Wang Quan cupped his fists, turned, and left.
Back at his coffin dormitory, Wang Quan did not rush to refine the [Plain Moon Paper-Cutting Box]. Instead, he considered what the round-faced Daoist nun had said about the new and old methods.
Previously, he had immersed himself in Daoist scriptures, studying fundamental methods and spells, and had never paid attention to such matters.
After a moment's hesitation, he decided to ask Wu Yong.
But when he opened his token and saw Wu Yong's last message, he sent a message to Qian Xiuyue instead.
Not long after he sent it, Qian Xiuyue replied, "The new method is rubbish. Although their overall magical power exceeds that of us so-called old-method practitioners, its quality is poor."
"And their means of attack and defense are far too limited."
"Any cultivator who has mastered four or five thousand Daoist scriptures and possesses seven or eight strands of magical power can easily kill their so-called experts at the third or fourth level of qi refining."
"Most who practice the new method are unaffiliated cultivators from the Land of Seeking Immortality."
"There's no need to concern yourself with them!"
Wang Quan expressed his thanks.
Qian Xiuyue chuckled. "This is all common knowledge. Once you refine magical power and venture out into the world, you'll learn it too!"
With Qian Xiuyue's explanation, Wang Quan gained a deeper understanding of the so-called new method. These new methods are much like the divisions used in novels from my previous life.
If I get the chance, I could study them.
A little later, he settled himself and prepared to refine the [Plain Moon Paper-Cutting Box].
What the round-faced Daoist nun had prepared for him was a box carved from a large block of moon-patterned white jade, three feet three inches long, half a foot wide, and only fifteen or sixteen inches high.
Eight phases of the moon were carved on the box, with various verses about the moon decorating its sides.
The entire box was exquisitely crafted.
Wang Quan was quite pleased.
He opened the box. Inside lay a ream of Moon-Pattern Paper and a pair of spiritually imbued scissors.
Moon-Pattern Paper was top-grade paper, best suited for making things like paper figures and also excellent for casting illusions. Its only drawback was its high price.
A single ream of Moon-Pattern Paper cost a hundred thousand Green Fly Coins.
But Wang Quan felt it was worth it.
High-grade paper could double the power of the [Plain Moon Paper-Cutting Art].
The spiritually imbued scissors fell somewhere between an ordinary object and a magical artifact. They could not kill enemies, but they could cut things and imbue them with a measure of spirituality.
There was also a set of brushes, ink, and an inkstone inside. These, too, were spiritually imbued objects that could enhance the power of spells.
After checking that everything was in order, Wang Quan closed the box, lit sandalwood incense, and began refining the artifact.
Artifact refining in the qi refining realm was quite simple: place the corresponding objects together, recite scriptures, and expend magical power.
It was an utterly foolproof process.
Later, once one reached higher realms and could refine Magic Treasures, it became considerably more complicated.
Now Wang Quan recited the scriptures.
Some of these passages came from Daoist scriptures, others from spells. Combining the two in different sequences produced different final effects in the refined objects.
Bili, bili!
Jili, gulu!
When he finished reciting the scriptures, his sole strand of magical power was spent.
The next instant, the box trembled slightly.
Wang Quan bit the tip of his tongue and spat out a mouthful of heart's blood.
Sizzle! Sizzle! Sizzle!
Once the box absorbed his heart's blood, the artifact refining was complete.
Now Wang Quan shared a faint connection with the [Plain Moon Paper-Cutting Box].
With a thought from the yin spirit in his inner landscape, he could command the box to cut out the eight phases of the moon by itself, draw craters on them, and write verses about the moon on its own.
The entire box was controlled by his yin spirit's thoughts. Wang Quan could cut paper figures, so naturally the box could too-and it cut them better than he did.
All in all, the box existed solely for the [Plain Moon Paper-Cutting Art].
It counted as a magical artifact of the lowest grade.
By adding materials, magical power, and so on in the future, he could continually evolve it until it finally became a Magic Treasure Blank.
If he could someday reach the golden core realm, he could refine that Magic Treasure Blank into a true Magic Treasure.
With the box complete, Wang Quan was delighted.
He slipped the box into the bag the round-faced Daoist nun had given him and slung it onto his back.
From now on, a single thought would send ready-cut materials flying out of the box for him to use.
"The box is done. It can improve the efficiency of refining magical power."
"Next comes refining [Moonlight Escape]."
When night fell, he gathered a wisp of moonlight and stored it in his inner landscape.
After a night of refining magical power, he gathered another three wisps of purple qi, then breathed out that wisp of moonlight and formally began refining it.
This time, he did not recite ordinary scriptures. Instead, he recited Dao characters in the Dao Language.
Bili, bili!
Jili, gulu!
Guided by the scriptures spoken in the Dao Language, thirty-six Dao characters carried a strand of magical power onto that wisp of moonlight.
The wisp of moonlight trembled slightly, changing from an illusory, wavering state into a seemingly tangible radiance. Just like that, [Moonlight Escape] was complete.
"No wonder these are called side-door, left-hand paths. Mastering a spell is effortless."
"The only pity is that refining magical power is a little slow."
"If the new and old methods were combined, could these side-door, left-hand paths rise to rival the Orthodox Mystic Sects?"
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