To lower cultivators, Law Artifacts were like armor and horses to hardened frontier soldiers: having them or not made an enormous difference. It was no exaggeration to say they could decide life and death, victory and defeat.
Older cultivators often remarked that cultivation was the rice, and Law Artifacts were the stove.
As the saying went, cook rice without a stove, and all you had in the end was a pot of raw grain.
Those words laid bare the crux of the matter.
"Cultivators below the Fifth Level of Qi Refining are, frankly, nothing but consumables for a sect's Dharma Lineage.
"Discarded once used up, no loss if damaged, replaceable at any time."
Having served for years as the Quenching Room Duty Officer on Crimson Flame Peak, Yang Xun saw the interests at play between Dharma Lineages and Mortal Laborers clearly.
"Once you enter the Inner Peaks, you'll inevitably have to stand guard over resource grounds and perform mundane tasks such as logging and harvesting.
"Those places are exceptionally dangerous. After a hundred years of nurturing, there are plenty of formidable demons and evil creatures. On the other hand, they're also excellent places to refine Law Artifacts.
"These Law Artifacts all came from the Mount Wo Sect, a former Dharma Lineage of Northern Mang Ridge. The Zhongyi Sect later destroyed it, and scarcely any disciples remain.
"The Mnemonics for refining their Law Artifacts have spread as well. They shouldn't be difficult to master."
"You've thought of everything, Grandpa. You've considered every detail for me."
Jiang Yi swept his gaze over the three Law Artifacts, immensely satisfied. He immediately bent low in a bow. "Your junior is grateful for your nurturing kindness, Grandpa. I'll remember it all."
Yang Xun waved a hand without speaking, a trace of complicated feeling passing through