Flying out of the cave abode, Lu Li headed straight for the Artifact Hall.
The Master Xu who shines Changming Changye is naturally his Xu Xiong.
Three years ago, Xu Xiong went through many hardships and finally returned to his sect.
On the day he returned to the sect, after seeing Master Wu, he went straight to Lu Li's cave abode and burst into tears.
She insisted on keeping him drunk for three days and three nights, recounting her gratitude and stories the whole way.
The two became even closer than before...
Deep within the Artifact Hall, a room filled with earthen fire radiated intense heat.
Xu Xiong, who is nearly two meters tall, is wearing a leather apron.
His burly figure appeared extremely imposing in front of the leaping ground fire.
His face was covered in stubble and tightly pursed.
Its large, bell-like eyes were fixed on an arm armor that was about to take shape in the forging furnace.
His strong fingers moved nimbly, casting a series of Method Formula to stabilize the Artifact Inscription's patterns, his expression serious and focused.
"Buzz~"
Sudden.
With a clear chime, the arm armor, imbued with spiritual light, landed steadily in his hand.
Xu Xiong breathed a long sigh of relief.
He wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve.
He flashed his signature big white teeth.
"Senior Brother Xu, your skills have improved again."
Lu Li's voice, tinged with laughter, came from the doorway.
Xu Xiong turned around abruptly, his tone filled with surprise.
" Junior Brother Lu! You've emerged from seclusion? Why didn't you say a word?"
He quickly put down his arm guards and warmly greeted them.
Before Lu Li reply, she seemed to suddenly remember something.
He hurriedly pulled a bulging Storage Bag from his pocket.
He shoved it into Lu Li's hand, lowering his voice with a hint of smugness.
"Here you go, this is the commission from the sales of the ' Black Rhinoceros Battle Armor ' and ' Flowing Cloud Battle Armor ' over the past few months!"
"Hehe, our goods are in high demand right now. Many fellow disciples and Rogue Cultivator Lineage have specifically requested them!"
Lu Li took the Storage Bag and scanned it briefly with his Divine Sense.
Inside, besides nearly a thousand Spirit Stone, there was also a pile of materials for crafting magic armor.
A warmth filled my heart.
"Three years ago, if it weren't for Senior Brother Xu taking the initiative to propose cooperation and help me sell my full-body combat armor..."
"How can I support two disciples, sustain my own cultivation, and at the same time assist the Great Xia's research?"
"The huge shortage of Spirit Stone alone will probably give me a major headache."
A thought stirred within Lu Li, and he felt a surge of emotion.
Three years ago, Xu Xiong returned to his ancestral home, recounting his experiences while inquiring about his development.
I was Celestial Person upon seeing the full combat armor.
It is said that along his journey outside the sect, even ordinary magic armor was so sought after that Rogue Cultivator would fight tooth and nail for it.
Not to mention this Movement Method that can attack, fly, and defend.
For cultivators in the Early Qi Refinement, obtaining this is simply overpowered.
He immediately had an idea: he would have Lu Li refine the ingredients, and he would sell them, excluding material costs and splitting the profits 30/70.
The two hit it off immediately and got to work.
Xu Xiong handled orders outside the office and used his personal connections to navigate the complexities of the business.
One of them was in charge of internal affairs, and the other was in charge of external affairs.
They managed to create a little-known industry in this Azure Pool area.
In the Azure Pool region today, all that is known is that there is a "Senior Brother Xu" with extensive connections whose Law Artifact are of extremely high quality.
Little did they know that the true weapon refiner was the reclusive Lu Li...
"I'm sorry to have troubled you again, senior brother."
Lu Li clasped his hands in a sincere gesture, noting that the progress the Great Xia had made in cultivation research over the past few years was nothing short of terrifying.
Tier 1 battle armor can be mass-produced and manufactured independently long ago.
It wouldn't waste much of his time, and he could gain a large amount of Spirit Stone, so he was naturally satisfied.
"Hey! Why are you being so polite with me!"
Xu Xiong waved his hand and revealed a simple, honest smile.
"Without the treasures you refined, I wouldn't be able to organize anything even if I wanted to."
"I only had to use my legs and words a little, and you got 70% while I got 30%, so I got a huge advantage! Besides,"
He leaned closer and lowered his voice.
"With my master's connections to Supreme Refinement Peak, those outsiders may be envious, but they wouldn't dare to really do anything to me, Old Xu."
He spoke casually, but Lu Li knew that dealing with these miscellaneous matters and responding to inquiries from all sides must have taken a lot of Xu Xiong's energy.
This seemingly rugged but actually sensitive and even somewhat timid senior brother treated him as a true brother.
" Lu Li remember my senior brother's kindness."
Lu Li put away the Storage Bag and got down to business.
"Senior Brother Xu, I plan to go into seclusion soon to attempt Foundation Establishment."
"If my two disciples need anything during my seclusion, I will have to trouble you, senior brother."
Upon hearing this, Xu Xiong's smile vanished, and his chubby face became serious.
"Great news! Fantastic news! Go ahead without worry! I'll take care of everything outside!"
He patted his chest forcefully, "Although my cultivation is lacking, I still have the ability to protect your family's wealth and mentor your disciples!"
Looking at Xu Xiong, who was even more nervous and excited than himself.
The last ripple in Lu Li caused by the Foundation Establishment subsided.
It is truly a blessing to have such a close friend in this foreign land.
but...
"Senior brother, aren't you planning to reach the Foundation Establishment yet?"
"If we delay any longer... I'm afraid my senior brother will miss his chance."
Lu Li spoke sincerely; Xu Xiong was more than ten years older than him, in his early forties.
Once Qi Refinement cultivator passes the age of sixty, their Blood Qi decline, and the failure rate and danger of attempting to Foundation Establishment will increase significantly.
Xu Xiong was certainly aware of his own situation.
only...
"Ah, junior brother, you don't know this."
" Foundation Establishment requires high qualifications, but even higher requirements for mental fortitude."
"I had hoped that after this training trip, my heart would be as hard as iron, or at least I would have a chance to Foundation Establishment..."
"But now... why do I feel more and more timid as I get older?"
Xu Xiong's voice was slightly bitter as he responded to Lu Li with a hint of envy.
I admire Lu Li's unwavering Dao heart; he dared to Foundation Establishment as soon as he said Foundation Establishment.
In recent years, he has been willing to wander outside the sect, traveling around, in order to earn Spirit Stone.
More importantly, I also want to work on my patience.
If one's resolve in the Dao is not firm, there is no hope of Foundation Establishment.
Who doesn't want to be called " the True Person deal"...
Seeing this, Lu Li knew he couldn't say anything more.
Skipping the topic, he flipped his hand and took out twenty pieces of Tier 1 full-body combat armor from his Storage Bag.
"Senior brother, this is the latest combat armor you've crafted. It's yours now."
"Same as always, after you sell out, just help me buy all the materials I need for the next batch."
"Yes, junior brother, don't worry. You can focus on your seclusion; I'll take care of the miscellaneous tasks."
After the two completed the handover, Lu Li did not return to his cave abode.
He turned and went to the General Affairs Hall.
Foundation Establishment requires an enormous amount of Spiritual Qi.
Although he has added several Spirit Gathering Formation to his cave abode in the past two years, it is still somewhat inferior to the truly good cave abode of the outer sect.
"It is said that the top-tier cave abode are all located on the edge of branches of Spirit Vein, where the Spiritual Qi is abundant."
"It will greatly help in breaking through bottlenecks..."
With a slight stirring of thoughts, Lu Li stepped into the General Affairs Hall.
Preparing to complete the procedures for leasing Jiazi cave abode.
However, the disciple on duty in charge of the cave abode affairs in the General Affairs Hall looked troubled.
" Senior Brother Lu, it's really unfortunate, only one ' Jia Nine ' cave abode dwellings."
"And... and it's already been reserved by Senior Brother Bai Kun from the outer sect."
The disciple in charge lowered his voice. "Although Senior Brother Bai isn't here right now, he's been coming quite often lately, so he'll probably be here soon..."
Lu Li frowned slightly.
According to the sect's rules, cave abode are rented on a first-come, first-served basis; there is no such thing as reserving them in advance.
Oh well, he's too lazy to cause trouble. Let him stay; he'll just wait it out.
Just as he was about to turn around, a clear and familiar voice suddenly came from behind him.
"When did the General Affairs Hall change its rules so that cave abode can be reserved?"
"How could True Person not know!"