"It's definitely the Advanced Five Elements Instruction!"
"I never expected... that someone in this world could comprehend this method to an advanced level..."
Through Wu Changgeng's Divine Sense, Lu Li's Hand Seals flowed like clouds and running water.
As his hands moved through the seals, a spiritual resonance revealed itself.
His water spell was like a frozen lake giving off wisps of chill, with extraordinary manifestations appearing all around it.
Without a doubt, these were signs of advanced mastery.
Wu Changgeng was greatly astonished.
How peculiar... most Qi Refinement cultivators only use this technique as a stepping stone.
Those with aptitude take up a new second-tier Cultivation Method after Foundation Establishment...
Those without aptitude live little more than a hundred years and would struggle to reach enlightenment even after pondering it their whole lives.
This Lu Li seems... to have an excellent temperament. What a pity. If he could reach enlightenment in a second-tier Cultivation Method, that would be remarkable...
Wu Changgeng shook his head and left without lingering.
He had been somewhat surprised that a Qi Refinement disciple had comprehended an advanced Cultivation Method.
But after thinking it over, it was still only a first-tier method, not worth too much trouble.
Still... Lu Li himself had left a slight impression on him...
Inside the artifact-refining side hall.
Lu Li used a water spell to cool the bronze forging furnace, which loomed in the hall like a gigantic beast.
Once the temperature was suitable, he summoned a metal spell and extended it inside.
"Crack!"
"Crack, crack, crack!"
Inside the furnace, fist-sized lumps of slag from ruined artifacts clung firmly to the walls.
Even as his spell flashed, he struggled to pry a single lump loose.
"This... the slag is terribly hard..."
"No wonder they needed someone to come and clean it out."
Lu Li's face reddened slightly.
The task was far from as simple as he had imagined.
Without someone assigned specifically to clean it, even a Foundation Establishment cultivator would probably waste an hour or two dealing with it.
"But..."
"Why does it feel... like these remnants of slag aren't all worthless?"
Looking at the black lump of slag he had painstakingly pried loose from inside the furnace.
Lu Li fell into thought. Though its surface was charred black.
Its spiritual essence had not entirely vanished, and faint traces flickered in and out of sight.
It has spiritual essence... so it's no ordinary object... should I send it back to Blue Star... and let Elder Wang and the others try it?
Maybe they can turn waste into treasure and discover something through their research...
With a thought, Lu Li turned his wrist.
He placed the black lump of slag into his Storage Bag.
Then he gritted his teeth, his expression growing serious.
"Phew... this slag is hard. I can't keep holding back."
"Otherwise... I might waste the whole day here!"
With that.
Spiritual light flared again as Lu Li formed Hand Seals and cast his spell.
Metal spiritual power, sharp as blades and spikes, surged into the pitch-black furnace!
"Crack! Crack!"
"Crack, crack, crack, crack!"
The piercing sound of metal striking metal rang through the hall.
It had to be said that although Five Spirit Roots severely hindered his cultivation speed.
His reserves of spiritual power were considerably deeper than those of others at the same stage.
Lu Li pressed on for five or six hours, clearing out the furnace without once stopping to meditate and recover.
Had it been another cultivator at the Qi Refining Fifth Layer, they would probably have recovered twice already.
"Crack!"
"Crack! Crack, crack, crack!"
Amid a succession of piercing metallic sounds.
Lu Li cleared out every fist-sized lump of black slag and placed them in his Storage Bag.
He would send them back to Blue Star that evening.
Over those hours, he pried loose as many as a hundred lumps.
In the end, he did not even leave the furnace ash beneath the forging furnace untouched.
He carefully collected every bit of it.
Once he had finished, he rinsed the enormous forging furnace inside and out with a water spell before finally stopping.
"Phew... phew..."
"Finally... it's done..."
Lu Li panted heavily, his face somewhat pale.
After working for hours on end, even with the Advanced Five Elements Instruction and the reserves afforded by his Five Spirit Roots, he had found it somewhat taxing.
Now, his meridians felt painfully swollen.
"Phew... at least today wasn't a waste. I got two contribution points and a pile of slag."
"The next time I come... will be six days from now."
He wiped the fine beads of sweat from his forehead.
After making sure he had left nothing behind, Lu Li shut the hall doors and headed back to his cave abode.
By the time he returned, the moon was bright and the stars were sparse.
"Hum!"
Sitting cross-legged inside his cave abode.
He took out the jade pendant.
As his spiritual power surged, he connected to Great Xia!
"Hello, Comrade Lu Li."
A voice that sounded very young spoke in Mandarin by his ear.
It was late at night, and Lu Li had made contact without warning.
Li Yuanchao and the others were naturally absent; the person who answered was a designated staff member on duty.
Lu Li did not say much. He simply increased his output of spiritual power.
He sent the hundred lumps of slag from his Storage Bag back, along with several handfuls of furnace ash, and gave a few instructions.
Only then did he quickly end the communication.
Without a protective formation, even inside my cave abode... it's still not very safe.
From now on, I'll have to pay more attention to how often and how long I communicate with Great Xia.
Once I've set up a formation... it'll be much better...
Thoughts flickered through his mind.
Lu Li carefully sorted through his many current matters and goals.
Now that I've accepted a task, my safety can be guaranteed, and I can meet my task quota for the time being...
I won't need to leave the sect in the short term, and I can save ten contribution points each month.
And I'll have opportunities to observe artifact refining...
Once I have enough contribution points, I can exchange them for a copy of Introduction to Artifact Refining, then save up for a forging furnace...
Artifact refining... is within reach!
As a top science and engineering student, Lu Li's thinking was exceptionally clear.
What was more, he had the assistance of Great Xia's finest think tank.
His future plans and goals had long since been laid out step by step.
Complete tasks... save contribution points... learn artifact refining.
Then try to rely on Great Xia's strength to reap greater rewards.
Once he had built up some resources, he could set up the protective formation he had long dreamed of.
Further strengthening his own safety.
As long as nothing unexpected happened in the meantime... Lu Li could follow his established goals step by step... and, with Great Xia's support, become the first to ascend to immortality!
Become the first to ascend to immortality... is that really possible...?
I wonder what Great Xia on Blue Star will look like... when I become immortal...
The most important part of the Southern Heavenly Gate Immortal Ascension Plan was to support Lu Li in becoming the first to ascend to immortality.
And the second task... was to launch the Great Xia Nationwide Immortal Cultivation Plan.
At present, Group 749 had already recruited soldiers from the military to try cultivating a Cultivation Method, though they had failed.
But...
At this rate, as long as Spiritual Qi exists on Blue Star...
Sooner or later, an era of nationwide immortal cultivation can begin. That's undoubtedly good news for me.
Lu Li looked far into the future. If Great Xia could enter an era of immortal cultivation.
The help it could offer him would undoubtedly be tremendous.
An immortal cultivation nation with 1.4 billion citizens supporting him from behind...
The weight of that...
"Heh, at best, other cultivators have a lineage or sect behind them."
"As for me... I have a country!"
As these thoughts passed through his mind, Lu Li could not help feeling a sense of anticipation.
He rubbed the last lump of slag in his Storage Bag, lost in thought.
"I just wonder... can Great Xia's research comrades refine a surprise from this 'waste'?"