Finding a Backer

Tang Yuan opened the courtyard gate and swallowed dryly at the sight of Du Qing outside. Now that she's reached the Qi Refinement Third Layer, Du Qing is even more alluring.

Cultivating the Yin-Yang Qi Unification Record really does raise one's cultivation quickly.

In two years, Du Qing has gone from the Qi Refining First Layer to the Qi Refinement Third Layer.

*?*

No, that's not right!

The Yin-Yang Qi Unification Record may raise one's cultivation quickly, but it couldn't possibly be this fast.

Even if Du Qing had dual cultivated with someone every day for two years, she couldn't have advanced this fast. Besides, she has to rest for a few days every month.

It seems there's more to Du Qing than meets the eye. She has "someone above her"...

"Senior Brother Tang, I won't stay here for nothing.

I can share some of my insights into artifact refining with you. They might come in handy someday," Du Qing said, looking pitiful and helpless.

"Heh, what's one night? You can stay as long as you like.

But I'm only at the Qi Refining Second Layer, so I should call you senior sister." Tang Yuan ushered Du Qing into the courtyard.

Tang Yuan did want to learn something about artifact refining. After all, an extra skill never weighed anyone down.

Although he had learned the Golden Sand Sect's Fire Spirit Artifact Forging Instruction, he had no actual method for refining any particular Law Artifact, so he had never put it into practice.

"No, Senior Brother Tang Yuan.

Back then, you were the only one who stepped in to help me catch that Purple-Crowned Five-Colored Spirit Chicken." Du Qing's eyes were limpid as water. "In my heart, you'll always be my senior brother."

Tang Yuan smiled and invited Du Qing into the cave abode...

Inside the cave abode, Du Qing spoke at length while Tang Yuan listened attentively and benefited greatly.

Before they knew it, it was late at night, and Tang Yuan had begun to yawn.

"Senior Brother Tang, it seems you've been cultivating too hard and worn yourself out.

Why don't you let this junior sister serve you once?

Because of the Cultivation Method I practice, after I serve you,

it'll also benefit your cultivation," Du Qing said, her voice turning soft and seductively sweet as she gradually moved closer to Tang Yuan.

Tang Yuan's thoughts immediately became a restless monkey and a galloping horse, and his gaze grew hazy. It seems Du Qing has used a charm technique.

I might as well turn her scheme against her.

If she serves me properly, all well and good. But if she has some other aim, she can't blame me for using a ruthless hand to crush a flower...

"For the great path of cultivation, I really must experience the subtleties of your Cultivation Method for myself..." Tang Yuan scooped up the tender and affectionate Du Qing and carried her into the inner chamber.

Just as their breaths mingled and Du Qing seemed to have seized complete control, the flush of pleasure vanished from her face. She turned deathly pale with shock and cried out:

"Senior Brother Tang...

You...

How do you know our sect's Yin-Yang Qi Unification Record too?

You clearly learned the Purple Cloud Nine Mysteries Scripture.

If you had learned the Yin-Yang Qi Unification Record, I should have noticed long ago..."

No, Tang Yuan hasn't learned the Yin-Yang Qi Unification Record.

But he must have learned some other dual cultivation method, and his attainment in it is higher than mine. Feeling her true essence pour out rapidly, Du Qing came to her senses.

"Senior Brother Tang, I was wrong. Please spare me.

It was my cousin Su Wei. He said you'd made a lot of spirit coins making arrays. Su Wei forced me to come and harm you.

Su Wei said there's a secret realm in the Starfall Sea, and it concerns...

It concerns a fortuitous opportunity for Foundation Establishment...

Another day, I'll find out the exact... location for you, Senior Brother Tang Yuan...

Please spare me this once..." Du Qing begged for mercy, tears streaming down her face like rain on pear blossoms.

But Tang Yuan turned a completely deaf ear, devoting himself entirely to using the Hehuan Transformation Scripture.

In less than the time it took three incense sticks to burn, Du Qing gradually ceased to breathe.

"That felt good!" Tang Yuan shouted in utter satisfaction. A few days ago, he had swallowed and refined a wisp of Ghost Moon Gold Gang, and his cultivation hadn't changed, but now it had advanced to the Qi Refinement Fifth Layer!

Tang Yuan immediately got up, sat cross-legged, and circulated his Qi through a full cycle, paying no attention to the "snow-white" body beside him...

...After emerging from meditation, Tang Yuan collected Du Qing's soul with a soul-summoning banner, burned her corpse to ashes, and opened her Storage Bag:

One Cultivation Method Jade Slip containing the Yin-Yang Qi Unification Record,

one copy of the Artifact Refining Method Preliminary Explanation Instruction,

one copy of the Spirit Fire Artifact Forging Instruction,

weapon: one Blood Yin Needle,

fifteen spirit coins.

Because the sect used a restriction to prevent disciples from stealing Cultivation Methods from one another and passing them to outsiders, the Yin-Yang Qi Unification Record destroyed itself when Du Qing died.

The Artifact Refining Method Preliminary Explanation Instruction and the Spirit Fire Artifact Forging Instruction, however, could be read with Divine Sense.

The Artifact Refining Method Preliminary Explanation Instruction contained three practical examples: refining a bone sword, a gold saber, and a flying needle.

The Spirit Fire Artifact Forging Instruction was a mnemonic on how to use a fire vein to refine Law Artifacts.

With the examples in the Artifact Refining Method Preliminary Explanation Instruction, and Tang Yuan's own knowledge of the Introduction to Lightning Arrays and the Heart Lightning Meridian-Forging Instruction,

and with the refining of pills, talismans, artifacts, and arrays being much the same in principle, perhaps Tang Yuan would be able to refine lightning-attribute Law Artifacts in the future.

By the time everything had been cleaned up without leaving a trace, it was broad daylight.

Tang Yuan stepped onto his flying shuttle and flew north, straight for the sect. This was eight thousand spirit coins; he had to finalize the order today...

After signing the order contract with Feng Bin at Refining Peak, Tang Yuan flew to the sect's Eastern Huang Gathering to order the materials for refining the arrays.

After spending half an hour looking around the Eastern Huang Gathering, Tang Yuan gave a wry smile. All the materials have gone up in price.

At current prices, not counting labor, I'll make only two thousand spirit coins refining two thousand Lesser Heavenly Gang Soul-Extinguishing Lightning Arrays.

But I've already signed the order contract.

Besides, two thousand spirit coins is a huge sum for me.

The spirit coins I have now probably won't last long, and I'll have no choice but to move back into the shared courtyard...

Just as Tang Yuan was frowning over his troubles, a warm, familiar voice reached his ears:

"Junior Brother Tang Yuan, it's been more than half a year. I've missed you terribly.

Where have you been making your fortune all this time?"

It was Kou Cheng, who had dumped those empty array plates on him two years ago.

"Come on, come on, it's mealtime already.

My treat today. We won't leave until we're drunk." Before Tang Yuan could respond, Kou Cheng had come over and thrown an arm around his shoulders, steering him straight toward a restaurant at the gathering.

In a private room at the restaurant, the wine and dishes were served.

Kou Cheng raised his cup with both hands. "We're in a private room with a soundproofing array, so we can speak freely.

First, I, Kou Cheng, must thank you, Junior Brother Tang, for the wisp of Great Kun Moonlight Spiritual Qi you sold me three years ago.

That's how I managed to go from the sixth to the eighth layer of Qi Refinement in less than three years."

With that, Kou Cheng drained his cup, and Tang Yuan finished his wine as well.

Before Tang Yuan could pick up a bite of food, Kou Cheng raised his cup again.

"I wonder if you have any of that Great Kun Moonlight Spiritual Qi left, Junior Brother Tang. It's been extinct for thousands of years.

If you do, I'm willing to pay fifteen hundred spirit coins for it.

If you could sell me another wisp, I think breaking through to Qi Refinement Great Perfection should be much easier."

Qi Refinement was divided into ten layers: the first, second, and third were Early Qi Refinement,

the fourth, fifth, and sixth were the Middle Stage of Qi Refinement,

and the seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth were Late-stage Qi Refinement.

The stage from the Qi Refinement Tenth Layer to Foundation Establishment was called Qi Refinement Great Perfection.

Breaking through from the sixth to the seventh layer was a major hurdle, and it was common to spend more than ten years trying.

Going from the Qi Refinement Tenth Layer to Qi Refinement Great Perfection was an even greater hurdle, and spending twenty or thirty years attempting that breakthrough was also common.

The less time it took to reach Qi Refinement Great Perfection from the tenth layer, the greater the chance of achieving Foundation Establishment in the future.

Tang Yuan curled his lip. "You said it yourself: that Spiritual Qi has been extinct for thousands of years.

I only obtained a wisp because I encountered a great fortuitous opportunity on the Eastern Heaven Purple Mother Continent.

How could I have any left now?"

"True. Where would you find so many great fortuitous opportunities?

No hurry, no hurry. It'll take me twenty years or so to reach the tenth layer anyway.

When we have time another day, I'll go back to the Purple Mother Continent in the east with you to look for more." Kou Cheng took a sip of wine, looking somewhat disappointed.

"Junior Brother Tang, where have you been these past months?

I've been counting on you to bring me business.

To tell you the truth, even with the discount I gave you,

I made a tidy little profit back then when you bought over two hundred empty array plates and 'humanoid spirit beast blood' from me.

Your arrays were doing just fine. Why did you stop making them?

As I understand it, sect arrays have been in great demand over the past year, especially small ones."

"Don't even mention it. The year before last, Ding Chunqiu asked me to become an array maker under the Outstanding Talent Merchant Association, and I refused.

As a result, he forbade me from making arrays to sell.

I heard that besides his position as a deacon of the Outstanding Talent Merchant Association, Ding Chunqiu also has a Foundation Establishment High Person backing him. I wouldn't dare offend him." Tang Yuan looked utterly helpless.

"You were right to refuse Ding Chunqiu. If you'd become an array maker under the merchant association, you'd have been their expendable resource, their ox and horse for the rest of your life." Kou Cheng took a sip of wine.

"Since you can't be friends with Ding Chunqiu, Tang Yuan, have you considered finding a Foundation Establishment High Person to back you too?"

"Find a backer?" Tang Yuan nodded, then immediately knitted his brows. "But who could I find?"