Chapter 125 - 110: Descending the Mountain

Chapter 125: Chapter 110: Descending the Mountain

Steward Tian showed a great deal of professionalism during his lecture. Zhao Zuo soon realized that the principles of Fire Control could also be applied to Artifact Refining. This prompted him to memorize everything with even greater care. He even committed the parts he didn’t fully grasp to memory, planning to study them later.

After another four hours, Steward Tian rose and left, leaving only the final lecture.

The final lecture was the Artifact Refining course Zhao Zuo had been eagerly anticipating.

The person who took the stage was a steward from the Earth Fire Hall, Steward Huang.

The topic, as it happened, was the refining of Lower Grade Magical Artifacts.

He covered everything from the initial selection of materials, to mastering the intricate steps and details, to how to purge useless impurities from Spirit Iron, all in order to refine a high-quality, flawless Lower Grade Magical Artifact.

"During Artifact Refining, controlling the flame’s temperature is paramount. Only precise temperature control can guarantee quality. Temperatures that are too high or too low can both lead to a decline in the Magical Artifact’s quality. Throughout the refining process... the intensity of the Earth Fire, and even the duration of the heating, must be precisely controlled," Steward Huang said.

"Excuse me, Steward, but what level of practice is required to be considered a qualified One Tier, Lower Grade Artifact Refiner?"

The question came from an Outer Sect disciple in a cyan Taoist Robe, seated a few rows back. It was the same disciple who had passed the assessment on the same day as Zhao Zuo, and his cultivation was around the Qi Cultivation Fifth Layer.

"When you have mastered impurity removal, temperature control, timing, and Mana control, then you can be considered a qualified One Tier, Lower Grade Artifact Refiner," Steward Huang replied.

He then spoke of the Heart Realm’s influence on inscribing Spirit Patterns, offering a solemn reminder.

"During Artifact Refining, you must gather your focus, be fully dedicated, and maintain a calm and pure heart. Only with a mind free of distracting thoughts can you increase the success rate of inscribing Spirit Patterns and guarantee the Magical Artifact’s quality."

It was clear this steward had dedicated a great deal of effort to refining Lower Grade Magical Artifacts. After covering the specific steps, he began sharing some tips and tricks for the process. A few of these tips were eye-opening for Zhao Zuo.

’He was certain that if he could master these tricks, his success rate for refining Lower Grade Magical Artifacts would increase yet again. A higher success rate meant greater efficiency, which in turn meant earning Spirit Stones faster.’

When the time was up, Steward Huang left the platform without delay, and the Outer Sect disciples began to disperse in groups.

"Today... was worth it," Zhao Zuo remarked.

"Yes, I felt the same way after my first lecture. It was like seeing a much wider world for the first time."

Zhao Qingmeng chimed in, showing great enthusiasm toward Zhao Zuo.

"Fellow Daoist, shall we walk back to our courtyards together?" Zhao Qingmeng asked when Zhao Zuo didn’t respond.

"No, I’m planning on making a trip to Moyun Workshop."

Zhao Zuo shook his head and strode quickly away from the central platform. Left standing in place, the smile on Zhao Qingmeng’s face slowly receded until it vanished completely. The look in her eyes became placid, losing its charm and turning as cold as ice.

She watched Zhao Zuo’s retreating back... and took a Communication Jade from her Storage Bag.

"He just headed down the mountain. His cultivation is only at the Qi Cultivation Fifth Layer, but you should still be careful..."

A few seconds later, the Communication Jade glowed faintly with Spiritual Light, and an utterly indifferent voice came through.

"Mm, I know. After all, that crazy woman is still on the mountain."

At these words, an image of a peerlessly beautiful figure surfaced in Zhao Qingmeng’s mind. ’That person is someone I can only look up to and envy. I’ve never seen anyone so astonishingly talented, nor have I ever seen anyone so stubborn.’

’Although the sect had issued a gag order on the death of the Second True Inheritance, anyone with discerning eyes could guess how Su Mu had died.’

’Don’t blame me. I just want to climb higher.’

Zhao Qingmeng lowered her head and rubbed her cheeks. When she looked up, a bright, sincere smile had returned to her face.

Meanwhile, Zhao Zuo hurried down the mountain path. He passed two enormous black stone pillars and the giant boulder carved with the word ’Moyun’.

Thanks to his Outer Sect disciple Token, the mist didn’t obstruct his path or his vision. He could clearly see the lush, ancient trees lining the road and the verdant green of their branches.

Suddenly, Zhao Zuo felt an incredibly sharp killing intent rushing at him from behind. He instinctively took a step to the left, dodging a silver glint of sword light that had appeared out of thin air.

At the same time, Zhao Zuo sensed a disturbance in the surrounding mist as a figure in black abruptly emerged from the void. Wielding a silver longsword, the figure unleashed a sudden horizontal slash aimed straight at Zhao Zuo’s waist.

The ambusher wasted no words and held nothing back. His attack was direct and lethal.

TING.

Having been through several major battles, Zhao Zuo was no longer the fumbling fighter he once was. The instant he dodged, he activated the Storage Bag at his waist and drew his Black Flame Saber to defend himself.

The two clashed. Powerful bursts of Mana erupted from the impact, kicking up a fierce wind that made their Taoist Robes flap wildly.

Suddenly, the man in black was startled. A faint cyan-silver light had erupted out of nowhere, stabbing toward his chest.

TING.

The powerful Spiritual Pressure forced Zhao Zuo back half a step, while the man in black managed to raise his silver longsword in time to defend himself.

BAM.

With a heavy thud, the might of the Sky-Breaking Saber bent the silver longsword into a frightening arc. The middle of the blade slammed into the assassin’s chest, forcing him to stumble back three steps.

Each step was heavier than the last, leaving shallow footprints in the ground.

For a moment, the erupting Mana blasted away the surrounding fog.

The attacker’s expression beneath his mask turned grim. If he hadn’t stopped holding back and unleashed his full Mana just now, his chest would have been pierced.

’Late-Period Qi Cultivation?’

’Only someone in the Late Period of Qi Cultivation could have blocked the Sky-Breaking Saber’s attack at that range.’

Zhao Zuo tightened his grip on the Black Flame Saber in his right hand. With his left, he activated a Light Body Talisman and a Divine Wind Talisman. The effects of the two Talismans stacked, making his body feel incredibly light, as if he were about to merge with the air currents.

At the same time, he secured the Sky-Breaking Saber back in the hidden clasp at his waist, ready for its next use.

The moment the fog cleared, Zhao Zuo slapped several Vajra Talismans onto his body and lunged at the man in black. His Black Flame Saber swung out, forming a near-perfect Blade Gang as he instinctively activated the One Slash technique.

His Mana and Qi Blood surged.

’Zhao Zuo didn’t care why his enemy wanted to kill him, and he couldn’t be bothered to waste time during a fight wondering how he had provoked him.’

’Since the man had attacked, the only thing to do was fight!’

’With the enhancement of numerous Magical Artifacts, plus a Golden Body Technique built upon thousands of Spirit Stones, so what if the enemy was in the Late Period of Qi Cultivation? It wasn’t impossible to kill him. More importantly, this place wasn’t far from the Moyun Sect. The longer the fight dragged on, the more likely it was to attract others.’

’Killing a fellow disciple was a major crime in the Moyun Sect. The attacker had to be more anxious than he was!’

Zhao Zuo relentlessly swung his saber, battling the man in black while occasionally launching a sneak attack with his Sky-Breaking Saber. Using both in tandem, he managed to fight his opponent to a standstill. For a time, neither could gain an advantage.

After about a minute, just as he’d expected, Zhao Zuo noticed the man in black was growing anxious. His swordplay was no longer as composed as before, and Zhao Zuo seized the openings to inflict several minor wounds.

THUMP!

Seeing that his prolonged attacks were fruitless, the man in black took a black sphere from his Storage Bag and threw it on the ground.

The sphere immediately cracked open, spilling a viscous black liquid. The moment it hit the air, the liquid vaporized into a thick, poisonous smoke that obscured Zhao Zuo’s sight and senses.

Zhao Zuo immediately retreated several steps, took out an Antidote Pill, and swallowed it.

He could no longer sense his enemy. Clearly, the man in black had used the poisonous smoke as cover to retreat.

After less than a second of thought, Zhao Zuo rushed toward Moyun Workshop without looking back. The reason was simple: he was now closer to Moyun Workshop.

Two minutes later, Zhao Zuo burst out of the poison smoke’s range. The man in black had indeed retreated; he was not attacked again.

’But... who was that man in black?’

’It was best to leave professional matters to the professionals.’ With that thought, Zhao Zuo took out Chen Xiaorong’s Communication Jade from his Storage Bag.

....

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