Chapter 397: First Refining

Early December.

Since the competition ended, Zhang Yu had been busy in every corner of the university town, seizing every opportunity to improve himself.

On this particular day, within the Taiqing realm.

Zhang Yu, with his Four-Fold Thought activated and his thought process accelerated by 20 times, was diligently studying the artifact refining course. As he studied, he couldn't help but marvel once again at the vastness and complexity of the artifact refining curriculum.

“Ah, no wonder students in the Artifact Refining Department need to rely on the Spirit Realm network or Daoist techniques to double their learning efficiency.”

“With my Four-Fold Thought, a 20x acceleration is equivalent to an 80x acceleration! Compared to a student who uses Spirit Realm acceleration for 10x learning, I'm only seven times faster!”

“If you then factor in my limited daily study time, and their use of Daoist techniques and Dharma Bones to further boost efficiency, then a comparison of learning efficiency between me and the students from the Artifact Refining Department would be quite different!”

Zhang Yu shook his head, thinking, “It really is challenging to meet True Monarch Magnetic Pole's new requirement of completing the artifact refining course before the end of my sophomore year!”

However, learning the knowledge itself was still relatively simple for Zhang Yu. The most troublesome part remained the various experiments associated with the artifact refining course! Fortunately, he had True Monarch Magnetic Pole as his teacher!

True Monarch Magnetic Pole: So, you're ready to start practicing?Zhang Yu: Yes, I've learned most of the basics. I plan to attempt my first artifact refinement!Zhang Yu: But there are some preparatory tasks I'm not sure how to handle!True Monarch Magnetic Pole: For your first time, what do you intend to refine?Zhang Yu: I want to refine a bag of Azure Sky Sand.True Monarch Magnetic Pole: Azure Sky Sand, hmm. You're thinking of complementing your Humanoid Gang Qi, aren't you? That's a good idea.True Monarch Magnetic Pole: The difficulty isn't high, it's indeed suitable for your first refinement.True Monarch Magnetic Pole: As for preparation, materials, blueprints, experimental kiln, and experimental equipment — those four are the most basic!True Monarch Magnetic Pole: Never mind, I'll have Ye Xingli guide you.Zhang Yu: Will Senior Sister Ye guess our relationship then?True Monarch Magnetic Pole: Don't worry, Little Ye is a sensible person. She won't speak carelessly about things that shouldn't be spread; in fact, she'll even help cover for us!

Inside the classroom!

While listening to the lecture, Zhang Yu sensed the changes within his body!

Within his Dantian, the Azure Lotus Sword Embryo quietly bloomed. The power of this Divine Spirit Root permeated Zhang Yu's entire being, continuously stimulating his physical body to undergo adjustments! Ever since he acquired the Azure Lotus Sword Embryo from Bai Zhenzhen, Zhang Yu hadn't dared to expose the power of this Divine Spirit Root, thus having no opportunity to actively use it. However, he had been silently enjoying its passive effects!

Although the Three-Eyed Divine Ability and the Azure Lotus Sword Embryo both belong to the Spirit Root type on the Dao Seed Spectrum, they cannot be used simultaneously!

“However, the Three-Eyed Divine Ability is primarily used in combat, whereas the Azure Lotus Sword Embryo can be treated as a passive ability, kept active during daily cultivation and study!”

Through previous experiments, Zhang Yu knew that the Azure Lotus Sword Embryo possessed an adaptive enhancement ability. Moreover, it brought about transformative strengthening effects whenever he switched his Law Diagram set! Thus, when the Azure Lotus Sword Embryo was applied to Zhang Yu, with each switch of his Law Diagram, his body would gradually gain a portion of the set effects even in its normal state!

During this time, Zhang Yu used the Earthenwood Saint Body and Qi Meridian Everflow the most. With constant switching, and through the Azure Lotus Sword Embryo's enhancement, he felt as if he possessed a faint bit of the Earthenwood Saint Body and Qi Meridian Everflow set effects even without activating the respective sets!

“However, this feeling is extremely faint; it will require more time for the effects to become noticeable!”

Zhang Yu wasn't anxious about this; as long as the Azure Lotus Sword Embryo remained active, it wouldn't interfere with his cultivation.

After class, as Zhang Yu was about to leave, he heard a voice call out to him! It was none other than his Dao Heart class teacher, Feng Jiu!

Feng'er: “Are you interested in participating in the Spirit Realm Competition at the end of this year?”Zhang Yu shook his head: “Teacher, I don't have any advantages in terms of Dao Heart, so I'd rather not go and embarrass myself!”

Zhang Yu knew his own limitations. With his mere 16th-level Dao Heart, participating in the Spirit Realm Competition would be a complete waste of time! He currently had a pile of things to learn and cultivate; he simply didn't have time for the Spirit Realm Competition!

After ending his conversation with Feng Jiu, Zhang Yu left the classroom, surrounded by Yu Xinghan, Ying Xin, Gongshu Jin, and Li Xiao! Seeing the '95' above Zhang Yu's head, and the 'Class Rank 2,' '3,' and '4' above Yu Xinghan and the other two, the cultivation students along the way all stepped aside, their gazes filled with respect! Li Xue tried hard to squeeze next to Zhang Yu, but found that Yu Xinghan, Ying Xin, and Gongshu Jin had already blocked off his side entirely! He couldn't help but curse inwardly: “Damn it, I was the first one to hang out with Senior Brother! Now Ying Xin and Gongshu Jin are sticking to him tighter than underwear!”

Gongshu Jin, who was beside him, said, “Zhang Yu, there's a gathering in a few days. Are you interested?”Zhang Yu's eyes lit up: “Is there a buffet?”Gongshu Jin naturally replied: “Of course! How could I even mention a gathering to you if it wasn't at buffet level!”Zhang Yu: “I'm in!”

In the dorm room!

Zhang Yu held a Profound Creation Relic, silently absorbing the 200-quality spiritual power from it. This was precisely what Director Gao had yielded from the Huilong Garden cemetery! Feeling the 200-quality spiritual power gradually being diluted by the spiritual power within his own body, Zhang Yu sensed a noticeable improvement in the quality of his own spiritual power!

“Excellent, excellent! The quality of my spiritual power can quickly improve again!”

Just then, his homeroom teacher, True Monarch Jiao Lei, sent Zhang Yu a message!

True Monarch Jiao Lei: Zhang Yu, are you interested in bringing your talent to the Peace Faction?Zhang Yu's heart stirred: “The Peace Faction wants to poach me? There won't be any schemes, will there?”Zhang Yu: Teacher, please don't say such things. I'm afraid Director Gao might misunderstand!True Monarch Jiao Lei: Our sincerity is abundant!True Monarch Jiao Lei: If you're willing to terminate your mentorship with Director Gao and then take Director Lin as your teacher, you'll immediately receive a low-interest loan of 200 Spirit Coins!True Monarch Jiao Lei: And that's not even counting the subsequent disciple benefits!

Reading the message from True Monarch Jiao Lei, Zhang Yu couldn't help but gulp, thinking to himself: “The Peace Faction truly lives up to its reputation of being backed by the Finance Department; that loan amount is absolutely massive!”

Maybe Director Gao and I can secretly maintain our master-disciple relationship and split these 200 Spirit Coins? Anyway, I already have True Monarch Magnetic Pole as an underground master; having Director Gao as another wouldn't be an issue in Zhang Yu's eyes!

True Monarch Jiao Lei: If you're interested, you can take a look at this contract!

Upon seeing the contract sent by the other party, Zhang Yu immediately calmed down again. Alas, it was indeed not that simple!

“This contract considers every single angle; it doesn't give me any loopholes at all!”

Zhang Yu: Give up. Director Gao's kindness to me is as vast as a mountain; I would never betray him!

Inside the artifact refining laboratory!

Ye Xingli stood by the experimental bench, her skin shimmering with cosmic starlight colors! She curiously observed Zhang Yu beside her, thinking, “Master actually wants me to guide Zhang Yu?”

“But isn't Zhang Yu from the Civil Engineering Department?”

“Even if Civil Engineering students learn some knowledge about Dharma Bones and artifacts, it's usually just for maintenance and shopping, right?”

Is it really necessary for him to attempt the artifact refining process?

Countless questions arose in Ye Xingli's mind, and her curiosity about the relationship between Zhang Yu and True Monarch Magnetic Pole reached its peak!

Meanwhile, Zhang Yu meticulously arranged the prepared materials: Azure Sky Stone Ore, Spirit Guiding Liquid, Fiber Composite Membrane, and Condensing Liquid! After tallying the materials he would use for this refinement, Zhang Yu looked at Ye Xingli beside him and said, “Senior Sister, I'm starting!”

Ye Xingli nodded, watching Zhang Yu cut the Azure Sky Stone, manipulate the Spirit Guiding Liquid with Gang Qi to complete the infusion, activate the Raging Fire Furnace with spiritual power for shaping, and then spray-coat the Fiber Composite Membrane to stabilize the power circuit! She thought to herself, “He's definitely a beginner, this is his first refinement!” However, Ye Xingli could tell that Zhang Yu must have reviewed the experimental steps and operation manual countless times. Although he wasn't proficient, he didn't miss any steps or details!

Ye Xingli knew that artifact refining could generally be divided into three steps: material preparation, basic structure, and spiritual power circulation! The Azure Sky Sand before them, as one of the simplest artifacts, had very abbreviated steps for all three stages. Its artifact level could only reach a maximum of 10, and it could even serve as a material for other artifacts itself! When used, simply throwing out a handful would allow it to carry Gang Qi, increasing Gang Qi conduction efficiency and reducing consumption rate!

Looking at the finished Azure Sky Sand, Ye Xingli thought, “The purity is mediocre, efficiency isn't high. Its artifact level must only be 1, right?”

Artifact level refers to an artifact evaluation system that corresponds to the Immortal Dao cultivation realms. After all, cultivators at different Immortal Dao realms have varying physical bodies and life forms. Therefore, artifacts from level 1 to 10 are most effective only for cultivators in the Qi Refining realm. For cultivators in the Foundation Establishment realm, as their physical body and spiritual power merge, artifacts below level 11 often have a weak effect. Only artifacts of level 11 and above, whether for damage or enhancement, show better results!

“Zhang Yu's artifact refining aptitude is clearly ordinary. For refining this Azure Sky Sand, he'll need extensive practice if he wants to pass the Artifact Refining Department's exams!”

“Why exactly did Master ask me to guide him? It can't possibly be because he wants to take him as a disciple, can it?”

“How could that be? Not only is Zhang Yu's artifact refining aptitude ordinary, but Master and Director Gao have been friends for hundreds of years. How could Master snatch Director Gao's disciple?”

Ye Xingli shook her head, dismissing her thoughts as overthinking. Zhang Yu picked up the Azure Sky Sand he had refined. As the Formless Strongman appeared, he pinched a nail-sized amount of Azure Sky Sand and injected it into it! He then saw the Formless Strongman flash with a faint blue glow, and the Gang Qi within it became slightly more refined!

“The Azure Sky Sand I refined today is enough for me to use the Formless Strongman dozens of times!” Zhang Yu thought, “But the material cost is about 0.03 Spirit Coins!”

“Add in the blueprint fees, and the rental fees for the laboratory and equipment, it's almost 1 Spirit Coin in total. Artifact refining truly is a money pit!”

“Practicing like this is too expensive!”

Since he could currently only refine small items, Zhang Yu had originally intended to use the practice and experimentation opportunities to refine some simple artifacts for his Formless Strongman and Deep Chill Strongman, to equip them for work and improve their efficiency! But looking at his results and expenses now, Zhang Yu couldn't help but wince in pain!

“And this is still the simplest kind of artifact refining!”

Zhang Yu glanced at the 'Azure Sky Sand Level 1 (0/10)' on his Feather Book, and sighed to himself, “Ah, I'll take it slow!”