Chapter 217 : The Method of the Artifact-Pill
Chapter 217: The Method of the Artifact-Pill
“Congratulations on establishing your Foundation, junior brother. Master has always been generous to his disciples.” Yun Yishu said softly, “A newly advanced Foundation Establishment cultivator may ask Master to personally forge a Third-Tier magical treasure tailored to him.”
Hearing this, Chen Beiwu was slightly surprised.
A Third-Tier magical treasure was a weapon exclusive to Golden Core True Persons. Even though their Master was a renowned Third-Tier Upper-Grade Artifact Refiner of the Earth Proliferation Territory, forging such a treasure still required tremendous time.
Putting himself in the same position, if Chen Beiwu were to take disciples in the future, he would never waste so much cultivation time crafting a treasure for them. The gains simply could not make up for the losses.
“The cost of materials for refining the treasure must be borne by yourself.” Yun Yishu reminded him, “Before condensing your Core, you should collect some Third-Tier precious ores. If you are lucky enough to obtain a Fourth-Tier Profound Ore, with Master’s mastery in artifact refinement, forging an Upper-Grade Third-Tier treasure would be nearly guaranteed.”
“So that’s how it is. Unfortunately, I don’t have any suitable Third-Tier ores on hand right now.” Chen Beiwu’s eyes lit up slightly.
Though the Immortal Alliance’s Third-Tier magical treasures far surpassed those of the Southern Wastes, they also had one drawback—overly complicated procedures and extremely long waiting lists.
This was because the higher-ups of the Immortal Alliance advocated conserving cultivation ore resources, even developing a secret art called Companion Beast Transformation to substitute for the true life-bound treasure.
It was no exaggeration to say that, after adding together the long approval process for purchasing ores and the time required for refinement, Golden Core True Persons who bought a Third-Tier magical treasure through the Immortal Alliance Official Website often waited at least ten years.
Some Golden Core True Persons even had to wait a century to receive a custom-tailored Third-Tier treasure.
Over time, many Golden Core cultivators of the Immortal Alliance preferred to comprehend the secret art of Companion Beast Transformation rather than go through such cumbersome procedures to buy a treasure, with the exception of those whose status and rank were truly exalted.
“No rush. Junior brother can take it slowly. As long as you gather the ores before forming your Core, it will be fine.” Yun Yishu smiled.
Chen Beiwu, perceiving the hidden meaning, humbly asked why it was necessary to prepare Third-Tier ores before Core Formation.
“Master possesses a secret method for Core Formation, called the Town-Dao Smelting Furnace Artifact-Pill Method. It can harness the power of a Third-Tier life-bound treasure to forcibly condense a strand of Undying Metal during Core Formation, increasing the probability of success by twenty percent.”
“And if used together with an Upper-Grade Third-Tier pill, the Golden Palace Pill, the success rate can be raised to fifty percent.”
Upon hearing this, Chen Beiwu was immediately intrigued.
The Immortal Alliance had no shortage of ordinary Core Formation methods and insights, but he had never heard of one that condensed Undying Metal by relying on a life-bound treasure.
After all, the reason Foundation Establishment cultivators refined their mana with Earthly Sha Qi was to seize a trace of Undying Metal from the essence of innate earth veins, so that their mana would become unified and gain a trace of immortality.
In such circumstances, no Foundation Establishment cultivator would ever find having more Undying Metal a bad thing. On the contrary, they would only worry that the amount they condensed was too little.
What’s more, Chen Beiwu possessed a Flawless Dao Foundation. For him to succeed in forming a Core in the future, he would need to condense even more Undying Metal in order to achieve a First-Grade Golden Core—the supreme Golden Core of titles.
“Senior sister, how may I obtain this Town-Dao Smelting Furnace Artifact-Pill Method? Must it be exchanged with contribution points?” Chen Beiwu asked impatiently.
Seeing his reaction, Yun Yishu was unsurprised.
When she first learned of this secret method, her own response had been no different from her junior brother’s—unable to suppress her excitement.
“There is no need for contribution points. According to sect tradition, once you have gathered enough ores to forge a Third-Tier treasure, Master will bestow this Core Formation secret art upon you.”
With that, Yun Yishu retrieved a jade slip from her storage ring and crushed it. “Now, I will report your advancement to Foundation Establishment to Master.”
“Boom!”
At the moment the jade slip shattered, an infinite divine sense manifested, vast and boundless like the descent of the Great Sun.
Things were different now.
Facing the divine sense incarnation of a Golden Core cultivator, Chen Beiwu was already able to remain calm and composed.
Unlike before, when he could not move a muscle, unable even to control his own breathing.
“Greetings, Master.”
Chen Beiwu and Senior Sister Yun bowed to the two-zhang-tall projection.
“No need for formalities.”
Zhu Shaoyuan, clad in a dark-black Daoist robe, looked at Chen Beiwu with a trace of warmth and curiosity, without the slightest air of superiority.
The reason was simple—Chen Zi’ang had reached Foundation Establishment at the extraordinary age of twenty, and his cultivation had already reached mid-stage Foundation Establishment. The weight of this achievement was immense.
Had it been another cultivator with limited potential at the same level, Zhu Shaoyuan would not even have given him a second glance.
Such weak Foundation Establishment cultivators didn’t even require his true body to act—merely his divine sense incarnation could easily crush them with a flick.
But Chen Zi’ang was different.
In just a few years, he had cultivated the Seven Revolutions of the Great Cycle Qi Refining and advanced to mid-stage Foundation Establishment. Regardless of what secrets he carried, his future was boundless.
In time, he could completely become a Golden Core elder of the Mirror Moon Sect, standing as Zhu Shaoyuan’s equal. He even had the chance, like waves of the Yangtze pushing forward, to surpass his master and become a Nascent Soul True Monarch renowned across the Earth Proliferation Territory.
‘To speak frankly, this Chen Zi’ang’s appearance, temperament, cultivation, and talent are all outstanding. Thinking about it carefully, he may even be a match for my daughter. Perhaps a fine marriage could be arranged.’ Zhu Shaoyuan mused inwardly.
Chen Beiwu kept a composed expression, calmly enduring his master’s scrutiny.
“These years I have been patrolling the sect’s lands, unable to personally guide you.” Zhu Shaoyuan’s eyes shone with appreciation as he said bluntly, “Even so, you have advanced swiftly. Clearly, you harbor many secrets.”
Seeing Chen Zi’ang’s expression change, Zhu Shaoyuan waved his hand casually and said lightly, “No need to explain. Whether you are the reincarnation of a True Monarch, born with extraordinary talent, or carrying some hidden inheritance, I have no desire to pry. I only care about your loyalty to the sect.”
“Without the Mirror Moon Sect, this disciple would not be who I am today.” Chen Beiwu said sincerely.
Personal effort was important, but the platform’s support was indispensable.
Had he not entered the Mirror Moon Sect, but instead chosen to play it safe as one of the Five Scatter-Cultivators of the Southern Wastes, then after the Immortal Exam he would likely have ended up like Xu Ziqing—joining the Seven-Nine Upper Sects, not the Upper Three Immortal Sects. He would never have attained Flawless Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment.
“Very good.” Zhu Shaoyuan nodded.
With his insight, it was clear that Chen Zi’ang was not lying, but speaking from the heart.
Nor did Zhu Shaoyuan intend to deceive his disciple. He truly had no designs on Chen Zi’ang’s secrets, let alone covetous thoughts.
Because it was not worth it.
First, seizing a disciple’s fortune violated his own cultivation principles. Even if he succeeded, that fortune might not benefit him.
Second, Chen Zi’ang’s divine sense was advancing at an alarming rate—so fast that Zhu Shaoyuan himself felt wary.
When they first met, Zhu Shaoyuan had thought Chen Zi’ang a promising youth with decent divine sense and mental aptitude, worth cultivating.
But at this meeting, Zhu Shaoyuan was shocked to find Chen Zi’ang’s divine sense was only a step behind his own, comparable to a Golden Core True Person’s.
What did this mean?
Recalling ancient records, Zhu Shaoyuan suspected that Chen Zi’ang might very well be a Nascent Soul True Monarch, or even a Divine Transformation Venerable reborn with past wisdom intact.