My Artifacts Can Upgrade Infinitely

He infused a small amount of Mana, completing the simple binding ritual. As the Mana flowed, Zhao Zuo’s aura rapidly subsided. His Cultivation, originally at the Qi Cultivation Fifth Layer, quickly fell to the Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer. With just a few simple attempts, he had already mastered how to use the Breath-Concealing Ring.

In truth, all Magical Artifacts were used the same way: by using Mana to activate the Spirit Pattern Paths engraved within, one could unleash their various miraculous effects. As for Supporting Magical Artifacts, they were divided into two categories: passive and active.

The Clear Heart Jade Pendant was a passive Magical Artifact; it only needed to be carried on his person to take effect. The Hundred-Change Mask and Breath-Concealing Ring, on the other hand, were active Magical Artifacts. They required a continuous infusion of Mana to be maintained while in use.

Zhao Zuo stopped concealing his aura and hurried toward the final destination of his trip.

As he approached the stairs, Zhao Zuo presented his Basic-level Honored Guest Elder Token. As expected, the guards didn’t stop him, allowing him to ascend to the third floor. Outside a private room, Zhao Zuo tapped on the redwood door with the knuckle of his index finger.

"KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK."

"Please come in." Zhou Qingning’s crisp voice rang in his ear. Zhao Zuo glanced to the side; the faces of the nearby guards showed no reaction. Clearly, only he could hear her words.

’A Sound Transmission Technique using Divine Thought?’

Zhao Zuo composed himself and gently pushed open the wooden door. At Zhou Qingning’s gesture, he sat directly on the wooden chair opposite her, his back ramrod straight.

Zhou Qingning was still wearing the same Magic Robe as last time. Her eyes were utterly placid, betraying no hint of emotion. She simply stared at Zhao Zuo in silence.

"Steward, these are the Magical Artifacts I’ve refined recently."

Zhao Zuo knew that everyone’s time was limited. He had no personal connection to Zhou Qingning, so rather than waste time on meaningless pleasantries, it was better to get straight to the point and save time for both of them.

Zhao Zuo emptied forty Magical Artifacts from his Storage Bag onto the flat, wide tabletop. They were predominantly short blades, mainly because that shape was the most material-efficient. Over dozens of pieces, this amounted to a saving of more than ten Spirit Stones.

Zhao Zuo was truly traumatized by poverty. He had lived through hard times when he had to split a single Spirit Stone in two just to get by. Although life was much better now, the number of things he needed to spend Spirit Stones on had only increased... Even with his current Artifact Refining speed, he probably couldn’t "feed" his few Magical Artifacts.

For example... his Clear Heart Jade Pendant. To upgrade it to a Lower Grade Magical Treasure would cost a whopping seven thousand Spirit Stones!

Zhou Qingning merely glanced at the items and nodded. With a wave of her hand, she swept the forty Magical Artifacts into her Storage Bag and spoke to Zhao Zuo in an utterly flat tone.

"Your Basic-level Honored Guest Elder Token... Give it to me."

Zhao Zuo respectfully took out his Token and handed it over.

Zhou Qingning formed several complex Dharma Seals in succession, then channeled Mana into Zhao Zuo’s Honored Guest Elder Token. After about three seconds... she handed the Token back.

"Go downstairs and find Qing Ci. She will give you six hundred and forty Spirit Stones." After speaking, Zhou Qingning closed her eyes and began murmuring, as if she were deducing a Cultivation Technique or Magic Skill.

Zhao Zuo stood up. Once outside the door, he tried infusing Mana into the Token in his hand. A line of text flashed before his eyes and quickly disappeared.

[Points: 40]

In the Cultivation Realm, Zhou Qingning was the most unique person Zhao Zuo knew. Even the mysterious Foundation Establishment Powerhouse, Old Li, had his emotional fluctuations. But Zhou Qingning had none. It wasn’t coldness, but rather a transcendental serenity that made it impossible to get any read on her.

「Spirit Treasure Pavilion, First Floor.」

When Zhao Zuo came downstairs, he found Qing Ci attending to a customer, pitching a Magical Artifact she held in her hand. He took a closer look... it was the very same Clear Heart Jade Pendant he was so fond of. But the customer was clearly not satisfied with the pendant’s effects, his brows tightly furrowed.

’That customer probably won’t buy it,’ Zhao Zuo guessed.

Sure enough, after a few minutes, the customer shook his head and left the Spirit Treasure Pavilion.

The smile on Qing Ci’s face didn’t waver. She glided gracefully over to Zhao Zuo and spoke with a hint of apology.

"My apologies for the wait."

The air was filled with the scent of Concentration Incense, which invigorated the mind.

The two found an empty counter and sat down. Qing Ci smiled as she took six hundred and forty Spirit Stones from her Storage Bag, placing them in a woven jute pouch and handing it to Zhao Zuo.

"Hold on," Zhao Zuo said. "I’d like to purchase the fourth through sixth layers of the Golden Body Technique." He had bought the first three layers here at the Spirit Treasure Pavilion before. The Pavilion’s inventory was vast, offering everything from Cultivation Techniques and Magic Skills to various ores, Spiritual Objects, and Exotic Treasures for sale.

’Unfortunately... a Nourishing Body Dharma Method has never appeared in their catalog.’

’The Spirit Treasure Pavilion must have a lineage of Nourishing Body Dharma Methods, but I’d guess only core members can obtain them...’

"The fourth through sixth layers of the Golden Body Technique cost eighty Spirit Stones," Qing Ci said with a smile.

"I’ll take it." Zhao Zuo counted out eighty Spirit Stones from the pouch on the counter and handed them over.

Qing Ci said, "One moment," and stood up. She returned shortly after with a book.

"Here is the Golden Body Technique you purchased," Qing Ci said. "Also... I should remind you, this book is sealed with a Restriction. A timer begins the moment you open it to read. After seven days... it will self-immolate."

Zhao Zuo quietly thanked her and accepted the Golden Body Technique book.

’This Cultivation Technique originated from the Saint Buddha Temple; the Spirit Treasure Pavilion is just a reseller. The Restriction on the book was placed by the Saint Buddha Temple, and not even the Spirit Treasure Pavilion has the authority to alter it.’

’Also... Zhao Zuo found it hard to understand the Saint Buddha Temple’s strategy. Why would they sell their own Cultivation Technique at such a low price? Could it be... that they’re truly acting out of Buddhist mercy and have no intention of earning Spirit Stones?’

’As if. Zhao Zuo didn’t believe for a second that the Saint Buddha Temple was that benevolent.’

"Also, I should remind you that the Cultivation speed for layers four through six of the Golden Body Technique is extremely slow. However, if you take them with the accompanying Vajra Pills, your Cultivation speed will increase dramatically," Qing Ci said with a smile.

"I see."

Zhao Zuo instantly understood the Saint Buddha Temple’s scheme. It was the same old trick: sell the printer cheap, then sell the proprietary ink cartridges at a premium.

"How effective are the Vajra Pills?" Zhao Zuo didn’t blame Qing Ci for not mentioning this earlier. He had already cultivated the first three layers of the Golden Body Technique. While he could switch to a different technique, it would cost him a significant amount of extra time, and the results would surely be inferior to the original Golden Body Technique from the Saint Buddha Temple.

"Ten times the efficiency," Qing Ci said in a slightly enticing tone.

"And the price?"

"Forty Spirit Stones per pill. Buy ten, get one free."

’Hiss... what a rip-off. But the effect is undeniably potent.’

Zhao Zuo was already extremely tempted. His daily cultivation regimen was packed, leaving him no time to focus on a Body Refining Technique. A tenfold speed boost would solve his time shortage problem perfectly.

While Artifact Refining was a skill-based art, it also required physical strength. After all, as he began working with higher-grade ores in the future, he would need greater power to forge them and hammer out impurities. Therefore... a Body Refining Technique was an essential discipline for every Artifact Refiner.

"Are there any other secrets to this Golden Body Technique?" Zhao Zuo didn’t buy them just yet, asking instead. If the technique concealed the Saint Buddha Temple’s Enlightenment Technique, he would need to reconsider.

The so-called Enlightenment Technique was a brainwashing art that forcibly twisted a person’s perceptions, making them convert to Buddhism. In essence, it used powerful Divine Thought to alter an individual’s worldview. Only a few of the head abbots at the Saint Buddha Temple were capable of such a feat.

"The Golden Body Technique has thirteen layers in total. Only customers who purchase three thousand Vajra Pills become eligible to buy the final four layers of the Cultivation Technique."

’Three thousand pills... that’s a full one hundred and twenty thousand Spirit Stones. The barrier to entry is ridiculously high.’

’After all, you could buy a Magical Treasure for just thirty or forty thousand Spirit Stones.’

"And what’s so special about those final layers?" Zhao Zuo asked curiously. When he first purchased the technique, he had no idea it actually had thirteen layers; he had assumed the ninth layer was Perfection.

"If cultivated to absolute Perfection... your strength can reach over one hundred and sixty-five thousand pounds."

"You would be able to fight a Foundation Establishment cultivator head-on, and your body would be impervious to anything less than a Magical Treasure," Qing Ci explained.

......