My Artifacts Can Upgrade Infinitely

Zhao Zuo refused to believe the man before him was that simple. But what truly baffled him was Elder Wang’s motive for saying all this right now.

"It’s mainly because your image is so brilliant and grand, Elder Wang!" Zhao Zuo said with admiration.

"Hahaha, you must be wondering why this old man is telling you all this..." Elder Wang said with a smile.

"Not at all, not at all. I’m sure there’s a profound meaning behind your words, Elder." Although his thoughts had been read, Zhao Zuo would never admit it.

"Every time I find a promising young talent, I have a talk with them. On one hand, it’s to get to know them better. On the other, I’m looking for someone to inherit my legacy. After all, I’m getting old."

Elder Wang ignored Zhao Zuo’s flattery and said nonchalantly.

"Then... do you think I’m suitable?" Zhao Zuo asked, a flicker of joy in his heart. ’If I could become his successor, saving on Spirit Stones would be just one benefit. The other would be learning the truly profound legacies of Artifact Refining.’ He couldn’t help but ask, his curiosity piqued.

"Well... we’re not familiar with each other yet. You’ll need to come and learn from me more often before I can be sure." Elder Wang’s smile remained incredibly warm, his eyes filled with a benevolent light. He no longer seemed like a high-and-mighty Elder of the Inner Sect, but rather a respectable and trustworthy old man.

Seeing this, alarm bells went off in Zhao Zuo’s mind. He’d seen that same smile on Xue’s face several times, and he eventually figured it out... ’It looks kind, but it’s just a cover for a much deeper scheme.’

Each lesson on refining a Middle Grade Magical Artifact cost six hundred Spirit Stones. This so-called inheritance was looking more and more like bait to get Zhao Zuo to willingly spend his Spirit Stones. In other words... dangling a carrot.

"Well... Elder, you know I’ve only recently become an Inner Sect Disciple. My success rate refining Lower Grade Magical Artifacts isn’t very high, so the number of Spirit Stones I can earn each month is really limited. How about you lower the price of each lesson a little?" Zhao Zuo said with a look of earnest sincerity.

"Do you think I care about those six hundred Spirit Stones? This is a test for you!"

"....Yes, yes, of course. You don’t care about Spirit Stones, Elder. And you certainly don’t need any more."

Elder Wang pursed his lips. Seeing that Zhao Zuo was completely unyielding, his own enthusiasm waned.

"Pay up. Time to start the lesson!"

"As you command."

Zhao Zuo was more than happy with this arrangement. He pulled a pre-filled pouch from his Storage Bag and handed it over. The elder took it, and with a slight stir of his Divine Thought, confirmed the number of Spirit Stones inside.

"If your talent is truly exceptional, it’s still possible for you to become one of my Direct Disciples. So, you must be fully focused during the lesson," Elder Wang instructed.

Zhao Zuo immediately nodded. "I’ll do my best!"

’If possible, I really do want to obtain Elder Wang’s entire Artifact Refining legacy,’ he thought. After all, compared to the vast Path of Artifact Refining, he was only at the Entry Level with a long road ahead. A greater legacy meant a stronger Foundation.

"I hope so. The path of Artifact Refining relies on talent, but diligence is also essential."

Zhao Zuo took a Scroll and an ink brush from his Storage Bag, ready to record the key points.

"Ahem. If there’s anything you don’t understand, feel free to ask."

Elder Wang cleared his throat and began to teach the method for refining Middle Grade Magical Artifacts.

"The greatest difference between Middle and Lower Grade Magical Artifacts is the addition of an inherent attribute, which greatly enhances the artifact’s power. For example, the high temperature and combustion of the Fire Attribute; the sharpness of the Gold Attribute; the weight and defense of the Earth Attribute; the gentleness and persistence of the Water Attribute; and finally, the Vitality of the Wood Attribute."

"Not all attributes are equal, so you must choose the right one during Artifact Refining. For example, select the Fire or Gold Attribute for Attack Magical Artifacts, the Earth Attribute for Defensive Magical Artifacts, and the Wood or Water Attribute for Supporting Magical Artifacts."

Zhao Zuo nodded. He knew all this, of course. Heaven and Earth Spiritual Power is divided into the Five Elements, and the cycles of creation and destruction among them are fundamental knowledge every Cultivator learns at the Entry Level.

"Assuming the main material of the Magical Artifact is Spirit Iron, then imbuing the artifact with an attribute during Artifact Refining is the most critical hurdle to creating a Middle Grade Magical Artifact."

This hurdle is analogous to inscribing the required Spirit Patterns on a Lower Grade Magical Artifact. Once you master this, there are no other major obstacles to refining Middle Grade Magical Artifacts.

"This technique is called the Melt Casting Technique," Elder Wang said. "The core of it is this: as the Spirit Iron melts, you add a material that carries the desired attribute. You then extract all of the attribute’s power from within that material and fuse it completely with the Spirit Iron."

A glimmer appeared in Zhao Zuo’s eyes. After using Middle Grade Magical Artifacts in battle a few times, he had already guessed that imbuing the materials with an attribute’s power was the key difference from their Lower Grade counterparts. What he couldn’t figure out was how to actually integrate that power into the artifact’s main material.

"How does one obtain the Melt Casting Technique?"

"You can purchase it in the Scripture Pavilion for between three to five hundred contribution points," Elder Wang replied. "I will not acquire the Melt Casting Technique for you. I am only responsible for teaching you how to use it."

Zhao Zuo nodded and asked no more questions, waiting quietly for the rest of the explanation.

"The Melt Casting Technique is divided into three stages: extraction, fusion, and Refinement. It has certain requirements for Mana strength; normally, one needs to be in the Late Period of Qi Cultivation to learn it. So, for you... this technique is admittedly a bit advanced."

Elder Wang’s Divine Thought briefly scanned Zhao Zuo, discovering his Cultivation was only at the Qi Cultivation Fifth Layer. The elder’s speech faltered for a moment, and his internal evaluation of Zhao Zuo dropped another notch. ’He must be completely obsessed with the Path of Artifact Refining,’ he concluded. ’That’s the only reason he’d be twenty-six and still just at the Qi Cultivation Fifth Layer.’

"Ahem. Well, since you’ve paid your Spirit Stones, I’ll naturally explain the Melt Casting Technique to you thoroughly. The first stage is extraction. You must begin by melting the chosen attribute material at a high temperature, then use special Spirit Patterns to remove its impurities, thereby completing the extraction."

Spirit Patterns are, in essence, characters that record the natural laws of the universe, possessing a variety of effects. Both Artifact Refining and Arrays require working with Spirit Patterns. Therefore, it can be said that every Artifact Refining Master or Array Master... is also, by necessity, a Spirit Pattern Master.

"Although the extraction Spirit Patterns are always the same, their application can differ when paired with various Melt Casting Techniques. But remember, whether practicing or performing for real, you must maintain a perfectly calm mind. An unsettled state of mind makes failure extremely likely," Elder Wang instructed.

Zhao Zuo nodded slightly.

"The second stage of the Melt Casting Technique is fusion: merging the extracted attribute material with the main material for the Artifact Refining. There are three key points here."

"First, the attribute material’s structure becomes unstable after extraction. You must complete the fusion stage within roughly thirty breaths, or the attribute’s power will begin to dissipate. It will be completely gone in just ten-odd breaths."

"Second, the main Artifact Refining material and the attribute material cannot have conflicting properties. For example, water and fire, fire and ice, light and shadow—in short, you cannot use materials with conflicting attributes."

"Third, the main material and the attribute material must be of the same grade. If there’s too large a grade disparity, the main material will struggle to perfectly fuse with the attribute material. This is not only wasteful but also very dangerous. Once the main material’s capacity is exceeded, it might burst, spatter, or even combust and explode."

Hearing this, Zhao Zuo immediately put his ink brush to the Scroll, recording everything Elder Wang said.

"The third stage of the Melt Casting Technique is Refinement. After fusion, the main material has only temporarily accepted the attribute material. Since they are, after all, two different substances, the bond is still not stable. You must use your Mana to help the main material refine the attribute material, achieving a complete and total fusion."

Next, Elder Wang went on to describe several critical details of the Refinement stage, as well as potential dangers. Just as Liu Heng had said, once the lesson began, Elder Wang was like a changed man. His explanations were comprehensive, and he held nothing back.

"Next, let’s cover the general precautions for the Melt Casting Technique as a whole," Elder Wang said.

Zhao Zuo hurriedly took notes. The precautions were largely the same as those for inscribing Spirit Patterns.

For example, one must Calm Heart, ensure Mana output is even and, most importantly, gentle. The flow of Mana must be slowed to make the entire process safer.

Just as he was explaining how to slow the flow of Mana, the lesson time came to an end.

The two two-hour periods had passed.

Elder Wang rolled up his Scroll and fell silent.

’Damn it, what a cliffhanger...’ Zhao Zuo grumbled to himself.

.......

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