Chapter 976
Returning the favor, preparing to start the furnace
A weapon refiner of Lei Xiang Zhenjun's level is rare, not only in the border regions but also throughout the entire human cultivation world.
Unfortunately, there are very few Nascent Soul True Monarchs in the border regions, so apart from the expenses within the palace, his superb weapon-refining skills have almost no use.
The Tianshan Mountains are a tangible barrier that can be overcome in countless ways, but prejudice in people's hearts is an insurmountable intangible barrier.
The cultivators on the other side of the mountain had a preconceived notion that the borderlands were barren, desolate, backward, and dangerous, and they avoided them like the plague.
Few people know that there is a master craftsman here who is only one step away from the fifth-tier top-grade weapon.
Lei Xiang Zhenjun naturally disdained to publicize this, so he hadn't refined any magical artifacts for a long time. This time, he took the initiative to speak up because he saw two rare materials.
Generally speaking, someone at his level wouldn't forge a counterfeit magic weapon, which would lower his status, but these two fragments broke his consistent principle.
He didn't know what the material of this magical artifact was, nor where it came from or what its origin was. But he knew that this magical artifact was very powerful when it was at its peak. Even though it was just two fragments, he could clearly feel the traces and patterns left by the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth within it.
The traces of the Great Way are something you can only encounter, not seek.
Perhaps this is the key to his further advancement!
Song Changsheng couldn't discern any traces of the Great Dao, but he knew the extraordinary nature of these two fragments, so he deliberately didn't reveal them to the old Grand Preceptor.
The Great Zhen Immortal Dynasty and the Eastern Heaven Cultivation World are separated only by the Chaotic Ancient Domain. With their influence, it would be too easy for them to collect the remaining fragments. At that time, I might not be able to keep the two pieces I have.
The Wanxiang Palace is different. First, it has the trust in the character of several True Lords, and second, its influence within the Tianshan Mountains is relatively weak, so it will not have any impact on it.
He had only hoped, in the hopes of getting some useful information from Lord Lei Xiang, and the reward was a complete surprise.
"It will take at least two or three years, and at most five or six years. We will notify you when the time comes."
Song Changsheng was somewhat surprised upon hearing this. With Lei Xiang Zhenjun's skill, it would probably take less than a year to refine a fourth-order magic weapon. Could it be that he was preparing to refine a fifth-order magic weapon with such a long refining time?
“The border regions and the East Sea have been quite turbulent lately. The Demon Realm hasn’t shown any other activity besides infiltration, but we can’t rule out that this is just a smokescreen. You must not be careless during this time and must remain vigilant,” True Monarch Lei Xiang warned in a deep voice.
"Please rest assured, True Lord, although Great Qi is poor, as long as we are alive, the iron hooves of the demon race will not be able to cross a single step!"
"At this critical moment, the Myriad Manifestations Palace will absolutely not stand idly by. However, we must first pacify the internal situation before we can deal with the remaining demons. The disciples of the palace have already gone down the mountain to quell the rebellion. Only by dealing with the internal parasites can we free up our hands to deal with the rest of the demon race." True Monarch Lei Xiang once again made a promise on behalf of the Myriad Manifestations Palace.
"Thank you, True Lord." Song Changsheng breathed a slight sigh of relief. With the Myriad Manifestations Palace as their backup, the pressure they faced would be greatly reduced.
At this moment, he suddenly remembered the pill formula left behind by the Treasure Bottle Sect and hurriedly asked, "May I ask, True Lord, does the palace have [Innate Essence]? This junior would like to exchange for some."
When the sea tribes invaded before, the Song family also contributed a lot. Song Youping's [Gold-Eating Insect] made a great contribution in the negotiations between the two tribes. Afterwards, the Myriad Elephant Palace rewarded him with a lot of merit points, which should be more than enough to exchange for a [Primordial Splendor].
After all, while the [Innate Essence] is precious, its value lies mainly in its quantity, and its development level is not particularly high.
The [Hun Tian Dan] is a unique pill formula created by the Bao Ping Sect. Few people can associate [Xian Tian Hua Ying] with alchemy. Therefore, True Monarch Lei Xiang couldn't help but ask with some surprise: "[Xian Tian Hua Ying], what do you need this for?"
"The clan needs to rearrange the mountain-protecting array. I plan to add a portion of [Innate Splendor] to the array base, using its innate energy to resonate with the Heavenly Dao. If successful, it might be possible to unleash the power of a fifth-order array with multiple fourth-order arrays."
After thinking it over, Song Changsheng decided to keep it a secret. The formula for the [Hun Tian Dan] was too precious and involved a great deal of resources; it was the hope for the rise of the Song family.
If Wanxiang Palace were informed, the development could definitely be accelerated, but the price would be that Wanxiang Palace would reap the rewards while the Song family would only get a little soup.
Even the most magnanimous True Lords would not yield on such a matter, as they all belong to different interest groups.
However, what he said wasn't a lie, because he did indeed have this idea, and it was highly feasible.
According to his plan, the base of five great arrays would be refined with the [Innate Splendor], and the innate energy would be used to connect with the Heavenly Dao. As long as these five great arrays reached the fourth-order top-grade level, they would be able to exert power no less than that of a fifth-order low-grade great array.
He still has a long way to go before becoming a fifth-order array master, but the fourth-order top-grade is only half a step away from him, which is very easy for him to cross.
Of course, this is on the premise that you acquire a sufficient number of [Innate Essence].
Lei Xiang Zhenjun, who was skilled in both array formations and artifacts, could tell from Song Changsheng's simple description that his idea was feasible, which gave him a new understanding of Song Changsheng's talent in array formations.
Thinking about it, he felt even more regretful. Song Changsheng was his ideal successor. He was proficient in thunder magic and even the magical image he comprehended in the Myriad Manifestations Stone Forest was "Suanni". In terms of cultivation arts, he also studied array formation and artifact techniques at the same time.
If they had met a hundred years earlier, he would have taken him as his disciple no matter what.
Unfortunately, it's too late. Song Changsheng has already forged his own path, and becoming his disciple now would be nothing more than icing on the cake.
How can adding flowers to brocade compare to providing charcoal in the snow?
Gathering his scattered thoughts, he shook his head and said, "The [Primordial Essence] is a treasure belonging to the Nine Heavens' Secret Treasury. Not only does it not exist in the Heavens of the Great Qian Dynasty, but it also does not exist in the airspace of the entire border region. The last time the palace obtained the [Primordial Essence] was more than two thousand years ago."
If you really need it, you might have to go to the major merchant guilds within the Tianshan Mountains to find it.
Spirit stones are just a number to those large merchant guilds. Even if you find them, you'll likely struggle to acquire them without a sufficient amount of [Law Essence]. The idea is good, but putting it into practice is far from easy.
Upon hearing this, Song Changsheng couldn't help but sigh. Although it was an expected result, hearing it with his own ears still left him feeling somewhat frustrated.
Before returning to the Great Qian Cultivation World, he had asked the old national teacher if he could obtain it through the academy or the Great Zhen Immortal Dynasty, but he received a negative answer. The stock of [Innate Splendor] was simply too small.
Now he could somewhat understand Lingmou's feelings; under such circumstances, it was no wonder she would go astray.
"In that case, I'll think of another way."
Come to think of it, the effects of the Six-Turn Heavenly Pill are comparable to those of the Earthly Infant Fruit, so it's not so easy to refine.
At this moment, True Lord Lei Xiang suddenly changed the subject and said, "Actually, if you really want it, I do have a way, but the price of this way is astronomical, so you should be prepared."
Song Changsheng's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly asked, "Please enlighten me, True Lord." "Looking at the entire cultivation world, there is only one large-scale trading company that you can come into contact with, and that is the black market."
Even the smallest black market can connect to the main headquarters; it just depends on how much capital you're willing to invest. As the most widely distributed and sourced chamber of commerce, this is practically your last hope.
"I know a Heavenly-level deacon in the black market. You can trade with him using my identity token, and you'll get a 30% discount." True Monarch Lei Xiang took out a white jade token and handed it to him.
Seeing this, Song Changsheng couldn't help but be moved.
The black market often offers different discounts to cultivators of different statuses, and the Wanxiang Palace, as the leader of the righteous path in the border region, offers the most generous discounts.
However, the waist token given to him by True Monarch Lei Xiang was probably a personal privilege granted by the black market to him as a True Monarch cultivator. Such privileges usually have a limit on the number of times they can be used, and it was unexpected that True Monarch Lei Xiang would just hand it over to him like that.
After thinking for a moment, he took out a jade slip and presented it to True Lord Lei Xiang, saying, "I unintentionally obtained a special alchemy method before, which can integrate the pure energy of heaven and earth generated on the night of the transition between the old and the new into the pills, which can greatly improve the quality of the pills. Please take a look, True Lord."
"There's such a thing?" A hint of surprise flashed in Lei Xiang Zhenjun's eyes. He cultivated the Dao of Arrays and the Dao of Weapons, but that didn't mean he was completely ignorant of other skills. Pharmacology was a compulsory course for every disciple of the Myriad Manifestations Palace, and he himself was a fourth-level alchemist. He had never heard of this kind of alchemy method before.
Little did Song Changsheng know that he was even more surprised at this moment. He had revealed this method of alchemy to Master Gu Hong when he asked for his help before, but he did not let him see the specific process. He thought that the other party would report this matter. Since it had already been exposed, he simply took out this method to repay the selfless help of True Monarch Lei Xiang.
Judging from Lei Xiang Zhenjun's reaction, it was clear that this was the first time he had heard of it, which indicates that Master Gu Hong had not mentioned this matter before.
Without his specific instructions, the other party voluntarily chose to keep it a secret, a quality he had never seen before in his life.
Since the other party didn't mention it, he tacitly refrained from bringing up the past again.
Lei Xiang Zhenjun quickly finished reading the contents of the jade slip and couldn't help but slap the table in admiration. His gaze towards Song Changsheng also softened.
The reason he gave the preferential spot to Song Changsheng was because of the traces of the Great Dao contained in the bronze fragment. He never expected that Song Changsheng would actually offer such a precious method in exchange.
This method seems very simple; all you need to do is guide the pure energy of heaven and earth into the alchemy furnace on New Year's Eve, except for one extra step.
But even such a small change will greatly improve the quality of the elixir.
Low-grade pills are one thing, but for high-grade pills, every slight improvement in quality represents a qualitative change. Throughout history, countless alchemy masters have devoted themselves to improving the quality of pills, racking their brains and devising all sorts of methods, yet none of them are as effective as this simple step.
In his view, this teaching was far more valuable than a discounted spot on the black market.
“True Lord, I have been away from my clan for a long time and my heart is filled with longing, so I will take my leave now.” Song Changsheng bowed respectfully and then slowly withdrew from the main hall.
He knew that the preferential quota he had was not as valuable as this Dharma manual, but would True Lord Lei Xiang really let him suffer a loss?
The later the reward, the greater it will be; we should always take a long-term view...
After leaving Wanxiang Palace, Song Changsheng did not return to Cangmang Peak, but instead went to Tenglong Islands to visit Zhuang Yuechan.
It's been a while since the couple last saw each other. If things continue like this, how will they be able to fulfill their important task of having children?
Upon landing on Tenglong Island, he saw a figure that shouldn't have been there.
"Master Wujie, why are you here?"
Seeing Wu Jie suddenly appear, Song Changsheng frowned slightly. After reshaping his physical body, Wu Jie had been immersed in alchemy almost every day, rarely leaving his room, let alone going down the mountain. His appearance in such a remote location as the East Sea was too abnormal.
Wu Jie laughed and said, "I knew the clan leader would come to the matriarch's place before returning to the clan. In order to save time, I had no choice but to come and stop him in advance."
"What is it, Master? Do you need something from me?"
"Clan leader, the materials for the Lesser Creation Pill were gathered half a year ago, and I'm preparing to start refining it," Wu Jie said happily.
"I can't help with alchemy, Master. You've come to the wrong person," Song Changsheng said helplessly.
Wu Jie, however, said with a serious expression, "Clan leader, you are mistaken. Apart from you, no one else can help me this time."
Seeing his serious expression, Song Changsheng couldn't help but take it seriously: "What do you mean?"
"Clan leader, although this time we are not refining a divine medicine like the [Heaven-Seizing Creation Pill], the refining method is the same. If we can really succeed in refining it, it will be equivalent to intercepting a trace of innate creation power. Such an action may anger the Heavenly Dao and invite divine punishment."
"My physical body has only recently been rebuilt, and it cannot withstand this divine punishment. At that time, I will only be able to rely on the clan leader." Wu Jie bowed solemnly.
Upon hearing this, Song Changsheng's face twitched involuntarily. In the end, all they wanted was for him to bear the heavenly punishment.
However, if he can successfully refine this [Minor Creation Pill], he will be the one to benefit from it.
Upon realizing this, Song Changsheng immediately felt relieved and nodded, asking, "When do you plan to start the furnace?"
"It is still scheduled for New Year's Eve, but the exact location for starting the furnace has not yet been decided."
No one knows how powerful the divine punishment will be or how wide its impact will be. In densely populated places like Cangmang Peak and Tenglong Island, it will undoubtedly be a disaster.
But in other places, the quality of the spiritual veins isn't high enough, and I'm worried that there won't be enough spiritual energy, which would affect the condensation of the core.
"Yes, Master's words make sense." Song Changsheng nodded in agreement, then lowered his head and pondered for a moment before saying, "Isn't a fourth-order spiritual vein sufficient?"
"There's no other choice. With the Spirit Gathering Array and spirit stones, there shouldn't be any problems."
Song Changsheng's tightly furrowed brows immediately relaxed, and he smiled faintly, "I have a place, but it's not in the family's hands yet. We have to go and take it!"
...(End of this chapter)