Chapter 5: You Seem to Have Gained Something in This Life

"It needs to be polished properly." Red-Browed Hermit nodded in deep agreement.

For some reason, Wang Yuan always felt that the eyes beneath Red-Browed Hermit's red eyebrows were looking at him, and he instinctively shrank his head back.

He was, after all, a Qi Refining cultivator with cultivation power; the pig-brain swollen from his uncle's ten consecutive slaps yesterday had already gone down significantly.

But as he hunched his shoulders, and given the boy's short stature, to Red-Browed Hermit it looked somewhat wretched.

Looking at Wang Yulou, then looking at Wang Yuan, Red-Browed Hermit sighed in his heart.

Brothers of the same clan, both with Dual Spirit Roots; how can the gap between people be so vast?

Very well, let's just consider it a bonus gift.

"Having drunk your tea and accepted the tuition you offered, I, as your master, should also give you a master-disciple gift."

Saying this, Red-Browed Hermit reached his hand into his storage bag.

"Brother Red-Brow, no need, you are too polite. The two children of our family sincerely wish to become disciples; offering tuition is proper for becoming a disciple, there is no need to give a master-disciple gift!"

"Sincere Discipleship"

"Offering tuition is proper for becoming a disciple"

Seeing Red-Browed Hermit about to drop gold coins, Wang Rongyuan hurriedly added another sentence.

Firmly hold him up.

"Lao Zhong, the tuition we gave was quite adequate; you cannot be too stingy!"

We are all decent people, aren't we?

Zhong Tianlao's face stiffened slightly; the hand in his storage bag, moving from the direction of Low-Quality Crafted artifacts, changed to the direction of the Mid-Quality Crafted artifacts.

Old Wang, you are truly a dog!

In any case, just consider it feeding a dog!

The Wang family is powerful, I have already taken so many spirit stones, and the tuition gift was adequate; giving away a Mid-Quality Crafted artifact... let's just consider it not a loss.

Counting it up, these two young men are also my disciples.

Thus, a rare scene appeared in the hall of Hua Feng Ju.

All the cultivators watched Red-Brow, as if or as if not, curious what this extremely low-spec, youth-edition, Multi-Treasure Daoist would give his disciples as a master-disciple gift.

On this side, Red-Brow's large hand rummaged, rummaged, and rummaged inside the storage bag.

As he rummaged back and forth, Red-Brow calculated in his heart.

Hmm, this flying sword is too expensive; giving it to either of these two would be a complete waste.

This Mountain-Preserving Stone still has potential for further refining of its prohibitions... I can't bear to part with it.

After a long while, Red-Brow Hermit finally smiled and pulled out a dark black bead from his storage bag.

This bead was the size of a chicken egg, entirely black, looked unremarkable, and seemed not to be a formidable artifact.

Holding up the dark black bead in his hand, Zhong Tianlao twitched the flesh on his cheeks and explained with a smile.

"Yulou, you are a Water-Fire Spirit Root, hmm..."

This Mid-Quality Crafted Ink-Jade Oil Bead suits you perfectly; although it is not an object for dominating in magical duels, it can accompany you until the late stage of Qi Refining.

It uses a complete Grade-Nine Ink-Jade as its base, capable of holding up to thirteen layers of prohibitions; in the future, if you succeed in the Dao of Refining, you can refine it into a Premium Quality item among Mid-Quality Crafted artifacts.

I have already refined nine layers of prohibitions inside it; it can hold nine hundred jin of fire oil, matching your Water-Fire nature; when activated to assist with spells, its power doubles.

However, under no circumstances should you use it to duel against sharp and sturdy Model Techniques; ordinary Low-Quality Crafted swords with five or six layers of prohibitions can injure it."

A Mid-Quality Crafted artifact with nine layers of prohibitions!

Even if it is merely the entry-level of Mid-Quality Crafted and lacks duel prowess, it is still Mid-Quality!

Wang Rongyuan, a high-stage Qi Refining cultivator of the Foundation Establishment Wang family, currently uses artifacts where the highest one has only twenty-one layers of prohibitions—he is the Family Elder of the Wang family's Dharma Transmission Hall, a high-stage Qi Refining cultivator of first-class duel skill!

Artifacts are scarce for two important reasons: damage from duels and the difficulty of manufacture.

Leaving aside damage from duels, the sheer difficulty of manufacture drives how many scattered cultivators to tirelessly seek a single Mid-Quality Crafted artifact!

Refining spiritual materials has a failure rate, and the prohibitions on artifacts are the untransmitted secrets of every Refiner and Sect.

The Wang family spent a vast sum to send their two most gifted legitimate sons to Red-Brow Hermit's discipleship, precisely because they highly valued the Fire Method and Metal-Stone Refining Dao prohibitions mastered by Red-Brow Hermit.

On the side, Wu Jinyan and Tang Nianqiu watched until drool flowed from their mouths.

Is this the extravagance of a top-tier Refiner at the Qi Refining stage?

Master Zhong, we now wish to be remelted and reborn, to become your disciples; is it still too late?

Giving a Mid-Quality Crafted artifact as a master-disciple gift; Zhong Tianlao's generosity can be said to have directly stunned Wu Jia's family head, who is also at the Qi Refining stage.

A Mid-Quality Crafted artifact with nine layers of prohibitions costs at least two hundred spirit stones or more.

It is just that expensive!

No, from now on we must renegotiate the price for supplying Hua Feng Ju with metal and stone spiritual materials!

"Thank you, Master, for bestowing this treasure; Yulou will never forget my teacher's teachings!"

Wang Yulou raised both hands high and, somewhat excitedly, accepted the Ink-Jade Oil Bead bestowed upon him by Red-Brow Hermit.

The quality of an artifact, besides the number of prohibitions, the grade level, and material differences, has another important influencing factor—compatibility.

As a Water-Fire Dual Spirit Root, Wang Yulou, when he reaches the future Qi Refining stage, will certainly cultivate Water-Fire attribute spiritual energy.

This Ink-Jade Oil Bead, made from Ink-Jade, can hold fire oil to assist in duels; fire oil is inherently Water-natured, but once ignited, it becomes Fire-natured.

Two words—Perfect!

Moreover, the upper limit of thirteen layers of prohibitions still has four layers not yet refined inside; if four more layers are refined, the Ink-Jade Oil Bead's effect can be even more powerful!

Yulou has obtained the treasure; now it is Wang Yuan's turn; this boy looked at his cheap master with a face full of expectation.

But... the look in Red-Brow Hermit's eyes as he regarded him was somewhat complex.

There is a reason your face could be slapped swollen yesterday.

From the moment you entered Hua Feng Ju until now, how many times have you glanced at my daughter?

Are you even polite?

He was a bit annoyed inside, but with so many Daoist friends and relatives present, and today's master-acceptance ceremony being held in a fairly proper manner, Master Master Hongmei Gentleman couldn't very well lose his temper.

So he rummaged through his storage pouch, and finally took out a special defensive treasure.

Under the puzzled gazes of the crowd, Master Master Hongmei Gentleman held up the special defensive treasure in his hand and explained.

"Wang Yuan, my boy, you have Gold-Earth spiritual roots, and I don't have many mid-quality magic artifacts suitable for Gold-Earth spiritual roots here.

This shell of a Golden-Horn Mud Turtle is a special spiritual material with both metallic and osseous properties; it already has quite remarkable hardness, and ordinary low-quality magic artifacts can't break it.

I refined it a bit, and it currently has three layers of restrictions. Although it's a low-quality magic artifact, its upper limit can be refined up to fifteen layers of restrictions, and by then it'll be even more powerful than Yulou's Ink Jade Oil Bead."

Here, take good care of it. From now on, with this in hand, even if you run into enemies, you'll be perfectly safe."

Master Master Hongmei Gentleman: You brat, sooner or later you'll crash and burn because of some man-woman business; this is for your own good!

When someone attacks you in the future, you can summon this turtle shell, duck inside to defend yourself — wouldn't that be wonderful?

Taking the turtle shell Master Master Hongmei Gentleman handed him, Wang Yuan looked a bit bewildered.

"Thank you, Master, thank you, Master!"

How come Yulou gets a mid-quality magic artifact while I get a low-quality one......

Wang Yuan felt wronged, but Wang Yuan didn't know why.

Yulou, standing off to the side, felt a bit like laughing.

Although this defensive magic artifact was indeed rare, and Master Master Hongmei Gentleman was especially generous, but......

Golden-Horn Mud Turtle — Squirtle.

Hard to keep a straight face.

Wang Yuan, it looks like you've got it made for life.

"Good, Daoist Master Master Hongmei has gained a fine disciple, and Yulou and Wang Yuan have also found a worthy master. Now for the third bow, the master-acceptance gifts......"

Tang Nianqiu was about to call out 'the master-acceptance gifts are complete', but was interrupted by an uninvited guest who had barged into Huafeng Residence.

"Bang!"

The formation outside Huafeng Residence only warns, it doesn't block people.

The visitor didn't knock, but kicked the door open and came straight in!

That person wore an outer-disciple robe of Red Lantern Sect, had a magic artifact on his head that wasn't a proper crown, and a Soul-Locking Rope of mid-quality magic artifact grade tied at his waist — looking quite imposing.

He swept his triangular eyes across everyone in the hall, pausing briefly on Wang Rongyuan with what seemed like surprise, but still spoke in an overbearing manner.

"Oh? Old Tang is here too. Perfect, saves me an extra trip to Zhiwei Workshop!"