Chapter 109

This scene drew the surrounding cultivators' sideways glances; those four were cultivators who had come out with Soul Moon Young Master of the Soul Refining Hall.

I never expected that right after Soul Moon Young Master left, his subordinates would suffer misfortune.

After the battle in the Azure Cloud Mountain Range, the Soul Refining Hall's fierce reputation completely subdued the cultivators of the Western Droop Lands.

Nowadays, few cultivators dare to openly attack Soul Refining Hall cultivators.

For a moment, everyone became interested, speculating which ruthless person had killed that Qi Refining cultivator.

Most Foundation Establishment cultivators kept silent, while most of those discussing were Qi Refining cultivators.

"What kind of ruthless person is this? A true ruthless person is the cultivator who dares to snatch his treasure right in front of Soul Moon Young Master. Haven't you heard about that bounty?" a Qi Refining cultivator suddenly shouted loudly.

"Nonsense! Of course I know, tsk tsk! Five-pattern Dharma Treasure, three drops of Soul Liquid, one hundred thousand Spirit Stones, one portion of False Dao Technique, plus a favor from Soul Moon Young Master—this reward is off the charts!"

Wang Ping and his four companions, who were about to leave, all stopped. For the past month they had shut out outside affairs and devoted themselves to studying formation patterns.

They really hadn't paid attention to these bounties.

Upon hearing this bounty, aside from Wang Ping, the three of Tie Lanshan were all shocked.

"Namo Amitabha! My mundane heart has been moved!" Master Liaoru said solemnly.

Wang Ping turned his head to look at Master Liaoru: "Master, you can talk about greed so refreshingly and unconventionally—you pass!"

Wang Ye's eyes lit up, almost drooling with envy: "Brother, please! As long as you appear before me, I decide you'll be my brother from now on, and I'll never forget to burn paper money for you each year!"

Wang Ping: Hehe! I'll burn some paper for you first!

Tie Lanshan looked at Wang Ye with disdain, yet said: "I'd like to befriend that brother, I just don't know if there's a chance!"

Wang Ping looked at the three speechlessly: "It's just a little bounty—losing face over it? I'm not the slightest bit moved!"

Perhaps noticing Wang Ping's disdainful gaze, they felt embarrassed, restrained their demeanor, and returned to the bearing of Foundation Establishment cultivators.

This was just a minor episode; they immediately left this ruin and headed for the Treasure Gathering Workshop.

Meanwhile, Tie Lanshan had already notified Zhang Left Alchemist, Ouyang Hua, and Wu Yue, telling them to gather here.

Capturing a mountain peak with a spirit vein is easy; the key is to hold it.

Besides needing formidable strength, one also needs a Mountain Guarding Grand Formation; this responsibility naturally falls on Tie Lanshan.

Upon entering the Treasure Gathering Workshop, he ran east and west gathering materials; the materials needed for the Mountain Guarding Grand Formation were numerous. Wang Ping contributed fifty thousand Spirit Stones, while the other three produced eighty thousand.

With the remaining 305,000 spirit stones, Wang Ping purchased some refined gold and prepared to attempt his first magic treasure refinement.

Upon learning that Wang Ping was about to begin refining a magic treasure, Tie Lanshan and the masters all spoke up, hoping to change the opportunity to refine two top-grade magic artifacts into refining a magic treasure, with them covering the remaining costs and materials.

Wang Ping thought for a moment, nodded and agreed, and also promised to halve the refining fee for them.

Seeing this, Wang Ye felt envious and also asked Wang Ping to help him refine a magic treasure; he would gather the materials himself, hoping only that the refining fee would be a little cheaper.

Wang Ping also agreed to his request, deciding to charge him 80% of the refining fee.

Next, the masters and Wang Ye followed Tie Lanshan to purchase array materials, while also buying some refining materials they needed.

Wang Ping had already rented a refining cave dwelling and had begun the first refinement of his magic treasure.

Refining a magic treasure differs from refining a magic artifact; before refining begins, one must carefully consider in one's mind the sequence in which each material is smelted and fused, for any mistake is unacceptable, as this is the key to the formation of the heavenly and earthly auspicious patterns.

Moreover, one must have a thorough understanding of the attributes of each material.

In the Refined Qi Elementary Explanation, it records 1,320 kinds of commonly used refining materials in the cultivation world; among them, refined gold accounts for 780 kinds, monster beast inner cores and beast bones 500 kinds, and the rest are various rare items.

Entering the refining chamber, he laid out the formation and raised the earth fire; with a slap of his storage bag, Wang Ping first took out the crimson yang iron and black refined iron, these two pieces of refined iron not yet hammered to their limit.

If he had originally forged the refined iron into this shape, Senior Chiyanzi would surely scold him nonstop for three days and three nights.

Thinking of Chiyanzi, a smile crept onto Wang Ping's lips; the days he spent as Chiyanzi's refining apprentice were truly busy, toilsome, yet fulfilling.

It is said that he has now become a grandmaster-level elder of the Treasure Hoard Pavilion; even before Master Song's fall, they showed him even greater courtesy, and I suppose this could also let him hold his head high once again.

Thinking of this, Wang Ping suddenly recalled that before leaving the sect, Senior Chiyanzi, besides giving him 1,000 spirit stones, also gave him a set of armor and a box; the armor he no longer uses, the spirit stones have been spent, leaving only that personal box, which he has never opened. At that time he had tried to open it, but found he could not open it no matter what.

At that time he had thought it might be due to his insufficient cultivation, but later, because of a series of events, he forgot about it.

His storage bags now basically do not exceed ten cubic units, so he constantly carries seven or eight storage bags on his person, which constitute all his possessions.

Finally, he found that box in one of his storage bags.

A powerful divine sense surged forth; the box that could not be opened even during the Qi Refining stage burst open with a pop.

A jade slip emitting red light lay quietly inside the box.

Wang Ping knew this was due to Senior Chiyanzi possessing a fire-attribute cultivation method.

Ordinary jade slips are white when first made; only after inputting content do they change color according to the attribute of the cultivator's cultivation method recorded within.

Wang Ping picked up the jade slip and gently pressed it against his forehead.

Wang Ping examined this jade slip for a long time; inside the refining chamber, everything turned crimson as the blazing earth fire fervently released its heat.

Wang Ping, however, seemed unaware, maintaining the posture of having the jade slip pressed to his forehead for already three hours.

Finally, reluctantly putting down the jade slip, he rose and bowed three times toward the direction of the Qingyue Sect of Zhao State in the south.

Wang Ping never expected that the jade slip contained Senior Chiyanzi's lifelong insights on refining, and most importantly, that it included the fire-system top-tier cultivation method Blazing Heart Tribulation.

Currently only the Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment chapters exist, but the origin of this cultivation method is not insignificant.

It is a cultivation method passed down from the Armament Sect; the ancestor of Senior Chiyanzi was once a disciple of one of the five great disciples of the Armament Sect.

But because at that time his ancestor was merely a Golden Core cultivator, he only obtained the Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, and Golden Core chapters of the method.

In his final remarks, Senior Chiyanzi stated that while he was inferior in talent, he was lacking in patience and meticulousness compared to Wang Ping in his youth.

Over the course of a year, Wang Ping helped him greatly, so that insight was his true token of gratitude,

As for the cultivation method, it is also his apprentice ceremony; whether he accepts it or not is entirely up to him. If he acknowledges this teacher, he should bow three times toward the direction of the Qingyun Sect, and from then on he will be the chief disciple of Senior Chiyanzi.

Senior Chiyanzi once joked in the jade slip: 'If a day passes without receiving his reply, the position of senior apprentice brother will remain vacant forever!'

Upon reading this, he finally understood why he had heard many rumors that Senior Chiyanzi only had two disciples and no chief apprentice brother—the source lay here!

He never expected that Senior Chiyanzi would take such a liking to him, directly placing the Blazing Heart Tribulation cultivation method inside the jade slip.

This jade slip was sealed by Senior Chiyanzi with a restriction; only he can open it, and any other cultivator who rashly attempts to open it will only trigger an explosion.

Wang Ping stroked the jade slip in his hand; a cultivation method like the Scarlet Flame Heart Tribulation is surely not far inferior to top-tier cultivation methods.

It's just like wanting to sleep and someone brings a pillow; he originally wanted a good fire-element cultivation method, but he hadn't found one, never expecting that he himself already possessed such a method.

Since he now has a fire-element cultivation method, Wang Ping plans to first successfully cultivate that fire-element method.

Because he has already achieved Foundation Establishment, his realm is sufficient, so he does not need to continue cultivating.

He only needs sufficient spirit stones; as recorded in the Scarlet Flame Heart Tribulation, the best results in cultivation come from pairing with fire-element spiritual objects during the process.

Doing this, he can possess his own spirit fire upon entering the Foundation Establishment stage.

Thinking of fire-element spiritual objects, Wang Ping thought of that Blazing Flame Essence, but after consideration he ultimately gave up the idea of using Blazing Flame Crystal Essence, because he had something better.

During his first ten-year seclusion, he once happened upon a vast desert where the heat was scorching, the air filled with fire spiritual power, and as he was about to leave he scooped away five thousand cubic centimeters of sand.

Those sands, having been long-exposed to the sun of the Spirit Realm, are probably far superior to ordinary fire-element spiritual objects of the Lower Realm.