Chapter 339: Master Exchange

Qin Ming, hearing the spirit's words, frowned in confusion:

"Could the cultivation technique for refining treasures within the bronze mirror also be incomplete?"

"Mm. That silk scroll was something I jotted down casually while still alive—just a fragment. The Golden Toad took it as bait." Jin Lingzi said calmly.

"This refinement technique is the core legacy of Qing Yuan Sect. It also contains my own insights on artifact crafting—I've passed them all on."

Qin Ming then opened his storage pouch and released the spirit, holding it in his palm—it looked like a green hedgehog.

He couldn't fathom why the spirit of the legendary Gouyu Jin Guang Mirror was so innocently cute in appearance.

Then,

The spirit emitted a green glow, and a torrent of information surged into Qin Ming's spiritual sense.

In an instant,

Qin Ming's mind gained a complete ancient artifact refinement technique.

He merely skimmed through it once, and his face lit up with delight.

Because this refinement technique far surpassed the current artifact crafting level of the Southern Wastelands.

It contained countless methods for refining top-tier magic treasures, as well as a highly systematic lineage of artifact crafting.

By the end, Qin Ming's perception of Jin Lingzi underwent a complete transformation.

Originally, Jin Lingzi, as the final disciple of the ancient cultivator White Bone True Person, possessed unparalleled talent in artifact crafting—beyond even the term "prodigy."

By the late Golden Core stage, he had fully mastered this refinement technique and was preparing to break into the fourth-rank realm.

Yet at the final moment, his master, White Bone True Person, transformed him into a spirit.

Qin Ming immersed his spirit and carefully reviewed the technique, locating the method to re-refine the Wood Emperor Nail using Solar Essence Gold.

He immediately walked to his life-spirit plant, the Evergreen Vine, communicated with it, and three green nails, three inches long, floated into his palm.

Qin Ming then retrieved the Solar Essence Gold and spat out the Soul-Devouring Poison Flame, enveloping the metal.

In the next instant,

He increased the flame's temperature, instantly melting the Solar Essence Gold into a pool of crimson-gold liquid.

Using his spiritual sense, Qin Ming controlled the three Wood Emperor Nails and activated the refinement technique, shaping the molten gold into a series of strange golden spiritual runes in midair.

Immediately, these golden runes followed specific trajectories and sank into the three Wood Emperor Nails.

Hummm! The Wood Emperor Nails in midair suddenly trembled violently, crimson-gold spiritual patterns emerging on their surfaces.

When all the patterns interwove, the three nails glowed with crimson-gold radiance, and a supreme, piercing sharpness arose from the magic treasures.

Ong~ The magical power of the three Wood Emperor Nails instantly surged to the peak of third-rank level.

A Golden Core cultivator's strength largely depends on their life magic treasure.

When magic treasures are of the same rank, their power depends on how long they've been nurtured in the cultivator's dantian.

Yet high-rank magic treasures, even if nurtured for a short time, vastly surpass ordinary ones in power.

Qin Ming possessed the 【Spirit Plant Treasure Cultivation】 entry and his life-spirit plant, Yin-Yang Xuan Vine—by planting the Wood Emperor Nails, their rank would rise over time, and their power would continuously grow.

After absorbing the blood pearls, the life-spirit plant provided temporal energy, equivalent to having nurtured them in his dantian for a long time.

Qin Ming waved his hand—the three nails vanished instantly, slipping into empty space, and reappeared moments later, having pierced through a massive boulder two li away.

He channeled his spiritual power again, and the three Wood Emperor Nails, glowing with crimson-gold radiance, reappeared in his palm.

This entire back-and-forth took barely a blink.

"Appearing without trace, vanishing without warning, and ignoring most defenses—truly a deadly tool for ambushes."

"Supremely yang, capable of purging all demonic and ghostly entities."

"Even a Golden Core cultivator like Yuwen Hong wouldn't survive such a surprise strike."

"But the spiritual power cost to activate the Wood Emperor Nails is enormous—even with my spiritual power, comparable to early Golden Core, I drained over half in one use."

"If an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator used this treasure, they'd be drained dry."

"It seems I must reach the Golden Core stage to truly unleash this treasure's full potential." Qin Ming gently caressed the enhanced Wood Emperor Nails, deeply satisfied, then re-planted them into his life-spirit plant.

Having his life-spirit plant nurture his magic treasures saved him considerable effort.

Half a month later,

On Wangyue Island, a heavyweight figure arrived.

Gong Sunyang, the third-rank alchemy master of Xuanxi Valley, came in person.

Gong Sunyang had a small goatee, was an elderly man with wrinkled skin and white hair, and possessed pseudo-Golden Core cultivation.

Qin Ming had spent two years in Xuanxi Valley—he knew better than anyone.

Despite his pseudo-Golden Core realm, his status in Xuanxi Valley was exalted.

Qin Ming hadn't expected this alchemy master of Xuanxi Valley to travel ten thousand li to come here.

It left him slightly embarrassed.

After all, as fellow third-rank alchemy masters, Gong Sunyang had far more seniority.

He brought along a thin, ten-year-old boy—the same boy who had once caused a sensation in Xuanxi Valley, Fang Han, born with a Xiantiandandaolingti.

He bowed deeply to Qin Ming: "Your humble servant, Fang Han, greets Senior Qin!"

"Heh! Since you're Gong Sun's disciple, no need for such formalities—relax." Qin Ming lifted him up.

After arriving, Gong Sunyang also marveled at the island's environment.

"Ah! I never imagined such a paradise existed here."

"Senior Qin, your fortune is truly immense!"

He was naturally easygoing, with no airs of a master—two alchemy masters sharing the same realm, their conversation flowed effortlessly.

Many of Qin Ming's third-rank elixir formulas and Golden Core elixir formulas had been stolen from his sect.

Yet he felt no guilt, conversing freely with Gong Sunyang, utterly composed.

They exchanged alchemy experiences, both gaining greatly.

Gong Sunyang had heard Qin Ming had successfully refined the third-rank Miesheng Elixir, which was why he had traveled so far—to meet this young rising star in person.

He did not underestimate Qin Ming due to his youth.

"May I ask, Senior Qin, where did you obtain the Miesheng Elixir formula?"

After half a day of discussion, Gong Sunyang suddenly asked this question.

Qin Ming raised an eyebrow, his face calm, replying without a hint of evasion: "I have a friend in the Great Jin Immortal Dynasty named Su—he exchanged it with me."

"Mm, the Su family. It seems Su's connection with Senior Qin is quite close—he was willing to part with the Miesheng Elixir formula." Gong Sunyang nodded, seemingly accepting the explanation.

Qin Ming replied coolly: "Our friendship is decent. I met Brother Su back when I was in Yunze Wildlands."

"No wonder."

"The difficulty of refining the Miesheng Elixir is second only to the Golden Core Elixir—even I find it extremely challenging, with a painfully low success rate."

"Yet Senior Qin succeeded on the first try. Is this due to Brother Su's influence? What unique insights does he possess?"

"Could Senior Qin share some of them?"

Gong Sunyang, eager on this topic, couldn't help but ask Qin Ming.

Qin Ming's mind stirred—he saw Gong Sunyang had brought up the refinement of the Golden Core Elixir himself.

So he subtly steered the conversation toward it.

As Qin Ming and Gong Sunyang asked and answered each other,

Time slipped away, and three days and nights passed.

The two still sat up late, talking by candlelight in the Guest Pavilion.

(End of Chapter)