Chapter 168: Chapter 167: Disciple Seeks Refuge
Palace of Spiritual Fire.
Hall of Spiritual Fire Refining Chamber.
The earth fire surged mightily, melting the meteorite from outer space into a liquid state.
Zhou Yi employed the Xuan Yuan Fire Control Technique, repeatedly tempering the meteorite to reduce its impurities to flying ash.
An hour later, a hundred jin of meteorite from outer space had been reduced to the size of a fingertip's worth of Essence of Stars, glowing brightly.
"The Earth Fire Tempering Treasure Technique is indeed profound; ordinary cultivators using fire techniques to temper meteorites, not to mention consuming mana and time, are far from achieving the purity of that refined by the earth's vein fire."
"According to ancient texts, there exist exotic fires born from heaven and earth, which, once refined and utilized by Pill Masters and Artifact Refiners, can temper spiritual medicines and spiritual ores better and faster. Even if earth fire cannot compare with such rare treasures, when combined with the Tempering Treasure Technique, it performs with a similar marvelous effect!"
Zhou Yi stored away the Essence of Stars and took out another hundred jin of meteorite iron from outer space to continue tempering with earth fire.
This is the benefit of becoming a member of the sect!
As a Supreme Elder, whatever spiritual ores needed for refining treasures, one can just take from the sect's treasury.
If the treasury lacks them, one can issue a sect task, promising merits based on the value, and naturally, disciples will hurry to mine and gather them.
For example, the Essence of Stars, a rare spiritual object not produced by any vein, can only be obtained by tempering meteorites that fall from the sky.
Any magic artifact or magical treasure that incorporates the Essence of Stars will become extremely sturdy and will also possess the profound power of the stars, not belonging to any of the five elements.
It is precisely because it doesn't fall within the five elements that it can become the core material of the Earth Element Shield. Only by refining the Essence of Stars into the Black Tortoise Carapace and turning it into a magical treasure's restriction can it withstand the strength of the earth vein's geomagnetic force.
"It's a pity that the Little Dan Mountain vein has been exhausted; otherwise, using the Sky Star Stone to refine the Earth Element Shield would multiply the power of geomagnetism!"
The Sky Star Stone is the heart of a star that has fallen into the earth's veins and, after a long period of evolution, has become an extremely rare spiritual ore, several grades higher than meteorite iron from outer space.
Zhou Yi didn't care too much about this, as with the quality of the Black Tortoise Carapace, the geomagnetic force was just a bonus.
A Demon Saint, when converted to the human race's ranking, means a realm of Returning to Virtuality. Nowadays, there are only a few surviving Divinity Transformations in the world; how could they possibly break the defense of the world-renowned Black Tortoise Shell?
Several hours later.
After all the meteorite iron from outer space was tempered, Zhou Yi did not rush to refine magical treasures; instead, he carefully studied the Earth Element Shield and simulated refining with ordinary spiritual ores.
Ores within the five elements found it difficult to withstand the geomagnetic force of earth veins, so only the preliminary steps were carried out, rehearsing repeatedly. As for the waste of half-finished products using spiritual ores, it was nothing but a mere sentence's concern for a Supreme Elder.
Zhou Yi had rendered more than a dozen Earth Element Shields useless before he began to practice the Pure Yang Scripture as usual, hastened the maturation of tree roots, and contemplated the newly acquired formation and pill recipes. Enjoy exclusive chapters from m-v l'e|m,p| y- r
The Hall of Spiritual Fire in the Earth Fire Palace is renowned for its artifact refining art in the Eastern Sea but also has inheritances of four other arts. Having been established for more than seven hundred years, it even absorbed a sect called the Sect of Heavenly Yang along the way, gaining quite a few inheritances and ancient texts.
The Innate Pure Yang Scripture was the Sect-Protecting Technique of the Sect of Heavenly Yang; such mutual absorptions among the sects of the Eastern Sea were fairly common.
Zhou Yi had been in seclusion in the Hall of Spiritual Fire for half a year, his mana of the five elements transforming into Pure Yang Mana, and had also discovered the wonders of the Pure Yang Scripture.
"Abundant yang energy, not bad at all!"
…
The next morning.
In the seclusion chamber.
Zhou Yi, through his status as an elder, urged the servants of the External Affairs Hall.
"Double the Contribution Value for the task of finding meteorite from outer space, and in addition, this elder will subsidize with pills. If someone delivers a thousand jin of meteorite, they will be rewarded with a Foundation Establishment Pill!"
The Foundation Establishment Pill is extremely precious in the Nine Continents, even more so overseas. However, what Zhou Yi least lacked was the thousand-year-old Spirit Ginseng. By motivating the sect's disciples with the Foundation Establishment Pill to find meteorite iron faster, he could also refine magical treasures sooner.
The servant of External Affairs answered respectfully, swearing to find enough meteorite from outer space within two years, not daring to delay Elder Tang's treasure refining.
"No wonder everyone loves power; it tastes really good!"
Zhou Yi was about to try refining the Earth Elemental Shield when he suddenly sensed the formation outside being triggered, and a communication jade slip was blocked outside.
"Open."
As his words fell, a gap opened in the formation, and the communication jade slip fell into Zhou Yi's hands.
His divine sense swept over it and immediately knew the content; it was not a visit from an acquaintance, but his disciple Shi Bin requesting an audience, waiting outside the hall.
"An ordinary disciple from the outer islands..."
Zhou Yi pondered for a moment, then his figure flickered and he appeared in the reception room, signaling Shi Bin to come in.
A short time later.
Shi Bin entered the reception room and bowed deeply, "Disciple pays respect to the Supreme Elder."
"There is no need for formalities."
Zhou Yi guessed the reason for Shi Bin's visit and said directly, "I have been quite busy lately, state your business directly."
"Disciple heard that Elder Tang is in urgent need of Meteorite Iron from Beyond the Heavens, and it so happens that my clan has a considerable store, which I have brought immediately for the elder's treasure refining."
Shi Bin bowed and presented a storage bag and a jade slip, saying, "This is the essence of Artifact Refining left by the patriarch of my family. Elder Tang, in refining the Earth Elemental Shield, will surely find it useful."
Zhou Yi drew the storage bag towards him, and his divine sense scanned it—there were at least two thousand pounds. He then carefully examined the jade slip.
The first half of the jade slip contained the essence of Artifact Refining. After just a cursory read, he knew it came from a master of Artifact Refining from a past generation. The second half recorded the intricate details of refining the Earth Elemental Shield, which would save Zhou Yi a lot of time.
After putting away the storage bag and jade slip, Zhou Yi scrutinized Shi Bin and asked.
"Such detailed methods of refining the Earth Elemental Shield could only come from a previous generation's patriarch. What is your relationship with him?"
"Reporting back to Elder Tang, my ancestor was once the chief disciple of the founding patriarch..."
Shi Bin's expression was indescribable, and with a sigh, he said, "The events of that year are not for the younger generation to comment on. Suffice to say, my ancestor failed to win the Core Formation Spiritual Objects and ultimately perished under the Heavenly Tribulation.
This Meteorite Iron from Beyond the Heavens was left by my ancestor, and the jade slip was personally bestowed by the founding patriarch, showing great expectations."
"I see."
Zhou Yi nodded slightly and then asked, "Why entrust such an ancestral treasure to me?"
Shi Bin suddenly fell to his knees and pleaded, "It's because my family's ancestors had a dispute with Elder Feng, and we have been repeatedly ostracized within the sect. Now we don't even have a direct inheritance. Disciple begs Elder Tang to lend a helping hand, to take the disciple under your wing. In the future, the Shi family will follow your lead without question!"
"I never take on disciples."
Zhou Yi wouldn't break his principle for a mere piece of Meteorite Iron from Beyond the Heavens. However, he added after a pause, "If you can deliver another five thousand pounds of Meteorite Iron from Beyond the Heavens within half a year, I will agree to protect the Shi family."
The Sect Treasury had three thousand pounds already refined, and with the two thousand pounds from the storage bag, there were only five thousand pounds left needed to craft a magic treasure.
Why do Golden Elixir True Monarchs only craft two or three magic treasures? It's not that they don't wish to learn from Wan Bao; it's because the cost of crafting magic treasures is exorbitant, with Superior Spiritual Objects often measured by the tens of thousands of pounds.
Shi Bin hesitated for a moment, then kowtowed three times with a resolute expression.
"Disciple will not disappoint Elder Tang's expectations!"
"Very well, you may go and attend to your tasks."
Zhou Yi didn't care whether Shi Bin was sincere or pretending, or if Feng Yang had deliberately sent him. As long as the task was handled efficiently, he would take the opportunity to accept the offer, even if it came from a spy from the Demon Sect.
From then on.
Shi Bin would occasionally deliver several hundred pounds of Meteorite Iron from Beyond the Heavens, and consult with Zhou Yi about his cultivation doubts, appearing quite close in their interactions.
It wasn't long before rumors spread in the Palace of Earth Fire that the Shi family had gained the support of Elder Tang, and because of their ancestor's uniqueness, the disciples in the sect started to sense something subtle.