The night was like a shroud, the moonlight dim.
Qingni Lane gradually fell silent as the curious Loose Cultivators closed their doors one by one. No one could tell if Shen Yunjiao's plea for medicine was genuine, or if she was feigning weakness to lure someone out.
By the wall, Zhao Zuo's expression grew conflicted. First of all, he had Golden Wound Medicine.
Second, he knew that to survive in this world, going it alone was the worst strategy. Befriending a few talented people and leveraging each other's connections was the only way to walk this path more steadily.
Shen Yunjiao, whose strength was close to the Qi Cultivation Seventh Layer, was clearly a valuable connection.
'This is a chance, and chances are often fleeting.'
One second, two seconds, three seconds.
Zhao Zuo took out two vials of Golden Wound Medicine, pushed open the door... and shouted, "I have medicine here."
This decision was the result of some analysis. Shen Yunjiao had lived in Qingni Lane for ten years and had never used her strength to bully anyone. Even when she occasionally set up a stall to sell Demon Beast meat, there were no rumors of her cheating customers.
At the very least... she was a person with a moral compass.
Ten seconds after Zhao Zuo opened the door, a figure in a red Taoist Robe rushed over from a distance, looking like a flowing flame under the dim moonlight.
"Alright, just stay right there!"
As the distance between them closed, Shen Yunjiao's appearance gradually matched the one in his memory. She had long, dark hair tied into a neat ponytail. Her face was slightly pale, adding a touch of tragic beauty that couldn't help but stir one's pity.
Beyond her stunning looks, what was even more captivating was her aura—like a plum blossom in the snow, standing proud and aloof from the world.
'This aura doesn't match the original owner's memories.'
When Shen Yunjiao was about five meters away, Zhao Zuo raised a hand to stop her from getting any closer, and at the same time, channeled Mana into his right hand and tossed the two white porcelain vials directly to her.
She reached out and caught the two porcelain vials with ease.
"Go treat your wounds first. You can give me the Spirit Stones tomorrow!" Zhao Zuo said, then immediately turned and shut the door.
The moment he shut the door, Zhao Zuo instantly regretted his reckless actions.
As Shen Yunjiao had drawn near, a powerful pressure had come with her. It was an Evil Qi, the kind accumulated from prolonged killing. Even though Shen Yunjiao hadn't directed it at him, that Evil Qi still made his heart pound with fear.
Despite the dim night, Zhao Zuo had still seen the drops of blood on her fingertips.
'Too dangerous, too rash!'
Outside, Shen Yunjiao opened a vial and sniffed it. Confirming it was Golden Wound Medicine, she put it into her Storage Bag, glanced at the closed door, and turned to leave.
Shen Yunjiao had seen the nervousness, curiosity, and fear in Zhao Zuo's eyes, but it didn't stir any emotion in her. As for this unfamiliar neighbor... her evaluation consisted of a single word: interesting.
Inside, Zhao Zuo gradually calmed down. He went to the storage room and started grinding for EXP. Once his Mana was completely depleted, he burrowed into the firewood pile to sleep.
「The next morning.」
Zhao Zuo woke up early. He had only slept for a little over two two-hour periods, but his spirit and Mana had already returned to their peak. He took a moment to relieve himself.
He then washed himself with well water. Although the original owner had left behind a few Cleaning Talismans, he still preferred a cold rinse after waking up. It helped wake up his brain and put him in a calm, serene state.
First, as usual, he depleted all his Mana, gaining another five experience points.
He went to the rice jar, took out two catties of Spirit Rice, and washed it clean.
Soaking in the Clear Water, the Spirit Rice looked like lustrous white pearls. Zhao Zuo's mouth began to water, his stomach rumbling with anticipation. It was a shame he didn't have any stir-fried Demon Beast meat this time.
Once the Spirit Rice was cooked, Zhao Zuo couldn't wait to start eating with a spoon. He devoured it like a starving man, finishing the meal in a flash.
"Ahh, satisfying!"
After the meal, without even washing the pot, Zhao Zuo immediately returned to his bed and began converting Spiritual Power.
Three two-hour periods passed in a flash. The warm current in his abdomen was mostly absorbed. Zhao Zuo then spent another quarter of an hour using his Mana to soothe his stinging Meridians back to normal before finally standing up and stretching.
Zhao Zuo clenched his fists, marveling at the Energy flowing through his body.
Zhao Zuo lightly tapped the Sky-Breaking Saber at his waist. With a flow of Mana, it naturally levitated and then danced like a bird about half a foot from his body until his Mana was depleted.
The abundant Energy vanished, and a sense of weakness settled over him. 'My stamina is definitely a major weakness.'
His Meridians were currently in a recovery period, so he couldn't absorb Heaven and Earth Spiritual Power to restore his Mana. Zhao Zuo found himself with some rare free time, which unexpectedly felt a bit strange.
After a moment's thought, he pulled a yellowed booklet from under his bed. The title read: *Artifact Refining Introduction*.
This was the Artifact Refining Technique inheritance that the original owner had spent four Spirit Stones to buy from a street stall. It detailed the forging methods for three types of Lower Grade Magical Artifacts, the materials required, and most importantly, the Spirit Pattern Paths.
'Since I'm idle, I might as well review the old to learn something new.'
Talisman Making, Alchemy, Artifact Refining, and Arrays are the four most famous categories among the Hundred Skills of Cultivation.
Among them, Talisman Making has the lowest cost and difficulty, and doesn't even require a master...
If one has talent, they can reach the Entry Level after a few days of practicing with a Scroll. But while getting started is simple, reaching an advanced level makes talent an indispensable requirement.
Alchemy and Artifact Refining can be explained together. They are not only extremely expensive but also highly dependent on the learner's talent. One generally needs a master's guidance to achieve anything. Relying on self-study alone, one could probably sink... several thousand Spirit Stones and still fail to reach the Entry Level.
There are a few well-known sayings in the Cultivation Realm:
"Alchemy will beggar you for a lifetime; Artifact Refining will ruin three generations."
But in truth, the cost of materials for Artifact Refining is slightly higher than for Alchemy.
Comparing the most basic One Tier Lower Grade Pill Medicine, the Grain Avoidance Pill, with a Lower Grade Magical Artifact, the cost to refine ten furnaces of the former is about one Spirit Stone, while the most basic Lower Grade Magical Artifact, the Willow Leaf Dart, costs one Spirit Stone to make just one.
This difference in cost per attempt means that the number of Spirit Stones required in the Early-period of Artifact Refining is even more outrageous.
Furthermore, the study of Arrays is the most profound and extensive. It mostly relies on a master-disciple inheritance system. An Array Master will spend the last few decades of their life searching for a talented child to cultivate from a young age... It can take decades to achieve any real proficiency.
The original owner possessed a Wood-feeds-Fire Spiritual Root, making him a born candidate for Artifact Refining. Unfortunately, his comprehension was extremely low.
Even though an established Artifact Refiner had already declared that with the original owner's comprehension, he wouldn't even reach the Entry Level after ten years of study, the original owner was unwilling to give up. That was why he spent a huge sum on the *Artifact Refining Introduction*.
Unfortunately, that Artifact Refiner's assessment had hit the nail on the head. Despite hundreds of attempts, the original owner was still unable to reach the Entry Level in the Artifact Refining Technique; he simply couldn't outline a Spirit Pattern Path.
But now... Zhao Zuo had a feeling that he had a talent for Artifact Refining!
'With our two souls combined, my comprehension is bound to have increased.'
'This time... it'll work!'
....