"Well now, Taoist Friend Zhao, back to smithing again?"
"We haven't seen you in a while. We thought Taoist Friend Zhao had found some other way to make money."
"Show some respect, you lot. Taoist Friend Zhao is a future Foundation Establishment prospect."
Amidst the teasing laughter of his coworkers, Zhao Zuo subconsciously quickened his pace. The previously somber atmosphere grew even more cheerful. After getting his key, Zhao Zuo hurried toward the Earth Fire Chamber.
The reason for this special treatment was that the body's previous owner, in his youth and arrogance, had tried his hand at processing raw materials a few times. After receiving a wage of only a single Spirit Stone, he had bellowed furiously.
"I am a future Foundation Establishment Great Cultivator! How can I waste my time on such menial tasks!"
Since then, the smiths had come and gone, one batch after another, but Zhao Zuo's old declaration lived on. He had become a running gag—the joke was on him, while the sorrow was all his to keep.
As Zhao Zuo quickened his pace, the laughter behind him grew even more unrestrained.
'What's so funny? Everyone was young and reckless once!' Zhao Zuo grumbled to himself.
The entire forging district covered about two thousand square meters. It contained one hundred Lower Grade Earth Fire Chambers, which served as workshops for Artifact Refining Apprentices like Zhao Zuo.
Each chamber was about ten square meters and sparsely furnished. Besides an Earth Fire Furnace, there was only a single bed. At the far end was an iron window that slid open horizontally.
Zhao Zuo placed his gourd, filled with cool water, on the bed. He then shed his Taoist Robe, leaving his upper body bare.
The Earth Fire Furnace was a cylindrical platform made of high-temperature resistant metal. It was only about thirty centimeters in diameter and nearly a meter tall. The top was a round lid riddled with holes.
The adjacent forging anvil stood about a meter high as well. Beside it lay a forty-pound iron hammer and a container of Spirit Powder.
Spirit Powder was a mix of dust from ground-up Spirit Stones and powdered Demon Beast bones. The combination formed a very cheap spiritual material that possessed Spiritual Power. Next to it was a ten-pound, square block of Refined Iron.
Refined Iron was a product of the Mortal World's iron ore. It possessed no innate spirituality and could not conduct Mana.
However, by forging it at high temperatures and mixing in a certain amount of Spirit Powder, it could be turned into Spirit Iron—an artificially synthesized spiritual material and the primary component for Lower Grade Magical Artifacts.
The cost was roughly two Spirit Stones for ten pounds of Spirit Iron.
That was enough to forge at least four Magical Artifacts, each selling for about fifteen Spirit Stones. Zhao Zuo did some quick math. After deducting costs, the net profit on a Lower Grade Magical Artifact was five times the initial investment.
No wonder everyone wanted to become an Artifact Refiner.
He inserted the key into the switch on the Earth Fire Furnace. After a pulse of Spiritual Power, crimson flames surged from the vents. The temperature in the room shot up to nearly fifty degrees in the blink of an eye. Fortunately, since Zhao Zuo also practiced Body Refining, the heat was still tolerable.
These Earth Fire Chambers were all created by an Array that drew upon an Underground Fire Vein. There was basically no need to worry about fuel; the source was inexhaustible.
Then, Zhao Zuo used a pair of iron tongs to lift the block of Refined Iron and place it on the Earth Fire Furnace.
While the flames heated the Refined Iron, Zhao Zuo closed his eyes to recall the previous owner's memories of the forging process. It took about eight rounds of hammering to successfully refine Spirit Iron. The previous owner's workload had been four blocks of Spirit Iron per day, for about fifteen days a month—he had been quite the slacker.
When the Refined Iron glowed red-hot, its surface taking on a bright golden sheen, Zhao Zuo immediately used the tongs to lift it from the furnace. He plunged it into a bucket to coat it with Spirit Powder before placing it on the forging anvil.
Zhao Zuo put his strength into his right arm, simultaneously circulating Mana to enhance his power. His whole body began to emit a faint Golden Light as every muscle worked in perfect, machine-like coordination.
THUD. THUD. THUD.
With each blow, most of the Spirit Powder was shaken loose, but a small portion was absorbed into the Refined Iron. He used his left arm, guided by Mana, to flip the iron with the tongs, then continued his relentless hammering.
As the Refined Iron gradually cooled, Zhao Zuo placed it back onto the Earth Fire Furnace. He used a metal plate to scrape the fallen Spirit Powder from the anvil and pour it back into the bucket, then quietly waited for the iron to heat up again.
Once it was red-hot, he began a new round of forging and adding Spirit Powder.
After five rounds... the Refined Iron was still black, but it now occasionally flickered with a faint light.
The seventh round of forging began.
By now, Zhao Zuo was drenched in sweat and his face was flushed. He finally understood why the previous owner had also trained in a Body Refining Technique, and he deeply sympathized with the younger version of his predecessor for calling this job "menial labor."
The hammer weighed about forty pounds, and each strike was a full-force blow. Seven rounds meant hundreds of swings.
As Zhao Zuo continued to hammer the Refined Iron, a streak of Golden Light rose from its surface and flew into his forehead. A cool sensation spread through his head, and even his physical exhaustion seemed to ease slightly.
Zhao Zuo casually channeled a wisp of Mana into the iron. The faint light on its surface immediately expanded, suffusing it with a silver luster.
He had successfully created Spirit Iron in just the seventh round of forging—much faster than the previous owner ever had.
"Success!"
Then, as if remembering something, he quickly touched the Sky-Breaking Saber hidden in his robes.
[Level: Lower Grade Magical Artifact +2, Sky-Breaking Saber]
[Experience: 310/800]
[Status: Not Upgradeable]
[Creation Points: 0.05]
'So that Golden Light was the Creation Points manifesting,' Zhao Zuo realized.
He felt as if he had grasped the method for obtaining Creation Points. 'I get them by imbuing a spiritless object with spirituality?'
Zhao Zuo thought for a moment and decided to test his theory. Holding the newly-forged Spirit Iron with his tongs, he walked to the iron window at the end of the Forging Chamber, knocked on it with his right hand, and waited patiently.
About ten seconds later, the iron window slid open from the other side. Zhao Zuo placed the Spirit Iron on the platform opposite him. The person on the other side casually channeled a wisp of Mana into it and, seeing it emit a silver glow, gave a slight nod.
They then handed Zhao Zuo a second block of Refined Iron, along with a black iron coin. The center of the coin was engraved with the character for 'Mo'.
Upon leaving the Earth Fire Forging Hall, four of these coins could be exchanged for one Spirit Stone.
The coin might have looked ordinary, but the grass on the graves of those who'd tried to counterfeit it was already half a meter tall.
"Next time, help me exchange for two and a half pounds of Spirit Rice," Zhao Zuo said as he took the black iron coin.
"Mm," the person on the other side grunted, then shut the iron window.
Zhao Zuo returned with the block of Refined Iron. He first removed the key from the Earth Fire Furnace, then sat on the bed and chugged several large gulps of cool water. Afterward, he sat cross-legged and began to meditate to restore his Mana.
Since granting Enlightenment to Refined Iron earned him Creation Points, he decided to make this his long-term focus. If he submitted six blocks of Spirit Iron a day, he would be granted the right to use the Forging Chamber for twelve two-hour periods—an entire day. If he just pushed himself a little... he could stay here indefinitely and just keep farming Creation Points.
'With this much work, how can you call it freeloading? This is my hard-earned effort!'
About a two-hour period passed, or perhaps less. In a dark, sunless Forging Chamber like this, it was difficult to even judge the passage of time.
Zhao Zuo opened his eyes. His Mana and stamina had recovered, but he felt a pang of hunger. He now understood why the previous owner had rented a separate house instead of living in the Forging Chamber.
Each cycle of forging and imbuing the metal with spirit took one two-hour period, and resting took another.
Six blocks a day, around the clock, for a whole month... he'd probably die from overwork. That didn't even account for the mental torture. Staying in a dark, windowless room like this for too long... he'd likely go mad.
...