Chapter 240 - 172: Two Magical Treasures, Repair Complete

Chapter 240: Chapter 172: Two Magical Treasures, Repair Complete

The next morning, Zhao Zuo let out a long, turbid breath and opened his eyes. He felt the Mana surging within him, a subtle sense of fullness. He quietly calculated his progress. In about three days, he could attempt to break through the threshold to the Eighth Layer of Qi Cultivation.

To take this step, he would need to spend contribution points on a Clear Dragon Pill. This type of Pill Medicine contained exceptionally abundant Heaven and Earth Spiritual Power and was commonly used by those in the Late Period of Qi Cultivation to break through bottlenecks.

Zhao Zuo believed his own foundation was solid enough that he didn’t need the Clear Dragon Pill’s assistance, but he decided to exchange for one anyway, just to be safe.

After a simple wash, he took out the Heaven-Melting Scripture. Of course, this was a copy he had transcribed from memory. He studied it often and had already mastered most of its content, leaving only a few obscure and difficult parts.

There was a line in the Heaven-Melting Scripture.

"Draw the Spirit from many Treasure Materials and summon the Taiyi."

Here, Zhao Zuo understood "Taiyi" to mean the primary material of a Magical Artifact. Extracting the energy containing special attributes from auxiliary materials and infusing it into the main material, then forging it... that was how a Middle Grade Magical Artifact was made!

This single sentence encapsulated two processes: extraction and infusion. In his Golden Finger’s Gray Light Space, these two processes could be completed in a single second. Yet, when it came to performing them in reality, Zhao Zuo truly understood how difficult this step was.

Zhao Zuo tried several times. After consuming materials worth several thousand Spirit Stones, he reluctantly gave up. He picked up the Heaven-Melting Scripture again and began analyzing it word by word, writing down his experiences in hopes of grasping this most difficult Melt Casting Technique sooner.

He originally had a long way to go before mastering it, but his current situation was completely different. His recent progress could only be described as extraordinary.

Because it was time to activate his cheat.

Mana flowed through Zhao Zuo’s body, eventually sinking into his brain and pouring into the Qilin Seal.

"——Focus, activate!"

All fell silent. Zhao Zuo ignored all changes in his surroundings, his eyes fixed solely on the book about the Heaven-Melting Scripture in his hands. The obscure and difficult text began to automatically translate into content he could understand.

One part of his brain was analyzing the Heaven-Melting Scripture.

Another part, however, had designed a virtual Artifact Refining Chamber and was constantly attempting the first step of the Melt Casting Technique: the extraction of attribute energy.

Constant failure, constant attempts.

An endless cycle of trial and error. After all, it consumed no materials.

Half an hour later, chaotic noises suddenly flooded Zhao Zuo’s ears, and his eyes instinctively drifted away from the book. The world before him was incredibly blurry.

He collapsed onto his bed, pressing his thumbs against his temples with gentle pressure.

His face was a frightening shade of pale. He felt as if a giant axe had cleaved his very soul in two, a sharp pain spreading outward from the depths of his brain.

"Haaa..."

After about half an hour, he finally recovered, color returning to his face. He sat up and used a Cleaning Talisman to deal with the sweat on his body.

He took a simple drink of water to regulate himself.

Zhao Zuo went to the open-air platform of his Cave Mansion and checked on the two grayish crystals placed in the corner.

Moonlight Pearl, EXP +6

Red Flame Bead, EXP +1

Because it was not long after dawn, the Red Flame Bead’s experience gain was less than the Moonlight Pearl’s.

Yesterday was not a full moon, and the moonlight wasn’t strong. This meant that during a full moon, the Moonlight Pearl would surely gain more experience points, and he was confident it could be upgraded within a month.

Seeing this, Zhao Zuo finally felt relieved. As long as they could be upgraded once, the state of these two Magical Treasures would be refreshed. Even if they couldn’t be fully repaired, he would no longer have to worry about them being destroyed.

After checking his two newly acquired Magical Treasures, Zhao Zuo moved on to upgrading the second Hundred-Change Mask. Its level had already reached Middle Grade Magical Artifact +3. In another month, it would likely upgrade to Upper Grade Magical Artifact +3, at which point it would be ready for delivery.

Having reviewed the progress of his Magical Artifacts, Zhao Zuo recharged his Spirit Jade Barrier and had the Sky-Breaking Saber circle his body. Finally, he took Chen Xiaorong’s Lifebound Magical Artifact, Suwen, from his Storage Bag.

Without Chen Xiaorong’s nourishment, the Spiritual Light on its surface had grown even dimmer, and its once-powerful Spirit had become quite weak. Fortunately... it had accumulated almost enough experience points to level up.

Zhao Zuo began to control his strength, slowly swinging the longsword.

About a two-hour period later, Zhao Zuo stopped. He looked at the scarred, crack-covered pure white longsword in his hand and gently tapped the blade with his other hand.

[Level: Upper Grade Magical Artifact - Suwen] (Damaged)

[EXP: 20452/20000]

[Status: Upgradeable]

Gray light spread out. What followed was a process Zhao Zuo was incredibly familiar with. Gray Energy seeped into the Suwen longsword, its surface cracks steadily healing. It was then that Zhao Zuo discovered something astonishing... The sword’s interior actually had locations for six Spirit Patterns, though three of them were completely destroyed. The remaining three were rapidly healing under the effects of the gray Energy.

’This sword’s original Rank must have been very high. It was just weakened over time. No wonder it has such a powerful Spirit. I just wonder what its former level was.’

Zhao Zuo mused internally.

Meanwhile, the cracks on the jade-like sword body slowly mended, and it began to radiate an incredibly brilliant Spiritual Light. A biting Sharpness seemed to pierce through the Gray Space, creating a feeling as sharp and uncomfortable as a fishbone in one’s throat or needles on one’s back.

After about ten minutes, the gray light dissipated. The Suwen longsword floated in mid-air, hovering silently.

Zhao Zuo reached out, intending for it to return to his hand, but he felt the Magical Artifact’s resistance.

"Tsk. Quite proud, aren’t you?"

Zhao Zuo took out his Communication Jade and spoke softly.

"Taoist Friend Chen, I have finished repairing your Lifebound Magical Artifact."

"I’m on my way!"

Even through the Communication Jade, Zhao Zuo could sense Chen Xiaorong’s urgency. She hadn’t been having an easy time lately. After losing her "genius" title and being permanently stuck at Qi Cultivation Perfection, she had once again experienced the coldness and warmth of the world, and the fickleness of human hearts. The Su Family, who had once actively sought peace with her, was now secretly using various means to try and eliminate her. The current Chen Xiaorong desperately needed a sharp weapon to cut through these gathering shadows.

A dozen or so minutes later, footsteps sounded outside the Cave Mansion.

Zhao Zuo waved his hand, and the main door of the Cave Mansion opened. But the person standing outside wasn’t Chen Xiaorong. It was Senior Sister Hua from the Punishment Hall, whom he had met once before.

"It’s me," Chen Xiaorong said.

"Come in." Zhao Zuo quickly put the pieces together.

"This ’Senior Sister Hua’ identity is an alias I use to move around the Punishment Hall. It’s to hear things I normally wouldn’t and to understand the changes in the Moyun Sect from another perspective."

Chen Xiaorong took the initiative to explain. Her identity as Chen Xiaorong was being watched too closely, but... this identity, fabricated out of thin air through power and influence, could move about freely.

"Here." Zhao Zuo pointed to Suwen, floating in mid-air.

In truth, the moment Chen Xiaorong stepped into the Cave Mansion, she felt her Lifebound Magical Artifact. Their auras blended and fused, and the Suwen longsword circled her joyfully, like two old friends reuniting after a long separation.

"It’s repaired so perfectly," Chen Xiaorong remarked with emotion after absorbing the Suwen longsword into her body. But then, a look of astonishment appeared on her face, which quickly turned into disbelief. She even started to doubt her own senses.

"How can it be thirty percent stronger than before it was repaired?"

Chen Xiaorong possessed a body of Sword Heart Clarity, so she never doubted that Zhao Zuo could repair Suwen. However, in her mind, even a repair to sixty or seventy percent of its former state would have been enough. After all, a broken mirror is hard to put back together. Even if one used special techniques to repair it, fine cracks would inevitably remain. As for re-melting and Refining it... that would no longer be the same Magical Artifact, so it couldn’t be considered a repair at all.

Her astonishment was due to the fact that Zhao Zuo’s repair was too perfect. It had even caused an earth-shattering transformation in the Suwen longsword.

Zhao Zuo had clearly anticipated this reaction and said,

"This is our little secret. Please, Taoist Friend, keep it confidential."

.......

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