txolops Chapter 84 A complete set of magical artifacts, twin swords!
Chapter 84 A complete set of magical artifacts, twin swords!
"Small shops really don't work!"
Lin Chuan shook his head immediately after seeing the divination result, his illusion that the private old shop was "more skilled and perhaps more dedicated" was instantly shattered.
They can't even uphold the most basic integrity, yet they dare to secretly withhold the main ingredients and use the low-level excuse of "refining failure" to cover it up. If it weren't for the divination, I would probably have really suffered a loss.
He suppressed his impatience and decided to continue waiting.
Another day has passed, and a new hexagram arrives as promised.
[Today’s hexagram: Zhongji]
[The divination reads: Today you went to the fourth floor of the Divine Weapon Pavilion and met a mid-Foundation Establishment stage weapon-refining master. He is obsessed with weapon refining, takes a liking to your materials, and says he will not charge you for the refining process. You only need to pay for the auxiliary materials you add. If the refining fails, he is willing to compensate you three times the loss...]
"Zhongji!"
Lin Chuan was overjoyed, and a smile involuntarily appeared on his face.
"The Divine Weapon Sect has stood for many years. If its directly affiliated Divine Weapon Pavilion had a poor reputation, how could it attract so many cultivators? It seems that official shops are indeed more reliable. This Master Gu is a truly dedicated person who is obsessed with his craft."
Since the divination had indicated the best choice, Lin Chuan no longer hesitated.
After tidying himself up briefly, he left the inn and headed straight for the magnificent five-story stone and wood pavilion in the center of the market—the "Divine Weapon Pavilion".
Upon entering the first floor of the Divine Weapon Pavilion, a cacophony of noise immediately greets you.
Dozens of Qi Refining cultivators lingered at the various counters, carefully examining the displayed magical artifacts or whispering inquiries about prices with the shop assistants, creating a lively atmosphere. Lin Chuan, without glancing to either side, walked through the crowd and went straight up the wide staircase.
The second floor was still bustling, but the cultivators' cultivation levels were noticeably higher, and the quality of their magical artifacts had also improved considerably.
Lin Chuan continued upwards without stopping.
Starting from the third floor, the environment suddenly becomes quieter. The decorations are more elegant, the space is more open, and there are only a few religious artifacts on display, but each one has an inner spiritual light and is obviously extraordinary.
Occasionally, one or two Foundation Establishment cultivators would chat with the shop assistants in the quiet room. Lin Chuan's appearance did not attract much attention.
He went straight up to the fourth floor.
The fourth floor was quieter, with soft animal skin carpets and pictures of landscapes or weapons hanging on the walls.
There are only three or four rooms here. At the entrance is a large sandalwood table, behind which sits a middle-aged steward who is dressed in the standard blue robe of the Divine Weapon Sect, has a clear and bright face, and whose cultivation level is in the early stage of Foundation Establishment.
Upon seeing Lin Chuan come upstairs, the manager raised his eyelids, glanced at him, and, sensing his mid-Foundation Establishment cultivation level, gave a professional, polite smile: "Fellow Daoist, do you need any custom-made or repaired magical artifacts?"
"Exactly."
Lin Chuan nodded, "I would like to ask your esteemed master to tailor-make a few top-tier magic artifacts for me."
"A top-tier magic weapon?" The steward's expression remained unchanged, clearly having served many Foundation Establishment cultivators with such needs. He picked up a white jade slip from the table, immersed his divine sense into it for a moment, and said, "Fellow Daoist, your timing is perfect. Our pavilion currently has Master Gu available. Master Gu's skills are superb, especially in processing various rare demonic beast materials to forge offensive magic weapons. He ranks among the top three Foundation Establishment-level weapon refiners in our pavilion. What do you think, fellow Daoist?"
"Okay," Lin Chuan replied briefly.
"Alright, fellow Daoist, please follow me." The steward stood up and led Lin Chuan through a quiet corridor paved with bluestone and lit with ever-burning lamps on both sides, to a heavy stone door at the very end.
The steward raised his hand and tapped the stone door three times rhythmically.
A moment later, the stone door slid open silently, and a warm scent mixed with metallic, fiery, and faint woody aroma wafted out.
Inside the door was an extremely spacious weapon-refining room; the floor and walls appeared to have been specially reinforced.
It is engraved with defensive and heat-insulating array patterns. In the center is a crimson furnace about half a person's height, and although the fire in the furnace has been extinguished, the residual heat still remains.
Around the room were various anvils of different sizes, hammering and forging tools, as well as jade boxes and stone platforms for holding various spiritual materials.
An elderly man with gray hair tied back, his face reddened by the smoke from the stove fire, and his eyes unusually bright and spirited, was sitting on a stone bench, carefully examining a dark gold metal blank in his hand.
He wore a simple gray short jacket, revealing his strong arms. His cultivation level was at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, and his aura was calm yet carried a scorching sensation from years of dealing with flames and metal.
"Master Gu, this fellow Daoist wishes to refine a top-grade magic weapon."
The steward spoke respectfully at the door.
"Okay, I understand. Go ahead and get busy." Master Gu waved his hand casually without even looking up.
The steward acknowledged and withdrew, and the stone gate slowly closed.
Master Gu then put down the metal blank in his hand, turned his gaze to Lin Chuan, looked him up and down, and asked directly, "Bring your own materials, or will you use mine?"
Lin Chuan didn't waste any words. He patted his storage bag and took out several items one by one, placing them on a large stone platform next to him.
First up are the forelimbs of the Golden-backed Demon Mantis, which are over five feet long, shaped like scimitars, jet black and shiny, with sharp, cold light flowing around their edges that stings the skin, and exuding a strong aura of a level four demon beast.
Next came a pair of wings that were about ten feet long when spread out, as thin as cicada wings, grayish-brown in color, with faint gold patterns on the edges, and as light as nothing.
Finally, there are several pieces of carapace of varying sizes, dark gold in color, with natural patterns, and hard in texture.
"Oh?"
Master Gu's previously calm eyes suddenly lit up when he saw the pair of mantis blades. He strode forward, gently stroked the cold, smooth surface of the blades, and then flicked the edge with his finger.
"Zheng—!"
A clear, melodious, and slightly metallic ringing sound echoed through the stone chamber.
"Great materials! Excellent materials indeed!"
Master Gu's eyes lit up with fascination. "This is... the forelimb of a level four demonic beast, the Golden-backed Mantis! So complete, its sharpness undiminished, truly rare! I haven't seen such high-quality offensive demonic beast material in nearly ten years!"
He then looked at the wings and carapace, and nodded: "The wings are light and tough, with wind attribute fluctuations, making them good materials for crafting flying magical artifacts. The carapace has decent defensive capabilities, but it is far less valuable than the forelimbs."
Master Gu's analysis was almost identical to Lin Chuan's own assessment. The Golden-backed Demon Mantis was known for its offensive capabilities, while its defense was relatively weak; otherwise, it wouldn't have been so easily killed by the talisman.
"Fellow Daoist, I am confident that I can forge a complete set of top-tier offensive magic weapons from these forelimbs for you!"
Master Gu spoke with confidence and excitement, "It can be separated or combined, and its shape can be changed at will. With the advantage of its material, once successfully forged, its sharpness will absolutely be top-notch among top-tier magical artifacts! Most defensive magical artifacts of the same tier would probably be unable to withstand the power of a single strike!"
"With these wings, I can add several auxiliary spiritual materials such as 'ethereal wood' and 'light feather gold' to forge a flying magic weapon. Its speed will definitely far exceed that of ordinary ones."
"As for this shell..." Master Gu pondered for a moment, "It could be used to forge a defensive inner armor, but its defensive power would probably only be at the level of a top-grade fine magic weapon, so there wouldn't be any great surprises. If you think it's a waste, you can keep it; it might have other uses in the future."
After a moment's thought, Lin Chuan said, "As you say, Master, we will refine the forelimbs into offensive magical artifacts, the wings into flying magical artifacts, and the carapace... please also refine it into an inner armor."
The materials are just sitting there anyway.
Forging a piece of defensive inner armor might come in handy in a critical moment.