19: Chapter 19: Digging into Qing Hanfeng's Corner?

Duan He cupped his fists at Zhao Ruoan, his face piled with an enthusiastic smile: "Uncle-Master Zhao, look, in this path of Artifact Refining, the consumption of Materials is also a major expense."

"Just go ahead and operate; whatever Materials you need, just ask this Disciple."

"As for the treasury of Tianhuo Peak, I can't guarantee much else, but these basic Ore are more than enough!"

He was joking; how could he possibly miss such a once-in-a-lifetime Opportunity.

Although his talent was lacking and he shouldn't dream of stealing techniques, by making himself familiar and waiting on him hand and foot, he could always reap some benefits.

In the future, when this Junior Martial Uncle became a Great Grandmaster of Artifact Refining, the return rate on his small investment today would simply be incalculable.

Zhao Ruoan didn't expect that even the issue of Materials would be resolved, and his mind was greatly set at ease.

"Then I will trouble Senior Brother Duan."

"It's no trouble at all, serving Junior Martial Uncle is a pleasure!" Duan He patted his chest to guarantee.

Thus, a bizarre "study group" was established just like that.

One pretended to guide, but actually stole techniques.

One poured tea and water, moonlighting in logistics.

And Zhao Ruoan, surrounded in the middle, was the only "good student" kept in the dark, single-mindedly wanting to study well.

Zhao Ruoan sat cross-legged and began to regulate his breath.

That whole operation just now had indeed completely drained the spiritual power within his body.

But as soon as he circulated the "Great Dao Scripture", the situation changed.

The surrounding Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, like a cat smelling fish blood, frantically surged into his body.

The withered sea of spiritual power within his Dantian began to refill at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Elder Fu Gao and Duan He were still exchanging glances earlier, transmitting signals of "you know what I mean".

The next moment, the two felt the abnormal surge of Spiritual Qi around them.

Their movements froze, and they looked at Zhao Ruoan in unison.

This... is recovering spiritual power?

Isn't this recovery speed a bit outrageous?

Even if he had taken the top-tier Qi-recovering Medicinal Pill, it wouldn't be this fierce!

In less than the time it takes to burn an incense stick.

Zhao Ruoan opened his eyes, rose to his full height, and his entire spirit and vitality had recovered to the Peak state.

He moved his limbs and felt that the spiritual power within his body was abundant, even a fraction purer than before Artifact Refining.

"Elder, the Disciple is ready and wants to try again."

Elder Fu Gao: "..."

Duan He: "..."

Again?

Are you a perpetual motion machine?

Elder Fu Gao spoke with difficulty: "Uncle-Master Zhao, the path of Artifact Refining requires both tension and relaxation; there is no need to rush for a moment."

He was mainly afraid that his heart couldn't take it.

Zhao Ruoan shook his head earnestly: "The Disciple feels that my touch was just getting warm; striking while the iron is hot might yield even better results."

After finishing, without waiting for Elder Fu Gao to persuade him further, he walked straight to the front of the Artifact Refining furnace.

This time, he didn't hesitate in the slightest.

Spiritual power urged, and the furnace fire reignited.

Materials were thrown in, achieving perfect purification.

The two types of spiritual liquid converged in the furnace, spiraling inward with the Taiji circulating.

The entire process was more than twice as smooth as the first time.

Elder Fu Gao and Duan He stood aside, already numb.

If the first time was a miracle, then the second time was rubbing the miracle against the ground.

Zhao Ruoan's spiritual power manipulation this time was even more delicate and much more efficient.

The Fusion step that originally required half a quarter of an hour to complete took less than half that time this time.

"Hum——"

The mixed spiritual liquid was lifted out by spiritual power, suspended in the air.

This time, Zhao Ruoan did not shape it into the appearance of a short sword again.

With a thought in his mind, the spiritual liquid began to stretch and extend, finally transforming into a slender flying knife.

The blade body was thin and delicate, with smooth lines, filled with a fatal aesthetic.

When the flying knife solidified and formed, falling into the card slot, the sound it emitted was clearer and sharper than the previous short sword.

Elder Fu Gao leaned over to take a look, and his pupils shrank once again.

On the body of the flying knife, besides the natural flowing gold patterns, there was unexpectedly an extra shallow, feather-like rune.

"This... is this the 'Light Feather' rune?" Elder Fu Gao's voice was dry.

This was a basic rune that could slightly enhance flight speed and dexterity.

Although simple, this meant that during his second Artifact Refining, Zhao Ruoan had already begun to attempt rune inscription while solidifying and shaping the weapon!

And, he succeeded!

"It is still a Medium Grade Profound Weapon, but the quality... is even a notch higher than that short sword just now!"

Elder Fu Gao reached a conclusion.

Looking at Zhao Ruoan again, he found that after finishing refining this time, the kid's face was only slightly pale, and clearly, there was still plenty of surplus spiritual power.

The first time, he exhausted his spiritual power and refined a Medium Grade Profound Weapon.

The second time, saving half the time, he refined a higher-quality Medium Grade Profound Weapon, effortlessly carved a rune, and still had remaining spiritual power.

What kind of terrifying progression speed was this?

Elder Fu Gao felt that his views on Artifact Refining had been completely subverted, then stepped on and ground into powder.

A thought grew wildly in his heart, no longer able to be suppressed.

Such a peerless Prodigy—if he were only made to practice swords, it would simply be a terrible waste! It would be a crime against the entire Artifact Refining world!

Night fell.

After completing the two sessions of Artifact Refining, Zhao Ruoan stopped.

He did not continue, but instead sat aside, closing his eyes to review and summarize.

"The Fusion the second time was still a bit hasty, causing the spirituality inside the spiritual liquid to be insufficiently stable, and it almost failed when inscribing the runes."

"The output of spiritual power was also not smooth enough, wasting about ten percent or so."

"Next time I can try..."

He summarized his experience here, searching for shortcomings.

On the other side, Elder Fu Gao and Duan He were facing each other in silence within the courtyard.

The evening wind blew past, carrying a hint of coolness.

After a long time, Elder Fu Gao finally spoke, his voice hoarse: "Duan He, what do you think of this Uncle-Master Zhao?"

Duan He gave a wry smile: "Elder, aren't you asking the obvious? What can I think, I can only look up at him."

"That's not what I mean." Elder Fu Gao shook his head.

He paced a couple of steps and stopped under an old tree in the courtyard.

"I mean, don't you think that for a talent like him to stay at Qinghan Peak and only cultivate the Dao of the sword is a waste?"

Duan He's heart skipped a beat.

He heard the meaning in Elder Fu Gao's words, and a chill rushed straight from the soles of his feet to his crown.

"E-Elder... You, you couldn't possibly be thinking..."

Elder Fu Gao turned around. Under the dim light, his expression was unprecedentedly serious.

"I want to keep him at our Tianhuo Peak!"

As soon as these words were spoken, Duan He trembled in fright.

He lowered his voice, almost roaring in a breathy whisper.

"That is Qinghan Peak! He is Grandmaster Yun Qinghan's only Personal Disciple! You're going to poach talent from her?"

Throughout the entire Qingxuan Sect, who didn't know that Yun Qinghan's protectiveness of her own was notoriously famous.

Elder Fu Gao snorted coldly: "Short-sighted!"

"You only saw Yun Qinghan's strength, but you didn't see the value that a top-tier Artifact Refiner can represent!"

"Even if a Martial Artist cultivates to the extreme, they are ultimately just strong as an individual. But a Great Grandmaster of Artifact Refining can arm an entire Sect and influence the course of a war! His connections and status are far beyond what a pure Martial Artist can compare to!"

"Uncle-Master Zhao has extraordinary talent in the Dao of the sword; I don't deny this. But his talent in Artifact Refining is one-of-a-kind through the ages! It is a talent that can establish a Sect and become an Ancestral Master of a generation!"

"Comparing the two, which is lighter and which is heavier is clear at a glance!"

The more Elder Fu Gao spoke, the more excited he became.

"As long as he is willing to stay wholeheartedly at Tianhuo Peak, I, Fu Gao, am willing to pour out everything to nurture him! All resources of Tianhuo Peak will be tilted towards him! Within a hundred years, our Qingxuan Sect will surely give birth to a Ninth-Grade Artifact Sage!"

"By then, the status of our Tianhuo Peak will not necessarily be below Qinghan Peak!"

Duan He listened with a pounding heart and cold sweat streaming down.

He admitted that what Elder Fu Gao said made a lot of sense.

But principles were principles, and reality was reality.

"Elder, everything you said is right." Duan He swallowed hard, "But the problem is, Uncle-Master Zhao's talent in the Dao of the sword isn't just extraordinary either—his talent there is also one-of-a-kind through the ages!"

"Fifth-Order Sword Intent! A Fifth-Order Sword Intent at fourteen or fifteen years old! Have you forgotten?"

"A Prodigy who practices both paths simultaneously, with talents on both paths crushing all living beings—why must you force him to give up one path?"

Duan He felt that Elder Fu Gao's thoughts were simply obsessed.