novelraw Chapter 384 - 379 Impeccable Material! Long-term Cooperation?_1
Chapter 384 - 379 Impeccable Material! Long-term Cooperation?_1
Ma Zhongyuan wanted to help not only Jia Ren but also himself.
He had learned through the grapevine that Li Ruhua’s close female friend was spreading rumors behind her back.
Who was Ma Zhongyuan? A man who had specialized in living off women for three hundred years!
Without foresight, one will find trouble at one’s doorstep.
To ensure a steady meal ticket, he had to preemptively eliminate any hidden threats.
Behind a successful man stand many helpers; finding someone with interests aligned with his own to sway Li Ruhua’s friend was the key to persuading her.
Jia Ren was handsome and showed real potential for living off women.
Most importantly, he was at a low point in life, and a partnership would be mutually beneficial.
"Daoist Ma, I appreciate your kindness... However, I cannot learn this; let us drop the matter."
This was the first time he heard of needing alliances to live off women, so he quickly declined.
If it was confirmed that Very Heavenly Fragrance and Entwining Fingers Silken Love were useful for female cultivators... he wouldn’t mind acquiring the skills as a precaution.
"Daoist, you don’t understand!" Ma Zhongyuan exclaimed.
"Learning this skill will save you three hundred years of detours!
If you can charm a Refining Void Ancestor, you even have the chance to become a Divine Transformation Cultivator, cutting short three thousand years of detours."
Jia Ren’s expression became odd; the differences in thought between people could be greater than those between a man and a dog. After some idle talk, seeing that he couldn’t convince Jia Ren, Ma Zhongyuan reluctantly took his leave.
Jia Ren returned to his quiet life, and the case of the dead bodies did not cause much commotion.
Three months later, Hu San arrived at Xi Mang Mountain, bringing along a Storage Bag.
"Daoist Jia, there’s a subcontracting job available, refining Magical Treasure materials for a Daoist from the Refining Hall.
The task can be done right here at Xi Mang Mountain; no need to go to the Refining Palace.
As long as you can refine the materials within three months, with less than ten percent wastage, you’re guaranteed ten thousand Spirit Stones, with extra for good quality.
If you do well, it will be easier to get private artifact refining jobs in the future."
Jia Ren opened the Storage Bag, which contained Magical Treasure materials known as Obsidian Fine Gold.
Obsidian Fine Gold was notoriously tough and highly resistant to fire, making it extremely difficult to refine.
An average Nascent Soul Cultivator would need at least two months to refine it, while a Technique-Nearing-Dao Level Purple Sun Divine Fire could do the job in merely three to five days.
Moreover, the resulting quality would be much higher.
Completing this task successfully would enhance his reputation, potentially allowing him to learn the art of Refining Demon Souls. Once he had contacts with superior Artifact Refiners, acquiring Spirit Treasure Inscription would also be feasible. While corpse collection was uncertain, subcontracting offered a significant chance of fulfilling his wishes.
"You can come to collect it in a month," Jia Ren stated.
He estimated that it would take three to five days. In just three days, twelve pieces of Obsidian Fine Gold were completely refined into pure black crystals by the Purple Sun Divine Fire.
Each gem had six edges, was crystal clear, and reflected one’s face like a black mirror.
A month later, Hu San confirmed the quality was good and took the materials away.
"The quality is truly excellent! Better than what Elder Wang refined!" Wei Chi Gong was incredulous as he inspected the materials Hu San delivered.
As a disciple of the Refining Palace who focused on Artifact Refining, he had always wanted to enter the Hall of Artifice to craft Spiritual Treasures.
Refining materials was his biggest weakness. He had recently been delayed by urgent matters and had to find someone else to refine the materials to meet the deadline.
The subcontractor did a fantastic job, finishing in a month with such high-quality results. It was unbelievable.
"These are your Spirit Stones."
Wei Chi Gong was very satisfied with the quality of the materials and handed over two hundred Medium-grade Spirit Stones.
After sending off Hu San, he promptly submitted his work.
Upon seeing the Obsidian Fine Gold Wei Chi Gong delivered, Wang Jian, an old master refiner in the Refining Palace, instantly recognized the high quality of the material.
He quickly took out a testing Magical Treasure, astounded. "The quality of this Obsidian Fine Gold is flawless; it has perfectly fused with the flame... It’s incredible!"
Refining materials was no simple task; it wasn’t just about purification. It also involved preserving the material’s special characteristics without damage. Refiners struggled to reach perfection, and high-purity Obsidian Fine Gold improved the quality of the Magical Treasures made from it.
Wei Chi Gong had thought the material was decent, but he never expected Wang Jian to praise it so highly.
"Is this your work? Quite impressive!" Wang Jian couldn’t stop praising the Obsidian Fine Gold and turned to Wei Chi Gong, who, he remembered, did not excel at refining.
This kind of subcontracting wasn’t openly acknowledged, so Wei Chi Gong, not daring to reveal the truth, reluctantly nodded to claim the work as his own.
"From now on, you can enter the Hall of Artifice to refine Spiritual Treasure materials."
The Hall of Artifice?!
The Refining Palace was divided into side halls, outer halls, and the Hall of Artifice.
The side hall was for apprentices new to the craft, learning to make Magic Artifacts. This was the first round of selection. Those who did not perform well were expelled from the Refining Palace, and only the outstanding could proceed to the outer hall for further study.
The standards in the outer hall were much higher. It involved numerous advanced Artifact Refining techniques and Inscriptions from the Lingbao Sect, and a vast sea of various refining Method Gates. Each Artifact Refiner specialized in different skills and was assigned tasks according to their proficiency, which could encompass the refinement of materials, Refining Treasures, Inscription, or Soul Refinement. Artifact Refiners with exceptional skills in one area were allocated to the corresponding refining sections. Different Artifact Refiners would work on the parts they excelled at. Only by combining their efforts could a fine-quality Magical Treasure be produced.
The Hall of Artifice was what all Artifact Refiners aspired to reach. The requirements for the Hall of Artifice were very high. One had to be proficient in all four areas of artifact crafting—refinement of materials, Refining Treasures, Inscription, and Soul Refinement—without significant weaknesses, and pass multiple assessments to even have a chance. There were exceptions, of course: if a skill reached an extremely high level of proficiency, one could be recommended for early entry. Upon entering the Hall of Artifice, one could learn to craft Spiritual Treasures and even Sky-reaching Spirit Treasures.
Wei Chi Gong’s skills in Refining Treasures, Inscription, and Soul Refinement were all respectable. His only shortcoming was material refinement; otherwise, he wouldn’t have taken a refinement task to try and compensate for it.
This was a rare recommendation, and Wang Jian clearly had high hopes for him.
Wei Chi Gong couldn’t help but be overjoyed at the thought of finally entering the Hall of Artifice.
Those twenty thousand Spirit Stones were well spent!
"Thank you, Supervisor Wang, for your appreciation. I definitely won’t let you down!" Thinking of entering the long-dreamed-of Hall of Artifice, he was shaking with excitement.
Wang Jian patted Wei Chi Gong on the shoulder with satisfaction and said with a smile, "With you in the Hall of Artifice, I’m very reassured to entrust the refinement of Spiritual Treasure materials to you."
The refinement of Spiritual Treasure materials?! Wasn’t it supposed to be refining Spiritual Treasures?
Wei Chi Gong was stunned like a wooden chicken, not expecting this outcome.
He wasn’t even up to par with refining Magic Artifact materials; he would definitely be exposed when it came to Spiritual Treasure materials.
What to do?!
Wei Chi Gong worried so much he almost scratched his scalp raw, pondering for a long time without finding a solution.
He followed Wang Jian into the Hall of Artifice in a daze. The longed-for sacred place brought him no joy.
A few refiners came over, offering their congratulations.
"Junior Brother Wei Chi’s material refinement skills are extremely high; please don’t hesitate to share your insights."
"Refining Spiritual Treasure materials is extremely difficult, but this shouldn’t trouble Nephew Wei Chi."
"Nephew Wei Chi, how did you manage to incorporate flames into the Obsidian Fine Gold, enhancing the material’s quality?"
News in the Refining Palace spread quickly. No one else could achieve such flawless quality Obsidian Fine Gold.
Many veteran refiners, admitting their own inferiority, shamelessly came to seek guidance.
Wei Chi Gong stared at the Spiritual Materials placed in front of him, his eyes glazed over.
With his meager skills, how was he qualified to give others advice?
Wouldn’t this be like teaching an expert his own trade, merely inviting ridicule?
If his true refining level were exposed, he wouldn’t just be unable to stay in the Hall of Artifice; he would be expelled from the Refining Palace.
What to do?! Is there any solution?
Wei Chi Gong immediately thought of Hu San. The person Hu San had found to subcontract the work to possessed excellent refining skills. If he could connect with this person and collaborate long-term, the problem could be resolved.
Once he established a foothold in the Hall of Artifice, he could slowly work on his shortcomings in material refinement. By then, no one would be able to kick him out.
Wait, wouldn’t Hu San leak the information?!
"I’m not feeling well today; I’ll take the Spiritual Treasure materials back to refine." Wei Chi Gong quickly found an excuse and left with the materials.
Refiners in the Hall of Artifice were forbidden from taking Spiritual Materials out. However, rules were rigid, while people were flexible. Given that Wei Chi Gong had backing and could provide high-quality refined materials, they turned a blind eye.
No one grew suspicious. They merely thought Wei Chi Gong liked to keep his techniques to himself and was unwilling to reveal his refining methods.
Wei Chi Gong left the Refining Palace and quickly contacted Hu San.
"Let me meet with the subcontractor right away! I want to establish long-term cooperation with him, and he can name his terms!"
One lie needs many more to cover it up. There’s no turning back after the arrow has been released; Wei Chi Gong was prepared to pay any price to follow this path to the end.
...
Hu San came to Xiao Mang Mountain, bringing with him one hundred and eighty Medium-grade Spirit Stones.
"One cannot judge a person by appearance, nor measure the sea with a bushel basket. Senior Jia, your material refining skills are top-notch. I’ll be sure to come to you with work in the future."
Jia Ren nodded faintly, having just seen off Hu San.
Just an hour later, Hu San rushed back as if his pants were on fire, hurrying to congratulate him.
"There’s great news! The cultivator I’m collaborating with gained favor with his superiors because of the Obsidian Fine Gold and has entered the Hall of Artifice.
He wants to work with you long-term, and the terms are very generous."
Hu San was well-informed and quickly learned that the cultivator he had partnered with had encountered a great opportunity.
If he used this as publicity, his reputation would surely skyrocket, leading to more private work. At that rate, his door would be worn down by visitors, and he could pick and choose the most satisfactory jobs.
"What’s the level of this person’s material refining skills?" Jia Ren asked calmly, appearing deep in thought.
Hu San paused for a moment and hesitantly replied, "His material refining skills are extremely poor. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have stayed in the outer hall."
"Is a position within the Hall of Artifice very precious?" Jia Ren asked further.
Hu San broke into a smile. "The outer hall of the Refining Palace is where top-notch Magic Artifacts are forged at most. The Hall of Artifice, however, provides the opportunity to learn the refining methods for Spiritual Treasures and Sky-reaching Spirit Treasures. Entering the Hall of Artifice is a qualitative leap."
Jia Ren said coolly, "Then he should prepare for his own funeral in advance!"
???
Hu San was stunned. After a moment, he understood the implication.
Without genuine skill, entering the Hall of Artifice means his position isn’t legitimate or secure. If this gets out, not only will he be expelled from the Hall of Artifice, but there will be no place for him in the Refining Palace at all. The collaboration would continue, but what would Wei Chi Gong do to keep the secret? If the middleman—me!—is too strong, he’d have to suck it up and try to win me over. But if I’m too weak... dead men tell no tales.
At this thought, Hu San’s face turned deathly pale.
He no longer dared to linger on Xiao Mang Mountain and turned to leave.
But it was already too late for him.
A dark-faced, burly man, a Late Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator, had arrived unnoticed on Xiao Mang Mountain.
Hu San was no stranger to the newcomer. It was Wei Chi Gong, with whom he had dealt before.
Wei Chi Gong’s gaze passed over Hu San and landed on Jia Ren. "I want to cooperate with you long-term!"