Chapter 357: Chapter 317: Artifact Refining Assessment
Recalling his past life, Tao Boliang sighed, "What kind of expert am I? Now I’ve become a wanted fugitive. Baose Manor can no longer accommodate our brothers, they only want to kill us quickly. I hope Sect Leader Lu can grant us a path to live."
His rather honest attitude made Lu Qian nod secretly, "I need to know exactly what crime you, honorable brothers, committed so that I can make a judgment. Please tell me the truth, I will verify with Baose Manor. If it’s really a malicious murder, even if you have divine means, I will not recruit you."
These straightforward words made Tao Zhongxian’s face turn pale. He trembled and said, "Accident, Sect Leader Lu, it was all an accident..."
Tao Boliang interrupted his brother’s incoherent words and explained the situation solemnly.
The Tao Brothers were originally loose cultivators, who accidentally joined Baose Manor. Tao Boliang’s talent for artifact refining was gradually discovered. He had a calm personality, was mature and reserved, always focused on honing his skills, hardly ever causing trouble. Within twenty years, he had become one of the notable artifact refiners in the manor.
However, his brother Tao Zhongxian was rather frivolous, particularly prone to getting infatuated, often causing trouble, and always needing his elder brother to clean up his mess.
Unexpectedly, one day, he really caused a death. He and a senior were both pursuing the same woman, and in their jealousy, they fought fiercely. Tao Zhongxian owned several rare items crafted by his elder brother, and in the heat of the moment, he severely injured the senior.
Initially, the senior was not dead, but unexpectedly, the female cultivator appeared and said coldly, "The one I love is Junior Brother Feng, you deserved it for fighting!"
Upon hearing this, the senior could not bear the shock and died after spewing blood.
Regrettably, such matters are hard to explain clearly; the culprit was still Tao Zhongxian. Most crucially, the deceased was a direct disciple of the Grand Elder of Baose Manor, thus Tao Zhongxian was to be arrested and put to death.
The youngster hurried to his elder brother. Tao Boliang, helpless, took him and fled. With some items he had refined, they managed a successful breakout. Along the way, they injured many disciples of Baose Manor, deepening the mutual hatred.
After listening, Lu Qian observed the two brothers’ rather apprehensive expressions. He thought that this Tao elder brother was indeed skilled, able to escape from Xinghu County all the way to Shuangye Square. If he could pass the test later, and verification with Baose Manor turns out accurate, it might be worth saving him.
He clapped his hands, and a dozen disciples stepped onto the platform, standing behind him.
"Fellow Daoist Boliang, show your skills by attempting to forge a Rainbow Sword Embryo: length three feet seven inches, width one inch two; the sword body needs to have three overlapping array positions. Limited to a half hour."
Upon hearing this, Tao Boliang relaxed, realizing that Sect Leader Lu had intentions to mediate in the accidental death matter. Now a real test was upon him, and he quickly focused all his energy, stepping before the melting furnace.
Lu Qian proposed a tricky question. The Rainbow Sword is a standard magical artifact requiring four types of spiritual sand and three types of spiritual ore. Once forged, it becomes resplendent and beautiful, popular among female cultivators.
But integrating seven raw materials in a precise sequence challenges the artifact refiner’s skill and fundamentals immensely, making it prone to failure if slightly unstable. Generally, artifact refiners don’t want to tackle such work.
The requirement of three overlapping array positions made the half-hour timeframe seem to disciples behind him like an impossible task.
After years of costly efforts, Yunshan Sect finally had some disciples with insights into artifact refining. However, this field is vast and profound, requiring talent, and is as challenging as formation arrays. Even with Yunshan Sect investing massive materials and spirit stones, these disciples still lack expertise, unable to take up significant responsibilities.
Now, letting these disciples observe, if Tao Boliang truly excels, he will become the Refining Equipment Chief Instructor at Yunshan Sect.
Tao Boliang took a deep breath; with a move of spiritual power, the furnace roared, flames shot from the inlet, and one material after another was thrown in.
His technique was steady and swift, with full concentration, creating a graceful flow like floating clouds and flowing water.
Disciples behind Lu Qian murmured in amazement, "What, Flowing Light Stone, Colorful Cloud Ore, and Star Sand fed simultaneously?"
"Blue Rainbow Sand needs to be melted at this time?"
"Spirit Anvil Golden Hammer can be used this way!"
...
After half an hour, a sword embryo shimmering with rainbow light was placed before Lu Qian.
A sheen of sweat appeared on Tao Boliang’s bald head. "Sect Leader Lu, fortunately, I did not fail you."
Lu Qian glanced at the disciples’ admiring expressions; his mind was made up.
He spoke no more, handing over a blueprint, "Take a look at what this is, can you make it?"
The blueprint had descriptions removed, showing only data and model diagrams.
"This is a linkage mechanism for the spiritual power cannon on a floating battleship, and an acceleration array transmission shaft. It’s quite novel in design, but if I were to make it, five days for the former and ten days for the latter would be enough." Tao Boliang said confidently.
Lu Qian nodded internally; this was indeed part of the linkage mechanism for the Void-Soaring and Distant-Guarding Divine Ship, one of the core components.
The two Divine Ships had long been restored, and now six more new ones were manufactured, totaling eight ships, for the entire Shuangye Alliance. These ships gained reputation through four and a half years of skirmishes and territorial conflicts.
Most parts of the Divine Ship can now be refined by Yunshan Sect itself, but the true core components still need to be disassembled for custom orders from different artifact refining workshops at Plum Blossom Marketplace, then reassembled back at the mountain gate.
Provided Tao Boliang was not boasting, if he were in charge, Yunshan Sect might just be able to refine the Divine Ship themselves after some more training along with Yunshan disciples.
"Look at this as well, can you recognize it?" Another blueprint was handed over, and Tao Boliang furrowed his brows.
He pondered for some time, then made a firm decision, "This seems to be a movable joint mechanism along with a weapon linkage; this... this is a part of a puppet?"
Lu Qian nodded in satisfaction, "Can you make it?"
Tao Boliang gritted his teeth, "Given adequate time, I can figure it out. But I must clarify, judging by the materials needed and the engraved arrays on it, this should be a Foundation Establishment Level puppet. Based on my cultivation, I will need collaboration with a Foundation Establishment Feather Scholar with extraordinary Divine Sense."
Lu Qian clapped with praise, "Wonderful, Fellow Daoist Boliang is indeed an artifact refining expert!"
Included in Jichuan Profound Monarch’s Collection, "Essentials of Refining the Soaring Snake Daoist Soldier," Flying Snake, Ming Snake, and Soaring Snake correspond respectively to Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, and Nascent Soul levels of Daoist Soldiers. The refining diagrams are extremely detailed; all essentials are clear at a glance.
In past, Yunshan Sect lacked the capability to make this thing, but if Tao Boliang joins, prospects for Flying Snake Daoist Soldiers are promising!
After millennia of development, there are now various auxiliary means of artifact refining. Unlike in the Barbaric Era, to an excellent artifact refiner today, advancing one realm for refining is not difficult; many materials’ melting and engraving can be done using tools like the spiritual power melting furnace.
For instance, Tao Boliang can now produce some simple spiritual artifacts, even components of Flying Snake Daoist Soldiers. As long as there’s a Foundation Establishment Feather Scholar suitable for collaboration, the casting can succeed.
Of course, advancing across two realms won’t do. Magical Treasure-level items require advanced tools that must wait until Foundation Establishment to control.
Even so, if Flying Snake Daoist Soldier can be successfully refined, the Foundation Establishment battle power stationed at Lingsha City can be freed, immensely strengthening Shuangye Alliance’s strategic advantage!
Lu Qian felt extremely satisfied, handing over a Jade Scroll.
"Take this as a reward, and employ Fellow Daoist Boliang as an honored guest elder for our Yunshan Sect, serving as Refining Equipment Chief Instructor, how about it?"
Tao Boliang, a bit puzzled, accepted the Jade Scroll. After reading a few lines, his body trembled instantly, face flushed, eagerly shouting, "Sect Leader Lu! Can this truly be true?"
