Chapter 130: Alchemical Formula
The next morning, he arrived at the Hall of Weapons again.
Wen Yulong was not someone that would sit here every day so Chu Liang had asked for him through a paper crane before he visited the Hall of Weapons.
The junior brother, Wen Yulong, seemed to have no customers recently as he sat there bored. However, as soon as he saw Chu Liang, a brilliant smile appeared on his fair-looking face. "Senior Brother Chu, long time no see."
"It hasn't been that long. It has only been a few days." Chu Liang smiled.
Their familiarity had grown to the point where initial formalities were unnecessary.
"Days without income always feel exceptionally long," Wen Yulong remarked with a smile.
Attendants like them, serving different halls, had no time for missions. Consequently, they sought to accumulate sword coins through alternative means. As someone dedicated to refining artifacts, his livelihood naturally depended on commissioned work.
"It appears that your talent has gone unnoticed by others so far," Chu Liang remarked with a smile as he pulled out the broken Razor Leaf from his pocket. "Take a look."
"Ah..." Wen Yulong immediately revealed a trace of heartache. He picked it up and examined it closely before relaxing his eyebrows slightly. "Fortunately, it's not too badly damaged."
"You said it was badly damaged last time when there was only a small hole, but this is what you say when it's shattered?" Chu Liang expressed a hint of puzzlement.
"Hehe, you don't understand," Wen Yulong explained with seriousness. "Last time, it merely punctured a hole, but that damage completely disrupted the inscription. This time, even though it's broken, the inscription remains intact. As for the damage to the material itself, this can be easily repaired."
"I see," Chu Liang nodded. "I was concerned it would be more costly than last time, but now I feel relieved."
"Ah," Wen Yulong realized belatedly as he remarked, "I should have exaggerated the issue and asked for a higher price."
"Young man, don't adopt these dishonest habits. If you want returning customers, you have to treat them with honesty," Chu Liang imparted, swiftly reinforcing the importance of ethical values.
He then took out the Crimson Lotus Bead and asked, "Let's see how much this is worth."
Wen Yulong set the broken razor leaf aside. He took the Crimson Lotus Bead, examined it, and rubbed it for a while. He then said, "This is a good item. It's a treasure that achieved its current power by just one preliminary refining. If I refine it once more in my hands, it should become even more powerful. By then, its value should surpass two thousand sword coins. After all, it's a enchanted treasure with both offensive capabilities and enduring function, so it will be a bit pricey."
Two thousand.
This price was even higher than what Chu Liang expected.
In this case, he had earned quite a bit from the trip to Taotie City. Despite the Big Head currently causing some financial losses at the moment, the Big Head was still worth over ten thousand. Its value was unquestionable.
The value of the Dustless Sword goes without mention. Chu Liang just didn't dare to take it out in public for fear of attracting unwanted attention.
In addition to those two, there was also the Crimson Lotus Bead.
He had made an insane amount of profit.
"Hm?" Wen Yulong looked at the Crimson Lotus Bead and suddenly suggested, "I can simultaneously repair the Razor Leaf and polish this treasure. I can embed this precious item onto the Razor Leaf and add another inscription. What do you think?"
"Another one?" Chu Liang was surprised.
The small leaf already had three forms: flight, attack, and defense... Wouldn't the addition of another one add too much variation?
"Yes, by then, I might be able to craft a versatile combination-type tool," Wen Yulong said, his eyes shining with anticipation.
Chu Liang wasn't as enthusiastic as him; he silently weighed the pros and cons.
Such combination-type tools naturally had both advantages and disadvantages.
The benefit was that the powers of several tools could be unified, saving a lot of mental effort when manipulating them and making the casting more convenient.
However, the drawback was that with such unification, some functions couldn't be used simultaneously.
For instance, the defense-boosting inscription and flight inscription of the Razor Leaf could be triggered simultaneously, but the defense-boosting inscription and offensive inscription couldn't be activated at the same time.
If there were too many treasures and inscriptions combined, it could lead to a wastage of function.
And so, he needed to analyze the issue in this situation.
Considering the power of the Crimson Lotus Pearl, Chu Liang eventually decided that the integration of the Crimson Lotus Pearl into the Razor Leaf was feasible. And so, he nodded and said, "Sure."
"Great!" Wen Yulong was eager to try.
Whenever Chu Liang visited, he would present Wen Yulong with surprises.
"I also brought back these two pieces of Aura-Concealing Muslin." Chu Liang took out the materials for the two parts of Aura-Concealing Muslin.
Chu Liang was accustomed to this routine. Whenever he would return from an adventure, he would organize all the collected resources with Wen Yulong.
"No problem. The task of refining an enchanted robe is not challenging. I won't charge you for that. However, the refinement of the Razor Leaf is a huge task; I'll have to charge you two hundred and fifty." Wen Yulong said with a smile.
"That's fine." Chu Liang agreed easily.
When he had money in his pocket, being frugal would be unnecessary.
If he had purchased the Human-Faced Xiao at Taotie City, it would have emptied all his savings. However, amidst the chaos in the Hall of Ten Thousand Beasts and the pursuit of the escaped beasts, he managed to kill the Human-Faced Xiao. This not only achieved his goal but also helped him save spirit stones. And so, he was able to be more generous when dealing with Wen Yulong.
The two swiftly reached a harmonious agreement for another collaboration. After settling their discussions, Chu Liang inquired, "By the way, do you have any knowledge of Core Formation?"
"Huh? You've reached the pinnacle of the Spiritual Awareness Realm?" Wen Yulong immediately caught on. "Congratulations, Senior Chu."
"Haih. I don't know if I should be happy or worried about it." Chu Liang smiled as he shook his head.
"Indeed. It is not cheap to achieve Core Formation, " Wen Yulong said, "I only know some basics as I haven't even reached the Golden Core Realm."
"I know even less. Since you have some knowledge of refining pills, explain it to me, " Chu Liang said.
"Sure." Wen Yulong nodded.
"Golden Cores are typically categorized into high-tier, mid-tier, and low-tier. Of course, there's the legendary ultimate-tier Golden Core, but the formation of such a golden core depends on your luck," he paused for a moment and began to explain.
"For example, the most basic type of Golden Core formed by people who practice Mount Shu's Divine Nine's Profound Mental Cultivation Technique would be the Divine Nine Golden Core. The required materials include the six heavenly treasures—Qingyun Violet Leaves, Huayang Vermilion Cinnabar, Profound Core Induction, Rootless Rain Essence, Dragon Grass Bearer, and Bead of Nine Merits. These items could be purchased at the Hall of Weapons and cost roughly one thousand sword coins."
"However, these materials would only aid in refining the most basic low-tier Golden Core. If you wish to have a mid-tier Golden Core, you'd need to incorporate two rare materials—Yunque Powder and Supreme Yang Stone. By adding these two materials, you'd be able to form a mid-tier Heavenly Golden Core. These two items are for sale at the Hall of Weapons, and their combined cost is significantly higher than the previously mentioned ones. Even so, it would still be around 1000 sword coins."
"Disciples of Mount Shu should aim to at least form a mid-tier Golden Core. As for the formation of a high-tier Golden Core, it would depend on the extent of effort you are willing to invest."
Wen Yulong pondered as he explained slowly. Clearly, it wasn't easy remembering these things.
The formation of a high-tier Golden Core would necessitate the incorporation of materials with Yin-Yang attributes and those representing one of the five elements. For instance, by adding a Fire Lingzhi or one of those fiery nature's treasures, such as the Yang Seed, one can form a Heavenly Golden Core of Fire. With such diverse spiritual properties, it is classified as a high-tier Golden Core.
"These materials are rarely stocked up at the Hall of Weapons. You would have to look for these items yourself." Wen Yulong continued saying.
"The last one would be the ultimate-tier Golden Core. On top of what is required for the high-tier Golden Core, elevating the quality of the Golden Core would require an addition of a Celestial Herb of Ascension. However, obtaining this herb is a matter of chance and luck."
"Senior Brother Chu?"
The moment he finished talking, he realized that Chu Liang was already in a daze and he hastily called out.
"Sigh." Chu Liang came back to his senses. He sighed and said, "The process of Core Formation is really troublesome."
"Though it's troublesome, it's worth it," Wen Yulong said, "After all, a cultivator only needs one Golden Core in their lifetime, so it's not too excessive to put in a bit more effort."
"Only one?" Chu Liang smiled bitterly.
...
Even after Chu Liang had returned to the Silver Sword Peak, he still felt a sense of heaviness. If he would have to help the Golden-Core Puppet, he would need to do this Core Formation twice.
If possible, who wouldn't wish to go through this process of Core Formation only once in their lifetime?
It would be great if one could cultivate two at the same time.
Originally, he thought he could rest for a few days, but it seemed that he would have to get busy again—saving money, searching for herbs, and forming his Golden Cores...
If he wanted to reach the Golden Core Realm before the Mount Shu Summit, the schedule was indeed very tight.
While he was calculating the time, he suddenly felt a vibration in his arms. This sensation hadn't occurred for a while, but he immediately realized what was happening.
Soul Subjugator Token?
He took out the Soul Subjugator Token and entered into the domain with his divine consciousness. There, he saw a row of conspicuous characters floating.
[Fiend]: "A Southern Guider has called for a meeting."
[Fiend]: "Gather outside the Southern Bastion Mountain within the next seven days."
A Southern Guider...
The Violet Golden Marquis's subordinates consisted of eight Guiders, twenty-four Fiends, and seventy-two Soul Subjugators... The Southern Guider was a diabolical cultivator, holding a rank nearly as high as the leaders in the Dark King Sect.
"Why did he summon everyone? What major event has occurred?"
Chu Liang didn't have to ask as that usual slick and talkative person promptly replied.
[Fifty-Ninth]: "Esteemed Fiend, what happened?"
[Fiend]: "All will be revealed upon your arrival. The Southern Guider has commanded the gathering of all Soul Subjugators from each group outside the Southern Bastion Mountain within the next seven days! Immediate departure is imperative upon receiving this message."
[Sixtieth]: "Noted."
The news arrived with such abruptness that Chu Liang found himself enveloped in a prolonged silence. After all, the acceptance of this direct order meant an inevitable meeting within seven days.
It was indeed a bit nerve-wracking.
The suddenness of the summons, after days of no communication, heightened the pressure considerably.
While he could inform his sect in advance for a coordinated interception, dealing with cultivators from diabolical sects demanded precision, and he only had one chance to capture them.
The orchestrator of this assembly was the Southern Guider. As for the Violet Golden Marquis, the target of his teacher's pursuit, he had yet to make an appearance.
Chu Liang had to carefully weigh the value of capturing this Southern Guider.
[Fifty-Ninth]: "It seems that some precious and rare treasure in the Southern Bastion Mountain has captured the attention of our esteemed Southern Guider. That likely explains the summoning of this assembly."
[Fifty-Ninth]: "So exciting!"
[Fifty-Eighth]: "Noted."
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