"Eyes closed, eyes opened, three years have passed."
As the saying goes, fairyland pavilions enter dreams, and a century of cultivation is unknown.
Altering one's destiny is like this; for great cultivators, even a hundred years may only amount to the time spent in meditation.
However, for a young man like Jade Pavilion, three years are enough to let him leave his innocence behind.
In three years, the Qingxi Pavilion seemed to have no change. The high seeing who was the dog of Leopard eventually did not follow his master Jiang Bao Variation, but instead joined the new town guarding cultivator's door and was still a nominal disciple.
Though this world lacks the legend of the triple-surname slaves, the tale of Gao Jian's two-surname slavery is still quite legendary.
However, the indifference and disdain of outsiders cannot affect Gao Jian's 'power'.
As soon as Jade Pavilion left the Fu Yuan Jiu, he ran into Gao Jian, who was patrolling with his enforcement team. This beast was bullying a seemingly aged scattering cultivator.
Jade Pavilion did not speak, but simply nodded calmly at Gao Jian, as if giving a greeting.
At the beginning, Wang Xianmao helped Gao Jian escape and in return, Gao Jian took care of the two brothers of Jade Pavilion. Although it was better than nothing, it might have some possible use.
"Jade Pavilion, remember to come with your younger brother when I take a concubine the day after tomorrow."
Gao Jian was quite generous, proactively extending the invitation.
Similarly, Gao Jian has to perform this ritual every year as a form of collecting protection fees, which is like a special protection racket.
But if Jade Pavilion goes, he naturally doesn't have to pay.
Moreover, Gao Jian's protection fees are not taken by himself - there is a management system for town guarding cultivators outside of the existing red light management system in Qingxi Pavilion.
"Do you have spiritual rice?" Jade Pavilion stopped and asked with a smile.
Jade Pavilion is not one to take losses, and upon hearing his question, Gao Jian didn't take offense.
"Hahaha, if you bring us gifts, I'll let you take the higher position."
The high surname won't eat a loss themselves, and they've calculated everything very clearly.
Face is face, favor is favor, spiritual rice is spiritual rice, and no one should eat for free.
"Okay, Jade An eats a lot, so you can't be stingy when the time comes, Senior Gao."
In the confused eyes of Jade An, Jade Pavilion and Gao Jian were tugging on their sleeves in exhaustion.
"Don't worry, don't worry," Gao Jian promised with his mouth.
As the two brothers walked away, Gao Jian's smile gradually disappeared from his face, returning to its fierce state. Looking at the suppressed scattering cultivator, he roared.
"Five pieces of spirit stones for the entry fee into the pavilion. Be sensible and don't tell me that a refining fifth-layer cultivator doesn't have five pieces of spirit stones."
"I paid the fee yesterday; I have an entry pass. And isn't the entry fee just one spirit stone?"
"Yesterday is yesterday, today is today. The five spirit stones are a fine for not having today's entry pass. Quickly pay up!"
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"He has already chosen a path to his own demise."
As Gao Jian gradually moved away, Jade Pavilion whispered.
"What do you think?" Jade An was puzzled.
"Jiang Bao Bian didn't take him on, which means Gao Jian himself doesn't have the potential to reach the foundation cultivation stage. It must be that his cultivation path is wrong."
Now, he's like a madman, extracting spirit stones from scattering cultivators to save up resources for his foundation cultivation.
But to accumulate foundation cultivation resources by purchasing requires at least five thousand pieces of spirit stones. His master has prepared for years but has not accumulated enough, how can Gao Jian get these resources by squeezing spirit stones from the hands of scattering cultivators?"
Yuan An did some calculations and felt that Jade Pavilion might have made a mistake.
"He can extort five spirit stones from a scattering cultivator, and if he extorts one every day, he can accumulate 100 spirit stones per year. That's almost 20,000 spirit stones in three years. He can reach foundation cultivation then."
Jade Pavilion smiled and walked into Huafeng Jiu, leaving a sentence floating in the air.
"You mean, he likes to eat alone?"
Rubbing his head in frustration, Yuan An followed Jade Pavilion into Huafeng Jiu.
Yuan An is also bold in thinking.
Gao Jian accumulating 20,000 spirit stones in a year?
Who would know that he's a town guarding cultivator if they didn't know!
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"Asherah!"
Upon entering, Yuan An saw Ningyao Sister, and his back straightened up automatically.
Zhong Ningyao pointed to the back hall of Huafeng Jiu and gently said.
"Hurry up and go in, today is a critical day for you two, and your brother has already gone inside."
Yuan An nodded and invited.
"Don't worry, there won't be any problems. On the contrary, we are planning to go to the ghost market tonight. Would you like to join us?"
Upon hearing that Jade Pavilion and Yuan An were going to the ghost market, Sister Ningyao was somewhat tempted, but she still shook her head.
"My father doesn't let me..."
Jade Pavilion and Yuan An had grown up on Wangjia Mountain and had lived in two places their whole life.
Zhong Ningyao grew up in Qingxi Pavilion from a young age, and Master Hongmei was afraid that his daughter might be in danger, never allowing her to step out of Qingxi Pavilion for a single step.
"Understood...Then, I'll go in first, Sister Ningyao."
Yuan An, this silly kid, couldn't continue the conversation after two sentences.
"Work hard, you're the best!" said Zhong Ningyao.
Yuan An smiled idiotically and walked into the back hall. Upon seeing Yuan An's appearance, Hongmei couldn't help but feel angry.
You brat! If it weren't for my disciple, do you think I'd beat you up?
"Stop laughing, come over here!" Hongmei scolded.
"Restricted by the power of law, your level of refinement as a Qing Xin Period's refiner can only produce inferior Taoist artifacts, but this does not mean that you can only learn the methods of refining inferior Taoist artifacts."
The refinement of Taoist artifacts often has a regularity. In my view, there is not much difference between inferior and medium-grade artifacts; it's just a matter of the control over spiritual fire and the level of refinement.
Today, you two are to respectively refine the embryo of medium-grade Taoist artifacts using Nine-Tier Ink Jade and Nine-Tier Soaked Blood Copper as base materials.
As for the restrictions, you only need to refine three layers of basic restrictions, but make sure to leave enough space for refinement.
The Ink Jade Oil Beads and the turtle shell I gave you, were later refined so simply because I reserved space for subsequent refinement restrictions during my creation.
Now, each choose a piece of spiritual material, and then begin."
Jade Pavilion left the Nine-Tier Ink Jade for Yuan An and took the Nine-Tier Soaked Blood Copper for himself – that's difficult.
Beyond grade, under the same category of spiritual materials, there are also distinctions in their special properties.
Purple copper is inherently a grade-nine spiritual gold, but after being refined with the blood of special beasts or other indescribable spiritual blood, it becomes soaked blood purple copper.
The specific special effects will vary based on the type of spiritual blood and the differences in refining methods, this is called tempering.
Tempering, this special method of processing spiritual materials is also the most critical part of the refining path inheritance. It is a good thing that even big sects like Hongmei Pavilion and Qingxi Pavilion are unwilling to share.
For example, if a cultivator with a Wood spiritual root needs a Yang-type Taoist weapon made of spiritual gold and iron, they can choose spiritual materials that have been tempered with the Wood nature to make the base material for the weapon, thus greatly improving its compatibility when in use.
But in return for the advantages, one must bear the corresponding costs. The difficulty of refining tempered spiritual materials is much higher.
This is also the reason why Jade Pavilion actively chose soaked blood copper.
"Yuan An, have you thought about how to refine this Ink Jade?"
Hongmei looked at the Ink Jade in Yuan An's hand and asked in a serious tone.
Jade Pavilion isn't worried. This child is like a demon, only learning for three years, yet his refining cultivation level has already reached the stage where he studied refining for seven or eight years.
Yuan An, who has reached the fifth level of refining Qi, used his spiritual power to probe the Ink Jade. After a long time, he looked at his master with anticipation and asked.
"Master, can I refine the Ink Jade Oil Beads?"
Jade Pavilion's Ink Jade Oil Beads and his turtle shell have been Yuan An's constant study.
If he were to refine the Ink Jade Oil Beads, he was confident that he could refine three layers of restrictions while leaving space for seven layers of refinement.
Hongmei deeply inhaled.
Calm, calm, calm!
Do I look like an Ink Jade Oil Bead?"
Just refine the axe handle, only refine the blade part. Remember to leave the hole for the handle this time!"
"Yes, Master!"
