Chapter 108
Chapter 108: A Rich Reward
Master Luan saw it and silently withdrew his gaze, continuing his alchemy.
The universe holds countless methods of cultivation, and everyone has their own secrets; he would not inquire.
A month quickly passed.
Wang Jie successfully deepened the seventh seal to a pitch-black color. During this month, Master Luan had refined many materials and also created two batches of pills: the Breath-Holding Pill and the Obstacle-Breaking Pill.
He could only refine these two types of pills. If he attempted to create higher-level pills, the temperatures would exceed what Wang Jie could endure.
Wang Jie was familiar with the Obstacle-Breaking Pill, but the Breath-Holding Pill had a far greater value. It was specially designed for cultivators who could not survive in space. This pill would allow a cultivator to survive for ten days in the vacuum of space, with ten days of breath-holding time.
Wang Jie hadn’t expected such a pill to exist. This meant that even if a spaceship exploded one day, he could survive for ten days in space. After that, it would be a matter of luck.
Each batch contained thirty pills.
Wang Jie returned to his residence at Fog Peak with the two batches of pills, preparing to refine them in his cultivation field.
Luo Yan was already waiting there. He had also been allowed entry into Mooncrown Mountain.
“Senior, junior is here to report that someone has a secret crush,” Luo Yan said.
Wang Jie’s eyes lit up. “Who?”
“Outer sect disciple Dong Xing has a secret crush on outer sect disciple Xie Yun’er.”
“Let’s go.”
Luo Yan was stunned. “Go where?”
“Find them.”
Luo Yan stared at Wang Jie, feeling conflicted. He had gone to great lengths to gather this information. Why would they need to confront them directly? Wouldn’t that expose everything?
Regardless of Luo Yan’s feelings, Wang Jie was determined to uncover the truth himself. But then he suddenly paused. “You keep investigating. Let’s go when we have three targets.”
It wasn’t close from Fog Peak to the outer sect, which was located in the Frost Radiance domain, outside the Three Peaks.
Luo Yan walked away, still confused.
Wang Jie didn’t care about his thoughts. He had done even stranger things back on Blue Star. It wasn’t like he was going to do anything personally, so why not? First, he needed to refine the pills.
Wang Jie intentionally increased the efficiency of his pill refinement, reaching one pill per day because he wanted to cultivate in a high-temperature environment as soon as possible.
As for the success rate, it didn’t need to be perfect.
Two months later, when Wang Jie presented the pills to Master Luan, the master was excited.
“Eighteen pills?” Master Luan exclaimed.
Wang Jie felt guilty. “Junior is lacking. I couldn’t refine all the pills successfully. These eighteen should be successful, but the other forty-two…” He didn’t finish his sentence. Those forty-two had only been partially refined, with some not even containing Frost Hua star force at all.
Master Luan interjected, “That’s already quite good. Little friend, refining pills isn’t something that can be accomplished in a single day. You not only refined them quickly, but your success rate is also quite high. That’s already impressive.”
“Even I, old man, have a failure rate when refining the simplest Obstacle-Breaking Pills. This is very normal.”
Wang Jie sighed in relief. That was good.
Master Luan had a whisper bird confirm the pill quality, and when it was found that the refined pills had increased in grade, he became even more excited. He handed Wang Jie the failed pills to test again and gave him a new batch of pills, saying Wang Jie could either use them or refine them further.
These included Breath-Holding Pills, Obstacle-Breaking Pills, and Revive Pills—basic pills, but ones that would greatly help Wang Jie. At the moment, he couldn’t make use of higher-level pills.
Along with the intentionally failed pills, he would have enough for now.
Refining the failed pills again would be easy.
“Master, Tao Two requests an audience,” Little Year Yan reported, still attending to the matter as if nothing was wrong.
Master Luan raised an eyebrow. “What does he want? I won’t see him.”
Wang Jie felt a sudden shift in his thoughts. Could Tao Two be looking for him?
Little Year Yan left, only to return shortly after. “Master, Tao Two says the furnace we asked for from Master Que Yi will be delayed.”
Master Luan was furious. “He dares?”
Little Year Yan remained silent.
Master Luan gritted his teeth and snorted coldly. “Let him come in.”
Tao Two entered and bowed to both Master Luan and Wang Jie. “On Master’s orders, I’ve come to invite Master Wang to the Underground Forge.”
Wang Jie was surprised. “Master Que Yi is looking for me?”
Tao Two nodded. “Yes.”
Master Luan was dissatisfied. “Go back and tell your master that Master Wang is helping me refine pills and can’t make it.”
Tao Two replied, “Master said, if Master Wang doesn’t go, all the tools at Mooncrown Mountain, such as the furnaces, cauldrons, and pill scoops, will no longer be repaired.”
“Little brat, are you threatening me?”
“It’s what Master said.”
“Fine, then I’ll go see Sect Master and see if Master Que Yi dares to play this game.”
“Master said he wouldn’t dare, but it’s normal for the Underground Forgemaster to feel tired or unwell.”
Master Luan glared at Tao Two, who lowered his head and dared not make eye contact.
Wang Jie found the situation amusing and stepped forward to mediate. “Senior, after all, I’m a Celestial Refinement Master. Perhaps Master Que Yi needs something, and I can help. I’ll be back soon.”
Master Luan took a deep breath and smiled at Wang Jie. “Fine, little friend, if you want to go, go. But don’t waste too much time. Those blacksmiths don’t even acknowledge the Celestial Refinement Master’s status. Don’t let them get to you. If anything displeases you, tell me, and I’ll make sure to bring you justice.”
Wang Jie quickly thanked him and followed Tao Two out.
Behind Mooncrown Mountain was the Underground Forge, a vast area beneath Fog Peak, where the Artifact Forging Dao was located.
The Underground Forge was hot, but compared to the temperatures in Master Luan’s alchemy workshop, it was much more bearable.
Refining weapons was usually even hotter than refining pills, though Wang Jie had never been up close to the forge.
Upon arriving at the Underground Forge, Wang Jie met Master Que Yi.
“It’s been a while,” Master Que Yi said, walking up to Wang Jie with a smile. “I didn’t expect Master Wang to be at Mooncrown Mountain. How’s it going? Did old Luan force you to do something?”
Wang Jie politely replied, “Master Luan is very kind to me, senior needn’t worry. What can I do for you?”
Master Que Yi asked, “Can you really refine pills?”
Wang Jie nodded.
“Old Luan tried to find a Celestial Refinement Master but failed. I didn’t expect you to succeed. Looks like you’re quite special among them.”
“Perhaps it’s just a coincidence.”
“This time, I’m asking you to help refine a material,” Master Que Yi said, pointing to a large stump-like object in the corner. “This is an ugly tree root, a very good material, but only a seventh-grade smith refiner can use it. I wonder if you can help.”
Wang Jie glanced at the root and said, “I can only refine Star Breaking Realm-level star force.”
“That’s enough. I’d appreciate it, Master. But there’s one thing I must tell you,” Master Que Yi’s expression turned serious. “This is an item of the Cold Domain Master.”
Wang Jie’s eyes flickered. The Cold Domain Master? That was the nemesis of the domain master of the Condensed Realm.
Master Que Yi continued, “I once owed Cold Domain Master a favor. I had no choice but to find you to help. He knew if he came himself, he might be refused entry. Even if he went to Mooncrown Mountain, he might not even get to see you.”
“If you’re uncomfortable, you can refuse.”
Wang Jie looked at the ugly tree root in the distance. “It’s fine. I’ll help Senior return this favor.”
Master Que Yi was grateful. “Thank you, Master. But I know this will put you in a difficult position, so…” He took a sword out of his storage ring, a sword of icy blue hue, with a gleaming edge like the waves of the ocean.
“This is the Azure Sea, forged with seventh-grade materials. It can be used in the Hundred-Star Realm.”
“I heard you like to use swords. This might be suitable for you.”
Wang Jie was overjoyed and accepted the sword without hesitation.
A sword forged with seventh-grade materials was a precious item. It would never break, and now, Wang Jie finally had a suitable weapon.
Two days later, he had refined the ugly tree root and returned to Mooncrown Mountain to continue refining pills with Master Luan, working in the high-temperature environment.
Time passed, and he managed to deepen his nine seals to pitch black. The consumption of cataclysm materials was quite high, but that was not his concern.
Only one seal remained to reach the deepest black.
The path of Heaven Reversal must be grasped quickly.
Since he had come this far, there was no turning back. He would push forward until the limit.
During this time, he also refined the lock force to reach a level where one glance could manage 2,400 forces. The goal of one glance reaching 3,000 wasn’t far away.
Although the speed slowed down the further he went, it didn’t affect him much.
One day, Luo Yan brought news: the Condensed Realm Master was looking for him.
Wang Jie bade farewell to Master Luan and returned, as the Condensed Realm Master had been his guide when he arrived at Frost Radiance Sect, and Master Luan couldn’t refuse.
It had been more than a year since he last saw the Condensed Realm Master.
This meant that Wang Jie had spent over a year at Frost Radiance Sect, and during this time, the Condensed Realm Master hadn’t sought him out. Now, he was coming for a specific reason—the ugly tree root.
But Wang Jie was wrong; the Condensed Realm Master was also here to ask him to refine materials.
Looking at the palm-sized jade stone in his hand, which resembled a wolf’s eye, Wang Jie asked, “You want me to refine this?”
The Condensed Realm Master’s tone was deep. “Sorry, I cannot tell you what this is. Please refine it, and there will be a rich reward.”
Wang Jie saw the solemn look in the Condensed Realm Master’s eyes.
“I understand. Please wait here, Senior. I’ll finish refining it in two days, and then you can take it.”
The Condensed Realm Master was overjoyed. “Thank you, Master.”
Of course, he didn’t want to leave. The material was too important, and he feared something might go wrong.
Wang Jie saw through his concerns and asked him to stay.
Two days later, Wang Jie emerged with the refined material and handed it to the Condensed Realm Master.
The Condensed Realm Master hurriedly accepted it, checked it, then put it away and looked at Wang Jie. “Thank you for refining it, Master.”
Wang Jie smiled. “It was Senior who brought me to the sect. If anyone should be thanking anyone, it should be me thanking you.”
The Condensed Realm Master took a storage ring from his storage ring and handed it to Wang Jie. “Master, please accept this. Please help keep this matter confidential.”
Wang Jie tried to decline but couldn’t. He accepted it.
After the Condensed Realm Master left, Wang Jie checked the storage ring and was stunned.
Inside, there were over a thousand Starsea Stones. These were Starsea Stones, not Star Stones. In terms of equivalent value, it would be worth tens of millions.
It was shocking. But that wasn’t all. There was also a token inside. When Wang Jie touched it, he immediately understood its purpose. It granted him the authority to call upon outer sect disciples.
With this token, he could summon up to 100,000 outer sect disciples.
Wang Jie looked in the direction the Condensed Realm Master had left, realizing that refining a single material could not possibly warrant such a great price. This was an attempt at gaining his favor.
Though unspoken, the gesture was clear.
…
Xu was a Celestial Refinement Master, proud and powerful, with cultivation at the Wandering Star Realm.
Originally from the First Star Link, Xu had received a mission to come to the Eighth Star Chain to do something simple for him.
As he arrived in Frost Radiance Domain, many disciples awaited his arrival, with the Cold Radiance Domain’s domain master, Zhu Cheng, at the front.
When the spaceship landed, Xu slowly stepped out, wearing a green robe. His expression was a mix of pride and grace, a smile that had become familiar in the First Star Link.