Arc 3: Part 30
The City of Independent Cultivators amidst the Hundred-Thousand Mountains had its eight gates openly welcoming guests from all directions. As long as one had spiritual cultivation and spirit stones, no personal identification or background checks were required, making the city a free zone to all.
Upon entering the city, Tong Su went straight to the marketplace. She bought quite a few medicinal herbs and ores, then rented a room at an inn. Isolating herself for half a month, she summoned her little fire bird and began refining her artifacts and elixirs in high spirits.
The process of refining artifacts using the cauldron was relatively simple. It involved using the extraordinary flame to melt the ores and reshape them. Even without an understanding of the array formations, she could still mold several sharp swords if the quality of the flame was sufficient.
However, refining elixirs was a bit more difficult. Tong Su had her fair share of accidents with the refining furnace as well. Fortunately, she had ample resources and the elixirs she chose were of a lower level, so failures didn't trouble her much. After days of careful consideration, she successfully refined a few great elixirs.
Tong Su's work was only 'sharp' or 'great' because, despite having a talent card, she was still relatively new to the refining process and couldn’t possibly compare to the experienced masters who've dedicated years to refining.
Nevertheless, what she produced was not ordinary — those elixirs and magical instruments she refined were pure, devoid of any impurities!
The reason these extraordinary flames were cherished by alchemists and artifact masters was because the higher the grade of the fire, the more impurities could be removed during the refining process, making the resulting herbal and ore solutions more refined.
With the help of her talent card, the artifacts and elixirs Tong Su produced may not have been of the highest grade.
However, speaking of purity, her creations far exceeded what even the grand masters — those in the Yuanying or God Transformation stages — could do!
Tong Su spread out the successful elixirs and artifacts she had refined, carefully selecting the ones she was most satisfied with. She packaged them in jade bottles and boxes, then donned a cloak to conceal her appearance and discreetly delivered them to the Alchemy Tower and the Artifact Forge in the City of Independent Cultivators.
These venues were established by the renowned alchemists and artifact makers of the Hundred-Thousand Mountains to identify talent among their peers.
Practitioners in the disciplines of alchemy and artifact making would submit their work for evaluation by senior cultivators stationed there. If one demonstrated talent, they might be valued by a senior and recruited directly into the Tower or Forge.
Even if not recruited, obtaining an appraisal certificate for the grade of their elixirs and artifacts meant that their wares would be trusted by fellow cultivators, whether they set up a stall or a shop in the territories of the numerous sects.
To Tong Su, it seemed as though she was getting a certificate, like a test-exempt registration for a Level 4 or 6 proficiency exam.
She visited both establishments and saw long lines at the entrances. After a long wait, it was finally her turn.
Tong Su grimaced as she paid the substantial registration fee, left her elixirs and artifacts, and provided a communication talisman to receive the results.
She especially suspected that the appraisal was more than just the expertise caring for the next generation's talents; perhaps it was also an opportune moment for them to make some extra money.
Had it not been for Tian Xuanzi stuffing her with two Qiankun bags of spirit stones before her visit, the appraisal fees alone would have cost her almost half of her original possessions!
With all set up, Tong Su did not wait idly in the inn. She inquired about the locations of secluded cultivation spots for rent outside the city, chose a place with dense spiritual energy, and rented it for six months straight.
She was ready to attempt the breakthrough to the Golden Core stage!
Tong Su closed her door, sat down to meditate, and detached herself from worldly matters. However, thousands of miles away in the far north's Ziwu Celestial Palace, Feng Yin Yue found herself in a dire situation.
Perched upon the Cliff of Reflection, she had waited for a moment when no one was around to begin her cultivation. Yet, she discovered that she couldn't assimilate the Spiritual Wood Root she had recently absorbed from Bai Tong. It was practically impossible to refine!
Forcing the process would corrode her channels and a sharp pain throbbing through her meridians was the immediate response, causing her to open her eyes and violently spit out a mouthful of blood!
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