Cultivation begins with alchemy and collecting runes.

Complete the preliminary preparations for weapon crafting.

Master Gu waved his hand, and the various spiritual materials that had already been prepared on the workbench flew into the refining furnace.

He rapidly cast spells with his hands.

The vessel blank shone brightly inside the refining furnace, dancing up and down.

Master Gu's crafting process was extremely skillful and efficient, clearly demonstrating that he had thoroughly mastered the process of creating this magical artifact.

From the very beginning, Li Xiuyuan stared intently at the screen.

Not a single detail of the movement was missed.

I would add notes from time to time, afraid of forgetting.

Time flies.

The artifact blank inside the refining furnace gradually took shape, resembling a pocket-sized magical artifact.

Master Gu's expression gradually turned serious.

It's almost time for the final step!

Just then, a buzzing sound came from inside the crimson furnace!

"Buzzing!"

The accompanying burst of light illuminated almost the entire room.

"It's done!"

Master Gu beamed with joy, and the little mustache at the corner of his mouth curled up happily.

He waved his hand.

A small, palm-sized, jet-black bag spun around and landed in his hand.

Li Xiuyuan was startled; only a mid-grade magic weapon could possess such spiritual pressure.

These mid-grade magic artifacts, which require special crafting by a weapon refiner, can easily fetch a high price of five or six hundred spirit stones in the market.

"What should I use to pledge the value of this magical artifact?"

Li Xiuyuan pondered for a long time.

"Congratulations to Master Gu on successfully forging the weapon!"

Li Xiuyuan offered his congratulations at just the right moment.

"Fellow Daoist Li, the magic artifact you requested has the effects of gathering spiritual energy for alchemy and defense. Ordinary materials simply cannot support it. I have also spent a lot of effort to gather this main ingredient."

Gu Tianle's voice was steady, but slightly tired from overexertion, as he handed the dark gold shield-shaped magic weapon to Li Xiuyuan.

Li Xiuyuan quickly stepped forward and placed the magic weapon in his palm.

This magical artifact is about the size of a palm, with winding patterns on it and a pale golden sheen.

Although the demonic aura was shed after being scorched by the earth's fire, the powerful bloodline energy remained formidable.

"Thank you for your trouble, Master Gu!"

Li Xiuyuan bowed respectfully, his tone respectful but not humble.

"I have been refining pills for many years, and I need pure spiritual energy to reduce the toxicity of the pills. Ordinary spirit-gathering arrays are not very effective at filtering out impurities, and superior arrays are too expensive for me to afford. This makes it difficult to improve the quality of the pills I refine."

"Given my current cultivation level, venturing into the mountains to search for medicinal herbs is quite dangerous, which is why I sought the master's help to refine this extraordinary treasure."

There's no need for formalities between us.

Gu Tianle said in a calm tone, "I have been refining weapons for many years and suffer from fire poison. I have an extreme need for high-quality Qingxin Pills."

"The price and quality of the Cleansing Heart Pills on the market are far inferior to those that Fellow Daoist Li refines by hand. You should know that your top-grade Cleansing Heart Pills contain almost no toxicity, which is extremely useful to me."

"Since we are kindred spirits and fellow members, I couldn't resist the urge to try my hand at crafting. These materials are just leftovers from before, nothing particularly precious."

Upon hearing this, Li Xiuyuan understood.

During this period, with the backing of the "Tongxin Society" and his superior Qingxin Pill, he made a name for himself in Lingbao Pavilion.

For this weapon forging, Li Xiuyuan paid for all the Qingxin Pills Gu Tianle would need for the next three years, which would offset the cost of Gu Tianle's materials. As for the labor cost, he waived it out of consideration for them as fellow members.

Gu Tianle withdrew his spiritual power, a smile appearing on his face. "This treasure doesn't have a name yet, Fellow Daoist Li, you can name one yourself!"

"This treasure can both gather and purify spiritual energy, and also provide protection and defense; hence it is called the Gold-Swallowing Spirit Bowl."

Li Xiuyuan bowed again, expressing his sincere gratitude.

Gu Tianle waved his hand and his gaze fell on the storage bag at Li Xiuyuan's waist.

A hint of anticipation flashed in his eyes: "Now that the magic artifact has been handed over to you, fellow Daoist, I wonder if the Mind-Clearing Pill is ready?"

Li Xiuyuan immediately took out three medicine bottles from his storage bag and handed them over.

"Rest assured, Master. Over the past three months, I have worked day and night, devoting myself wholeheartedly, and have finally succeeded in refining nine top-grade Cleansing Heart Pills, with absolutely no defective ones!"

Gu Tianle took the pill, smelled it, and a satisfied look appeared in his eyes. He then put the jade bottle into his storage magic artifact at his waist.

"Fellow Daoist's alchemy skills are indeed well-deserved. In my opinion, they are not much worse than Master Wang's, haha!"

Li Xiuyuan smiled awkwardly, not daring to respond. He certainly didn't dare to comment on Wang Ming's alchemy skills.

Gu Tianle abruptly changed the subject, "The Black Wind Valley I mentioned earlier has recently experienced unusual fluctuations in spiritual energy. It's said that an ancient cave has reappeared, and within its ruins are not only rare spiritual materials and refining treasures, but also ancient cultivation techniques and divine weapons. However, the ruins are overrun with demonic beasts, and with the involvement of various forces such as sects, families, and cultivators, their ferocity is unpredictable!"

He paused, looked at Li Xiuyuan, and said with a hint of probing, "Fellow Daoist, are you really not going? Although there are risks there, the ancient spiritual herbs and rare minerals in the ruins will be of great benefit to us alchemists and weapon refiners. It is truly a rare opportunity."

Li Xiuyuan held the Gold-Swallowing Spirit Bowl in his hand, the worry in his eyes dissipated, his brows relaxed, and his tone became firm.

"My cultivation is low, only at the early stage of Qi Refining with meager skills. Those ruins are a mixed bag; not only would I have no chance, but I would also have lost my life in vain."

Master Gu's cultivation is profound, so he will naturally handle things with ease. I will simply focus on refining pills and cultivating my inner energy within the city; I have no other intentions.

The ancient cave dwelling in Black Wind Valley is said to be the remains of a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Once it emerges, it will inevitably attract fierce battles from surrounding leisure families, sect disciples, and desperate rogue cultivators, making the situation extremely dangerous and unpredictable.

Li Xiuyuan had neither powerful magic weapons nor profound cultivation to protect him. If he went there rashly, he would only become a stepping stone for others on their path to immortality.

"I have a cheat code; I just need to steadily refine pills and techniques, improve my proficiency, and farm runes."

Opportunities should not be seized through momentary struggles, nor should they involve unnecessary risks; this is the true path to immortality.

Seeing that Li Xiuyuan was determined, Gu Tian nodded without trying to persuade him further: "Very well, everyone has their own ambitions. As members of the 'United Hearts Society,' we should help each other. If you need to exchange pills or artifacts in the future, or if you need rare materials or confidential information, you can inform me at a gathering of the United Hearts Society or send me a message."

After saying that, Gu Tianle waved his hand, indicating that Li Xiuyuan could leave.

Li Xiuyuan bowed again, put the Gold-Swallowing Spirit Bowl into his storage bag, and turned to leave the cave.

……

The cave training room

After refining the Gold-Swallowing Spirit Bowl, Li Xiuyuan placed it in his dantian to nurture it.

He then began refining the Heart-Clearing Pill.

Even though the service fee was waived, it still cost a considerable amount of money to have Gu Tianle refine the weapon this time.

He would need to refine a full one hundred mid-grade Clear Mind Pills to offset the damage.

For the next six months, Li Xiuyuan remained completely secluded at home.

A sign indicating "Closed for Retreat" was hung outside the door, refusing all visitors.

He used his spiritual energy daily to refine the Gold-Swallowing Spirit Bowl, using it to absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and purify impurities through the power of the magical artifact.

It transformed into streams of pure and ethereal energy, surrounding the body.

On one hand, the meridians are tempered with pure spiritual energy, and on the other hand, the spiritual power in the sea of ​​qi is repeatedly tempered with the [Minor Forging Yuan Refining Fire Technique].

This will further refine and purify it, laying the foundation for breaking through to the fourth level of Qi Refining.

[Mana +1]

[Mana +1]

[Mana +1]

……

On one side, the furnace was being used to refine medicine. With the help of pure spiritual energy, the refining process was smooth and uneventful.

After just over ten failures, Li Xiuyuan successfully refined the complete medicinal properties of the Spirit Gathering Powder.

【Spirit Gathering Powder (Beginner), 1/50】

He consistently produced one furnace per day, yielding five catties of Spirit Gathering Powder, far exceeding his expectations.