Chapter 89: Chapter 88: Upgrading the Magical Artifact

As the dust settled, Lu Zhao let out a long breath, his eyes filled with shock and longing. A Foundation Establishment Pill! Fifteen thousand Spirit Stones!

The enormous sum hammered at his heart and spirit. It solidified his previous resolve. ’I must find a way to join the Bixia Sect! Even if it’s just as an Outer Sect Steward, as long as I gain the right and the means to obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill, it will all be worth it!’

He was currently only at the Qi Cultivation Seventh Layer, and reaching the Great Perfection of the Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer would require at least ten more years of hard work. During those ten years, his focus would be on accumulating resources, raising his Cultivation, and pouring all his effort into improving his Puppetry.

After the auction ended, Lu Zhao followed the crowd to the back hall. After paying five hundred and fifty Spirit Stones, he cautiously accepted the Cold Jade Bottle containing the Nourishing Spirit Pills and the Half-Foot Jade Jar that held the sealed Cyan Cold Nether Water.

Lu Zhao left the auction and returned to Guiyun Residence. He activated the Restriction, then took out the Jade Jar first. As he broke the seal, an extreme chill instantly filled the air, and the temperature in the Quiet Chamber plummeted.

Inside the Jade Jar, a dark, deep liquid flowed quietly, as if it contained a miniature Cold Pool that seemed to devour any light that drew near. Lu Zhao carefully sensed the pure Water Spirit Power within and nodded in satisfaction. He sealed it again and placed it in his Storage Bag. ’This is the key to upgrading the Hundred Waters Magic Disc.’

Next, he took out the Cold Jade Bottle. Inside lay seven longan-sized, perfectly round Pills, each glowing with a gentle, milky-white halo. They were the Nourishing Spirit Pills.

Lu Zhao estimated that if he could fully refine and absorb the medicinal power of these seven Pills, his Thousand Threads Technique would certainly advance. He could condense five, or with a bit of luck, maybe even six Divine Sense Threads! This would greatly increase the number of Puppets he could control and his ability to refine High-Tier Puppet Cores.

「The next morning」

Lu Zhao left Guiyun Residence and headed straight for a well-known establishment in the Marketplace’s Central District—Zhang’s Artifact Refining Room.

The shopfront wasn’t large, but it was neat and tidy. A few glistening sample Magical Artifacts hung on the walls. A young apprentice who looked to be in his early twenties, with handsome features and dressed in gray work clothes, was behind the counter polishing a Magical Artifact.

Seeing Lu Zhao enter, he quickly put down his work, hurried over, and offered an enthusiastic yet slightly reserved smile. "Fellow Daoist, welcome to Zhang’s Artifact Refining Room. Are you looking to have a Magical Artifact forged or repaired?"

Lu Zhao glanced around and said directly, "I have a Magical Artifact that I’d like to ask your shop’s Artifact Refiner to upgrade to Tier One High-Grade."

Upon hearing this, a troubled look appeared on the young apprentice’s face. "Upgrade a Magical Artifact’s grade? To Tier One High-Grade, no less? That’s no small matter, and I’m not authorized to make that decision. My master is currently refining an artifact in the back room. If you don’t mind, Fellow Daoist, please follow me to the side hall to wait a moment. I’ll go inform him right away."

"Thank you for your trouble," Lu Zhao nodded.

The young apprentice led Lu Zhao to a simply furnished Quiet Chamber to the side and deftly served him a cup of fragrant Spirit Tea. "Please have some tea, Fellow Daoist. It will only be a moment." With that, he hurried off toward the back room.

Lu Zhao picked up the teacup, sensing the faint Spiritual Qi it contained, and waited patiently. About an hour later, the door to the Quiet Chamber was pushed open, and a burly, square-jawed, middle-aged man with thick eyebrows and large eyes strode in.

He wore a leather apron stained with a bit of soot, and his exposed arms were corded with muscle. He exuded the faint aura of Fire Element Magical Power, and his Cultivation was at the impressive Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer. This was the Shopkeeper and chief Artifact Refiner of Zhang’s Artifact Refining Room, Zhang Baitie.

Zhang Baitie’s sharp gaze swept over Lu Zhao, and his voice boomed, "Fellow Daoist, my apprentice tells me you have a Magical Artifact you wish to upgrade?"

Lu Zhao stood and greeted him with a cupped-fist salute. "Indeed. I am Lu Zhao. Greetings, Fellow Daoist Zhang." As he spoke, he took the Hundred Waters Magic Disc and the Jade Jar containing the Cyan Cold Nether Water from his Storage Bag and placed them on the table. "This is the item, a Tier One Middle-Grade Magical Artifact, the Hundred Waters Magic Disc. I was fortunate enough to find a portion of Cyan Cold Nether Water and would like to ask you, Fellow Daoist Zhang, to integrate it into the disc and upgrade the Magical Artifact’s grade to Tier One High-Grade."

"The Hundred Waters Magic Disc?" Zhang Baitie raised a thick eyebrow, a flash of surprise in his eyes. He reached out, picked up the disc, and infused a sliver of Spiritual Power from his fingertip to feel the Water Element Spirit Patterns flowing within. "This is a rare piece. It’s probably not a Magical Artifact from our Chen Country. Must have come from Yue Country..." he muttered to himself.

"Mm, the structure is intricate, the Spirit Patterns are coherent... a well-laid foundation." He put down the Magic Disc, then picked up the Jade Jar. Prying open a small crack to sense the contents, he nodded. "Tier One High-Grade spiritual water, Cyan Cold Nether Water. Top-notch quality, and a sufficient amount."

He looked at Lu Zhao, a confident, almost arrogant smile spreading across his face. "Upgrading the grade? No problem! You can count on old Zhang! I’m not just bragging, but here in Bixia Marketplace, when it comes to Tier One High-Grade Artifact Refiners who handle Water Attribute Magical Artifacts, if I say I’m second-best, no one would dare claim to be the best! Otherwise, you wouldn’t have come looking for me specifically, right?" He thumped his chest, producing a dull thud.

Lu Zhao gave a faint, noncommittal smile and simply asked, "How confident are you, Fellow Daoist Zhang? And how long will it take?"

"How confident?" Zhang Baitie laughed heartily, as if he’d just heard a ridiculous question. "Rest assured, Fellow Daoist! With this type of growth-oriented Magical Artifact, the key to upgrading its grade lies in the fusion of the Core Spiritual Material and the fine-tuning of its Spirit Patterns. As long as the materials are right and the technique is sound, the chance of failure is minuscule!"

"Besides, your Magic Disc has a good foundation, and this Cyan Cold Nether Water is Top Grade. Leave it with me, and I guarantee nothing will go wrong! As for the time..." He pondered for a moment. "Half a month! Come back to pick it up in half a month!"

Hearing such confidence, Lu Zhao felt more at ease. He had chosen this Artifact Refining Shop after inquiring about Zhang Baitie’s reputation, especially since he’d heard the man had a unique talent for handling Water Attribute Magical Artifacts. He nodded. "Then I’ll be relying on you, Fellow Daoist Zhang. What is the fee?"

"Thirty Spirit Stones!" Zhang Baitie held up three fingers. "You’re providing the materials, so I’m only charging for labor."

The price was within a reasonable range. Lu Zhao readily took out thirty Spirit Stones and handed them over. "Alright, it’s a deal. In half a month, I will come to trouble you again."

Zhang Baitie accepted the Spirit Stones and carefully put away the Magic Disc and the Jade Jar. "Take care, Fellow Daoist. In half a month, I guarantee I’ll return to you a Tier One High-Grade Hundred Waters Magic Disc!"

Leaving Zhang’s Artifact Refining Room, Lu Zhao walked back the way he came. The gains from the auction, the upgrade to his Magical Artifact, the steady increase in his Cultivation, the advancement in his Puppetry... everything seemed to be moving in the right direction.

He looked up at the clear blue sky above Bixia Marketplace, his gaze firm. The road to Foundation Establishment was long, but he had found his direction and was now taking steady, grounded steps forward.

Next, he would wait for the Magical Artifact upgrade to be completed, then focus all his energy on refining the Nourishing Spirit Pills and cultivating the Thousand Threads Technique, striving to form his fifth and sixth Silk Divine Sense Threads as soon as possible!

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