Longevity: Starting with an infant's innate growth potential

Chapter 150 Cooperation and Crafting of Second-Tier Spiritual Weapons (Please Subscribe)
"Zhou Ling, what brings you here today to treat me to dinner?"

Inside the elegant private room of the Four Seasons Pavilion, He Zijian had just sat down when he asked with a smile.

Today, he received a message from Zhou Ling via the communication jade at Xuan Ting Si.

Invite him to dine at the Four Seasons Restaurant.

"If there's anything important, discuss it with Brother He!"

Zhou Ling said with a smile.

Soon the maid brought out the dishes.

Thinking that he was treating this time, Zhou Ling didn't order much, just three dishes and a soup.

That's enough for the two of them to eat.

However, the cost is not low; these alone require six low-grade spirit stones.

"event!"

Seeing Zhou Ling's confident expression, He Zijian immediately became interested.

Zhou Ling wasn't in a hurry. He first picked up the wine pot, poured He Zijian a cup of wine, and said, "However, this matter carries considerable risk."

"And it involves Foundation Establishment families!"

"I wonder if Brother He dares to do it?"

"A Foundation Establishment family, you haven't messed with someone again, have you?" He Zijian took a sip of wine and glared at him slightly.

"Do I look like the kind of person who causes trouble?" Zhou Ling said innocently and harmlessly.

He then picked up the wine pot and poured more wine for He Zijian.

He picked up some meat and started eating it himself.

After a while, He Zijian couldn't help but ask curiously, "Who are you going to deal with?"

"It's not about targeting anyone." Zhou Ling took a sip of wine, then lowered his voice and said, "Yesterday, Uncle Xu and the others from the medicine-finding team accidentally discovered a spirit mine while searching for herbs in the mountains."

"But on the way back, we were attacked by cultivators from the Li family and almost lost our lives."

"Uncle Chu and the others came to me to discuss their desire to mine this vein."

"With such a good thing happening, of course I'd think of you."

"However, considering that the Li family might try to seize the mine if we start mining, that's why I'm discussing this with you."

Upon hearing Zhou Ling's words, He Zijian's eyes widened in shock. "A spirit mine! The Li family!"

As the eldest son of the He family, he naturally knew what a spirit mine meant.
"If you are interested in spirit ore, the mining profits will be divided into three parts: one part for you, one part for me, and the remaining part for the herb-finding team."

"But before that, we need to figure out a way to deal with the Li family!"

Zhou Ling continued.

"Dealing with the Li family is easy. My He family owns a share of this mine. Do they dare to make a move?"

He Zijian glanced at Zhou Ling and now understood Zhou Ling's intention.

This kid is worried about the Li family, so he dragged himself into this mess.

No wonder, the sun has risen in the west! It's such a beautiful day, please come to the Four Seasons Restaurant for dinner.

However, for a single spirit ore, such a price is certainly worthwhile.

“That’s not what I meant.” Zhou Ling shook his head and said seriously, “The Li family really went all out this time, and Uncle Xu almost lost his life.”

"Although the Li family doesn't dare to offend the He family, they won't take our medicine-finding team seriously."

"What I mean is, can the two of us destroy the Li family?"

As he finished speaking, a cold glint flashed in Zhou Ling's eyes, revealing a faint air of authority.

This is a sharp aura that he has condensed from his frequent practical training in the [Illusion Simulation].

Hearing Zhou Ling's words, He Zijian was taken aback. Sensing Zhou Ling's aura, he was also surprised. He had originally thought that this kid was just greedy.

I never imagined that when they get ruthless, they would even dare to target Foundation Establishment families!
I thought to myself, "Has he gotten too bold because he won first place in the assessment?"

"The two of us against the Li family? Is that even possible?" He Zijian frowned and continued, "The Li family now has two early Foundation Establishment cultivators."

"Moreover, the patriarch Li Yan has successfully established his foundation seven or eight years ago, and he is probably already at the second level of foundation establishment, or even the third level!"

"Even if the two of us join forces and use all our strength, we still can't be his match!"

Although his sword intent is extremely strong and yang, with an unstoppable momentum.

However, he was also well aware that there was a huge gap between Foundation Establishment cultivators and Qi Refining cultivators.

Zhou Ling's thinking is too simplistic; he probably hasn't witnessed the strength of a Foundation Establishment cultivator!
"Foundation Establishment Level 3!" Zhou Ling's expression darkened. This level of strength was indeed beyond their current capabilities.

If we can't deal with it, we have to find a way.

Otherwise, we can only wait until September to send our parents to Qingyun Immortal City.

It's too dangerous in Lingxia Immortal City.

After a moment's thought, he decisively said, "Don't you know how to form formations?"

"At that time, you set up a few magic arrays, and I'll refine a few second-tier one-time-use attack magic weapons. Even if someone is at the third level of Foundation Establishment, we might not be able to defeat them!"

"A second-tier spiritual weapon!" Hearing this, He Zijian was even more shocked.

"You've already been able to forge second-tier spiritual weapons?"

"Well, the success rate isn't that high yet!" In order to drag He Zijian into this mess, Zhou Ling could only nod confidently.

Although he had never tried to forge a second-tier spiritual weapon, he had repaired the Fire Gang Sword and the Yuanhe Five Elements Inscription from the last assessment.

I have a general understanding of second-tier inscriptions, and I know that they require the assistance of divine soul power for tempering.

Furthermore, his own spiritual cultivation was not low, and he also had the [Soul Like a Blade] talent to assist him.

Therefore, this is his innate advantage, and also the source of his confidence to attempt to refine a second-tier spiritual weapon.

It should be noted that generally only those whose spiritual cultivation reaches the Foundation Establishment stage, which is the second level, can release their spiritual power and condense a certain amount of spiritual attack power.

Of course, this excludes cultivators who practice secret techniques for cultivating the divine soul.

"A second-tier, one-time-use attack artifact! If we can actually forge it and combine it with an array, we might actually be able to fight against a Foundation Establishment cultivator!" He Zijian's eyes lit up.

He chose to apply to the Flying Dragon Academy, which focuses on expanding territory, so he was naturally not afraid of the risks.

The reason I didn't rashly agree to Zhou Ling's request was because the success rate of dealing with Foundation Establishment cultivators was too low.

If they had second-tier spiritual artifacts, plus the consumption of the magic array, and the combat strength between the two of them...

There might actually be a chance to kill a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Moreover, given his sword intent, he can only make greater progress under such extreme pressure.

Just like his great battle with Jin Sheng in this assessment, his swordsmanship has advanced to a new level.

After thinking for a moment, he nodded decisively and said, "Okay, I'll do it!"

Hearing He Zijian's words, Zhou Ling finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Through intermediate observation and intermediate analysis, he knew how terrifying He Zijian's actual combat strength was.

The assessment was merely a competition with rigid rules that restricted his actions.

In a real life-or-death battle, the opponent's strength might be even greater.

Of course, he also knew in his heart that dealing with a Foundation Establishment cultivator would not be so easy.

Moreover, since it's a contest for a spirit mine, and Li Yinfeng has been crippled by me, the Li family will definitely go all out and launch a frenzied attack.

"Brother He, if someone dies while we're fighting over the mine, will your Xuan Ting Division take responsibility?"

Zhou Ling took a sip of wine and asked again.

After all, this kind of struggle is not an assessment or competition, and it will definitely cause a lot of casualties.

Moreover, in his plan, the Li family should be wiped out, or better yet, completely eliminated.

He didn't want to be constantly on people's minds.

Of course, he now has many tricks up his sleeve and a [crisis response] ability, so he's not too afraid, but he doesn't want his parents to encounter a crisis.

Given Xu Jiu's situation, he definitely needs to find a way to prevent it from happening again.

He Zijian lowered his voice and said, "If this kind of thing happened in Lingxia Immortal City, the Xuan Ting Guard would naturally have to take care of it!"

"However, in Black Cloud Mountain, the Xuan Ting Division won't care about that!"

Zhou Ling poured wine for He Zijian again. He Zijian's words meant that Xuan Ting Si would not interfere, so he could rest assured.

After all, he still needs to enter the Taoist academy and get a regular position in the Heavenly Crafts Bureau in the future.

If the Xuan Ting Si investigates this matter, then we'll be in trouble!

"Currently, the Xuan Ting Division has limited manpower, and its main responsibility is to ensure the safety of Lingxia Immortal City and to eliminate evil cultivators, demonic cultivators, and monsters."

"As for competing for resources in the wilderness, we generally don't get involved in that kind of thing."

He Zijian then explained to Zhou Ling.

Zhou Ling's gaze shifted, and he asked again, "Brother He, what is the strongest magic array you currently possess?"

Since He Zijian said so, there shouldn't be too much of a problem on the Xuan Ting Division's side. The next crucial question is how to ensure that we can kill the Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Li family.

He was confident he could handle Li Mu.

But for the other two Foundation Establishment cultivators, other methods will be needed.

"The strongest magic array I can currently set up is the Three Swords Lightning Array."

"Although this Three Swords Lightning Array is a first-grade high-level array, the three lightning swords it condenses already possess the power to deal with early Foundation Establishment cultivators!"

"It just takes some time to set up and activate the array!"

He Zijian replied.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Ling's face lit up with joy. As the eldest son of a prominent family, He Zijian must have other tricks up his sleeve.

"Brother He, what's the situation with these two Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Li family?"

Zhou Ling then inquired about the Li family's situation from He Zijian.

As a member of the Xuan Ting Guard, He Zijian was mainly responsible for the situation in the western part of the city, so he naturally had some understanding of the situation of the various aristocratic families.

The Li family now has three brothers, two of whom have reached the Foundation Establishment stage, making them a newly emerging Foundation Establishment family in Lingxia Immortal City.

The eldest brother, Li Yan, was in the early stages of Foundation Establishment and also mainly practiced the Black Fiend Fist, but he had already entered the third level and his strength far surpassed that of Li Mu.

The second brother, Li Jin, also had the cultivation level of the early Foundation Establishment stage, but instead of staying in Lingxia Immortal City, he joined the third-grade sect, Huanglong Sect.

The third one is Li Mu, who is at the ninth level of Qi Refining.

Having gained a general understanding of the Li family's situation, the two then discussed strategies for dealing with the enemy.

Of course, the main priority is to first occupy the spirit mine.

The two then decided to head to Black Cloud Mountain three days later to first seize the spirit mine and set up a magic array.

As for the Li family, even if they don't make a move, Zhou Ling will find a way to deal with them.

Afterwards, the two left the Four Seasons Restaurant and went back to make their own preparations.

······.

After returning home, Zhou Ling took out the "Second-Order Basic Inscription" and began to study it.

Now that we need to deal with the Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Li family, we naturally need to make ample preparations.

Although he had solemnly promised He Zijian that it was a second-tier, one-time attack magical artifact.

But now all I have is the Fire Gang Sword.

The Thunderfire Ball is only a mid-grade first-tier magic weapon. It's okay to deal with Qi Refining cultivators, but its power is insufficient to deal with Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Of course, a large number of them also has a significant destructive effect.

But he only had a dozen or so in his possession, which he had prepared for his father and the others.

He quickly scanned the jade slip with his divine sense and soon discovered a decent second-tier low-grade spiritual artifact, the Blazing Flame Pearl.

This Blazing Pearl is composed of three overlapping inscriptions of twenty-five flame runes, enough to pose a considerable threat to Foundation Establishment cultivators.

"However, the time is too short. If Master Lu were to make the tools, it would take at least ten days."

"Moreover, this is a second-tier spiritual weapon, which even Master Lu might not be able to forge!"

Zhou Ling quickly shook his head.

Master Lu is only a first-grade weapon refiner, and with his current strength, it is difficult for him to create second-tier spiritual weapons.

"Perhaps we can only buy it at the market first?"

Zhou Ling murmured again.

However, he quickly dismissed the idea.

After all, he had recently visited almost every market and shop selling magical artifacts in Lingxia Immortal City in order to purchase the Five Paths Magic Sword.

There are very few shops that sell magical artifacts.

Such one-time use magical artifacts are extremely rare.

Zhou Ling frowned, and after thinking for a moment, a sudden idea struck him. "The Heavenly Crafts Bureau has second-grade artifacts. I can get some back and refine them!"

Even now, he still receives the offerings from the Heavenly Crafts Bureau every month and must also complete the tasks assigned by the Heavenly Crafts Bureau.

Draw a soul imprint on the black robe.

Thinking of this, he took out the jade slip introducing the tools of the Heavenly Crafts Bureau.

Divine consciousness was infused into it.

His face quickly lit up with joy, "This Blazing Lightning is just right!"

This Rending Flame Lightning is composed of two inscriptions with twenty-six lightning and fire attributes. Once activated, it can pose a great threat to Foundation Establishment cultivators.

"However, currently, only Steward Qin and two other deputy stewards in the Heavenly Crafts Company are capable of crafting spiritual artifacts."

"Therefore, to receive the spiritual artifacts and this Rending Flame Thunder Seal, we still need Deacon Qin's permission!"

Zhou Ling pondered to himself. Then he left home and headed to the Heavenly Crafts Bureau.

Upon arriving at the side hall, they saw Steward Qin, dressed in a black robe, sitting on a mat, consulting documents, with incense smoke rising from the incense burner in front of him.

Only after seeing Zhou Ling arrive did he put away the documents.

After bowing respectfully, Zhou Ling directly stated his intentions.

"You want to forge a magical artifact?"

Upon hearing Zhou Ling's words, Deacon Qin raised an eyebrow, quite surprised.

"Yes, please give me your guidance, Deacon!"

Zhou Ling looked intently at Deacon Qin.

He naturally couldn't let Steward Qin know that he wanted to use the Rending Flame Thunder against the Li family.

"You should know that drawing a second-tier inscription is completely different from drawing a first-tier inscription."

"In addition to abundant spiritual power, pure divine soul power is also needed to assist!"

Deacon Qin reminded him.

“Steward, I am now able to draw first-grade high-quality inscriptions, and the official examination of the Heavenly Crafts Bureau is in October.”

"So, I want to prepare as soon as possible!"

Zhou Ling said seriously.

Deacon Qin nodded slightly. It would be July in a few days.

There are only three months left until October.

Zhou Ling is currently only at the seventh level of Qi Refining. Although he has secret techniques for cultivating the soul, passing the Heavenly Crafts Bureau's assessment will not be easy.

Although they already had a good understanding of Zhou Ling's strength, it would still be somewhat difficult for him to pass the test with his current cultivation level.

Looking at Zhou Ling, a serious expression appeared on his face. "It's necessary to prepare in advance, but we need to take it one step at a time."

"Don't be impatient for quick results!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Deacon Qin called over his assistant and said, "Go to the treasury and retrieve three Blazing Lightning artifacts."

After the assistant respectfully acknowledged, he withdrew.

Deacon Qin picked up his teacup, took a sip of spiritual tea, and said, "Brother Ling, your spiritual power is still quite good. However, generally speaking, the consumption of spiritual power during the process of drawing inscriptions is no less than that of spiritual power. You need to understand this!"

As he spoke, a faint white light appeared on his body.

As Deacon Qin's thoughts shifted, the swirling light changed into different forms.

"This is the wonderful use of the power of the soul. As long as it is mastered properly, drawing second-order inscriptions can be done with ease."

After withdrawing his divine soul, he looked at Zhou Ling and said, "So the first thing you need to do is to cultivate the Divine Soul Technique and condense your own divine soul power. Only in this way can you have the basic foundation to draw a second-order inscription."

[You are observing the solidification of the divine soul, Intermediate Observation +1, Divine Soul +1]

[You are analyzing the condensation of the divine soul, Intermediate Analysis +1, Divine Soul +1]

"Disciple understands!" Zhou Ling replied respectfully.

Deacon Qin nodded in satisfaction. A white light flashed on his storage ring, and a jade slip appeared. He said solemnly, "Inside are some second-tier low-grade inscriptions that I have collected for use by the Heavenly Crafts Bureau."

"The Fire and Thunder Seal is inside, along with some of my annotations. Go back and study it carefully."

"If there's anything you don't understand, feel free to ask me. There's no need to rush to forge it. After all, this Fire-Splitting Thunder artifact is quite valuable and also carries a certain degree of danger!"

Zhou Ling was overjoyed, accepted the jade slip, and thanked him respectfully.

He sat down on his own prayer mat again.

A moment later, the assistant entered carrying a jade plate in both hands.

After Zhou Ling affixed his seal and signed, he received the three Fire-Splitting Thunder artifacts.

The Fire-Splitting Thunder Device is about the size of a fist and is entirely black.

Zhou Ling didn't receive these three fiery lightning artifacts for free.

He must successfully refine one within half a month, or he will have to deduct it from his contribution points.

After storing the Fire-Splitting Thunder artifact in his storage bag, Zhou Ling respectfully bid farewell to Steward Qin.

Afterwards, they went to the miscellaneous goods hall to collect some second-tier spirit ink and spirit paper.

These are delivered free of charge.

Otherwise, it would be difficult to find second-tier spirit ink outside.

Moreover, the quality is not guaranteed.

After receiving four bottles of spirit ink with thunder and fire attributes and thirty-six second-tier spirit papers, Zhou Ling left the Heavenly Crafts Bureau.

Not long after, Zhou Ling returned home, but her parents had not yet come back.

After closing the door, he sat down on the wooden bed and took out the jade slip and the Rift Flame Thunder artifact.

[You are currently observing the Blazing Lightning artifact; Intermediate Observation +1]

[You are analyzing the Blazing Thunder artifact, Intermediate Analysis +1]

With the activation of his two talents, Zhou Ling quickly understood the material composition and refining method of the Rending Flame Lightning.

It is made primarily of Fire-Splitting Stone and a small amount of Thunder Crystal, with the addition of some Geng Metal and other materials, and is tempered by second-order Earth Fire.

After learning about the Fire-Splitting Thunder artifact, Zhou Ling then focused his consciousness into the second-tier inscribed jade slip given to him by Steward Qin.

He had read some of the "Second-Order Basic Inscriptions" that his master had given him, and he would occasionally ask Deacon Qin about the methods for drawing some of the inscription nodes.

However, since he doesn't usually need it, Zhou Ling only has a basic understanding of it.

None of the dozens of second-tier low-grade inscriptions had ever been drawn.

With his original Qi Refining Level 6 cultivation, even with the assistance of the Five Elements Spirit Flame, he was unable to draw a second-tier inscription.

His spiritual power and soul cultivation are both too low.

Having entered the seventh level of Qi Refining, both my magical power and spiritual power have seen a significant and substantial improvement.

With the help of his talents such as [Divine Soul Like a Blade] and [Meticulous Detail], as well as the Five Elements Spiritual Flame, he barely managed to acquire the foundation for refining second-tier inscriptions.

However, with Steward Qin's analysis and records, coupled with his own "the more setbacks, the stronger he becomes" talent, it shouldn't be too difficult to comprehend it.

Zhou Ling pondered this in his heart.

Soon, among the thirty or so inscriptions on the jade slip, they found the Fire-Breaking Thunder inscription pattern.

The Fire and Thunder Inscription is a composite inscription with fire and thunder attributes from twenty-six inscriptions.

It consists of the Fire Rift Inscription and the Lightning Inscription, connected by six nodes.

The main structure is a balanced, blooming structure.

This blooming structure is the most common structure for disposable items.

By balancing the attributes between nodes, inscriptions with two different attributes, lightning and fire, are connected.

Once activated, both inscriptions will erupt simultaneously, unleashing the powerful attributes contained within them.

The inscription is accompanied by a series of explanations and descriptions.

The structure and inscription nodes, in particular, are the most challenging aspects and are explained most clearly.

Of course, the other places are also extremely detailed.

A single inscription contains twenty-six inscriptions, and the drawing and connection of almost every inscription are carefully explained.

It even includes the preparation of spiritual ink, the key points of brushwork, and so on.

It can be described as extremely detailed.

With the help of the [Intermediate Analysis], Zhou Ling reviewed it several times and had already mastered 90% of it.

I watched it a few more times and felt there weren't any major problems.

He decided to refine it on the spirit paper first.

"Ling'er, dinner's ready!"

Just then, her mother's voice came from outside.

Zhou Ling couldn't help but look up at the window.

The sky outside the window was ablaze with red clouds; before we knew it, it was dusk.

Time flew by as I focused on studying the Fire-Splitting Thunder Inscription.

He then left the room.

Inside the main room, Mother had already prepared dinner: four dishes and a soup.

"Dad hasn't come back yet?"

Not seeing his father, Zhou Ling couldn't help but ask.

"I just stewed some meat and medicinal soup, and your father took it to Uncle Xu!"

Li Ru served Zhou Ling a bowl of meat soup and said.

"How is Uncle Xu doing today?"

Zhou Ling was in a hurry to go back and draw the inscription. Without waiting for his father, he picked up his bowl, ate a few mouthfuls of rice, and asked.

"Much better, but I can't use my spiritual energy for the time being!"

Li Rudao.

Hearing this, Zhou Ling didn't ask any more questions.

A bowl of fragrant spirit rice was quickly emptied, and Zhou Ling drank a bowl of meat soup before returning to his room.

"Ling'er, why don't you eat more!"

Li Ru shouted.

"Mom, I'm full!"

Zhou Ling smiled.

"This child is really something!" Li Ru muttered.

After closing the door, Zhou Ling sat cross-legged and meditated, feeling that his magical power and spiritual energy were extremely abundant.

He then took out the spirit paper, spirit ink, and spirit brush.

The Spirit Brush is a jade-patterned brush awarded as a reward for this assessment, and it is perfect for drawing second-tier inscriptions.

The drawing techniques used for second-order composite inscriptions vary depending on their structure.

For a blooming structure like this, you need to start drawing from the central main node.

This way, when drawing the two independent inscriptions, they can be drawn separately without affecting the overall structure.

Therefore, the beginning is actually the most difficult to control.

Moreover, during the entire process of connecting the inscriptions, the spiritual ink can pause appropriately, but the divine sense cannot be severed.

Once the divine consciousness is severed, the internal connection between the inscriptions is greatly weakened.

Even if it could be drawn into an inscription, its power would be limited.

Therefore, second-tier inscriptions require extremely high levels of spiritual awareness. The spiritual awareness must assist in drawing the inscriptions and seals, outlining the mysteries that spiritual power cannot reach.

This is why cultivators at the basic Qi Refining stage cannot create second-tier inscriptions.

The cultivation level of spiritual awareness is too low.

Before putting pen to paper, Zhou Ling carefully considered the situation of the Fire-Splitting Thunder Inscription to make sure there was nothing he had overlooked.

He first condensed the Five Elements Spiritual Flame to assist in condensing the nodes, and then began to write.

The main function of the nodes is to lock in spiritual energy and fuse and stabilize inscriptions and imprints, so they are the most crucial.

With the assistance of the Five Elements Spirit Flame, Zhou Ling was able to draw with ease.

At the same time, the [Divine Soul Like a Blade] soul power was activated, flowing along the spirit brush and falling onto the spirit paper along with the spirit flame.

As the main node of a second-order composite inscription, the amount of divine sense consumed was somewhat beyond Zhou Ling's expectations.

However, it is several times more than a first-tier superior inscription node.

Fortunately, the "meticulous attention to detail" skill came into play, and the consumption of spiritual energy was still within acceptable limits.

But when the six nodes were drawn and the inscription was started, blue smoke rose from the spirit paper.

Failed!
Zhou Ling had no choice but to stop, calm down a bit, and then use [Intermediate Analysis] to find out where the mistake was.

It was quickly discovered that the problem lay in the brushwork.

When spiritual power is combined with the divine soul, some fine-tuning of the brushstrokes is needed to make the inscription more harmonious when the spiritual power and the divine soul are outlining the inscription.

After resting for a while and waiting for his spiritual energy and soul to recover, Zhou Ling continued drawing.

After two more failed attempts.

When drawing the third one, the final inscription barely managed to solidify amidst a flicker of light!

"Finally it worked!"

Zhou Ling's face lit up with joy.

Zhou Ling picked up the first second-tier inscription he had successfully drawn and examined it carefully.

Of course, drawing successfully on spirit paper is quite different from carving on a tool.

But this is already the most crucial step.

After all, being able to successfully draw it on the spirit paper means mastering this inscription.

The remaining issue is simply the control of spiritual and soul power.

Zhou Ling was already very satisfied with this situation.

(End of this chapter)