Longevity: Starting with an infant's innate growth potential

Chapter 246 Streamlined Workshop and Puppet Essence Technique
"Brother Ling, are you tired?"

That evening, in the elegant room, Wang Xin poured Zhou Ling a cup of spiritual tea, her beautiful eyes filled with tenderness and concern.

She knew that Zhou Ling didn't like these social engagements.

"I'm not tired. Now that the workshop is about to start operations, there will definitely be a lot of things to do."

Looking at his wife's gentle and beautiful face, Zhou Ling smiled and said.

He took the teacup, sipped the spiritual tea, and said, "I didn't expect to receive so many weapon-refining orders in just one day."

"Next, we need to find ways to improve the efficiency of the workshop."

He is now a third-grade weapon refiner, and with the help of talents such as the [Six Transformations] and the Five-Colored Heart Flame, he is even able to refine mid-grade third-tier treasures.

Therefore, once he saw these orders, he knew the approximate production time.

If the weapon refiner were available, the speed could keep up, but in his opinion, it was still a bit slow.

At this moment, he was thinking about how to improve the workshop's efficiency.

Three key elements in a workshop.

Earth fire, furnaces, and weapon refiners.

The earth fire in the Zhou family workshop comes from the Xuan Yuan Dao Academy and belongs to the fourth-grade earth fire category.

With the help of the magic array, it is even possible to refine third-grade high-quality ore.

Condensing the earth fire array allows for the maximum utilization of fire power, accelerating the refining of materials.

The furnace is also extremely important.

Even with good earth fire, without a good furnace to match, the effect of crafting tools will be greatly reduced.

Currently, all five furnaces in the workshop are of the second-tier superior quality.

For now, it's enough.

As for weapon refiners, people like Bai Ji and Master Lu are now quite skilled in weapon refining.

"However, the largest portion of the orders received this time came from several aristocratic families expanding their territories."

"Moreover, most of the treasures are the same, such as armor and precious arrows."

"If we could refine a few puppets and turn the process of refining artifact blanks into an assembly line, the efficiency would be greatly improved."

Zhou Ling smiled and told Wang Xin her thoughts.

"assembly line?"

Wang Xin didn't quite understand Zhou Ling's meaning, so she asked.

"It's about crafting puppets, using the same crafting techniques as the ultimate moves."

Zhou Ling explained with a smile.

Zhou Ling is now a second-tier high-grade puppeteer, and with the help of the [Six Transformations], he can even create third-tier puppets.

Just like Sun Dajie crafted and built puppets, he was fully capable of crafting such puppets with his skill level.

"Wouldn't using these second-tier puppets consume too many spirit stones?"

Wang Xin roughly understood what Zhou Ling meant by "assembly line".

But she also quickly grasped the key points of the problem.

The construction of the Zhou family estate this time, with Sun Dajie controlling the puppets, was indeed very fast, but it also consumed a lot of spirit stones every day.

"It consumes a lot of spirit stones, but it's definitely faster than a weapon refiner."

Zhou Ling nodded.

He is both a weapon refiner and a puppeteer, and this is where his strengths come into play.

If other workshops also use puppets for production, then in addition to the cost of purchasing puppets, they will also need to hire puppeteers from time to time to maintain the puppets.

This is also a considerable expense.

In addition, these puppets with special attributes are not cheap to make.

Besides the difficulty of its creation, this is also a factor.

In addition, there are construction costs, daily expenses, and subsequent maintenance costs.

After all, operating a second-tier puppet for an extended period of time consumes mid-grade spirit stones.

Of course, if the quality of the puppet is not low, then it will be less expensive than hiring a weapon refiner.

Qingyun Immortal City is a fourth-grade immortal city, so its manpower is quite high.

Even a weapon-refining apprentice earns tens of low-grade spirit stones per month.

If you're a first-grade weapon refiner, then it will cost several hundred low-grade spirit stones.

However, the Zhou family's spiritual land now contains third-order spiritual veins and spiritual energy. If room and board are provided, the wages for hiring a weapon refiner can naturally be lower.

After all, in Qingyun Immortal City, the main expense for cultivators is renting a house.

Even a house with a second-tier spiritual vein and high spiritual energy concentration can cost hundreds of spirit stones to rent per month.

However, for safety reasons, Zhou Ling naturally chose to hire people he knew well.

Moreover, with disciples of the Taoist academy as an option, there is absolutely no need to hire other people from outside.

If the quality of the puppets can be guaranteed, using puppets to create tools can not only improve efficiency but also ensure quality and save costs.

Moreover, he possesses the [Sixth Transformation] talent, enabling him to refine puppets of high quality and with exquisite craftsmanship. Daily consumption is minimal, and given a certain level of spirituality, they require minimal subsequent maintenance.

Of course, the cost of creating such a near-third-tier puppet is not low.

At the very least, you need to use second-tier superior materials.

To imbue the puppet with sentience, a soul stone is needed to carve a soul imprint.

A single second-tier high-grade soul stone can cost several mid-grade spirit stones.

In addition to other materials, crafting this puppet for refining tools requires an investment of seven or eight mid-grade spirit stones just for the materials alone.

If you were to buy it on the market, it would cost at least sixteen or seventeen mid-grade spirit stones.

Of course, Zhou Ling is now a Heavenly Guard and a Dao Academy instructor, so he has these two identities.

Materials can be obtained from the Heavenly Crafts Bureau or the Taoist Academy at a much lower price than on the market.

"Then let's build two and see how they go?"

Zhou Ling thought to himself.

After receiving these orders today, Zhou Ling realized that if he could really use puppets to create tools, he would definitely be able to earn a lot of spirit stones in the future.

Of course, puppets can only be used to create tools at present; for inscription, they still need to rely on weapon refiners.

After all, drawing an inscription is a complex process that requires precise coordination of magic power, spirit, and other elements.

This is not something that can be done at a lower level.

Of course, it might be possible if the puppet reaches a certain grade.

However, this level of puppetry is not something Zhou Ling can master.

However, there will be no problem with the processing of raw materials.

Moreover, the process is simple and can be done entirely by a puppet with a certain level of intelligence.

The main steps in the early stages of weapon crafting.

The first is the smelting and purification of metal ores.

This process mainly involves removing impurities while preserving the inherent properties of the ore.

This requires the assistance of a weapon-refining furnace.

Secondly, the creation of the vessel blank is more difficult.

It requires some skill, but even a puppet with a certain level of intelligence can basically do it.

Zhou Ling narrowed his eyes slightly, his mind starting to ponder and calculate what attributes of puppet he could create to maximize its effectiveness.

Given the current situation, two or three second-tier spiritual puppets should be enough for now.

There's no need to build too many.

Therefore, this puppet also needs to be comprehensive.

"Let's just create puppets with the five elements attributes!"

"This way, you don't have to worry about mismatched attributes causing unnecessary problems."

Zhou Ling then pondered the puppet seal he had mastered.

Seeing Zhou Ling deep in thought, Wang Xin did not disturb him.

After a while, Zhou Ling shook his head. Among the puppet seals he currently possessed, none were suitable for crafting this kind of weapon-refining puppet.

However, this has no impact; there must be records of puppets with this attribute in the Xuan Yuan Dao Academy's Scripture Pavilion.

I'll go look for it tomorrow and exchange it for Soul Stones and other materials.

If this method works, then there will be no shortage of money to be made in the future.

After all, with his current reputation in Qingyun Immortal City, he has a powerful appeal. As long as this deal is completed, there's no need to worry about not having orders in the future.

After chatting with Wang Xin for a while, the two went to bed.

······.

The next day, he searched through the Taoist temple's scripture pavilion and finally found a puppet book called "The Art of Puppet Essence".

It contains the marks of second- and third-order puppets.

Most of the puppets involved are highly practical.

Such as building puppets, refining puppets, spirit farmer puppets, and even swordsman puppets.

Finding this book, "The Art of Puppet Essence," Zhou Ling felt as if he had struck gold.

The person in charge of the Sutra Repository also told him that even in Xuan Yuan Dao Academy, there were not many disciples who practiced puppetry.

Throughout the entire Taoist academy, including the inner courtyard, there are fewer than thirty people learning puppetry.

After all, puppetry requires a powerful spiritual aid and is an extremely niche technique.

Those who can reach the rank of second-grade puppeteer are even fewer.

After leaving the Scripture Pavilion, Zhou Ling went to the Affairs Hall and used his points to exchange for two Soul Stones.

More than 300 of the original 500 points have been used up.

As for the materials for the puppet, he chose second-tier black iron stone obtained from the Ancient Cloud Realm.

After returning to his hermitage, he took out the jade slip containing the "Puppet Essence Technique," infused it with his divine sense, and began to read it.

After a long time.

Zhou Ling slowly opened his eyes, processing the numerous impressions of the "Puppet Essence Technique" in his mind.

It must be said that this "Puppet Essence Technique" is extremely profound.

If he hadn't already possessed a foundation in second-tier puppetry, he wouldn't have been able to comprehend it at all.

This time, he not only gained control over more puppet soul imprints.

It also gave him a deeper understanding of soul imprints and soul patterns.

Some of them even contain the natal soul puppet seal.

The puppets crafted using this Soul Puppet Seal will possess attributes similar to those of a natal treasure.

Its power and grade can increase as the cultivator's cultivation level improves.

It can also assist cultivators in their practice.

However, the crafting of such a natal soul puppet is very difficult, requiring the condensation of a certain degree of split soul.

This requires extremely powerful spiritual cultivation.

The natal soul puppet created in this way is like a second life.

Its effect is even better than that of a natal magic weapon.

"With my current spiritual cultivation, and with the help of the [Sixth Transformation] talent, I should be able to refine my natal soul puppet."

Zhou Ling narrowed his eyes slightly, not expecting that there was such a good thing in the "Puppet Essence Technique".

Of course, if you want to refine your own soul puppet, you must choose the best materials.

After all, if one's natal soul puppet is damaged, it will also have a huge impact on oneself.

After all, it had incorporated a wisp of a divided soul.

This influence is even deeper than that of one's natal treasure.

Therefore, one must be extremely cautious when crafting a natal soul puppet.

However, refining a natal soul puppet is not the priority right now.

This time, his main focus was on comprehending the construction of the Soul Puppet Seal for Refining Weapon Forgers.

After pondering for a moment, Zhou Ling took out spirit paper, spirit brush, and other materials and began to draw the Soul Puppet Seal of the Weapon Forger.

[You are drawing the Soul Puppet Seal of the Weaponsmith, Sixth Reincarnation Change +1, Soul Puppet Seal Shrinkage +2]

As the prompt appeared, Zhou Ling drew the Soul Puppet Seal of the Weapon Forger in one go.

As expected, it wasn't too difficult.

He then took out the refining furnace and materials such as black iron stone, locust wood, and soul stone, preparing to begin refining the puppet.

······.

Two days later.

Zhou Family Workshop.

"Master, can this puppet really be used to create tools?"

Bai Ji looked at the puppet beside him, dressed in short clothes, standing over half a zhang tall, with a slightly blank expression and faint patterns shimmering on its body, and a look of doubt on his face.

"Try it and you'll see!"

Zhou Ling, dressed in a white robe, looked expectant.

The others, including Song Yue and Xu Qiang, also looked on with curiosity.

Zhou Lingxuan immediately activated the core area on the puppet's chest, which was where the puppet's control was constructed.

Inside are soul stones with engraved soul imprints and grooves for placing spirit stones.

After activating it, Zhou Ling stepped forward and embedded a mid-grade spirit stone into the groove, then formed hand seals and injected it into the puppet soul stone.

The puppet immediately began to move.

"Hoohoo!"

The patterns on its body glowed red, becoming clearer and clearer before fading away.

The puppet now appears to have a vivid and lifelike expression, and its skin, with its patterns fading away, looks no different from that of an ordinary person.

"Begin forging and refining the magic sword and other artifacts!"

Zhou Ling immediately gave the puppet its first command.

"Yes, Master!"

The puppet, just like a real person, bowed to Zhou Ling in response.

Then, he turned around and walked to the refining furnace. After looking at it for a while, he began to select the materials placed to the side.

Select several pieces of fine ore and place them into the refining furnace.

Then, he squatted down and began to pull the fire inlet.

Whoosh!

Instantly, a layer of rolling air waves surged up inside the refining furnace.

The temperature inside the refining furnace continued to rise.

Zhou Ling used his divine sense to observe the condition of the refining furnace and the puppet.

As the materials inside the furnace gradually melted, the puppet focused intently, carefully pulling the iron handle at the fire inlet to control the temperature of the earth fire.

As time passed, the refined ore inside the furnace was continuously smelted and gradually turned into molten iron. The puppet skillfully increased the flames to remove impurities.

At the same time, it also controlled the refining furnace, locking in the essential properties of the ore.

This process is almost indistinguishable from that of a weapon refiner, and is even more refined than that of most ordinary second-tier weapon refiners.

After an incense stick had burned, flames rose up inside the refining furnace.

The puppet skillfully opened the discharge port, and a wave of heat swept through, raising the temperature inside the workshop by several degrees.

Streams of molten iron flowed out, falling onto the mold blank, shining brightly, and then solidified.

"Master, this is really good!"

As the molten iron solidified into a sword, Bai Ji stepped forward in surprise to examine it and exclaimed.

"Hmm, the effect of this weapon-refining puppet is even better than I expected!"

Looking at the solidified sword, Zhou Ling nodded in satisfaction.

Not only is it highly efficient, but the puppet can also distinguish between various ores and control the different temperatures within them.

This weapon refiner's puppet seal is indeed amazing.

Moreover, the spirit stones consumed in refining this artifact are minimal.

One mid-grade spirit stone is more than enough to keep it running for more than a month.

At this rate, they could definitely generate more than one mid-grade spirit stone's worth of profit per month.

Moreover, as long as there is a sufficient supply of spirit stones, the puppet can operate almost around the clock.

Of course, in order to reduce maintenance, it is generally impossible to operate 24/7.

These benefits are far better than hiring a weapon refiner.

(End of this chapter)