“Senior, might you be interested in artifact refinement?” After hesitating for a long time, the short, stout young man finally blurted out this sentence, leaving Han Li utterly astonished.
“What do you mean?” Han Li asked, somewhat puzzled.
“Don’t tell me you want to teach me artifact refinement!” Han Li casually remarked.
“Senior guessed it! The only thing I can offer is my knowledge of artifact refinement!” the young man said somewhat dejectedly.
Han Li was left speechless. He only wanted a few more sets of formation flags and disks, not the young man’s refinement techniques. Besides, who did this young man think he was? Did he really believe his refinement techniques were so rare? In the world of cultivation, there were plenty of cultivators who understood artifact refinement!
“However, due to my family’s ancestral rules, I can only pass on my compiled insights into artifact refinement to you. I cannot personally teach you the art!” the young man quickly stammered in addition.
Han Li blinked, even more at a loss for words.
Seeing that Han Li remained silent after his suggestion, seemingly unwilling, the young man grew anxious. Forgetting to conceal his identity, he hurriedly spoke the truth: “My late grandfather was once an artifact refinement elder of the Divine Weapon Sect. His refinement skills had long reached the pinnacle! My own refinement techniques were taught to me personally by him. By handing over my insights to you today, I am already violating my family’s ancestral rules! As for how much you can gain from it, that will entirely depend on your own fortune! But I can assure you, these are absolutely secret techniques that have never been circulated outside the cultivation world!”
When Han Li heard that the young man was a descendant of a refinement elder from the Divine Weapon Sect, he was finally moved.
Wasn’t the Divine Weapon Sect one of the three major orthodox sects of Yuanwu Kingdom, alongside the Heavenly Star Sect and the Myriad Wonders View? Its artifact refinement techniques, along with the Heavenly Star Sect’s formation arts and the Myriad Wonders View’s talisman methods, were renowned throughout the cultivation world of several nearby countries.
From this perspective, the young man’s refinement insights were indeed extraordinary! Although Han Li was eighty to ninety percent sure he wouldn’t bother learning them, keeping them as a bargaining chip might prove useful someday.
Having made up his mind, Han Li still asked one more question: “Can this set of Inverted Five Elements Formation artifacts really be further improved?”
“Absolutely! My friend has already mastered the art of formations to a transcendent level. Combined with my refinement techniques, improving this set of formation artifacts won’t be a problem!” Seeing Han Li’s question, the young man knew the other was most likely agreeing and immediately became delighted, patting his chest in assurance.
Han Li nodded and said nothing more. Instead, he opened the lid of the box in his hand. Instantly, a medicinal fragrance brimming with spiritual energy filled the soundproof barrier. The young man sniffed lightly a few times, carefully examined it with his eyes, and then, with great joy, nodded repeatedly in satisfaction.
Seeing this, Han Li smiled slightly and reached out to hand over the box.
The young man eagerly reached out to take it. But when he grabbed a corner of the box and tried to pull it back, the box containing the spiritual medicine remained firmly in Han Li’s hand, as if rooted there! The young man was stunned, a look of surprise in his eyes.
Seeing the young man look up at him in confusion, Han Li couldn’t help but sigh.
It seemed this young master truly had no experience in the ways of the world! Even such an obvious hint hadn’t gotten through to him.
Helpless, Han Li moved his lips and directly spelled it out for him: “Shouldn’t you take out that set of artifacts and your refinement insights as well? Let’s exchange goods for payment. Wouldn’t that be more appropriate?”
“Oh… Senior is right. In my anxiety, I forgot!” The short, stout young man finally understood, his face flushing crimson as he released the box and frantically pulled out a stack of items from the storage pouch at his chest.
“These are eighteen formation disks and thirty-six formation flags—the complete set of artifacts for the Inverted Five Elements Formation. As long as you arrange them exactly as described in this jade slip, the formation will activate immediately. And this book, *Yunxiao’s Insights*, contains my refinement insights from over twenty years. I hope, Senior, after reading it, you will avoid circulating it externally to prevent people from the Divine Weapon Sect from coming after you. Many of the refinement methods inside are secrets of the sect!” the young man explained in detail, also giving Han Li a significant warning.
Hearing this, Han Li felt a great deal of goodwill toward the young man. Another thought suddenly emerged in his mind!
After a moment of hesitation, Han Li immediately shoved the box into the young man’s arms and then took the stack of items from his hands.
This sudden, abnormal action instead left the short, stout young man bewildered and at a loss.
“*Yunxiao’s Insights*! Yunxiao must be your name, right? May I ask your surname?” Han Li’s attitude shifted from initial indifference to amiability as he took the items and spoke kindly to the young man.
“My surname is Qi, Qi Yunxiao! Does Senior have any other instructions?” The young man hesitated for a moment but still spoke out, unsure of Han Li’s intentions.
“Nothing much. I just wanted to tell you that although I’ve accepted your insights, I will seal them with a locking technique and won’t touch them for five years. If within these five years you can successfully improve this set of artifacts for me, I will return the book to you intact, without having read a single page. How does that sound?”
“Really? Then this junior thanks you immensely! Regarding improving the Inverted Five Elements Formation artifacts, Senior, please rest assured! Even if my friend doesn’t succeed in improving them, I will persuade him to personally set up a genuine great formation for you!” Upon hearing Han Li’s words, the young man was overjoyed and hurriedly assured him.
Seeing this, Han Li smiled slightly, picked up the book *Yunxiao’s Insights*, and placed it between his palms.
As Han Li chanted a low incantation, a series of silver runes suddenly surged between his hands. They hovered above his palms for a moment before drilling into the book and vanishing! At the same time, the book *Yunxiao’s Insights* flashed with a silver light, emitting a faint silvery glow. The entire book suddenly turned silver and could no longer be opened even slightly.
“Done, the seal is complete! Now, leave your spiritual power on the seal. This way, when I return it next year, you’ll know whether I broke the seal or not!” Han Li tossed the sealed book over. The young man caught it with a mix of shock and delight.
The young man opened his mouth, hesitated for a moment, then stamped his foot and indeed left his spiritual power on the seal. With a mixed expression of gratitude and doubt, he returned the book to Han Li.
By now, Han Li had pretty much figured out the other’s state of mind. He knew gaining the young man’s trust immediately was impossible! But in a few years, when he returned the book with the seal intact, he would likely be able to build a relationship with the young man and his formation master friend.
Of course, whether the young man was truly worth sincerely befriending would require long-term interaction to determine!
Thus, Han Li stored the book away, asked the young man for a method of contact, and then left without another word, drifting away from the place.
The young man left behind still seemed unable to believe it. He had obtained the thousand-year spiritual medicine so easily! He pinched the hard medicine box hard, a mix of excitement and bewilderment in his eyes.
Han Li, in high spirits, walked on the road to the artifact refinement shop.
Qi Yunxiao’s refinement skills and his friend’s identity as a formation master were far more valuable than a dead book! If he could establish a connection with them, it would undoubtedly be a great help to his future cultivation path! Han Li was certain of this.
Han Li finally returned to the shop that had taken his business. The white-haired old man was anxiously awaiting his arrival.
When he saw Han Li had indeed kept his word and reappeared, the shop owner immediately beamed, instructing the dark-skinned man to serve tea and precious fruits. He personally accompanied Han Li at the table, incessantly addressing him as “Senior.” Even someone as thick-skinned as Han Li felt his face grow slightly warm.
Next, Han Li first took out the centipede’s carapace in front of the old man. The old man’s expression shifted, and he immediately picked up a small piece, carefully feeling and examining it.
“This is the shell of a first-grade, upper-tier poisonous insect demon beast. It’s indeed excellent material for artifact refinement! Especially since demon beasts are becoming increasingly rare outside, and poisonous insect types are particularly hard to come by.” The wrinkles on the old man’s face smoothed out a bit as he said this with a smile.
The materials the other party possessed were indeed, as he had expected, not some scrap copper and iron or miscellaneous items but the rare, hard shell of a poisonous insect demon beast! This was excellent material very suitable for making armor or shield-type magical instruments.
As he estimated, these insect shells could withstand a full-force strike from a top-grade magical instrument even before refinement! Once refined, they could easily rank among top-grade magical instruments.
The white-haired old man grew happier the more he looked at them and gleefully picked up the shells, ready to get to work. But Han Li stopped him!
“Shopkeeper, don’t rush! There are still more materials to take out!” Seeing the old man so impulsive, Han Li couldn’t help but frown, wondering if he had chosen the wrong refiner.
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