The Artisan's Patience

The lives of mortals were indeed vastly different from those of cultivators, filled with partings and reunions, joy and sorrow, birth, aging, sickness, and death.

A few short years of observation allowed Han Li to feel many flavors he had long since forgotten—both positive and negative emotions.

But whichever it was, each moved his state of mind in some way, allowing him to experience it anew and then comprehend and reflect upon it from a cultivator’s perspective.

At the same time, his skill in artifact refinement and his understanding of formations gradually improved with the accumulation of days.

The most obvious sign was that “Little Bamboo Green,” after a year or two, had begun to gain a small reputation in this region.

This was because cultivators could often find some cheap but decent magical tools at Han Li’s shop. Occasionally, a lucky person would happen to buy some rare mid-grade talismans there.

When this news spread within a small circle, low-grade cultivators immediately flocked to the shop.

The magical tools and talismans were, of course, refined by Han Li himself. Since entering Core Formation, he had finally been able to cast a few mid-grade spells he had envied for so long.

Even though they were only the most basic of the mid-grade spells, Han Li was still extremely satisfied.

The talismans for mid-grade spells could be made with ordinary talisman paper crafted from aged spirit herbs. But if one used the hides of rare demonic beasts as raw material, it was even better—not only could it increase the talisman’s power, but it could also improve the success rate to a certain extent. However, each type of talisman had its own unique requirements for spirit hide; not all demonic beast hides were universally usable.

Fortunately, when Han Li had sold off that batch of demon beast materials, he had anticipated this issue and kept back a large quantity of materials suitable for talisman crafting.

Otherwise, even if he had learned the spells, he would still have had no way to refine talismans.

Han Li first practiced with inferior demonic beast hides. Only on days when he felt in good form would he use precious materials to refine a few special talismans.

The practice talismans were mostly attack-type spells. Every one or two months, Han Li would put up one or two of them in the shop, and whoever saw them first would get them.

From the perspective of a Core Formation cultivator, the power of these talismans was truly like a chicken rib—not worth keeping once compared to the power of a true magical treasure.

But Han Li had clearly underestimated the temptation that mid-grade talismans held for Qi Condensation and Foundation Establishment cultivators. Even after he repeatedly raised their prices, cultivators still unhesitatingly spent spirit stones to buy them, allowing Han Li to make a tidy profit.

Unfortunately, mid-grade talismans were extremely difficult to refine. Even with all the demon beast hides Han Li had for practice, the success rate was pitifully low—only about one success for every twenty or thirty attempts.

Compared to the success rate of low-grade talismans, Han Li could only smile bitterly. If not for that, he could have relied on selling mid-grade talismans alone to become a nouveau riche among cultivators.

In addition, as Han Li’s artifact refinement skill improved, more mid-grade and high-grade magical tools began to appear in his shop, making the name “Little Bamboo Green” even more famous.

But fortunately, this fame was limited to a small circle of low-grade cultivators, so Han Li did not have to worry about attracting trouble.

By the ninth year of his stay, Han Li had begun to experiment with refining formation flags and formation plates, combining the simpler formations he had understood.

Thanks to the relevant insights provided by Qi Yunxiao and Xin Ruyin, Han Li was able to avoid many detours and master some key small techniques.

But even so, refining a complete set of formation tools was still an extremely difficult task for a beginner like him, and not something that could show results in a short time.

However, Han Li was not impatient. After forming his core, he had all the time in the world to slowly accumulate experience and understanding.

Besides, what was most important at the moment was to ponder the refinement method of the “Green Bamboo Flying Cloud Swords” while making other things, to ensure a single, successful attempt.

After all, when refining this magic treasure, there was no extra material to let him try a second time.

And so the days passed, one after another, as Han Li refined artifacts and studied formations.

…

Spring passed, autumn came.

Unnoticed, over twenty years had passed since the slightly famous “Little Bamboo Green” shop had opened, and Han Li had taken on the appearance of a man in his fifties.

This was, of course, not Han Li’s real face. It was merely a disguise he had to adopt to cover up his ageless features, gradually making himself look older as time went by.

Now, Han Li stood in the back courtyard of the shop, staring at everything around him with a feeling filled with unspoken emotion.

Just yesterday, he had transferred the shop to another person, finally ending his worldly life.

Because a few days earlier, the long-awaited sixth stalk of “Gold Devourer Divine Thunder Bamboo” had ripened to ten thousand years. He had to return to his cave to refine his magic treasure.

After living here for over twenty years, even Han Li, who normally felt no ripples in his heart, found a trace of reluctance at this parting.

He thought that this period of life in the market town would become a rare, peaceful chapter in his life.

Just then, a loud, booming voice came from the shop next door. Hearing this, Han Li could not help but smile knowingly.

Without even using his spiritual sense, he knew it was the neighboring shopkeeper recommending his “shop’s treasure”—an item that had gone unsold for seven or eight years—to a customer again.

This neighbor had inherited his father’s business. The original old shopkeeper, who had been there when Han Li first arrived, had returned home to enjoy his retirement four years ago.

The old shopkeeper’s son had a fiery temper, but he was an honest man. It was just that when doing business, he could not help but shout and boast about his goods, which often left out-of-town cultivators completely baffled by his sales pitch.

Han Li sighed, lightly shook his head, and, accompanied by Qu Hun, who stood waiting in the front hall, walked out of “Little Bamboo Green.”

Soon, their figures had completely vanished from that corner of the market town.

…

As soon as he returned to his cave, Han Li immediately brought a large quantity of refining materials into the secret chamber and set up a small formation he had devised during these years outside the room.

This formation had no other function, but it was effective at masking the fluctuations of spiritual power. It was perfectly suited for use while refining a magic treasure.

He did not want to have someone peeking at him in the middle of refining his treasure.

Then, in the secret chamber, Han Li sat in quiet meditation for three days and three nights, allowing his spirit and magic power to reach their optimal state before beginning the process of refining the treasure.

First, he took the box of green paste from his storage pouch and placed it flat on the ground in front of him.

Next, he opened the lid, revealing the six emerald-green Divine Thunder Bamboo stalks inside.

Han Li stared solemnly at these bamboo stalks, took a deep breath, and then extended a finger to lightly tap one of the green bamboos inside the box.

Immediately, the foot-long Divine Thunder Bamboo flew out of the box and floated steadily in front of his chest.

With a grave expression, Han Li formed a hand seal. A layer of azure light began to gather on his face, growing denser and denser.

Then, opening his mouth, a wisp of azure core flame, as fine as a silk thread, shot out and landed squarely on the Divine Thunder Bamboo before him.

Crackle!

A pale-golden arc of electricity appeared on the bamboo’s surface, unabashedly blocking the core flame from coming any closer.

At this sight, a flash of sharp light shot through Han Li’s eyes. The azure core flame instantly thickened by several parts, wrapping both the electric arc and the bamboo body itself in the azure flames, beginning the long process of refinement.

Core flame consumed a significant amount of magic power, but fortunately, Han Li had long since prepared for this. As soon as he released his core flame, he grabbed a piece of deep azure spirit stone in each hand, simultaneously beginning to absorb the spiritual power within. Even when the spirit stones could no longer keep up, he would casually take out a pill and swallow it.

Although these pills could not be instantly converted into magic power, the abundant spiritual power they contained was enough to sustain Han Li through the long battle he had prepared for, leaving him without fear.

After three days passed, the electric arcs on the surface of the Divine Thunder Bamboo dissipated, their spiritual power finally exhausted. With no barrier left, the azure core flame directly began to burn the bamboo’s body.

After a few more days, the surface of the bamboo began to show signs of melting. Certain parts began to glow faintly, oozing out densely packed, multicolored beads of liquid.

This continued for over ten days until the entire Divine Thunder Bamboo had been stripped of all impurities, refined by Han Li into a fist-sized, emerald-green, viscous liquid.

It looked incredibly sticky.

Staring at this modest lump of liquid, Han Li let out a long sigh of relief. As long as he could refine the Divine Thunder Bamboo, the rest would be much easier.

Thinking this, Han Li stopped releasing his core flame and put away the spirit stones in his hands.

Then, spreading his ten fingers wide, ten spirit threads as fine as bowstrings shot out, piercing straight into the green liquid.

With his fingers dancing and pulling on the spirit threads, the mass of liquid began to rotate and deform.

Guided by the strands, a small piece of green liquid separated from the main body, floating in the air nearby.

Then a second piece, a third…

When the last piece had been separated, twelve lumps of liquid, all the same size, hung in the air.

(As the weather is getting colder, it really isn’t suitable for staying up late. Wang Yu will try to write the two chapters during the day from now on. Everyone, don’t wait for this late chapter anymore; go to bed early. Staying up late in such cold weather makes it easy to get sick!)

(End of this chapter)