"He does need to be properly tempered," Householder Redbrow agreed, nodding in deep concurrence.
For so reason, Yu'an felt that the eyes beneath Householder Redbrow's crimson eyebrows were fixed right on him. He instinctively shrunk his neck.
He was, after all, a cultivator in the Qi Gathering realm. With a cultivation base active within him, the severe swelling on his head from his uncle's ten consecutive slaps yesterday had already subsided considerably.
However, when he hunched his shoulders, combined with his shorter stature as a youth, it made him look sowhat wretched in Householder Redbrow's eyes.
Looking at Yulou and then at Yu'an, Householder Redbrow sighed inwardly.
They were clan brothers, both possessing dual spirit roots, so why was the difference between them so vast?
Ah well, treat him as a bonus inclusion.
"Since I have drunk your tea and accepted your apprentice gifts, as your master, I ought to bestow an apprenticeship gift upon you both."
With that, Householder Redbrow reached his hand into his storage bag.
"Brother Redbrow, there is no need! You are being too polite. These two boys from our family are sincerely entering your lineage. The apprentice gifts are only proper. You do not need to give anything in return!"
'Sincerely entering your lineage.'
'Apprentice gifts are only proper.'
Seeing that Householder Redbrow was about to shell out so treasures, Wang Rongyuan quickly added a line.
He was firmly putting him on the spot.
Old Zhong, the apprentice gifts we provided were exceptionally generous. You cannot be too stingy here!
We are all respectable figures, aren't we?
Zhong Tianshuo's expression froze slightly. Inside his storage bag, the hand that had been reaching toward the low-grade magical artifacts shifted toward the dium-grade ones.
Old Wang, you really are a dog!
Whatever, treat it as throwing a bone!
The Wang family held imnse power, and he had received a vast amount of spirit stones. Their apprentice gifts were fully sufficient, so gifting a dium-grade magical artifact... would not count as a loss.
Besides, technically speaking, these two young lads were now his disciples.
Thus, a rare sight unfolded in the hall of Huafeng Residence.
All the cultivators cast casual yet observant glances toward Redbrow, curious as to what kind of apprenticeship gift this extrely low-end, youth version of Daoist Many-Treasures would bestow upon his disciples.
anwhile, Redbrow's large hand rummaged around inside his storage bag.
Feeling around, Redbrow calculated in his mind.
Hmm, this flying sword is too expensive. Giving it to either of them would be an absolute waste.
This Mountain-Suppressing Stone still has the potential to refine more restrictions, so I cannot bear to part with it.
After a long while, Householder Redbrow finally smiled and drew a dark bead from his storage bag.
The bead was about the size of a chicken egg, entirely pitch-black and ordinary-looking. It did not seem like an exceptionally powerful magical artifact.
Holding up the dark bead, the flesh on Zhong Tianshuo's cheeks twitched as he explained with a warm smile.
"Yulou, you possess water and fire spirit roots. Hmm..."
"This dium-grade Black Jade Oil Bead is perfectly suited for you. Though it is not a weapon ant for dominating magical combat, it can accompany you all the way until the late Qi Refining stage."
"It uses a whole ninth-grade black jade as its core and can hold up to thirteen layers of restrictions. In the future, if you achieve success in the artificing path, you can refine it into a premium item among dium-grade magical artifacts."
"I have already refined nine layers of restrictions into it, and it can hold nine hundred jin of fire oil. It aligns well with your water and fire nature. Activating it alongside your spells will double their power."
"However, you must never use it to clash with sharp, solid-type magical artifacts in magical combat. Even an ordinary low-grade magical sword with five or six layers of restrictions could damage it."
A dium-grade magical artifact with nine layers of restrictions!
Even if it was just an entry-level dium-grade item and lacked raw combat power, it was still dium-grade!
Wang Rongyuan, a high-stage Qi Refining cultivator of the Foundation Establishnt Immortal Clan's Wang family, currently used a highest-grade magical artifact with only twenty-one layers of restrictions—and he was the Elder of the Law Transmission Hall of the Wang clan, a high-stage Qi Refining cultivator excellent in magical combat!
Magical artifacts were scarce for two major reasons: destruction during magical combat and difficulty in creation.
Leaving aside destruction in battle, the sheer difficulty of creation alone caused countless rogue cultivators to pursue a single dium-grade magical artifact with single-minded devotion!
Refining spiritual materials carried a failure rate, and the restrictions of a magical artifact were the closely guarded secrets of every artificer and sect.
The Wang family had spent an imnse fortune to send their two direct lineage sons with the best talent under the tutelage of Householder Redbrow precisely because they coveted the Fire thod tal-Stone Artificing Way restrictions he mastered.
To the side, Wu Jinyan and Tang Nianqiu watched with drool practically spilling from their mouths.
Was this the sheer wealth of a top-tier artificer at the Qi Refining stage?
Master Zhong, if we want to go back to the womb and remarry into your lineage now, is it still in ti?
Giving a dium-grade magical artifact as an apprenticeship gift—Zhong Tianshuo's extravagance could be said to have instantly stunned even the head of the Wu Clan, who was also at the Qi Refining stage.
A dium-grade magical artifact with nine layers of restrictions would cost at least two hundred spirit stones or more.
It really was that expensive!
No way, we must renegotiate the prices for the tal and stone spiritual materials we supply to Huafeng Residence in the future!
"Thank you, Master, for bestowing this treasure. Yulou will surely never forget your teachings!"
Yulou raised both hands high, accepting the Black Jade Oil Bead granted by Householder Redbrow with a hint of excitent.
Apart from the number of restrictions, the tier grade, and the differences in materials, there was another crucial factor affecting the quality of a magical artifact—compatibility.
Possessing dual water and fire spirit roots, the spiritual Qi Wang Yulou would refine when he reached the Qi Refining stage in the future would definitely be of the water and fire attributes.
This bead crafted from black jade could hold fire oil to assist in magical combat. Fire oil was water-like in nature but beca fire-like once ignited.
In two words—sheer perfection!
Furthermore, there were still four layers left before reaching the thirteen-layer restriction limit. If those four layers were refined into it, the utility of the Black Jade Oil Bead could beco even greater!
Now that Yulou had received his treasure, it was Yu'an's turn. The boy looked at his cheap master with a face full of anticipation.
But... Householder Redbrow's gaze toward him was sowhat complex.
There was a reason your face got slapped into a swollen ss yesterday, brat.
Since entering Huafeng Residence, how many tis have you sneaked glances at my daughter?
Where are your manners?
He felt a bit irritated inside, but with so many Daoist friends and relatives present, and with today's apprenticeship ceremony being conducted so respectably, Householder Redbrow could not easily lose his temper.
Thus, he searched around in his storage bag and finally pulled out a peculiar defensive treasure.
Under everyone's puzzled gazes, Householder Redbrow held up the peculiar defensive treasure and explained.
"Yu'an, you possess tal and earth spirit roots. I do not have many dium-grade magical artifacts here suitable for tal and earth spirit roots."
"This Golden Horn Mud Turtle shell is a special spiritual material that possesses both tal and bone properties. It inherently has excellent hardness, and ordinary low-grade magical artifacts cannot break it."
"I have refined it simply, and it currently features three layers of restrictions. Though it is a low-grade magical artifact, its upper limit can accommodate fifteen layers of restrictions. When that ti cos, it will be even more formidable than Yulou's Black Jade Oil Bead."
"Co, take it. With this in your possession, even if you encounter enemies in the future, you will remain safe and sound."
Householder Redbrow thought to himself: 'Brat, you will eventually et disaster over matters of won. As your master, I am doing this for your own good!'
'When others attack you in the future, you can manifest this turtle shell and hide inside for defense. Won't that be magnificent?'
Receiving the turtle shell passed to him by Householder Redbrow, Yu'an felt a bit dazed.
"Thank you, Master! Thank you, Master!"
Why did Yulou get a dium-grade magical artifact while I got a low-grade one...
Yu'an felt aggrieved, but he did not know why.
To the side, Yulou felt a bit like laughing.
Although this defensive artifact was indeed rare and Householder Redbrow was remarkably generous, still...
A Golden Horn Mud Turtle—essentially a turtle shell.
It was hard to hold it in.
Yu'an, it seems you are set for life with this.
"Excellent! Fellow Daoist Redbrow has gained fine disciples, and Yulou and Yu'an have found an excellent master. Now for the third bow, the conclusion of the ceremony..."
Tang Nianqiu was just about to shout 'the ceremony is concluded' when he was interrupted by an uninvited guest crashing into Huafeng Residence.
"Bang!"
The formation array outside Huafeng Residence only served as a warning system; it did not block people.
The visitor did not knock but kicked the door straight open!
The man wore the robes of an outer disciple of the Red Lantern Sect. On his head was a magical artifact that was not a proper crown, and tied around his waist was a Spirit-Binding Rope at the level of a dium-grade magical artifact, looking incredibly fierce and overbearing.
He swept his triangular eyes across everyone in the hall. His gaze lingered on Wang Rongyuan for a mont, appearing slightly surprised, but he still spoke aggressively.
"Oh? Old Tang is here too. Perfect, saves a trip to Flavorful Bistro!"
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