Since he'd decided to give it a try, Zhao Zuo quickly gathered his tools.
He took out a Spirit Storage Wood Plate. This type of board could temporarily store Spiritual Power and Mana, which meant one could use Mana as ink to leave traces on its surface.
Proper Artifact Refining required crushing Spiritual Materials into a powder and mixing it with a Spiritual Liquid to create Spirit Ink for drawing the Spirit Patterns. But for simple practice... using Mana was sufficient.
Zhao Zuo circulated the Mana from his Dantian, channeling it through his arm to the tip of his right index finger. To his left lay Artifact Refining Introduction, open to the section analyzing the Controlling Objects Spirit Pattern, complete with a diagram.
Next, he had to trace the pattern as accurately as possible using his Mana. A steady stream of Mana flowed from his fingertip onto the surface of the Spirit Wood, leaving behind silver-white lines. The Controlling Objects Spirit Pattern was composed of fifty-eight strokes, and during Artifact Refining, it had to be drawn within five seconds to ensure the pattern's integrity.
His current task was to complete the tracing within five seconds, building muscle memory for the fifty-eight strokes while ensuring he made no mistakes.
Zhao Zuo immediately began tracing. He practiced over and over, trying to leave elegant and precise strokes on the surface of the Spirit Wood, but he could never get it perfect, and his speed was at a snail's pace.
It took him about a minute to complete a single tracing, and when he compared it to the diagram, the accuracy was less than eighty percent.
After taking a few deep breaths, Zhao Zuo began a new tracing. Despite giving it his all, the result looked like a child's doodle—clumsy, crude, and highly inaccurate.
In the Controlling Objects Spirit Pattern, each stroke seemed unrelated, but they were in fact intimately connected, forming a self-contained, cyclical whole. It exhibited a contradictory aesthetic—scattered yet orderly, divided yet unified.
It was as if the pattern recorded the Rules of Heaven and Earth, or perhaps it was an esoteric and complex script, impossible to comprehend. Zhao Zuo was certain that other types of Spirit Patterns must exist in the world.
In the blink of an eye, two hours had passed.
Zhao Zuo shook his woozy head and decided to stop for the time being. The long period of intense focus had mentally exhausted him. His mind was now so groggy he felt he could pass out at any moment. He planned to take a nap.
Zhao Zuo first set his next goal: to complete the drawing of the Controlling Objects Spirit Pattern within five seconds.
Over the next few days, in addition to his regular Cultivation, Zhao Zuo repeatedly read Artifact Refining Introduction and practiced tracing the Controlling Objects Spirit Pattern. His days were full and felt incredibly meaningful.
After several days of effort, Zhao Zuo could confirm he had some talent for Artifact Refining, but not much. His progress in tracing the Controlling Objects Spirit Pattern was as slow as the tortoise in its race against the hare.
During this period, he even dreamed of tangled Controlling Objects Spirit Patterns at night. 'Truly a case of what you think by day, you dream by night,' he thought. He hadn't even worked this hard on the eve of his college entrance exams back in his old life.
Zhao Zuo was prepared for a long struggle, so he wasn't in a hurry. He was only twenty-five this year. As long as he reached Foundation Establishment by the age of sixty, he would have met his initial goal... He still had thirty-five years.
'No hurry, no hurry at all.'
He could only console himself this way, doing his best to suppress the frustration born from his recent lack of progress.
In the blink of an eye, August passed, and September arrived.
Ten days of ascetic practice helped Zhao Zuo grow more accustomed to this world. He'd tidied up his bedroom first thing in the morning and was now quietly waiting for the Rent Guardian to arrive.
Moyun Market was divided into four districts, and each district had sixteen small lanes with over thirteen hundred households. It was naturally impossible to send disciples to every home, so a resident in each lane was chosen as an agent to collect the rent for the entire lane.
Qian Kaiyun, who lived at the entrance of the lane, was responsible for Qingni Lane. His strength was at the Qi Cultivation Sixth Layer.
Before long, footsteps could be heard approaching from the distance.
KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK!
"Taoist Friend Zhao, it's time to collect the rent!"
"Coming, coming," Zhao Zuo called out, immediately getting up to open the door.
The man who appeared was rather short, about 1.65 meters tall, and dressed in a gray Taoist Robe. A sharp glint occasionally flashed in his eyes, making him look quite shrewd, and the beard on his chin was meticulously trimmed to be clean and neat.
"Taoist Friend Qian, I'm a little tight on funds lately. I was hoping to use this to cover a month's rent." Zhao Zuo took the once-upgraded Willow Leaf Dart from his waist and handed it to Qian Kaiyun.
He was confident the man wouldn't refuse the trade. After all, a brand-new Willow Leaf Dart could sell for five or six Spirit Stones. For Qian Kaiyun, this was a business deal with guaranteed profit.
Zhao Zuo planned to lie low for a month. He would start his plan after upgrading his Sky-Breaking Saber three times. By then, its power would be comparable to a Middle Grade Magical Artifact, serving as an important trump card.
"Well now..." A flicker of delight in Qian Kaiyun's eyes vanished as quickly as it appeared. He took the Willow Leaf Dart, inspected it with his Mana, and quickly reached a conclusion.
The exterior was completely undamaged, and the internal Spirit Patterns were flawless.
"This Willow Leaf Dart is worth three Spirit Stones at most," Qian Kaiyun said with a perfectly straight face.
"..."
'He's the knife, I'm the fish on the block. I have to endure this for now.'
'Take a step back, and the world opens up. A moment of forbearance brings peace.' Zhao Zuo quickly persuaded himself.
Qian Kaiyun, of course, knew this Lower Grade Magical Artifact was worth five Spirit Stones; he was simply using his power to bully him.
"Alright, then I'll make up the last..." Zhao Zuo forced a sycophantic smile. 'When the enemy is stronger, you bow your head and endure.' There were no harsh words, no cold glint flashing in his eyes.
As a Cultivator at the Qi Cultivation Sixth Layer, Qian Kaiyun's Spiritual Sense was naturally sharp. If he were to detect any malice, he might not retaliate on the spot, but he would definitely target Zhao Zuo in the future. He might even sneak into his home one night to eliminate the problem by its root.
'The enemy is strong right now, so I must lower my head and endure, biding my time. If an opportunity arises in the future, this debt will certainly be settled.'
"I'll give you five Spirit Stones for this Lower Grade Magical Artifact."
Suddenly, a fragrant scent wafted over. It was Shen Yunjiao, who spoke with a beaming smile as she plucked the Willow Leaf Dart directly from Qian Kaiyun's hand.
"If you like it, Taoist Friend Shen, please, take it... I'll pay." Qian Kaiyun bowed slightly, a respectful and fawning smile on his face, the very picture of a lackey.
"I appreciate the kind thought, Taoist Friend Qian, but I can afford this small sum of Spirit Stones."
Shen Yunjiao took five Spirit Stones from her Storage Bag. She handed four to Qian Kaiyun and the last one to Zhao Zuo, all while casually playing with the Willow Leaf Dart.
"In that case, I won't disturb you two." Qian Kaiyun shot a look at Zhao Zuo. 'You should have just said you were connected to Mad Shen!' he thought, before heading to the next house to continue his work.
Throughout Qingni Lane, most men had complicated feelings toward Shen Yunjiao. They coveted her beauty and voluptuous figure but feared her personality—she fought every battle as if it were to the death.
Qian Kaiyun still remembered when Shen Yunjiao, then at the Qi Cultivation Third Layer, had moved into Qingni Lane. At the time, many men wanted to win her favor, and some even planned to use force. But later, all the men who planned to use force ended up dead...
"Thank you," Zhao Zuo said earnestly.
"Are you curious why I helped you?" Shen Yunjiao asked with a light laugh. The beauty that bloomed in that instant was like a rose in full splendor, fragrant and radiant.
...