"Little Martial Uncle, how many times has this been? Are you even going to use all this spirit ore? You’re about to empty out the warehouse’s entire stock."
Xu Xian sighed, speaking with a sigh of feigned seniority, "You wouldn't understand. Doing research... it burns through money!"
Elder Qian understood about half of that.
"Fine, as long as you want it, I can get it for you. Immortal gold is hard to say, but as for this spirit ore, I can get as much as you need."
"Mhm. I'm off then."
Taking the freshly acquired spirit ore, Xu Xian returned to Zhujian Peak without a moment's delay.
The female disciple beside Elder Qian watched the youth’s departing back and said worriedly, "It feels like Little Grand-Uncle’s complexion has been getting worse and worse over these past few months. I hope nothing is wrong..."
Hearing this, Elder Qian let out a long sigh. "Sigh... who’s to say? Look at those people on Zhujian Peak; they’re all forgers, and every one of them is sturdily built and broad-shouldered. Yet our Little Martial Uncle looks sickly, like some frail scholar."
"It’s been months. I heard from the disciples of Zhijian Peak that the sound of hammers on the mountain hasn't stopped for a single night. Little Grand-Uncle is simply working too hard. He’s already so outstanding, yet he’s still pushing himself so desperately. It really makes one’s heart ache."
Elder Qian’s eyes grew somber, and he said with melancholy, "If the disciples of my peak could be even half as diligent as Little Martial Uncle, why would we ever worry about failing to achieve greatness? I am truly ashamed..."
There was a gap between people.
It wasn't just the gap one was born with; in terms of sheer diligence alone, there truly was no one in the entire Wendao Sect who could compare to Xu Xian.
It was hard not to admire him!
Although Xu Xian had left, he hadn't gone far. He vaguely overheard the conversation between the two and couldn't help but give a bitter smile.
It was true that he was pushing himself to the limit.
But that had nothing to do with his complexion.
The reason he had taken on this sickly appearance had nothing to do with forging. After all, he had to draw a large jar of essence blood every month for Elder Yao to brew into medicine to sustain Yao Xiaoxiao’s life.
One jar a month.
Anyone would look pale after that...
Fortunately, though.
Xu Xian could still hold out.
Returning to Zuiwan Residence, Yao Xiaoxiao was still refining pills. Xu Xian didn't disturb her; he plunged straight to the side of the spirit furnace and began striking iron.
For several months now.
Neither Yao Xiaoxiao nor Xu Xian had spent much time on traditional cultivation. One was refining pills, the other was forging.
Yao Xiaoxiao exchanged all the merit points she earned from alchemy for spirit ore to give to Xu Xian, while Xu Xian used all his personal assets to purchase spirit ore as well.
Aside from that snake skin.
He had sold almost everything that could be sold.
Just as he had complained to Elder Qian, this research was truly expensive.
Since the forging competition ended, he had been dedicated to forging synthetic immortal gold. On the premise of guaranteeing a success rate, he continuously reduced the types and quantities of ore required.
It was quite effective.
From the beginning, where he lost thousands of spirit stones for every piece of immortal gold produced, he had now basically reached a break-even point.
He could use a small amount of spirit ore to produce synthetic immortal gold, then use that gold to forge a low-grade earth weapon and sell it.
One goes out, one comes in; he neither made nor lost money.
It just took a bit of effort.
However.
Xu Xian was still quite satisfied.
Nothing in this world was achieved overnight; everything had to be done step by step, little by little. At least he was constantly improving.
He was getting closer and closer to his goal.
He believed.
Before long, he would be able to use a minimal amount of ore to synthesize the lowest grade of immortal gold and forge low-grade earth weapons.
Achieving a hundredfold increase in profit.
Clang!
Clang!!
Clang!!!
In this way, time passed for another half-year. It had now been a full seven years since Xu Xian joined the Wendao Sect.
It had also been exactly two years since he started forging. Xu Xian’s forging skills were becoming increasingly masterful.
Although.
His title remained that of a fourth-rank spirit forge master, both Ruan Hao and Han Yi had claimed more than once in public.
Xu Xian’s current forging level.
Had reached the sixth rank.
In the entire Forging Hall, he was firmly ranked fourth.
He had not only become a model disciple for cultivation in the Wendao Sect but was also the model forger of Zhujian Peak.
Inexplicably, he had become an idol and a target for others to pursue!
It wasn't just about talent; he was a symbol of hard work.
The fame of his endurance and hard work temporarily overshadowed his so-called talent.
Whenever he heard this.
Li Qingshan would give a knowing smile.
A young boy who didn't want to cultivate because he was afraid of hardship had, in just a few short years, become the person most capable of enduring it. There was no logic to it.
Even though he had been forced out of his home by Xu Xian.
He was still genuinely happy for Xu Xian in his heart.
And more than once, he bragged to others that he was the one who brought Xu Xian into the sect.
In the new year’s forging competition, Xu Xian even attended as a judge.
It could be said he had gained both fame and fortune.
Of course.
The thing Xu Xian was most relieved about was that after a year of hard work and refinement, he had mastered the ultimate immortal gold synthesis technique.
He only needed a hundred pieces of spirit ore to successfully create a low-quality piece of immortal gold.
He had successfully compressed the minimum raw cost of forging a low-grade earth weapon from 2,000 spirit stones to less than a hundred.
Furthermore.
The success rate was controlled at over ninety-five percent.
He also officially stopped this line of research.
Because.
This was already the limit.
Not Xu Xian’s limit, but the limit of the technology and the ores themselves.
If he wanted to continue.
That would be forging immortal gold from mortal iron.
It was theoretically possible.
But Xu Xian didn't want to try it. Although he had such thoughts at the beginning, he realized that if he really did that, the energy he would need to invest would be immense.
Moreover.
It was time-consuming and labor-intensive. Even if he succeeded, the cost would at most be compressed by another two-thirds, but to forge the same low-grade earth weapon, the time required would be at least four times longer.
The losses outweighed the gains!
Using a cost of a hundred spirit stones and half a day’s time to forge a low-grade earth weapon worth 5,000 spirit stones met Xu Xian’s expectations.
And.
It had been two years.
He should start working on building the second story of his Sword Tower.
Even if it wasn't for his own cultivation realm, Yao Xiaoxiao’s illness could not be delayed any further.
For now.
His blood could still suppress it, but no one knew if it would lose its effect one day.
He had already extended her life for a year and lived with her for a year; he didn't want this silly girl to just die like that.
That day.
Xu Xian woke up early and didn't forge any swords. He conveniently extinguished the fire in Yao Xiaoxiao’s furnace as well, then went to the Peach Blossom Immortal Abode. He needed to find Ye Xianyu to discuss something.
He ran into Li Qingshan at the entrance.
The latter tried to run.
Xu Xian shouted.
"Stop right there!"
"What for?"
Xu Xian held out his hand. "What do you think?"
Li Qingshan played dumb. "I don't know!"
Xu Xian said, "You owe me eleven months of salary. When are you going to pay up?"
Li Qingshan rolled his eyes. "You really have the nerve."
Xu Xian chuckled. "I’m asking for my wages, what’s there to be embarrassed about?"
Li Qingshan still left.
He paid the rent, Xu Xian lived in the house, and he was the one kicked out. Every month he paid Ye Xianyu ten thousand in rent, and on top of that, he had to give Xu Xian ten thousand in salary.
He’d rather bash his head against a wall and die.
He was really being treated like a pack animal.
Xu Xian had no choice; the man flew too fast for him to catch. However, Li Qingshan definitely couldn't dodge this debt.
He clicked his tongue. "The monk can run, but the temple stays put. Run? Do you think you can really get away?"
Rate on N.U.
