Moonlight blanketed the ground like a layer of frost. As he walked deeper, Qian Duoduo heard the rushing sound of a river.
He had arrived at the Zishu District.
Qian Duoduo found his small courtyard—Number 1972—and pushed the door open.
Although the courtyard was not as large as the ten-mu area in Qinglong District, it was still about three mu, with three large trees, some flowers and plants, and a well in the corner.
Inside, the tables, chairs, and benches were surprisingly like those of a landlord in the village, purplish-red with a fragrant scent.
Both the courtyard and the house had Formations that could block Spiritual Awareness. It made talking with Liu Bo much more convenient.
This was much better than the Gold Vault Wood House.
Qian Duoduo became happy and took out everything from his Storage Pouch: two blue robes, a Mortal Weapon wooden sword of mid-tier, two bottles of Medicinal Pills, one black incense stick, and a stack of Talismans.
One bottle of Medicinal Pills was for healing wounds, and the other was Spirit Increasing Pill. The black incense was a Concentration Incense, which, when lit, could help Cultivators clear their minds.
The Talismans were all Swiftness Talismans. Since Outer Sect Disciples could not use sword-flight and the Immortal Mountains were too vast, Swiftness Talismans helped Disciples save time.
Though these items combined were less than a thousand gold coins, at least they were free.
Qian Duoduo fiddled around for a long time until he got bored, then went out to see the river, as it was the reason he chose this small courtyard.
After walking about a hundred steps towards the river, he vaguely heard frogs croaking, and Qian Duoduo was delighted.
In the small village's river, at the beginning of summer, there were many good things: fish, shrimp, turtles, and frogs…
After walking a few hundred more steps, the sound of the river grew louder, and the wild grass became much deeper.
The path was long gone. Qian Duoduo hopped from one stone to another, bouncing his way to the riverbank.
What a swift river!
The river water, like a white Dragon, rushed straight down from upstream.
On the river surface, one vortex followed another, resembling Dragon patterns. Splashing waves soaked the grass and reeds along the riverbank.
The frog croaks were coming from the grass and reed thickets.
The Spiritual Qi here was three parts denser than in Qian Duoduo’s small courtyard.
If he didn't want to spend money on his Spiritual Platform, Cultivating by the river was a good method.
Just as he was about to catch a frog to keep in his courtyard, Qian Duoduo remembered that Liu Bo was going to refine a Magic Treasure for him, so he quickly hopped and leaped back to his small courtyard.
He closed the door, activated the shielding Formation, and then shouted into the Golden Toad: “Master, we’ve moved to a new home, come out.”
Liu Boli emerged and gave Qian Duoduo a sidelong glance, “You’ve moved to a new home, I haven’t.”
“You know the whole process?”
“Not entirely. But, by listening and guessing, I pretty much know.”
“The good days of slacking off are over; I have to run around for money again.” Qian Duoduo sighed.
“Slacking off? Do you want to slack off like Jin Buhuan now? He slacks off every day, right by my side, not moving at all, very comfortable.” Liu Boli stroked his beard, which was like silver needles.
“Alright. Liu Bo, please help me refine the Magic Treasure.” Qian Duoduo knew that slacking off now was a bit of a luxury.
“I don’t know what kind of Magic Treasure Liu Bo will refine for me, but these few Materials cost a lot of money.”
Firstly, there was Rainbow Stone. The stone was seven-colored and could amplify the sound threefold when the Magic Treasure struck something. It was only egg-sized but cost five hundred gold coins.
Secondly, there was blazing flame grass. A highly yang plant that only grew in midsummer and had to be exposed to strong sunlight every day, otherwise it would die. Qian Duoduo only bought three stalks from Wanjin Pavilion. Each stalk was three hundred gold coins.
Thirdly, there was Dragon Throat Scale. A palm-sized piece, like a fish scale, which cost Qian Duoduo over two thousand gold coins.
Fourthly, there was hao gold Ore. It weighed about three hao gold coins, but only cost less than two hundred gold coins.
What could these things, combined with chicken feet, turn into? This made Qian Duoduo very excited.
Liu Boli waved his fingers and took out a pile of Materials. Besides the four auxiliary Materials, there were also about twenty chicken feet and four chicken beaks.
“Why are there chicken beaks? Is Liu Bo going to let me peck people with chicken beaks? That sounds fun.” Qian Duoduo squatted down, carefully watching Liu Boli Artifact Refining.
Liu Boli placed his right hand under the cauldron, and a ball of blue flame appeared in the cauldron.
He first put the chicken feet in one by one.
The flames engulfed the chicken feet, and wisps of green smoke rose. The chicken feet became lighter and smaller, finally turning into clumps of chicken-foot-shaped liquid.
There was another space inside the cauldron; these chicken feet were placed at the bottom of the furnace, not taking up much space.
Subsequently, the chicken beaks also turned into four clumps of yellow liquid.
“Is Artifact Refining just refining items?” Qian Duoduo stared unblinkingly at Liu Boli’s movements.
It was time to refine the Rainbow Stone, and Qian Duoduo’s eyes widened. This stone was extremely beautiful; would it also be refined into water? What color would it turn after being refined into water?
Liu Boli clenched his palm, and the flame contracted accordingly. Qian Duoduo felt the surrounding temperature rise significantly.
Under the high temperature, the Rainbow Stone slowly cracked, turning into a pile of powder, placed in a corner at the bottom of the furnace.
The hao gold stone became a puddle of dazzling golden liquid. The Dragon Throat Scale and blazing flame grass each turned into a small pinch of ash.
“The Materials are refined; it’s time to forge the Magic Treasure.” Qian Duoduo was secretly delighted, like a weasel guarding a chicken coop waiting for chickens to lay eggs, wanting to rush it but also worried about problems with the egg-laying.
Liu Boli first mixed the hao gold liquid with the chicken foot liquid, then melted the chicken beaks into the mixture. With a slight movement of his fingers, the blazing flame grass ash, like a light snowfall, melted into it.
The flame, like a hand, squeezed a few times, and Qian Duoduo saw the prototype of a sword-shaped Magic Treasure appear.
The chicken feet were neatly arranged in two rows, the sharp claw tips forming the blade. The four chicken beaks, facing each other in pairs, became the sword tip.
Liu Boli tightly gripped the sword hilt with the flame. The sword tip suddenly opened, and a suction force drew all the Dragon Throat Scale ash in.
The sword tip returned to normal. Liu Boli controlled the flame to envelop the Magic Treasure, slowly roasting it in the cauldron.
“It’s almost ready, right?” Qian Duoduo scratched his head vigorously, truly anxious!
Liu Boli didn't even lift his head, “Wait two more hours.”
“That long?” Seeing the sword shape becoming more and more complete, Qian Duoduo didn't believe it would still take so long. He felt as if a million ants were crawling inside him, an unbearable itch.
“This is long? It’s normal for a Magic Treasure to take a day or even a month to refine.” Liu Boli said, but his hands didn’t stop. The flame slowly faded, then disappeared.
Liu Boli flipped his palm, and a treasured sword, about three feet long, floated above the cauldron.
“I knew it, how could it take that long? Liu Bo lied to me.” Qian Duoduo reached out to grab the sword hilt, but before he could touch it, he was scared back by the high temperature.
He thought to himself: “I really don’t know how Liu Bo controls the fire with his palm.”
“There’s one more step.” Liu Boli finished speaking, then waved his hand, and a ball of cold water poured onto the sword, instantly filling the room with mist.
Qian Duoduo was puzzled, “Where did the water come from?”
“I just took it from Mengyuan River. This water is cool and rich in Spiritual Qi, perfect for quenching.”
The mist dissipated, and a dark golden sword floated before Qian Duoduo.
Qian Duoduo lightly flicked it with his finger; it was already at room temperature, so he grasped it in his hand.
As the sword landed in his hand, it unexpectedly felt heavy. He had to exert force with his arm to steady it.
Upon closer inspection, it was indeed a sword, but its body was three parts thicker than a normal sword.
The most unique part was the sword tip, which was shaped like a chicken beak. Both the blade and the tip shimmered with a cold light, clearly indicating extreme sharpness.
“This sword is named Golden Rooster Sword, high-tier Mortal Weapon, close to low-tier artisan artifact. After much thought, I decided to forge a sword for you, one that will suffice for your Qi Condensation Realm. Since you chose chicken feet as the main Material, I crafted five layers of artistry around it.”
“All the chicken feet and chicken beaks are from strong roosters. The hao gold enhances the sword’s bone structure and weight. The melted blazing flame grass strengthens the sword’s Yang fire. The Rainbow Stone makes the sword emit a chicken crow sound, increasing its power against darkness. And by injecting Dragon Throat Scale into the sword tip, the sword gains a sonic attack function.”
Liu Boli’s explanation immediately made Qian Duoduo excited: “What? This sword also has a sonic attack? Haha, I’ve found a treasure!”