Chapter 130: Alchemical Formula
The next morning, he arrived at the Hall of Weapons again.
Wen Yulong was not someone that would sit here every day so Chu Liang had asked for him through a paper crane before he visited the Hall of Weapons.
The junior brother, Wen Yulong, seemed to have no customers recently as he sat there bored. However, as soon as he saw Chu Liang, a brilliant smile appeared on his fair-looking face. "Senior Brother Chu, long time no see."
"It hasn't been that long. It has only been a few days." Chu Liang smiled.
Their familiarity had grown to the point where initial formalities were unnecessary.
"Days without income always feel exceptionally long," Wen Yulong remarked with a smile.
Attendants like them, serving different halls, had no time for missions. Consequently, they sought to accumulate sword coins through alternative means. As someone dedicated to refining artifacts, his livelihood naturally depended on commissioned work.
"It appears that your talent has gone unnoticed by others so far," Chu Liang remarked with a smile as he pulled out the broken Razor Leaf from his pocket. "Take a look."
"Ah..." Wen Yulong immediately revealed a trace of heartache. He picked it up and examined it closely before relaxing his eyebrows slightly. "Fortunately, it's not too badly damaged."
"You said it was badly damaged last time when there was only a small hole, but this is what you say when it's shattered?" Chu Liang expressed a hint of puzzlement.
"Hehe, you don't understand," Wen Yulong explained with seriousness. "Last time, it merely punctured a hole, but that damage completely disrupted the inscription. This time, even though it's broken, the inscription remains intact. As for the damage to the material itself, this can be easily repaired."
"I see," Chu Liang nodded. "I was concerned it would be more costly than last time, but now I feel relieved."
"Ah," Wen Yulong realized belatedly as he remarked, "I should have exaggerated the issue and asked for a higher price."
"Young man, don't adopt these dishonest habits. If you want returning customers, you have to treat them with honesty," Chu Liang imparted, swiftly reinforcing the importance of ethical values.
He then took out the Crimson Lotus Bead and asked, "Let's see how much this is worth."
Wen Yulong set the broken razor leaf aside. He took the Crimson Lotus Bead, examined it, and rubbed it for a while. He then said, "This is a good item. It's a treasure that achieved its current power by just one preliminary refining. If I refine it once more in my hands, it should become even more powerful. By then, its value should surpass two thousand sword coins. After all, it's a enchanted treasure with both offensive capabilities and enduring function, so it will be a bit pricey."
Two thousand.
This price was even higher than what Chu Liang expected.
In this case, he had earned quite a bit from the trip to Taotie City. Despite the Big Head currently causing some financial losses at the moment, the Big Head was still worth over ten thousand. Its value was unquestionable.
The value of the Dustless Sword goes without mention. Chu Liang just didn't dare to take it out in public for fear of attracting unwanted attention.
In addition to those two, there was also the Crimson Lotus Bead.
He had made an insane amount of profit.
"Hm?" Wen Yulong looked at the Crimson Lotus Bead and suddenly suggested, "I can simultaneously repair the Razor Leaf and polish this treasure. I can embed this precious item onto the Razor Leaf and add another inscription. What do you think?"
"Another one?" Chu Liang was surprised.
The small leaf already had three forms: flight, attack, and defense... Wouldn't the addition of another one add too much variation?
"Yes, by then, I might be able to craft a versatile combination-type tool," Wen Yulong said, his eyes shining with anticipation.
Chu Liang wasn't as enthusiastic as him; he silently weighed the pros and cons.
Such combination-type tools naturally had both advantages and disadvantages.
The benefit was that the powers of several tools could be unified, saving a lot of mental effort when manipulating them and making the casting more convenient.
"Though it's troublesome, it's worth it," Wen Yulong said, "After all, a cultivator only needs one Golden Core in their lifetime, so it's not too excessive to put in a bit more effort."
"Only one?" Chu Liang smiled bitterly.
...
Even after Chu Liang had returned to the Silver Sword Peak, he still felt a sense of heaviness. If he would have to help the Golden-Core Puppet, he would need to do this Core Formation twice.
If possible, who wouldn't wish to go through this process of Core Formation only once in their lifetime?
It would be great if one could cultivate two at the same time.
Originally, he thought he could rest for a few days, but it seemed that he would have to get busy again—saving money, searching for herbs, and forming his Golden Cores...
If he wanted to reach the Golden Core Realm before the Mount Shu Summit, the schedule was indeed very tight.
While he was calculating the time, he suddenly felt a vibration in his arms. This sensation hadn't occurred for a while, but he immediately realized what was happening.
Soul Subjugator Token?
He took out the Soul Subjugator Token and entered into the domain with his divine consciousness. There, he saw a row of conspicuous characters floating.
[Fiend]: "A Southern Guider has called for a meeting."
[Fiend]: "Gather outside the Southern Bastion Mountain within the next seven days."
A Southern Guider...
The Violet Golden Marquis's subordinates consisted of eight Guiders, twenty-four Fiends, and seventy-two Soul Subjugators... The Southern Guider was a diabolical cultivator, holding a rank nearly as high as the leaders in the Dark King Sect.
"Why did he summon everyone? What major event has occurred?"
Chu Liang didn't have to ask as that usual slick and talkative person promptly replied.
[Fifty-Ninth]: "Esteemed Fiend, what happened?"
[Fiend]: "All will be revealed upon your arrival. The Southern Guider has commanded the gathering of all Soul Subjugators from each group outside the Southern Bastion Mountain within the next seven days! Immediate departure is imperative upon receiving this message."
[Sixtieth]: "Noted."
The news arrived with such abruptness that Chu Liang found himself enveloped in a prolonged silence. After all, the acceptance of this direct order meant an inevitable meeting within seven days.
It was indeed a bit nerve-wracking.
The suddenness of the summons, after days of no communication, heightened the pressure considerably.
While he could inform his sect in advance for a coordinated interception, dealing with cultivators from diabolical sects demanded precision, and he only had one chance to capture them.
The orchestrator of this assembly was the Southern Guider. As for the Violet Golden Marquis, the target of his teacher's pursuit, he had yet to make an appearance.
Chu Liang had to carefully weigh the value of capturing this Southern Guider.
[Fifty-Ninth]: "It seems that some precious and rare treasure in the Southern Bastion Mountain has captured the attention of our esteemed Southern Guider. That likely explains the summoning of this assembly."
[Fifty-Ninth]: "So exciting!"
[Fifty-Eighth]: "Noted."