"Accept!" Qian Duoduo immediately replied, "What kind of mission?"
Elder Jin was silent for a moment. "The content of this mission is confidential, and I don't know it either. Only when you accept it will you know, otherwise it will automatically be discarded. Bu Huan, do you still accept?"
"Accept."
"Then I'll inform Yu Yixiang; she will find you."
Not long after Elder Jin hung up the Jade Slip, Yu Yixiang arrived at the Immortal Cave. She was already at Condensing Qi Stage Level Seven, and her blue robe had been replaced with an orange one.
After some time apart, Yu Yixiang had recovered her usual cold, Immortal Qi-filled appearance. She looked beautiful, but somehow not as beautiful as she did in the Chifeng Mountain Range.
"Look, you could have just told me directly about the mission, instead of going through such a big detour." Qian Duoduo invited her into the Immortal Cave.
Qian Duoduo's current residence, after renovation, was five or six times larger than before. Every room in the Immortal Cave was equipped with night glow stones. In the backyard, there was also a dedicated Artifact Refining Room and equipment storage. Originally, he was assigned two servants to take care of his daily needs, but he sent them directly to the manor to work. The Cultivate fees there were several times higher than here, and the two servants were very happy to go.
Seeing Qian Duoduo so attentive, Yu Yixiang pursed her lips and smiled, "You are a prominent figure now, the most handsome man in the sect, admired by thousands. Who knows if you'd still be willing to leave the sect for a mission."
"I can refuse other people's missions, but yours is the only one I can't refuse." Qian Duoduo spoke the truth. In this Immortal Cultivation World, only she and Wang Longyu had shared life and death with him.
"Hmph, becoming the most handsome man has made your words sweeter." Yu Yixiang's lips curved, and her face softened even more.
"Between us, who needs formalities? Oh, right, I still owe you a Magic Treasure. You're my biggest creditor." Qian Duoduo said with a playful smile. At this moment, they happened to turn into the Artifact Refining Room in the backyard.
"You still remember. How is the Artifact Refining coming along?" Yu Yixiang casually picked up a water cup made by Qian Duoduo.
"Haven't thought of it yet."
"Perfect, think about it properly while doing this mission." Yu Yixiang examined it for a long time but couldn't discern anything profound about the water cup, so she asked, "Is this a Magic Treasure?"
"Yes." Qian Duoduo chuckled. Ever since he began researching the use of artifact scrolls, he had refined many items for Mortals.
"What's its marvelous use?" Yu Yixiang tapped the water cup with her finger. The cup made a crisp sound. "Did you do something to the cup wall?"
"Clever." Qian Duoduo took the water cup. "This water cup has three layers, which allows it to retain heat. However, mere heat retention doesn't show the Magic Treasure's magical power. This water cup can display the water temperature."
Qian Duoduo used Spiritual Qi to boil water and poured it into the cup. A peony appeared on the cup wall, blooming vibrantly. Qian Duoduo lowered the temperature of the water in the cup, and the peony slowly withered.
"Isn't it fun?" Qian Duoduo asked Yu Yixiang, "What if I add a drop of poison to the cup?"
As a drop of snake venom dripped into the water cup, the peony immediately burst into flames.
"Your Artifact Refining talent is too wasted." Yu Yixiang said with a smile, shaking her head.
"This cup is called the Happy Cup. It's a mid-tier artisan artifact."
"Bu Huan, go to Wuzhu City on the Middle Road, or Facai City on the Upper Road. Study the Dao of Artifact Refining there, and become a Four-Rank Refiner or even a Fifth-Rank Refiner as soon as possible." Yu Yixiang said earnestly.
"No."
"Why not?"
"Here, I'm very happy. I have you, Senior Brother, Huang Guiren, and Zhangzuo Dajiu. This is my home."
"Here, it will take you a long time to become a Four-Rank or Fifth-Rank Refiner." Yu Yixiang sighed.
"If I'm not happy, what's the point of becoming a Sixth-Rank Refiner? Happily slacking off, that's my ideal." Qian Duoduo stopped Yu Yixiang from continuing to persuade him. "Tell me about your mission. It's not accompanying you to Wuzhu City to be a Four-Rank Refiner, is it?"
Yu Yixiang rolled her eyes at Qian Duoduo. "That would be too easy for you. Meet at the mountain gate three days later, early in the morning."
After seeing Yu Yixiang off, Qian Duoduo remembered Zhangzuo Dajiu's instructions and walked towards Qilin Pavilion.
Entering the spiral building of Qilin Pavilion, a table was still placed in front of the corridor, and behind the table was still the portly middle-aged man, Elder Qiao.
Elder Qiao saw Qian Duoduo enter and greeted him warmly, "Bu Huan, you're here. Please go upstairs to the second floor. Palace Lord Tang has already instructed that it's in the third row, fifth pavilion—never mind. I'll take you there."
As they walked up to the second floor, Elder Qiao almost introduced all the Cultivation Techniques that could be learned by inner disciples. Compared to the first floor, there were far fewer Cultivation Techniques on the second floor, only over a hundred types, but their power was much greater.
"This is the Turning Stone into Gold Art." On the second floor, Elder Qiao took out a silk book from a shelf.
Qian Duoduo took it and opened it. The first page of the silk book read: "Turning Stone into Gold is the best auxiliary art for the Qi Condensation Realm, bar none. Whether it's Body Refining, Soul Refining, or Qi Refining, learning this art can turn decay into magic and slow speed into divine speed."
Is it really that miraculous? Qian Duoduo felt a little skeptical.
Flipping to the second page, there was a diagram. The diagram read: "Turning Stone into Gold First Layer, for Condensing Qi Stage Level Eight only. Once mastered, the circulation of Spiritual Qi can be twice as fast." Next to the text was a diagram showing a main vein with a Golden Winged Bird coiled on it.
The third page was the second layer of Turning Stone into Gold, and the fourth page was the third layer of Turning Stone into Gold. If all three layers were mastered, the circulation of Spiritual Qi could be four times faster.
Four times faster, wouldn't that be insane? Qian Duoduo was half-convinced and decided to consult Liu Boli properly after returning to his Immortal Cave.
Descending to the first floor, Elder Qiao used a Jade Slip to make a copy of the Turning Stone into Gold Art for Qian Duoduo and respectfully escorted him out of Qilin Pavilion.
Back in his Immortal Cave, Qian Duoduo took out the Turning Stone into Gold Art and began to study it.
Obtaining the title of the most handsome man did not make Qian Duoduo feel complacent. He knew the gap between himself and Dugu Yunshan, and even more so, the gap between himself and Caizhu. In terms of combat power of cultivation alone, he was far inferior to them.
In front of them, he couldn't lie flat or slack off.
But if he mastered the Turning Stone into Gold Art, he would not be inferior to them.
Sitting cross-legged on the Spiritual Platform, Qian Duoduo stared intently at the Golden Winged Bird in the first layer of the Cultivation Technique. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that the Golden Winged Bird's head was facing the direction of Spiritual Qi flow, and its feathers were neatly arranged within the main vein.
The Golden Winged Bird is a divine bird, the fastest divine bird. Could this Turning Stone into Gold Art be about carving the imprint of the Golden Winged Bird into the main vein, thereby accelerating the Spiritual Qi as it passes through?
While he was still researching, Liu Boli spoke to him from the Golden Toad: "This Cultivation Technique is extraordinary. Your Dajiu being able to challenge those above his Realm is probably related to this. This Cultivation Technique, which speeds up Spiritual Qi circulation, should have an even better effect when combined with the Eternal Wealth and Nobility Cultivation Technique."
"One is compression, the other is acceleration. When superimposed, the effect will be even more astonishing." Qian Duoduo's heart surged with excitement as he thought of this.
Compressing ten times, then accelerating four times—would he still fear Dugu Yunshan, or Caizhu?
Thinking of this, Qian Duoduo burst out laughing.
Turning Stone into Gold, the art lives up to its name.
"However, the process will be very painful. You have to condense Spiritual Qi into a Spiritual Blade and carve the Golden Winged Bird's feathers onto the Spiritual Vein, bit by bit." Liu Boli reminded him. Without Master's guidance, Qian Duoduo would have had to fumble for a long time to figure out this method of condensing a Spiritual Blade with Spiritual Qi.
"What does that matter?" Qian Duoduo said, gritting his teeth. After a moment, he controlled the sharp Spiritual Blade and made the first stroke on his Spiritual Vein. A burning pain immediately pierced his heart. However, Qian Duoduo felt the speed of his Spiritual Qi flow instantly increase by a fraction.
This Cultivation Technique is effective!
"Awesome!" Qian Duoduo endured the severe pain, his hands trembling, and carved the second stroke onto his Spiritual Vein.