"What on earth is going on here?" The commotion on the training grounds quickly caught the attention of Zhong Wukui. As he stepped forward and saw the scene before him, a look of surprise flashed in his eyes.
Though Lin Tian had previously displayed remarkable talent in beast taming, Zhong Wukui had not thought too much of it. After all, possessing great skill in taming beasts did not necessarily mean one would also excel in artificing. Thus, upon entering Qi Peak, Zhong Wukui had entrusted Lin Tian to Zhao Zhenjie.
At first, upon hearing the disturbance, he assumed that Zhao Zhenjie, ever the sharp-tongued one, had caused some trouble again. But to his astonishment, when he arrived and saw what was happening, he was left speechless.
While he knew Lin Tian was talented and perceptive, he had never expected him to refine third-tier artificing fire so soon. Though refining fire was a fundamental skill in artificing, being able to create third-tier fire at the fourth level of Qi Refining was unprecedented. Lin Tian had already set a new record.
Looking at Lin Tian before him, Zhong Wukui regarded him as a treasure. Although Lin Tian's cultivation level was still modest, artificing had never been about pure strength. With such innate talent, it would not be long before Lin Tian made great strides in artificing—perhaps even surpassing him, but that would only be a matter of time.
"Boy, would you be willing to become an outer sect steward of Qi Peak?" Zhong Wukui asked, offering a token with sincerity.
Upon seeing Zhong Wukui's gesture, the disciples present were left dumbfounded. For Zhong Wukui, an Inner Sect disciple, to make such an offer was a clear indication that he acknowledged Lin Tian's prowess in artificing. Previously, when Zhao Xufeng and Zhao Zhenjie had exchanged strange glances, some of the disciples might have sensed something. But now, Zhong Wukui's actions confirmed their suspicions.
"Can a steward enter the Qi Peak's library?" Lin Tian asked excitedly, his eyes lighting up at the sight of the token. The reason he had chosen to join Qi Peak was to gain access to its library. His mind was filled with vast knowledge and principles, but the technological level of this world was far behind what he had mastered.
As such, he often had to learn hands-on to keep errors within manageable limits. Gaining access to Qi Peak's library and mastering the method of Qi Refining was his first step.
"Of course you can. Furthermore, as an outer sect steward, you will also be provided with your own artificing room," Zhong Wukui explained.
"Alright, then I'll take the steward position," Lin Tian said, accepting the token. He quickly made his way to the library. While Qi Peak had been considered the lowest of the peaks within the Xuanwu Sect, the sect's resources were vast. Even the most modest peak contained a library that was hundreds of times larger than the Lin family's collection. Upon seeing the shelves filled with books, Lin Tian's eyes sparkled with excitement.
For someone like him, a scholar at heart, studying was an effortless task. For the next three days, Lin Tian remained within the library, reading through all the texts on the first floor. Only after finishing did he slowly rise from his seat.
As an outer sect steward, Qi Peak would provide the necessary resources every month. Once he reached the artificing room, Lin Tian immediately began his work. Although he had brought most of his family's wealth when leaving the Lin family, he had been unable to bring along the spiritual energy refining device that was kept in his room. Consequently, his cultivation had stagnated during his time with the Du family and at the Xuanwu Sect.
Without a way to improve his cultivation, many of the martial techniques he wished to learn were beyond his reach. Therefore, the immediate priority was to construct a new spiritual energy refining system.
Although he had gained a solid understanding of artificing techniques over the past three days, actual practice was still challenging. Especially when his internal spiritual energy could not sustain the consumption of the artificing fire. After several attempts, Lin Tian's energy was nearly depleted, leaving him only a small bottle of spiritual liquid to replenish himself.
Finally, after seven days of diligent effort, the spiritual energy refining device was completed. He placed a mid-grade spiritual stone into the device, and it began to hum with life.
Soon, a drop of pure white spiritual energy slowly dripped out. When Lin Tian saw this, his eyes glistened with delight.
Previously, due to the crude design of his refining device, the level of spiritual liquid extracted had not been very high. Although it was vastly superior to the spiritual energy in the air, the impurities still made up more than half. However, the new device he had crafted not only increased the speed but also improved the purity of the spiritual liquid. Now, the impurities only made up 40% of the liquid.
Though the improvement seemed small, for cultivators, this enhancement made a huge difference. If the previous spiritual liquid could only sell for 20,000 gold coins, now Lin Tian's liquid could easily fetch 100,000 gold coins.
Half a day later, as the spiritual liquid continued to accumulate, Lin Tian finally took the liquid and consumed it. As soon as he swallowed the pure liquid, his cultivation method began to operate on its own.
Half an incense stick later, with a burst of energy breaking through a barrier, Lin Tian's cultivation was solidified at the fifth level of Qi Refining.
Opening his eyes and feeling the surge of strength within him, Lin Tian was overjoyed. Just as he was reveling in his success, he felt a burning gaze fixated on him.
Turning his head, he saw the Three-Tailed Spirit Cat watching him with an intense, longing gaze. As a spirit beast, its thirst for spiritual energy was even greater than that of cultivators. The pure spiritual liquid in Lin Tian's possession was an irresistible temptation for it.
If not for the blood pact between them, the Three-Tailed Spirit Cat might have already pounced on him.
Lin Tian, gazing at the spirit cat, had an audacious thought cross his mind. What would happen if he fed this Three-Tailed Spirit Cat the spiritual liquid?