From Family Fisherman to Water Virtue Immortal

"Thank you, Senior Brother!" 

Faced with Senior Brother's promise, Li Quanqing bowed sincerely. 

By extending this olive branch, Senior Brother was investing in his potential. 

Li Quanqing was more than happy to accept. 

Li Quanlin's backing came from the Artifact Refining Hall's master, Li Kunli, and his life was quite comfortable. 

Once Li Quanqing became a low-grade refiner, this backing would become his as well. 

To go far in the family, having no one behind you was simply not an option. 

Li Quanlin helped his junior brother up, looked him over, and smiled even more warmly. "I wasn't sure earlier, but now I see you've reached the fourth level of Qi Refinement?" 

Li Quanqing was modest. "Just a lucky breakthrough. I can't compare to Senior Brother." 

"Don't flatter me. I'm twelve years older than you, and I'm only at the fifth level of Qi Refinement." 

Li Quanlin was deeply devoted to refining, so his cultivation progress wasn't particularly fast. 

"I believe you're not even seventeen yet, right? No wonder the hall master values you so much. You have the makings of a Foundation Establishment cultivator!" 

Li Quanlin took out a token from his storage bag. "As a disciple of the Artifact Refining Hall, you naturally deserve special treatment." 

"Take this token to the treasury and claim a Green Carp Sword as a congratulatory gift for breaking through to the mid-Qi Refinement stage." 

"What? The Artifact Refining Hall's benefits are this good?" 

Li Quanqing was surprised. 

The Green Carp Sword was no ordinary item it was a genuine mid-grade magical artifact. 

Flying swords were always on the pricier side, with a market price of 88 low-grade spirit stones in the Baoqing Market. 

"Others naturally don't get such treatment, but as a genius, how could you be compared to mediocrities?" 

Li Quanlin winked, sharing a knowing smile. 

After accepting the token, Li Quanqing eagerly bid farewell and headed to the Artifact Refining Hall's treasury. 

In the northeast corner of the hall stood a towering iron pagoda, dozens of feet tall, its body wrapped in iron chains and adorned with carvings of countless weapons. It stood in stark contrast to the Qingli Volcano. 

It was said that the Artifact Refining Hall originally didn't have its treasury. All magical artifacts forged by the family's refiners had to be handed over to the family's main treasury. 

But after Li Kunli became the hall master, he had a "friendly discussion" with several family elders. 

And forcefully moved this Weapon Pagoda here. 

Well, who could argue when he had a Foundation Establishment elder as his older brother? 

As soon as Li Quanqing stepped inside, a sharp, oppressive aura washed over him as if he could hear the clashing of countless swords and blades, his skin prickling with pain. 

Brilliant formation patterns flowed through the air, covering every inch of space, making it impossible to move freely. 

Li Quanqing quickly took out the token, and a strange fluctuation emanated from it, revealing a narrow path before him. 

He cautiously moved forward, eventually reaching the base of the pagoda. 

The pagoda had forty-nine floors, grand and ancient, exuding an imposing aura. It was impossible to see the top at a glance. 

"Earth-level decree, eligible to claim one mid-grade magical artifact." 

A cyan glow surged, forming an illusory Azure Jade Carp, its golden scales shimmering, its fins spread like wings. 

The carp swallowed the token and began leading the way, leaving behind a trail of glowing spots, appearing somewhat mechanical. 

"A spirit artifact? Or a formation spirit?" 

Li Quanqing quickly followed, his curiosity piqued. 

He leaned toward the latter, as the entire Qingyu Island was enveloped by the family's protective formation, and this place was undoubtedly a key node. 

The illusory Azure Jade Carp flicked its tail, and the formation surrounding the pagoda rumbled open, revealing a glowing portal. 

Li Quanqing stepped inside and was once again awed by the Li family's deep heritage. 

The interior of the pagoda had no candles or lamps, yet it wasn't dark. The glow of various treasures illuminated the space, making his heart race. 

Hundreds of low-grade magical artifacts were placed on lotus-shaped stone platforms, each encased in a formation barrier, out of reach. 

As Li Quanqing walked through the pagoda, the faint echoes of his footsteps highlighted the vast emptiness. 

"The spiritual energy here is too sparse. No wonder there's no cultivator stationed here to oversee things. It's not conducive to cultivation." 

He looked at the barriers surrounding the lotus platforms. All the spiritual energy was being drawn by the formation to nourish these artifacts. 

This Weapon Pagoda was essentially the Li family's armory, showcasing the heritage of a thousand-year-old cultivation family. 

Following the illusory Azure Jade Carp floating through the air, Li Quanqing ascended twelve floors before reaching the area where mid-grade magical artifacts were stored. 

The most abundant were the Green Carp Swords, and he was somewhat overwhelmed by the choices. 

After some careful observation, Li Quanqing noticed that although the artifacts were of the same grade, the higher the floor, the better their quality. 

He tried to continue climbing but was stopped at the fifteenth floor. 

The formation barriers sealed the entrance to the sixteenth floor, their glowing patterns exuding a dangerous aura. 

Li Quanqing looked at the dazed Azure Jade Carp illusion. 

It ignored him and didn't open the formation to let him through, as it had done before. 

"Alright, one should know when to be content." 

Li Quanqing examined the mid-grade artifacts on the fifteenth floor. 

About a fifth of the lotus platforms were empty, likely because the treasures had been taken. 

"Should I take a Green Carp Sword, or choose a different type of magical artifact?" 

Li Quanqing was torn. 

He saw a set of Cold Soul Needles, thin as hairs and exuding a chilling aura perfect for ambushes and hard to defend against. 

The Heavy Water Halberd also looked good, powerful, and imposing. 

There was also a fish-skin drum surrounded by lightning, an aqua-blue turtle-shell armor, and a flying artifact woven from mist and clouds. 

All of them made his mouth water. 

But in the end, Li Quanqing wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth and decided to choose a Green Carp Sword. 

This treasure selection was, in a way, a test from his senior brother. 

Having a Green Carp Sword as a reference, something to accompany him day and night would undoubtedly be a great benefit for a refining apprentice. 

Li Quanqing chose a Green Carp Sword adorned with golden patterns. 

It was forged from the scales of a Golden-Striped variant, a bit of a waste of materials, but it caught his eye. 

Most importantly, Li Quanqing noticed that the sword still carried a faint trace of fire energy. 

This was a recently forged artifact, likely unused and not a second-hand item. 

Li Quanqing called out to the formation spirit, which finally reacted. 

The Azure Jade Carp slowly swam to the lotus platform, then rammed into it, dissipating into a shower of light along with the formation barrier. 

"Why does this feel so tragic?" 

Li Quanqing's expression was odd. 

As the spiritual energy dispersed, a green flying sword appeared, about two feet long, surrounded by golden light, as if carved from jade. 

Li Quanqing tried to lift the Green Carp Sword and felt his wrist sink it weighed nearly eighty pounds, surprisingly heavy. 

"Flying sword, rise!" 

Li Quanqing channeled his spiritual energy into the sword, successfully imprinting it with his aura. With a wave of his hand, the Green Carp Sword wobbled into the air, flying around him, becoming steadier and faster, like a shooting star! 

Li Quanqing was quite satisfied. Even without knowing any sword techniques, the sheer weight and hardness of the sword could deliver the force of a cannonball. 

Low-grade flying swords were like this heavy was good, hard was strong. 

No matter what spells or talismans, shields, or armor, he could just bring down the sword from the sky and crush his enemies. 

As for the so-called "sword riding through the clouds," "sword energy like a rainbow," or "sword light as fine as silk," beheading enemies from a thousand miles away... 

Those weren't things a Qi Refinement cultivator should worry about. 

If you can't even merge with your sword, how can you expect to ride it? 

Just stick to flying artifacts for now!