From Family Fisherman to Water Virtue Immortal

"Li Quanqing, first place in this Artifact Hall assessment, grade A+!" 

As the examiner's voice announced the result, a jade bell rang, and all the disciples' eyes turned in unison toward one direction. 

Li Quanshu looked at the radiant young man, her emotions complex and hard to articulate. 

She had also signed up for this Earth-level academy assessment but unfortunately failed to pass. 

To be precise, out of the sixty or so boys and girls who had studied and learned to read together in the same room, 

only Li Quanqing had succeeded. 

He had left his peers far behind. 

"Junior Brother, congratulations." 

Li Quanlin smiled warmly: "A Heaven-level apprentice is practically a quasi-artifact refiner, just one step away from the finish line!" 

But that single step had trapped many people for decades. 

"Senior Brother, does our previous agreement still stand?" 

Li Quanqing grinned. After more than half a year of interaction, the two had become quite close. 

Li Quanlin nodded: "Of course it does. I've kept your Green Carp Sword all this time!" 

After agreeing on a time, Li Quanqing settled matters at the fishpond and followed his senior brother into the Artifact Hall area. 

Family artifact refiners each had their dedicated refining room deep within the Artifact Hall. 

The formation rumbled open, the light faded, and Li Quanqing carefully observed the layout of the refining room. 

The walls were built from massive black stones, hard and eternal, isolating noise. The floor was paved with icy jade, emitting a chilling cold that dissipated the residual heat in the air. 

Around the forging platform, various ores and spiritual materials were piled up in a chaotic yet orderly manner. In the corner lay discarded, ruined artifacts, covered in a thick layer of dust. 

Li Quanqing glanced at Li Quanlin, who was dressed in a pristine robe, and was surprised to see this messy side of his senior brother. 

"How's your control over the Fire Manipulation Technique, Junior Brother?" 

Li Quanlin, looking slightly embarrassed, deliberately changed the subject. 

"My spiritual root compatibility isn't great, so I'm only average at this technique." 

Li Quanqing answered honestly. Alchemy and artifact refining always involved dealing with fire. 

"For cultivators like us, whose fire spiritual roots aren't dominant, reaching the pinnacle of artifact refining often requires external aids." 

Li Quanlin pointed to a pile of warm, fiery wood in the distance: "For example, yang-attribute spiritual wood burns with a gentle, tame flame, making it easier to control." 

"Or you can tame a few fire-attribute spirit beasts and use their flames for refining. The intense heat can sometimes be more suitable than a fire spiritual root cultivator." 

The senior brother took out a spirit beast bag, from which flew three black-feathered, red-clawed fire crows with golden eyes. 

Caw! Caw! 

The fire crows flapped their wings, curiously examining Li Quanqing. Their feathers bristled, and their wings were wreathed in strands of high-temperature flames. 

"Which option do you prefer, Junior Brother?" 

Li Quanqing looked at the spiritual wood, then at the fire crows, and tentatively asked: "Senior Brother, can I have both?" 

Li Quanlin was momentarily stunned, then burst into hearty laughter: "Of course you can. We're refining two artifacts anyway, so it works out perfectly." 

This refining session was meant to be educational, so there was no harm in taking extra steps. 

Li Quanqing brought over the spiritual wood. This type of wood, called Green Sun Wood, was jade-green with oval leaves that continuously emitted heat. A small piece could warm an entire room. 

The Li family had planted thousands of acres of it in the Spirit Herb Valley, exclusively for the use of artifact refiners. 

Sizzle 

The two brothers ignited the spiritual wood with flames in their palms. A fresh, woody aroma instantly filled the air. 

A foot-long piece of Green Sun Wood could burn for a full day and night. Only a cultivator's spiritual energy could ignite it; mortals couldn't damage it. 

Pale green spiritual flames rose, sending waves of heat in all directions, turning the refining furnace red-hot. 

Li Quanlin placed a few pieces of ore into the furnace, warming it with the Fire Manipulation Technique while taking out two artifact blanks to explain. 

"When inscribing spiritual patterns on an artifact, the first step is to determine the spiritual energy nodes. It's like how we must locate our acupoints to refine spiritual energy for cultivation." 

"Junior Brother, you try identifying the spiritual energy nodes on this Green Carp Sword." 

Li Quanqing took the green-scaled sword, slowly and gently channeling his spiritual energy into the blade. 

The spiritual energy flowed through the artifact blank like a stream meandering through a dark, pathless maze. 

If the energy stagnated, it indicated too many impurities and poor conductivity, so those areas should be avoided when inscribing patterns. 

Sometimes the energy could pass through, but with great difficulty and resistance. Inscribing patterns in such areas would have a high failure rate. 

Li Quanqing marked each spiritual energy node. Connecting these nodes from start to finish formed a spiritual energy conduction path that ran through the entire artifact. 

Each artifact blank had unique nodes, requiring the refiner to adapt and inscribe patterns accordingly. 

Sizzle 

Under his senior brother's guidance, Li Quanqing used the Golden Metal Finger to inscribe the patterns, some deep, some shallow. 

This process was similar to drawing talismans it had to be done in one go. Any pause would mean starting over. 

Hum 

Once the thirteen spiritual patterns were completed, the sword hummed, and spiritual energy automatically gathered, coating the artifact blank in a layer of treasure light. 

"Now it's my turn!" 

Li Quanlin placed the sword blank into the refining furnace. The ores had already been melted into metallic essences, flowing like magma. 

"Go!" 

The senior brother's hands continuously formed seals, his spiritual energy surging as he cast one restriction after another. 

The essences of various materials covered the surface of the artifact blank, seeping into the spiritual patterns with a sizzling sound. 

The entire Green Carp Sword shrank as impurities were expelled and burned away by the flames. 

Li Quanqing watched intently. 

Each material essence fused into a different part of the sword, requiring extremely precise control to achieve a perfect blend. 

An hour later. 

Clang 

The sword trembled, and a sharp aura burst forth. 

Li Quanlin formed the final seal, and a layer of green, scale-like spiritual light bloomed, transforming into threads that seeped deep into the sword along the patterns. 

Dozens of mysterious symbols quietly condensed before disappearing entirely, making it impossible for outsiders to discern them. 

"It's done!" 

Li Quanlin guided the Green Carp Sword out of the furnace with his spiritual energy, presenting it to his junior brother. 

The sword was still warm, its heat distorting the air slightly. 

Li Quanqing examined it closely. The blade was pure green, flawless, with a flowing light that gave it a soft, watery sheen. 

Its quality barely qualified it as a low-grade magical tool. 

"Rest for three hours, and then we'll refine the Green Scale Shield." 

Li Quanlin, seeing his junior brother deep in thought, gave him time to reflect and summarize. 

Two days later. 

Li Quanqing walked out of the refining room in high spirits. 

"With Senior Brother's endorsement, I can now showcase my true refining skills and become a genuine artifact refiner." 

As he left Qingyu Island, steering the spirit vessel, he reflected on the gains from this experience. It had been immensely rewarding. 

He had finally put all that refining knowledge into practice, gaining new insights along the way. 

"Those spiritual patterns inscribed inside the artifact are like the bones and meridians in a human body. Activating the patterns with spiritual energy allows the artifact to unleash various spells." 

"No wonder Golden Core True Persons and Nascent Soul True Monarchs love refining their life-bound treasures." 

"Isn't this a systematic summary and validation of their cultivation path?" 

"Even if two people cultivate the same technique, the life-bound treasures they refine could be worlds apart." 

"Refining artifacts is like cultivating oneself. Refining treasures is like refining one's being!" 

Li Quanqing sighed softly. 

Although he had the advantage of the light spheres, the knowledge he gained was real, and he couldn't help but form his thoughts. 

Returning to the fishpond, he opened the formation to find an Ironbone Crab the size of a basin basking on a reef, noticeably larger than the other spirit crabs nearby. 

Gurgle 

The crab blew bubbles, its eyes lazily glancing at Li Quanqing. 

This was the Ironbone Crab King, the only crab in the group that hadn't reached maturity yet. 

It was also the most stubborn one. 

Splash 

The Ironbone Crab King extended its large claw, stirring the water and suddenly catching a lively large green fish. 

What's this? Offering me a fish as thanks for raising it? 

Li Quanqing, looking at the dazed fish, was momentarily puzzled. 

Then he heard a snap as the crab's claw came down, cutting the fish clean in half! 

Blood splattered, and the fish's body was severed! 

In an instant, Li Quanqing's blood pressure skyrocketed! 

"You darn crab, you dare kill my fish?!"