Chapter 193: Grading Artifacts
Chapter 193: Grading Artifacts
Mo Hua nodded proudly.
Master Chen was stunned. "How is it that you can already draw a first-grade formation after such a short time?"
"It's just a small matter." Mo Hua waved his small hand dismissively and continued, "With a first-grade artifact furnace and a first-grade molten fire formation, we should be able to attract quite a few artifact refiners, right?"
How could drawing a first-grade formation be considered a small matter...
Master Chen's heart was filled with mixed emotions as he sighed and said, "Rest assured, with a first-grade artifact furnace and a first-grade formation, no artifact refiner would be able to refuse."
A large part of an artifact refiner's skill depended on the quality of their artifact furnace. There were only a handful of first-grade artifact furnaces in all of Tongxian City, let alone one with a first-grade formation inscribed on it.
Anyone who refused such an offer would be a fool.
"That's good," Mo Hua said with relief.
Then, he suddenly thought of another question. "Master Chen, how are artifacts graded?"
"Grading?"
"Mm," Mo Hua nodded. "Just like formation masters. A nine-line formation is considered a first-grade formation. What standards determine a first-grade artifact?"
Artifact furnaces were actually a type of spiritual artifact themselves—specifically, they were spiritual artifacts used for cultivation and crafting, distinct from the offensive and defensive spiritual artifacts typically used by cultivators.
While the loose cultivators in Tongxian City couldn't forge a first-grade artifact furnace, Elder Yu had promised to procure one from elsewhere.
However, there should still be first-grade artifact refiners among the loose cultivators. Why, then, couldn't they forge first-grade artifacts?
"That's a long story," Master Chen said.
Mo Hua sat on a small stool, his eyes eager as he prepared to listen to a tale.
Master Chen took a sip of wine and organized his thoughts before beginning his explanation. "First of all, the grading of formation masters is the most stringent. Only cultivators at the ninth layer of Qi Refining can become first-grade formation masters..."
Master Chen glanced at Mo Hua and coughed. "Usually, only those at the ninth layer of Qi Refining can become first-grade formation masters."
He continued, "Compared to formation masters, the standards for grading artifact refiners, pill refiners, and talisman refiners are much more relaxed. As long as one reaches the latter stages of Qi Refining and accumulates experience through practice, achieving a certain level of proficiency in artifact refinement will generally qualify them as a first-grade artifact refiner."
"Then why is it that loose cultivators rarely refine first-grade artifacts?" Mo Hua asked.
"There are many reasons," Master Chen replied. "For example, first-grade artifacts are extremely costly to create due to the rarity of the required materials, which are beyond the means of ordinary loose cultivators. It could also be due to a lack of inheritance—many loose cultivators don't possess the refinement manuals or the knowledge of refinement techniques necessary to create first-grade artifacts..."
Master Chen sighed. "Of course, the most important factor is that we don't have good artifact furnaces."
Mo Hua's eyes lit up. "Are artifact furnaces that important?"
"Naturally," Master Chen sighed. "An artifact furnace is a refiner's weapon, just like a sword is to a swordsman. Without a sword, how can one practice sword techniques? Without an artifact furnace, how can one refine artifacts?"
Mo Hua nodded repeatedly, finding Master Chen's words very reasonable.
Master Chen pointed to his artifact furnace and said, "Don't look down on my artifact furnace just because it's old and small. Among the artifact shops run by loose cultivators in Tongxian City, it's already considered quite good."
A hint of pride crept into Master Chen's voice. "Many people covet my artifact furnace and have asked to borrow it to refine artifacts, but I've never agreed. It's my livelihood; how could I possibly lend it out casually?"
"So, is it true that many loose cultivators can't become first-grade artifact refiners because they don't have good artifact furnaces and therefore can't refine first-grade artifacts?"
"That's right," Master Chen said. "Without an artifact furnace, they don't even have the opportunity to attempt refining a first-grade artifact, so how could they become first-grade artifact refiners?"
Mo Hua was curious. "Are artifact furnaces really that crucial?"
Master Chen explained, "The spiritual iron ore and even the bones of demonic beasts in the cultivation world are exceptionally resilient. They must first be smelted in the furnace fire before they can be forged.
Mo Hua poured him a cup of wine. "Have some wine and take your time."
Seeing Mo Hua's curious expression, Master Chen felt helpless. "Since you want to hear it, I'll give you a brief explanation."
"The grading of spirit artifacts is determined by standards set by the Taoist Court. The number of fine iron or equivalent materials used, the number of processes involved, and the number of times it's been forged are all factors in determining the grade."
"The most important factor is the number of times it's been forged. Typically, a first-grade spirit artifact is forged a hundred times, and then adjustments are made based on the hardness of the material, the complexity of the design, and the intricacy of the forging techniques. It is then evaluated by a majority of artifact refiners, becoming a convention, and finally stipulated by the Taoist Court, recorded in the artifact grading norms."
"Sounds complicated," Mo Hua commented.
"That's only because you're not an artifact refiner," Master Chen replied. "If you were, after swinging a big hammer and forging fine iron for a few days according to an artifact refinement manual, everything would become clear."
Looking at his slender arms and legs, Mo Hua decided against it.
Master Chen smiled and said, "Simply put, it depends on how many times you can strike the iron. The more times a spirit artifact is forged, the higher its grade will naturally be. There's a saying, 'A thousand hammers and a hundred refinements, a hundred refinements to create an artifact,' which sums up this principle."
"That's similar to drawing formations," Mo Hua nodded. "The more lines a formation has, the higher its grade. It seems that the principles of this world are interconnected."
Master Chen smiled as well. "I don't understand formations, but according to what you said, that's indeed the case."
Mo Hua asked, "What about pill refining and talisman making? Are they similar as well?"
"As for pill refining and talisman making..." Master Chen estimated, "I suppose they're similar, but I haven't learned those skills either, so I'm not clear on the intricacies. After all, different trades are like different mountains, and it's not wise to make arbitrary judgments."
Mo Hua nodded, acknowledging the truth in Master Chen's words.
While he was fairly proficient in formations, his knowledge of artifact refining and pill refining was only superficial. There were many intricacies in these fields that he hadn't personally studied or practiced, so they remained a mystery to him.
This was true not just for pill refining and artifact refining but also for formations. There was a significant difference between composite formations and single formations. While he was familiar with the Five Elements Formation, he wasn't as knowledgeable about other formation structures or attribute-based formations.
For example, the Three Talents Formation, as well as the Two Polarities Formation, Four Symbols Formation, Seven Stars Formation, and Eight Trigrams Formation that Elder Mister Zhuang had mentioned.
He estimated that truly studying and applying these formations would be quite different from the Five Elements Formation he was used to.
Not to mention the demonic, magical, evil, and forbidden formations that Mo Hua had heard about—the Ghost, Corpse, Demon, and other sinister formations prohibited by the Taoist Court.
Then, another question occurred to Mo Hua, and he asked, "Master Chen, are you familiar with talisman making?"
"Not really," Master Chen admitted.
"You must know something about it," Mo Hua probed.
"What do you want to know?" Master Chen asked, puzzled.
"Are there any differences between talismans and formations?" Mo Hua inquired.
During his time at Tongxian Gate, Mo Hua had taken some basic courses that introduced talismans, but those lessons were too simplistic and focused more on theory than practical application.
While learning about formations, Mo Hua always felt that the formations he drew on paper resembled the "talismans" from his past life.
He had never fully understood the distinction between the two.
(End of Chapter)
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