Lu Ping's return did not bring about any commotion on Huang Li Island. However, it caused quite a commotion among the Blood Condensation cultivators on Zhenling Island. One against ten, Lu Ping easily defeated Li Yu and the others. These people had long heard that Li Ziming and Lu Ping did not get along well. Now, however, they had completely fallen out.
Then, news spread that Lu Ping was attacked while scouting the pirates. The pirates personally admitted that they already knew about Lu Ping's whereabouts. At that time, only a small number of cultivators knew that Lu Ping had secretly gone to the sea. It just so happened that the one who came up with the idea and urged Lu Ping to go to the sea was none other than Li Ziming. This time, even if Li Ziming had a mouth, he would not be able to explain himself.
Just as everyone was looking forward to the next development of the situation, Lu Ping was either going back and forth between the three shops or staying in his own cave mansion under the cliff at the center of Huang Li Island. As for Li Yu and the others, they no longer showed themselves in public. Even when they were patrolling the island, they also took a leave of absence. Both sides had come to a mutual understanding.
Lu Ping had been very busy these past few days. For the past few years, Hu Lili had been helping him manage the shop he opened in the market. Without the talismans and medicinal pills crafted by Lu Ping, the profits of the Pill and Talisman Pavilion had dropped significantly. However, with Hu Lili's help, Fang Tao had been able to purchase a large number of items from Dikun Island and sell them in the Pill and Talisman Pavilion. After five years, they had earned tens of thousands of spirit stones.
Naturally, Lu Ping did not care about this small amount of spirit stones. After giving half to Hu Lili, Fang Tao followed Lu Ping's instructions to purchase spiritual herbs that were 500 years old and above.
After dealing with the matters of the Pill and Talisman Pavilion, Lu Ping went to look around Hu Lili's shop. Then, he went to Chen Lian's artefact-crafting shop.
At present, Chen Lian's artefact refinement skill could be said to be famous amongst the cultivators of Huang Li Island. Chen Lian's family had a long history of learning and he was also a disciple of Zhenling, a Core Forging Stage artefact refinement master, Sage Enigma Flame. Absorbing the strong points of both sects, the quality of the high-grade and mid-grade Magic artefacts refined by him was excellent. Thus, he was now the number one artefact refinement master in the seas of Profound Flower Island and Profound Qi Island.
When Lu Ping found Chen Lian, Chen Lian had just refined a high-grade defensive artifact, the Spirit Stale Stone. Seeing Lu Ping enter, he directly threw the Spirit Stale Stone to Lu Ping and said, "Take a look, how's the refining?"
Lu Ping took a look. This Spirit Stale Stone was refined using the Spirit Stale Soil provided by Lu Ping. The entire stone was like a Rubik's Cube. Although it was only the size of a palm, when encountering an enemy, as long as one channeled their arcane energy into it, the Spirit Stale Stone would expand into a thick Spirit Stale Wall, blocking all threatening attacks for the cultivator.
Lu Ping carefully inspected the smelting temperature and the details of the formation engravings. He said, "Really good. I didn't expect you to be able to refine high-grade Magic artefacts so easily."
Chen Lian smiled proudly and said, "This is a defensive Magic artefact that Niu Dazhuang asked me to refine for him. Niu Dazhuang had just broken through to the mid-stage Blood Condensation Realm. Originally, using a high-grade Magic artefact would be quite difficult for him. Unfortunately, he was forced into a corner by this fellow. This time, the Spirit Stale Soil you left for him has been used up."
Lu Ping smiled indifferently and said, "It's fine. If there's nothing left, I'll just dig for more. Oh right, how confident are you in refining a top-grade Magic artefact? "
Chen Lian said, "You're talking about the 'Landslide', right? You've had that second-grade Deep Sea Silver Iron for quite some time now. With your strength, I'm afraid you can already use a top-grade Magic artefact. "
Chen Lian saw Lu Ping nodding and continued, "I'm still a little lacking in the ability to refine top-grade Magic artefacts. I'm afraid I'll have to go back to Di Kun Island with you to look for my Old Chen."
Lu Ping smiled and said, "How would you know if you don't try? If there's something like this, how confident are you?" As he said that, he took out the high-grade Crafting Furnace that he obtained from Fei Ling Island from his storage ring.
Chen Lian was a man who knew his stuff. The moment he saw the Crafting Furnace, his eyes lit up and he said, "Where did you get this antique from? The crafting technique is rather simple and mysterious. I'm afraid it has four to five thousand years of history. Hmm, hmm, although the crafting technique is simple and crude, it's very impressive. It can maximize the power of the Magic artefact, but it also shortens the lifespan of the Magic artefact. However, if the spiritual materials used to refine the Magic artefact are refined carefully, this flaw can be made up for. However, with my refining technique, it's still a little lacking …"
Lu Ping saw that Chen Lian had forgotten what he had told him earlier the moment he saw the Crafting Furnace. Lu Ping was rather impressed by Chen Lian's obsession, but he still interrupted him and said, "You can study the Crafting Furnace later. I'm asking you now, with this, it shouldn't be a problem for you to upgrade 'Landslide' to a top-grade Magic artefact, right?"
Chen Lian finally got rid of the temptation of the Crafting Furnace and replied, "There's no problem, but I've never refined a top-grade Magic artefact before. If I fail, don't look for me."
Lu Ping said fiercely, "If you fail, I'll take this Crafting Furnace back!"
Hearing this, Chen Lian's face turned bitter.
Lu Ping was amused. He took out two mid-grade inner armors and a complete crocodile skin from his storage ring. After thinking for a moment, he took out two long thorns that were each three feet long and passed them to Chen Lian. "Since that's the case, use them to practice. You should recognize these two inner armors. This time, upgrade them to high-grade Magic artefacts. Use these two thorns to refine two high-grade flying needles for me."
Chen Lian ignored Lu Ping's instructions and exclaimed, "Good stuff, good stuff! Is this the skin of a Primordial Giant Crocodile? Looking at the color and toughness of the skin, could it be a Late Blood Condensation Realm Primordial Giant Crocodile? Heavens, did you kill a Primordial Giant Crocodile? This is a fierce beast among demonic beasts. Even a Ninth Layer Blood Condensation Realm cultivator might not be able to defeat a Seventh Layer Primordial Giant Crocodile! "
Without waiting for Lu Ping to explain, Chen Lian continued, "Isn't this the long thorns of a Flying Swordfish? This is an ideal material to refine flying needles. Swordfish demonic beasts usually travel in pairs in the ocean. Even a Late Blood Condensation Realm demonic beast wouldn't dare to provoke a pair of Mid Blood Condensation Realm Flying Swordfish. Did you kill them too?"
Lu Ping said helplessly, "It's just a coincidence. Do as you see fit!"
After saying that, Lu Ping ignored Chen Lian, who was still admiring the materials, and returned to his cave dwelling. There was still a furnace of pills that was almost done.
After a long time, a flustered and exasperated voice came from Little Chen's crafting shop, cursing, "Bastard, where are you? If you want to upgrade two mid-grade inner armors to high-grade, how is this alligator skin enough? You also need several kinds of high-grade spiritual materials. Could it be that the long beak of this Flying Swordfish can be directly refined into a flying needle? At least five high-grade spiritual materials are needed for that to work. This guy ran really fast. It's a pity that the little bit of property I've saved over the years will have to be spent again."
Lu Ping, who ran back to his cave dwelling, naturally couldn't hear Chen Lian's complaints. After all, the Primordial Giant Crocodile's skin was used to upgrade two top-grade inner armors. Just the high-grade crafting furnace was already a top-grade magic tool. Chen Lian had definitely made a huge profit this time, so he didn't mind spending some spiritual materials.
Lu Ping used the Primordial Giant Crocodile's blood as the main ingredient, along with a dozen types of 500-year-old spiritual herbs. The Barrier Breaking Pill was specially concocted by Lu Ping for Lu Dagui to break through to the Mid Blood Condensation Realm.
Strictly speaking, although Lu Dagui and the Primordial Giant Crocodile were both pure water-elemental monsters, one of them had the Turtle Bloodline while the other had the Jiao Bloodline. They weren't ideal complementary bloodlines. However, Lu Ping knew that they shared the same origin. Moreover, the Primordial Giant Crocodile was a Late Blood Condensation monster. It was already very rare for its blood to fuse with Lu Dagui's.
The Primordial Giant Crocodile's blood was enough for Lu Ping to concoct seven or eight furnaces of Barrier Breaking Pills. Lu Ping had spent more than half of the 500-year-old spiritual herbs he bought along the way. In total, he had obtained five bottles of Barrier Breaking Pills. His success rate was 70%.
Lu Dagui was already close to reaching the peak of the Third Layer Blood Condensation Realm, so he fell asleep after eating seven or eight Bottleneck-breaking Pellets. By the time he woke up, Lu Ping would have another Mid Blood Condensation Realm cultivator under his command.
A month after Lu Ping returned, Master Immortal Liu returned from the sea. When Yao Yong and the rest heard that Lu Ping had returned safely, they were very excited. They all came to visit Lu Ping's cave abode. After seeing Lu Ping's cave abode, they were all envious of Lu Ping's good luck.
As they chatted, they asked Lu Ping if he had any plans to become a disciple of a Core Forging Realm Enlightened Master since he had already reached the Mid Blood Condensation Realm.
Lu Ping hadn't thought about this before, but it was important. After reaching the Mid Blood Condensation Realm, Zhen Ling Sect's disciples would automatically become the sect's elite disciples. They would be able to study under the sect's Core Forging Enlightened Masters and receive greater help in their cultivation. They wouldn't have to take too many detours, and their future achievements would naturally be higher.
Just like how Yao Yong became the disciple of Enlightened Master Qu Xuancheng and reached the Sixth Level Blood Condensation Realm in five years. Chen Lian became the disciple of Sage Enigma Flame. Du Feng cultivated a metal-type cultivation technique. His master was Enlightened Master Xuanfan, who cultivated the "Gengjin Military-Breaking Kill" technique. Du Feng was also at the Fifth Level Blood Condensation Realm. Hu Lili became the disciple of a Core Forging Realm Enlightened Master who specialized in formations. Zhong Jian's master was Enlightened Master Guo Xuanshan, who was at the Fifth Level Blood Condensation Realm.
However, Lu Ping had no clue. Lu Ping had come into contact with a few Core Forging Realm Enlightened Masters in the sect. The one he was most familiar with was undoubtedly Enlightened Master Jiang Xuanlin. However, Lu Ping did not know if Enlightened Master Jiang's cultivation technique was compatible with his own. Moreover, Enlightened Master Jiang was currently preparing to break through to the Dharma Manifestation realm.
After everyone left, Lu Ping went to visit Master Immortal Liu. He briefly recounted what had happened in the past five years. When he mentioned that his whereabouts were exposed by a cultivator from his sect, Master Immortal Liu frowned. "You did well. Although the Li family's father and son are the biggest suspects, the cultivators from the other sects were also heavily injured or killed by our sect's encirclement. The remaining cultivators have all returned to their sects, so there is no evidence left. The Li family and the Lin family have some influence in our sect. If there is no evidence, you can only blame yourself."
Lu Ping understood. Master Immortal Liu looked at Lu Ping and said, "I know you are a shrewd person. I'm afraid you will not let this matter rest. However, I still advise you to be careful. Zhenling's rules are very strict. Colluding with the enemy is a grave crime. The small Li family is like an ant in Zhenling. How would they dare to take such a risk and expose the identity and whereabouts of a cultivator from the sect?"
Lu Ping was taken aback. "Master Immortal, are you saying that there is someone behind the Li family?"
Master Immortal Liu nodded. "In the end, there is no evidence!"
Before Lu Ping left, Master Immortal Liu said, "In seven days, return to Tian Ling Mountain and prepare to become a disciple."
Lu Ping asked who his disciple was, but Master Immortal Liu said he did not know. He had only received a notification from the sect.
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