Chapter 33: Gui Water Elite

An indescribable sensation erupted on the tip of Song Changsheng's tongue, spreading through his mouth like tiny currents of electricity, nearly making him swallow his own tongue.

"This..." Song Changsheng's chopsticks moved like rain as he devoured half a plate of dried meat in rapid succession. It was only through sheer willpower that he finally managed to restrain himself; otherwise, the entire plate would have been wiped out.

Song Changsheng's performance left Zhu Yiqun very satisfied. He leisurely picked up a piece of dried meat, took a sip of wine, and chewed them together, closing his eyes in apparent enjoyment.

Song Changsheng followed suit and tried a piece, finding that the flavor was indeed elevated to a whole new level. Furthermore, once the spiritual wine entered his stomach, it immediately transformed into pure spiritual energy that flowed into his dantian; he could clearly feel a slight increase in his cultivation.

He instantly realized just how extraordinary that seasoning was.

"You feel it already, don't you? This seasoning can enhance the flavor while maximizing the utilization of the spiritual energy contained within spiritual food, converting it into cultivation," Zhu Yiqun said with a smile, sounding quite self-satisfied.

"The methods of a medicinal chef are indeed extraordinary. I am convinced. Compared to yours, the cuisine of Yushi Workshop is truly nothing to mention," Song Changsheng admitted, genuinely impressed. The man wasn't boasting.

Just by producing a single bottle of seasoning, he had elevated the flavor of Yushi Workshop's food to a higher dimension; if he were to cook personally, the results would surely be even more incredible.

"You flatter me. Your attainments in the Way of Arrays and Artifacts also command my respect."

After a round of mutual professional flattery, the two continued to drink. By the end, they had lost track of how much they had consumed, and it wasn't until sunset that they walked out of Yushi Workshop, arms around each other's shoulders.

This meal had cost Song Changsheng thirty spirit stones—truly expensive.

The two parted ways only after exchanging spiritual sense imprints on each other's communication jade slips to serve as bridges for future contact.

Upon returning to the Treasure Seeking Pavilion, Song Changsheng found Song Changqian standing at the entrance, seemingly waiting for someone.

This came as a surprise to him. Ever since he had easily defeated Cheng Xiao last time, Song Changqian had not appeared before him in person for over half a year.

Had the sun risen in the west today?

However, it had nothing to do with him. Reeking of alcohol, he intended to go back and have a good wash, so he ignored her and walked straight past.

Unexpectedly, just as he was about to head upstairs, he heard Song Changqian's voice, thin as a mosquito's buzz: "Thank you."

Song Changsheng paused his footsteps but did not turn around. "It was all for the sake of the family. There is no need for thanks."

With that, Song Changsheng returned to his room, leaving Song Changqian staring blankly at the door...

Back in his room, Song Changsheng washed off the smell of alcohol and then laid out his hauls from today's market visit.

"I wonder if this Kongming Iron can give me a little surprise."

Song Changsheng took out a short knife and began to peel away the shell of the Kongming Iron, layer by layer, as fine powder trickled down.

Soon, the fist-sized raw ore was reduced to the size of an egg. At this moment, Song Changsheng could clearly sense the fluctuations of water spiritual energy radiating from within.

"At least second-tier level. A profit!" Song Changsheng smiled slightly and began to remove the final thin layer of shell.

With the rhythmic strikes of the knife, an oval-shaped metal appeared before him.

The metal possessed a dreamlike blue hue, its surface as smooth as a mirror, clearly displaying gradient patterns like ripples on water.

"This... could it be Gui Water Essence?" Song Changsheng was overjoyed, turning the object over and over in his hands.

After a moment, Song Changsheng took out his heavily damaged defensive artifact, the [Water Element Shield], and said with a chuckle, "You're in for some good luck this time."

This artifact had been one of his early practice pieces, but over the years, it had shielded him through many storms. Since it was damaged in his last battle, he had been unable to find suitable materials to repair it.

And now, he had found just the thing.

Gui Water Essence was a relatively rare second-tier water-attribute spiritual material. Its texture was quite hard; adding a portion of it when refining an artifact could enhance its quality and increase the combat strength of a water-attribute cultivator. It was a perfect match for the [Water Element Shield].

If he used it to re-refine the shield, its quality would undoubtedly see a massive improvement.

Acting on impulse, he locked himself in the refining room. After several days of work, he raised the grade of the [Water Element Shield] to top-tier first-tier and re-engraved its internal arrays.

Looking at the brand-new [Water Element Shield] in his hand, Song Changsheng said with relief

"Ever since I practiced the [Fire and Water Control Method], I have become extremely sensitive to the fluctuations of fire and water spiritual energy. Otherwise, I might have missed this opportunity."

Next, he used a bronze cauldron to smelt several other pieces of ore. This part was more routine, totaling a value of about four or five spirit stones.

Only after processing those ores did Song Changsheng take out the broken array base and the remnant jade.

The disc-shaped array base was now only two-thirds intact, its surface covered in spiderweb-like cracks, and its spiritual light had completely faded.

Such junk wouldn't catch anyone's eye on the street, yet Song Changsheng had bought it for ten spirit stones.

It wasn't because he was foolish or had too much money, but because he had seen something in it.

The cracks on the surface of the array base appeared to be caused by an attack, but from the perspective of an array master, these cracks followed a certain pattern, much like the runes used to set an array.

Song Changsheng focused his mind and let his fingertips brush slowly over the surface of those patterns. An identical image appeared in his mind.

He had reconstructed it within his sea of consciousness using his spiritual power.

As this image gradually became complete, Song Changsheng became increasingly certain that these were indeed array runes—and they were highly profound, unlike anything he had encountered before.

Records stated that arrays originated from the teachings of great experts from the Upper Realm in ancient times; they were a cultivation art containing the fundamental truths of the Great Dao.

High-level cultivators perceived the peculiar laws governing the movement of heaven and earth, and through human intervention, these laws were formed into array runes.

Different runes could be used to set up different formations, serving as the foundation of all arrays.

The Song clan possessed a third-tier array inheritance, and Song Changsheng had been well-versed in these texts since childhood.

After comparison, he determined that this was a second-tier primordial array rune.

This made Song Changsheng quite excited. These were the purest forms of array runes, containing traces of the laws of the universe.

If he could fully comprehend them, his attainments in the Way of Arrays would surely leap forward significantly.

"Although one-third is missing, with my understanding of arrays, there is still hope to complete it. Those ten spirit stones were well spent."

Song Changsheng quickly took out a jade slip and transcribed the incomplete array rune from his sea of consciousness to preserve it properly, intending to contemplate it whenever he had the chance.

Finally, he turned his gaze toward the remnant jade. The first two items had given him surprises, and his heart was filled with anticipation for this object as well...

(End of Chapter)