Each attempt, though more often than not, was a rare test and learning opportunity for him, regardless of success or failure.
Indeed, cultivators at the Core Formation stage begin to learn and apply the technique of superposition. Looking throughout history and across the entire cultivation world, he is probably the only freak of his kind.
Xiao Wenbing continued his efforts, creating one prototype after another and stacking them one by one onto the small round shield.
After the eighth, ninth, and tenth ones, the small round shield suddenly emitted an extremely soft light.
After ten stackings, quantitative change led to qualitative change. Through his unremitting efforts, this small round shield finally overcame the limits of magical artifacts and became a rare upgraded product.
In the world of cultivation, magical artifacts are as numerous as clouds. Almost every qualified cultivator possesses several magical treasures.
However, apart from the celestial artifacts passed down from the immortal realm, cultivators can only refine magical artifacts themselves.
So-called immortal artifacts, divine artifacts, ghost artifacts, and demonic artifacts may exist, but they are definitely not something that cultivators can forge.
The sole criterion for classifying all magical artifacts is their power. Regardless of the materials used, even dragon tendons and phoenix hearts, if the power is insufficient, the artifact will be classified as low-level.
In the cultivation world, magical artifacts are divided into ten grades, each grade representing a threshold, with vastly different levels of power.
The small round shield was forged from steel mother, celestial sand and a few drops of Arctic cold water. Inside it was only a small, pitiful defensive formation. Whether it was its materials, forging techniques or temperature, it was the most basic thing.
In the cultivation world, the defensive power of this small round shield is pitifully low. In other words, it doesn't even need evaluation; it's simply a low-grade, first-level magic weapon.
However, the existence of the Hundredfold Technique changed all of this.
The art of stacking a hundred layers transforms the rotten into the miraculous. Ten layers constitute one level, and after every ten stacks, the magical artifact will undergo a transformation from quantitative accumulation to qualitative change, a great transformation that is the culmination of quantitative change.
At this moment, the small round shield, although made of the same material and the same size and shape, had undergone a completely different change inside.
Whether it's its inherent hardness, impact resistance, or defensive capabilities, it has undergone an unimaginable qualitative improvement.
The difference between these two is like the transformation from condensing a pill to forming a golden core; they are fundamentally different.
Gently, he bent one finger, released it, and flicked his fingertip onto the small round shield.
"Buzz..."
The small round shield emitted a crisp and pleasant buzzing sound, which was like a cool nectar flowing into Xiao Wenbing's heart, making him feel extremely comfortable and refreshed.
A level two magic weapon! This is a genuine level two magic weapon, and it's not just any ordinary level two magic weapon; it's an extremely rare, cross-level advancement magic weapon.
Magical treasures... those are among the most valued things by all cultivators.
If the Core Formation stage is the minimum standard for using magic weapons, then the minimum level for refining magic weapons is the Golden Core stage.
If a cultivator in the Core Formation stage manages to forge a top-grade first-level magic weapon by sheer chance, he would already be considered a prodigy with exceptional talent.
As for level two magic weapons, hehe... As far as he knows, all the records in the classics state that the minimum level of cultivators capable of refining level two magic weapons are mid-stage Golden Core cultivators.
However, today, the fact that he, a cultivator at the Core Formation stage, was able to successfully refine a second-level magic weapon is sure to be a sensational news story.
Although his refining methods are somewhat unscrupulous, this kind of method, known only to heaven and earth and unknown to men and ghosts, is unique and unparalleled.
After calming his somewhat exuberant mind, he chuckled and copied the small round shield.
This action had become a habit for him, so that even if something unexpected happened in the future and the small round shield was damaged, he could remake it.
"Bang..."
A ray of sunlight shone through the moved boulder, and Xiao Wenbing looked up to see the outer disciple of the Jade Cauldron Sect standing with his hands clasped. Unbeknownst to him, a month had already passed.
He rushed to the cave entrance, looked up and looked around, but couldn't see the old Taoist priest Xianyun. He asked in surprise, "Where is my master?"
The disciple bowed slightly. Although Xiao Wenbing was only a Core Formation stage cultivator, he was an ordinary person who had not yet comprehended the Qi mechanism, so he dared not be impolite in the slightest: "Your master left a message saying that he needs to go back to retrieve a few items and asks you to send the magic weapon you have refined to the appraisal hall for evaluation. Then, he will stay in the guest room for a few days and return soon."
"Go back to get something?" Xiao Wenbing frowned slightly. The old man was not one to dawdle like this. He guessed that something unexpected must have happened, so he urgently needed to go back to resolve it. Otherwise, given how much the old Taoist valued him, he would never have left at this time.
"Senior, would you be willing to donate the magical artifact you have crafted to the Appraisal Hall?"
“Appraisal Hall? What’s that?” Xiao Wenbing asked.
The outer disciple was taken aback. Since he had come to the Jade Cauldron Sect, there was still someone who didn't know about the Appraisal Hall. Xiao Wenbing could be considered the first person in ten thousand years to do so.
However, he dared not show any displeasure to Xiao Wenbing, and could only explain with a bitter face: "The Appraisal Hall was established by our sect ten thousand years ago, and is specifically responsible for appraising the grade and use of various magical artifacts."
"Oh." Xiao Wenbing suddenly realized and said, "Since my master has said so, of course I should go."
The disciple responded and pointed to a strangely shaped vehicle on the ground, saying, "Senior, please get in the car."
Xiao Wenbing glanced at the thing that was neither a car nor an airplane and asked, "What is this?"
"This is a flying chariot specially provided by our Jade Cauldron Sect for its outer disciples. Once you ride it, you can travel a thousand miles in no time."
With a hint of envy, Xiao Wenbing carefully observed the surroundings. He remembered that the journey had been swift, thanks to the old Taoist priest Xianyun's magic. Only now, after being reminded of this, did he realize that the distance to the Jade Cauldron Sect's gate was a thousand miles.
The flying car quickly rose into the air, emitting a slight whooshing sound, and sped forward.
"What powers this?" Xiao Wenbing asked casually.
This was clearly not a secret, and the disciple immediately explained, "It is powered by spirit stones."
"Strange, why does it feel a bit like an electronic product?" Xiao Wenbing finally asked the question that had been bothering him the most.
“Yes, senior. Our Jade Cauldron Sect has been established for tens of thousands of years and does not reject high-tech products from other planets. It is precisely because we can learn from their strengths and make up for our weaknesses that our sect has been able to prosper day by day.” The disciple proudly raised his head and said.
The combination of technology and magic? It seems that this is not a patent of earthlings. Others have been trying and exploring it for a long time, and have already produced finished products and accumulated a wealth of experience.
The speed of the flying car was indeed very fast, so fast that Xiao Wenbing didn't even have time to finish his exclamation.
After entering the mountain gate, Xiao Wenbing arrived at the appraisal hall under the guidance of the disciple.
The place is very large. There is a huge counter in front of it, with ten windows on it. In each window, there is one or more cultivators, at least at the Core Formation stage, who are responsible for marking and arranging the magical artifacts that are continuously being delivered.
"How come there are so many people?" Although Jade Cauldron Sect is a large sect, it is still a bit unbelievable that so many people are wandering around here every day.
"Senior, the Appraisal Hall is open to the entire cultivation world. Every day, there are definitely many people who bring strange and unusual items here for appraisal."
"Ah..." Xiao Wenbing understood. No wonder most of the people here were unfathomable; they were probably mostly at the Nascent Soul stage or above.
Since the old Taoist priest Xianyun wasn't around, and anyone here could easily kill him, Xiao Wenbing, being well aware of his own limitations, obediently tucked his tail between his legs and acted like a subservient grandson.
Volume Four: The Divine Artifacts, Chapter 112: The Two Elders with the Character "Hui"
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Guided by the outer disciple, he arrived at the last window to queue. The longest queue was at this window, and the further forward he went, the fewer people there were. At the very first three windows, there wasn't even a single person in sight.
Perhaps sensing the doubt in Xiao Wenbing's eyes, the disciple explained, "The ten windows here are each overseen by an elder or disciple of our sect. All magical artifacts are appraised starting from the lowest level. Once an artifact exceeds the disciple's ability, it is passed up level by level."
Xiao Wenbing immediately understood. It turned out that this disciple looked down on him because he thought his cultivation level was not high, and assumed that he could definitely refine a first-level magic weapon, so he made him wait here in vain.
His eyebrows twitched slightly. Now that he understood the reasoning, he couldn't help but feel annoyed. However, this was ultimately someone else's territory, and if a fight broke out, he would definitely be the one to suffer in the end. So he just smiled slightly and stopped talking.
Although the longest queue was outside this window, the busiest disciples were also the ones working inside.
The crowd moved forward quickly, and finally it was Xiao Wenbing's turn. He took out his small round shield and tossed it onto the counter.
The outer disciple behind him had an "I knew it" expression on his face. Although his skill and status were far from meeting the standards for weapon crafting, he was still a disciple of the Jade Cauldron Sect and had seen far more magical artifacts than Xiao Wenbing, this country bumpkin.
As the saying goes, even if you've never eaten pork, you've always seen pigs run.
Therefore, upon seeing the small round shield, he couldn't help but shake his head slightly. He had long known that a cultivator at the Core Formation stage could only refine these most basic things, and now, seeing this, it was indeed the case.
At the counter, a Core Formation stage disciple in charge of registration glanced at the small round shield, then scribbled a few large characters on the paper in a flamboyant style.
"One first-grade defective small round shield." He casually tore it off, picked up the small round shield, stuck it on the shield, and was about to throw it back to Xiao Wenbing.
However, he suddenly stopped moving, and his right hand, which was holding the small round shield, twitched slightly, as if he felt that something was wrong with the feel of it.
He held it in his hands, examining it from all angles. This magical artifact was definitely an ordinary small round shield, but no matter how he looked at it, there seemed to be something different about it. However, what exactly was different was beyond his knowledge to discern.
In fact, this disciple's knowledge was quite remarkable; otherwise, he wouldn't have been in charge of this window. However, no matter how he thought about it, he couldn't have imagined that a low-level Core Formation disciple would be involved with the Hundredfold Technique.
"What's wrong?"
His actions drew questions from his companions. But he shook his head, slowly raised the small round shield above his head, squinted at it in the sunlight for a long time, and still couldn't figure it out.
"Give it to me," someone beside him said softly.
The man immediately stood up respectfully, presented it with both hands, and said, "Brother Amo, please take a look."
Amog held the small round shield and examined it carefully for a long time, but his expression changed slightly.
"How's it going? Is the appraisal done yet?" Xiao Wenbing urged from below.
Amo was taken aback, hesitated for a moment, glanced at Xiao Wenbing who only had the cultivation of the Core Formation stage, and asked, "May I ask, fellow Daoist, who made this item?"
Xiao Wenbing shrugged impatiently and said, "Of course I refined it myself."
Amo scrutinized Xiao Wenbing closely, a look of extreme suspicion appearing on his face.
Since something had gone wrong here, the people nearby also stopped and looked in this direction.
Xiao Wenbing knew things were going badly. These people's cultivation levels were far above his own. If the old Taoist priest Xianyun were still alive, he could use him as a shield, but he was afraid he wouldn't be able to withstand even a single blow. If he angered them or they developed covetous thoughts, he would be in big trouble.
So he immediately put on a smiling face and said, "Brother Amo, this item was indeed made by me personally. I was sent here to be graded on the orders of my master. Please do me a favor."
Amo tapped the small round shield a few times, and gradually, a troubled look appeared on his face. He said, "Brother, if you are not in a hurry, could you temporarily store this item within our sect and give me an answer tomorrow?"
"Okay." Xiao Wenbing readily agreed. Since he had already copied it, it wouldn't matter if he lost it.
Seeing Xiao Wenbing follow the outer disciples to the guest room, the people around Amo were all extremely surprised.
Although Amo's status in the Jade Cauldron Sect wasn't top-tier, he was still one of the leading figures among the next generation, and a Nascent Soul stage expert himself. He was usually arrogant and aloof, never showing any courtesy to others. Yet today, he used the honorific "you" to address a junior in the Core Formation stage, which naturally left them utterly puzzled.
Amo gave a briefing to his fellow disciples, then took the small round shield and went to a thatched hut in the back mountain of the Jade Cauldron Sect.
There, two old Taoist priests were leisurely playing chess.
"Master, Senior Uncle," Amo stepped forward, bowed, and said in a low voice.
These two are the two elders of the Jade Cauldron Sect, renowned throughout the cultivation world: Huipu and Huiming.
"What's the rush?" HP asked without looking up. He frowned. He had only two great hobbies in life: crafting weapons and playing chess. This disciple knew these things very well. He clearly saw him playing chess, yet he still dared to disturb him. It was truly outrageous.
Amo took out a small round shield from his bosom and respectfully handed it over, saying, "Disciple just acquired a magical artifact in the appraisal hall. Please appraise it, Master."
HP immediately looked up, and with a casual wave of his hand, the small round shield flew into his hand as if pulled by a thread.
This is just a small round shield. Most cultivators choose this as their first weapon crafting piece when they begin to refine weapons.