Cultivating the high-level skill of "Furnace Tempering" was exceptionally difficult.
Simply progressing from the "Proficient" to "Expert" tier required the consumption of eighty-one 'Skill Cultivation Cards', and an additional 'Purple-grade Cultivation Card' was needed to assist in breaking through bottleneck stages.
Furthermore, practicing this skill was more agonizing than conventional skills, with immense mental strain. Fang You dared not push himself too hard at once.
Ten attempts were about his limit.
Any more wasn't impossible, but he needed to maintain a certain level of combat readiness.
He still had to go out to negotiate trades, light the Dawn Lighthouse, check on Xitina, and a myriad of other affairs to attend to. Thus, it took him a full ten days to cultivate "Furnace Tempering" to the Expert tier.
"A full ten days."
"This is truly... so draining!"
Instructor Fang sighed.
Through his unremitting efforts, he had finally broken through the bottleneck and advanced "Furnace Tempering" to the Expert tier.
His body was drenched in sweat, and he couldn't help but pant. However, unlike in the past, where he would collapse on the ground, unable to move a finger, such a state was impossible now.
Fang You perceived himself internally, faintly seeing a colossal palace where extraordinary flames blazed fiercely, tempering and refining the strands of lightning that coursed through the palace. These were being refined into orbs of lightning, suspended at the palace's apex like luminous pearls.
"The special effects of these high-grade skills are indeed different. My internal furnace is vast, like a palace. I wonder what special effects 'Edge Accumulation' from Black Blade has when cultivated?"
Although Instructor Fang could borrow and use Black Blade's skills, borrowing was merely borrowing, superficial and unable to deeply fathom its power. As for entry-level? He had used it a few times and practiced for a period, but he couldn't find the way in, unable to grasp its essence.
Thus, he abandoned the idea.
Instructor Fang had an extremely demanding academic schedule!
Sleeping at three, waking at six; sleeping at four, waking at five; only then can one forge a strong physique.
He shook his head.
"The skill 'Edge Accumulation' is more suited for attack-speed or armor-piercing builds. It's not that others can't use it, but if they can't unleash its full potential, it's better to settle for intermediate or lower-level skills, which are easier to learn."
Well, there was also a more significant reason: he lacked seeds, so he couldn't learn it even if he wanted to.
He hadn't obtained a Golden-grade Skill Seed before, but a few months ago, he had opened three, and those had to be used sparingly.
Fang You took out one of them.
The seed hung in mid-air, radiating faint golden halos. Patterns seemed to emerge on its surface, profound and enigmatic.
Grasping the seed, Fang You activated the "Furnace Tempering" skill. A roaring sound seemed to emanate from within him, and powers of flame and lightning spread out, continuously impacting the small seed.
For a time, the entire level four training ground was engulfed by a gale, accompanied by roars like thunder.
After a while,
The boiling power within Fang You gradually subsided. He exhaled a long breath, like white mist, and then, looking closely at the seed before him, he saw a few more prominent, distinct, and mysterious patterns.
[Skill Seed (Gold)]
[Status: Currently imprinting high-level skill 'Furnace Tempering', imprinting in progress, current progress: 1.2%.]
Instructor Fang: "..."
After toiling for over thirty hours, working continuously for nearly a hundred times, nearly draining Fang You, the seed was finally uploaded and ready for planting to bear abundant fruit.
He went to the base's fourth-floor planting zone and summoned the number one grass planter, Liu Shang.
He asked Miss Liu Shang to handle it.
This was certainly not because Instructor Fang was too lazy, but rather, Skill Seeds suffered a loss when planted and bearing fruit; they were consumables, not permanent items. Only the special soil within the base and an expert like Liu Shang could minimize the loss.
"The instructor's seed? And it's a legendary one!"
Upon hearing this, Liu Shang immediately abandoned her work and rushed over. She caressed it, lamenting, "If only it were a real seed. Skill Seeds are too miraculous; I can't research their mysteries."
She personally parted the soil, carefully planted the seed, and infused it with her own life energy.
Energy imbued with the 'Life Wood Spirit' characteristic was channeled into it.
She stepped back a few paces.
In a mere instant, the soil before her slightly bulged, and a tender sprout broke through the earth. Within tens of seconds, it grew into a small tree two to three meters tall, bearing... three fruits!
The fruits, emanating faint halos, were exceptionally tempting. Judging by their appearance, they were quite precious, but...
Only three.
How stingy.
A Blue-grade Skill Seed could produce a high-yield tree bearing six fruits.
Once the skill fruits were harvested, the small tree withered in an instant. When Fang You dug up the seed, he fell silent once more.
[Skill Seed (Furnace Tempering)]
[Loss Degree: 33.3%, Growth Cooldown: 167:59:59.]
Ordinary Skill Seeds, nurtured by Liu Shang and the soil, had their single planting loss reduced to 4%, allowing one Skill Seed to be planted a full twenty-five times!
The yield per planting also far surpassed this.
And the legendary seed? This was poor, that was poor, compared to the base-level seeds, their dedication was not even half as good, yet... their seed grade was high.
Seeing the instructor's silence, Liu Shang couldn't help but comfort him,
"Instructor, um... this seed's grade is too high. The soil and my life energy didn't have much effect."
Meaning, there was still room for improvement?
Was this good news? Probably!
He had been hesitant about imprinting a 'Edge Accumulation Seed', but now that thought was gone.
He only had three legendary seeds; he would use them sparingly.
"Now, it's time to think about the pricing for the Furnace Tempering Seed."
...
...
Within Water Marsh City, a silver-haired beauty clad in a blue, native-style dress was strolling through the bustling streets.
She had exchanged some Blue Star currency and was indulging in a shopping spree, experiencing the various products here.
"Bulk purchasing of grain is difficult, but many daily necessities are not restricted."
She experienced them and compiled a list of items to purchase.
These included toothbrushes, tissues, shower gel, cleaning agents, and more. Her eyes lit up as she saw them. "Many of these things, our Black Stone Alliance cannot manufacture. For the few that we can, the quality is far inferior to that here on Blue Star. The variety of goods in this world is too complete!"
She discovered that besides cuisine, Blue Star was also a treasure trove.
Of course, items like toothbrushes and toothpaste, shower gel, might be inaccessible to ordinary citizens of the Black Stone Alliance, or they might use inferior products. However, the living conditions of nobles were not this poor. The Black Stone Alliance had the capability to trade with other large oases to acquire items they couldn't produce, while also selling their own specialties.
They primarily procured basic living necessities from 'Starfall City'. Starfall City had fixed merchant caravans that traded with the Black Stone Alliance, offering a wide variety of items. Yi Yueluxi had also been responsible for some of these trades and had even visited Starfall City.
With a slight comparison, she realized,
"Procuring these ordinary goods from Blue Star is much cheaper than from Starfall City! And the variety is even greater!"
Upon this discovery, she couldn't sit still.
She continued to write and sketch, contemplating the business opportunities contained within.
Suddenly, she stopped her pen. "Has Grandma started taking the longevity fruits? Hmm... I trust the main body will proceed smoothly!"
...
While Yi Yueluxi was furiously writing on Blue Star, within the sealed First High Tower, an almost identical silver-haired beauty, albeit dressed differently, was in a cultivation quiet room, etching the final stroke of a ritual array.
Then, with her hands flat on the ground, she vigorously injected her vast life energy.
At the same time,
In the inner city of the Black Stone Alliance, a hook-nosed man was leading a team of elites returning from the gray mist zone. Seeing his butler approach, he asked, "Have there been any unusual occurrences in the city these past few days?"
The butler shook his head. After a moment's thought, he added,
"If I had to say, it's that the First Tower Master has been appearing less and less. Even the servants within the tower rarely see her. It seems she hasn't left her room for days, possibly..."
Even though everyone here was a direct subordinate of the Second Tower Master, the butler did not voice the latter half of his sentence.
But everyone understood that once the First Tower Master passed away, their Tower Master would be promoted and would wield the highest authority of the Black Stone Alliance.
The hook-nosed man also yearned for that authority. He had been the Second Tower Master for thirty years!
However, he suddenly felt a sense of unease.
"What about the Seventh Tower Master, that young girl?"
"The Seventh Tower Master has also been keeping to herself these days, but she is still within her own high tower."
As they walked from the inner city gate towards the Second High Tower, they could see the Seventh High Tower in the distance.
At the window sill on top of the tower, a figure clad in black robes stood there, seemingly gazing into the distance, her silver hair fluttering in the wind.
It was the Seventh High Tower Master, Yi Yueluxi.
However,
The aura emanating from this figure was slightly different from usual, appearing cold, aloof, and sharp?
The hook-nosed man also found it slightly strange. Just as he was about to say something, he suddenly turned his head and looked into the distance, towards the direction of the First High Tower.
From such a distance, only the sharp tip of the First High Tower could be seen.
But in his spiritual perception, a powerful aura was slowly rising.
Powerful, and familiar.
The hook-nosed man's eyes suddenly widened. He saw a figure ascending into the sky above the First High Tower in the distance.
The figure was stooped, with sparse, dry hair.
That terrifyingly powerful aura erupted from this figure. The hook-nosed man was very familiar with it, but he hadn't seen it for several years.
Weren't they saying their lifespan was nearing its end, and they were hesitant to act?
The stooped figure continued to ascend, her aura growing more intense, stirring up gusts of wind. As she rose higher, her stooped posture gradually straightened, her dry white hair rapidly turned black, and the wrinkles on her face, like tree bark, visibly faded.
In just a few dozen seconds, she had completely transformed!
At this moment, the old woman still had white hair, but it was lustrous and silver-bright. Her hair was fine, and her face had only a few wrinkles, looking countless years younger than before. The aura of twilight that had enveloped her was completely swept away.
Her life fire blazed, like a setting sun, still fiery red.
It was overwhelmingly powerful.
The hook-nosed man's eyes widened, his mouth agape.
"What... what happened?"