I Have A Dual World Seal-Chapter 567: Exchanging Materials

"Junior brother, do you currently have a dharma artifact with you?" Daoist Yuanlin asked, "If not, why not choose one from the storeroom?"

Daoist Yuanlin pointed to a section in the book, "This Cyan Jade Token, although its material is just an ordinary cyan jade, has been nurtured by a predecessor for over a hundred years. Its power is extraordinary and not inferior to some dharma artifacts made of spiritual materials."

Speaking of dharma artifacts, they are not necessarily all made entirely of spiritual materials. Ordinary materials can also work, or rather, most low-level dharma artifacts are actually made of ordinary materials, not of spiritual grade.

For instance, the various auxiliary dharma artifacts in the hands of ordinary cultivators—where would they find jade and wood mines carrying spiritual energy?

They can only find some reasonably high-quality mortal materials to nurture over many years with their own spiritual qi, making them into dharma artifacts. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

Take Lu Zheng's White Cloud Folding Fan, for example. The jade is of excellent quality, mutton fat jade, just at the threshold of spiritual materials. However, its spiritual qi is very weak; it became a dharma artifact carrying spiritual power and augmenting true qi only because a ghost refined it with yin qi over many years.

But the power of this kind of dharma artifact is limited. It requires long-term nurturing, which is time-consuming and labor-intensive, with an obvious ceiling, so ordinarily, cultivators use them primarily as supplementary tools.

Of course, spiritual materials are hard to find. But a mundane dharma artifact, if passed down and nurtured for hundreds or even thousands of years through successive generations of cultivators, can also achieve success. After all, human effort will always refine better than the natural world.

Bringing the conversation back, Daoist Yuanlin introduced this dharma artifact to Lu Zheng due to it being genuinely powerful, but also because a finished dharma artifact's value is high. The nearly a thousand copper coins Lu Zheng had were insufficient to trade for any markedly superior treasure.

Lu Zheng shook his head, pointing to the section in the book regarding suitable sword refining materials, "I wonder how much these spiritual materials cost?"

Daoist Yuanlin blinked, looking puzzled at Lu Zheng, "Junior brother wants to refine a sword?"

Lu Zheng nodded, "I happened to acquire a sword scripture, but I don't have a flying sword, so I want some sword refining materials to craft one myself."

"Sword scripture? Does it include sword refining techniques?" Daoist Yuanlin asked proficiently.

Lu Zheng shook his head and explained briefly, then said, "I have the full text of the 'Feiyu Riding the Dawn Sword Scripture.' If I return it to Feiyu Mountain, I suppose I can obtain a sword refinement technique."

Daoist Yuanlin nodded, then frowned slightly, "It's not impossible this way, but since you're a disciple of White Cloud Temple, is relying solely on sword techniques your plan when facing enemies?"

Lu Zheng smiled sheepishly, and, tapping the gourd, took out the White Cloud Folding Fan and Peach Wood Sword, "Junior brother has these two dharma artifacts on hand, so they're enough for now."

Daoist Yuanlin, "..."

The White Cloud Folding Fan is low-grade, but still made from spiritual materials. Enhanced with incense and candle qi by Shen Ying, and further nurtured by Lu Zheng, its power is now not so weak.

As for the Peach Wood Sword, it is made from a peach branch of thousand-year-old peachwood, vaguely carrying a hint of thunder energy, not a mortal item at all.

However…

After overcoming the initial surprise, Daoist Yuanlin still shook his head, a bit discontented, "This folding fan and peach wood sword don't count as genuine sect dharma artifacts."

Lu Zheng laughed cheekily, "No worries, no hurry. I'll keep looking."

Daoist Yuanlin nodded, "No rush. Junior brother has only cultivated for a few years and already has such Dao practice. There's plenty of time in the future."

Noticing Lu Zheng's particular interest in sword refining materials, Daoist Yuanlin stopped saying more. Given Lu Zheng's young age and current cultivation level, it was clear his character wouldn't easily be swayed by others' words.

The three strolled leisurely through the warehouse, exploring the actual inventory while checking the content descriptions in the book.

"This is Sea Heart Refined Gold, extracted from the core of an iron mine in a deep-sea gathering spirit land. The essence of gold qi is incomparably sharp, naturally emanating, and is most suitable for sword refining," Daoist Mingyi introduced.

"How much does it cost?"

"Ten thousand White Cloud Copper Coins for a tael."

Lu Zheng, "..."

"This is Celestial Cyan Jade, a spirit gathering jade from a cyan jade ore, most suited for crafting Daoist treasures."

Before Lu Zheng could speak, Daoist Mingyi mentioned the price, "Five thousand copper coins per tael."

Lu Zheng looked at the various sizes of Celestial Cyan Jade emitting spiritual qi in a large earthen jar, estimating that even the smallest piece weighed half a pound.

Though these items were quite top-tier in their respective categories of treasures, they weren't the most precious.

These things were out of Lu Zheng's price range, but he had a dozen or so bottles of spirit pills in his gourd, enough to buy materials of ordinary quality for sword refining.

In the end, Lu Zheng chose three pieces of optimal materials for sword refining and a block of Spirit-Entering White Jade.

Then…

Lu Zheng, under Daoist Yuanlin's astonished gaze, returned to the rear hall of White Cloud Mountain, exchanged over four thousand White Cloud Copper Coins with Daoist Ming Guang, then went back to the White Cloud Grotto Heaven to acquire his chosen materials, nearly spending all his coins.

The three suitable sword refining materials totaled seven taels, and the Flowing Cloud White Jade, a piece about two inches square, weighed about three taels.

Compared to finished dharma artifacts, Lu Zheng preferred crafting his own.

...

In the following days, much like the past year, Lu Zheng either accompanied Daoist Ming Zhang to meet elders or visited peers along with Yuan Jing for exchanges and practice.

One day, Daoist Ming Zhang specifically took Lu Zheng to the back mountain to see his teacher, Master Yue Yi, as well as several other reclusive experts in the back mountain.

Some shared a cultivation level similar to Lu Zheng's, while others had cultivation levels Lu Zheng couldn't discern. That's not even including those rarely seen or missing sect ancestors.

Lu Zheng gained a slight understanding of White Cloud Temple's strength.

Due to aptitude, the number of those truly able to achieve longevity may not be high, but stretching lifespan over generations builds depth impossible to fathom.

...

Returning to the front mountain to resume previous schedules, Lu Zheng didn't overlook any sect elder to whom he'd sent wine in private the previous year. Regardless of their response, he generously offered ten jars of aged wine.

Naturally, compared to previously being an unknown ordinary disciple, Lu Zheng now can be considered a mainstay of White Cloud Temple, leading to exchanges filled with camaraderie rather than a senior's appreciation for juniors.

While elders no longer reciprocate with more valuable gifts due to the wine, the private guidance he received enriched Lu Zheng's experience in cultivation, refining qi, and facing adversaries.

In interaction with peers, beyond sharing wine, Lu Zheng generously offered guidance, even more so to less accomplished sect mates, each bout of practice ensuring the other party gained insight and improvement comfortably.

...

Within just a few days, Lu Zheng was well-acquainted with everyone and became the most popular layman of the Yuan Generation in the Outer Sect at White Cloud Temple.

Yuan Jing: (ㅎ.ㅎ)

...

To speak of it, life at White Cloud Temple is rather uneventful, just drinking, playing Go, and discussing the Dao. There's neither peculiar occurrences needing resolution from Jizhou Prefecture's citizens, nor demons actively causing trouble.

As the New Year approached, affluent households from the prefecture visited with incense offerings, seeking talismans, dharma artifacts, sculptures, and other objects for home blessings and protection.

With nothing to do, Lu Zheng even accompanied a shishu down the mountain to Jizhou Prefecture to conduct a hundred-day blessing ceremony for a count's grandson.