"Since that is the case, I will give you a simple demonstration. I have been practicing artifact refining for a full two hundred and fifty years. Today, I will make an exception and let you have a look."
The old man spoke, then with a wave of his hand, a pile of black sand appeared before him.
"This is Vajra sand, hardened grains extracted from ordinary sand through tempering. This type of sand possesses extreme hardness."
Zhang Tian looked at the sand before him and couldn't help but explain.
"Not bad, you indeed know a thing or two, young fellow."
The old man glanced at Lin Tian, then slowly placed the sand in front of him.
"Boss, how do you know about this stuff?"
The fatty asked from the side.
"I saw it in a book about weapon forging. However, most of this sand is used for building houses. The sand used for construction is not as formidable as this processed version," Zhang Tian said. The fatty nodded, understanding partially.
"Forget it, it's like playing music to a pig."
Looking at the fatty's expression, Zhang Tian knew he shouldn't have bothered explaining.
"That iron, it's very similar to my blade."
Suddenly, Zhang Qilin spoke into Zhang Tian's ear.
A smile appeared on Zhang Tian's lips.
"Do you want it?" Zhang Tian asked.
Zhang Qilin did not answer, but his eyes clearly conveyed his desire.
"I'll find a way to get you one," Zhang Tian chuckled.
Zhang Qilin's Black Gold Ancient Blade was forged from meteor iron. In simpler terms, it was made from meteorites, similar to Star Iron. This indicated that the old man capable of forging such armor was quite skilled, being a refiner with two hundred and fifty years of experience. If he could obtain armor of the same caliber as the Black Gold Ancient Blade, Zhang Qilin would essentially be invincible.
Zhang Tian realized that the situation had shifted from him benefiting himself to cultivating Zhang Qilin, directly maximizing Zhang Qilin's physical defense and attack power. In the future, when raiding tombs in Japan, it would be a simple sweep.
Then, Zhang Tian shook his head. This time felt a bit rushed. After all, he didn't know if he could even obtain the Loulan Princess's armor. If he could, and if the opportunity arose, Zhang Tian wanted to re-smelt that armor and forge a piece suitable for himself.
In response to Zhang Tian's words, Zhang Qilin remained silent, merely looking straight at Zhang Tian and nodding gently.
"Boss, quick, look! He's starting to refine it."
Hu Bayi reminded him from the side.
Zhang Tian shifted his gaze. He saw that the old man's movements were almost like muscle memory, his hands constantly waving, and the materials placed around him seemed to come alive, jumping around him.
When the furnace reached a terrifying temperature, the old man waved his hand gently, and the materials were thrown into the high-temperature furnace. Even from a distance, Zhang Tian could feel waves of heat assailing him.
"It's really like roasting by a fire in the middle of summer. Truly absurd."
The fatty's clothes were already soaked in sweat, and he looked dejected. The desert was hot enough, and now they were in a city, roasting by a fire. Didn't he know he sweated easily?
Meanwhile, Zhang Tian and the others were captivated by the old man's technique.
"This is very similar to alchemy," Zhang Qilin remarked. Unknowingly, he seemed to be speaking more.
"Mm, I think so too. Qilin, is your alchemy as complicated as this?" Zhang Tian asked.
Zhang Qilin nodded slightly.
"They are somewhat similar," Zhang Qilin said. The old man, who was melting the Vajra sand, paused. He waved his hand and threw in a few more materials. Then, his gaze intensely fixed on Zhang Qilin.
"Young fellow, can you perform alchemy?"
The old man's eyes lit up, as if he wanted to see right through Zhang Qilin.
Zhang Qilin looked at the old man.
"A Level Two Alchemist."
When facing strangers, Zhang Qilin remained as indifferent as ever.
"Hiss..."
The old man inhaled sharply, his body trembling slightly with excitement.
"Boss, the old man's acting strangely."
The fatty quickly interjected, fearing he was too late. Shirley Yang couldn't help but smile at the fatty's remark. The old man, trembling, looked at Zhang Qilin with an ardent gaze. He seemed to be seeing more and more.
The old man took three seconds to calm himself.
"Young fellow, do you need this sand crystal for alchemy?"
"Do you have Desert Flower?"
The old man looked at Zhang Qilin as if he was about to grab his hand. Zhang Qilin looked at him, remaining silent.
The old man continued, "How about this: if you can give me one Sand Stone Pill, I will agree to one request from you."
The old man spoke with a hint of desperation in his voice.
Seeing this, Zhang Tian pulled Zhang Qilin aside and stood in front of him.
"We don't have Desert Flower. Old sir, do you know where to find it? And why do you need the Sand Stone Pill?" Zhang Tian asked, looking at the old man.
The old man continued to refine the item in his hand and said, "I know where to find Desert Flower. Legend has it that Prince Gumo discovered Desert Flower in a cliffside back then. I don't know if it's still there now."
"As for why I need it, I am a body cultivator, just like that young fellow. However, his cultivation technique is too rubbish; even a dog wouldn't practice it."
The old man said, leaving the fatty bewildered. What was going on? How did he get involved? And why was he inexplicably compared to a dog?
"Old man, explain yourself clearly. Fatty here practices supreme body cultivation!" the fatty protested.
"No dog would learn it. Body cultivation isn't just about the physical body; it's also about the mind and spirit. From your aura, I can sense that your mind and spirit are unstable. Your aura is also not good, and your cultivation technique is likely only at the introductory level," the old man said, a hint of pride on his face. "Mine is different, a hundred times better than yours. And if I can obtain the Sand Stone Pill, my physical body will be indestructible for a thousand years."
The fatty looked dejected. He wanted to argue, but didn't know where to start.
"Old sir, your furnace seems to be ready," Shirley Yang pointed to the large furnace not far away.
The old man waved his hand, and a sword model appeared in the furnace.
"The forging of a weapon takes a long time. This is just the outer form. I won't demonstrate the rest."
"How about this, I don't need the crystals anymore. A Level Two Alchemist can already refine Sand Stone Pills."
"If you can give me one Sand Stone Pill, I will help you with one matter." The old man said, already fixated on his Sand Stone Pill.
"However, old sir, without any benefits from you, I think it would be difficult for us to be convinced," Zhang Tian said. The old man slowly stood up, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
"I really can't do anything about you," he said, taking out a round, shield-like object. The shield was only palm-sized, pitifully small.
"This shield is forged from Star Iron. I'll give it to you. I hope it will be useful." The old man said, handing the palm-sized shield over.
"Damn, even children wouldn't play with this. It's too small!" The fatty looked at the object smaller than his fist, feeling dejected. In fact, if he wanted to use this small shield for defense, he'd have to hold it with two fingers by the handle.
Zhang Tian also had a dark expression, but having something was better than nothing. Taking the small shield, Zhang Tian nodded.
"Alright, if we manage to find it, we will come back." Zhang Tian said. The old man nodded and saw Zhang Tian out. Zhang Tian's implied meaning was that if they could obtain the Loulan Princess's armor, they would return.