Chapter 20: Refining the Profound Arts to Reach a New Realm

Under the cover of night, Lu Xiao returned to his quarters. It had been a night of substantial gains. Not only had his martial arts cultivation level significantly improved, but his ability to "refine all things" had also taken another leap forward.

The refinement ability, in particular, was transformative. With each tier gained, the value of the items refined increased qualitatively. Lu Xiao summarized his findings: the first tier of refinement was essentially about cultivation and adjustment. Items might have had inherent flaws or issues, and the first tier would repair these defects. The increase in value and utility at this stage was generally modest. For instance, after being refined to the first tier, the "Qi-Gong Heart Technique" ceased to be merely a regimen for physical health and gained some value for genuine cultivation. This explained why, relying on a first-tier "Qi-Gong Heart Technique," it had taken Lu Xiao nearly two months just to cross the threshold into the Body-Entry stage.

However, after being refined to the second tier, the cultivation value of the technique had increased significantly. Given how recently he had entered the Body-Entry stage, his breakthrough into the Stone-Moving stage today was a testament to the technique’s enhanced potency.

Filled with a mix of satisfaction and fatigue, Lu Xiao lay down on his bed, a small oil lamp flickering beside him. There was a certain comfort in the smallness of the room; the dim light made it feel cozy. Recently, Lu Xiao had taken the time to refine his daily belongings to the first tier. All his flawed items had been repaired, ending up even better than when they were new. Lying on his bed now, resting against the bedding, he felt quite comfortable. For a martial artist, the ability to withstand the cold was already far superior to that of an ordinary person. Even if the winter winds seeped in, they would have little effect on him. Still, the difference in comfort was undeniable. Better rest meant better recovery of energy and stamina; refining his daily tools was time well spent.

With some time left before dawn, Lu Xiao leaned against his bedding and began to meticulously study the "Qi-Gong Heart Technique," now refined to the third tier. The most significant change at the third tier was the reduction in the difficulty of comprehension. Lu Xiao noted that the increase in the technique's subtlety was not as drastic as the second refinement. Instead, the primary benefit of this refinement was content optimization, which greatly lowered the barrier to understanding. While he had been able to grasp the second-tier technique, the phrasing had required considerable time to parse.

For a martial artist with lesser aptitude, a second-tier "Qi-Gong Heart Technique" might well have been indecipherable. But after the third refinement, the obscure and difficult passages had all been transformed. The once-arcane terminology had become common, understandable language, making it far easier to comprehend.

Lu Xiao felt this particular benefit was not of immediate use to him. The Marquis’s estate often claimed he lacked talent or aptitude for cultivation, yet after many attempts, he felt his own talent exceeded that of many others. Even when the "Qi-Gong Heart Technique" was harder to grasp at the second tier, he had still managed to understand it. Nevertheless, he grasped the significance of this third refinement. Though the effect on the "Qi-Gong Heart Technique" was not immediately obvious, his ability was not meant solely for this one manual. In the future, he would encounter manuals with blue or purple names. Once refined, the difficulty of those techniques might become daunting, and that was when the third tier’s utility would truly shine.

Furthermore, his refinement ability was not limited to cultivation manuals. It could be applied to other objects as well. Refining other items to the third tier—such as weapons or magical artifacts—would likely improve their adaptability and ease of control. A second-tier refinement might increase an item's power, but using it could still be difficult; a third-tier refinement would significantly improve compatibility. In that sense, its importance was immense. Some artifacts were notoriously difficult to command, and reducing that barrier was a highly valuable benefit.

Lu Xiao did not delve deeper. He was exhausted and needed rest. He put away the "Qi-Gong Heart Technique" and drifted off to sleep.

Two hours passed. With winter approaching, the sun rose much later. By nearly seven o'clock, the sky was only just beginning to brighten. Xue Shiwei’s attendant had arrived as planned to help her pack and prepare for the return to the capital.

"Sister Shiwei, stay at the Marquis’s estate for a few more days... My mother said that Grandmother wants to host a banquet for you. No outsiders, just those of us who are close."

Hearing Lu Yun’s plea, Xue Shiwei patted her head and smiled. "I have already stayed three days longer than intended; it is time to return to the capital. The twelfth lunar month is approaching, and there will be many matters to attend to at home, not to mention my own cultivation. Besides, if I recall correctly, the Lu family also holds year-end assessments. As a member of the younger generation of the Xue family, I must prepare for my own family’s evaluations."

Xue Shiwei’s words left Lu Yun with no room to insist. Large families typically conducted year-end reviews for their juniors to see how much they had improved over the year—whether they had been diligent or wasted their time. Strict families would even impose rewards or punishments based on these results; those who performed poorly could even be confined for months.

"Sister Shiwei, when are you leaving today?"

"In the afternoon. I ran into your fourth brother... Lu Xiao, earlier, and we exchanged a few words. He has some skill in repairing items, so I asked him to help me fix my jade pendant."

Xue Shiwei knew Lu Yun would eventually find out, as she was constantly by her side. She had decided to be upfront about it. But upon hearing this, Lu Yun grew agitated.

"Sister Shiwei, you mean you gave the Thousand-Sun Jade to Lu Xiao?"

"Don't be so nervous. If he cannot fix it, it is no matter," Xue Shiwei said, waving a hand to dismiss Lu Yun’s alarm.

But Lu Yun’s expression turned grim. "Sister Shiwei, how could you entrust such a treasure to him? You don’t know Lu Xiao. His selfishness is deep-rooted. And his selfishness has a specific manifestation: theft! This has happened before!"

With that, Lu Yun grabbed Xue Shiwei and headed straight toward Lu Xiao’s residence.