Artifact Sect, part 1

More than a month had passed since the tribulation-rubbing ended.

Su Qing had settled back into a routine of eating, working, body refining, sword practice, and sleeping, shuttling between the cafeteria, Sword Tomb, and her dorm. @Infinite Good Reads, Only at Jinjiang Literature City

The difference from before was that she turned down extra errands, dedicating all her time to cultivation. Like Tang Yueling, she replaced sleep with meditative breathing at night, cycling spiritual energy through her body to refine her veins and dantian.

This was possible largely because her finances had improved.

The prize she won was sold to a Talisman Sect disciple at a 95% discount, netting 950 spirit stones. Combined with her savings, she had over a thousand—ten thousand spirit seeds—far surpassing her 500-spirit-stone goal.

Luck played a huge role.

If Little Rainbow hadn’t returned to its master, Su Qing would’ve enshrined it with three incense sticks. @Infinite Good Reads, Only at Jinjiang Literature City

The spirit stones wouldn’t last forever but gave her a breather to review her foundations. After fully refining the residual lightning, a month and a half had passed.

She remained at Qi Refining Layer 2, not reaching Layer 3 as hoped.

There was a reason: the lightning’s nourishment went elsewhere.

Her spiritual veins grew tougher and wider.

Before, too much spiritual energy clogged her veins, causing pain without gain.

Now, it was different. Her veins, once narrow paths requiring sidestepping, felt like small roads allowing free passage.

Increased capacity boosted efficiency, benefiting her future cultivation more than hitting Layer 3.

She also gained two new spiritual veins. She’d thought everyone had just the two Governor and Conception Vessels until seeing Zhuxu’s terrifying vein count, revealing the gap among body cultivators.

Now, her lightning-rebuilt body had two faint new veins, barely visible and unresponsive to energy. But Su Qing believed with training, they’d become functional, channeling spiritual energy.

Her dantian also expanded, from walnut-sized to fist-sized.

Her spiritual roots, once dull, now shimmered with five-colored lights as energy flowed in, with cyan wood and golden metal roots standing out.

These elements suited her best; she absorbed their energies more smoothly. If choosing a specialized technique, wood or metal would be ideal.

Speaking of techniques, the Book Depository—Wuya Pavilion, or “library” to Su Qing—came to mind. At Qi Refining Layer 2, it opened its doors, letting her choose techniques with her disciple token.

Wuya Pavilion, a seventh-tier artifact, had 110 floors, but only the first 100 were open to students. Higher floors held better treasures, with rumors of a peerless ninth-tier inheritance on the 110th.

Su Qing could invent such tales herself—hardly credible. The top ten floors were inaccessible, so she focused on the open ones.

Floors 1 to 10 were for Qi Refining students, with only the first free. Higher floors required task points.

Books on the first floor could be borrowed or copied for free; others cost variable task points.

Task points were earned by completing sect missions, varying by time and difficulty, stored in disciple tokens.

Points could be traded or converted to spirit stones, though Su Qing didn’t know how.

Missions were posted on ten task walls in Wuya Pavilion’s first-floor hall, updated weekly. Students claimed tasks by activating them with their tokens. First-come, first-served.

For those too lazy to visit, the sect’s confession wall posted summaries, though less timely—popular tasks vanished quickly.

For one spirit stone a month, you’d get instant task updates.

They knew how to make money.

Su Qing found Sword Sect crafty.

Of the ten walls, nine listed tasks; the tenth was a ranking wall, updating the six sects’ standings in real-time.

The sects’ rankings were displayed prominently.

Cultivators were competitive, and the sects’ task point totals were close.

But rankings bred rivalry. Being ahead or behind sparked tension, especially between feuding sects like Body and Array, or Dan and Artifact. Falling behind stung, turning disciples into Sword Sect’s pawns, frantically taking tasks to compete.

The sect profited from their strife.

Su Qing, usually calm, felt a flicker of anger seeing Body Sect in fourth, behind Array Sect. For a moment, she thought:

*I want to do ten, eight tasks, earn thousands of points, and crush Array Sect!*

Her Qi Refining Layer 2 cultivation stopped her from acting rashly.

Sword Sect was *sly*.

Tasks for Qi Refining beginners were plentiful but basic: weeding herb fields, watering spirit grains, tanning beast hides for talismans, processing herbs, grooming spirit beast feathers, cleaning manure, etc. These earned 10 to 15 points.

Ten such tasks couldn’t match one early Foundation Establishment task.

Reviving Body Sect was beyond her.

She took a weeding task: clear an acre of spirit field in three days for 10 points.

It was mainly to learn the process.

Leaving Wuya Pavilion, Su Qing headed to Artifact Sect’s peak.

With spirit stones in hand, she needed to commission a sword before they vanished—cultivation world money disappeared fast, often mysteriously.

*

Artifact Sect got Dan Sect’s leftovers.

Refining artifacts was time-consuming, with longer cycles and less demand than pills, which were quick to produce, sell, and circulate. Economically, Artifact Sect lagged behind Dan Sect.

Economic power set status. Those contributing more taxes stood taller. Artifact Sect trailed Dan and Talisman Sects, missing the lavish life of ninth-tier earthfire, envying Dan Sect’s prosperity.

Body Sect, economically the weakest, barely broke even, relegated to the harshest peak for a savage lifestyle—fitting their cultivation, but that’s another story.

From the main peak to Dan Sect, a cloud boat was summoned by bell. To Artifact Sect, you rang too, but comfort depended on luck.

Artifact Sect’s transport was first-year students’ end-of-term projects, with three requirements: it must fly, carry people, and not kill them.

Comfort wasn’t considered.

Su Qing’s bell summoned a rusty furnace—clearly a student’s discarded refining cauldron repurposed.

Such a half-hearted project!

But free was fine—she didn’t mind.

Climbing in, barely settled, the furnace *boomed*, launching toward Artifact Sect.

*Whoosh—*

A perfect parabola arced between peaks.

Su Qing and the furnace smashed into the opposite mountain with maximum efficiency.

Pinned under the furnace, she felt like a ball rattled in a pot, organs jumbled.

Kicking off the turtle-shell-like lid, she crawled out.

Pounding her chest to realign her ribs, she retched. “Ugh—cough, cough!”

Insane! How was this different from jumping off a building?

If not for her body cultivation, she’d be dead!

The furnace, mission complete, hopped away, dusting itself off, eager for the next unlucky rider.

A passing Artifact Sect disciple admired it, telling a companion, “No matter how often I see it, Senior Brother Jingshen’s design amazes me—minimal materials, low energy, maximum value!”

*And maximum lethality!*

Su Qing vowed not to hire Jingshen for her sword—his designs ignored user experience.

Ribs realigned, blood taste fading, she stood, dusted off, and continued to Artifact Sect.

…

Artifact Sect’s buildings were bizarre—buried underground, floating in air, running on legs, chasing people, or maze-like, each uniquely troublesome. More on that later.

Learning most were fourth-year graduation projects, Su Qing wasn’t surprised.

After much asking, she found the collective forging hall for first- and second-year students. It was refreshingly normal—a simple corridor building, no mouth, no legs, not cursing or flying. @Infinite Good Reads, Only at Jinjiang Literature City

Official products were reliable.

First-years, three months in, lacked experience. Third-years, mostly Golden Core, were off adventuring or too expensive for Su Qing.

Second-years were her ideal choice.

She wasn’t sure what sword she wanted but figured consulting first was wise.

With that, she pushed the forging hall’s door.

It didn’t budge.

A small window popped up: *[Swipe your token.]*

Su Qing swiped her disciple token.

The text changed: *[Body Sect?]*

“Yes.”

*They don’t bar non-Artifact Sect, do they?*

The window updated rapidly: *[Dan Sect or Artifact Sect—who do you support?]*

What did this have to do with her? Hesitating, Su Qing said, “…Neutral?”

*[No way!]*

Su Qing knew to bow under pressure. “Artifact Sect?”

*[Great taste! Listen, we Artifact Sect should own ninth-tier earthfire, but treacherous schemers stole it. Vote below to help us reclaim what’s ours!]*

*[Vote link]*

Su Qing: “…”