I'm in Yellow Maple Valley, and I have one equipment slot!

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After wandering around the market for a while, Zhou Yuan finally stopped in front of a seemingly inconspicuous but rather boastful weapon-refining shop.

Above the shop's entrance hangs a black plaque with gold lettering that reads "Xu's Refining Workshop".

There is also a line of small print next to it:

"Our shop undertakes the crafting of all kinds of magical artifacts, from low to high grade, with guaranteed quality. If the crafting fails, we will refund double the value of the materials in spirit stones."

That's quite a boast!

Zhou Yuan had considered studying weapon crafting himself.

Since the equipment slot can enhance alchemy talent, spell practice talent, and cultivation talent, it should also benefit weapon crafting talent.

If one could also master the art of weapon crafting and become self-sufficient, it would undoubtedly save a lot of spirit stones and also make the craft more discreet and secure.

But he only changed his mind for a moment and then put it aside.

The reason is nothing more than energy and lifespan.

Now that he has established a pseudo-spiritual root foundation, he naturally spends more time accumulating mana than cultivators with celestial or heterogeneous spiritual roots.

The path of alchemy has already required a great deal of effort due to the huge bonuses from equipment slots and the need for stable profits.

If you are distracted by refining your weapon crafting skills...

Even with talent, it still requires a lot of time to practice and understand.

The lifespan during the Foundation Establishment stage is only a little over two hundred years.

Before reaching the Core Formation stage, time is the most precious resource. Trying to do too much at once will only lead to a lack of mastery and skills, and you will suffer the consequences.

Moreover, magical artifacts are ultimately just transitional items. Once the golden core is condensed and one possesses the fire of the core, one can refine and nurture one's natal magical treasure.

The power of magic weapons far surpasses that of unlawful implements.

Furthermore, its power increases as the owner's cultivation level rises and it is continuously nurtured. At that point, even the most powerful magical artifacts will become negligible.

With this in mind, Zhou Yuan no longer hesitated and stepped into the "Xu Family Refining Workshop".

The shop was small, consisting of three interconnected rooms and a backyard enclosed by a high wall. The interior was simply furnished, with a few swords and magical artifacts displayed as samples on the walls.

Inside the lobby, a burly, dark-skinned man was wiping the counter. Upon seeing a customer arrive, he immediately came forward to greet him.

"Senior, are you preparing to forge a magical artifact, or to repair or appraise it?"

The burly man was respectful, addressing Zhou Yuan as "senior," clearly recognizing Zhou Yuan's Foundation Establishment stage cultivation.

"Refining magical artifacts." Zhou Yuan's gaze swept across the shop, his tone calm. "Top-tier magical artifacts."

Upon hearing this, a hint of surprise flashed in the burly man's eyes, but he quickly concealed it.

The crafting of top-tier magical artifacts requires precious materials and is quite expensive, so usually only guests at the Foundation Establishment stage or above come to the crafting workshop.

But it's rare to see someone as direct as this one, asking to reach the top level so readily.

Just as he was about to ask for more details, the curtain to the inner room was lifted, and an elderly man with a ruddy complexion and thinning white hair strode out, loudly proclaiming:

"Xiao Hei, go inside and watch the stove. This distinguished guest will be received by this old man personally."

The burly man named Xiao Hei responded and respectfully withdrew.

The old man walked up to Zhou Yuan, cupped his hands in greeting, and wore the warm smile typical of a businessman: "My surname is Xu, and I am the owner and weapon refiner of this small shop. May I ask if you have any specific requirements for the magical artifact you wish to refine?"

"Or have the materials already been prepared?"

Zhou Yuan glanced at the old man surnamed Xu. His cultivation level was only eleven or twelve levels of Qi Refining, but he was vigorous and had bright eyes.

His hands, in particular, were covered with calluses and tiny burn marks, clearly the result of years of working with furnaces and metal.

He did not look down on the other party in the slightest because of their low cultivation level.

In the world of cultivation, those skilled in all the arts of cultivation are not necessarily high-level cultivators.

Many families or schools have their own unique skills.

According to what he knew from his previous life, there seemed to be a family of weapon refiners surnamed Xu within the territory of Yuanwu Kingdom.

Although there are no high-level cultivators in charge, it has gained some fame for its ability to consistently produce high-quality magical artifacts.

"I have the materials ready," Zhou Yuan said slowly, stating his conditions. "However, Shopkeeper Xu, I have a request. I need to observe the refining process."

Upon hearing this, Old Man Xu's brow twitched almost imperceptibly.

Watching the weapon-refining process is somewhat taboo for weapon refiners.

After all, it involves some unique techniques and methods for controlling the heat.

However, the customer was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and he requested that a top-tier magic weapon, which was highly profitable, be crafted...

After a moment's thought, he realized that his family's traditional weapon-refining techniques emphasized practical operation and experience, and could not be easily learned by outsiders after a few glances. Moreover, this senior's demeanor was composed and he didn't seem like someone who intended to steal his skills, so he readily agreed.

"Since you are interested, senior, that's fine with me. As long as you don't interfere with my work, you can just observe from the sidelines. However, this will increase the refining cost by 10%..."

"Can."

Zhou Yuan nodded before he could finish speaking.

It's only a ten percent of the cost, but if you can get a close look at an experienced weapon refiner processing top-grade materials like the parts of the Ink Dragon's body.

This will greatly benefit him if he wants to forge weapons on his own in the future, or if he has other plans.

Seeing Zhou Yuan's quick agreement, the old man Xu's smile widened: "Senior, you're so generous! Please, let's move to the quiet room for a detailed discussion."

In a flash of inspiration, several objects landed on the wooden table between the two.

A jet-black unicorn.

Several white claws, gleaming coldly, curved like hooks, and with extremely sharp ends.

A dragon skin that, even after processing, remains tough yet soft, gleaming with fine white scales.

as well as……

As soon as these materials appeared, the temperature in the quiet room seemed to drop a few degrees.

"This...this is..."

At first, the old man Xu was somewhat casual, but when his gaze fell upon the jet-black horn and white claws, his pupils suddenly contracted.

He jumped up from his chair, almost collapsing to the table, his hands trembling.

"A dragon's horn! And these claws, these scales... the color, the texture, the aura... there's no mistake, it's genuine dragon material!"

The old man's voice trembled, his face flushed with excitement, and he stared intently at the materials Zhou Yuan had taken to the table.

It was like looking at a rare treasure.

He kept muttering to himself:

"Heavens... In my lifetime, I have never seen such complete and fresh dragon material again! Senior... could it be that you single-handedly slew a powerful dragon?"

He looked up sharply.

They looked at Zhou Yuan with disbelief, even a hint of awe.

To be able to slay a dragon single-handedly, even if it's only a level two dragon, is something no ordinary early Foundation Establishment cultivator could do! The strength of this senior before us is probably unfathomable!

Zhou Yuan smiled noncommittally: "Shopkeeper Xu has a good eye, recognizing the origin of these materials at a glance. So, how likely are we to successfully refine a top-tier magic weapon with these materials?"

Old Xu took a few deep breaths, forcibly suppressing the turmoil in his heart, and sat back down in his chair, his eyes still fixed intently on the materials. He pondered for a moment, then solemnly said:

"Don't worry, senior! I once worked with my father to refine this dragon material when I was young. Although the quality of the material was not as good as this one, the method of refining and the key points of controlling the heat were recorded in detail in the family notes, and I have memorized them."

"With such superior main materials, supplemented by other refined spiritual materials, I am 80% confident that I can forge a top-grade, exquisite magic weapon! Even more so…"

If the opportunity arises, crafting one or two top-grade magic weapons is not out of the question!

When it came to weapon crafting, his eyes shone with an astonishing brilliance. His previous arrogance and respect faded away, replaced by confidence and fervor.

"Eighty percent certainty is enough."

Zhou Yuan nodded; this was exactly the experience and confidence he needed. "In that case, let's begin. I need to forge several suitable magical artifacts; I'll explain their specific forms and functions in detail!"

"In Huangfeng Valley, I Have an Equipment Slot!": A phenomenal success, receiving rave reviews!