Page 99: Refine on my own

Long Bai's conversation with the stall owner did not take long. After asking if he can learn metal alchemy from him, the man immediately replied with a hard "no". Although he said he can't take in an apprentice, Long Bai was able to convince him to watch him do the process of smelting and refining which the man agreed with. Maybe the man was thinking that such offer would just be a win-win for him. Since he'll work and receive additional payment, what could make this go any better for him.

Of course, the man can't just go and do the process. They'll just work when a a request is commissioned by the association and when there's a personal request from a cultivator. Since Long Bai had five rocks of purple iron, he offered to have one of those be made into a weapon. At first, the man was hesitant to use the ore and was asking if he could buy it instead but after making a deal, the man wholeheartedly pledged to show him the processes of metal alchemy to him using low quality ores. In exchange for one purple iron ore, Long Bai will watch him refine a low grade weapon and in addition, he would be given one chance to use the furnace to make a weapon. With this, Long Bai believes that the system would be able to help him increase his efficiency in metal refining.

After the conversation and dealings with the man, Long Bai went to the market first to buy some cheap minerals that he could use for practice tomorrow. When he was done buying enough materials to practice on, he head straight to the accommodation residence set for the six star school.

Morning came and the disciples were only given half a day as a free time since they would be heading to the iron armor sect's grounds this afternoon. Long Bai on the other hand informed the concerned people that he would stay at the city for a while for some reasons they trusted him to do. Since there's still some days before the exhibition meet, he told them he would like to check out the metal alchemy of the Smelting Dome.

That morning, Long Bai did not waste time and headed straight to the place where the man told him to. With the token the man gave him, he was able to enter the worker's den of the smelting dome without a hitch. Inside, he found himself in wide area that's filled with smaller rooms where they make their products. After he passed by some number of rooms, he finally found room number 13. Using the token, he placed it near the knob and after it glowed, the door automatically opened. There he found the man still asleep.

'I might have been too early.' Long Bai thought so instead of walking up the man, he tried to look around first and familiarize the materials in there. On a corner of the room, a cabinet full of mineral samples were displayed. Without wasting time, he scanned all those over 40 samples of minerals that are being used for making weapons and armors. It seemed that there's more to it than what can be seen on this senior metal alchemist's appearance. After an estimate of 20 mins, he was able to successfully integrate the new knowledge into his own. When he was done checking everything in the shelves, he proceed to the table where the man was sleeping. The very moment he sat opposite of the man, the sound of waking up was heard.

"Uuh? You're early."

The smell of alcohol puffed out from his breath causing Long Bai to flinch a bit. Long Bai pinched his nose watching the man to take in a recovery pill to cure his hang over. The man sat and circulated his essence for at least twice before he opened his eyes.

"Kuh, you should have told me that when you said early, you meant early was early early. Since you are here, can you bring that wooden box near that furnace?" The man who was groggy a moment ago was now on his full wits after curing the effects of drunkenness. His movement became sharp like how a professional alchemist should be when they are with their clients.

Long Bai on the other hand carried the box that was filled with many different mineral ores and placed it near the triple layered furnace. Looking at the quality of the rocks, the box must have bin his trash bin. Judging from this man's attitude towards quality minerals, these low quality minerals that have over 50% impurities might have not entered his standard and classified them as disposable.

"Mister, can I use all of these for my practice? You don't do you?"

"Huh? You want to practice with these trash? I don't mind but remember to clean this room after I show you how it's done.'

The old mister was too willing to let Long Bai use the scraps since he was able to receive a purple iron ore that has 90% purity. According to the man, this kind of ore is rare and the most sought quality in the mine. Based from his experience, it was his first time getting one. With such quality, the refining would be easier and faster, and at the same time, there will be less waste. If an ore that have 50% impurities will be refined, the amount that would be left would be half of its original amount and the time it would take to purify it would be longer. The man said that a 50% pure ore would normally take at least five days to remove the impurities completely but no one does that since the effort wastes a lot of energy and resources. For a regular metal alchemist, a day spent for refining would take at least half a day recovering the lost essence. If that person will use an essence gathering pill, it would lessen the time of pause in between breaks. If one leaves the refining process for too long, the product quality will fall due to the loss of its essence. Like in pill refining, if it takes too long, the product will definitely be destroyed. No one wants to waste pills over a low quality ores. In the Smelting Dome, the minimum required purity is at least 60% while the average they encounter are around 70 to 75%.

Afrer the man heated up the furnace by heating the first chamber with earth fire, he started choosing some ores in the box. Looking at his choices, Long Bai noticed that the ores he chose were all at 50% purity and the ones with lower purity were left. Without the system, Long Bai know that he won't be able to do such skill unless he would be as dedicated as the man in front. To be able to distinguish the purity of an ore just by looking is a high sought skill of a metal alchemist.

"Listen young lad. I will be honest with you. If not because of the purple iron you exchanged, I will never do this in my entire life but since you seem to have interest in it, I'll execute all the needed steps from beginning to end. I will not accept questions during the process. If I lose concentration, this place might blow up so don't ever distract me. I'll start, here we go."

The man started the process while Long Bai watched meticulously. From the process on how the man controlled the flames till how he managed to separate the other minerals from the ore, Long Bai was already in awe. He never thought that essence control would really have a great part in both pill and metal alchemy. It's a good thing that Long Bai did have a fair share of essence control during pill refining or he won't be able to do what the man was doing. The entire process of removing impurities lasted for five hours and yet there was still a high percentage if impurities in it. With that 5 hours, he was able to remove 40% of the whole impurities bit in exchange, he was exhausted and out of essence.

"Hey, little lad, come here for a while. Keep the melted ore suspended using your essence. I'll just recover my essence for not more than an hour."

Long Bai gladly took the man's position and used his essence to hold the melted ore in place. When he saw that the man would still require some time, he tried what he saw on the melted ore. He inserted his essence and had his consciousness control it. Like during a pill refinement, he slowly moved his essence towards the parts that was labeled by the system to be impurities. One by one, he took it out of the melted ore and let it drop on the base of the furnace.

[System notice: You have just learned the basics of metal refinement.

Metal Alchemy Level: Beginner

*You have just started your journey towards metal refining. Practice hard and you'll get there!

Refinement efficiency: 50%

*Using the red core to produce flame essence, the melting process and separation of impurities will be more efficient. You can remove 50% of the impurities in three hours.

Efficiency(continuous*):

grade 1(50%): 100%

grade 2 (60%): 80%

grade 3 (65%): 50%

grade 4 (70%): 20%

grade 5 (75%): 5%

grade 6 (80%): 0%

grade 7 (85%): 0%

grade 8 (90%): 0%

grade 9 (95%): 0%

grade 10 (100%): 0%

Duration: 3 hours

*time is reduced as efficiency increases with a ratio (1%: 60 seconds)

*Refinement must not be interrupted or system benefits would not take place.

*Increase cultivation level for larger essence supply]

After one hour, Long Bai was able to significantly remove at least 30% of the impurities. For his first time, this was already off the charts when compared with most disciples in the city. This kind of speed is all thanks to the red core that he had inside his core system. Because he can supply the earth fire with flame essence, the efficiency was increased and the time was redumced to a minimum of three hours. If in the future, he will be able to absorb a heavenly flame, his prowess would definitely skyrocket just like how his poison became more potent when he absorbed the poison gas from the tomb.

Just like the man said, after an hour, he was able to replenish his inner essence. When he took over the furnace to continue his refining process, he was shocked by what he saw. The ore that he was able to refine 40% was now at least at the purity of 70%. He can't believe what is happenning but he didn't allow himself to be completely distracted. He promised to show him the whole process so he had to continue. Now that the percentage reached more than 70%, he can already consider this a material for a weapon.

The man took back the control and proceeded to the second step. Using his essence, he redirected the blob of liquid metal into the second chamber and added just one pure mineral into it. When it was melted, he lifted the two blobs, one large and a small one into the third chamber. There he cooled down the molten mineral and shaped it into a small dagger. Using the secondary mineral that was melted, he used it to coat the shaped dagger and allowed it to cool down. Using his essence to produce extreme pressure in the third chamber, the dagger that looked loose a while ago slowly began to look sturdy. When the man was at his limit after using too much essence to pressurize the third chamber, he stopped and took out the finish product. The process from the second chamber took another three hours which made the whole process nine hours.

[Tin-fold dagger

Grade: 1- low

Type: dagger

*A weapon created mainly for ornament. It's durability is unreliable. ]

"Wow! To make a low quality grade 1 weapon, it took at least nine hours to be finished? This is unbelievable. Now I know why they are too expensive." Long Bai commented after seeing the final product on the man's palm.

"Here, take it. I don't have use for that. Now that I fulfilled the this part of my promise, I can finally leave you alone. You can come back here tomorrow if you plan to use this place."

The man was surely exhausted. While wiping his perspiration off, he went out and closed the door. Inside the room, there was only him and silence. Although the man told him that he can return here tomorrow, he can't waste the time he had while he is here. Since he only have a few days to practice before the exhibition meet that he needed to attend, he'll use the remaining time to increase his efficiency with the scraps left in the box.