Chapter 3977 — Materials Are Not Enough

"Weapon evolution is a whole different matter entirely. Not only is the process extremely complicated, but the difficulty is enormous, and the demands on materials are exceedingly high as well. After undergoing an intense smelting reaction, the weapon and the materials fuse completely into one, and one might well say it is reborn from the very bones. The weapon that finally emerges from the furnace is utterly unlike its former self, whether in shape or in power, and its might will be at least ten or a hundred times what it was—a thousand times is not out of the question!" Scrap King's eyes burned with fervor as he spoke.

"So that's how it is. Put that way, the accurate statement should be that ordinary weapons cannot evolve—not that they cannot be upgraded, as the outside world so widely believes. The world has been misled by that loose, catch-all notion," Wei Zhao said with a nod.

"Exactly. Unless one finds a rare treasure like the thousand-year tree crystal, an ordinary weapon simply cannot evolve. Without the protective properties of the thousand-year tree crystal, it can hardly withstand the intense furnace reaction—it may well turn to ash halfway through. There are countless such cases of failure," Scrap King said with a sigh.

"So the thousand-year tree crystal can be used in weapon evolution—that is its purpose, then. Truly, I have learned something." Wei Zhao cupped his hands in salute to Scrap King.

Scrap King, meanwhile, fixed a blazing gaze on Wei Zhao. "Brother Lin, I will not hide it from you: the greatest wish of my life is to forge a divine weapon that stands alone under heaven. But without you, not in this life—perhaps not even in the next—would I ever lay eyes on such a rare treasure, still less have the chance to use it in forging. You are nothing less than the great benefactor and savior fate ordained for me!"

Seeing Scrap King drop to his knees without a word, Wei Zhao hurriedly caught him and pulled him up, saying with feeling, "Brother Wang, what are you doing? You agreed to forge for me without conditions—I cannot thank you enough as it is. What sense is there in kneeling to me? If you keep this up, I will not dare ask your help at all."

"No, no, no—you must ask my help, you must! On all of North Island, I am the only one who can make proper use of such supreme materials. No one else has the skill!" Scrap King scrambled to his feet.

This fellow's boastfulness is as boundless as ever! Wei Zhao laughed inwardly. Yet after all this time in his company, he no longer harbored the slightest doubt about Scrap King's abilities. It was simply that men of true skill were bound to have their pride—and at least in the craft of forging, Scrap King's pride was not without foundation.

As for the rumor that he had never successfully forged a weapon, in Wei Zhao's eyes now it was either because he disdained to stoop to ordinary weapons, or because he truly lacked the materials—and quite simply because no one had ever believed in him!

"Then how can we put the ten-thousand-year tree crystal and the other materials to perfect use, so as not to waste heaven's gifts? Brother Wang, did you not just say these materials were still far from enough?" Wei Zhao said, returning to the point.

Scrap King did not answer at once. Instead he turned, rummaged out a sheet of white paper from a corner of the cave, and dashed off a whole string of items on it. Only then did he hand it to Wei Zhao. "I have thought it over carefully just now. Brother Lin, it is no easy thing that you have obtained supreme materials like the ten-thousand-year tree crystal and the primordial pure land. Rather than make do half-heartedly, we may as well go all in and do it big. What say you, Brother Lin?"

Wei Zhao's eyes lit up at once. Scrap King's proposal suited him perfectly, and he asked immediately, "That is my thinking as well. But how do we go all in and do it big?"

"On this paper I have listed seven kinds of materials in all. Only when all seven are gathered can they work in concert to draw out the full effect of the ten-thousand-year tree crystal and the primordial pure land. Then, when the refined-steel staff is smelted in the furnace, it will surely be reborn and become a divine weapon for the ages!" Scrap King declared with absolute conviction.

At this, Wei Zhao glanced over the seven forging materials listed on the white paper. They were all things he had never seen or even heard of, and the only one that stirred the faintest recollection was something called a mysterious water droplet.

"This mysterious water droplet, I believe I have seen it before at the Hong Chamber of Commerce, priced at six or seven hundred spirit jades or so. As for the rest, I have never seen a single one—never even heard of them," Wei Zhao said musingly.

Scrap King nodded. "These seven are only auxiliary materials, but anything that can complement something on the order of the ten-thousand-year tree crystal and the primordial pure land does not come cheap, even as an auxiliary. The mysterious water droplet is already the easiest of them to buy. As for the other six, ordinarily they cannot be bought at all—even a top-tier house like the Hong Chamber of Commerce may not have them in stock."

"Then where are we to find them?" Wei Zhao could not help clicking his tongue. If they could not even be bought at the Hong Chamber of Commerce, and he had to rely on blindly searching on his own, he might not gather them all in a lifetime.

"It is plainly unrealistic to go looking for such things yourself. Our only hope is an auction. As it happens, from what I know, the half-yearly North Island Auction is next month. Apart from things that exist only in legend, like the ten-thousand-year tree crystal, most treasures should have a chance of turning up there. Brother Lin, you might as well give it a try—though how to obtain admission is another great difficulty." Scrap King scratched his head in vexation.

"Is admission so hard to come by? Would a spirit jade card do?" Wei Zhao flashed the spirit jade card in his hand. It was a symbol of status and standing; since it granted free passage through the Inner Street, surely it would work for the auction as well?

"Brother Lin, you truly are no ordinary man—you even have such a thing!" Scrap King stared at the spirit jade card and could not help swallowing hard. For a down-and-out cultivator scraping by at the bottom like him, obtaining a spirit jade card was something he could forget about for the rest of his life.

Yet Scrap King shook his head again. "The specifics I do not know either, but the auction is not held by the Inner Street merchants alone—it is a joint affair of all the top powers of North Island, and they say it even involves some great figures from the Middle Island. Those who come and go there are no ordinary folk. A single spirit jade card may not be enough. This is a matter I cannot help with; it rests on your shoulders alone, Brother Lin."

"I see. Then I will have someone look into it afterward." Wei Zhao nodded. To expect Scrap King to manage such a thing really would be forcing him beyond his means; it was already good of him to provide the information. In the end, it came down to himself.

"Yes. There are many fine things at the auction, but the competition is fierce as well. To buy all seven of these materials will likely cost several thousand spirit jades—ten thousand or more if luck is against you. Brother Lin, you had best be prepared! Still, since you have the ten-thousand-year tree crystal, this thousand-year tree crystal is no longer needed. Selling it at auction should fetch a good number of spirit jades." Scrap King offered his counsel.

"I am well aware of that. By the way, there is one more thing I would like you to look at, to see whether it is a forging material." Wei Zhao suddenly spoke again.