novelaction Chapter 199 Qian Yuan
Chapter 199 Qian Yuan
Liu Xing continued to explore, his face lit with delight as he saw subtleties. Meanwhile, the Blue Wolf was already shattered, one leg broken. A moment later, the Blue Wolf was finally struck in the head by a single bullet, destroying its control system, and collapsed to the ground. Liu Xing, however, paid no mind to his puppet's defeat and devastating destruction. Instead, he secretly rejoiced at having discovered some new ideas.
"Senior Brother Qian is indeed worthy of his reputation. I admit defeat to him." Liu Xing clasped his fists and admitted defeat frankly.
"Junior brother Liu has only been studying here for more than three years, and it is incredible that he has achieved such accomplishments. In another three years, he will surpass me. Junior brother Liu is a genius, and I admire him very much." Qian Yuan was also very familiar with Liu Xing's name. Today's battle also surprised him. He had such accomplishments in such a short time. He was indeed not as good as him.
"I need to learn more from Senior Brother Qian. I see that the gorilla's control center is very sophisticated and can transmit power to the five fingers. I'm quite puzzled about the control link in the middle. Can I ask Senior Brother for advice?" Liu Xing actually asked directly.
"Junior Brother Liu is truly studious. How about we find a place to exchange ideas?" Qian Yuan also wanted to befriend the emissary of the Great Elder, the foremost figure in the Forbidden Department. Besides, elite students tend to appreciate each other and naturally form a circle. So, he also wanted to help Liu Xing and establish a good relationship with him.
"I couldn't ask for more, Senior Brother," Liu Xing cheered. The two of them went to the side to discuss. Qian Yuan had extensive practical experience, while Liu Xing had solid theoretical knowledge. They chatted late into the night, each still eager to learn something. Because Qian Yuan had another round of competition tomorrow, their discussion ended here, agreeing to continue at a later time.
Liu Xing had been eliminated, but he watched the subsequent matches with gusto. Unsurprisingly, Qian Yuan won the championship again, his fifth consecutive title. Qian Yuan was neither sad nor happy; his current bottleneck was his inability to refine a late-stage Foundation Establishment puppet.
"Congratulations, Senior Brother Qian, for winning the championship again!" Liu Xing ran over to congratulate Qian Yuan.
"Come on, Junior Brother Liu! You will definitely be better than me." Qian Yuan was really optimistic about Liu Xing. He used to think that Liu Xing was making rapid progress, but after a conversation yesterday, he discovered that Liu Xing's theoretical knowledge was much better than his.
"Brother Qian, how about we work together to refine a puppet in the late stage of foundation building?" Liu Xing also felt that Qian Yuan was a good person, capable and easy to deal with. So he remembered that when he was studying at Tsinghua University in his previous life, several classmates often formed project teams to jointly overcome some academic problems.
"This is a good idea. How can we cooperate?" Qian Yuan thought it was a good idea, but he had not thought of the specific implementation method.
"First, we need to solve the problem of funding. I will provide all the materials for researching the puppet, so Senior Brother Qian doesn't have to spend any money. Second, we need to solve the problem of ownership of the results. The successfully refined puppet will belong to Senior Brother Qian, and I only need the method of refining the puppet. Third, there is the issue of time division. We will set the period as three years. During these three years, we will work together to make puppets every day and cannot be distracted by doing other things until we succeed." Liu Xing quickly expressed his ideas based on his experience in starting a project in his previous life.
"Junior Brother Liu, three years of joint research is no problem. However, it's a bit inappropriate for you to provide the financial and labor, while I take the lion's share." Qian Yuan was tempted by the collaboration plan. Purchasing the materials for a Foundation Establishment puppet would cost a fortune, and there would be a lot of waste involved. His wealth wouldn't allow him to do so. This was also one of the reasons he didn't dare to embark on refining a late-stage Foundation Establishment puppet without complete confidence.
"Brother, you should know that I obtained hundreds of thousands of points from Duan Tiangen's gang. These can be used to fund this project. Furthermore, Brother, your puppetry skills are superior to mine. During our joint research, I've also learned and improved from you, so it's only right that you take the lion's share. So, Brother Qian, don't worry about anything." Liu Xing lacked knowledge and skills; money was a secondary concern. He spent lavishly to acquire knowledge and skills, then easily earned money—this was his approach to business.
"Junior Brother Liu is generous. I agree to participate in this cooperation plan." Qian Yuan pondered for a moment and agreed.
"Great! I've rented a temporary cave, and I'll use it as my research base from now on." Liu Xing was delighted to see Qian Yuan agree. He knew he should find the best person to partner with. This would significantly increase the success rate of the project. Furthermore, collaborating with others would at least halve the time required for research compared to working alone.
The two then began their research with fervent enthusiasm. When they encountered a difficult problem, they would consult the Sutra Library or ask the teacher in class. Their questions were fairly standard in their first year, but from the second year onward, they became more advanced. The teacher was a little suspicious. Could it be that these two top students were researching the creation of late-stage Foundation Establishment puppets? This was the subject of their Core Formation cultivators' research. The teacher remained calm, directing them to research for questions they couldn't answer. He was eager to see what these two juniors would come up with.
During this time, Liu Xing quickly mastered the art of refining a mid-stage Foundation Establishment puppet. In just one year, he crafted a wooden ape, similar in function to Qian Yuan's gorilla. This was a replica of his previous wooden ape, and he also inherited the black iron staff, a supreme magical artifact. Qian Yuan was deeply impressed by Liu Xing's rapid progress. To test their strength, Liu Xing's wooden ape and Qian Yuan's gorilla battled, finding them evenly matched. Qian Yuan, a gifted individual, admired Liu Xing and worked even harder himself. The two collaborated, learned from each other, and competed against each other. Over the three years of their daily interactions, they forged a deep friendship.
Late-stage Foundation Establishment puppets require a material called phantom crystal to refine their control center. This material is quite precious and rarely appears in the market, as it's generally already bought by Core Formation masters. Liu Xing, through various means, including posting quests in the quest hall and pre-ordering at the market, finally managed to acquire four or five pieces at a considerable cost. The torso must be as hard as a top-tier magical weapon, so the material must be from a Level 4 demon beast or equivalent wood or stone. Therefore, the cost of materials for a late-stage Foundation Establishment puppet is around 40,000 points, a considerable expense. Furthermore, the final soul fusion stage requires the spirit of a Level 4 demon beast, which is even rarer than phantom crystal. No wonder Qian Yuan hesitated to embark on the refining of a late-stage Foundation Establishment puppet; gathering these materials was a real headache.