Chapter 154: The Role of the Golden Book?

"What?"

Luo Chong's expression turned unpleasant.

Even if you are a renowned teacher, you can't deliberately humiliate me, can you?

Regardless, I am the president of the Artifact Refiners Guild, of high status, and you say I have nothing better to do...

I came to you sincerely for advice, and I get such a response—you really don't take me seriously...

Sun Qiang, standing to the side, had long known that his master would say something shocking, but even so, he couldn't control himself and nearly slammed his head into the wall.

My dear master, is it really okay to speak so directly to a true artifact refiner...?

Ahem, even if the person had no status, saying something like that would probably make them want to fight you to the death...

And most importantly... the man failed at refining and came to you for guidance, yet you directly say he has nothing better to do... isn't that a bit too arrogant?

What does artifact refining have to do with eating?

The only connection might be that without eating, one has no strength, but for someone like President Luo, a Tongxuan realm expert, that's irrelevant!

"No need to rush!"

Seeing the other's agitation, Zhang Xuan smiled lightly, unconcerned: "Don't be quick to deny it. Let me ask you, have you been eating [Dragon Scale Shrimp] every day recently?"

"Yes, what's the problem?" Luo Chong looked over in confusion.

Dragon Scale Shrimp were a special creature that grew in Hong Lake, delicious and tasty, one of the favorite foods of the upper class in the Tianxuan Kingdom. He had often eaten them before without any issues. Could his failure in artifact refining be related to this?

"Good, if I'm not mistaken, the Dragon Scale Shrimp you've been eating were all purchased in the same batch recently!"

Zhang Xuan continued.

Luo Chong nodded, inwardly puzzled.

How did the other know?

His Dragon Scale Shrimp had indeed been bought in a single batch a few days ago, several thousand of them, filling two large boxes. To keep them fresh, he had specially raised them in a pond in his courtyard.

He had carefully selected them before eating, all alive, so there couldn't be any problem. Moreover, after eating them, his body showed no abnormalities, no diarrhea or anything. How could it be related to his inability to succeed in artifact refining?

"That's it!" Zhang Xuan smiled slightly, hands behind his back: "Do you know when Dragon Scale Shrimp spawn?"

"When do they spawn?" Luo Chong grew even more puzzled. He only cared about eating; how would he know that?

"I know..."

Just as he was about to ask, Sun Qiang suddenly spoke up.

"Go ahead and say it!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

"Dragon Scale Shrimp generally spawn in late summer and early autumn, which is around this time!" Sun Qiang said.

Having worked in the Tianyu Trading Company for many years, although he hadn't sold this item, he still knew some practical knowledge.

"Correct, it's this season!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

School had just started not long ago, and it was indeed late summer and early autumn, the time when Dragon Scale Shrimp spawn.

Hearing this, Luo Chong felt his head spin, about to go crazy.

Teacher Yang, I came to consult you about why I can't refine artifacts, not to study when Dragon Scale Shrimp spawn... What do I care when they spawn? The offspring aren't mine...

"No need to rush. Your inability to refine artifacts successfully is exactly related to this!" Seeming to sense his confusion, Zhang Xuan continued: "Dragon Scale Shrimp are naturally cold in nature, a yin attribute food. Eating too much can weaken a person's yang energy. Of course, this weakening is minimal and has no adverse effect on people!"

"However, Dragon Scale Shrimp that have just spawned are different!"

"This kind of shrimp transfers all its essence to its offspring, so it becomes very weak, and its body produces a substance that numbs the spirit. Eating too much can dull one's mental reactions..."

Saying this, Zhang Xuan paused, looking intently at Luo Chong: "Have you been feeling unable to enter the second level of the mental state, 'heart like still water'? Not only that, but you're also restless and impatient, which has greatly hindered your artifact refining skills, making it impossible to form artifacts?"

Whether in alchemy or artifact refining, mental state is crucial. Without a calm mind, success is basically impossible.

"Could it be... really because I ate too many Dragon Scale Shrimp?"

Luo Chong's whole body trembled, and he took two steps back.

Recently, when refining artifacts, he had indeed felt unable to concentrate, unable to achieve a heart like still water, calm and unruffled. He had tried every method but to no avail. He never dreamed... it was related to eating shrimp.

Dragon Scale Shrimp that had just spawned could produce a substance that numbs the spirit... If the other hadn't said it, he wouldn't have believed it. Why had he never heard of this before?

"That's right. All things have self-protection mechanisms, and Dragon Scale Shrimp are no exception. Just after spawning, they are at their weakest. Producing this substance is also for survival, but in the end, they are still caught and made into a delicacy!"

Zhang Xuan shook his head.

"I was wrong. I won't eat Dragon Scale Shrimp anymore. Please, Teacher Yang, advise me on what to do now!"

His face pale, Luo Chong hesitated for a moment, then quickly cupped his hands.

Although he loved eating Dragon Scale Shrimp, compared to being unable to refine artifacts, the latter was naturally more important.

"Uh..."

Asked this, Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

In truth, he wasn't entirely sure of the real solution either.

The Library of Heaven's Path only recorded the cause of his flaw. Luo Chong's situation was different from previous cases; his body had no issues. He had simply eaten too many Dragon Scale Shrimp, accumulating a certain numbing toxin in his body, which led to an unstable mental state and failure in artifact refining.

As for how to eliminate this toxin, he really didn't know.

However, even if he didn't know, he wouldn't say. After hesitating for less than a breath, he clasped his hands behind his back, adopting the demeanor of a transcendent master.

"First, release the Dragon Scale Shrimp you've caught. As for how to resolve it, that depends on your future actions. But... if you go without eating for a while, you'll gradually recover!"

He wasn't lying to the other party. The human body's metabolic capacity is extremely strong, especially for a Tongxuan realm expert like Luo Chong. As long as he refrained from eating for a period, the toxins remaining in his body should be quickly eliminated.

"Thank you for your guidance, Master Yang!"

Knowing the cause and solution, Luo Chong sighed in relief and quickly bowed.

At this moment, he was already filled with utmost admiration for Master Yang before him.

Just by observing his tool refining, he could tell that he loved eating Dragon Scale Shrimp, and had found the root cause of his failure in tool refining—he was too full!

Truly a renowned master, with extraordinary insight.

Those three million were well spent!

"Master Yang, could you guide me in tool refining?"

Knowing the cause and understanding that time would solve it, Luo Chong's mind became active.

He had been stuck as a one-star intermediate tool refiner for a long time, unable to break through. Now that this renowned master was before him, could he seize the opportunity to ask for some guidance and break through?

"Tool refining?"

Zhang Xuan was taken aback. He hadn't expected that after solving the problem, the other party wouldn't leave but instead wanted to learn tool refining.

To be honest, he didn't even know how many steps tool refining required—how could he offer guidance?

"I was too presumptuous..."

Seeing that he didn't respond, Luo Chong felt very embarrassed.

A renowned master only guides his own students. He and this master were unrelated, so directly making such a request was indeed inappropriate.

Zhang Xuan waved his hand: "Xiao Qiang, see the guest out!"

"Master Luo, our master needs to rest. Please!"

Sun Qiang stepped forward.

"Yes!" Luo Chong nodded, rose, and took his leave.

"It's really not easy pretending to be a renowned master..."

After Luo Chong left, Zhang Xuan returned to his room and rubbed his temples.

A formidable renowned master had thorough knowledge of many professions and possessed insight that was hard for anyone to imagine. Right now, he could only put on a show by relying on the Heavenly Dao Library. Once he stopped using it, he would surely be exposed immediately.

"I really wonder how those renowned masters come to know so much..."

A person's energy is limited. He had only participated in the alchemist assessment and already knew that the knowledge involved was vast as the ocean. Without the library, let alone passing, it would be hard even to score points.

True masters surely don't have such a cheat device. He really wondered how they managed to pass the assessment and learn so much knowledge.

"Regardless, from now on I must study hard. The library is ultimately an external tool!"

A thought emerged.

For him, no matter how powerful the library was, it was still an external object. If he knew nothing and kept relying on it, he could get by in a backward place like Tianxuan Kingdom, but once he entered more prosperous regions, he would surely be exposed.

Therefore, no matter what, his own knowledge reserve was also important.

Once this thought arose, it was hard to suppress. Zhang Xuan's mind stirred, and he couldn't help but look toward the Heaven's Path Library again.

Reading external books was slow for him, but reading books inside the library was several times faster—he had already experienced this firsthand.

Although the books in the library could be seen and consulted with a single thought, they were still not his own knowledge.

This was like the Baidu of his previous life—when encountering a problem, he could search and look it up, but since it wasn't stored in his own mind, he couldn't use it effortlessly or achieve mastery.

Only by completely memorizing it in his own mind could he be considered truly learned.

"Hmm? What's that?"

As his spirit entered the library, he suddenly noticed something amiss.

Deep among the dense bookshelves, a golden book had somehow appeared.

He was certain that this book had never been there before.

"Come here!"

He grabbed with his hand, and the golden book lightly trembled before falling into his palm.

The book was very thin, with little content. He casually opened it and immediately became dumbfounded.

There was only one page, and it was completely blank—nothing written on it.

"What use is this book?"

Zhang Xuan was baffled.

He didn't know when such a book had appeared in the library, nor why it was blank with nothing recorded.

"Forget it for now. I'll study other content..."

After studying it for a long time without figuring out what use the golden book had, Zhang Xuan shook his head and stopped paying attention. He looked again at the many books already generated in the Heaven's Path Library before him, intending to read them carefully and make them his own knowledge.

With a thought, before he could act, the golden book in his hand suddenly shook and turned into a brilliant light. Under the light's radiance, the content recorded in the library's books instantly poured in and entered his mind.

Before Zhang Xuan could react, his vision went black, and he fainted directly.