Chapter Six: Guan Zhiheng

"Take you as my apprentice? Hmph, I must have misheard. I believe this is our first meeting, and furthermore, I have only just ascended. I hardly seem qualified to be your master," Zhang Sanfeng remarked with a puzzled expression.

"Master Zhang, let me put it this way: I am currently at the late stage of the Earth Immortal realm, so I can see your cultivation level clearly. You are barely at the early stage of the Earth Immortal realm, which is truly rare for someone who has just ascended. However, that is not the main point. The point is that you were able to safely traverse the waters of the Cape of Death. That is the reason I wish to take you as my master," Guan Zhiheng explained.

"What do you mean by that? And could you tell me a bit about the classification system of this Immortal Realm?" Zhang Sanfeng asked.

"Come, have some tea, and we shall talk as we drink. Xiaoyun, go fetch some snacks," Guan Zhiheng said to the young girl beside him.

"In the Immortal Realm, strength is generally divided into nine stages: Mortal Immortal, Earth Immortal, Heaven Immortal, Great Luo Golden Immortal, Nine Heavens Profound Immortal, Ancient Spirit Immortal, Immortal Monarch, Immortal Emperor, and Immortal Venerable. Each stage is further divided into early, middle, and late phases. Above that, one becomes a God and can ascend to the God Realm. However, it seems no one in the Immortal Realm has attained godhood for a very long time. As for where we are, this is known as Qijie Star, one of the nine major ascension planets. These nine planets are arranged in a grid across the Immortal Realm, with Qijie Star located in the top-left corner. Directly above is Baiyuan Star, to the top-right is Xianyuan Star, to the left is Fengchen Star, in the center is Zhongzhou Star, to the right is Ziguang Star, to the bottom-left is Xingyao Star, below is Wanfeng Star, and to the bottom-right is Muhuang Star."

"The situation on these nine ascension planets is quite similar. Like Qijie Star, they are all composed of six continents separated by oceans, though the internal details vary."

"Let us talk about this Cape of Death first," Zhang Sanfeng said.

"Speaking of the Cape of Death, it is quite famous throughout the Immortal Realm. Because the creatures within appear in swarms, even a Great Luo Golden Immortal would have no choice but to flee unless they possessed the strength of a Nine Heavens Profound Immortal. Anything below the level of a Great Luo Golden Immortal would find it difficult to even escape. Although the creatures there are made of excellent materials, those materials are insufficient for immortals above the Great Luo Golden Immortal level. Thus, the Cape of Death has become a rather thankless place."

"Oh, so that is how it is," Zhang Sanfeng nodded.

"Though it is considered a thankless place, the materials produced there are highly sought after. Materials of the same rank from this place have two to three times the quality of those found elsewhere, and some top-tier items can even be five times higher," Guan Zhiheng said, popping a tea snack into his mouth and chewing with relish.

"Is that so? Hmm, this tea snack has a very unique flavor; it is delicious!" Zhang Sanfeng took a piece as well.

"This snack is made from the meat of a fish found in the Cape of Death. Occasionally, a lone fish appears in that area. I have discovered a few, and they make delicious snacks. You could call this one of my prized possessions. I even forged its bones into a bone sword."

With that, Guan Zhiheng took a seven-foot-long sword from his spatial ring and handed it to Zhang Sanfeng, who began to examine it carefully.

The sword was silver-white in color. The blade was covered in half-inch-long barbs that glinted coldly in the light, looking incredibly sharp.

"Truly a fine sword. If I am not mistaken, it should possess special offensive attributes. Might I ask what they are?" Zhang Sanfeng asked while observing the blade.

"Excellent insight. The special offensive attribute comes from the material itself. When this fish attacks, it releases bursts of silver light that briefly blur an immortal's consciousness. I nearly fell victim to it when I hunted it. I suppose I was lucky; the fish had not fully matured. If one ten years older had come, I certainly would not have been able to take it down," Guan Zhiheng said, still feeling a trace of lingering fear.

"I see. You forged this sword yourself, didn't you? Only a Great Luo Golden Immortal or a Nine Heavens Profound Immortal could truly bring out the full potential of this material," Zhang Sanfeng said, handing the sword back to Guan Zhiheng.

"You are half right. Not only does it require the level of a Great Luo Golden Immortal, but one must also be at least a high-level Immortal Forging Master to perfectly craft this material," Guan Zhiheng explained.

"Oh, in that case, why don't you tell me everything about these forging materials?" Zhang Sanfeng requested.

"No problem. Listen closely: The grades for forging materials are generally divided as follows:

Forging Ranks:
Ordinary (Three grades: Low, Mid, High)
Fine
Exquisite
Top-tier
Sub-Immortal
Immortal
Super-Immortal
God-tier
Super-God-tier

The grades for forging materials and medicinal herbs are equivalent, ranging from Rank 1 to Rank 9, followed by God-tier. Medicinal herbs are classified from Immortal Rank 1 to Immortal Rank 9, then God-tier.

Forging masters are categorized into: Weapon Forgers, Alchemists, and Array Masters.
Levels 1 to 9, with Level 10 being God-tier.
Levels 1-3 are Primary, 4-6 are Intermediate, 7-9 are Advanced, and 10 is God-tier.

Array Masters are a bit special; they must first be Weapon Forgers, because they need to forge the array tools used in their formations. Array tools include..."

"That is the general breakdown. I am currently a Level 3 Weapon Forger, just a step away from breaking through to Level 4. The material for this sword is exactly a Rank 3, Grade 3 material. If it were any higher, I would be unable to forge it," Guan Zhiheng said, gently stroking the sword. "Because this material is Rank 3, Grade 1, it should normally only be forgeable into a corresponding Fine Grade 1 item. However, due to the unique quality of the materials from that place, which is twice as high, this sword should have been forgeable into a Super-Exquisite Grade 2. My limited ability, however, has only allowed me to forge it to a Super-Exquisite Grade 3. I call it the Silver Thread Sword because it emits fine silver threads when it strikes, which looks quite beautiful."

"A very fitting name. By the way, you still haven't told me why you want me as your master. It seems your current cultivation level is higher than mine?" Zhang Sanfeng noted.

"It is because you were able to pass through the Cape of Death safely while only at the early Earth Immortal stage. That level of strength is comparable to a Nine Heavens Profound Immortal. I doubt even a Great Luo Golden Immortal could traverse the Cape of Death without sustaining some damage. Please, take me as your apprentice!" Guan Zhiheng said earnestly.

Seeing Guan Zhiheng's sincerity, Zhang Sanfeng began to consider the idea.

"Immortal Friend Guan, I feel we are quite compatible. I would have no issue taking you as an apprentice, but I am still unaware of your background. I have only just ascended, and you could say I am penniless and have nothing. You should think this through," Zhang Sanfeng replied seriously.

"That is true; I was a bit too hasty. Let me introduce myself properly. I am Guan Zhiheng, of the 'Zhi' generation of the Guan family, third in line. The Guan family possesses three star domains, with our main star located at Guanyue Star. Currently, I am the lead official responsible for recruiting newly ascended immortals here on Qijie Star..." Guan Zhiheng explained.