Jin wanted to learn more: "Why?"

Hae-Hyuk patiently explained: "Because to imbue yourself with an element, you need to consume a treasure containing it. And there are certain requirements about it, mostly the energy it contains relative to its age. During the first tens of stages, it isn't too hard to get the ones you want but later on? It becomes close to impossible"

"At the 10th stage, you only need a natural treasure that's at minimum one year old. It is very easy to obtain. Though some elements are so rare they wouldn't even be found at that age... Anyways, at the 20th stage, you need a treasure of at least ten years of age. And at the 30th stage, one that is a hundred years old. And so on. It is impossible to reach the end point while being picky once you attain a certain realm"

"But you can be picky at the beginning! I advised you to pick three because you don't want to diffuse the benefits too much either but if you find something with more than that, feel free to go for it if you want to. The cumulative effect once you reach a high realm becomes incredible"

"Still, I need to warn you. Using many elements with a single move is difficult. It's not that easy to master elemental skills or imbue elements in spiritual skills. Which is why I believe that picking a composite of three elements is the right choice. You don't limit your future and you remain capable in the present"

Jin pondered for a moment. If what Hae-Hyuk said, it meant that even if he picked three elements now, he might end up forced to fuse a random fourth one later on if he can't find one of the three. It was easy to consider that finding a natural treasure containing elements and aged at least a million years was... That was the requirement to get to the 70th stage. And how was one even supposed to find or even get that?! Even if you found it, the elements it held...

Jin reached a conclusion and wished to confirm it: "It's impossible to get the element we desire after reaching a certain realm, right?"

Hae-Hyuk smiled as he nodded: "That's right. It's impossible. Finding treasures aged beyond tens of thousands of years in the wild? That's impossible, or close to impossible. So, we make them. We create arrays dilating time to grow those treasures. But even that has its limits. At a realm like mine, it becomes impossible to pick. You can only go with the flow and only if you are lucky enough to get one. I have been stuck at my current realm due to the lack of such a treasure. And this has gone on for three centuries now"

This brought a shock to both Jin and Min-Su. It meant that Hae-Hyuk had spent three hundred years without progress. It was more than three mortal lifetimes. The weight of the difficulty finally settled in.

Hae-Hyuk decided that he told them enough about the subject for now and went back to the present situation: "So, Jin, here is my offer. I can use those two weapons to make a new one who would have some of the properties of both. It means that a composite element made of wind and thunder would be created. Or, you can give me this crystal and I will give you a third weapon in exchange. It will be used as an ingredient to create a weapon with three elements for you. What do you think?"

Jin asked back: "What is this crystal ball?"

Hae-Hyuk told him: "A cultivator's core forcefully torn off his soul sea. Judging by its size, he would have been at the 55th stage or something. It is something that you consume like a pill for its energy. Though you must have a bigger core yourself or you would die"

Min-Su looked horrified while Jin was rather curious as to how it was possible to extract a core from one's soul sea...It wasn't a physical location after all. Yet this core was very real and could be touched. Still, it was true that this core was useless to him for the moment. And it would likely be useless for a long time. A weapon, on the other hand, would be useful.

As such, Jin agreed to Hae-Hyuk's offer. He wondered however what to do about the situation. He would have to pick a third element and he would likely be stuck with the two of wind and thunder.

Hae-Hyuk didn't push him. Instead, he took out a book and gave it to him: "In this book, you will find many elemental combinations. Study it well, even the elements that you won't pick and then make your choice. It isn't a pressing issue so take the time and make sure to not have any regrets"

Jin bowed as he thanked Hae-Hyuk. This had been very enlightening. And he was aware that Hae-Hyuk was giving him a favor. It was unlikely that the cost of another item and fusion of them was equal to the core's value.

After finishing to deal with them, he shooed them away and was getting ready to relax. However he didn't have the time as someone knocked on his door. He sensed Sophia beyond them. He was slightly surprised to see her here already but it was fine in its own way too. It seems like she had been waiting for him to finish with the other two too.

He asked her to come in and was greeted by a fidgeting young woman. It was true that there was a lot at play in this for her but, to be honest, it was already settled. Unless she was incredibly stupid, there were no ways she could fail this little test. He chose it more as a formality than a real test after all.