The TS can be used twice/three times without exploiting, you can do it 4 times with a TS if you are fast enough, not 5-6 times. Even with crane herbs you couldn't do it more than 4 times, the TS lasts 30 seconds.
The bar is just for show, the refine is already decided when you press confirm, lag or any other thing does not decide succes rate. As for refining on a TS I don't know exactly how many refines you can do with the exploit, probably 5, 6 in the best case scenario as I could see when I tested it during beta but I did not put to much thought to it, you can refine 3 times on a TS without using any exploit, if you do just 1 refine well you need to figure out how to do 3 I guess. Final thought thou, if anyone wants a more convinient solution to refining, ask that they put back the BE exchange with red stones and red stone excellence, more than likely will improve refining overall + ask that they fix CC dungeon.
Tbh, I feel like we're not playing an "upgraded" version, it's like a testing version: what the dev wanna change for game that work well and make good profit here-->put it in Kr sv later; what don't work fine and get complained so much from players-->just leave them here and move to the next one. Atm, I just login to collect my attendance rewards, no more playing because I'm tired. I know grinding is the core of this game, I could do it in 2006, but it's been 10 years passed and most of us- true 9D lovers-has been growing up, so many things in real life to deal with, not just back from school and playing game. And without investing money and sacrificing alot of time in game, u will go no where now. I know many players here still have much free time for 9D to defend it like: "Grinding is the part of the game, stop crying or want things easy, etc.". It's just my personal viewpoint, if u're satisfied with this rate, well good for u, I don't curse u because I was like u once, but now, it's time for me to move on.
This is clearly not a 'upgraded version' it is just a test or a beta for the KR version. I don't know what control this publisher actually has over anything in this game.
They did say they can't even change the rates, so I think the only control they can do is helping Joongwon exchange Won (Kr currency) to USD and share profit together.
Actually I heard korean version is pretty dead (even if not, I don't think if generate profits like this version), so maybe they'll actually focus on this version...anyway today maintenance? It's tuesday.
The KR version is not dead, I don't know where you got that idea from. There are plenty of people playing but a large amount you might not be seeing because a lot of higher levels spend their time in Temple and Kunlun and a lot of the lowbies are grinding away in the training dungeons. KR has regular events and updates and the skill/drop isn't as bad as this version.