Artifact Refining

For the next five days, Wang Yaoxi used the Echo Disc to replay the process of their ancestors refining artifacts. Wang Changsheng and the other four watched attentively. Afterward, they asked questions, and Wang Yaoxi answered them one by one. If he could not answer, they watched it again, reviewing and discussing it over and over.

After several days, Wang Changsheng and the others had gained a deeper understanding of artifact refining. This was the advantage of an Immortal Cultivation Family.

If Rogue Cultivators wanted to learn a craft, they would read a few relevant manuals, buy materials, and begin refining. Their success rate was extremely low.

Some Rogue Cultivators entered the deep mountains to hunt Demon Beasts, with their lives hanging by a thread. After painstakingly saving up some funds, they wanted to learn a craft, but without anyone to guide them, most ended in failure. They exhausted the savings they had worked so hard to accumulate and had no choice but to return to the mountains to hunt Demon Beasts.

Early one morning, after breakfast, Wang Changsheng and the other four followed Wang Yaoxi to a two-story Red Pavilion.

The Red Pavilion stood within a secluded courtyard. Wang Changsheng had never been there before.

"Come with me! Starting today, you will be living here."

Wang Yaoxi pushed open the door and entered.

The room was elegantly furnished and spotless, clearly cleaned on a regular basis.

On the first floor was an underground chamber over ten zhang wide and more than two men tall. The walls and stone slabs were made of a kind of red stone, and three green meditation cushions lay on the ground.

"Starting today, you will refine artifacts here. Each of you gets three sets of materials today, and you will take turns. Mingmei, you go first."

As Wang Yaoxi spoke, he slapped his Storage Pouch, and a Green Light flew out. It was an Azure Copper Furnace over a zhang in size. The Azure Copper Furnace stood three chi tall, round all over, with four legs and two ears. A lotus was carved onto its surface. Its color was dull, clearly showing its age.

Besides the Azure Copper Furnace, there were three sets of materials: Mystic Iron, Iron Sand, a bottle of Spirit Liquid, three palm-sized pieces of Silver Wood, three lumps of dough, and an iron mold.

"This Azure Lotus Cauldron is an artifact-refining cauldron passed down by our ancestors. It is specially for clan members who are just learning artifact refining. Mingmei, you go first! The others will watch from the side. None of you are to speak, lest you disrupt her refining. I will watch over Mingmei's artifact refining the entire time."

Wang Yaoxi pointed at the Azure Copper Furnace and the materials on the ground as he spoke solemnly.

"Since you have only just begun learning artifact refining, I am having you refine here so you can observe one another and point out each other's shortcomings. I do not expect you to refine Spirit Tools today. Learn from one another and strive to refine Spirit Tools as soon as possible. Mingmei, begin."

Wang Mingmei took a deep breath and slowly walked up to the Azure Lotus Cauldron.

Wang Changsheng and the other four held their breaths, their eyes fixed on Wang Mingmei, afraid of missing anything.

Wang Mingmei did not begin refining immediately. Instead, she sat down on a meditation cushion and closed her eyes to compose herself.

Wang Yaoxi nodded inwardly but said nothing.

Half a quarter-hour later, Wang Mingmei opened her eyes and began refining.

She placed a piece of Silver Needle Wood beneath the Azure Lotus Cauldron, lit it, and casually pressed a lump of dough onto the cauldron.

Time passed bit by bit, and the dough slowly changed from white to yellow. When a trace of burnt smell drifted into Wang Mingmei's nose, she cast a Hand Seal onto the Azure Lotus Cauldron.

The green lotus on the Azure Lotus Cauldron's surface immediately lit up. With a muffled sound, the lid flew up on its own and landed on the ground.

She tossed the Mystic Iron into the cauldron, then swept her sleeve at the lid. The lid rose into the air and slowly closed.

After doing all this, she began chanting an incantation. Her hands formed seals and flicked continuously as Hand Seals poured into the Azure Lotus Cauldron.

A little less than a quarter-hour later, she poured the Iron Sand into the Artificing Furnace.

More than a quarter-hour later, the fire weakened.

Twenty breaths later, the flames went out.

Wang Mingmei placed the mold beneath the Azure Lotus Cauldron and cast a Hand Seal onto it. With a muffled sound, the green lotus rotated sixty degrees, revealing a small hole. A stream of dark-red molten iron flowed from the hole and into the mold.

The mold was made from a special material and was extremely heat-resistant.

After a while, the molten iron solidified and turned black.

Wang Changsheng and the other four did not even dare breathe loudly, afraid of disturbing Wang Mingmei.

Wang Mingmei let out a soft breath, picked up the porcelain bottle, and gave it a light shake. A mass of Green Liquid flew out and hovered in midair.

Her ten fingers formed seals continuously as Hand Seals struck the Green Liquid one after another.

The Green Liquid churned and twisted, as though it were alive.

"Condense!"

Wang Mingmei gave a sharp cry, and her Hand Seal changed.

After a blur, the Green Liquid transformed into two profound characters.

"Go."

She lightly pointed at the mold, and the two green characters spun round and round before vanishing into the solidified iron block in a flash.

The iron block immediately blazed with light, turning green throughout.

Wang Mingmei took a palm-sized Azure Gourd from her sleeve, poured out some clear water, and sprinkled it over the green iron block.

Pshht!

With a muffled sound, a great cloud of white steam rose from the iron block's surface.

After a while, the steam dispersed, revealing an Azure Short Saber in the mold.

Wang Mingmei was instantly greatly delighted. She took out the Azure Short Saber and examined it carefully.

"Fifth Aunt is amazing. She succeeded on her very first attempt at artifact refining."

Wang Changhuan was filled with envy.

Wang Mingdong said solemnly, "A Spirit Tool is not considered successful merely because it has been refined. Its quality must also be examined. If there are cracks on the blade, it still cannot be sold..."

"Seventh Uncle, please take a look. How is the Azure Moon Saber I refined?"

Wang Mingmei suppressed the excitement in her heart and handed the Azure Short Saber to Wang Yaoxi.

Wang Yaoxi accepted the Azure Short Saber, inspected it carefully, and nodded in praise.

"Not bad. It seems Mingmei studied very diligently during this time. However, this is your first refinement after all, and you lack experience. There are several tiny cracks on the hilt. You must have been too hasty during the tempering process and made a mistake. For your first attempt, reaching this level is already very good. Rest for a while, carefully recall the artifact-refining process just now, then continue refining."

He looked toward Wang Changsheng and the other four and instructed, "Do not idle about. Carefully think over Mingmei's artifact-refining process just now. It would be best if you can gain some insight from it. It will be your turn soon."

Wang Changsheng and the other four all agreed, thoughtful expressions appearing on their faces.

After watching Wang Mingmei refine the Azure Moon Saber, Wang Changsheng was deeply moved and wanted to begin artifact refining immediately.

Wang Mingmei rested for a quarter-hour, meditating to restore her spirit.

After her spiritual power and mental state returned to their peak, Wang Mingmei continued refining.

With the experience from her first attempt, her second refinement was clearly much better. There was not a single crack on the Spirit Tool's surface, and its color was bright and lustrous. It was a genuine low-grade Spirit Tool.

During the third refinement, Wang Mingmei was perhaps too anxious and misspoke a line of the incantation. The Spirit Liquid used to inscribe Spirit Patterns lost control and scattered across the ground, so she could only take out another portion of Spirit Liquid.

Wang Mingmei also succeeded in her third refinement. However, because she had recited the incantation incorrectly midway through, she inscribed the Spirit Patterns somewhat late, leaving the Spirit Tool's color slightly dull.

Overall, Wang Mingmei performed exceptionally well. She succeeded in all three refinements, with the Spirit Tool from her second attempt being the best.

Of course, aside from her diligent studies, the Echo Disc had also played a major role in her outstanding performance. If she had not repeatedly watched their ancestors refine artifacts, she might not have refined Spirit Tools so smoothly.

After Wang Mingmei used up all three sets of materials, it was Wang Mingdong's turn to refine artifacts.

During his first two attempts, he either opened the cauldron too early before the materials had fully melted into molten iron, or he tempered too slowly, leaving too many cracks on the Spirit Tool's surface. He failed to refine a Spirit Tool.

Wang Mingcan performed a little better and succeeded once. However, there were some tiny cracks on the hilt, so strictly speaking, it was not qualified.

Wang Changhuan's performance was average. Either he failed to control the heat properly and opened the cauldron too early, or he recited the incantation incorrectly. He did not succeed even once.

When it was Wang Changsheng's turn, he took a deep breath, walked up to the Azure Lotus Cauldron, and sat cross-legged on the meditation cushion.

During the period of daily updates, chapters would be released at five in the afternoon. Once twice-daily updates resumed, the release time would be announced.