Song Family

He closed his eyes and recalled the artifact-refining processes of Wang Mingmei and the other four.

A quarter of an hour later, Wang Changsheng opened his eyes and began refining an artifact.

He placed the Silver Needle Wood beneath the Azure Lotus Cauldron, lit the spirit wood, and stuck a lump of dough onto the cauldron's lid.

When the dough changed from white to yellow, Wang Changsheng tossed the Mystic Iron into the Azure Lotus Cauldron.

A little under half a quarter of an hour later, he poured a box of Iron Sand into it.

After a piece of spirit wood had burned out, he struck the Azure Lotus Cauldron with a hand seal. The azure lotus on the cauldron's surface rotated sixty degrees, and the molten iron flowed through the small hole into the mold.

Wang Changsheng took out the Spirit Liquid and cast one hand seal after another into it.

The Spirit Liquid twisted and transformed into two profound azure characters, which flashed and vanished into the iron block.

The iron block immediately burst with azure light, while the two azure characters flickered wildly.

Only the tempering step remained, and this was the most important part of artifact refining.

Wang Changsheng drew a deep breath and carefully poured cold water over the iron block. A cloud of white smoke immediately rose up.

When the smoke dispersed, a gleaming azure short saber appeared before everyone.

"Did I succeed?"

Wang Changsheng was beside himself with joy. He took out the Azure Short Saber and examined it carefully, unable to put it down.

Watching a Spirit Tool take shape beneath his own hands, a surge of pride welled up within him.

"Seventh Granduncle, what do you think of this Spirit Tool?"

Wang Changsheng handed the Azure Moon Saber to Wang Yaoxi for inspection.

Wang Yaoxi accepted the Azure Moon Saber and examined it carefully. He nodded in satisfaction. "For your first time refining an artifact, successfully crafting a Spirit Tool is already quite good. However, your control over the heat was insufficient. You removed the molten iron a little too early, so some of the Iron Sand had not completely melted. If this Azure Moon Saber collided with the Azure Moon Saber refined by your Fifth Aunt, your saber would definitely break. You must pay attention to the heat. It can be neither too early nor too late; the slightest deviation will affect the quality of the Spirit Tool. Rest for a while, then continue refining."

"Yes, Seventh Granduncle."

Wang Changsheng answered, then closed his eyes and carefully recalled the process of refining the artifact just now.

A quarter of an hour later, he opened his eyes and continued refining.

During the next two rounds of artifact refining, Wang Changsheng removed the molten iron somewhat too late, delaying the inscription of the spirit patterns. The Spirit Tools he refined were dull in color.

He successfully refined Spirit Tools from all three sets of materials. Although their quality was not particularly high, they were still fairly good.

"Today is your first day refining artifacts. Do not be discouraged if you fail; failure is unavoidable for beginners. Do not be arrogant if you succeed; pride makes one fall behind. On the path of artifact refining, you must strive for ever greater perfection and allow not the slightest deviation. Each of you, explain your artifact-refining process. Discuss and compare with one another, and you will improve more easily."

Wang Mingmei nodded. "I'll go first! I followed the method of artifact refining left behind by our ancestors, lighting the spirit wood to preheat it..."

Wang Mingmei and the other four took turns describing their artifact-refining processes. Through their discussions, all of them gained quite a bit.

The day quickly passed, and they returned to their respective rooms to cultivate.

Pingyang Prefecture, in a valley planted with strange flowers and exotic grasses.

Outside the valley lay a vast expanse of white mist. Within it stood many buildings—the Song Family's lineage residence.

The Song Family had a history of more than four hundred years. There were over one hundred and sixty Cultivators in the clan, and Song Tianming possessed the highest cultivation.

Song Tianming was now one hundred and forty years old and at the Foundation Establishment Third Layer. He normally underwent Secluded Cultivation in a Secret Chamber. Unless something major occurred, the other clan members would not disturb his cultivation.

That day, a tall, thin Blue-robed Man knocked on the Stone Gate of the Secret Chamber.

"Second Uncle, your nephew has an important matter to report to you."

The Blue-robed Man spoke respectfully.

He was Song Ziyang, the Song Family's current Family Head. He was sixty-five years old this year and at the Qi Refining Sixth Layer.

"Ziyang? Come in!" Song Tianming's voice suddenly rang out, and the Stone Gate opened with a bang.

Song Ziyang hurried inside. The Secret Chamber was only a little over a hundred zhang in size. Aside from a stone bed, there was a stone table and several chairs, though the spiritual qi inside was rather dense.

Song Tianming sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion. Seeing Song Ziyang enter, he asked, "Ziyang, what major matter has happened?"

"Nothing major has happened, but it seems that our neighbor, the Wang Family of Changping Prefecture, has discovered some sort of mineral vein. Your nephew came specifically to report this to Second Uncle."

Song Tianming frowned. "A mineral vein? Explain clearly. What exactly is going on?"

"This is what happened. A month ago, many clan members discovered that a Quarry in Green Stone Town, Peaceful County, had been covered by a Formation and guarded by Wang Family members. The moment outsiders approached, they would be driven away. Your nephew sent people to investigate in secret and discovered that every so often, several Wang Family Cultivators would leave the Quarry and return to Azure Lotus Mountain. The timing was irregular, and so were their routes. Your nephew had people monitor them for over a month before discovering some clues. In your nephew's analysis, the Wang Family should have discovered some kind of mineral vein."

Song Tianming's eyes lit up as he solemnly asked, "A mineral vein? Are you certain?"

"Your nephew is ninety percent certain that it is a mineral vein. If it were something else, the Wang Family would not have set up a Formation and sent people to transport it back to Azure Lotus Mountain every few days. A mineral vein is the most reasonable explanation."

"A mineral vein was discovered in Peaceful County. That means the Wang Family's ancestors accumulated virtue. What? Do you want to seize it?"

Song Ziyang gave an embarrassed smile. "Second Uncle, our clan's circumstances are not good. We are living hand to mouth. We have failed to cultivate any talents proficient in the four arts of cultivation, so we can only earn a few Spirit Stones by selling Spirit Grain. Along with the Market's rent, that barely sustains the lineage's operations. The Quarry containing that mineral vein is not far from our Guanglin County. A piece of fat meat is right beneath our noses. Even if we cannot swallow it whole, surely it is not excessive to get a little grease on our lips?"

"What do you intend to do? You are not thinking of having me act and wipe out that Wang Family stronghold, are you? If there truly is a mineral vein there, the Wang Family will definitely have set up a Defensive Formation. I remember that the Wang Family has a Tier 2 Spirit Bird, the Golden Beak Eagle. Its flying speed is even faster than that of ordinary Flying Mystic Tools. It would take less than half an hour to travel from Azure Lotus Mountain to Green Stone Town. If word of this leaks, the Wang Family will not simply let it go. How will you pacify the Wang Family's fury then?"

Song Tianming frowned and rebuked him without the slightest courtesy.

"If it were only our Song Family, there would naturally be no need to tear faces with the Wang Family. But if the Liu Family and the Sun Family also join in, with the three families joining forces, I believe the Wang Family can only swallow this bitter pill. Even if the Wang, Huang, and Li Families join forces, by the time they come knocking, we will have already taken away some ore and made a small fortune."

Song Tianming rubbed his eyes, weighing the pros and cons of the matter.

"I know about this matter now. We may join hands with the Liu Family and the Sun Family, but I cannot act. Among the Foundation Establishment Cultivators of Ning Province, there is an unwritten rule: Foundation Establishment Cultivators may not casually attack Qi Refining Stage cultivators. Otherwise, if I kill Wang Family Qi Refining Cultivators today, Wang Yaozong can kill Song Family Qi Refining Cultivators tomorrow. That would only benefit others."

Song Ziyang nodded. "Your nephew understands this as well. I merely came to seek Second Uncle's instructions and would not dare trouble Second Uncle to act. If our three families join forces and each sends five Qi Refining Cultivators, victory would be ideal, but even defeat would not cost us much. After all, it would be a joint operation by three families. If the Wang Family seeks revenge later, they will have to think twice."

"You plan to attack that stronghold directly? If you fail to take it, then once Wang Yaozong arrives, the clan members you sent will be walking a road to death. At that time, the Wang Family will have righteousness on their side, and I will be unable to intervene."

"Second Uncle's lesson is correct. Your nephew plans to ambush the Wang Family members escorting the ore, first weakening the Wang Family's defensive strength before joining forces to besiege that stronghold. If we cannot take it within a quarter of an hour, we will retreat immediately and never delay. What does Second Uncle think?"

Song Tianming found the idea good and nodded. "Not bad. Send unfamiliar faces, and do not leave anyone a handle to grasp."

"Yes, Second Uncle."