Artifact Refining

Another half month passed. Having cultivated for so long, Chen Heng, restless from too much stillness, suddenly developed the idea of learning artifact refinement.

He now had the support of the two Lu Qi, [Water-Fire Harmony] and [Force Piercing Thousand Jin].

His control over his true essence, spiritual power, and physical body had all reached an exceptionally meticulous level.

Though he had yet to reach the realm where everything followed his will, Chen Heng believed that with the Lu Qi's support, that day was not far off.

As for the ability to control water and command fire—the foundation of nearly all water- and fire-related spells and even divine abilities—it had likewise reached the stage of modest accomplishment under the Lu Qi's support.

Most Qi Refinement cultivators who practiced the water or fire path, meanwhile, remained at the stage of merely glimpsing the threshold.

Only those Qi Refinement cultivators with outstanding comprehension who had immersed themselves in these paths for many years could attain modest accomplishment.

A cultivator's ability to control water and command fire was also the foundation for practicing water- and fire-based alchemy and artifact refinement.

Because water-based alchemy and artifact refinement generally took quite a long time, this path was relatively obscure, and its related inheritances were exceedingly scarce.

In the Southern Profound Domain, only the five great cultivation sects and certain Lineages with inheritances spanning over a thousand years likely possessed such teachings in their Scripture Pavilions.

As far as he knew, the Chen family had no inheritance for water-based alchemy or artifact refinement.

Even if Chen Heng wished to pursue it, there was no way for him to covet that path.

Since that was the case, he could only turn his attention to the more common fire-based alchemy and artifact refinement.

The reason he wished to study artifact refinement rather than alchemy—

Was simply because the Chen family's alchemy inheritance was rather ordinary, and the clan possessed only one first-rank high-grade alchemist.

That alchemist had already taken on several alchemy apprentices. Where would he find the energy to instruct anyone else?

The Chen family, however, was far more skilled in artifact refinement and talisman crafting, with inheritances of second rank and above.

Whether it was the artifacts they refined or the talismans they drew, both enjoyed widespread praise in many marketplaces.

They had earned the fine reputation of the "Artifact Talisman Chen Family" throughout the Moon Gazing Mountain Range.

According to the Chen family's rules, cultivators only needed to focus on cultivation before the age of eighteen.

After turning eighteen, if they had failed to enter the Azure Profound Sect, they had to obey the Lineage's arrangements and shoulder clan duties.

They might tend spirit fields, hunt demon beasts, manage marketplace businesses, or enter the mountains to gather herbs...

If they possessed talent and interest in one of the hundred cultivation arts, they could also apply to the clan for free resources to study it. However, this still required the elders' approval.

If they successfully mastered one of the hundred cultivation arts, they could remain on the mountain to craft talismans, refine artifacts, make pills, and so on, without needing to run about below the mountain.

Chen Heng was only fifteen this year and did not need to shoulder any clan duties.

It was the perfect time for him to devote his time and energy to learning artifact refinement.

Moreover, because he had won the decisive contest and rendered merit to the Lineage, he currently had nine hundred merit points at his disposal.

Chen Heng planned to first spend merit points at the Scripture Pavilion to obtain the Lineage's artifact-refining teachings and materials, then study them on his own for a time.

This required no approval from the elders, after all, since he would be spending his own merit points.

If he encountered difficult questions or confusion, he could then seek guidance at the Earth Fire Courtyard near Green Bamboo Lodge.

Presumably, the few artifact refiners in the clan would not refuse even that.

After all, Chen Heng had now been entered into the family genealogy and counted as a direct descendant of the Chen family.

With his decision made, he called over Uncle Fu, the old servant who was tending the spirit fields, and headed with him toward the Scripture Pavilion atop Jade Spring Mountain.

Jade Spring Mountain sat upon a third-rank mid-grade spirit vein.

The spiritual energy at its summit was the richest.

Important structures such as the Scripture Pavilion, treasure vault, and pill chamber, along with the cultivation caves of the elders and some direct descendants, were all located there.

Having lived two lives, Chen Heng knew that mastering artifact refinement was no task accomplished in a single day.

Thus, he brought the old servant along a mountain path, slowly making their way toward the summit one step at a time.

Along the way, he also took in the scenery of Jade Spring Mountain.

Springs large and small, each like beautiful jade, could be found everywhere along the route. The mountain truly lived up to its name.

More than half a day later, the two finally reached the summit.

This was Chen Heng's first time coming here. On the mountaintop stood more than a dozen tall, straight emerald bamboos, exceptionally eye-catching.

These emerald bamboos were neither the Ink Jade Bamboo of Little Bamboo Peak nor the ordinary moso bamboo near Green Bamboo Lodge.

They were second-rank high-grade spirit plants—Emerald Jade Spirit Bamboo!

Not only could they gather spiritual energy, their branches could be used to make artifacts, while their leaves could be made into Talisman Paper.

The emerald bamboos were arranged in a scattered yet orderly fashion. The location of every stalk seemed to have been carefully selected, containing a peculiar rhythm.

Chen Heng guessed that it was likely required for some kind of formation.

The reason he could tell was not because he possessed talent in formations, but because this was an important place of the Chen family, and it ought to have a mountain-protecting grand formation.

Without lingering any longer, Chen Heng removed the identity token hanging from his waist and sent a faint thread of spiritual power into it.

The token immediately emitted a weak glow that shot directly toward the Emerald Jade Spirit Bamboo.

In an instant, the dozen or so Emerald Jade Spirit Bamboos swayed gently several times, and a narrow winding path appeared before the two of them.

In the past, unless Chen Heng had been led or summoned by a direct descendant or an elder, he would have had no way to enter this important place of the Lineage.

Master and servant followed the narrow path through the bamboo grove for roughly a hundred steps. Then the view suddenly opened up, revealing more than a dozen ancient, weighty buildings with a solid, imposing presence.

With a clear goal in mind, Chen Heng headed toward an antique pavilion whose plaque bore the words "Scripture Pavilion."

They encountered quite a few clan members along the way, though he knew almost none of them.

However, after winning the decisive contest, quite a number of people recognized him, and some even greeted him directly.

Chen Heng could only return each greeting in turn. When he encountered more outgoing clan members who came up to exchange pleasantries, he also chatted with them for a few sentences.

That way, he would appear neither impolite nor cold.

After all, cultivation was not merely about fighting and killing; there were also the ways of human relationships and worldly affairs.

A short while later.

After stating his purpose to Chen Xingzhu, the Third Elder guarding the Scripture Pavilion, Chen Heng leisurely stepped into the hall.

As for Uncle Fu, the old servant naturally waited outside the hall.

This Scripture Pavilion stood over eighteen feet tall and had three floors. The first-floor hall alone was more than ten feet in height.

More than a dozen tall bookshelves stood within the hall, most filled with scriptures and classics, while inheritance jade slips were rarely seen.

Presumably, the important items were all stored on the second floor.

Most of the items here were copied editions.

With a clear purpose in mind, Chen Heng found several books related to artifact refinement.

Among them were the relatively common Secret Manual of Artifact Refining and True Explanation of the Path of Artifacts. These two books had quite resounding names and were widely circulated.

They mostly expounded upon the fundamental theories of artifact refinement, with few explanations of actual refining techniques.

Still, since they had been collected in the Chen family's Scripture Pavilion, they presumably contained some worthwhile insights. Their value was low; together, the two cost only ten merit points.

There were also the Illustrated Guide to Common Five Elements Materials and Illustrated Guide to Common Materials of the Southern Profound Domain, which specifically recorded information on all kinds of precious materials.

These two books were detailed in language and richly illustrated. Someone in the clan had likely been specially assigned to gather, organize, classify, and summarize the information.

Books of this sort generally required the inheritance and accumulated experience of generations before they could contain such abundant material.

It was rare to find scriptures and classics this detailed in the marketplaces.

The reason cultivators often found overlooked treasures at street stalls and small shops was that many Rogue Cultivators possessed shallow knowledge and insufficient experience.

Moreover, the characteristics of some precious materials were inherently inconspicuous, so they were often mistaken for something else.

This was also one of the invisible benefits of belonging to a sect or Lineage with an orderly inheritance.

Although these two illustrated guides cost only fifty merit points to exchange, equivalent to merely fifty spirit stones—

If one wished to buy them in an outside marketplace, they were often impossible to find even with money in hand.

After all, all knowledge could only display its greatest value when monopolized.

The fewer people who knew it, the higher its value.

No sect or Lineage would lightly put such things up for sale unless driven into a corner.

Yet the most valuable book was the Chen Family Record of Artifact Refining, compiled and organized by Chen Xiaoyan, the Chen family's late second-rank high-grade artifact-refining master!

Not only did it contain explanations of numerous artifact-refining methods, it also included extraction techniques for many common precious materials, the finer points of controlling furnace temperatures, key principles for matching materials, and more.

It even contained the artifact-refining insights of a second-rank high-grade artifact-refining master.

Its exchange value was an entire two hundred merit points.

This artifact-refining classic was the Chen family's core teaching material for nurturing artifact refiners, without equal.

Originally, a young cultivator like Chen Heng, who had not undertaken clan duties and had no parents or elders, could never have accumulated enough merit points to exchange for it.

Under ordinary circumstances, only artifact-refining apprentices who had displayed sufficient talent and earned the approval of the clan's artifact refiners—

Would have the chance to access part of this artifact-refining classic's contents.

Chen Heng did not hesitate and took all these artifact-refining books with him.

At the entrance to the Scripture Pavilion, he met face-to-face with Chen Xingzhu, the Third Elder guarding the pavilion, and registered them one by one.

He first made a Dao Vow not to pass them on. Only after deducting the full amount of merit points did the Third Elder take out several pre-recorded, single-use jade slips and hand them to Chen Heng.

As for the copied books, they were returned to their original places.

That was right. These books were all merely abridged copies. They already appeared highly detailed, yet in truth, many passages stopped abruptly just as they reached the crucial point.

There were even quite a few deliberately copied errors and omissions.

These were all methods the Chen family used to prevent theft.

Chen Heng had not examined them one by one, so he had failed to notice anything amiss at first.

It could only be said that he had still somewhat underestimated the Chen family's foundations.

Afterward, master and servant returned to Green Bamboo Lodge.