First-Tier Artifact Refiner, Ascending Refinement of the Water-Fire Cudgel

In the mountains, time passes without notice, years blending into an unknowable span.

Time flew by, and more than half a year had passed. Jade Spring Mountain had just experienced a heavy snowfall.

Though the snow fell heavily, blanketing everything, it did not harm the plants.

Even the spiritual energy in the mountains seemed to become more active.

Coupled with the arrival of the new spring, Jade Spring Mountain was unusually lively.

Cultivators could be seen flying on magical artifacts, coming and going, visiting each other on and off the mountain.

However, Green Bamboo Lodge remained quiet, with only the master and his servant.

Chen Heng, now sixteen years old, had grown considerably taller and his features had matured. His previously delicate appearance was now complemented by a more mature and resolute face.

Under the blessing of the Lu Qi [Water-Fire Harmony], his cultivation speed rivaled that of cultivators with high-grade spiritual roots.

Coupled with the elixirs provided by the Chen Family, Chen Heng's cultivation had steadily reached the peak of the fourth layer of Qi Refining.

This was achieved even while he was dedicating time to practicing artifact refining.

At this moment.

Green Bamboo Lodge, Artifact Refining Room.

The furnace blazed, waves of heat surging erratically.

Chen Heng stood before a cauldron, his hands forming hand seals, effortlessly controlling the furnace's temperature.

Inside the cauldron, a staff-shaped magical artifact was gradually melting.

It was his low-grade first-tier magic artifact—the Water-Fire Cudgel.

Now, Chen Heng had directly thrown it into the cauldron to be reforged.

When the artifact refiner from the clan had crafted it, he had been quite perfunctory, only considering the fiery intensity of fire while neglecting the gentle coolness of water.

As a result, the Water-Fire Cudgel was powerful but lacked flexibility.

Of course, it was also possible that his artifact refining skill was not up to par, or that the materials Chen Heng provided were of average quality.

Now, more than half a year had passed.

Chen Heng's artifact refining skill had reached mid-grade first-tier.

Three months prior, he had been able to refine low-grade first-tier magic artifacts. After having Uncle Fu deliver them to the clan for sale, The Fifth Elder, Chen Xingjiang, who was in charge of artifact refining matters for the clan, brought three common low-grade first-tier materials and personally tested Chen Heng.

Chen Heng completed the task with ease, successfully refining all of them.

Seeing that his artifact refining skill was fluid and natural, with no hint of deception, And since Green Bamboo Lodge was not far from the underground fire vein of Jade Spring Mountain, The Fifth Elder had someone divert a branch vein to the lodge and also built a dedicated artifact refining room.

Before this, as Green Bamboo Lodge did not have a dedicated fire eye, and the true essence reserves of Qi Refining cultivators were insufficient to maintain a fire-generating spell for extended periods.

Chen Heng's artifact refining required Uncle Fu to go down to the market town to purchase spirit wood.

He would then ignite the spirit wood to fuel the furnace and refine artifacts.

As for why he didn't refine artifacts in the clan's Earth Fire Courtyard, it was because there weren't many refining rooms there, and they had to be used on a queue basis.

At that time, he was still a beginner artifact refining apprentice, and the time he could use the refining room was very limited.

He didn't want to waste time on cultivation and improving his artifact refining skills, so he chose the "pay-to-play" option.

Fortunately, since he was able to refine low-grade first-tier magic artifacts, he had managed to turn a profit.

Otherwise, Chen Heng's merit points and Spirit Stones would have been nearly depleted.

After an unknown amount of time.

The Water-Fire Cudgel completely melted into a liquid intertwined with red and blue.

Chen Heng then took out three refined and purified mid-grade first-tier materials from the storage bag hanging at his waist.

These were Earth Fire Crystal, Hundred-Year Cold Iron, and a high-grade first-tier material specially exchanged from the clan—Ruyi Fine Gold.

With a wave of his hand, he tossed all three materials into the cauldron.

He wasn't just planning to reforge the Water-Fire Cudgel, but also to upgrade it.

As the two materials flew into the cauldron, Chen Heng's true essence surged, and his mana flowed out.

The furnace temperature instantly rose, enveloping them. First, the Hundred-Year Cold Iron gradually melted under the high temperature, turning into a pool of dark iron liquid.

As time passed, the Earth Fire Crystal was also completely melted by the earth fire, turning into a pool of crimson liquid.

The Ruyi Fine Gold transformed into a crimson-gold liquid.

This refining process took more than half a day.

Fortunately, he only needed to output mana to control the furnace temperature, and the consumption of true essence was not significant.

Now, within the cauldron, there were four distinct liquids of different colors, clearly separated.

Chen Heng let out a long breath, formed a hand seal, and waved his hands. Under the pull of the mana he was outputting, the four masses of liquid began to slowly merge.

He sank his consciousness into his sea of consciousness and began to visualize the phantom image of the [Ruyi Water-Fire Cudgel], using it as a reference to refine his artifact refining technique.

This Ruyi Water-Fire Cudgel was a new magical artifact conceived by Chen Heng based on the original Water-Fire Cudgel, referencing the Water-Fire Twin-Headed Snake, with one head spewing fire and the other spitting water.

One end of the cudgel head was inscribed with a fire gathering artifact pattern. When not in use, it could actively gather and store fire-element spiritual energy.

When needed, with just a thought and a gentle wave, it could spew forth blazing flames.

Its power was roughly equivalent to the commonly seen mid-grade first-tier fire-element technique, the Fire Snake Technique.

The other end, the cudgel tail, was inscribed with a water condensing artifact pattern. Similar in function to the fire gathering artifact pattern, it could gush forth chilling currents when needed.

As for the cudgel body, it was inscribed with the more common Ruyi artifact pattern for magical artifacts.

Within a certain range, its size and weight could be adjusted at will, and it could be both rigid and flexible.

The nature of the artifact patterns determined the function and performance of a magical artifact.

The number of artifact patterns, the grade of the precious materials, and the artifact refining technique determined the grade and power of a magical artifact.

Generally speaking, more artifact patterns on a magical artifact were not necessarily better; it was best when they matched the properties of the precious materials and the cultivator's true essence.

This was precisely why Chen Heng had specifically exchanged for this piece of Ruyi Fine Gold.

The material most compatible with the Ruyi artifact pattern was this Ruyi Fine Gold, which had cost him two hundred merit points.

And inscribing artifact patterns was the greatest difficulty in refining magical artifacts.

Time ticked by, and within the cauldron, a cudgel-shaped magical artifact was gradually taking shape.

Seeing this, Chen Heng's circulating true essence surged wildly. He poured out his mana with all his might, beginning to inscribe the artifact patterns according to the design of the [Ruyi Water-Fire Cudgel].

He started by inscribing the cudgel body first, as the Ruyi artifact pattern was relatively simple and common.

Most magical artifacts would be inscribed with a Ruyi artifact pattern to change their size.

Having refined many low-grade first-tier magical artifacts, Chen Heng's speed in inscribing this common artifact pattern was extremely fast, like writing in cursive.

The entire process was completed in one go, without any sense of stagnation.

"Hoo..."

Chen Heng let out a long breath and, maintaining the momentum, began to inscribe the fire gathering artifact pattern.

He didn't know how much time had passed.

With the successful inscription of the final water condensing artifact pattern.

The Ruyi Water-Fire Cudgel, a magical artifact personally conceived and refined by him, had completely taken shape.

Seeing this, Chen Heng relaxed slightly. He then formed hand seals with both hands and extinguished the furnace fire.

A spiritual light flew out from the cauldron, carrying a hint of heat and cold, and landed in his hand.

"It's done!"

Chen Heng said joyfully, a flicker of delight in his eyes.

This long cudgel magical artifact was entirely black, its head a bright crimson, and its tail a deep, dark blue. Several artifact patterns faintly flowed across its surface.

Its appearance was not much different from the original Water-Fire Cudgel.

However, its function and power had undergone a complete transformation.

If any cultivator had watched the recording of his fight with Luo Yuyan and was solely wary of the Blade-Hiding Staff's transformations, they would suffer a great loss.

This was the importance of combat intelligence.

After examining its appearance, Chen Heng immediately injected mana to inspect its quality and functions.

After a period of inspection, the quality and functions of this Ruyi Water-Fire Cudgel were exactly as he had envisioned.

There were no errors, such as a certain artifact pattern failing or having mediocre effects.

After playing with it for a while, Chen Heng shrunk the Ruyi Water-Fire Cudgel down to the size of a needle and placed it in his ear.

He didn't really have any particular reason, he just thought it looked cool.

As he walked out of the artifact refining room, the sky was already beginning to show a faint light.

The old servant, Uncle Fu, was already standing outside the door, seemingly with something to report.

Chen Heng had instructed that when he was in seclusion refining artifacts, unless enemies or Yao Beasts attacked Jade Spring Mountain, he was not to be disturbed.

"Uncle Fu, is there something you need to tell me?"

"Reporting to young master, Elder Xingyun has successfully reached Foundation Establishment and is currently on her way back to the mountain. The clan elders have instructed all clan members to go to the mountaintop to welcome her!"