In the mountains, time held no years; after all was said and done, one knew not how many years had passed.
In the blink of an eye, more than half a year had gone by, and Jade Spring Mountain had just received an auspicious snowfall.
Though the snow fell heavily, drifting thickly through the air, it did not harm the grass or trees.
Even the spiritual energy in the mountain grew several degrees more active.
With the New Year arriving as well, Jade Spring Mountain became lively for once.
Cultivators traveled up and down the mountain on magical artifacts, coming and going as they visited one another.
Yet Green Bamboo Lodge remained rather deserted, with only the lone master and servant.
Now sixteen years old, Chen Heng had not only grown much taller, but his features had also begun to mature. Compared to his once delicate appearance, his face now carried greater maturity and resolve.
With the enhancement of the Lu Qi known as [Water-Fire Harmony], his cultivation speed rivaled that of cultivators blessed with high-grade spiritual roots.
Coupled with the pills distributed by the Chen Household, Chen Heng's cultivation had now steadily reached the peak of the fourth layer of Qi Refining.
And that was while he had divided his attention to study artifact refinement.
At this moment.
Green Bamboo Lodge, artifact refinement room.
The furnace blazed fiercely, waves of heat churning without rest.
Chen Heng stood before an artifact cauldron, his hands forming seals as he effortlessly controlled the furnace's temperature.
Within the cauldron, a staff-shaped magical artifact was gradually melting away.
It was none other than his first-grade lower-quality magical artifact—the Water-Fire Cudgel.
Yet Chen Heng had now thrown it straight into the artifact cauldron to refine anew.
When that artifact refiner of the clan had forged it, he had been rather perfunctory. He had considered only fire's masculine fierceness, while overlooking water's feminine softness and chill.
Thus, the Water-Fire Cudgel possessed more than enough brute force but lacked supple strength.
Of course, it might also have been because that refiner's skill was insufficient, or because the precious materials Chen Heng had supplied were merely average in quality.
Now, more than half a year had passed.
Chen Heng's artifact refinement skill had reached first-grade middle quality.
Three months ago, after he had successfully forged first-grade lower-quality magical artifacts and had Uncle Fu deliver them to the clan for sale,
Fifth Elder Chen Xingjiang, who oversaw the clan's artifact refinement affairs, had personally brought three common sets of first-grade lower-quality materials to test Chen Heng.
Chen Heng naturally handled them with ease, successfully refining every one.
Seeing that his artifact refinement flowed like drifting clouds and running water, without the slightest trace of deception,
And that Green Bamboo Lodge was not far from Jade Spring Mountain's underground fire vein,
The Fifth Elder had ordered someone to draw over a branch vein for him and had conveniently built a dedicated artifact refinement room.
Before this, Green Bamboo Lodge had lacked a proper fire eye, while a Qi Refining cultivator's true essence reserves were insufficient to maintain a fire-starting spell for long.
Whenever Chen Heng refined artifacts, Uncle Fu had to make a special trip to the market at the mountain's foot to buy wood containing spiritual energy.
He would ignite the spiritwood to raise the furnace fire, then use it to refine magical artifacts.
As for why he did not refine artifacts in the clan's Earth Fire Courtyard, it was because there were not many refinement rooms there, and one had to queue to use them as needed.
At that time, he had still been a beginner artifact refinement apprentice, and the time he could use a refinement room was very limited.
Unwilling to delay his studies and the improvement of his artifact refinement skill, he had chosen the pay-to-win approach.
Fortunately, ever since he had become capable of refining first-grade lower-quality magical artifacts, he had been able to turn losses into profits.
Otherwise, Chen Heng's contribution points and spirit stones would have nearly run dry.
Who knew how much time passed.
The Water-Fire Cudgel completely melted into a mass of intertwined red and blue liquid.
Chen Heng then took three first-grade middle-quality materials, already refined and purified, from the storage pouch hanging at his waist.
They were an Earth Fire Crystal, Hundred-Year Cold Iron, and a first-grade upper-quality material specially exchanged from the clan—Ruyi Fine Gold.
With a wave of his hand, he threw all three materials into the cauldron.
He was not merely reforging the Water-Fire Cudgel; he was also upgrading it.
As the three materials flew into the cauldron, Chen Heng stirred his true essence, and magical power surged forth.
The furnace temperature instantly soared and enveloped them. First, the Hundred-Year Cold Iron gradually melted under the intense heat, turning into a pool of deep black molten iron.
As time passed, the Earth Fire Crystal was likewise thoroughly melted by the earth fire, becoming a mass of crimson liquid.
The Ruyi Fine Gold, meanwhile, became a stream of reddish-gold liquid.
And this refining process lasted more than half a day.
Fortunately, he only needed to expend magical power to control the furnace temperature, so the true essence consumed was not much.
Now, within the artifact cauldron, four distinct masses of liquid, each a different color, stood clearly separated.
Chen Heng let out a long breath, formed hand seals, and swept both hands out. Guided by the magical power he released, the four masses of liquid slowly began to merge.
His consciousness sank into his sea of consciousness as he began visualizing the phantom image of the [Ruyi Water-Fire Cudgel], using it as a reference to correct his refinement techniques.
This Ruyi Water-Fire Cudgel was a new magical artifact Chen Heng had conceived based on the original Water-Fire Cudgel and the Water-Fire Twin-Headed Snake—one snake head breathed fire, while the other spewed water.
The head at one end of the cudgel would bear a Gathering Fire artifact pattern, allowing it to actively gather and store fire-element spiritual energy when not in use.
When needed, a mere thought and a light swing would unleash roaring flames.
Its power was roughly comparable to the common fire-element first-grade middle-quality spell—the Fire Snake Technique.
The tail at the other end would bear a Water-Congealing artifact pattern. Its function was similar to the Gathering Fire artifact pattern, and when used, it could release a biting cold current.
As for the cudgel's body, it would bear the fairly common Ruyi artifact pattern.
Within certain limits, it could grow or shrink as desired, become light or heavy at will, and be hard or soft.
The nature of artifact patterns determined a magical artifact's functions and properties.
The number of artifact patterns, the grade of the precious materials, and the refinement techniques determined a magical artifact's grade and power.
Generally speaking, more artifact patterns on a magical artifact were not necessarily better. The best arrangement was one matched to the properties of the materials and the cultivator's true essence.
That was why Chen Heng had specifically exchanged for this Ruyi Fine Gold.
The material best suited to the Ruyi artifact pattern was precisely this Ruyi Fine Gold, which had cost him two hundred contribution points.
And inscribing artifact patterns was the greatest difficulty in refining magical artifacts.
Second by second, time passed. Within the artifact cauldron, a staff-shaped magical artifact gradually took form.
Seeing this, the true essence flowing through Chen Heng's body churned wildly. He poured out magical power with all his strength and began inscribing artifact patterns according to the design of the [Ruyi Water-Fire Cudgel].
He began with the cudgel's body, since the Ruyi artifact pattern was relatively simple and common.
Most magical artifacts would bear a Ruyi artifact pattern to alter their size.
Having refined many first-grade lower-quality magical artifacts, Chen Heng inscribed this common artifact pattern at astonishing speed, as though writing running script with a brush.
The entire process was completed in one breath, without the slightest sense of obstruction.
"Huff..."
Chen Heng let out a long breath, then borrowed the momentum of that smooth flow to begin inscribing the Gathering Fire artifact pattern.
Who knew how much time passed.
With the final Water-Congealing artifact pattern successfully inscribed,
The Ruyi Water-Fire Cudgel, a magical artifact he had personally conceived and forged, finally condensed into form.
At this sight, Chen Heng relaxed slightly, then formed hand seals with both hands and extinguished the furnace fire.
A streak of spiritual light flew out from the cauldron, carrying a trace of blazing heat and bone-chilling cold as it landed in his hand.
"It's done!"
Chen Heng said happily, a flash of delight appearing in his eyes.
The long cudgel artifact was entirely black along its body, bright crimson at its head, and deep blue at its tail, with several artifact patterns faintly flowing across it.
Its appearance was not much different from the original Water-Fire Cudgel.
But its functions and power had undergone an earth-shaking transformation.
If some cultivator watched the recording of his battle with Luo Yuyan and focused solely on guarding against the transformations of the Blade-Hiding Staff,
Then that cultivator would suffer a great loss.
That was the importance of combat intelligence.
After examining its appearance, Chen Heng immediately infused it with magical power to inspect its quality and functions.
After probing it, the quality and functions of this Ruyi Water-Fire Cudgel proved exactly as he had envisioned.
No problems had arisen, such as an artifact pattern failing or producing mediocre effects.
After playing with it for a while, Chen Heng shrank the Ruyi Water-Fire Cudgel down to the size of a needle and placed it inside his ear.
There was no particular reason; he simply thought it looked rather stylish that way.
When he walked out of the artifact refinement room, a faint light had already appeared along the horizon.
Yet the old servant, Uncle Fu, had long been standing outside the door, seemingly with something to report.
Chen Heng had instructed him that while he was in seclusion refining artifacts, he was not to be disturbed unless enemies or demon beasts attacked Jade Spring Mountain.
"Uncle Fu, what is it that you wish to tell me?"
"Young Master, Elder Xingyun has successfully achieved Foundation Establishment and is now on her way back to the mountain. The clan elders have ordered every clan member to welcome her at the summit!"
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