Crimson Vine Armor

Southern Foothills Market, Jade Spring Artifact Pavilion.

After the South Foothill Gathering had passed, the market gradually grew quiet again, but the Artifact Pavilion's business improved by several degrees.

After witnessing the treasured fan Chen Heng had refined for Luo Yu Lei, quite a few cultivators placed orders at Jade Spring Artifact Pavilion for custom magic artifacts.

Although Chen Heng had intended to keep a low profile, that treasured fan's promotional effect had been remarkably effective.

For some time afterward, Chen Heng, Chen Xing Shan, Gao Hong, and Mu Qing Qing, another artifact-refining Attendant at the pavilion, spent virtually every day holed up in the refining rooms crafting magic artifacts.

Though Chen Heng's days had become busy, his artifact-refining skill continued to improve.

Huff!

"I've finally finished refining the last mid-grade magic artifact." Inside the refining room, Chen Heng let out a long breath after saying this.

"Yes. Thankfully, Young Master Heng's artifact-refining skills are high enough. Otherwise, if Qing Qing had to refine all these orders alone, it would probably have taken quite some time before she could rest."

The speaker was a Palace-Gowned Beauty who looked around thirty, with a full and graceful figure. She was an artifact refiner employed by Jade Spring Artifact Pavilion.

Like Chen Heng, her artifact-refining level was now first-rank mid-grade.

Before this, she could refine at most four or five mid-grade magic artifacts in a month.

Yet in the little more than half-year since Luo Yu Lei had come to cause trouble, the two of them had each been refining eight or nine mid-grade magic artifacts every month.

Fortunately, with the increase in artifact-refining orders, both their refining skills had improved quickly, and their earnings were substantial as well.

"Sister Qing, what do you say? Planning to rest for a while?" Chen Heng asked upon hearing this.

Mu Qing Qing put away the refined magic artifacts one by one and replied, "Naturally. We cannot delay our own cultivation just to earn spirit stones."

Chen Heng nodded faintly and said nothing more.

The two then walked out of the refining room side by side. Because the number of artifact-refining orders had increased, they had been jointly refining magic artifacts for quite some time.

A short while later.

The two arrived in the main hall. Mu Qing Qing handed the storage pouch containing the refined magic artifacts to Chen Xing Shan and said directly, "Shopkeeper, I would like to rest for a while."

Chen Heng added from the side, "Clan Uncle, the same goes for me. If anyone wants a magic artifact refined, delay them for now."

"Ah, the two of you have truly worked hard during this time. The orders completed in these past six months exceed what we used to finish in an entire year. You should indeed take a rest. Rest for a month first, then we'll talk," Chen Xing Shan replied with a nod.

Upon hearing this, Mu Qing Qing's brows and eyes curved into crescents as she smiled. "Shopkeeper, the increase in artifact-refining orders is all thanks to Young Master Heng. When I was here alone before, I was relaxed and leisurely."

"Precisely, precisely. If not for Clan Nephew Ming Heng settling Luo Yu Lei's harassment, Jade Spring Artifact Pavilion's business truly would not have become this good."

Chen Heng shook his head, ignored their flattering words, and returned straight to the eastern wing of the rear courtyard.

After seeing this, Mu Qing Qing completed the handover and immediately left Jade Spring Artifact Pavilion, returning to her own residence.

The pavilion had actually provided her with a relatively simple cave dwelling, but she did not wish for it to hinder her cultivation.

Thus, she had rented a fairly decent cave dwelling for herself in Southern Foothills Market.

Though she was a Rogue Cultivator, she possessed an artifact-refining inheritance and her own refining ability was decent. She could still support herself in Southern Foothills Market.

In contrast, most Rogue Cultivators without any skill to rely upon could only live at the outermost edge of the market.

Not only was the spiritual energy thin there, but there was no protection from the market's formation. Even their safety could not be guaranteed.

Inside the quiet chamber of the eastern wing, Chen Heng sat cross-legged with his eyes slightly closed, his mind sinking into his sea of consciousness.

He began visualizing the phantom image of the Crimson Vine Armor.

The Crimson Vine Armor was a defensive magic artifact he had designed himself using the Crimson Flame Profound Crystal and a high-grade treasure material he had drawn from the pavilion's storeroom—the Crimson Vine Heart.

As for external defensive magic artifacts, he already possessed a first-rank supreme-grade Profound Water Shield.

Since that was the case, Chen Heng felt that he ought to refine a close-fitting defensive magic artifact for himself.

The Crimson Vine Heart was a treasure material refined by gathering the essence of first-rank crimson vines with dual fire and wood attributes and purifying it.

It was exceptionally tough, commonly used to craft shield- and armor-type defensive magic artifacts, and its attributes were highly compatible with the Crimson Flame Profound Crystal in Chen Heng's possession.

The instant he saw it in the storeroom, he had the idea of refining the Crimson Vine Armor.

Moreover, among the Five Elements, water nourished wood. Water and wood were compatible, and that defensive artifact inscription which blended water's pliancy with wood's firmness was perfectly suited to be inscribed within it.

During this time, Chen Heng had been finding spare moments in his daily life to practice inscribing that artifact inscription.

By now, he had mastered it thoroughly.

Half a month later.

Inside a refining room at Jade Spring Artifact Pavilion.

The furnace fire roared as waves of heat billowed forth.

Chen Heng stood before an artifact cauldron, forming hand seals as he controlled the furnace fire.

Within the artifact cauldron, a suit of armor-type magic artifact gleaming with spiritual light was gradually taking shape.

Chen Xing Shan and Chen Shi Shi stood at either side, their eyes fixed tightly upon the magic artifact inside the furnace.

Suddenly, Chen Shi Shi cried out, "A first-rank high-grade magic artifact?"

With his current discernment, he could only judge a magic artifact's grade based on the intensity of its flashing spiritual light.

A glimmer flashed through Chen Xing Shan's eyes as he carefully examined the magic artifact within the furnace.

Then he shook his head and said, "Shi Shi, don't make a fuss. Although Heng'er used two first-rank high-grade treasure materials to refine this magic artifact—"

"—this magic artifact should not yet have reached the standard of a first-rank high-grade artifact."

Chen Xing Shan was a first-rank high-grade artifact refiner. With his discernment, he could naturally tell that even once this artifact was fully formed and the artifact inscription was engraved upon it, it still likely would not reach the level of a first-rank high-grade magic artifact.

Though skills such as alchemy, artifact refining, talismans, and formations were not entirely tied to one's cultivation realm—

Chen Heng was only at the peak of the Fifth Layer of Qi Refining. He was still one step short of refining a first-rank late-stage magic artifact equivalent to late Qi Refining.

At that moment, Chen Heng drew in the furnace fire and lightly formed hand seals.

A streak of spiritual light flew from the artifact cauldron and landed in his hand, transforming into an armor-type magic artifact.

Without the slightest hesitation, Chen Heng formed seals with both hands and began inscribing onto the armor the defensive artifact inscription he had obtained from that incomplete shield.

His movements were incredibly swift, flowing like drifting clouds and running water, completed in one unbroken breath.

At this, Chen Xing Shan, watching from the side, felt his eyes light up. This defensive artifact inscription was remarkably profound.

He had never seen it before, nor was it recorded in the clan's Chen Family Record of Artifact Refining.

Had Chen Heng created this artifact inscription himself, or had he obtained it elsewhere?

Before long.

As Chen Heng let out a long breath, a suit of armor glowing fiery red and interwoven with emerald green appeared before them.

Chen Xing Shan stepped forward, took the armor, and examined it carefully for a moment before nodding with a smile.

"Heng'er, your talent for artifact refining is truly exceptional."

"You actually refined a first-rank high-grade magic artifact with only the cultivation of the Fifth Layer of Qi Refining."

Chen Shi Shi curled his lips at the side, his expression proud. He had said earlier that it was a first-rank high-grade magic artifact—his eye for things was better after all.

Chen Heng smiled faintly at this and said modestly, "Clan Uncle flatters me. There are still many areas in which I need to learn."

Chen Xing Shan was greatly satisfied upon hearing this and nodded.

For a young person to possess talent without arrogance, ability without wild conceit—such a person was truly rare.

He pointed at the armor and said, "Heng'er, have you decided upon a name for this magic artifact?"

"Crimson Vine Armor. This artifact shall be called the Crimson Vine Armor," Chen Heng answered without hesitation.