True Fire Refines Spirit Tools, Sages Marvel at High-Grade Quality

Ever since Yun Ce retrieved the Stone-Embedded Yan Chi Iron from Yunlan Mountain, he had focused his efforts on refining spirit artifacts. As a cultivator at the peak of the Nascent Soul Late Stage, he had long been able to manifest his own true fire. Compared to Golden Core Stage cultivators who could only rely on earthly fire or pill fire for alchemy and artifact refining, Yun Ce's Life-Bound True Fire was far purer and reached higher temperatures, making it effortless for him to refine such a rare material as the Stone-Embedded Yan Chi Iron.

In a small courtyard at Cloud Mist Villa, Yun Ce set up a simple Artifact Refining Platform and placed the Stone-Embedded Yan Chi Iron in its center. He sat cross-legged with his eyes slightly closed, his spiritual energy circulating slowly throughout his body. As his Nascent Soul stirred within his dantian, a wisp of pale red Life-Bound True Fire spilled from his fingertips. Like a nimble flame spirit, it slowly enveloped the piece of Stone-Embedded Yan Chi Iron. Although the temperature of the pale red true fire was extremely high, Yun Ce controlled it with perfect precision; he neither melted the iron excessively nor failed to thoroughly purify its impurities, successfully awakening the fire-attribute spiritual energy within.

Every day, after finishing his own training, Qin Yu would stand guard by the Artifact Refining Platform, watching Yun Ce work with eyes full of curiosity and reverence. Xiao Hei would perch on a stone table beside the platform, his eagle eyes fixed intently on that wisp of pale red true fire, occasionally letting out a low cry as if he were both intrigued and wary of the scorching flames. Watching the Stone-Embedded Yan Chi Iron gradually soften and become crystal clear within the true fire, Qin Yu felt his anticipation for his future spirit artifact grow, and he trained even harder—he was desperate to break through the peak of his External Martial Arts so he could wield his own weapon as soon as possible.

"Master, I have a request." One day, seeing Yun Ce withdraw his true fire, Qin Yu stepped forward and bowed.

Yun Ce opened his eyes and spoke in a gentle tone: "Speak your mind."

"I hope Master can refine a short sword for me, as well as a pair of gauntlets for close-quarters combat." Qin Yu's eyes were filled with expectation. "In the upcoming Conquest of Chu, various skirmishes will be inevitable. A set of good weapons will allow me to handle different combat situations."

Upon hearing this, Yun Ce nodded slightly and smiled: "Your thinking is thorough; a set of good weapons will indeed help you better handle danger. However, while a short sword is agile, it is not as suited to your current training path as a long sword. I will refine an additional long sword for you, which will cover both long-range and close-quarters combat. Once you break through the peak of your External Martial Arts, your physical body will be strong enough to wield it, and your combat power will increase significantly."

"Thank you, Master!" Qin Yu was overjoyed and hurriedly bowed, his gratitude toward Yun Ce deepening. He had only expected a short sword and a pair of gauntlets; he never imagined his master would go out of his way to refine an extra long sword for him. This thoughtful gesture made him even more determined to train diligently.

Over the next few days, Yun Ce devoted himself entirely to refining the artifacts. The pale red Life-Bound True Fire burned day and night. The Stone-Embedded Yan Chi Iron was repeatedly tempered, purified, and shaped within the flames, with every step of the process controlled by Yun Ce with exquisite mastery. His cultivation at the peak of the Nascent Soul Late Stage allowed him to control his spiritual energy to the extreme, enabling him to refine multiple weapons simultaneously with ease.

Compared to the original story where Feng Yuzi, with his Golden Core Mid Stage cultivation, could only rely on earthly fire to refine the Stone-Embedded Yan Chi Iron and ultimately produced only twenty-some mid-grade spirit artifacts, Yun Ce's Life-Bound True Fire and cultivation far surpassed his. In just five days, over twenty spirit artifacts were completed. Each one was crimson throughout, glowing with a faint fire-attribute spiritual light, smooth as a mirror, and without a single flaw. They were all high-grade spirit artifacts—a quality that was rare even in the cultivation world, far exceeding the standard of what ordinary Golden Core Stage cultivators could produce.

Among them were the pair of gauntlets Qin Yu requested, the short sword he had specifically asked for, and the long sword Yun Ce had added for him. That long sword was entirely crimson, three feet and seven inches long, with the hilt wrapped in dark red spiritual cloth. It felt comfortable to hold, and the fire-attribute spiritual energy contained within the blade was the most potent of all; when swung, it could faintly stir a weak aura of flame. It was the highest-quality piece among the twenty-some artifacts. The other blades and swords also had their own strengths, some being incredibly sharp, others heavy and resilient, all serving as handy weapons for the Qin Family cultivators.

Yun Ce arranged all the spirit artifacts neatly on the stone table in the courtyard. With over twenty high-grade spirit artifacts simultaneously emitting a faint, fiery-red spiritual light, the entire courtyard was enveloped in a vast, warm aura of fire-attribute energy. Qin Yu stood to the side, looking at these beautifully crafted, spiritually potent weapons with shock and joy. He reached out and grasped the long sword; it felt warm to the touch. With a slight movement of his spiritual energy, a wisp of faint flame spread along the blade, and the handling was superb.

"By the way, these spirit artifacts can all be Blood-Bound." Yun Ce suddenly spoke, reminding him in a gentle tone, "After the Blood-Binding, the spirit artifact will be linked to your soul. Not only will you be able to control it as you wish, but in the future, you will also be able to use your true essence to unleash even greater power. Even if you accidentally lose it, you will be able to find it through your soul connection." As he spoke, he condensed a wisp of spiritual energy at his fingertip and tapped it lightly on the long sword in Qin Yu's hand. The blade instantly glowed with a fine red light, and a faint sense of soul-bond lingered around it.

"Blood-Binding?" A flash of surprise crossed Qin Yu's eyes. He quickly followed Yun Ce's instructions, condensed a drop of his essence blood at his fingertip, and dripped it onto the blade. The moment the blood touched the sword, it was instantly absorbed. The red light on the blade surged, and a faint soul connection was immediately established between Qin Yu and the long sword. He felt the sword in his hand become increasingly intuitive, as if it had merged with his own arm; even without deliberate control, he could clearly sense the state of the sword. "This is great! Thank you, Master!" Qin Yu stroked the long sword, unable to put it down, his voice filled with excitement. "With these spirit artifacts, and the Blood-Binding, my future training and battles will surely be like a tiger gaining wings!"

Yun Ce nodded slightly, a smile on his lips: "These spirit artifacts are good, but they are ultimately just aids; your physical body and cultivation are the foundation. Continue to train hard and reach the Golden Core Stage as soon as you break through the peak of your External Martial Arts; only then can you truly unleash the full power of these high-grade spirit artifacts."

Just then, Yun Ce's divine sense stirred, detecting two auras flying rapidly toward Cloud Mist Mountain. One was Qin De, and the other was Feng Yuzi. Clearly, the news that Yun Ce had refined high-grade spirit artifacts had already reached the Eastern Suppressing Prince Mansion.

As it turned out, Yun Ce's continuous use of his Life-Bound True Fire to refine the artifacts had caused the vast fire-attribute spiritual energy and the spiritual light fluctuations from the artifacts' formation to spread far and wide, which was detected by Feng Yuzi, who was stationed at the Eastern Suppressing Prince Mansion. Feng Yuzi, being a Golden Core Mid Stage cultivator himself, was extremely sensitive to spiritual energy fluctuations. Upon sensing this pure fire-attribute light and recalling the Stone-Embedded Yan Chi Iron that Yun Ce had mentioned earlier, he immediately guessed the truth and rushed to report it to Qin De.

Qin De had always held great faith in Yun Ce's strength, and upon hearing Feng Yuzi's speculation, he was overjoyed. The Qin Family was currently preparing for the Conquest of Chu, and if they could obtain a batch of powerful weapons, it would significantly boost the combat power of the Qin Family's cultivators. Neither man dared to delay; Feng Yuzi immediately summoned his low-grade flying sword, took Qin De, and flew toward Cloud Mist Villa, arriving in just half a stick of incense's time.

"Master Yun Ce!" As soon as Qin De landed, he couldn't wait to walk toward the courtyard, his face full of urgency and anticipation. Feng Yuzi followed behind, his eyes fixed on the fiery-red light emanating from the courtyard, his expression one of shock.

Yun Ce stood up to greet them and smiled faintly: "Your Highness, Master Feng, no need for formalities. Please, sit."

The eyes of Qin De and Feng Yuzi were instantly drawn to the twenty-some high-grade spirit artifacts on the stone table, and their footsteps involuntarily halted. Feng Yuzi walked up quickly, picked up a long saber, and stroked the blade with his fingertips, feeling the pure fire-attribute spiritual energy and the solid craftsmanship within. His body trembled slightly, and his eyes were filled with disbelief: "This... this is a high-grade spirit artifact! And it was refined using Stone-Embedded Yan Chi Iron!"

He came from a small sect, and the highest-quality weapon he had ever seen in his life was the decent low-grade flying sword in his own hand. Usually, even mid-grade spirit artifacts were rare, let alone a whole collection of high-grade ones. He knew that with his Golden Core Mid Stage cultivation, even if he exhausted his efforts and used earthly fire to refine Stone-Embedded Yan Chi Iron, he could only produce mid-grade spirit artifacts. Yet, Yun Ce had refined over twenty high-grade spirit artifacts in just a few days. This level of artifact refining was far beyond his imagination, comparable even to some Void-Piercing Realm grandmasters!

Qin De also stepped forward, picked up a long spear, and felt the vast spiritual energy contained within. His face was full of wild joy: "This is wonderful! Master Yun Ce, with these high-grade spirit artifacts, the combat power of my Qin Family's cultivators will surely increase significantly. We have gained another advantage for the Conquest of Chu four years from now!" He knew clearly that most of the Qin Family's current cultivators used ordinary iron weapons, and even those few who possessed better weapons had limited combat power, incomparable to these spirit artifacts that only cultivators were qualified to own. The appearance of these high-grade spirit artifacts was truly like sending charcoal in snowy weather.

Watching their wild joy, Yun Ce said calmly: "These spirit artifacts were refined specifically for the Qin Family's preparations for the Conquest of Chu. One set is for Qin Yu, and the rest can be distributed to the core cultivators under the Qin Family so that they may have more protection in their future training and battles. By the way, these spirit artifacts can all be Blood-Bound. Once bound to the soul, they can be controlled at will to unleash greater power."

"Thank you, Master Yun Ce! Thank you, Master Yun Ce!" Qin De bowed repeatedly, his voice filled with gratitude. Feng Yuzi also set aside his shock and bowed deeply to Yun Ce: "Master's artifact refining technique is divine; I am ashamed of my own inferiority. I am deeply grateful for your generous gift." He knew that if he could obtain a high-grade spirit artifact, his attack power would increase significantly, allowing him to fight even against Golden Core Late Stage powerhouses without being held back by his low-grade flying sword. Furthermore, flying on a high-grade spirit artifact would be much faster.

Yun Ce waved his hand, signaling them to skip the formalities, and pointed to the artifacts on the stone table: "Master Feng has served the Prince for many years and has worked hard; please, choose a weapon that suits you first. As for the rest, Your Highness can take them back to the mansion and distribute them to your core cultivators. The method of Blood-Binding is simple: just condense a drop of essence blood at your fingertip and drip it onto the weapon. Once bound, you can control it as you wish."

A flash of excitement crossed Feng Yuzi's eyes, and he hurriedly walked to the stone table to choose carefully. Eventually, he selected a long sword similar in quality to Qin Yu's, warm to the touch and rich in spiritual energy. After dripping a drop of essence blood to complete the binding, he held the sword and channeled a bit of spiritual energy into it. The blade instantly glowed with a faint, fiery-red spiritual light, and a powerful aura spread out. Feng Yuzi's face was full of joy: "Thank you, Master! With this high-grade spirit artifact in hand, I will be better able to protect the Prince and assist the Qin Family in the Conquest of Chu!" Compared to Qin Yu's novelty, Feng Yuzi was not as surprised—he was, after all, a Golden Core Stage cultivator. Although high-grade spirit artifacts were rare, he knew that Blood-Binding was a standard feature of weapons in the cultivation world, and he focused more on the practical power of the artifact itself.

Seeing Feng Yuzi's reaction, Qin De smiled. He immediately allowed the accompanying core cultivators of the Qin Family to step forward and choose their weapons. Seeing this, everyone was overjoyed and rushed to pick out their own weapons, performing the Blood-Binding as Yun Ce had instructed. For a time, red light flickered throughout the courtyard. Everyone was filled with excitement; some swung their long sabers to feel the spiritual energy fluctuations, some practiced moves with their long spears, and others repeatedly stroked their weapons, having the time of their lives. Qin Yu even pulled a few familiar cultivators aside to compare their proficiency in controlling their newly bound spirit artifacts, and the courtyard was filled with laughter and joy.

Watching his cultivators' happiness and looking at the calm Feng Yuzi nearby, Qin De couldn't help but laugh: "Brother Feng, everyone is so delighted by these high-grade spirit artifacts that can be Blood-Bound, yet you seem so indifferent."

Feng Yuzi smiled faintly: "Your Highness jokes. While high-grade spirit artifacts are indeed rare, Blood-Binding is a standard method for weapons in the cultivation world and is nothing new. For me, being able to obtain a suitable high-grade spirit artifact to increase my combat power and protect the Prince is enough." Coming from a cultivation sect, even if it wasn't a large one, he had seen many weapons that could be bound, so he wasn't as amazed as the Qin Family cultivators who had long dealt with ordinary iron weapons; he valued the practicality of the artifacts more.

Qin De realized this and laughed: "It was my oversight. Brother Feng is a person of the cultivation world, so naturally, you are well-informed." Yun Ce stood to the side, watching the scene before him, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth—with the Qin Family cultivators obtaining high-grade spirit artifacts and mastering the method of Blood-Binding, their combat power would surely increase significantly, adding a few more layers of confidence for the Conquest of Chu four years later.

Qin Yu was having a great time, occasionally swinging his long sword to stir up a faint aura of flame and sparring a few moves with the cultivators around him, his face full of joy. He looked at his father and Feng Yuzi, then at the long sword bound to his soul, his heart filled with determination. He knew that these spirit artifacts were not only the path of combat power his master had paved for the Qin Family, but also the path of revenge paved for him. He would definitely train hard, break through the peak of his External Martial Arts as soon as possible, and wield his bound spirit artifact to avenge his mother and bring glory to the Qin Family.