Artifact Refinement Breakthrough, Natal Sword Forged

Golden Turtle Island, Xuan Chuan's Cave-Dwelling.

This place was not an immortal mountain or blessed land with the richest spiritual energy, yet it won in seclusion and depth. More importantly, it had been steeped year-round in Xuan Chuan's Dao rhythm of "The One That Escaped," concealing the heavenly secrets so that ordinary disciples could scarcely detect its exact location.

Deep within the cave-dwelling, Xuan Chuan sat cross-legged atop a naturally formed Jade-Purple Platform. His face still bore a trace of pallor, but his aura had stabilized.

Within the Flowing Wave Mountain secret realm, he had ultimately not completely destroyed that source of thunder. Instead, he had left several hidden restrictions containing "The One That Escaped" at the core of the realm, temporarily sealing it away for the future.

Afterward, using the Chaos Pearl Fragment to obscure the heavenly secrets, he had quietly taken a detour, shaken off any possible pursuit, and returned safely.

At this moment, three objects floated before him.

At the center was the Chaos Pearl Fragment he had obtained from the ruins of Mount Buzhou, already fused with his Primordial Spirit. It was no larger than a fingernail.

Yet it flowed with a chaos-hued radiance as profound as the dawn of the universe. Purple gleams coursed within, mysterious beyond measure.

To the left lay several pieces of Innate Thunder-Pattern Iron of varying sizes. Silver-white lightning patterns leaped across the dark-purple ore, emanating an incomparably pure and violent thunderous aura.

To the right was a small cluster of golden radiance shrouded in a warm, sacred aura—the remaining portion of the Heavenly Dao Merit he had accumulated earlier.

"It is time." Xuan Chuan's eyes shone brilliantly.

With a thought, formation patterns across the Jade-Purple Platform lit up one after another. They were not spirit-gathering formations, but composite formations for isolation, stabilization, and assisting refinement.

Artifact refinement, especially the refinement of a natal treasure, could not tolerate the slightest interference.

The first step was refining the base materials.

Xuan Chuan opened his mouth and exhaled a wisp of natal true fire. It was neither ordinary fire nor Samadhi fire, but Fate-Cutting True Fire containing the Dao rhythm of his "Heaven-Severing Thread."

It was a strange violet-gold in color. Its temperature did not seem particularly terrifying, yet it carried an unusual Dao rhythm of "severance," "transformation," and "remolding."

The true fire enveloped the Chaos Pearl Fragment. The fragment quivered faintly, yet did not resist. Instead, it resonated with Xuan Chuan's Dao rhythm within the flames.

Gradually, the fragment began to soften, transforming from solid matter into a semi-liquid mass of chaos. Its color deepened further, as though it would draw in all surrounding light.

This process continued for a full seven days. Xuan Chuan focused completely, constantly adjusting the strength of the true fire and guiding it with his divine sense.

With the utmost care, he engraved and fused his Fate-Cutting Dao rhythm and his comprehension of "The One That Escaped," bit by bit, into the core of this chaos material.

On the seventh day, the chaos mass finally stabilized, becoming a fist-sized Chaos Origin that constantly shifted shape, containing endless mysteries within.

The second step was incorporating spiritual materials.

Xuan Chuan raised his left hand, and the largest piece of Innate Thunder-Pattern Iron flew into the true fire.

The "severance" Dao rhythm of the Fate-Cutting True Fire activated. Rather than crudely burning and melting the Thunder-Pattern Iron, it precisely "severed" the connections between the violent forces within it,

the disorderly thunder particles, preserving only its purest, most fundamental Thunderforce Dao laws and unyielding properties.

Sizzle... Lightning struggled and wailed within the true fire, ultimately turning into threads of dark-purple droplets of thunder essence. They slowly fell and came into contact with the Chaos Origin mass below.

Buzz!

Like a parched sponge, the chaos mass swiftly absorbed the thunder essence.

Fine silver lightning serpents began to roam through the violet-gold chaos, radiating the true intent of thunder—unyielding, violent, and capable of annihilating evil.

What Xuan Chuan wanted was not to turn the sword into a mere thunder sword. Rather, he wanted to merge the "spell-breaking," "swiftness," and "unyielding righteousness" of Innate Thunderforce into the sword's essential nature of "severance," making it even more powerful.

Piece after piece of Thunder-Pattern Iron was refined, purified, and merged into it.

The color of the chaos mass gradually shifted toward deep violet, while its volume expanded to roughly a foot across. Lightning and chaotic currents intertwined within, releasing muffled thunderclaps.

The third step was using merit to shape it.

Xuan Chuan took a deep breath and drew forth that precious cluster of golden merit light.

The power of merit was untouched by ten thousand laws, and all evils fled from it. It was best at stabilizing foundations, enhancing spirituality, and even influencing fortune.

He carefully "plated" the golden merit light evenly over the surface of the chaos-thunder mass. Then, guiding it with his divine sense, he let the power of merit seep inside thread by thread, perfectly merging with the Chaos Origin and thunder essence.

This process was extraordinarily slow and demanded the utmost precision. The slightest misstep could cause all previous efforts to go to waste.

Another three days passed. When the final strand of golden merit light completely merged into it, the entire mass suddenly erupted with dazzling yet non-blinding violet-gold radiance!

The light drew inward, its aura naturally formed. The formerly restless power of thunder became gentle and condensed under merit's harmonization, blending with the Chaos Origin as seamlessly as milk and water.

The most crucial moment had arrived—shaping it into a sword!

Light flared in Xuan Chuan's eyes. His hands formed countless intricate and profound hand seals, while his mouth chanted true words containing his own comprehension of the Great Dao.

Every hand seal and every true word transformed into tangible violet-gold runes, striking into the mass of radiance.

"With chaos as the foundation, bear the weight of the Primordial World!"

"With thunder as the bones, reveal the might of breaking all laws!"

"With merit as the soul, safeguard the course of fate!"

"With my Dao, Heaven-Severing Thread, remold its form—sword, form!"

Clang—!!!

A clear and impassioned sword cry that pierced straight into the soul rang out from the radiance, instantly spreading through the entire cave-dwelling and faintly carrying beyond it!

The radiance contracted inward, condensed, and stretched! At last, it transformed into an ancient, unadorned longsword, three feet and three inches long and roughly two fingers wide, floating quietly before Xuan Chuan.

The blade did not bear a metallic sheen. Instead, it was a deep, restrained dark violet, like a condensed chaotic night sky. Strands of silver-white lightning patterns naturally flowed across it, appearing and vanishing.

Its spine was straight, containing the resolute intent to press onward without turning back and sever all things.

At the guard, chaotic qi intertwined with golden merit light, forming two simple-seeming yet endlessly profound ancient Dao patterns—the words "Fate-Cutting"!

The entire sword did not appear resplendent; if anything, it seemed ancient and plain. Yet upon closer sensing, one would discover that it seemed not to exist in the "present moment."

The light around the blade distorted faintly. Karma could not cling to it, heavenly secrets could not be divined, and yet it was subtly bound to Xuan Chuan's own fate, resonating without cease.

Acquired Merit Spirit Treasure—[Fate-Cutting Sword]!

With the Chaos Pearl Fragment as its foundation, Innate Thunder-Pattern Iron as its bones, and Heavenly Dao Merit as its soul, it bore Xuan Chuan's Great Dao of the Heaven-Severing Thread. It formed a variable of fate unto itself, could advance as its master grew, and possessed inexhaustible wondrous uses!

Just as Xuan Chuan rejoiced and reached out to grasp this natal sword forged from his heart's blood—

Rumble rumble rumble!!!

Above Golden Turtle Island, a heavy mass of dark clouds suddenly gathered without warning, covering a hundred miles!

The clouds were not vapor, but rolling dark-purple lightning that made one's heart tremble! Destructive heavenly might pressed down from above, locking onto the location of Xuan Chuan's Cave-Dwelling!

Heavenly Thunder Tribulation!

An Acquired Merit Spirit Treasure, especially one forged with an object as heaven-defying as a Chaos Fragment as its foundation, had faintly touched upon the laws of heaven and earth upon its birth. It drew the envy of heaven and needed to withstand the test of lightning tribulation before it could truly stabilize and gain the recognition of heaven and earth!

"It has come!" Xuan Chuan's gaze hardened. There was no fear in his eyes; instead, he was eager to try. Rising to his full height, he stepped out of the cave-dwelling and stood atop the mountain peak.

As though sensing its master's fighting spirit, the Fate-Cutting Sword gave a delighted hum and flew into Xuan Chuan's hand of its own accord.

The instant he gripped the sword, a feeling of blood connection, as natural as moving his own arm, surged into his heart.

The chaos, thunder, and merit power within the sword, as well as its most essential Fate-Cutting Dao rhythm, perfectly matched his own.

He raised his head and looked toward the terrifying tribulation clouds gathering force overhead.

Almost simultaneously, powerful divine senses all across Golden Turtle Island were startled by the sudden heavenly might and tribulation clouds, and swept toward this place.

In a side hall of Biyou Palace, Duobao Daoist, who had been comprehending the Dao of formations, abruptly opened his eyes. Looking toward Xuan Chuan's Cave-Dwelling, surprise and scrutiny flashed through his gaze.

"Such heavenly might... Is it a Spirit Treasure Tribulation? Junior Brother Xuan Chuan, what incredible thing have you made this time?"

At the cultivation grounds of the Seven Attendant Immortals, Jin Guang and Lingya Immortal wore gloomy expressions as they looked toward the tribulation clouds, their gazes complicated.

Within Zhao Gongming's cave-dwelling, the bold man who was polishing the Sea-Calming Divine Pearl grinned. "Good heavens, Senior Brother Xuan Chuan has made quite a commotion!"

On Three Immortals Island, Yunxiao gently raised her head. Clear light flowed through her eyes as though she were making calculations.

Countless Jiejiao disciples, whether from the Inner Sect or Outer Sect, were alarmed. They emerged from their cave-dwellings one after another, looking toward the heart-trembling purple tribulation clouds as discussion erupted.

"That is... the direction of Eldest Senior Brother Xuan Chuan's cave-dwelling?"

"Heavenly Thunder Tribulation! Has some heaven-defying spirit treasure been born?"

"Eldest Senior Brother only returned recently. What is he refining now?"

Xuan Chuan seemed utterly unaware of all this. In his eyes, there were only the tribulation clouds in the sky; in his hand, there was only the Fate-Cutting Sword.

"Let your edge test this heavenly might!" He angled his longsword upward. His violet robes snapped in the wind as his momentum soared to the heavens.

Boom!

The first dark-purple tribulation bolt, as thick as a water barrel, tore through the sky. Carrying the will of judgment and destruction, it crashed down!