A Crafting Life from Zero

Introductory Guide to Dao Refining?

Ning Chen took the dark-yellow ancient tome in one hand, and a stream of information suddenly appeared in his mind.

"Introductory Guide to Dao Refining, an entry-level artifact-refining secret art from the Heavenly Craft Pavilion of the Xuanhuang Immortal World. Once mastered, it can refine artifacts up to Late Qi Refining!"

It was actually an artifact-refining secret art!

It was like receiving a pillow just when he needed sleep. He had been worrying about his lack of offensive methods, yet the Myriad Realms Roulette had given him an artifact-refining manual that could strengthen him in every aspect!

Ning Chen hurriedly opened the Introductory Guide to Dao Refining. Taking advantage of the last rays of the setting sun, he eagerly began reading.

Once he started, he became utterly absorbed.

Although its title contained the words "Introductory Guide," the artifact-refining methods recorded within were extraordinarily detailed, far from the shallow beginner's manual he had imagined.

It covered everything from identifying and classifying ores, techniques for controlling flames, judging the heat during smelting, and the timing for shaping an artifact blank, to methods for inscribing formations.

Every step came with detailed annotations and illustrations, clearly organized and presented step by step.

What delighted him even more was that the end of the ancient tome contained refining blueprints for more than ten artifacts, ranging from Early Qi Refining to Late Qi Refining.

There were offensive flying swords, defensive robes, auxiliary jade pendants that concealed one's aura, and light-body boots.

There was even a small flying skiff. Though it could only carry one person and had a limited range, to Ning Chen, it was already practically a divine artifact.

Though there were not many types, every one of them was immensely practical and covered multiple areas, perfectly making up for all his current shortcomings.

Ning Chen closed the ancient tome and let out a long breath, his eyes gleaming with irrepressible excitement.

"Good stuff," he muttered, his fingers gently stroking the tome's yellowed cover.

"With this Introductory Guide to Dao Refining, I can forge a complete set of equipment for myself.

"By then, even without using my Martial Soul, these artifacts alone will be enough to leave most low-level Soul Masters in a miserable state."

Since the Introductory Guide to Dao Refining came from an immortal cultivation world, the Myriad Realms Roulette had naturally adapted it to local conditions.

Its artifacts had become something similar to Soul Tools.

Moreover, they could reach the level of Level-Four Soul Tools at most, corresponding to Four-Ring Soul Ancestors.

But if Ning Chen forged himself a full set of Level-Four Soul Tools, forget Four-Ring Soul Ancestors—even Soul Kings or Soul Emperors would be worth taking on!

As the sky gradually darkened, Ning Chen stored the Introductory Guide to Dao Refining in his spatial barrier. He resolved to buy the materials needed for artifact refining early the next morning and begin practicing!

The next day, before dawn had even broken, Ning Chen got up early. After washing up and having breakfast by the roadside, he headed to the market west of the royal city to buy materials for artifact refining.

Because of the Myriad Realms Roulette's localization, the materials needed for the artifacts described in the Introductory Guide to Dao Refining had been replaced with materials native to the Douluo Continent.

The spiritual materials used to inscribe formations and materials that conducted Soul Power had also been given various substitutes, becoming all kinds of rare metals and precious gemstones.

Most of the dozen or so artifacts had refining methods ranging from Early Qi Refining to Late Qi Refining. Converted into Soul Tools, those became methods for crafting Level-One Soul Tools through Level-Four Soul Tools.

Since he had never forged a Soul Tool before, Ning Chen naturally began practicing with the simplest Level-One Soul Tool.

The Level-One Soul Tool Ning Chen planned to forge was called the Fierce Slash Blade, a fire-element offensive artifact from the Introductory Guide to Dao Refining.

It could be activated with Soul Power to unleash powerful Flame Slashes.

What Ning Chen lacked most right now were offensive methods, so he decided to begin with the Fierce Slash Blade.

Forging a Level-One Soul Tool-grade Fierce Slash Blade was not overly complicated, and the material consumption was entirely within what Ning Chen could currently afford.

The main body of the Fierce Slash Blade could be forged from tough refined iron.

However, the artifact patterns used to inscribe formations and conduct Soul Power required the rare metal Red Steel.

Compared to refined iron, Red Steel was undoubtedly far more expensive.

A single jin cost two hundred gold soul coins. Though it pained him, Ning Chen still bought a full jin for the Fierce Slash Blade.

Over the course of the morning, Ning Chen purchased quite a few metals and gemstones for artifact refining, and his little savings dwindled by more than half.

Before he had time to feel bad about it, Ning Chen began practicing the forging of the Fierce Slash Blade that very afternoon.

Beginner-level artifact refining was not all that different from forging iron tools.

Ning Chen set up the blacksmith's furnace, bellows, and other equipment he had bought in one corner of the courtyard, with a canopy erected overhead.

Once everything was ready, he lit the furnace and began forging.

The initial forging did not go smoothly. Ning Chen always felt that he had not grasped the proper way to exert force while forging.

The smithing hammer clearly struck down, yet it never seemed to produce the effect he expected.

With no other choice, Ning Chen could only begin by studying the most basic force-generation methods used in blacksmithing.

At that moment, Ning Chen truly regretted not being a member of the Clear Sky School.

The Clear Sky Hammer of the Clear Sky School was recognized across the continent as the number one tool Martial Soul. Not only was it immensely powerful offensively, but it was also exceptionally suited for forging.

Furthermore, the Clear Sky School's secret Chaotic Cloak Hammer Technique was regarded by blacksmiths as a divine forging hammer technique. It could greatly reduce the time needed to forge weapons and improve efficiency.

The only thing Ning Chen could rely on was the endless inner energy generated by the Nine Yang Divine Skill, using its powerful endurance to make up for his lack of skill through diligence.

And so, the days passed one by one amid forging and cultivation.

With the support of the perfected Nine Yang Divine Skill, Ning Chen's cultivation speed was extremely fast.

In just two months after obtaining his first soul ring, Ning Chen's Soul Power had reached level twenty.

Raising his Soul Power by five levels in two months was something even a Soul Master with Innate Full Soul Power could not achieve without a lucky encounter!

In the original story, Tang San awakened Innate Full Soul Power at the age of six. He cultivated until he was twelve, yet his Soul Power had only reached level twenty-nine.

An average increase of around three Soul Power levels per year was already considered the fastest cultivation rate among Soul Masters on the Douluo Continent.

Yet Ning Chen had increased by five levels in two months. It was easy to imagine how astonishing that was.

And that was while Ning Chen was distracted by forging rather than cultivating with his full focus.

To forge the Fierce Slash Blade faster, Ning Chen did not simply work behind closed doors.

He even became an apprentice at a famous blacksmith shop in Barak City, learning forging from the very beginning.

One of the traits of the Nine Yang Divine Skill was that, once mastered, any martial art under heaven could be picked up and used with ease. The same applied to forging.

In less than half a month, Ning Chen had practically learned all the forging techniques possessed by the blacksmith shop's master in secret. Combined with the Introductory Guide to Dao Refining, he could even discard the old and create the new.

As a result, Ning Chen's forging skills improved rapidly.

In the courtyard Ning Chen rented in the eastern part of the city.

The iron furnace burned at full force. Ning Chen had stopped swinging his smithing hammer, and in his hands, a crimson long blade had already taken shape.