Chapter 51: Weapon Forging, the Primordial Chaos Bell

Chen Shen, actually you don't need to keep coming to help me, I, your concubine…

Yu'er, this is my voluntary choice.

Chen Shen looked at the woman before him; her dwelling was not great, she had a little daughter under five, she worked hard every day just to make ends meet, her earnings barely enough to sustain mother and daughter, sometimes they even went hungry.

If it weren't for Chen Shen's help, they might have starved to death long ago.

The woman's surname is Liu, and she is called Yu'er.

She is a widow; her husband died some years ago, reportedly killed by a demon beast.

Chen Shen looked at the woman before him and felt a pang of heartache: "Yu'er, come back with me, I will take good care of you and your daughter."

Liu Yuer shook her head: "Chen Shen, I cannot go back with you."

She gritted her teeth and refused Chen Shen's suggestion; he had said it several times, but she refused each time.

To live on with her daughter and raise her is her last wish.

In this world where people devour one another, only her daughter gives her the last hope; Chen Shen's appearance is like a ray of light shining into her world, and in that dim world, a light finally appears.

I... I have killed my husband; I don't want to bring disaster upon you.

Chen Shen reached out, wanting to touch her face, but she dodged.

Embarrassed, Chen Shen crouched down and picked up the little girl; the little girl is Yu'er's daughter, also not yet five years old; when they first met, she was still a little girl, then only three years old, just beginning to speak clearly.

Holding the little girl, as pure as jade, Chen Shen asked: "Nongqian, would you like to live at uncle's house?"

Zhang Nongqian looked at her mother, asking for her opinion; the little one still didn't know what that meant.

"Uncle's house has lots of delicious food and fun things; in the future, if Nongqian wants to eat something, uncle will get it for you; do you want to go?"

Zhang Nongqian's eyes sparkled with brilliant light; she was moved.

But her mother did not nod; she dared not nod.

"Uncle Chen, will you protect my mother well?"

"Yes, uncle promises Nongqian that he will protect you and your mother from now on."

Chen Shen exclaimed excitedly: "So, will Nongqian go back with uncle?"

Zhang Nongqian did not answer, but instead looked toward her mother.

Liu Yuer shook her head.

Zhang Nongqian's excitement faded, her gaze dimmed.

"Uncle, if mother goes, I will go."

The little girl was clever, changing the subject.

Chen Shen pinched her cheek and said, "Little clever one."

Holding the little girl, he looked at the woman before him and said with heartache: "Yu'er, believe me, I will protect you and your daughter."

Liu Yuer reached out, took her daughter back, bit her lip, and shook her head.

She turned around and went back into the room.

Chen Shen watched her retreating back and sighed.

Alas.

Afterward, he turned and left.

Inside the room, the little girl watched Chen Shen leave, then turned and saw her mother's eyes reddened, and couldn't help but feel curious.

"Mother, why won't you agree to Uncle Chen?"

"He likes you very much."

Liu Yuer stroked her daughter's head and forced a smile.

"You're still young, you don't understand."

"Some things aren't that simple."

"Later, when you grow up, you will naturally understand."

Zhang Nongqian blinked her big eyes, still not understanding.

On Longshe Shan.

Chen Chuyang spent part of the spirit stones he had on hand again.

Watching the spirit stones flow away like water, Chen Chuyang felt the pain.

"These spirit stones don't last; they're already down by a third in no time—I'm sorely lacking spirit stones."

Besides formations needing spirit stones, all sorts of things require spirit stones.

Spirit stones are a necessary resource for cultivation.

The spirit stones in hand are all low-grade; there isn't a single mid-grade one. The Chen clan's spirit stones mostly come from exchanging various resources; they themselves have no spirit stone vein, and the spirit stone veins within the Great Qi Dynasty have long been seized by the dynasty and those sects, leaving nothing for these small clans like theirs.

They still understand the principle that possessing a jade brings guilt; even if they had a spirit stone vein, they could not hold onto it, and would only invite disaster upon their own family.

"What a pity—there are no spirit stones produced on Longshe Shan; otherwise, I wouldn't be this lacking."

"Once my cultivation is strong enough, I will surely seize a spirit stone vein and bring it back."

That way, he would no longer need to worry about spirit stones.

Chen Chuyang took a deep breath, pulled out a pile of ore that had been stacked for a long time, and had an idea: he wanted to forge weapons.

So far, he still doesn't have a decent weapon; magical artifacts are rare, and as for spiritual artifacts, he doesn't have even one.

Magical artifacts and spiritual artifacts differ greatly.

Magical artifacts, the Chen clan also has few; this kind of weapon is scarce and expensive, not something the Chen clan can afford.

Chen Chuyang can't buy them, so he can only think of a way to forge magical artifacts himself.

Buying ore is much cheaper and easier than buying magical artifacts.

Not everyone can forge magical artifacts; the difficulty of forging magical artifacts is great, just like pill refining—both are extremely difficult.

Pill refiners and weapon refiners are as rare as each other; every one of them is a treasure of certain sects and families, and they will not be allowed to leave.

Once they appear outside, they will also be quickly poached by these sects and great families.

This also leads to the fact that outside, one basically cannot see pill refiners and weapon refiners; formation masters are the same, all are rare individuals.

Most medicinal pills and magical artifacts will not be disseminated to the outside world; of course, there are no absolutes in worldly affairs, profit comes first.

"Whoosh."

Chen Chuyang held his breath and nurtured his spirit for half an hour, adjusting his condition.

Exhaling a mouthful of impure qi, he began to open the alchemy furnace, preparing to forge weapons.

The alchemy furnace can also be used for weapon forging; the principle is the same.

Chen Chuyang has studied this before; he will not undertake anything without confidence.

The principle of pill refining is, in some respects, similar to weapon forging, except that weapon forging is a bit more troublesome, requiring the inscription of formations, and also…… needing to be careful of various circumstances; one slip-up can also cause an explosion.

They share many points in common; when it explodes, it still explodes.

A large quantity of ore is poured in; the first item Chen Chuyang refines, a bell-like weapon, has most of its input consisting of relatively hard and heavy ores, which can enhance the weapon's defense and impact resistance.

Smelting, the earth fire burns, smelting the ore; compared to spiritual herbs, this step takes longer.

The ore's hardness is high, making it difficult to smelt; only after reaching the melting point does it begin to smelt.

The earth fire's temperature is sufficient; it rises slowly, and after heating in the alchemy furnace, when the temperature reaches a certain level, the ore begins to melt, the process of solid turning into liquid, while some impurities evaporate along with it.

A large amount of ore is smelted into liquid; part volatilizes, part impurities are removed, leaving only about a third, and it's not over yet.

Chen Chuyang continues to pour in ore, all ore of the same type completely thrown in, melted all at once.

The liquid increases; the crimson liquid constantly struggles, streaks of black qi evaporate, and as the temperature rises, impurities are removed more quickly.

Next, it is the second type of ore.

Third type of ore.

Fourth type of ore.

The hard ore in his hand is completely fused in.

Time passes bit by bit.

Three days later.

The ore inside the alchemy furnace has all been smelted into a whole; Chen Chuyang then adds all the materials, smelting them all at once.

Another three days.

The liquid is now pure and refined; this step is very important, and Chen Chuyang dare not be careless.

The most crucial step begins.

Condensation.

Inscribing the formation.

This step cannot be wrong; if wrong, everything is ruined.

"Inscribe."

The formation begins to be inscribed; Chen Chuyang inscribes only defensive formations.

Many defensive formations are inscribed, linked together, becoming a vast formation.