Chapter 20: Artifact Forging

The seven spirit stones were a bargain for Treasure Gathering Pavilion.

But business is not always just business; it also includes investment in the future.

Tian Min thought he was good at judging people; he had already taken a liking to Wang Ping when he bought the Profound Light Infinite Formation earlier.

At his stage, earning over three thousand spirit stones is uncommon, and he might also be an artifact forger.

Judging by his cultivation, he possesses at least two hundred plus strands of qi at mid Qi Refining.

To have such cultivation at a young age is truly rare.

With all this, he felt inclined to befriend him.

Even if he failed, it wouldn't be his loss.

Treasure Gathering Pavilion occupies a huge area, almost taking up one quarter of Eternal Peace Ward.

The entire Treasure Gathering Pavilion is divided into front and rear courtyards, the front courtyard sells goods and has three floors.

The rear courtyard is the largest, containing not only warehouses but also various pill refining rooms and artifact forging rooms.

The rear courtyard is merely a collective term; in fact it is divided into over thirty separate compounds.

As Wang Ping followed Tian Min, he noticed each small compound emitted a different colored spiritual light, the light released when a formation is about to be activated.

Seeing this, Wang Ping couldn't help but be shocked by the ingenuity of Treasure Gathering Pavilion.

The daily consumption of these formations alone is a considerable expense.

Especially several of them, emitting intense spiritual light, clearly the light of second‑tier formations.

Treasure Gathering Pavilion's power is unfathomable! If anyone tried to rob it, they'd probably die without knowing how, Wang Ping muttered in amazement.

After passing twelve compounds, Tian Min led Wang Ping to a compound with a vermilion gate, pushed the gate open, and inside was only a modest courtyard.

Passing through the courtyard, the two arrived at the artifact forging room; looking at its furnishings, Wang Ping nodded in satisfaction.

Wang Ping nodded and thanked, "Thanks, Steward Tian."

Tian Min smiled, nodded, then stepped out of the door.

Looking at the furnishings, Wang Ping nodded satisfied, then flipped his palm; five green small flags floated in the air.

These were the flags of the Profound Light Infinite Formation; next, he waved the five flags, inserting them respectively into the five corners of the room.

He then took out a pentagonal metal disc, placed five spirit stones inside, input spiritual power to activate it.

Instantly the metal disc floated in the air until it reached the ceiling.

From its five corners shot five white beams of spiritual light, each aimed at a small flag.

The moment the flags received the light, they became blurry, then heaven and earth spiritual qi violently gathered; moments later, a black light rose from the five corners and quickly spread throughout the artifact forging room.

Tian Min, still nearby, seemed to sense something, turned back, and immediately laughed, muttering:

"Your vigilance is strong, very good—strong vigilance lets one live long!"

Saying this, he walked out of the compound with a smile.

In the artifact forging room, after setting up the Profound Light Infinite Formation, Wang Ping considered and then laid down the No‑Shadow Formation; thus, even if some accident occurred, he should be able to cope.

Wang Ping was so cautious because he feared that a stone from the Spirit World appearing in this realm might cause unexpected changes.

Of course, no change would be best. Before forging, Wang Ping needed to adjust his body to peak condition.

Just a single breathing exercise, and three days passed.

Three days later at dawn, Wang Ping slowly opened his eyes; his eyes were clear.

At this point, both his body and mental state had been adjusted to their best.

Everything was ready; Wang Ping focused his mind, and the silver‑white block disappeared from his sea of consciousness, then reappeared hovering above his head.

As the silver‑white block continually expanded, Wang Ping gradually grasped some information about it.

Summoning the silver‑white block from his sea of consciousness is the trick he learned.

Next, Wang Ping silently chanted "open"; the silver‑white block buzzed, the space before him blurred, and after only three finger‑snaps, a compressed square stone suddenly appeared in the artifact forging room.

Its volume was about the size of two fists.

As it fully appeared in the lower realm space, it almost instantly slammed heavily onto the ground.

Bang!

The specially crafted floor directly shattered under the pressure, then pressed further down; the position of the Spirit World stone visibly sank.

It sank nearly a meter before slowly stopping.

Wang Ping formed a seal with his right hand—the hand seal for activating a formation.

Should the Spirit World stone change, he would instantly open the Profound Light Infinite Formation and the No‑Shadow Formation.

In fact he had worried too much; no matter how it is a Spirit World object, it is merely an ordinary stone.

Just a bit heavier.

Wang Ping walked to the pit, feeling troubled; seeing this, with his body‑refining cultivation he certainly couldn't lift it, let alone move it with mental control.

Helpless, Wang Ping turned his gaze back to the silver‑white block; he could only use its power to shift it.

Hum! The silver‑white block trembled again, an invisible force descended, and the stone in the pit slowly rose under that force.

After a quarter hour, Wang Ping placed it inside the artifact forging furnace.

Once everything was ready, Wang Ping slapped the switch inside the furnace; it opened instantly, and a flame burst forth with a "whoosh".

The flame was a blazing bright red, the color of earth fire; as the first flame appeared, another followed, then another, one after another.

Shortly, the furnace was filled with earth fire, and the temperature rose accordingly.

The originally cool artifact forging room also became hot and dry.

Wang Ping sat cross‑legged, his spiritual power constantly monitoring the furnace's temperature.

Six hours passed, and the Spirit World stone showed no sign of melting, which was within Wang Ping's expectations.

However, two‑fist‑sized stones managed to smash a nearly one‑meter‑deep pit in the artifact forging room's floor; their density is naturally astonishing.

I'm afraid ordinary earth fire still cannot melt it in a short time.

No wonder it's a stone from the Spirit Realm; even the earth fire of the Lower Realm cannot melt it in a short time.

For this, Wang Ping had long been prepared; he slapped his storage bag with his right hand, and a green bottle appeared in his hand—this is precisely fire spirit liquid.

This bottle of his contains about three drops, yet it cost him eighty spirit stones.

He opened the stopper with his left hand, then used his spiritual power to draw the three drops of fire spirit liquid out of the bottle.

Fire spirit liquid cannot touch the skin, otherwise it will directly corrode a cultivator's body; it can only be drawn with spiritual power.

These three drops of fire spirit liquid were all poured into the artifact-refining furnace by Wang Ping.

Bang!

Fire spirit liquid reacts instantly upon meeting flame; the earth fire inside the furnace burns violently, and in that instant the temperature rose by more than ten percent.

Striking while the iron is hot, Wang Ping again added the melting gold powder into the furnace.

This melting gold powder cannot be thrown in at the beginning, otherwise as the temperature rises it will slowly become waste slag; only at high temperature can it quickly turn into liquid. At this moment, Wang Ping urged his spiritual power to drip the already-liquefied melting gold powder onto the surface of the stone.

Hiss!

When the liquid formed from the melting gold powder drips onto the Spirit Realm stone, the stone's surface first undergoes change.

Afterwards it quickly seeps inward; under the combined effect of high temperature and the melting gold powder, the Spirit Realm stone slowly melts, and specks of red liquid have already appeared around it!

True artifact refining has only just begun.