Chapter 21

Time mercilessly passed, and the temperature inside the artifact refining furnace had already become extremely high.

Under the combined action of earth fire, fire spirit liquid, and melting gold powder, the Spirit Realm stone had melted into a dark red liquid like magma.

Wang Ping, sitting cross-legged outside the furnace, saw that the Spirit Realm stone had completely melted, immediately stood up, and his hands, like scattering flowers in a chaotic dance, continuously shot out strands of spiritual power.

He could already control the liquefied Spirit Realm stone with strands of spiritual power, making it float in the air.

Now is the time to test his artifact refining technique; Wang Ping closed his eyes slightly, recalling the artifact refining techniques he had learned over the past year plus at Scarlet Flame Peak.

The final image froze at the moment when Chiyanzi refined the last piece of metal spiritual material he had hammered.

In artifact refining, the technique is not only used to control spiritual power, but also, with its aid, to communicate with Heaven and Earth's power.

Artifacts and treasures differ from mundane weapons not only because their materials far exceed those of mundane weapons, but most importantly because cultivators can use artifact refining techniques to draw down Heaven and Earth's power onto themselves.

Various spiritual materials infused with power will be stimulated and have their inherent characteristics amplified.

The temperature of fire-attributed materials becomes higher, and the coldness of ice-attributed materials becomes greater; this is the effect of Heaven and Earth's power.

In the artifact stage, the classification into low, medium, high, and top grade is determined by the amount of Heaven and Earth's power infused during refining.

Therefore, the most important core of an artifact refiner's inheritance is the technique.

How much Heaven and Earth's power can be drawn down depends crucially on the technique.

How much Heaven and Earth's power an artifact can withstand is related to the artifact refiner's refining level,

If an artifact refiner's inherited technique can draw down and infuse ten-tenths of Heaven and Earth's power, but his refining level has not reached the corresponding height, then the artifacts he forges are merely ordinary.

In the cultivation world, infusing six-tenths of Heaven and Earth's power makes a low-grade artifact, seven-tenths makes mid-grade, eight-tenths makes high-grade, and ninety-five percent or above makes top-grade.

Due to material limitations, few artifacts can withstand the infusion of ten-tenths of Heaven and Earth's power.

Another reason is that infusing Heaven and Earth's power is an extremely careful and cautious process; executing the technique intensifies mental exhaustion.

Top-grade artifacts are mostly forged by second-rank artifact refiners.

The technique Wang Ping is currently employing is the artifact refining technique he observed from Chiyanzi, and he has only learned thirty percent of it.

Relative to his realm, thirty percent is already sufficient to use.

As he continuously executed the technique, a power bearing white light descended from the endless void.

Even though he had previously seen Chiyanzi summon Heaven and Earth's power, seeing it again, Wang Ping still felt tense all over.

What is this Heaven and Earth's power? Nobody knows.

Why does Heaven and Earth's power descend during artifact refining? There is a rumor that all things in the world can be cultivated, and objects also have their own way of cultivation.

The effect of Heaven and Earth's power on them is equivalent to the effect of spiritual energy on cultivators.

People cultivate immortality, and objects also cultivate immortality.

People have spiritual roots, objects have inherent characteristics.

However, compared to humans cultivating step by step, an object's lower limit is determined from the moment of its birth.

Of course, there are exceptions, such as spiritual treasures, which can be regarded as weapons born with spiritual intellect; it is said that such objects can undergo self-cultivation.

These are still too far for Wang Ping; at this moment, he continuously controls the infusion of Heaven and Earth's power into the dark red liquid.

The timing of infusing Heaven and Earth's power must also be grasped; it must be done only when all spiritual materials have become liquid, before the power can be infused.

Allow Heaven and Earth's power to take shape together with the artifact.

Inside the artifact refining furnace, the dark red liquid, under the infusion of Heaven and Earth's power, began to glow slowly.

Outside the furnace, Wang Ping has already begun shaping the treasure; its form he had long planned.

He intends to forge it into the likeness of the ancient emperor's heirloom jade seal.

As for why he wants to forge it in this form, naturally it is due to the influence of watching The Investiture of the Gods in his childhood, leaving a deep impression of the Overturn Heaven Seal from the book.

At the same time, this name is very imposing, but he does not know the exact appearance of the Overturn Heaven Seal, so he can only forge it according to the form of the emperor's jade seal.

Under the compression of spiritual power, a treasure with a square, seal-like shape began to take form.

After half an hour, the infusion of Heaven and Earth's power gradually diminished; Wang Ping swept his mental energy, and his face immediately showed an expression of excitement.

On his first attempt at artifact refining, the infusion of Heaven and Earth's power reached eight-tenths, producing a high-grade artifact that can amplify his combat power by eight-tenths.

Wang Ping never expected it to go so smoothly, because his artifact refining materials are relatively simple, so he does not need to consider compatibility issues between various materials.

Before starting the artifact refining, Wang Ping thought he might produce a high-grade artifact, but deep down he had actually been feeling uneasy all along.

Now his mind has completely relaxed, the infusion of Heaven and Earth's power is complete; next is to solidify it, a process that takes relatively longer.

During this period, he must soak it with his natal essence blood; thus, after the artifact takes shape, it will have a spiritual connection with him.

Artifacts refined from a single type of spiritual material also have relatively simple functions; Wang Ping takes this in stride, as he originally valued these stones for their weight.

Successfully forging it is simply for smashing people; it does not need to have many variations.

Accidents often come from the next second; just as Heaven and Earth's power was about to completely withdraw, the Spirit Realm stone about to take shape suddenly shuddered.

Then an aura emanated; sensing this aura, Wang Ping's calm face filled with disbelief.

Having entered the Spirit Realm twice, he had already recognized that this was the aura of the Spirit Realm.

It is not strange that the Spirit Realm stone contains the Spirit Realm's aura; what baffles him is why this aura would emerge at this moment.

Could it be that the stone itself shook it out?

In the next second, the scene before his eyes overturned his cognition; he saw the Spirit Realm's aura appear, and the originally retreating might of heaven and earth descended again.

The originally ending infusion of might began again, and at the same time, the Spirit Realm's aura quickly dissipated.

Wang Ping found it somewhat amusing; what is this? Bribing the might of heaven and earth?

Could it be that the laughing Wang Ping suddenly recalled some secret rumors?

That was something he heard in a casual chat with Chiyanzi; Wang Ping remembered him saying that in the cultivation world, some rare items can prolong the infusion of heaven and earth's might.

These items are said to be related to the legendary Spirit Realm.

At the time, after hearing it, he didn't take it to heart; after all, hearing about such items one knows they are extremely rare.

He is in the Spirit Realm; currently he can only bring back ordinary stones, and such stones are obviously not that kind of rare item.

Now it seems his idea was wrong; what can prolong the infusion time of Heaven and Earth's mighty power is not those rare objects, but the spirit‑realm aura contained within them.

Watching the scene inside the furnace, an unbidden thought sprang to Wang Ping's mind.

Could Heaven and Earth's mighty power possess wisdom, knowing how to treat things differently?

Items infused with spirit‑realm aura receive a little extra, ordinary objects get standard treatment—rather like matching the bowl to the dish.

He shook his head, flung that absurd thought aside, and focused intently on the spirit‑realm stone chunk inside the furnace.

No one knows how many tens of thousands of years this stone has dwelt in the spirit realm to accumulate such a thick strand of spirit‑realm aura, yet now it is swiftly fading.

Within the spirit‑realm stone chunk, the infusion of Heaven and Earth's mighty power had reached the ninety‑four percent mark; a little more and it would become a supreme magical artifact.

Wang Ping's heart leapt up, and he stared fixedly into the furnace.

That strand of spirit‑realm aura was nearly exhausted, but at the final moment the infusion of Heaven and Earth's mighty power finally surpassed the ninety‑five percent threshold.

A supreme magical artifact—done!

Among a thousand magical artifacts, a supreme one is rarely seen, yet he managed to forge it on his very first attempt.

This surprise came too suddenly, too unexpectedly, leaving Wang Ping somewhat dazed.

Fortunately, his mental disposition was always good, so he quickly recovered.

He once again formed hand seals, drew upon his spiritual power, intending to cast it into shape.

Hum!

The spirit‑realm stone chunk, now the embryonic form of a supreme magical artifact, trembled again; strangely, Wang Ping could actually sense the emotion it emitted.

Not having eaten enough, Wang Ping's face looked odd; he thought it was an illusion, then the spirit‑realm stone chunk trembled again, this time it sensed its own emitted aura.

Really not eaten enough?

Wang Ping's spirit jolted; he had never heard of magical artifacts possessing emotions, but now he had no leisure to worry about that.

Not having eaten enough surely means there is still room for improvement.

Whoosh!

Wang Ping suddenly lifted his head, staring fixedly at the Heaven and Earth's mighty power about to dissipate, his eyes turning stubborn.

Since you wish to keep improving, then as your master I will let you eat your fill today!