Chapter 61: New Azure Mist Sword

The next day, Wang Ping's lodging in the Hundred Arts Garden had already been arranged.

The name is quite meaningful.

Cautious Garden.

The 'cautious' in 'cautious and strict'.

Cautious Garden's standard is the same as Heavenly Gang Institute's, except that, compared to Heavenly Gang Institute, it has an underground refining room that can normally be used for refining.

However, each use requires paying a fee to the Hundred Arts Garden.

In the first two days after moving into Cautious Garden, the brand-new threshold was actually worn smooth.

Wang Ping really wasn't used to this socializing, so in the end he handed him over to Tie Lanshan and Master Liaoru.

He himself then entered the refining room to begin forging the Azure Mist Sword!

Having experience forging two supreme-grade magic artifacts, his refining skill rose at a visibly noticeable pace.

The materials for forging magic artifacts basically do not need preliminary refining.

With the aid of earth fire, after three days and three nights of forging, he refined a hundred catties of azure gold stone into ten catties of azure gold liquid.

Meanwhile, the original Azure Mist Sword, under the earth fire's calcination, had once again turned into liquid.

If an ordinary refiner reached this point, they would likely have to directly merge, but Wang Ping did not intend to do so.

With a slight movement of both hands, two batches of gold-melting powder, one large and one small, flew respectively toward the two masses of molten metal.

The gold-melting powder's original purpose is to speed up metal melting; at this moment he used it to melt the two masses of molten metal, aiming to further purify them.

This step of Wang Ping's is rarely done when forging magic artifacts, because it's not worth it.

Performing a second condensation of the refining materials can indeed yield astonishingly pure material; if successful, it basically becomes a supreme-grade magic artifact, and moreover one approaching ninety-nine percent supreme-grade.

However, it is not only operationally complex, but the purer the substance, the more pronounced its characteristics and the harder it is to harmonize.

If control falters even slightly, the painstakingly refined pure material will be ruined, resulting in wasted effort.

Wang Ping naturally understands this as well, but he possesses gold-melting powder, which can perfectly fuse the two metal materials together.

However, this time he fears he will have to consume at least half of his stock, leaving basically little left.

As time passed, the two masses of liquid continually shrank, eventually each reducing to half its original size.

Limited by quantity and material nature, Wang Ping could only proceed this far.

Next, he separately controlled spiritual power with each hand to draw the two liquid masses together, while a clump of black powder was drawn by his mental power toward their center.

If it weren't for Wang Ping's current formidable mental power, achieving threefold focus would be nearly impossible.

This is also one reason why most refiners find the operation complex.

You must strictly control the timing of these three; otherwise even a slight error could cause all previous effort to be wasted.

Wang Ping's threefold focus greatly avoided such a situation.

The two masses of azure liquid have already touched each other by a thread.

Gurgle-gurgle!

Just that thread, their reaction is extremely intense.

Just now, Wang Ping slightly moved his mental power, drawing the gold-melting powder into a black line half as thin as a hair, which he swiftly brought to the point where the two liquids meet.

Indeed, the gold-melting powder—Wang Ping felt delighted—as the two masses of liquid that had previously shown boiling phenomena gradually calmed down.

Following this speed, the three maintain a certain speed ratio as they merge.

After two hours, a new mass of molten metal hovered within the furnace.

Under the high-temperature scorching, the liquid continually flowed, each flow releasing a surge of azure light.

The most important step has been completed; next is to draw upon Heaven and Earth's mighty power to pour in, while continuously shaping it.

Hum!

A vast surge of Heaven and Earth's mighty power descended, emitting astonishing fluctuations.

The sword's body, already showing a rough outline, voraciously devoured the Heaven and Earth's mighty power.

Actually, Wang Ping could completely re-forge an Azure Mist Sword without the hassle of a second condensation and without using large amounts of gold-melting powder.

All of this seems not worth it.

But Wang Ping has his own ideas; on the simplified introductory chapter of refining artifacts there is a saying:

Artifacts arise from the mind; one can thereby obtain a natal treasure.

Meaning: by carefully forging a magic artifact, one can continually sacrifice-refine it, eventually turning it into a natal magic treasure.

What is a natal magic treasure? It is a magic treasure nurtured in the dantian by a grandmaster of Foundation Establishment; only then is it a natal magic treasure.

But what does 'forging with heart' mean? He initially didn't understand; when does a refiner ever forge without heart?

Even when the Azure Mist Sword first came into being, although he took a liking to it at first glance, he also did not grasp its meaning.

Only when the Azure Mist Sword was damaged in his battle with Jing Wuming did he feel great regret, and then he understood what 'artifact arises from the mind' means.

That is a kind of unity of essence, energy, and spirit, a magic artifact that comes into being during the forging process accompanied by his own realizations.

Such a magic artifact, or magic treasure, or spiritual treasure, upon its first appearance, you will be instantly drawn to it.

Gazing at the Azure Mist Sword gradually taking shape, Wang Ping's face showed a smile.

The Heaven-reversing Seal was already in his hand.

At this moment, the influx of Heaven and Earth's mighty power had diminished, yet the Azure Mist Sword had already been infused with over ninety-five percent of that power.

Wang Ping flicked his hand, simultaneously channeling his internal spiritual power into the Heaven-reversing Seal; the seal trembled slightly, and wisps of spiritual-realm aura appeared in the refining room.

The Heaven and Earth's mighty power that was about to withdraw paused, then surged forth again.

The Azure Mist Sword grew brighter and brighter, and soon a clear sword chime rang out.

The Azure Mist Sword, infused with a full hundred percent of Heaven and Earth's mighty power, came into being.

If it were not for the Shadowless Formation, the Mysterious Light Boundless Formation, and the refining room's own formation set up here, that sword chime would likely have startled the entire Hundred Arts Garden.

The mighty power of heaven and earth receded, the earth fire extinguished, and the Azure Gleam Sword hovered silently within the furnace.

Wang Ping's face broke into a smile; with a gesture of his right hand, the Azure Gleam Sword shot out of the furnace with a swish, leaving a green arc in the air.

Pa!

Wang Ping lightly grasped the new Azure Gleam Sword with his right hand and slowly placed it horizontally before his eyes.

With his left hand, he lightly traced the sword blade with his sword finger.

Cold to the touch, solid, and exuding a biting chill.

The brand‑new Azure Gleam Sword is three feet long, its blade emitting a blue‑tinged light with hints of gold!

Looking at the ground, Wang Ping lightly swung his sword, and the hard floor of the forging room was lightly scored with a sword mark about an inch deep.

Know that Wang Ping exerted no force at all; it was merely a light swing of the sword due to bodily inertia.

He possesses a Reversing Heaven Seal, but he has not yet grasped its limits.

How formidable is this Azure Gleam Sword now?

Wang Ping's heart brimmed with anticipation.

This time, re‑forging the Azure Gleam Sword took him a full seven days, and the auction will begin in half a month.

Thinking of his promise with Master Ruolan, Wang Ping walked out of the basement.

A sweep of his spiritual sense revealed Tie Lanshan and Master Ruoyu chatting leisurely in the Immortal Gathering Pavilion.

Wang Ping gave a faint smile, withdrew his spiritual sense, and hurried over there.

………

Zhao State, north of Phantom Moon City, the Land of Black Heaven's Doom.

Six black‑robed figures knelt on one knee in a row; before them, a black‑robed cultivator with his hands clasped behind his back spoke softly:

"Have you investigated it clearly?"

"We have basically clarified it; we have narrowed down the suspects to one hundred thirty‑two." The middle one of the six black‑robed figures answered respectfully.

"Arrest them all; let none escape!"

"Yes? But?"

"Huh?"

Cold sweat trickled down the backs of the six black‑robed figures behind them.

The black‑robed figure in the middle swallowed, his voice trembling slightly as he replied:

"However, one of them named Wang Ping might already be dead?"

"Wang Ping? That name sounds rather familiar."

The black‑clad person whispered a reminder: "Reverse Fire Curse!"

"It's him! Earlier, someone in the hall calculated that he was no longer in this realm and was very likely dead; I never expected to hear his name here! In that case, let's first rule him out!"

"After capturing the person, hurry to meet the provincial official at the merchant city!"

"Yes, sir!"