Infinite Professions

Chapter 185 - 92: Artifact Refining

Several months later, Fish Dragon Island, Artifact Refining Chamber.

In front of the Earth Fire Furnace, with gray roots in his hair but having regained his youthful appearance, Shen Hex sat steadily, his Three Flowers and Five Qi restored.

Whether it’s the Primordial Spirit Sacrificial Dao Sword or the Karmic Fire Three Calamities Blade, both are Combat Weapon Techniques, requiring reliance on weapons.

This is why Shen Hex previously used the Ten Thousand Dao Root Source Great Method to comprehend techniques like the Pill Talisman Array in cultivation.

He wants to personally refine this Demon Saber Dao Sword.

This is a weapon for the main battle, also a lifebound weapon, personally crafting it deepens the connection between the artifact master and the weapon, not only making the sacrificial refinement more effective but also significantly enhancing its power against enemies.

Such a weapon, as long as it can be crafted personally, there’s no reason to entrust it to others.

Shen Hex sat at the Earth Fire Furnace, first filling spirit stones into the array, then igniting the Earth Vein Spirit Fire.

Several months ago, he achieved the Dao Golden Core, causing the Celestial Tribulation Thunder to penetrate the Earth Vein Spirit Array. Although he later repaired it, the Fish Dragon Earth Vein inevitably downgraded to Tier Three.

A mere Tier Three Earth Vein, trying to refine the Demon Saber Dao Sword, even just the initial form, is somewhat out of reach.

Shen Hex had no choice but to supplement the array again, filling it with thousands of middle-grade spirit stones and a large number of lower-grade spirit stones as fuel to ensure the Earth Vein Spirit Fire could be sustained.

The array was activated, igniting the Earth Vein, quickly making the Eight Trigrams Furnace glow red-hot.

Shen Hex took out the materials, throwing them in, beginning the first artifact refinement following his breakthrough in cultivation and technique enhancement.

After some time, a furnace tripod emerged from the furnace.

Yes, a furnace tripod.

Shen Hex did not directly refine the Demon Saber Dao Sword.

This was expected.

Though the Ten Thousand Dao Root Source Great Method has extraordinary uses, helping him elevate techniques like the Pill Talisman Array to Tier Five, it was only theoretical enhancement, without practical application.

On-paper understanding feels shallow, true knowledge requires hands-on practice!

Therefore, Shen Hex did not directly refine the Demon Saber Dao Sword, but instead refined other artifacts first to accumulate practical experience, simultaneously preparing for the refinement of the Demon Saber Dao Sword.

For instance, this Tier Five Eight Trigrams Furnace.

Previously, he used a Tier Four furnace tripod, which was effective, but ultimately not as good as Tier Five, and it was time to update and replace it.

With a flick of his fan, the furnace tripod opened, the newly refined Eight Trigrams Furnace flew out, landing in his hand.

Looking at the furnace tripod in his hand, Shen Hex nodded in satisfaction, then replaced the old furnace with the new one.

Compared to the Tier Four Eight Trigrams Furnace, this Tier Five furnace not only has stronger firepower but also has a more versatile changeability, allowing for more subtle control over the heat and even manipulating it according to the artifact refiner’s intentions.

This is extremely important.

Tiers four and below comprise middle-low tier foundational artifacts, which can be standardized and mass-produced, everything measurable.

This method of refining artifacts lacks soul. As long as the cultivation level is sufficient, magical power can be mobilized to methodically refine them, without high demands on technique.

But this only applies to middle-low tier foundational artifacts, higher than Tier Four mid-high tier artifacts cannot be refined in such a way. Some peculiar items cannot be quantitatively measured, or the Human Empire does not want to measure them.

Because setting a lower limit fixes the upper limit too. Compared to ordinary technicians on assembly lines, the Human Empire requires master craftsmen who can step into high tiers and even advance into the Immortal Demon Realm.

Thus, beyond Tier Five, the standards for refining techniques like the Pill Talisman Array become ambiguous again, returning to the path of "ancient cultivation."

It circles back to the starting point.

Yet Shen Hex finds it quite favorable, using standardized mass production as a foundational course and creative expansion as an advanced path, stabilizing the lower limit while freeing the upper limit. This method of nurturing skilled talents is worth his learning.

In fact, he has already learned that Fish Dragon Island cultivates disciples in this way now.

After refining the Eight Trigrams Furnace, Shen Hex put in more materials, beginning to refine the second spiritual artifact.

Tiers four to six, all spiritual artifacts, upper, middle, and lower grades, corresponding to Foundation Establishment Golden Core Nascent Soul.

The second spiritual artifact Shen Hex refined, called the Five-Fire Seven-Feathered Fan, is a matching item with the Tai Chi Eight Trigrams Furnace, greatly beneficial for artifact refining and alchemy.

Five fires and seven feathers, as the name suggests, are five kinds of flames and seven types of feathers. The five fires are Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth, the seven feathers derived from Phoenix, Simurgh, Roc, Sparrow, Crane, Hong, and Owl.

According to the highest configuration, this fan could gather innate Five Elements Fire and the feathers of true blood divine birds like the Simurgh, Phoenix, and Roc, refining it into a Tier Twelve upper-grade spiritual treasure, a quasi-immortal artifact.

Given Shen Hex’s current conditions, he certainly wasn’t qualified for top configuration, could only use ordinary Five Elements Spirit Fire, and plucked feathers from the contracted spirit birds like the Golden-Winged Roc, refining a Tier Five spiritual artifact-level Five-Fire Seven-Feathered Fan.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!"

The five fires stirred, the Eight Trigrams glowing red, the spiritual artifact within the furnace took shape but at the final moment, a cracking sound erupted, the artifact turning to ash amid chaotic five-fire currents.

Artifact refining failed, materials ruined!

Faced with this situation, Shen Hex remained calm, adjusting the furnace fire, once again placing in materials.

Win or lose, it’s a common occurrence in the art of war, and the same logic applies to artifact refining. All artifact refiners emerge through failure.

Thus, failure is not frightening, but rather a foundation and accumulation. If you can step over it, you will achieve success.

Shen Hex now had the capital to forge ahead, although three years of life-sustaining cultivation cost him a great deal of resources, but they mostly consisted of pills and Spiritual Objects that could enhance cultivation and restore longevity, while other unusable talisman and artifact materials remained piled in his Storage Pouch.

This is capital, this is wealth!

In this manner, after an unspecified duration, something finally took shape within the Eight Trigrams Furnace.

It was a divine bird, resembling the Cyan Simurgh or the Fire Phoenix, like the Golden-Winged Roc or the Peacock, as the White Crane or the Great Swan, its plumes blazing with the Five Elements Spirit Fire, extending its wings, it flew out of the Eight Trigrams Furnace and landed in Shen Hex’s hand.

As it entered his hand, he saw the Five Fires gather, and the Seven Birds dispersed, leaving only a fan of five colors and seven hues.

It was the Five-Fire Seven-Feathered Fan.

"Marvelous!"

Looking at the refined Dharma Artifact, Shen Hex was very satisfied, exclaiming in admiration, and began to fan the Eight Trigrams Furnace, instantly, the Five Elements Spirit Fire flowed out, accompanied by the illusory images of divine birds like the Simurgh, Phoenix, Roc, and Sparrow, chirping and soaring around the furnace.

"Even with a mere casual wave of this fan, Core Formation Cultivators without fire manipulation techniques or protective treasures would find it hard to withstand, within moments they would perish and turn to ashes!"

"I practice the Five Elements True Spirit Technique, if I were to wield this fan with the Dao Golden Core, and the Five Elements Magical Power, then even Core Formation with protective treasures couldn’t hold for long, it might even pose some threat to a Nascent Soul."

"This is the power of artifacts, not only does it greatly enhance battle protection, it assists alchemy and artifact refining as if divinely helped, paired with the Tai Chi Eight Trigrams Furnace, it can increase the refining success rate and artifact quality by at least thirty percent."

"Marvelous, marvelous!"

Looking at the effects of the Five-Fire Seven-Feathered Fan, Shen Hex’s smile grew broader, striking while the iron was hot, he began refining the third item.

Since it’s all hands-on practice, and the Dao Golden Core possessed abundant magical power, he decided to refine all the materials he had accumulated into artifacts, using what he could himself and casting those he couldn’t use into the treasury of Fish Dragon Island to inspire motivation and earn merit.

Though this seemed inherently labor-intensive, Shen Hex had to admit some work could indeed align with passion, even drawing one into obsession.

Thus, months passed.

Most of the accumulated materials were exhausted, replaced by more than ten brand-new Tier Five Spiritual Artifacts and Tier Four Spiritual Artifacts, as well as many Tier Three Dharma Artifacts, all were Shen Hex’s practical exercise results.

"That’s about enough!"

With accumulation reaching this point, it was ample, Shen Hex closed his eyes, beginning to restore his magical power.

After a few days, the Golden Core Power returned to its peak.

Spirit Stones were added, the array stabilized, Shen Hex sat before the Tai Chi Eight Trigrams Furnace, holding the Five-Fire Seven-Feathered Fan, beginning to refine his Lifebound Battle Weapon.

Karmic Fire Three Calamities, Sacrificial Demon-Slaying!

First, refine the Demon Saber, Shen Hex took out several pieces of Spirit Iron, all Tier Five Spiritual Objects previously seized from Xin Chenzi and other overseas Core Formation hands, along with treasures from Yellow Springs Sect’s marketplace.

Being items of Demon Cultivators, their nature mostly aligned with the Demon Dao, ideally suited for refining into the Karmic Fire Three Calamities.

Shen Hex placed these Spirit Iron into the Eight Trigrams Furnace, then used the Seven-Feathered Fan to fan the Five Elements Spirit Fire, the incredible firepower soon melted the Spirit Iron.

Shen Hex then rose, collected the fan, and formed a spell seal, infusing streams of True Essence Magical Power into the furnace, like heavy hammer strikes, forging the molten Spirit Iron, removing impurities and leaving the essence.

Karmic Fire Three Calamities, Demon Dao Military Technique, Tier Four is but the basics, Tier Five is the entry.

This entry First Realm is the Blade and Fire Tribulation, as the name implies, it requires refining with incomparable Demon Fire to forge a sharp blade to succeed.

Shen Hex’s ample firepower assured the refined weapons would be sharp enough, whereas the demonic aspect was somewhat challenging.

Ordinarily, at this time, thousands of people or even cultivators would be summoned, to sacrifice their bodies, becoming demons through their death.

But that’s evidently not Shen Hex’s style, nor did he intend to truly refine such an attribute Demon Saber for himself.

Thus...

"Ha!!"

Shen Hex raised his hand, slicing with two fingers, instantly blood spattered out, cast into the furnace.

Blood Sacrifice?

Of course, how could it be called a Demon Saber without a blood sacrifice?

But who stipulated the blood sacrifice had to be others’ blood, and couldn’t be one’s own blood?

As an Immortal, he not only could sacrifice life for enlightenment, but also for artifact refining!

How could the flesh and blood of ordinary folks match him, an Immortal Martial Spirit, Dao Core Breaking Extreme cultivator?

Though this blood refining lacked the souls and hatred of sacrificial swordsmen, it didn’t matter, once the saber formed, it naturally carried slaughter, drinking blood to become demon.

In fact, the Karma Fire Three Calamities Method also cautioned against mixing too much flesh soul when initially refining the Demon Saber, prioritizing the practitioner’s own essence blood, to lay a good foundation for the Demon Saber and prevent it from eventually forming and devouring the master.

Correct, devouring the master!

This is the drawback of several Demon Dao military techniques, because the sacrificial method is too extreme, a single slip results in the demon weapon not being suppressed, causing it to devour its master.

Therefore, during initial refinement of demon soldiers, it’s essential to incorporate the Demon Lord’s own essence blood and even Primordial Spirit to enhance control over this demon weapon.

In simpler terms, it’s company shares, to ensure firm control over the company, one must hold fifty-one percent or more shares.

And the way to gain these shares is through investing one’s flesh and blood essence, even spiritual sense and Primordial Spirit.