Chapter 221: Perfection in the Third Layer of the Yan Huo Shen Mu Gong

Chapter 221: Perfection in the Third Layer of the Yan Huo Shen Mu Gong

For several consecutive days, Chu Ning had been imparting his knowledge of pill refining techniques at the Pill Refining Pavilion.

He also took the opportunity to refine several furnaces of Flame Wood Spirit Pills in the pill refining chamber, and it just so happened to be the appointed day to meet with Elder Ge Liuyang.

Chu Ning was quite eager to receive the custom artifact that the Golden Core Elder had personally crafted for him.

So, early that morning, Chu Ning made his way toward the Pill Refining Pavilion.

"After collecting the artifact, I'll need to seclude myself for a period of time to focus on cultivation!"

Chu Ning had made up his mind. He had been too busy lately.

Although he had an ample supply of various pills, he hadn't set aside dedicated time for peaceful cultivation to improve his realm, which was truly a waste.

The Artifact Refining Pavilion was located several peaks away from the Pill Refining Pavilion, and this was Chu Ning's first time visiting.

As soon as he entered, a disciple in the Qi Refining realm promptly approached him.

"Are you Elder Chu from the Pill Refining Pavilion? Please wait a moment while I inform the elders and Elder Cui."

As the disciple spoke, he took out a sound transmission talisman.

Before long, Cui Rongrong appeared, clad in a red dress, on the first floor of the Pill Refining Pavilion.

"Elder Chu, it's about time you graced us with your presence at the Artifact Refining Pavilion."

Compared to Su Yuqing, Cui Rongrong had a much more lively and playful personality.

Upon seeing Chu Ning, she immediately started teasing him.

Chu Ning quickly waved his hands in denial, "I wouldn't dare to say that. Is Elder Ge around? I've come to collect something from him."

"He's at the dojo in the back. He instructed me to bring you to him as soon as you arrived."

Cui Rongrong led Chu Ning toward the rear of the Artifact Refining Pavilion.

Then, she lowered her voice and said, "It seems like Elder Ge used quite a few of his cherished materials to help you refine this item."

Chu Ning couldn't help but feel a surge of gratitude upon hearing this.

Regardless, the Golden Core cultivators in the sect had treated him exceptionally well so far.

The two quickened their pace and soon passed through the Artifact Refining Pavilion, arriving at the dojo in the back.

Chu Ning then noticed that the layout of this pavilion resembled that of the Pill Refining Pavilion.

There were several tall platforms in this dojo as well.

"Could it be that, as Ling Cang mentioned, numerous cultivators once gathered here to observe the artifact refining of the sect's predecessors?"

As Chu Ning pondered, a figure flew towards the dojo.

Chu Ning looked up and recognized Elder Ge Liuyang.

"Elder Ge!" "Master Ge!"

After exchanging greetings, Ge Liuyang responded with a sound and then directly threw two objects towards Chu Ning.

Chu Ning hurriedly acknowledged him and then, in the next moment, was left slightly stunned.

"Elder Ge, were these refined using the fourth-grade Black Flood Dragon Skin?"

Holding a set of dark boots and a green robe, Chu Ning couldn't see how these two items related to the Black Flood Dragon Skin.

Ge Liuyang didn't answer directly. Instead, he said in a deep voice, "Try them on first to see if they meet your requirements."

Upon hearing this, Chu Ning immediately took off the sect robe he was wearing and prepared to change into the green robe.

However, at that moment, Ge Liuyang noticed the undershirt that Chu Ning was wearing.

He let out a soft exclamation.

"That undershirt of yours..."

The next moment, Ge Liuyang was astonished, "Ice and Fire Silk!"

Chu Ning was taken aback by Ge Liuyang's words and lowered his head to examine the undershirt he was wearing.

Then, he looked at Ge Liuyang, his curiosity piqued, "Elder Ge, is this undershirt made of Ice and Fire Silk?"

Chu Ning had obtained this undershirt quite some time ago.

It was during his first visit to the remains of the Lei Huo Sect when Ling Xiaobai had helped him retrieve it.

Over the years, Chu Ning had worn it constantly, aware only of its remarkable defensive capabilities.

However, he had no knowledge of the specific materials used or any other functions it might possess.

Now, seeing that Ge Liuyang seemed to recognize the material of the undershirt, he was naturally curious as well.

Ge Liuyang walked up to Chu Ning and ran his hand over the undershirt.

He nodded and said to Chu Ning, "Indeed, this is a soft armor made from Ice and Fire Silk.

To have collected so much Ice and Fire Silk..."

Ge Liuyang paused for a moment, then asked, "Did you obtain this soft armor along with the ancient sect's pill techniques? If so, that ancient sect must have been quite formidable."

Chu Ning nodded and inquired about the specifics of the Ice and Fire Silk.

Only then did Ge Liuyang slowly explain, "Ice and Fire Silk, as the name suggests, is silk spun by a type of Ice and Fire Silkworm demon beast.

For this demon beast to be able to spin Ice and Fire Silk, it is usually a fifth-grade or higher demon beast. To have enough silk to forge this soft armor, it might even be a seventh-grade demon beast."

"A seventh-grade demon beast!" Cui Rongrong exclaimed in surprise upon hearing Ge Liuyang's words.

That was comparable to a cultivator in the latter stages of the Golden Core realm!

However, Chu Ning remained relatively calm, having gained some understanding of the Lei Huo Sect's strength from his previous encounters.

Ge Liuyang continued, "This Ice and Fire Silkworm has no tail. Both ends of its body are heads, one of which spits out ice-attribute silk, and the other, fire-attribute silk.

The silk it produces has extremely strong defensive properties—impervious to blades, fire, or water."

As he spoke, Ge Liuyang suddenly opened his mouth, and a streak of crimson flame shot out, landing on Chu Ning's body.

Chu Ning's expression shifted slightly when he saw Ge Liuyang open his mouth to spew fire.

The flame was incredibly powerful, even stronger than the flames produced by his own Fire Flame Spell.

However, he quickly realized that Ge Liuyang was merely testing something, so he remained still.

At that moment, the streak of flame that Ge Liuyang had spewed out landed on Chu Ning's body, almost engulfing his entire upper half.

Despite the flame's intense power, Chu Ning didn't feel a thing.

He didn't even sense the slightest hint of warmth.

Ge Liuyang dispersed the flame and said, "You should have seen that even my Elixir Fire was unable to inflict any damage on this undershirt.

The Elixir Fire of a Golden Core was indeed essential for refining high-grade pills and artifacts.

No wonder it was much stronger than his own Blazing Inferno Technique.

An idea struck Chu Ning, and he immediately asked, "Elder Ge, does this have a fire-insulating function?"

"Indeed!" Ge Liuyang nodded.

"This Ice and Fire Silk can't be used to refine artifacts that can be infused with spiritual power, but that's not necessary. This thing has astonishing defensive capabilities.

Unless it's a massive attack that directly impacts you, ordinary attacks won't be able to penetrate and injure you through this armor.

Especially against ice and fire-attributed damage, its defensive capabilities are even stronger.

If you're in an extremely hot or cold environment, this armor can automatically regulate your body temperature."

"With so much Ice and Fire Silk on your body, even if your feet are exposed to fire, it can automatically form a special shield to protect you," Ge Liuyang continued, then opened his mouth and spat out another streak of Dan Huo, this time towards Chu Ning's feet.

Chu Ning's eyebrows furrowed slightly as his legs were not protected by the inner armor.

However, to his surprise, the Dan Huo landed like a layer of protection, completely insulating the flames.

Chu Ning still didn't feel the slightest bit of heat.

"Truly miraculous!" Chu Ning exclaimed, his face filled with delight.

He had only known that the inner armor had incredible defensive capabilities, but he hadn't expected such an additional effect.

Ge Liuyang spoke again, "However, this effect only works against ice and fire-attributed attacks. It's ineffective against other attributes.

And the parts of your body without the inner armor's protection are still more vulnerable than those covered."

Ge Liuyang's tone turned serious.

"Don't let this armor make you complacent in battle."

"Disciple understands," Chu Ning replied promptly.

In other words, the Ice and Fire Silk armor was highly effective in defending against fire and ice-attributed spells or natural forces.

However, for parts of his body without the armor's protection, a metal-attributed sword qi would still sever them.

Chu Ning would not let himself be reckless and take unnecessary risks.

After explaining the Ice and Fire Silk armor, Ge Liuyang pointed at the green robe in Chu Ning's hand and said, "The robe I refined can't compare in grade to this one, which should be crafted by a Nascent Soul cultivator using Ice and Fire Silk.

But it's still quite remarkable!"

A hint of pride appeared on Ge Liuyang's face as he continued, "The artifact refining techniques of our Jiuhua Zong used to be renowned throughout the entire Western Alliance Continent.

This green robe and boots are made primarily from Black Flood Dragon Skin, mixed with various materials like Heavenly Silk and Wind Firefly Leaves.

They're also imbued with several unique wind-attributed rune formations, making them comparable to a magical artifact in grade!"

Hearing that the robe and boots were artifact-grade, Chu Ning's eyes lit up.

Ge Liuyang went on, "In terms of defense, as it's made mainly from Black Flood Dragon Skin, it's naturally inferior to the Ice and Fire Silk armor.

But when it comes to enhancing wind-attributed spells, it's absolutely exceptional!"

Chu Ning's interest was piqued as he listened to Ge Liuyang's introduction.

Without delay, he put on the robe and boots.

The next moment, Chu Ning soared into the air.

Shen Feng Dun!

Chu Ning executed the Shen Feng Dun, and in the blink of an eye, he had flashed twenty feet away!

"So fast!"

With just a slight sense of it, Chu Ning's eyes widened in surprise.

Donning the green robe and boots, his Shen Feng Dun was nearly 60% faster than before.

Once his spiritual power improved further, doubling his previous speed would be a normal occurrence.

Even a Golden Core cultivator might not be able to match his speed.

Moreover, Chu Ning could clearly feel that the spiritual power required to perform the Shen Feng Dun was indeed much less than before.

He circled the dojo and returned to Ge Liuyang and Cui Rongrong.

Then, he cupped his hands and bowed to Ge Liuyang, expressing his gratitude.

Ge Liuyang nodded in satisfaction.

"Alright, let's not exchange too many pleasantries. If there are any benefits in the future, don't forget about us artifact refiners," Ge Liuyang added, then muttered, "Ling Cang is lucky to have a genius like you.

It's a shame that you only refine pills and not artifacts. Otherwise, there would be quite a few similarities in fire control between the two disciplines."

Hearing this, Chu Ning smiled and said, "Elder, if I ever develop an interest in artifact refining one day, I hope you'll guide me."

Ge Liuyang's eyes lit up at Chu Ning's words, and a hint of eagerness appeared on his rugged face.

"Do you want to give it a try now? Many of our sect's predecessors were proficient in both pill and artifact refining.

Moreover, once you reach the Golden Core stage, you'll need to refine your own signature artifact, so you'll have to attain a certain level of proficiency in artifact refining."

Chu Ning quickly shook his head, "Elder, I won't learn it for now.

I still need to devote a lot of effort to studying pill refining techniques."

His words were half-true and half-false. While pill refining did occupy some of his time, it was also to refine pills that he needed.

As for artifact refining, he would leave it for later if he ever developed the talent for it.

In this regard, Chu Ning had gained ample experience. If the system could refresh talents, it would be much better than blindly groping for answers on his own.

Of course, Chu Ning was also unwilling to spread himself too thin. Most of his energy would naturally still be focused on cultivation.

Hearing Chu Ning's response, Ge Liuyang waved his hand.

"Forget it! I can tell that you're just trying to comfort me.

Whether intentional or not, just as he was about to exit the dojo, a softly murmured conversation between Ge Liuyang and Cui Rongrong reached his ears.

"I used up quite a few of my cherished materials for this. It was quite a loss."

Hearing this, a slight smile appeared on Chu Ning's face as he left the Artifact Refining Pavilion and flew back to his cave abode.

With the added boost of the robe and boots, he swiftly returned to his abode with the aid of the Shen Feng Dun technique.

As soon as he entered his cave, Chu Ning activated all the restrictions and also set up the seclusion barriers outside to indicate that he was in closed-door cultivation.

Then, he entered his cultivation room.

"Now, it's time to focus on cultivation."

Murmuring softly to himself, Chu Ning took out numerous pills from his storage bag.

At this moment, all thoughts of talisman-making and pill refining were cast aside.

Taking out an Flame Wood Spirit Pill, Chu Ning began cultivating the Yan Huo Shen Mu Gong.

Soon after, when the pill's effects were about to wear off, he started consuming the Dragon Saliva Black Flood Dragon Pill along with two other spirit-refining pills for cultivation.

After all, if he continuously took the Flame Wood Spirit Pill for cultivation, even with his abundant resources, he couldn't afford the consumption rate of one pill every three days.

Even with the sect's provision of spirit pills, his supply of Flame Wood Twin Fruits would not be sufficient.

Moreover, Chu Ning had previously experienced the benefits of body and spirit refining, so he naturally wouldn't rely solely on one aspect.

Of course, there was also the principle of moderation in cultivation, and it wasn't wise to rush headlong with the same type of pill.

For half a year, Chu Ning did not leave his cave abode.

Focusing on qi refining, he also combined it with body and spirit refining.

In his spare time, Chu Ning also cultivated the fusion of the Wind and Fire Conflagration Art with the Blazing Inferno Technique.

Additionally, he started cultivating the next demonic beast form of the Blazing Inferno Technique—the Crimson Flame Beast.

Half a year later, Chu Ning left his cave and headed to the Pill Refining Pavilion, where he stayed for ten days.

During this time, he refined several furnaces of pills required by the sect, and most of his time was spent refining pills to supplement his own cultivation needs.

After that, he returned to his cave abode once more and began the next phase of his cultivation journey.

Half a year turned into a year, and before he knew it, six years had passed since he joined the Jiuhua Zong, totaling almost eight years.

On this day, Chu Ning, who was cultivating in his room, suddenly opened his eyes.

【Yan Huo Shen Mu Gong (High-Rank Xuan Tier), Third Layer (20000/20000)】

【Nine Transformations Body Refining Art, First Volume, Undying Golden Body (5000/10000)】

【Spirit Refining Art, Fourth Layer (10677/64000)】

"Finally, I've perfected the third layer of the Yan Huo Shen Mu Gong!"

A glint of joy flashed in Chu Ning's eyes.

In these six years, he had made significant progress in various cultivation techniques.

The first volume of the Nine Transformations Body Refining Art, the Undying Golden Body, had officially reached its bottleneck, and he would need heavenly spirit pills to break through.

He had also made great strides in the Spirit Refining Art.

Of course, what brought Chu Ning the most joy was the perfection of the third layer of the Yan Huo Shen Mu Gong after eight to nine years of cultivation.

The next moment, Chu Ning looked at the information below, and his talent was refreshed!

【Talent Refresh, Reward Talent: "Artifice Sovereign Spirit Body"

1. Greatly enhances understanding and talent in artifact refining techniques;

2. Increases success rate and quality of artifact refining.】

Hidden Ability: All artifacts refined can be cultivated as signature artifacts with no quantity limit.】

"Artifice Sovereign Spirit Body!"

Chu Ning's eyes flickered as he looked at this newly acquired spirit body talent, a hint of surprise in his expression.

He found that the talent refresh of the Yan Huo Shen Mu Gong's spirit body was completely different from the Qing Mu Chang Sheng Gong's spirit body, which he had cultivated previously.

The Qing Mu Chang Sheng Gong's first two layers had refreshed talents related to talisman-making, and only the final, perfected layer had refreshed the Wu Huo Spirit Body, which was related to the next stage of cultivation.

However, the Yan Huo Shen Mu Gong's third layer had refreshed the Yuan Dan Spirit Body, the Wind Spirit Root, and now the Artifice Sovereign Spirit Body.

"In that case, when the Yan Huo Shen Mu Gong's fourth layer is perfected, will it still be able to refresh a cultivation-related spirit body?"

The thought crossed Chu Ning's mind, but he quickly dismissed it and looked at the spirit body talent before him.

His eyes shone with delight!

This talent came at just the right time! With the third layer of the Yan Huo Shen Mu Gong perfected, he would now strive to reach the late Qi Refining stage.

He would lay the foundation for the next realm—the Golden Core stage!

Upon reaching the Golden Core stage, a signature artifact would become one of the most important means of attack for a cultivator.

Moreover, the most suitable signature artifacts were those refined by the cultivator themselves.

Once he truly formed his Golden Core, he would be able to refine his signature artifact.

Additionally, the hidden ability of the Artifice Sovereign Spirit Body stated that there was no limit to the number of signature artifacts he could have.

This was truly unexpected to Chu Ning.

Even for cultivators skilled in artifact refining, assuming they had sufficient spiritual power and primal energies to nurture their artifacts, they could only have one or, at most, two signature artifacts.

This was a limitation set by the rules.

However, Chu Ning could ignore this restriction.

At the moment, he couldn't fathom the full extent of its benefits, but once he formed his Golden Core, it would undoubtedly provide a significant boost to his strength.

Nevertheless, what Chu Ning needed to do now was to strive for the late Qi Refining stage!

"Just like when I broke through to the second layer of the Yan Huo Shen Mu Gong, I wasn't far from the middle Qi Refining stage.

Now, I'm not far from the late Qi Refining stage either.

Seizing this opportunity, I'll break through to the late Qi Refining stage in one go!"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end