https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-613-The-Demon-Sealing-Array-of-the-North-Pole-the-Dark-Blue-Mystic-Armor-Appears/12942429/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-615-Lu-Shan-Talisman-Manual-Sang-Lao-s-Interception/12942431/
Chapter 614: The Innate Magical Artifact, Its Mystery Unveiled
Chapter 614: The Innate Magical Artifact, Its Mystery Unveiled
"Congratulations, Master! Well done, Master!"
In the Cave Mansion, Black King sincerely flattered Luo Chen.
But the response he received was, "Quiet down, I'm thinking!"
Black King hissed, looking glum, and slithered away to the side, occasionally glancing at Luo Chen with furrowed brows.
Why wasn't he happy, even though it was a success? Indeed, it was a success!
"This shouldn't be..."
Luo Chen looked at the armor plate in his hand with uncertainty, further infusing it with his mana.
In an instant, the blue armor plate transformed into a ray of light, enveloping Luo Chen's body. The ancient patterns on it resembled flowing water.
From head to toe, limbs, and even the most fragile eyes, a layer of energy shield appeared.
Summoning the Flowing Fire Hammer, he struck it against his body.
Boom!
A muffled sound reverberated, but Luo Chen didn't budge an inch. Although the powerful shockwave jolted his internal organs, his robust physique barely felt any impact.
His gaze shifted to Black King.
"Release a water arrow to attack me."
Black King hesitated, "Master, this doesn't seem right! How dare I be so disrespectful? This is a grave offense..."
"Stop your chattering! Do as I say, and control the attack power to be around the initial stage of the third tier."
As Luo Chen's tone became stern, Black King dared not delay. He immediately gathered his demonic energy and spat out a black water arrow.
The water arrow came with fierce momentum, its demonic energy chilling. A Foundation Establishment cultivator would die upon contact, and even an early-stage Golden Core cultivator would need to defend against it.
However, as the water arrow approached, Luo Chen neither dodged nor evaded; he merely activated the Dark Blue Mystic Armor to its maximum potential.
Sizzle!
A soft sound echoed, and the azure light flickered a few times before returning to calmness.
"It indeed possesses the characteristics of that defensive magical artifact. Not only does it have the armor itself, but it also generates an energy shield. It can defend against physical attacks from the magical artifact and withstand the energy attacks of cultivators' mana and demonic beasts' demonic energy."
"In other words, I truly succeeded in one go!"
After verifying it twice, Luo Chen's astonishment grew.
"This shouldn't be..."
He was accustomed to failure, and his so-called successes were always a result of repeated practice, eventually leading to success.
But this time, it was so effortless!
Luo Chen was well aware of his own artifact forging skills.
Even without hearing the praise of the Master of Moyun Cave, if he had heard it, he would have agreed with the assessment.
Currently, Luo Chen's artifact forging skills were only at the level of refining magical artifacts.
The success rate was highest for lower-grade artifacts, and he could occasionally succeed with middle-grade artifacts after a few failures.
However, when it came to magical artifacts, he had never succeeded.
Even when he had previously attempted to refine magical artifacts and failed, he had gained a few top-grade magical artifacts due to the exceptional quality of the materials, which preserved some of their power.
As a result, Luo Chen had lost a significant amount of spirit stones and had to sell some magical artifacts to recoup his losses, risking offending the local artifact forgers of the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly.
At that time, Luo Chen realized that if he wanted to achieve something in artifact forging, the task was daunting.
He had analyzed the reasons for his struggles.
There were a few reasons he had concluded.
Firstly, he had been immersed in artifact forging for too short a time. Secondly, he lacked guidance from a master, even though Duan Feng had laid the foundation for him in the early stages, but Duan Feng's own artifact forging skills had not yet reached a level worthy of acclaim.
Lastly, his own artifact forging style was a factor.
Other artifact forgers relied on earth fire cauldrons and formation masters who worked day and night with their formations, frequently adjusting the forging process with various secret techniques and medicines.
Luo Chen's approach was much simpler; he solely relied on the Primordial Cauldron.
For the most crucial aspect of artifact forging—flames—he used his mana to stimulate the Withering Flourishing True Fire for convenience.
The more he understood himself, the lower his expectations became for refining the Demon Sovereign Remains.
He didn't dare hope that he could reach the level of a master forger and then attempt to refine the Demon Sovereign Remains; instead, he planned to start only after his six sets of mystic armor reached the level of top-grade magical artifacts.
But now, a surprise occurred! On his first attempt at refining one of the six sets of mystic armor, the Dark Blue Mystic Armor, he succeeded.
"Could I be an unparalleled artifact forging genius? Is creating magical artifacts as easy as plucking a flower?"
Luo Chen muttered to himself, immediately dismissing the possibility.
If he were truly a genius, he wouldn't have failed in his previous attempts to refine inferior-grade offensive magical artifacts.
He glanced at the system panel.
[Second-Tier Artifact Forger]
Indeed, his artifact forging skills remained at the second-tier level, not yet reaching the level required to forge inferior-grade magical artifacts.
The system had also made this assessment! But now, he had undeniably refined an inferior-grade magical artifact, and it was the most precious defensive magical artifact, rarely seen on the market.
He had succeeded, but his artifact forger level hadn't increased.
This meant that, according to the system's judgment, his artifact forging skills had not yet reached that level.
"Why is this so?"
Luo Chen fell into deep thought.
The Cave Mansion became uncharacteristically quiet.
Even the usually restless Black King dared not breathe loudly, fearing to disturb Luo Chen's contemplation.
After a while, Luo Chen slowly raised his head, and his gaze fell on the large cauldron standing in the cave.
"Could it be this?"
After much thought, the only variable seemed to be the Primordial Cauldron.
Luo Chen clearly remembered that during his previous attempts to refine inferior-grade magical artifacts, he had used conventional forging methods.
Processing the raw materials, blending and smelting them with Mana or molding them into shape, and finally engraving the array, the failure often occurs during the blending and engraving stages.
However, the process of crafting the Dark Blue Mystic Armor this time was quite different.
Due to Huangfu Song's provocation, he was forced to interrupt the forging of his Magic Treasure and left the raw materials in the Primordial Cauldron, letting them sit idle.
The subsequent blending and smelting, and even the adaptation phase after engraving the array, were all done within the Primordial Cauldron.
Especially during the past six months on Qu Yang Island, he had been engrossed in cultivating the Dragon Severing Technique with Soul Essence, unknowingly nurturing the embryo of the Dark Blue Mystic Armor in the Primordial Cauldron for half a year.
Luo Chen hesitated, then flew into the air.
As Black King watched with wide eyes, Luo Chen flew directly into the Primordial Cauldron.
It should be noted that the raging fire beneath the cauldron hadn't extinguished yet!
"Is the master trying to stew himself in the cauldron?"
Inside the cauldron.
Luo Chen reached out, ignoring the scorching heat, and touched the solid surface of the cauldron.
It felt like metal, yet also like the smooth texture of plants and wood, and upon careful observation, there seemed to be an unceasing surge of wind and thunder power.
All this time, he had kept this natal Magic Treasure within his Qi Sea, nurturing it, and occasionally observed it with his Divine Sense.
This time, he changed his perspective.
He approached it from the outside, using his physical touch to feel the cauldron.
As soon as he made contact, a feeling of blood connection surged through him.
It was normal for a natal Magic Treasure, an object for dual cultivation of life and magic, to give such a sensation.
As Luo Chen continued to feel the cauldron, he gradually gained some insight.
Since the day this cauldron was forged, he had been nurturing it for nearly thirty years!
When it was first created, although it was of superior grade due to the materials used, its power wasn't particularly remarkable.
With continuous nurturing, the impurities within the cauldron gradually decreased, and various wonders began to manifest.
During battles, Luo Chen often manifested nine chains of crimson locks, which was one of the cauldron's remarkable abilities. These chains had a strong restraining effect, and with the Primordial Cauldron as the center, they also had a slight automatic enemy detection effect.
This was one of the reasons why Luo Chen could instantly detect the sneak attack by the white-robed cultivator Yan Zhixian during the Monster Hunter assessment.
Additionally, the Primordial Cauldron's suppression effect also began to shine.
When Luo Chen used the cauldron with all his strength, he managed to suppress Qian Ting, a cultivator at the seventh layer of the Golden Core, and later, a Golden Core Demon King comparable to the late Golden Core stage. These were clear proofs of its suppression power.
However, it was evident that the Primordial Cauldron's functions went beyond these.
It inherently possessed five major functions: suppression, confinement, restraint, nurturing, and refining!
As mentioned earlier, it was only in the suppression and restraint aspects that the cauldron had begun to demonstrate its power.
The confinement effect was evident when Black King resided within the cauldron, as it had a self-generated spatial dimension.
As one of the three sacred cauldrons of Qingdan Valley, the Primordial Cauldron's primary function was obviously the latter two.
Nurturing and refining!
Nurturing refers to cultivation, and refining refers to the creation of pills.
Luo Chen had been using the cauldron for pill refinement these years, and it had become very handy. Occasionally, during pill refinement, he would even break through the pill's grade, harvesting higher-quality pills.
However, he had never tried its nurturing capabilities.
If this Magic Treasure was successfully refined in one go, and if one were to find a reason, the most likely explanation would be the nurturing function of the Primordial Cauldron.
"But why didn't I notice such a powerful nurturing function before?"
According to Luo Chen's estimation, it would take at least a few hundred years to completely refine the impurities in the Primordial Cauldron.
Only then would this treasure be in a state of complete harmony. After all, when it was initially forged, it had absorbed too many raw materials without prior processing.
Suddenly, Luo Chen opened his mouth and spat out a small basin, which landed in his hand.
"It's because of this Dragon Nurturing Basin!"
He spoke with certainty.
The Dragon Nurturing Basin obtained from Qian Ting was primarily used for nurturing Magic Treasures.
For the past five or six years, Luo Chen had been using this treasure within his Qi Sea to nurture the Primordial Cauldron, the Broken Moon Wings, and other treasures.
Unknowingly, the Broken Moon Wings, which had accumulated power over the years, had already advanced to a middle-grade treasure.
The Primordial Cauldron seemed unchanged, but it was also quietly improving through accelerated nurturing.
And the most significant improvement was the nurturing power, which was derived from the same source as the Dragon Nurturing Basin!
"If so, it also explains why I can refine the Dark Blue Mystic Armor, a low-grade treasure, while the system hasn't recognized me as a third-rank tool refinement master."
"Because it wasn't refined by me; it was nurtured by the Primordial Cauldron!"
After understanding this, Luo Chen's mind suddenly became clear.
All his doubts vanished, and even various stray thoughts emerged in his mind.
"If it can nurture the Dark Blue Mystic Armor, it also means it can nurture the other five sets of Mystic Armor!"
"Even the Demon Sovereign Remains might be possible!"
"Not only that. I can fully rely on the Primordial Cauldron to refine other Magic Treasures extensively. Even if the system doesn't count my tool refinement skills, the success rate will still increase, and I'll eventually find the knack for success!"
Failure is the mother of success.
But success is eternal!
The two are not contradictory, and the latter can bring Luo Chen unexpected benefits.
Not to mention the value of defensive Magic Treasures, which far surpasses that of ordinary offensive Magic Treasures.
The price of a typical low-grade offensive Magic Treasure is within ten thousand, and even with the frequent wars in the Northern Sea driving up prices, the premium rarely exceeds ten thousand.
Defensive-type magical artifacts inherently fetch one or two times the price of offensive-type artifacts of the same rank.
In the current Northern Sea situation, it's entirely possible to sell a decent-quality defensive magical artifact for three to four hundred thousand spirit stones.
One might even say that it's a seller's market.
At a large auction, if one encounters a suitable match in terms of affinity or spiritual root compatibility, it's not impossible for someone to go bankrupt in pursuit of such an item.
Amidst these thoughts, Luo Chen faintly saw a sky filled with golden light, an endless source of wealth!
With a leap, Luo Chen jumped out of the Primordial Cauldron.
Looking at the large cauldron beneath him, his expression was filled with excitement.
"This cauldron is truly like adding wings to a tiger for me!"
In the corner, Black King instantly straightened his neck and shouted, "Congratulations, Master! Best wishes, Master!"
"Haha, you're a wretched creature, but you've learned to read the situation."
It must be said that this time, Black King's flattery was well-timed.
In his joy, Luo Chen casually threw the blue armor plate on his body towards Black King.
Black King's eyes widened. Could it be...
He had already opened his mouth, "Thank you, Master, for your..."
Suddenly, the armor plate stopped in midair.
Luo Chen smiled and recalled the armor plate.
"Although this item is not compatible with my mana, it's still a low-grade defensive magical artifact. It can also help spread the name of my master craftsman, Qingyangzi. Giving it to you would be a waste."
Black King's elation seemed to be doused with a bucket of cold water, and he instantly deflated.
Luo Chen shook his head with a smile.
"Forget it. Considering you've been guarding and tending the fire for me, you've put in effort even without notable achievements. On this Qu Yang Island, there are many complete water-attributed demonic beast corpses. In a couple of days, I'll refine a cauldron of top-grade Imperial Flowing Elixir for you!"
Upon hearing this, Black King perked up!
A top-grade Imperial Flowing Elixir!
He hadn't had one in many years.
That elixir, despite its seemingly low rank, continuously uncovers the power deep within one's bloodline when accumulated.
The reason Black King could progress from a low-grade Black Scaled Python to his current state, even surpassing Tianxuan Douou, who was once stronger than him, is that he has consumed far more Imperial Flowing Elixir than Tianxuan.
Compared to external objects, he values the improvement of his own body more.
"You go first. I need to sort out my cultivation plan for the next step."
After Black King left in high spirits, Luo Chen put away his treasures and calmed his thoughts.
Now that the Primordial Cauldron has revealed another function, he must consider how to maximize its utilization.
This is not a futile effort.
It can broaden his wealth, enhance his artifact refinement technique, and ultimately, it will feedback into his cultivation and strength.
Therefore, he needs to carefully plan, leaving no room for carelessness.
...
Three months later.
On the beach, a female crown and a red-robed Daoist walked side by side.
The elegant ink-white bamboo robe trailed behind them, untouched by the slightest grain of sand or dust.
The female crown's gaze fell upon the massive silhouette in the ocean, swallowing vast amounts of essence energy and causing the seawater to churn.
She spoke with a voice filled with admiration and envy.
"Qingyangzi, your spirit beast is truly formidable! Observing its cultivation, it seems to surpass both you and me, giving me the impression that its potential is boundless. Is this truly an ordinary Black Scaled Python?"
Luo Chen smiled lightly, "I guess I'm a bit lucky. Although Black King's origins are not exceptional, his diligent cultivation has led to his transformation into a mythical dragon, swallowing the essence of the vast ocean."
As he spoke, his gaze occasionally shifted to Black King's body, partially exposed above the water's surface.
Unlike the pitch-black appearance from their first encounter, Black King's scales had deepened in color, and on his white belly, there were rings resembling branches and vines, or perhaps mountain rock patterns.
Especially at the top of his head!
The original single horn remained menacing, but beside it, a bulge of flesh had formed, as if a second dragon horn was about to emerge.
A majestic aura was faintly visible!
The only surprise was that after years of cultivation, it hadn't developed the so-called four-limbed dragon claws.
According to Black King's explanation, this was due to the influence of his bloodline and the changes brought about by consuming the Cliff Snake's corpse.
The Cliff Snake, by nature, had no limbs.
As Luo Chen pondered, Lu Shan Jun, standing beside him, suddenly spoke, "Your term is almost over, right? Only three months left?"
Luo Chen's lips curved slightly, "Yes, in three months, I can return to the Flying Dragon Mountain Range. Then, I'll have five more years of leisure."
Lu Shan Jun blinked, "Fellow Daoist, are you not worried about the expensive rent for the Eight Hundred Mile Peninsula? Don't you want to improve your star rank to get more discounts?"
"Thank you for your concern, Fellow Daoist Lu Shan," Luo Chen smiled and waved his hand dismissively. "I have my ways to make money. A little rent is not a problem."
Hearing this, Lu Shan Jun sighed repeatedly.
"With your formidable strength, notorious reputation, Golden Core servant, Demon King spirit beast, and expertise in wealth accumulation, you're truly an anomaly among loose cultivators! Even the Supreme Elders of those Golden Core Great Sects might be your equal, but in terms of freedom, they can't match your carefree lifestyle."
Luo Chen raised his eyebrows and shifted his gaze to Lu Shan Jun's delicate face.
"Fellow Daoist, if you have something to say, please speak frankly."
Lu Shan Jun's face turned slightly unnatural as his thoughts were exposed. Clearing his throat, he said, "I have a business proposition to discuss with you."
(End of Chapter)
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