https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-621-Collaborative-Marriage-Proposal-Sixth-Level-Golden-Core-Six-Sets-of-Armors-Complete-/12942437/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-623-Inner-Hesitation-True-Meaning-of-the-Divergent-Path/12942439/
Chapter 622: Alchemy Artisan Pavilion, Embryo Completion, Blissful Dilemma
Chapter 622: Alchemy Artisan Pavilion, Embryo Completion, Blissful Dilemma
The Alchemy Artisan Pavilion, which had not seen its furnace lit for a long time, finally opened its doors with a rumbling sound.
Luo Chen led the way, followed by Tian Xuan, as they entered the "crowded" pavilion.
"Master, all the various materials you requested have been prepared in advance to prevent failure. I also instructed the Zhang family to supplement some additional materials for backup."
"Hmm."
Luo Chen acknowledged with a sound, his gaze falling upon the myriad of materials displayed in the pavilion.
There were tens of thousands of pounds of brass ore and iron ore, the most commonly used first-tier foundation materials for artifact crafting.
The second-tier liquid white tin, in its natural state, was a liquid, so it was stored in crystal flasks, with a total of five bottles. At the current market price, each bottle was worth seven hundred low-grade spirit stones, but this batch had been purchased much earlier, when the war between the righteous and demonic paths had just begun. Back then, a bottle was only worth five hundred and eighty spirit stones, which saved quite a bit.
The second-tier materials occupied the majority, and Luo Chen examined them one by one, all of excellent quality and grade.
Then, he turned his attention to the third-tier mining materials that he was particularly interested in.
Green Sea Belt was not a mining material but a spirit plant. This type of material was only produced in the deep sea and required professionals with specialized tools to harvest them, making them quite expensive.
The presence of a spirit plant among the mining materials had its reasons, as the Green Sea Belt over a hundred years old possessed excellent extensibility. When incorporated into an artifact, it could perfectly match the Wish Array, allowing the formed artifact to achieve perfect harmony.
The defensive artifact that Luo Chen intended to craft was in the form of armor, combining the thickness of armor with the convenience of a spell robe.
Most importantly, aside from its core defensive effect, this artifact must be able to change size and accompany him at all times.
The reason for this requirement was that Luo Chen's peak combat strength was not in its normal state but when he transformed into the Heavenly Peng True Body.
Once he transformed into the Heavenly Peng True Body, the increase in size would undoubtedly enhance his attack power, but it would also expose countless vulnerabilities.
During his late Foundation Establishment stage, in the battle against the Great Snow Mountain and the Grand Elder of the Lianyun Commerce Alliance, his Heavenly Peng True Body, without any protection, was injured by a third-tier Trigram Thousand Sword Talisman. Although he did not suffer a severe injury, the blood-soaked body was a testament to Luo Chen's struggle with defense in that transformed state.
Another example was the battle at the Mo family's fishing grounds on Cold Light Island, where the Hundred Creation Mountain Master rode the Treasure Mountain and crashed down. Luo Chen countered with his Gigantic Force.
Was his combat style domineering? No, it was simply because the transformation into the Heavenly Peng True Body left him with too many vulnerabilities. The giant mountain could not escape the attack range, forcing him to forcefully clash head-on.
After that move, he was almost exhausted, and even after fleeing for thousands of miles, he still had to find a hidden place to recover.
In summary, in normal combat, Luo Chen was well-rounded in both offense and defense. Even if he didn't stand out, he was agile and adaptable, with control over his attacks.
However, in his peak state, the Heavenly Peng True Body granted him immense combat power but reduced his defense to the extreme, forcing him to rely solely on his robust physique.
Therefore, the upcoming armor crafting must satisfy the needs of both forms.
But the Heavenly Peng True Body was often over a dozen zhang tall, and ordinary Wish Arrays couldn't extend to that degree.
The Green Sea Belt, a specialty of the North Sea cultivation world, perfectly solved this problem.
At this moment, in the Alchemy Artisan Pavilion, piles of dried-up yellow-brown Green Sea Belts stacked up to a height of one zhang, resembling a small mountain.
One could imagine the volume it would reach when soaked in specially prepared seawater during the subsequent artifact casting.
With such a massive quantity of Green Sea Belts infused into the artifact, its extensibility would be astonishing!
"Seven jin of high-quality mud, some of which I bought from the Cold Light Island auction, and some were contributed from the legacy of the second young master of the Wu family from the Lianfeng."
"Five pieces of Fire-Resistant Magma, each worth thousands of spirit stones!"
...
As Luo Chen meticulously checked the items, he also mentally simulated the upcoming artifact casting process.
The third-tier materials were crucial, as they determined the artifact's lower limit.
However, it was evident that the higher-tier materials determined an artifact's upper limit.
Under Tian Xuan's watchful gaze, Luo Chen's fingers lightly flicked, and radiant lights flew out from his storage ring.
"Mystic Sky Crystal!"
"Triple Yin Thunder Extreme Wood!"
"Colorless Sea Sand!"
Luo Chen recited as he presented this batch of fourth-tier mining materials, which were not obtained through robbery but purchased with a hefty sum at the Feiling Auction on Cold Light Island.
To prevent failure, he had also acquired multiple sets.
This also revealed why high-level forge masters could earn a profit.
The selling price of artifacts was not high for high-level cultivators, making it challenging for forge masters to profit.
Only by minimizing costs to the extreme could they reap several times the profit.
Regarding defensive artifacts with higher failure rates, most high-level forge masters rarely crafted them, and if they did, they only accepted custom orders.
Even for custom artifact orders, they required the customer to bear the cost and provide additional compensation.
"Master, what is this?"
As Luo Chen carefully placed three objects resembling white mountain peonies on the table, Tian Xuan couldn't help but ask.
She stared at the three flowers, especially the silver-white arcs dancing on the petals, her eyes twitching.
The tremor from the depths of her soul made her realize that these flowers posed a natural threat to her.
Luo Chen paid her no heed and merely said,
"Thousand-Year Thunder Lotus."
Hearing this name, Tian Xuan couldn't help but gasp.
Having taken human form for many years and extensively read human cultivation world dictionaries, she was no longer the fledgling who knew nothing about the human cultivation world.
Thunder Lotus was the top-tier fourth-tier mining material! Cultivators who crafted their soul-bound artifacts all craved even a single flower.
Yet, the master had brought out three flowers.
Moreover, they were Thousand-Year Thunder Lotuses!
Didn't that imply a level comparable to fifth-tier mining materials?
Luo Chen ignored her shock and silently calculated his Thunder Lotus reserves.
Back then, in the White Night Cave Mansion of the Nascent Soul Stage cultivator, he had collected eighteen Thousand-Year Thunder Lotuses.
Three were used to craft the Primordial Cauldron.
Later, he gave three to the Deputy Hall Master of the Du Zhen Hall, Yu Quan, and two to the Hall Master of the Zhou Kong Hall, the Azure Frost Empress.
During the Cangwu Mountain chaos, fearing an attack from the Thunder Hell Peng, he gave away one more.
As a result, he now had only nine Thousand-Year Thunder Lotuses left.
For this crafting of the Demon Sovereign Remains, he planned to use at least one and at most three!
The reason for incorporating this material was Luo Chen's high expectations for it.
Ordinary Magical Treasures, under the nourishment of Core Formation Cultivators, can at most increase their grade by one or two levels, and sometimes not even that.
For example, his Broken Moon Wings, after years of nourishment, have now advanced to the intermediate grade.
However, the Soul-Defense Magical Treasure, Black Chess, which has been nourished for even longer, is still at the low-grade level, and the prospect of upgrading it seems distant.
This demonstrates the difficulty of enhancing the grade of Magical Treasures.
But there is one type of Magical Treasure that is different!
Those are the treasures infused with Thunder Lotus.
When these treasures are forged, they undergo the tempering of blazing flames, and during nourishment, they are further subjected to the baptism of thunder, gradually becoming transparent and flawless. As a result, they can advance alongside the cultivator's cultivation realm.
This is one of the reasons why cultivators prefer to infuse Thunder Lotus into their Soul-Bound Artifacts.
Soul-Bound Artifacts are objects for dual cultivation of life and spirit, referring to the simultaneous cultivation of both the spirit and the body, as well as the simultaneous cultivation of the host and the artifact.
The upcoming treasure to be crafted has a core material that is the remains of a fourth-rank Demon Sovereign, comparable to a Nascent Soul True Person!
How could such a treasure be treated as an ordinary Magical Treasure?
If successful, it will undoubtedly become one of Luo Chen's most prized possessions, second only to the Primordial Cauldron, and it is destined to accompany him for a long time.
If it cannot advance alongside his cultivation realm and instead becomes a burden in the future, it would be a great pity.
"Using three Thunder Lotuses on the Demon Sovereign's remains, I have six left. These six must not be wasted. After the Primordial Cauldron's nourishment reaches its peak, I will infuse them to further raise the upper limit."
In an instant, Luo Chen had made up his mind.
Magical Treasures without Thunder Lotus cannot have it added later.
However, if its essence already contains Thunder Lotus, then similar substances can be fused subsequently.
Once everything was prepared, Luo Chen glanced at Tian Xuan.
She immediately understood his intention.
"Master, rest assured. I will manage external affairs for you, and this time, I won't let anyone disturb you."
After saying this, she bowed and left the Alchemy Artisan Pavilion.
The heavy bronze door closed with a rumbling sound.
After she left, Luo Chen took out two items.
One was the Primordial Cauldron, which landed with a loud clank.
The other was the Mystic Turtle Shell, floating in mid-air.
This time, Luo Chen did not throw the turtle shell into the Primordial Cauldron but left it floating in the air.
"This material is the crystallization of a powerful demon race expert and cannot be measured by grade."
"Ordinary techniques won't have much effect during the crafting process."
"Fortunately, based on the Penglai Immortal Sect's forging blueprints, I have developed my own techniques."
With a faint smile, he sat cross-legged on the ground.
His fingers spread out, then he joined them together like a sword, and two wisps of azure flames shot out from his fingertips, rushing towards the Demon Sovereign's remains.
Moreover, his lips parted slightly, and a wisp of extremely pure azure flame slowly emerged, completely enveloping the Demon Sovereign's remains.
Within the Qi Sea.
The Primordial True Fire blazed intensely!
The crimson Golden Core spun rapidly, and streams of purified and refined magical power merged into it, only to be drawn out again in the form of flames.
This first step was the most direct smelting! Luo Chen's Withering Flame was of the fourth rank, qualified to temper the Demon Sovereign's remains.
However, the process might take longer.
Subsequently, under Luo Chen's persistent smelting, the Mystic Turtle Shell in mid-air, which had initially remained unchanged, gradually turned black and began to soften.
Within the pavilion, even the surging demon power started to leak out.
This was the demon power accumulated by the old ancestor Xuan Yan Demon Sovereign of the Ringed Turtle clan over many years of cultivation, which allowed him to transform from an ordinary Ringed Turtle into a Feral Beast Mystic Turtle. It demonstrated the strength he had attained.
Even though it was only a portion of the remains, the latent demon power within was immense.
Now that it had been activated, it seemed a bit wasteful.
Luo Chen didn't mind and continued to smelt the turtle shell persistently.
To prevent running out of magical power, he often held an extremely high-grade True Flame Pill in his mouth.
Perhaps this way of taking pills without careful refinement might cause some side effects, but he couldn't afford to be concerned about that.
After years of preparation, when it came to the final step, how could he be timid? Luo Chen's current forging skills, as indicated on the attribute panel, had already reached the genuine third-rank Forger level!
The opportunity for advancement came from the Jade Ruyi he gave to Zhang Jiadi as a wedding gift.
It wasn't a war trophy he had collected before but something he crafted himself without relying on the nourishment of the Primordial Cauldron!
He had been continuously crafting six sets of Mystic Armor.
Through repeated successes, he gradually discovered some tricks.
Finally, in the same year he crafted the Flaming Sun Hell Armor, he experimentally crafted an ordinary Jade Ruyi Magical Treasure and succeeded.
In Luo Chen's opinion, that Jade Ruyi, though claimed to be both offensive and defensive, was rather ordinary.
It was better than his Mystic Fire Sword but inferior to the Heavenly Moon Purple Gold Wheel.
It belonged to a quality level that was above average but not exceptional.
However, none of this mattered. What was important was that Luo Chen had indeed stepped into the threshold of a third-rank Forger, qualifying him to craft Magical Treasures!
Time passed slowly.
Three months later.
Luo Chen, looking weary, finally retracted his Withering Flame.
With a wave of his hand, the turtle shell in mid-air fell into his grasp.
Ignoring the terrifying heat, Luo Chen carefully felt the state of the turtle shell.
It remained extremely hard, but it was evident that it had reached a forgeable state.
"The softening process is mostly complete."
Indeed, at this point, only half the work was done.
Luo Chen had no time to rest. He immediately placed Xuan Yan Demon Sovereign's turtle shell on a specially made stone platform.
Removing his white Daoist robe, he revealed his well-defined and refined upper body muscles.
With a flick of his hand, the Flame Fire Hammer fell into his grasp.
He struck the scorching hot turtle shell with all his might.
Boom!
With just one strike, a deafening roar reverberated.
The sound was so loud that it echoed outside the Alchemy Artisan Pavilion, spreading across Peng Lake for over ten miles.
On a solitary island.
A three-inch miniature figure, almost a half-illusory and half-real entity, wearing a small wooden plaque around his neck, was quietly cultivating.
Upon hearing the sound, he awakened from his slumber.
The little man frowned, then counted with his fingers, and his eyes revealed a look of realization.
"This kid has finally begun."
"It's admirable that he's so cautious and meticulous, preparing for years without relying on others before starting the crafting process."
"However, only top-tier Forgers can craft the Demon Sovereign's remains, and he's likely to be disappointed."
As he sighed, the little man shook his head.
"Let's wish him success!"
When he listened again, the sound of the heavy hammer striking had already faded away.
Within the Alchemy Artisan Pavilion.
Luo Chen returned to the four corners of the pavilion, rearranging the soundproofing formation to ensure no noise escaped.
He approached the iron platform once more, gazing at the Demon Sovereign's turtle shell and smacking his lips.
"I didn't expect there to be residual Demon Sovereign magical power within. It almost shook my Flame Fire Hammer right out of my hand."
"But this is good, too. The deeper the essence of this treasure, the greater the benefit to me once it's successful."
"It'll just take a bit more time, that's all."
Raising his right hand high, he wielded the iron hammer, following the mystical trajectory, and struck it down with a boom.
One hammer after another, from slow to fast.
Eventually, within the Alchemy Artisan Pavilion, the flames resembled shooting stars, and the hammer seemed like a billowing cloak, a testament to the mastery of the casting technique—the Flame Fire Hammer!
This technique was exceptionally effective for forging extremely hard raw materials.
It was one of the secret casting techniques that only Golden Core stage cultivators from Hundred Creation Mountain could learn.
It took Luo Chen a full three months to hammer the turtle shell.
Even with his robust physique rivaling that of a Demon King, and even an ordinary Transformed Demon Sovereign, it was almost unbearable.
After sending the meticulously hammered turtle shell into the Primordial Cauldron, Luo Chen collapsed on the floor like a dead dog, unable to recover his breath for an entire day.
Several days later, after restoring his spirit and body to a state capable of action, Luo Chen resumed his forging work.
The first step, processing the core raw materials, was already complete.
Next, he needed to integrate various auxiliary materials to forge the artifact embryo.
This process seemed simple, but it was actually incredibly intricate and was the most challenging test of a forger's accumulated skills.
It required an understanding of each auxiliary material and the application of different techniques during processing.
Basic brass and iron ores could be melted and purified, while more advanced liquid white tin required soaking in demon beast blood. The Green Sea Belt needed to be soaked in a large amount of specially treated seawater to restore it to its original state.
These were still relatively basic.
The more challenging ones were the fourth-rank mining materials.
Mystic Sky Crystals could be crushed and ground into powder, but each particle had to be of the same specification, a task that required precise control with spiritual sense.
Triple Yin Thunder Extreme Wood needed to be peeled with the Five Thunder Extreme Wood technique to remove the thunder skin and extract the wood core.
Colorless Sea Sand required yet another technique...
In his free time, Luo Chen couldn't help but marvel at how renowned forgers in the cultivation world often belonged to family sects.
Such intricate material processing methods were nearly impossible to master alone; it was akin to climbing a mountain.
If there were specialized talents to process each material during forging, the forger could focus solely on the overall refinement.
But Luo Chen didn't have that luxury.
After his musings, Luo Chen had to continue.
During this process, he failed a few times, but fortunately, he had plenty of spare materials, so it didn't affect the overall situation.
Half a year later, it was time to process the final material—the Thousand-Year Thunder Lotus.
At this step, Luo Chen actually felt relieved.
He casually tossed a Thunder Lotus into the Primordial Cauldron, where it slowly merged with the other processed materials.
Yes, it was that simple.
The higher the rank of the material, the more straightforward the processing became, like the Great Dao's simplicity.
How did Luo Chen know how to process this stuff?
Back at Cangwu Mountain, he had witnessed Heavenly Refiner Zi using the Thousand-Year Thunder Lotus to forge the Primordial Cauldron.
Moreover, the Hundred Creation Mountain's scriptures also recorded the processing of ordinary Thunder Lotus.
Combining these experiences, the techniques were largely similar, indicating their universal applicability.
As the Thousand-Year Thunder Lotus entered the cauldron, Luo Chen closely monitored the reactions within.
Once he confirmed everything was normal, he tentatively added a second lotus.
It remained normal.
Then, a third lotus was added.
At this moment, the cauldron stirred with agitation.
"It seems this is the limit, just as I expected."
This turtle shell originated from the Mystic Rock Demon Sovereign.
It was a fourth-rank Demon Sovereign that had survived the thunder tribulation!
The turtle shell, being the hardest part of its body, was second in importance only to its demon core.
It must have endured fierce strikes during the thunder tribulation.
This material had the essence to accommodate three Thousand-Year Thunder Lotuses.
But beyond this, the challenge wasn't in the material itself; it required Luo Chen's more advanced forging skills.
Obviously, the current Luo Chen wasn't up to the task.
At this step, Luo Chen couldn't help but admire the late Heavenly Refiner Zi.
He was a true master-level forger!
When he forged the Primordial Cauldron for Luo Chen, he had been at ease from start to finish, never showing any signs of struggle.
If not for that odd drop of blood, Luo Chen's soul-bound artifact, the Primordial Cauldron, could have been effortlessly created by Heavenly Refiner Zi.
Amidst this admiration, Luo Chen's heart was also filled with caution.
"Every skill is profound and vast."
"With the system in hand, I may easily enter a skill and achieve considerable success. But to reach the pinnacle, the time and energy required are unimaginable."
"Once I become engrossed, it will inevitably affect my cultivation state."
"Remember this! Remember this!"
After this reflection, Luo Chen used his forging skills to adjust the fusion progress of various materials in the cauldron, occasionally adding or removing some to achieve the most suitable proportions.
This adjustment took about ten days.
After ten days, the material ratio in the cauldron reached the most suitable amount in Luo Chen's mind.
At this step, he could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Within the Alchemy Artisan Pavilion.
Luo Chen floated in the air, continuously casting spells towards the Primordial Cauldron.
Layer upon layer of thin energy shields enveloped it, sealing it completely.
Then, he added a few third-rank wooden logs underneath, intensifying the furnace fire.
"The artifact embryo is nearly formed, taking over a year. At this stage, others would start preparing to inscribe formation arrays, but I'm different."
With a faint smile, Luo Chen turned and left the Alchemy Artisan Pavilion.
Let this embryo mature in the Primordial Cauldron! The longer, the better.
When the embryo is perfect, it will be time to inscribe the formation arrays.
Perhaps soon, he will obtain a protective treasure that suits him perfectly.
Luo Chen had even started to worry about what to name this artifact.
It was like when parents first learn of their pregnancy, they eagerly consult dictionaries, sages, and brainstorm to find the best name for their child.
A blissful dilemma indeed!
(End of Chapter)
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