Chapter 135: Li Yan’s First Artifact

Li Yan recalled the alloy formula recorded within the blueprint.

Common Iron: sixty percent. Black: thirty-five to forty-five percent. Common Copper, five percent.

Even the slightest deviation could alter the final alloy's properties.

Without hesitation, Li Yan separated the molten metals into their required proportions before gradually bringing them together inside the furnace.

The instant the different metals touched, the molten alloy began to fluctuate violently.

Although common Iron and Black Iron were naturally compatible, common Copper resisted the mixture slightly, causing faint ripples to spread throughout the liquid metal.

Li Yan immediately circulated Spiritual Energy into the furnace. Instead of forcefully suppressing the resistance, he gently guided the three metallic essences together.

His Spiritual Energy acted like an invisible bridge.

The fluctuations gradually weakened.

Little by little, the different metals accepted one another.

Li Yan continued maintaining both temperature and Spiritual Energy circulation without the slightest distraction.

His Spiritual Sense constantly observed the alloy at the microscopic level. Whenever a minute separation appeared, his Spiritual Energy immediately corrected it.

Only after the alloy became completely uniform did he slowly nod.

The second step had been completed successfully.

Without wasting a single movement, Li Yan advanced to the next stage.

Artifact Formation.

The Golden Feather Peacock Flame immediately shifted in nature.

Rather than merely supplying it, they began flowing around the molten alloy like invisible hands.

Li Yan slowly closed his eyes.

Within his Spiritual Consciousness, the completed dagger appeared once again.

Every measurement. Every curve. Every angle. Clear.

His eyes opened.

The molten alloy slowly rose from the furnace.

Suspended entirely by Spiritual Energy and flames, it hovered steadily above the furnace's opening.

Li Yan's fingers moved gently. The flames immediately responded. The glowing alloy gradually stretched into a long, narrow shape.

The blade slowly emerged first.

Then the tang.

Finally, the handle.

The entire process resembled a sculptor patiently carving a masterpiece from molten metal.

Whenever the shape deviated even slightly from the blueprint within his mind, Li Yan immediately corrected it.

His Spiritual Consciousness continuously compared the forming dagger with the perfect image stored within his mind.

Again.

And again.

Countless microscopic adjustments gradually brought the two closer together.

The blade steadily became sharper. Its surfaces became smoother. Its proportions gradually reached complete symmetry.

Minutes quietly passed as Li Yan remained wholly immersed in the process.

Finally, the last adjustment was completed.

Suspended above the furnace, a perfectly formed dagger slowly rotated amidst the golden flames.

Although still glowing red from the tremendous heat, its elegant shape had already fully emerged. Every edge, every curve, and every proportion matched the blueprint stored within Li Yan's mind.

Li Yan carefully observed it without letting his concentration waver.

The artifact's body had finally taken form.

Yet he knew the true challenge of Craftsmanship had only just begun. The dagger remained incomplete, and several crucial stages still awaited before it could truly become an artifact worthy of being wielded.

If he relaxed even slightly now, all of his previous efforts could still be wasted. Li Yan drew a slow breath before extending both hands toward the furnace.

The flames surrounding the dagger gradually weakened. Not extinguished, but merely softened.

The blazing golden fire slowly transformed into a gentle golden glow that enveloped the blade evenly from every direction.

Tempering.

Unlike Artifact Formation, which demanded decisive control, tempering required patience.

The heated metal needed to cool gradually while its internal structure stabilized under carefully controlled temperatures. Cooling it too quickly would create invisible fractures. Cooling it unevenly would weaken the alloy's resonance, reducing the artifact's future compatibility with Qi.

Li Yan's Spiritual Sense remained entirely focused upon the dagger. Within his perception, the alloy's internal structure slowly settled.

Tiny fluctuations continued to ripple throughout the metal.

Each time one appeared, Li Yan adjusted the flame ever so slightly, ensuring the temperature remained perfectly balanced.

Time quietly passed.

A few beads of sweat gradually formed on his forehead, yet his breathing remained steady. He neither hurried nor hesitated.

The flames continued to rise and fall with remarkable precision. Eventually, the fluctuations within the alloy became increasingly faint. The countless metallic layers gradually aligned into a stable and harmonious structure.

Only after confirming the alloy had completely stabilized did Li Yan finally withdraw the refining flames.

The dagger slowly descended onto the small stone table beside him, which he had arranged specially for craftsmanship.

The dagger's surface retained a faint warmth, while its metallic sheen had deepened noticeably.

Li Yan nodded almost imperceptibly. The tempering had been completed. Without wasting time, he reopened the blueprint.

His gaze no longer lingered upon the dagger's dimensions. Instead, it settled upon the intricate rune diagram recorded beneath the artifact's illustration.

Numerous rune lines intertwined across the blade and hilt.

Each possessed a precise depth.

A precise direction.

A precise sequence.

Even a minute deviation could interrupt the flow of Qi throughout the entire artifact. Li Yan silently memorized every carving path once more.

Afterward, he slowly closed his eyes.

Within his Spiritual Consciousness, the completed dagger appeared once again. This time, however, countless luminous rune lines gradually emerged across its surface.

One after another.

Each carving stroke unfolded clearly before his mind.

Li Yan mentally repeated the entire carving process.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

Each repetition became increasingly smooth. Only after every carving path had become second nature did he finally open his eyes.

The carving knife quietly appeared in his hand. Its edge shimmered with remarkable sharpness, befitting a Tier-4 artifact.

The blade shimmered faintly as Qi gradually flowed through it. Li Yan picked up the tempered dagger with his left hand. Thanks to his immunity to fire, this still-hot dagger felt only warm in his hand.

The carving knife slowly descended. The first stroke landed upon the blade with astonishing precision.

A thin metallic shaving quietly curled away.

The second stroke followed immediately afterward.

Then the third.

His movements remained neither fast nor slow. Every cut matched the blueprint recorded within his mind.

His Spiritual Sense constantly compared reality against the perfect mental image.

Whenever the carving depth differed by even the slightest fraction, Li Yan adjusted his wrist before continuing.

Minutes quietly slipped away. The once smooth blade gradually became covered with delicate rune patterns.

Some resembled flowing streams. Others intertwined like ancient vines. Although individually simple, together they formed one complete rune circuit.

When the final carving stroke ended, Li Yan carefully inspected every rune once more. Only after confirming that no runes had been missed did he set the carving knife aside.

With a wave of his hand, he summoned a Tier-1 Magical Beast Core.

Darkness attribute.

A faint black radiance immediately spread throughout the chamber. The Beast Core slowly floated into the air under the guidance of his Qi.

According to the blueprint, this dagger had been designed to accommodate any of the nine elements, but Li Yan chose the Darkness element attribute.

Li Yan gently placed the Beast Core above the center of the dagger.

His Golden Feather Peacock Flames emerged once again.

This time, however, they did not heat the metal. Instead, they carefully enveloped the Beast Core.

The outer shell gradually softened. Pure Darkness elemental energy slowly escaped, flowing like strands of black mist.

Li Yan carefully guided the energy toward the rune network carved across the blade. The instant the darkness entered the first rune, the entire dagger trembled faintly.

The runes illuminated one after another, producing a deep black radiance before gradually stabilizing.

The darkness element flowed steadily through every carved pathway.

Some portions advanced smoothly.

Others encountered slight resistance before continuing.

Li Yan remained calm.

He patiently synchronized his Qi with the elemental energy, allowing the runes to accept it naturally instead of forcing the infusion.

Little by little, the remaining darkness completely merged with the artifact.

The Beast Core gradually lost its brilliance before crumbling into fine gray powder.

The dagger's black runes quietly dimmed, disappearing beneath the metallic surface as though they had never existed.

Only a faint dark aura remained hidden within the blade.

Li Yan immediately began the final refinement. The refining flames gently enveloped the completed dagger one final time. Unlike the previous stages, this process required no reshaping or carving.

Its purpose was simple.

To harmonize every component into one complete whole.

The alloy, the runes, and the elemental energy gradually resonated with one another beneath the gentle warmth of the flames.

After nearly ten minutes, Li Yan slowly withdrew the fire.

The dagger quietly descended into his palm.

It felt noticeably heavier than before.

Its balance had become exceptionally stable.

A faint, dark aura remained concealed within its body. Only when Li Yan circulated his Qi into the weapon did the runes quietly reveal themselves, confirming that the rune network was functioning properly.

Li Yan carefully observed it for several moments before retrieving a small gun-shaped artifact from his storage ring.

Unlike the Pill Tester used by alchemists, this was an Artifact Tester.

He gently placed the dagger upon the stone table, then pointed the tester toward it and circulated a strand of Qi into the artifact. A soft white beam emerged from the tester, enveloping the dagger.

Several breaths later, five lines of light gradually appeared upon the tester's screen-like surface.

[Tier: Tier-1

Material Purity:61%

Rune Precision:45%

Overall Quality:53%

Artifact Level: Low-Level]

Li Yan's eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

He had expected his first artifact to barely exceed forty percent overall quality, which would have placed it within the Trash-Level category. Instead, it had reached fifty-three percent, successfully entering the Low-Level category.

According to the craftsmanship manuals, many novice craftsmen either failed outright or produced nothing more than Trash-Level artifacts before finally forging one that surpassed the fifty-percent threshold. Achieving such a result on his very first attempt was already considered an outstanding beginning.

His gaze lingered upon the readings.

The material purity had exceeded his expectations.

His patient flame control, combined with countless days spent practicing alchemy, had produced a stable foundation.

The greater weakness lay in the rune precision.

Although every rune had been carved correctly, his lack of practical experience had prevented each carving from reaching its ideal depth, shape, curve accuracy, and overall harmony.

Li Yan smiled faintly.

There was no disappointment in his expression. Instead, he had gained something far more valuable than a single successful artifact.

He now understood exactly where he needed to improve.

A soft chuckle escaped his lips.

"Knowledge truly is the greatest foundation."

Without the countless manuals he had studied in the Shadow Knowledge Pavilion, without patiently understanding every principle before ever touching a crafting furnace, he doubted he could have achieved such a result on his very first attempt.

Practical experience could only build upon a solid foundation.

And knowledge…

It was the strongest foundation of them all.

Li Yan did not begin another attempt immediately.

Instead, he sat quietly before the Craftsman Furnace, the completed dagger resting upon the stone table as his gaze lingered on the readings displayed by the Artifact Tester.

His Spiritual Consciousness replayed every step of the creation process.

From the moment the first piece of common Iron entered the furnace until the final refinement had concluded, nothing escaped his review.

The alloy had remained stable throughout the process. His flame control had also met his expectations.

The greatest flaw had appeared during rune carving.

Although every rune had followed the blueprint correctly, subtle differences in carving depth, shape, curve accuracy, and the flow of Qi through the carving knife had prevented the rune network from reaching complete harmony.

"Practice."

Li Yan softly uttered a single word.

Theory had shown him the correct path. Only repeated practice could perfect it.

Without another thought, he gathered a fresh set of materials.

The second attempt began.

This time, his movements flowed with noticeably greater confidence.

His previous experience helped him avoid several minor mistakes during alloy creation, and his carving hand grew steadier.

When the Artifact Tester completed its inspection, the result immediately appeared.

[Tier: Tier-1

Material Purity:81%

Rune Precision:57%

Overall Quality:69%

Artifact Level: Low-Level]

Li Yan nodded slightly. The improvement had exceeded his expectations.

Without pausing, he immediately began the third attempt. Each completed dagger became another lesson. Each inspection revealed another weakness. Each weakness became the focus of the following attempt.

Time quietly slipped by inside the chamber.

The sound of flames, carving knives, and flowing Qi became the only rhythm within the room.

One dagger after another gradually lined the shelves along the wall. Their quality steadily improved with every successful creation.

The third dagger reached an Overall Quality of 76%, entering the Mid-Level category.

…

The fourth reached 82%, entering the Mid-Level category.

…

The fifth reached 87%.

For the first time, Li Yan noticed the pace of improvement slowing. His flame control had already approached the current limit of both his Refining Flame and Craftsman Furnace.

Most of the remaining flaws now originated from rune carving itself—every additional percentage required considerably greater precision than before.

*

*

Author Note

Hello everyone!

I hope you guys are enjoying Li Yan's journey so far. Thank you all for your continued support and for staying connected with the story. It truly means a lot to me.

I was originally expecting this entire arc—the foundation of Li Yan's journey within the Shadow Haven Sect—to be shorter. Somehow, campers, it ended up stretching much longer than I had anticipated. 😅

Because of that, I've decided to begin bringing this part of the story toward its conclusion and prepare Li Yan for his return to the world outside the Sect—the world that has been waiting for him.

To do that properly, I'll need to make some time skips.

Of course, I'm not going to skip through the remainder of Li Yan's stay in the Sect all at once. Some important events, developments, and moments will still be shown. However, there will also be periods of time that are summarized rather than explored chapter by chapter.

This is where I need your help.

If you notice any time-skipping transition that feels confusing, too abrupt, or leaves out something important, please let me know. I'll do my best to make sure the progression remains clear and natural.

Thank you again for reading, supporting the novel, and staying with Li Yan on this journey.

See you in the next chapter!

— Chén Yì Dào