Chapter 530 528: Provocation

Divine Artifacts—weapons coveted by countless Cultivators—could fetch astronomical prices in the Soaring Dragon Empire. Of course, even in the Demon Cloud Sea, they could be auctioned for an extremely high price.

The fact that the Bu Family could create them was revered in the Soaring Dragon Empire. The materials alone cost a fortune, and the final price was simply incomparable.

Of course, other families could forge them as well. In a Little Empire, forging a Divine Artifact was a dream, but here, it was far too simple. The real challenge was whether one could produce a High Grade Divine Artifact.

After a winding walk with Bu Chi, they arrived at the heart of the Fourth Celestial Peak—the Forging Pavilion.

The Forging Pavilion was forged entirely from Profound Iron. The whole building appeared pitch-black, and under the light, the surroundings felt extremely hot, like a piece of iron heated until it glowed red.

Bu Chi walked in nonchalantly. When Lin Xuan followed, he immediately felt a wave of heat rise from under his feet, as if he were stepping on a red-hot iron plate. It felt scorching. However, for someone with his Physique, there was no pressure at all. He merely felt a slight warmth; it was far from what he would call scalding.

"It's very hot inside, and it gets hotter the deeper you go. Anyone with Cultivation below the Spirit Pill Stage would find it difficult to last long in here," Bu Chi explained. "This Forging Pavilion was specifically built for forging Weapons. Especially during the day, it absorbs all the surrounding Fire Elemental Power, turning the entire pavilion into a furnace. Forging weapons like this is incredibly efficient, making the process much easier than usual."

Lin Xuan nodded. The heat in the Forging Pavilion came from the dense Fire Elemental Power that was completely absorbed and trapped by the Profound Iron. 'This Forging Pavilion itself is practically a divine weapon,' he thought. 'It must have taken immense power to construct such an astonishing building.'

Just as Bu Chi had said, it grew hotter the deeper they went. The Profound Iron was already glowing a faint red, a testament to the terrifying heat. Anyone with Low Cultivation would be roasted alive in here.

"The Forging Furnace is up ahead. It may look ordinary, but it is actually a top-tier Divine Artifact," Bu Chi explained.

A top-tier Divine Artifact!

Lin Xuan looked up and saw a massive furnace not far away. Three Spirit Pill Stage experts were continuously channeling Fire Elemental Power into it. Even the Fire Elemental Power of the Forging Pavilion itself was pouring into the furnace, causing the Flame inside to burn with incredible intensity, constantly tempering the object within.

The surrounding temperature was constantly rising. Even a Spirit Pill Stage expert couldn't stay here for long. However, it seemed the Weapon inside was almost done being tempered; this was the final step.

"The Weapon is about to emerge. Let's step back a bit." Bu Chi led Lin Xuan backward.

Lin Xuan's eyes remained fixed on the Forging Furnace, sensing the surging aura of Flame within, which felt like it could explode at any moment.

"Divine Artifacts aren't so easy to forge. The slightest carelessness can get people hurt. When an ordinary Divine Artifact is completed, even some Core Formation Stage experts can't withstand the backlash. If it's a more domineering one, then we have to handle it ourselves," Bu Chi explained.

"So the backlash from forging a Divine Artifact can even injure the forger…"

Lin Xuan's gaze burned intently. The higher the Grade, the greater the difficulty. Forging a Divine Artifact involved a soul of Divine Beast Level, and failure would inflict extremely severe spiritual trauma on the forger.

Divine Artifacts were just that difficult to create. If it were easy, they would be a dime a dozen. Not only were the materials hard to find, but the forging process itself was even more difficult.

"You watch from here. I'm going over to help. Try to stay back as far as you can." Bu Chi walked over. He personally oversaw the forging of most Divine Artifacts. After all, if it failed, the losses would be quite severe.

The Bu Family could afford the loss, but who would be willing to fail?

A moment later, a sturdy young man walked in from outside. He had a chiseled, resolute face, sharp sword-like eyebrows, and a pair of exceptionally spirited eyes. He was bare-chested, his body covered in explosive-looking muscles that gave him a powerful presence.

'Spirit Pill Stage Cultivation?'

Lin Xuan was a little puzzled. This was supposed to be a crucial area. Aside from the few Stewards who were always forging, there was no one else here. It was clearly a very important place, so the sudden appearance of a Spirit Pill Stage Cultivator struck him as odd.

"So you're Mu Shuang, the genius who won first place in the Empire's tournament?" Bu Fantian sized Lin Xuan up and down, a hint of contempt in his eyes.

He looked very young, probably around twenty-four or twenty-five, yet his Cultivation had reached the Seventh Layer of the Spirit Pill Stage. This was even stronger than Mu Yulong's Cultivation level. Youth was his advantage!

"I am. And you are, senior brother?" Lin Xuan looked at Bu Fantian. He could clearly see the other man's contempt; he seemed to look down on Lin Xuan's title.

A Moderate Constitution and a Seventh-class Talent were indeed things to be laughed at. As one of the Bu Family's genius disciples, of course he looked down on Lin Xuan. If he had competed, he certainly could have placed, though it was unclear if he could have ranked in the top few. At the very least, he believed he was stronger than Lin Xuan in every aspect and would surely leave him in the dust in the future.

This was the reason he looked down on Lin Xuan. It was all about the future; no one was comparing themselves to Lin Xuan's present.

"You look decent enough. I hear your Physique is very strong, but I wonder if you'll be able to hold on in a little while?" Bu Fantian didn't introduce himself, changing the subject instead.

FWOOSH!

Bu Chi flicked his hand toward the Forging Furnace, and a torrent of scorching Flame erupted from his palm, flooding into the furnace. The temperature skyrocketed in an instant. The hard Profound Iron all around quickly turned crimson, far hotter than before, and it was still rapidly climbing.

Bu Chi was obviously increasing the heat to speed up the Divine Artifact's forging and accelerate the fusion process.

At such a terrifyingly high temperature, Lin Xuan saw his Elemental Power Shield begin to weaken. The power consumption was skyrocketing, a clear sign that the heat had reached a horrifying level.

No wonder only those at the Steward Level or above were allowed here. It wasn't that those with Low Cultivation were forbidden from visiting; they simply lacked the strength to even be spectators.

"Hmph."

Bu Fantian gave Lin Xuan a contemptuous smirk, mocking his sorry state, mocking his uselessness, and mocking the fact that he was using an Elemental Power Shield to protect himself.

He had the capital to be so arrogant. Bu Fantian was relying on his own Physique to withstand the intense heat. He wasn't using an Elemental Power Shield to envelop his body at all, just enduring the high temperature raw. That was truly a rare feat.

A provocation. This was a clear provocation. Bu Fantian wasn't using an Elemental Power Shield, relying solely on his body to endure the heat. It might have seemed foolish, but it was more of a way to prove the strength of his own Physique and to see if Lin Xuan dared to take up the challenge!

'I've just arrived and I'm already being challenged. He clearly wants to compete with the first-place genius of the Empire's tournament to see who's stronger!'