Chapter 533 - 531: Forging a Spiritual Artifact

The fact that Lin Xuan could not only endure the terrifying flame but also stop the weapon was utterly shocking. This ability gave the Stewards, who were not entirely clear on Lin Xuan’s strength, and Bu Fantian a whole new appreciation for his power.

His strength was truly immense. No wonder he’d won first place in the Empire’s tournament. Of course, that was stating the obvious. If he wasn’t powerful, how could he possibly have won?

"Hm, a rather fine Middle Grade Divine Artifact. I thought it would only be a Low Grade Divine Artifact, but it turned out to be a Middle Grade one. That’s a bit of a surprise." Bu Chi smiled and handed the Middle Grade Divine Artifact to Lin Xuan. "This is a gift for you," he said with a grin. "I remember you have a girlfriend. Give this weapon to her. Although it has a Fire Attribute, someone with an Ice Yin Body can still use it. When infused with Ice Elemental Power, it can produce Cold Fire!"

To give away a newly forged Divine Artifact just like that was incredibly generous. There was no special reason; Bu Chi simply felt that Lin Xuan was his kind of person and wanted to give it to him, fostering a closer relationship in the process. He felt that Lin Xuan was a talent worth molding, which would surely bring great benefits. ’Perhaps I’ve really stumbled upon a treasure.’

He wouldn’t be fooled by what looked like a bad situation. Even if things were bad, it didn’t matter. As long as there was a glimmer of hope, he was worth cultivating!

Bu Fantian watched from the side, his eyes red with envy. Not everyone in the Bu Family could own a Divine Artifact, let alone a Middle Grade one, but he couldn’t say a word. The nearby Stewards glanced at one another; they had to admit that Bu Chi was being exceptionally generous this time.

"Thank you, Second Elder." Lin Xuan didn’t refuse. His philosophy was simple: if someone offered something, he would take it. Besides, he quite liked this Divine Artifact, and it would be perfect for Lin Xue.

"Think nothing of it. You saw the process. At your current level, it’s impossible for you to forge a Divine Artifact, but you can start with Spiritual Artifacts." Bu Chi then asked, "You mentioned you have some experience with forging. How much, exactly? Have you ever successfully forged a Spiritual Artifact?"

His attitude toward Lin Xuan had softened considerably, and his expression was much gentler. He admired people with real ability, not those who were all flash and no substance.

"Mm... I’ve crafted a few things. My experience is just average," Lin Xuan lied.

A mocking look immediately appeared in Bu Fantian’s eyes. ’Finally,’ he thought with a sense of accomplishment, ’something I’m better at.’ He was already on the verge of being able to forge Divine Artifacts. As for Spiritual Artifacts, he could craft them with ease. In contrast, Lin Xuan seemed to know nothing at all, which gave Bu Fantian a surge of pride.

The status of an Artifact Refiner was extremely high, comparable to that of a Pattern Master, and the cultivation required was quite difficult. If Lin Xuan had very little experience, it would take him a long time to learn.

"You’ve crafted a few things?" Bu Chi smiled. "It’s good that you have some experience. At least you’re not a complete novice. How about this? We’ll find out what you can do with a test."

Bu Chi immediately led them to another forging chamber. The Forging Pavilion had many such chambers, all specifically for the other disciples’ use.

Inside, the Forging Furnace wasn’t as impressive as the one they had used before, but it was still a standard-issue furnace of the Divine Artifact Level, which was nothing to scoff at. The higher the grade of the Forging Furnace, the higher the success rate, and the more powerful the weapon that could be forged.

One might ask how the very first Divine Artifacts were forged. Without a Divine Artifact Forging Furnace, how could one possibly create a Divine Artifact? The logic is sound, but if one’s personal flame was sufficiently intense, or if their Control Power was absolute, they wouldn’t need a Forging Furnace at all to forge a Divine Artifact!

To put it bluntly, it meant melting down various materials with one’s bare hands and then molding them into shape. It was as simple as that. It’s just that very few people were that powerful, so they had to rely on a Forging Furnace. Only through various tempering processes could a true Divine Artifact be forged.

"Fan Tian, you give a demonstration," Bu Chi instructed.

Bu Fantian immediately stood tall, puffed out his chest, and said proudly, "Yes!" He walked over to a pile of materials at the side, selected the necessary components, and tossed the first batch in.

Then, he unleashed his flame, causing the Forging Furnace to roar to life. The power of his Celestial Fire Physique was on full display as the flame surged, drawing in the surrounding Fire Elemental Power and accelerating the furnace’s burn rate.

As the flame in the Forging Furnace intensified, it quickly melted the materials. He then slowly added the remaining components. Different materials had to be added in a specific order; a mistake would severely impact the final product.

Each material had a different effect and had to be added in the correct sequence. Bu Fantian was extremely focused. He couldn’t appear casual in front of the Elder. He had to achieve the best possible result and forge a top-tier Spiritual Artifact!

Though he made it look easy, Bu Fantian was actually struggling. The Elemental Power in his body was being rapidly consumed. Forging a weapon was no simple task; it consumed not only a great deal of Elemental Power but was also mentally draining. It was a time-consuming process as well. By the time he was nearing completion, an entire day had passed.

Of course, to people like them, a day passed in the blink of an eye. Cultivators had to be able to endure solitude, and the higher one’s cultivation, the less significant the passage of time became.

It was like when Lin Xuan had previously been in cultivation—half a year had passed in a flash. A few days was nothing.

Finally, as he reached the last step, Bu Fantian opened the Forging Furnace and tossed in a drop of blood. This was not the Essence Blood of a Divine Beast, but merely that of an ordinary Demon Beast.

The moment it dripped in, a tiger’s roar echoed out. A faint, resentful tiger’s silhouette could be seen rising from within, filled with indignation and fury, causing the entire Forging Furnace to tremble.

This was actually the crucial part of the forging process, the part Lin Xuan had missed earlier. If the Essence Blood couldn’t be thoroughly integrated, the forging would be a failure. Bu Fantian now had to suppress this resentful energy and completely control the integration of the Essence Blood. Failure would be a major loss of face, resulting in something no better than a Half-Spiritual Artifact.

Not only would its effectiveness be greatly diminished, but its value would plummet as well.

Of course, he wouldn’t let such a foolish mistake happen; otherwise, he wouldn’t be known as the prodigy of the Fourth Celestial Peak. He quickly brought the situation under control, his hands forming a continuous series of Hand Seals. A red light enveloped the furnace, completely suppressing the resentful energy.

After completely suppressing it, Bu Fantian finally let out a sigh of relief. The Demon Beast this Essence Blood came from had been exceptionally ferocious, making it rather difficult to suppress. Fortunately, he had succeeded and hadn’t lost face.

All that remained was the tempering process, to remove all the remaining impurities. Finally, an Upper Grade Spiritual Artifact appeared before them.

Only after carefully removing it from the Forging Furnace did he let out a full sigh of relief. He smiled and said, "Second Elder, this Upper Grade Spiritual Artifact is complete. Please, take a look!"

After speaking, he glanced at Lin Xuan with considerable pride, eager to see his reaction. To his surprise, Lin Xuan blurted out, "So... you need a Divine Artifact Forging Furnace to forge a Spiritual Artifact?"

At these words, everyone was stunned!