Chapter 1702: Refining the Sheath

Fortunately, Han Dong was an artifact refiner who knew the local materials intimately. Seeing Lu Ye's indecision, he asked about his requirements. Upon learning that Lu Ye intended to forge a magic artifact-grade scabbard, Han Dong helped him retrieve some materials from the treasury.

Han Dong was a forthright and enthusiastic man. After leading Lu Ye out of the treasury, he said, "Come, I'll take you to Artifact Valley. That's where all the refining is done in this realm."

The three of them then headed towards Artifact Valley, arriving there shortly. Upon arrival, Han Dong led Lu Ye down a passage, descending deeper and deeper. Lu Ye even saw several rushing lava rivers flowing past them, and the surrounding temperature became increasingly hot. Typically, artifact refining areas are situated in such environments to harness the power of geothermal fires, enabling cultivators to refine artifacts more effectively. In the depths of Artifact Valley, numerous Yuluo cultivators, bare-chested and drenched in sweat, were busy refining items on various platforms. The further they ventured inward, the fewer cultivators they saw, until finally, there was no one in sight.

Han Dong removed his outer garments, revealing his muscular physique, and pointed to a massive refining platform. "This is my refining station. Junior Brother, if you don't mind, I can forge a mere magic artifact-grade scabbard for you." This was no idle boast; Han Dong was unparalleled in refining skills throughout Yuluo, with most of the magic artifacts in the Yuluo Realm having been crafted by him. Forging a simple scabbard was naturally effortless for him.

Lu Ye smiled. "Senior Brother Han, what I intend to refine is no ordinary scabbard. You might not be able to forge it."

Han Dong scoffed but did not get angry. "Are you underestimating me, Junior Brother? Whether it can be forged or not, show me your design first. If I cannot refine it in this realm, then no one else can." He wanted Lu Ye to outline his concept, primarily to understand what kind of restrictions Lu Ye wished to imbue into the scabbard.

Lu Ye pondered for a moment, then produced a jade tablet and engraved a portion of the "Blade Draw Spirit Pattern" onto it before handing it over. Han Dong took the tablet, scrutinized it for a long while, and then fell into deep thought. As Yuluo's most outstanding refiner, he naturally possessed some knowledge of spirit patterns, though primarily those used in artifact forging. Even so, he could tell at a glance that the spirit pattern Lu Ye provided was incomplete. If an incomplete spirit pattern was this complex, how intricate would the complete version be?

He scratched his bald head. "This is a bit difficult." He silently thought, *This isn't just 'a bit difficult'; this is practically impossible for anyone to refine. At least, I don't feel I possess such ability.* It was well known that the "Connected Qi" spirit pattern was less complex than this one, yet many top forces in the Myriad Manifestation Sea found it exceedingly difficult to decipher. While they had mastered the "Connected Qi" spirit pattern, even the most skilled refiners from those top factions had to meticulously experiment for a long time to achieve even a modest success rate in refining array plates with it. This was precisely why the price of "Connected Qi" array plates remained consistently high in the Myriad Manifestation Sea: no other refiner could achieve the ease of crafting that Lu Ye demonstrated. While Han Dong's refining techniques were excellent, there was still a noticeable gap between his skills and those of refiners meticulously trained by the top factions. If he were to attempt engraving this spirit pattern on a jade tablet, he might succeed after thousands or tens of thousands of attempts. However, engraving on a tablet and forging that same spirit pattern directly into a scabbard were entirely different levels of difficulty. He almost asked what kind of spirit pattern it was but swallowed his words. Some matters were not to be casually inquired about. Given the spirit pattern's complexity, its power was clearly unfathomable and exceedingly valuable.

"Senior Brother Han, if you're not busy, could you offer some guidance here?" Lu Ye asked.

Han Dong paused, then recovered and asked, "Junior Brother, are you also proficient in artifact refining?" From Lu Ye's tone, it was clear he intended to undertake the task himself.

"I've learned a little," Lu Ye replied.

Han Dong was at a loss for words. To attempt forging such a complex spirit pattern after only "learning a little" seemed quite presumptuous. However, Lu Ye was currently a distinguished guest of Yuluo, so Han Dong chose not to speak too harshly. He simply said, "No problem. I don't have anything pressing these days anyway." He figured Lu Ye would attempt it a few times, make no progress, and then give up.

In the days that followed, Lu Ye and Han Dong remained in the deepest part of Artifact Valley. Beside the refining platform, Lu Ye's spiritual power surged ceaselessly. Han Dong soon realized that Lu Ye did possess some foundational knowledge of artifact refining, but he hadn't delved deeply into the art. This was apparent from his various actions during the refining process. It made sense; at his age and with his Moon Splendor cultivation, he must have dedicated himself to rigorous cultivation daily. How could he have time to study auxiliary arts like artifact refining?

But as time passed, Han Dong grew increasingly astonished. Lu Ye's progress was incredibly rapid! It was as if he were born to refine. What was even more remarkable was that Lu Ye's spiritual power had a fire attribute, which is precisely what an artifact refiner needs most. Lu Ye's talent in artifact refining was quite remarkable; otherwise, Kongkong of the Sword Artifact Sect would not have imparted the art of refining to him in that secret realm in Kyushu long ago. In the pre-Kyushu era, the Sword Artifact Sect was at its zenith, with its sword arts and artifact refining techniques being unparalleled throughout Kyushu. The sword art inheritance was acquired by Nianyue Xian, while the artifact refining inheritance was brought out of the secret realm by Lu Ye and entrusted to Ouyang Zi in Kyushu. With the foundational knowledge taught by Kongkong, Lu Ye's various refining techniques captivated Han Dong. Originally, Han Dong had intended to guide Lu Ye, but after a few days of interaction, their dynamic shifted to one of mutual discussion. In such an atmosphere, Lu Ye's refining skills naturally advanced swiftly.

However, forging a suitable scabbard was not an easy task. While he could easily refine the "Connected Qi" array plates because the most crucial element was the spirit pattern itself, and the array plate merely served as a convenient carrier, a scabbard, though also a carrier for spirit patterns, was different. If it wasn't refined well enough, it wouldn't be able to withstand the immense power accumulated within the spirit pattern. The challenge was immense, as it required ensuring both the quality of the scabbard and the integrity of the spirit pattern.

After spending half a month in Artifact Valley, Lu Ye finally began the actual forging of the scabbard. Han Dong was not optimistic. In his view, Lu Ye's refining skills were inferior to his own, so how could he possibly forge such a complex spirit pattern into the scabbard? If the spirit pattern couldn't be successfully forged into it, merely crafting a scabbard would be meaningless. To his utter astonishment, in his very first attempt, Lu Ye achieved ten percent progress in the forging! Although a minor error caused all progress to be lost, such a result was undoubtedly astounding. Han Dong was baffled, as such a feat should have been impossible. In his opinion, with Lu Ye's current refining expertise, achieving even half a percent of progress, let alone ten percent, was inconceivable. What he didn't know was that Lu Ye possessed the Talent Tree, which gave him a unique advantage in forging spirit patterns, even if his overall refining skills were not yet superior to Han Dong's.

Time and again, he attempted and failed. Progress fluctuated, but every failure meant starting from scratch. Fortunately, artifact refining differs from pill refining. If a pill refinement fails, the entire batch of spiritual patterns is typically ruined. However, if artifact refining fails, as long as the material loss isn't severe, the materials can be re-smelted and reused. This was an incomparable advantage over pill refining. Despite this, the materials Han Dong had retrieved from the treasury earlier were severely depleted. Out of necessity, he returned to the treasury for a second time, bringing back even more supplies. Lu Ye worked diligently and without reservation.

Time flew by quickly. In the blink of an eye, Lu Ye had been in Yuluo for nearly two months. During these two months, there were countless failures, and even more times when success was within reach, only to fall short and require starting over.

In the deepest part of Artifact Valley, before the massive refining platform, Lu Ye held up the newly forged scabbard, scrutinizing it carefully, his eyes bloodshot. After two months of relentless, sleepless effort, even though he had advanced to the Moon Splendor realm, Lu Ye felt utterly exhausted. Fortunately, the scabbard was finally complete. Beside him, Han Dong appeared even worse, his eye sockets sunken and his beard disheveled. Han Dong's cultivation was not weak; he was at the mid-Moon Splendor level, one minor realm higher than Lu Ye. However, cultivation realm was one thing, and personal foundation was another, not solely determined by one's cultivation level. Lu Ye had pushed his physical limits in the Star Constellation realm, and in terms of physique, Han Dong was significantly inferior.

At that moment, Han Dong was also examining the scabbard, smacking his lips. "That wasn't easy!" he remarked. He had truly not expected that refining a single scabbard would take two full months, though fortunately, the result was quite satisfactory.

"It wasn't easy," Lu Ye agreed, scrutinizing the new scabbard. He had crafted it to be pitch black and as unremarkable as his Panzhang Blade. Yet, underestimating it due to its plain appearance would prove costly. Lu Ye lightly activated his spiritual power and channeled it into the scabbard, immediately feeling it flow along the intricate lines of the spirit pattern. He unholstered his Panzhang Blade from his waist, drew it from its old scabbard, and then sheathed the long blade in the new one, continuously channeling spiritual power to nurture it. He then looked at Han Dong. "Thank you for your help during this time, Senior Brother Han."

"Not at all," Han Dong replied. "I also benefited greatly." During their refining exchanges, Han Dong indeed learned many things from Lu Ye, knowledge originating from the Sword Artifact Sect that Yuluo's Blue Flag Street had never possessed. Han Dong felt that if he could thoroughly comprehend these new insights, his refining skills should advance to a higher level. This was undoubtedly invaluable for an artifact refiner.

"Let's go, let's get a drink," Lu Ye suggested.

Han Dong readily agreed. From beginning to end, he never inquired about the specific function of the spirit pattern. Nearby, Ma Shangsi, who had been waiting for two months, stepped forward to follow them.

Moments later, in the valley where Lu Ye was accommodated in Yuluo, he and Han Dong sat facing each other, drinking and chatting jovially. Lu Ye hadn't anticipated being delayed in Yuluo for so long. Fortunately, the outcome was satisfactory, and with the experience gained from this scabbard, future refining with better materials would undoubtedly be simpler. He planned to meet Qiu Wu the next day to discuss his arrangements in Yuluo, as he needed to return to the Myriad Manifestation Sea.