Chapter 761: Is it still possible to learn now?

His fingers flew, and true energy swirled like a gale. The as-yet unsolidified liquid metals collided in the air, producing sounds like piano keys being struck. It was as if a musical composition was unfolding in the room.

Any master artificer present, even one of Yuan Hong's caliber, would undoubtedly gape in astonished disbelief at this sight. This was no longer merely artifact forging; it was a dance, a melody in perfect harmony with nature. Wu Yangzi's zither-playing forging technique was highly praised for its natural elegance and aesthetic pleasure. However, the forging method Zhang Xuan was currently employing was far more profound! It was not only a feast for the eyes; it was captivating to the soul, drawing one in completely.

Heaven's Path Forging!

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Soon, seven or eight different metals and ores were completely fused. With a faint smile, Zhang Xuan, without further hammering, tossed the molten alloy into a nearby pool of water.

Sizzle!

Steam billowed and smoke rose. The final step of forging: quenching!

Standard forging typically involves three steps: fusion, embryo refinement, and quenching. Zhang Xuan, however, was directly executing the first and third steps, completely omitting the second. In forging, a well-refined embryo enhances the artifact's grade. While this approach prevented the formation of a proper weapon and lowered its potential grade, it drastically cut down the most time-consuming part of forging—embryo refinement—thereby significantly increasing the overall speed.

The scorching metal continued to boil vigorously in the water. With a swift motion of his hand, he retrieved it. Quenching demands precision. Even with the same water quality, variations in quenching time lead to different results. The seven or eight ores he used possessed distinct properties, which became even more pronounced after fusion. If the quenching time wasn't precisely managed, it wouldn't just fail to maximize the metals' individual strengths; it would lead to detrimental interactions, ultimately causing the artifact to lose significant effectiveness or even be ruined.

“Alright, I suppose this counts as... a finished product!”

Once the quenching was complete, Zhang Xuan scratched his head, looking at the disc-shaped object in his palm, whose exact form was indiscernible. If he were to present this object outside, even if it didn't provoke ridicule from other artificers, it would certainly tarnish his reputation. However, since this passage offered automatic assessment, he had no such concerns.

He took a few steps to the room's testing area and placed the 'iron disc' upon it. The room for artificer assessment featured a dedicated testing zone. As long as the 'weapon' forged achieved the required grade, it constituted a pass.

A soft chime sounded, and a red light flashed. Immediately afterward, a mechanical voice announced: “Using the simplest materials—molten stone, white steel, black rock... you have forged a Ghost-tier low-grade artifact. One-star Artificer assessment passed!”

“It actually reached Ghost-tier low-grade? Not bad...”

Zhang Xuan let out a sigh of relief. In truth, this was his first attempt at forging. He hadn't expected this disc-like object to achieve a Ghost-tier low-grade.

Artifacts are categorized into Divine, Saint, Spirit, Ghost, and Mortal tiers. Forging an artifact that reached the Mortal-tier peak was sufficient to pass the one-star artificer assessment. Zhang Xuan, employing the Heaven's Path Forging technique, had produced an unsightly object that bore no resemblance to a weapon, yet its grade was surprisingly high. With proper embryo refinement, it would have been possible to achieve a Ghost-tier mid-grade or even high-grade artifact.

“I wish to apply for the Two-star Artificer assessment!”

Creak!

The world went dark, the sound of machinery whirred again, and when he opened his eyes, he found himself in another grand hall. It resembled the previous room but was significantly wider, and the metals and ores displayed around were of a notably higher grade and rarity.

“Let's continue!”

After surveying the room, he selected over a dozen types of metals and ores. He returned to the forging cauldron and, repeating his previous method, swiftly produced another 'iron lump'. This 'iron lump' was even uglier than the last, completely black and bearing no resemblance to any weapon. Again, the second step—embryo refinement—was skipped.

Embryo refinement is the process of shaping the fused, formless metal into the desired artifact's form. For instance, if forging a longsword, it would be hammered into a sword shape; if a dagger, it would be refined into a dagger. This step not only requires considerable time for meticulous shaping, but Zhang Xuan had also never learned it. Even if he attempted it, he wouldn't succeed, so he decided it wasn't worth the trouble.

He placed the 'iron lump' on the testing platform once more. A light flashed, and the voice continued: “...achieved Ghost-tier mid-grade. Two-star Artificer passed!”

With the two-star artificer assessment passed, Zhang Xuan promptly applied for the next tier.

Half an hour later.

“I wish to apply for the Five-star Artificer assessment!” Zhang Xuan declared, taking a deep breath. Having consecutively cleared four assessment tiers, even with his abundant true energy, Zhang Xuan's internal aura felt somewhat depleted.

“Whoosh!”

The mechanism whirred, and an even more expansive room appeared. “In reality, it's the same room; it just gives the illusion of being different...” After undergoing several assessments in a row, Zhang Xuan realized that the room hadn't truly changed; it simply presented a different perception. The Sea of Artifacts was inherently a virtual environment, not a physical room. Changing scenes within it was quite simple.

“Gray Luster Stone, Violet Gold Iron, Azure Gray Rock... the materials here are indeed far superior to the previous ones...” As he observed the numerous ores and metals laid out before him, Zhang Xuan inwardly marveled. While the previous four stages contained some rare ores, they paled in comparison to what was now presented. Both Gray Luster Stone and Violet Gold Iron were materials even Transcendent Mortal realm experts would fiercely contend for. With such resources, it was indeed possible to forge artifacts of much higher grades.

Knowing that even with these superior ores, the artifacts he was about to forge would be increasingly challenging, Zhang Xuan showed no signs of complacency; instead, his gaze grew more solemn. To pass the five-star artificer assessment, one must first forge a Spirit-tier mid-grade artifact. Success at this level requires more than just high-quality materials! It also demands immense mastery and understanding of forging, along with profound insight into quenching. Otherwise, even a minor misstep could nullify all efforts and ruin countless valuable materials.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

His five fingers moved like lightning, causing various materials to dance and fuse in his palm, one by one. True energy continuously flowed into the forge, meticulously controlling the flame's temperature. To pass the five-star artificer assessment, one must forge a Spirit-tier mid-grade peak artifact. This level demands a multitude of materials, each possessing a distinct melting temperature. The forge's flames must be constantly and flawlessly controlled.

After an indeterminate amount of time, just as his true energy was on the verge of depletion, the final ore completed its fusion.

“Quench!”

He exhaled sharply and once more plunged the disc-like object into the water.

Sizzle, sizzle!

Mist enveloped the area as his Eye of Insight activated. Once the quenching was complete, he swiftly retrieved the object. Through this half-day of forging, he had gained valuable experience. Utilizing his Eye of Insight during quenching allowed him to better gauge the process and forge higher-grade artifacts.

“Test it!”

He tossed the 'iron disc' onto the testing platform once more. The mechanical voice resonated again: “Spirit-tier mid-grade peak. Five-star Artificer passed...”

“I passed!”

Upon hearing of his successful attempt, Zhang Xuan's body swayed. Unable to endure further, he sank to the ground. Continuously forging artifacts, even without embryo refinement, controlling the furnace flames with true energy had been immensely draining. His internal true energy was almost entirely depleted. Fortunately, he had succeeded.

“Time to recover my energy!”

Sitting cross-legged on the ground, he flicked his wrist, and the high-grade spirit stone appeared in his palm. This was the first time he had used this spirit stone since acquiring it. The moment he opened the jade box, Zhang Xuan immediately felt an intensely pure spiritual energy prick his skin like needlepoints.

Individuals with slightly lower cultivation might be completely unable to refine such incredibly pure spiritual energy. Even if they managed to absorb it, it would simply seep out through the tiny fissures in their meridians. The human body's meridians are, in essence, like sandy ground, riddled with countless minuscule gaps and pores. While thick, turbid sludge might not penetrate, clear water would simply seep through these fissures, leading to considerable waste. Such was the nature of the spiritual energy found in high-grade spirit stones. Its purity and ethereal fineness surpassed the meridians' capacity to retain it. Even if an ordinary person attempted to use it, it would be a complete waste, as not a shred could be kept within their body.

Only individuals whose cultivation had reached Transcendent Mortal Ninth Layer, the Cocoon Sealing Realm—where true energy, physical strength, and soul are sealed like a cocoon, forming a 'leak-proof body'—could absorb the spiritual energy from high-grade spirit stones and consequently strive for higher cultivation tiers. Zhang Xuan was only at the peak of the Bridging Heaven Realm, still three major tiers away from the Cocoon Sealing Realm. Logically, even possessing a high-grade spirit stone, he shouldn't have been able to utilize it. However, he cultivated the Heaven's Path Divine Art, and his true energy was so pure that his entire body had long been refined, as if forged from pure gold. Furthermore, his Five Luminaries Golden Body had reached its second stage, rendering his entire body leak-proof. Thus, despite its ethereal fineness, the spiritual energy from the high-grade spirit stone could still be retained and circulated within his system.

Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle!

The pure true energy, under the circulation of the Heaven's Path Divine Art, rapidly condensed into substantial true qi, surging through his meridians and flowing into his dantian. His previously depleted dantian immediately became full and vibrant, recovering swiftly. After approximately two "cups of tea" of time, his depleted true energy was fully restored.

“As expected of a high-grade spirit stone, that was incredibly fast!”

His face lit up with joy, and Zhang Xuan stood up. Had he used a mid-grade spirit stone or a spirit-gathering array, it would have taken several hours to fully replenish his true energy after exhaustion. Yet, with a high-grade spirit stone combined with the Heaven's Path Divine Art, it only took about two "cups of tea" of time. Its efficiency was so remarkable that it rivaled even some precious elixirs used for swift recovery.

“I still have over half an hour!”

Putting away the spirit stone and checking the time, Zhang Xuan's face lit up with renewed excitement. With over half an hour remaining, could he perhaps attempt... the six-star artificer assessment?

Although his current cultivation was insufficient, his mastery and comprehension of forging surpassed that of many peak six-star artificers. Perhaps he could truly pass the assessment in a single attempt, avoiding the need to waste academic credits later. Despite having just arrived at the academy, he had already observed how difficult it was to earn academic credits. Therefore, he preferred to be as frugal as possible.

“Attempting the six-star artificer assessment, which is beyond my current rank, definitely means I can no longer omit the embryo refinement step...” Previously, given his high cultivation and forging proficiency, even if he skipped a step and produced a mere 'iron lump,' it would still meet the requirements for a smooth pass. However, aiming for a six-star assessment, that approach would certainly not suffice. He would have to find a way to meticulously refine the embryo. But... he had never refined an embryo before, and he was only just beginning to learn... Would there be enough time?