Chapter 31: Refining Instruments

For the next five days, Wang Yaoxi continuously replayed the ancestral artifact refining process using the Reverberating Disc. Wang Changsheng and the other four watched diligently. Afterwards, they would ask questions, and Wang Yaoxi would answer them one by one. If a question couldn't be immediately resolved, they would watch the process again, repeatedly reviewing and discussing until clarity was achieved.

After several days, Wang Changsheng and the others gained a profound understanding of artifact refining, highlighting the benefits of belonging to a cultivation family.

In contrast, rogue cultivators attempting to learn a skill typically only have access to a few related texts. They would then purchase materials and try to refine artifacts, often with an extremely low success rate.

Many rogue cultivators brave the dangers of deep mountains to hunt demonic beasts, risking their lives to accumulate meager savings. When they attempt to learn a new skill, their lack of guidance often leads to failure, depleting their hard-won resources and compelling them to return to the perilous mountains to hunt once more.

One morning, after breakfast, Wang Changsheng and the four others followed Wang Yaoxi to a two-story red pavilion.

The red pavilion was situated within a secluded courtyard, a place Wang Changsheng had never visited before.

"Come with me!" Wang Yaoxi said. "Starting today, you will be staying here."

Wang Yaoxi pushed open the door and entered.

The room was elegantly furnished and immaculately clean, clearly maintained regularly.

On the first floor, there was a basement roughly ten *zhang* in size and over two people tall. Its walls and flagstones were made of red stone, and three cyan meditation cushions rested on the floor.

"From today, you will refine artifacts here," Wang Yaoxi announced. "Each of you has three sets of materials for today. You will take turns refining, with Mingmei going first."

As Wang Yaoxi spoke, he slapped his storage bag, and a green light emerged. It coalesced into a cyan bronze cauldron, about a *zhang* in size and three *chi* tall. The cauldron was perfectly round, resting on four feet with two handles, and bore a lotus flower carving on its surface. Its dull hue clearly indicated its ancient age.

Alongside the cyan bronze cauldron, there were three sets of materials: profound iron, iron sand, a bottle of spirit liquid, three palm-sized pieces of silver wood, three lumps of dough, and an iron mold.

"This Green Lotus Cauldron is an ancestral artifact passed down through our family, specifically designed for clan members new to artifact refining," Wang Yaoxi explained, gesturing towards the cauldron and the materials on the ground. "Mingmei, you begin. The rest of you, watch silently to avoid disturbing her. I will observe Mingmei's entire refining process. Since you are just beginning to learn artifact refining, I want you to practice here, observing each other and offering constructive criticism. I don't expect any of you to forge a spirit artifact today. Rather, focus on learning from each other, aiming to refine spirit artifacts as soon as possible. Mingmei, you may begin!"

Wang Mingmei took a deep breath and slowly approached the Green Lotus Cauldron.

Wang Changsheng and the other four held their breath, their eyes fixed on Wang Mingmei, afraid of missing a single detail.

Instead of immediately beginning, Wang Mingmei sat on a meditation cushion, closed her eyes, and composed herself.

Wang Yaoxi nodded subtly, remaining silent.

Half a quarter of an hour later, Wang Mingmei opened her eyes and began the refining process.

She placed a piece of silver needle wood beneath the Green Lotus Cauldron, ignited it, and then casually stuck a lump of dough onto the cauldron's surface.

As time passed, the dough slowly turned from white to yellow. The moment a faint burnt smell reached Wang Mingmei's nose, she cast a spell onto the Green Lotus Cauldron.

The cyan lotus flower on the cauldron's surface instantly illuminated. With a muffled thud, the lid automatically lifted and settled on the ground.

She dropped the profound iron into the cauldron. With a sweep of her sleeve, the lid lifted and gently closed.

After completing these steps, she began chanting incantations, her hands rapidly forming seals and sending streams of magical energy into the Green Lotus Cauldron.

A short while later, she poured the iron sand into the refining furnace.

After most of a quarter of an hour, the flames began to subside.

Twenty breaths later, the flames extinguished completely.

Wang Mingmei placed the mold at the bottom of the Green Lotus Cauldron. She then cast a spell onto the cauldron, and with a muffled sound, the cyan lotus flower rotated sixty degrees, revealing a small opening. A stream of deep red molten iron flowed from this opening directly into the mold.

The mold, crafted from special materials, was highly heat-resistant.

After a short while, the molten iron solidified and turned black.

Wang Changsheng and the other four held their breath, careful not to disturb Wang Mingmei.

Wang Mingmei exhaled softly, picked up a porcelain bottle, and with a gentle flick, released a mass of cyan liquid that floated in mid-air.

Her fingers continuously formed complex hand seals, channeling streams of magical energy into the cyan liquid.

The cyan liquid churned and contorted as if alive.

"Condense!" Wang Mingmei commanded. Her hand seal shifted.

The cyan liquid blurred, then coalesced into two enigmatic characters.

"Go!" she uttered.

She gently pointed her finger at the mold. The two cyan characters spun, then vanished into the solidified iron block in a flash.

The iron block instantly shone brightly, its entire surface turning cyan.

From her sleeve, Wang Mingmei produced a palm-sized cyan gourd. She poured some clear water from it, sprinkling it onto the cyan iron block.

"Sizzle!"

With a soft hiss, a large cloud of white steam erupted from the iron block's surface.

After a moment, the steam dissipated, revealing a cyan short blade within the mold.

Wang Mingmei was overjoyed. She carefully retrieved the cyan short blade and examined it.

"Fifth Aunt is truly impressive; she succeeded on her very first attempt at artifact refining!" exclaimed Wang Changhuan, full of admiration.

Wang Mingdong, however, spoke solemnly. "A spirit artifact isn't a success just because it's forged," he cautioned. "Its quality is paramount. If there are cracks on the blade, it still won't be sellable."

"Seventh Uncle, please take a look," Wang Mingmei said, suppressing her excitement and handing him the cyan short blade. "How is the Azure Moon Blade I forged?"

Wang Yaoxi took the cyan short blade, examined it closely, and nodded in approval.

"Excellent," he praised. "It's clear you've been very diligent in your studies, Mingmei. However, as this is your first attempt, your inexperience shows. There are a few tiny cracks on the hilt, likely from being too rushed during the quenching stage. Still, for a beginner, this is a very commendable achievement. Take a short break, carefully recall the refining process you just performed, and then continue."

He then looked at Wang Changsheng and the other three. "Don't idle," he instructed. "Carefully review Mingmei's refining process. If you can glean any insights, that would be excellent. Your turns will come shortly."

Wang Changsheng and the others readily agreed, their expressions soon reflecting deep contemplation.

Having observed Wang Mingmei's process of forging the Azure Moon Blade, Wang Changsheng felt deeply inspired and eager to begin his own refining immediately.

Wang Mingmei rested for a quarter of an hour, meditating to restore her energy.

Once her magical energy and mental state were fully restored, Wang Mingmei resumed refining.

Benefiting from her first attempt, her second refining was noticeably improved. The spirit artifact had no cracks on its surface and possessed a vibrant luster, making it a true low-grade spirit artifact.

During her third attempt, perhaps due to eagerness, Wang Mingmei mispronounced a spell. The spirit liquid intended for inscribing spiritual patterns lost control and spilled onto the floor, forcing her to use a fresh portion.

Despite the error, Wang Mingmei's third refining attempt also succeeded. However, because of the misspoken spell, the inscription of the spiritual patterns was delayed, resulting in the spirit artifact having a slightly duller hue.

Overall, Wang Mingmei's performance was commendable. All three of her refining attempts were successful, with the spirit artifact produced during her second attempt being the best quality.

Naturally, her impressive performance wasn't solely attributed to her diligent study; the Reverberating Disc also played a crucial role. Had she not repeatedly watched the ancestral refining processes, she might not have successfully forged spirit artifacts with such ease.

After Wang Mingmei had used all three sets of materials, it was Wang Mingdong's turn to refine.

During his first two attempts, he either removed the artifact too quickly, before the materials had fully melted into molten iron, or he was too slow during the quenching process, resulting in numerous cracks on the spirit artifact's surface. Consequently, he failed to produce a usable spirit artifact.

Wang Mingcan fared slightly better, succeeding once, though the small cracks on the hilt meant it was not strictly qualified.

Wang Changhuan's performance was mediocre; he either failed to manage the heat properly and opened the furnace too early, or he misrecited incantations, failing on every attempt.

Finally, it was Wang Changsheng's turn. He took a deep breath, walked to the Green Lotus Cauldron, and sat cross-legged on the meditation cushion.