A full year had passed since Luo Chen announced his seclusion. During this year, countless cultivators seeking defensive enchanted treasures came to visit, but all were turned away. This eight-hundred-li Surging Lake seemed completely detached from the noise and turmoil of the outside world. Yet it was obvious that an artisan capable of crafting a pure defensive enchanted treasure could never be ignored.

Even though Luo Chen claimed to be in seclusion, countless people continued to watch him. They wanted to see whether he could craft a second defensive enchanted treasure. If he succeeded, it would prove he truly possessed that level of skill, rather than having relied on mere luck.

Faced with the expectations and doubts of the outside world, Luo Chen remained completely unmoved. Inside the hall, he stared at the Primordial Unity Cauldron, which was wrapped in the blazing Withering-Flourishing True Fire. His eyes were bright, and the flames that danced in them made them seem like the legendary Fiery Golden Eyes.[1]

"This enchanted treasure embryo has been nurtured for a whole year now. I've prepared even more than I did for the Dark Blue Profound Armor. Well... I can't put it off forever. Time to see how it turns out."

After a quick calculation, Luo Chen raised his hand and sent out a strand of mana. The green flames dispersed at once, and a hazy yellow light flew out of the Primordial Unity Cauldron. It stopped in front of Luo Chen and the haze dispersed, revealing a suit of yellow armor over seven chi tall.

Dense earth-element spirit energy had accumulated upon it, making it appear very solid and grounded. The armor bore no marks and no scratches, as if it had been sculpted with a razor-sharp chisel from a single piece of rock. It appeared to be perfect, but Luo Chen knew this was only an embryo. Whether it would actually succeed depended on the upcoming formation inscriptions.

The yellow armor floated before him. To his left, a basin of specially prepared black liquid was waiting. Formations were fundamentally the same no matter where they were placed, but inscribing formations on an enchanted treasure was a completely different process from setting it up on the ground, for instance. Under normal circumstances, cultivators would rely on spirit stones, formation flags, and even features of the terrain to set up the formation and enhance its power. But practically all enchanted treasures, save for ships and such, were limited in size and could not accommodate too many additions. Therefore, in order to place formations onto them, artisans had to use a special ink known as formation ink. It was something extremely common in the cultivation world, and one of the purposes for which Min Longyu had Luo Chen learn calligraphy was laying a foundation for this kind of precision task.

Luo Chen smiled faintly. His right hand quivered and turned slightly red. When his mana surged, it grew even redder, as if engorged with blood. This was one of the Iron Refinement Techniques he had cultivated to Perfected Mastery!

Normally, formation masters helped artisans inscribe the necessary formations by using talisman pens and engraving awls. But Luo Chen had... acquired the Iron Refinement Techniques and Metal Carving Techniques manuals from the records of Hundred Craft Mountain. He could now refine metal ores with the former, and he could also use some of the latter to inscribe formations directly onto an enchanted treasure embryo. It was actually more efficient than the usual methods.

Hundred Craft Mountain managed to stand firm on Coldlight Island for generations, so they clearly had some foundation. Too bad Coldlight Island's gone now. I wonder how many of the forces that sent people to attack me back then are still around. I really have to pay them a visit when I have time.

While these thoughts passed through his mind, the redness on his right hand deepened, making it look like a piece of heated iron. He immediately used the Fine Dust Primordial Art to cut away stray thoughts; his focus sharpened as he thrust his right hand into the iron bucket, producing a sharp hissing sound. When he lifted his hand, it was coated in thick formation ink.

He cleared his mind of all distractions and slowly focused his mana and divine consciousness. He then lowered his right hand onto the armor. As his fingers moved, black formation patterns settled onto the surface. He pressed down with more force, and the ink penetrated deeply, seeping into the Bright Yellow Rock Armor.

He was inscribing a first-tier formation known as the Metal Stabilization Formation. It was the most basic formation used in many defensive enchanted treasures, and as the name suggested, it reinforced the material itself. Besides this, he still needed to inscribe two more first-tier formations: the Spirit Locking Formation and a basic qi-gathering formation. After the first-tier formations came the second-tier Feather Scale Formation and Mystic Gate Formation. Finally, there was the core third-tier Bright Yellow Rock Armor Formation. Three first-tier, two second-tier, and one third-tier stacked over one another and covered all aspects of the item to form an impregnable defensive enchanted treasure.

This process allowed no room for failure. The slightest mistake would waste all previous efforts, and in serious cases, it could even cause the enchanted treasure embryo to self-destruct. If the embryo were made from high-quality materials, it might still retain a bit of its power due to its own properties and end up as a supreme-grade enchanted artifact. But the materials Luo Chen had used for practice were clearly nothing special, so that would most certainly not happen.

This approach came with both upsides and downsides. The financial burden of practicing artisanship was not high, but he would still feel the loss if it was destroyed. Spirit stones were not an issue, but time was! Others only needed suitable materials before they could begin crafting directly, but he had used the Primordial Unity Cauldron to nurture this enchanted treasure embryo for a full year. If he failed, where would he get that year back?

Fortunately, first-tier and second-tier formations posed little risk for him. With his Perfected Mastery proficiency, failure was almost impossible. Formations were more like maths than like art; either you understood the formula or you did not. Unlike alchemy, which always had a chance of failure even at perfect mastery and even if a fourth-tier alchemist made first-tier pills, a formation master could always successfully put together a formation they'd fully mastered.

As expected, after two days of work, Luo Chen successfully inscribed first-tier and second-tier formations onto the Bright Yellow Rock Armor embryo. Next came the most important part: inscribing the Bright Yellow Rock Armor Formation. He did not rest even for a moment. He simply adjusted his state of mind, coated his hand with formation ink, and began drawing new formation patterns onto the armor.

Setting up a third-tier formation demanded extremely strict conditions. Even skilled formation masters needed all sorts of external means when deploying one in the open. To inscribe such a formation onto a mere artifact came with even harsher requirements. This kind of task not only tested the formation master's skill but also the quality of the material itself, as well as the compatibility between the formation and the enchanted treasure.

This embryo is made from pretty average materials. Can it even handle the Bright Yellow Rock Armor Formation?

With a hint of worry, he drew the formation patterns, watching closely as the ink gradually infused the armor. As the patterns grew more and more complex, Luo Chen also grew increasingly astonished.

"Eh, how does it work this well? Is it the earth-element materials resonating with the Bright Yellow Rock Armor Formation... or is the embryo just that good? No... I felt something like this when I made the Dark Blue Profound Armor before. Back then, I thought it was just a flash of inspiration or something. But now that it's happening again, it's clearly not a coincidence."

This perfect compatibility between the enchanted treasure embryo and the formation almost caused Luo Chen to lose focus. He steadied himself once again and continued his work.

After a full day, the once-plain yellow armor was decorated with complex and winding patterns, the foundation of the multiple formations on it. Once the last stroke of the Bright Yellow Rock Armor Formation was inscribed smoothly, Luo Chen finally let out a breath of relief.

Next comes the final part, letting the formation fully merge with the material. This is where problems usually show up. Either the material can't handle the power of the formation, or there are flaws I haven't noticed and they'll surface when it's activated. I need to pay attention...

Luo Chen carefully examined the armor before placing it back into the Primordial Unity Cauldron. The Withering-Flourishing True Fire ignited once more. He took a pill and sat cross-legged before the cauldron, recovering his mana while watching it and reflecting on that earlier moment of enlightenment.

An enchanted treasure embryo that had been nurtured for a long time in the Primordial Unity Cauldron could achieve perfect compatibility with formations. Such a phenomenon was almost unheard of in the cultivation world. So why had he experienced it twice?

"Could it be because of my life-bound treasure? But I've never heard of Green Pill Valley's cauldrons having this kind of effect. At best, they only improve the success rate. Could it be something new it gained after being nurtured in the Dragon-Nurturing Basin?"

As he pondered deeply, a flash of insight struck. A memory rose clearly in his mind. Back then, in the dungeon beneath Green Parasol Mountain, Heaven Smelter had crafted the Primordial Unity Cauldron for him. For a master of his stature, crafting a mere enchanted treasure should have been effortless. Yet an accident occurred. It consumed all the materials Luo Chen had gathered over many years, and even that was not enough. Heaven Smelter had to call on Azure Frost and have her use the Laws of the Void to stabilize the cauldron. The cause of it all was a strange trace of blood on a Fire Spirit Diamond.

Luo Chen had been curious about this before, but he'd been entirely unable to find an answer. In the beginning, when Heaven Smelter broke the restrictions and escaped, he had even suspected that the old man had orchestrated the incident on purpose to trick Azure Frost and study her void power. Now, however, it seemed clear that it had not been part of any plan. It had been a genuine accident.

When that drop of blood merged into my cauldron, it started fusing all kinds of materials together without rejecting any. If it were an ordinary enchanted treasure, mixing that many unrefined materials would've caused it to collapse on the spot. But my cauldron was completely fine, and it even came out as top-grade. After all these years of nurturing, it's only gotten stronger. At this point, even I can't bring out its full power. That drop of blood clearly has some strange effect on minerals. And my cauldron now shows the same effect.... Any enchanted treasure embryo nurtured inside it will turn out nearly perfect. Even when inscribing formations, everything fits together flawlessly.

Luo Chen's thoughts gradually cleared. The Dragon-Nurturing Basin could nurture enchanted treasures and enhance their grade and power, but it only improved upon an existing foundation and could not create something from nothing. The special property of the Primordial Unity Cauldron clearly did not come from the Dragon-Nurturing Basin, but that strange drop of blood!

With that point settled, the immediate problem was solved, yet new doubts arose. What kind of being did that blood belong to? It was only a single drop, yet it carried such extraordinary power! What level had its owner reached? Or what race did they belong to? He searched through all the knowledge he had accumulated over the years but found no answer. In the end, he could only let out a quiet sigh.

"I know it works, but I don't know why. It's so damn frustrating... Grahhh, screw it. No point worrying over it now. Whatever it is, it's still a good thing for me."

It was indeed a good thing. If the Bright Yellow Rock Armor could be successfully crafted, it would prove that his success could be replicated. Creating an armor for himself from Demon Emperor Profound Rock's remains would become far easier, and so would future attempts at enchanted treasures. If news of this spread, the entire cultivation world would be shaken.

For a moment, Luo Chen shifted his attention away from the Bright Yellow Rock Armor, which was still integrating with its newly inscribed formations, and turned to his own life-bound enchanted treasure. The Primordial Unity Cauldron truly held limitless potential!

***

Half a month later, Luo Chen opened the barrier sealing the Primordial Unity Cauldron and took out the flawless Bright Yellow Rock Armor. He then used the newly inscribed Compliance Formation to shrink it down into a small yellow armor plate that looked more like a clay tile than anything else.

"The aura's completely contained. The formation and the material have fused perfectly. The inner qi armor is forming on its own, just like it's written in the Penglai Immortal Sect's manual. It worked!"

Those final words revealed Luo Chen's joy. But his excitement did not solely come from the successful refinement; it came from the remarkable power of the Primordial Unity Cauldron. For a moment, he felt the urge to refine the Profound Rock Armor right away. But in the end, he held himself back.

"I still don't know the limits of the Primordial Unity Cauldron's effects in artifact creation. What if it only works on ordinary materials and low-grade enchanted treasures? I shouldn't change the plan yet. Better to take it one step at a time. No rush..."

After calming himself, he handled his other tasks with greater composure. He filled his days with qi cultivation, physique cultivation, studying formations, and artifact creation.

In the second year, he successfully crafted the Yi Wood Green Armor. That success gave him new insight into Physique Refinement.

Artifact creation is basically about removing impurities and keeping the pure materials, then fusing them together. Add in formations, and you get a powerful artifact. That's the basic idea. So what if the human body worked the same way? Could you use that method to temper the body... even refine it into something like an artifact?

This realization did not come out of nothing; it was the result of long accumulation. Besides, there was an unforgettable scene that lingered in his mind. Heaven Smelter had once faced a mid-stage Lightning Prison Roc Emperor with his physique alone, all while being unable to use Nascent Soul power.

The Dao of Physique Refinement has long declined in the cultivation world, and yet Heaven Smelter still had an incredibly powerful body. He must have found a method that worked for him.

If he knew that Heaven Smelter had once taken a strike from the Azure Frost with his body, his evaluation of the old grandmaster artisan would have risen even higher. But even without that knowledge, he began to adjust his own Physique Refinement technique in his spare time. Myriad Path Convergence was something he had created with the help of the system. He had given it this name to reflect drawing from many paths and returning to one source, and although he had already reached Perfected Mastery years ago, he still believed there was room for improvement.

He started integrating artifact creation techniques such as the Hundred Forging Arts, the Iron Refinement Techniques, the Metal Carving Techniques, and the Blizzard Art into it. At the same time, he used fourth-tier Black Sovereign Paste to temper his body. If not for the lack of suitable formations, he would have even tried inscribing formations onto his body. This was not new to him; after all, the Concealment Veil Formation still hid his aura perfectly.

In the end, although he couldn't say he had created a new version of Myriad Path Convergence, his Physique Refinement had progressed significantly. He was already at 78/100 of the third tier, and his pace was only improving. At this rate, reaching the fourth tier would not take long!

***

While Luo Chen focused on artifact creation and paid no attention to the outside world, the outside world paid even more attention to him.

The Bright Yellow Rock Armor had been placed on the shelves of the Azure Yang Shop. It was declared the shop's treasured item and would not be sold for less than 500,000 spirit stones!

The outrageous price, along with Luo Chen's second successful defensive enchanted treasure, quickly drew widespread attention within the Myriad Immortal Society.

1. This is an ability of the Monkey King in Journey to the West, which makes his eyes appear to be burning and his pupils shine with golden light. According to the story, it allows the Monkey King to see 1000 li away in daytime and 500 li during nighttime, as well as see through disguises and illusions. ☜