Returning to the secret chamber, Li Mu took out the Formation artifacts, set up a Dragon Trapping Formation to block Divine Sense, and once again entered the Painting World Treasure Mansion.
Appearing in the Treasure Mansion Space, Li Mu first checked the growth of the Spiritual Plants, and after confirming there were no issues, he took out an ancient tortoise shell from his storage compartment.
Suddenly asking the Seventh-Order True Spirit - Azure Thunder Beast of Purple Firmament for ten drops of True Spirit blood was just an excuse for refining the Purple Firmament Spiritual Hammer; Li Mu had another purpose for these ten drops of True Spirit blood.
Li Mu's gaze fixated on the tortoise shell, and soon, under his Heavenly Talent - Identifying Myriad Spirits, all the information about the tortoise shell appeared in his character log.
【Spiritual Fortune Profound Tortoise Shell (Sealed)】
【Rank: six-tier spirit treasure】
【Attributes: Fortune Telling (Sealed), Untainted by Karma (Sealed), Impervious to Years (Sealed)】
【Status: Self-Sealed Divine Object, Spiritual Nature Not Manifest】
【This is a remnant shell left by a Spiritual Fortune Profound Tortoise after five thousand Years; the remnant shell is self-sealed and requires soaking in ten drops of True Spirit essence blood to unseal itself. This shell is one of the Top-Grade Materials for refining divination Treasure Artifacts.】
Looking at the Spiritual Fortune Profound Tortoise Shell in his hand, Li Mu couldn't help but be filled with emotion.
Unbeknownst to him, this Spiritual Fortune Profound Tortoise Shell had been in his storage compartment for over eighty Years. Recalling back then, when he was just a small Qi Refining Cultivator, he successfully picked up this huge bargain from Master Wei, the Spirit Appraiser at Wanbao Pavilion, and had been secretly overjoyed ever since!
However, unable to obtain True Spirit blood, decades passed, and the Spiritual Fortune Profound Tortoise Shell had been collecting dust in his storage compartment.
Now, it was finally time for it to break its Seal and regain its glory!
Li Mu poured out ten drops of True Spirit blood, holding them up with Spiritual Qi, and sent them towards the Spiritual Fortune Profound Tortoise Shell. The ten drops of deep purple True Spirit blood all merged into the Spiritual Fortune Profound Tortoise Shell, and the bloodstains quickly disappeared.
After enduring the vicissitudes of time, the ancient, inconspicuous greenish-black tortoise shell gradually emitted a spiritual glow as the ten drops of True Spirit blood integrated, and a powerful spiritual fluctuation was suddenly awakened.
“Crack, crack…” a series of faint crisp sounds continuously emanated from the tortoise shell, as if it were undergoing a metamorphosis and shedding its shell.
Li Mu's eyes lit up. Under his Heavenly Talent, he saw that the Spiritual Fortune Profound Tortoise Shell had absorbed the True Spirit blood's Spiritual Nature, successfully broken its Seal, and was reborn.
Li Mu injected a stream of Spiritual Qi into the Spiritual Fortune Profound Tortoise Shell.
With a “Puff!” the old greenish-black shell attached to the surface of the Spiritual Fortune Profound Tortoise Shell cracked and flew off, revealing a pure white, crystal-clear tortoise shell. The back of the tortoise shell was engraved with mysterious Eight Trigram spiritual patterns, filled with powerful Spiritual Nature and a mysterious charm.
Li Mu's Divine Thought entered the natural engravings on the back of the Spiritual Fortune Profound Tortoise Shell, and he immediately felt a powerful, mysterious Dao charm, filled with the Grand Dao Law related to destiny, which he could not gaze upon for long.
Li Mu sighed. The unsealed Six-tier Spiritual Fortune Profound Tortoise Shell, like the Seven-Rank True Spirit - star beast remnant pearl, contained Grand Dao Laws such as time, future, and destiny. To refine them into a Six-tier divination Spirit Treasure, his current Artifact Refining Skill was completely insufficient!
The unsealed Spiritual Fortune Profound Tortoise Shell still had to be left to collect dust.
Unless the Nine Yang Spirit Grass in the Celestial Void Cauldron could mature and be consumed with the Nine Yin Spirit Grass to increase Spiritual Nature, allowing him to continue improving his Artifact Refining Skill Rank.
Li Mu put the Spiritual Fortune Profound Tortoise Shell into his storage compartment, remembered something, and took out a white Jade Slip from the nine storage spiritual pearl. It was precisely the Jade Slip that Venerable Huang Gang and Jiang Yan Honored One had given him.
In the past few days, the excitement of obtaining Heavenly Fire had completely immersed Li Mu in Artifact Refining, and he had forgotten to check the contents of the Jade Slip.
Injecting his Divine Sense, Li Mu immediately obtained the information within the Jade Slip.
Li Mu's brows furrowed, and he fell into contemplation. The information recorded in the Jade Slip was continuous, and the content was probably casually entered by Jiang Yan Honored One.
The Jade Slip recorded a Sect Legacy ground, which was the True Legacy trial place left by the Hundred Refinements Sect's founding Ancestral Master, Myriad Treasures Daoist, before his Ascension. Only by successfully refining a specific six-tier spirit treasure could one enter it.
After Venerable Huang Gang and Jiang Yan Honored One learned that he would soon be able to refine six-tier spirit treasures, they gave up competing for the Heavenly Fire, hoping that he could visit the Hundred Refinements Sect to discuss cooperation matters, asking him to help refine Six-tier Spiritual Artifacts to obtain the Artifact Refining True Legacy method, and they would provide compensation.
Li Mu thought for a moment and then gave up the idea of going to the Hundred Refinements Sect.
After obtaining the Extreme Yang Heavenly Fire and advancing the Eightfold Heavenly Fire Tempering Method, which broke some of the restrictions on his Artifact Refining Skill being limited to Rank five, Li Mu's next focus would be on planting Spiritual Plants and continuing to improve his Cultivation.
Li Mu did not want to get involved in too many trivial matters. Moreover, could the Artifact Refining True Legacy of the Hundred Refinements Sect be more appealing than the Heaven Rank - Eightfold Heavenly Fire Tempering Method?
Putting the Jade Slip into the nine storage spiritual pearl, Li Mu summoned the Extreme Yang Heavenly Fire and began to immerse himself in Artifact Refining.
A few days later.
Lightning flashed in the Skyfire Refining Furnace. The next second, a purple thunder hammer, carrying immense thunder power, forcefully rushed out of the Skyfire Refining Furnace, transforming into a Thunder Tiger Artifact Spirit that soared into the sky, attempting to escape the Artifact Refining Room.
Li Mu smiled slightly, his five fingers together, and the power of the Five Elements condensed into a spiritual palm, striking it to the ground.
The Thunder Tiger Artifact Spirit opened its bloody maw, intending to pounce on Li Mu. The Purple-Gold Fire Phoenix flew out of the Refining Furnace, spreading its wings, wanting to re-refine this ignorant thing.
“Forget it, forget it! It's still ignorant, don't bother with it!” Seeing this, Li Mu quickly smiled and reached out to stop it, waving a Spiritual Qi to form a Spiritual Qi wall, blocking the Purple-Gold Fire Phoenix.
The Five-Rank Azure Eyed Tiger essence soul, under the coercion of the Heavenly Fire Spirit, became an Artifact Spirit. After becoming an Artifact Spirit, it no longer belonged to an Yin object, its Spiritual Nature was reborn, yearning for freedom, and after rushing out of the Refining Furnace, it immediately tried to escape the control of the Skyfire Refining Furnace and Li Mu.
A tiger and a Phoenix stood facing each other across the Spiritual Qi wall, baring their fangs.
Li Mu smiled slightly, striking a Spiritual Qi at the Purple Firmament Spiritual Hammer, sealing its Spiritual Nature, turning it into a spiritual hammer covered in purple thunder patterns, and then putting it into the nine storage spiritual pearl.
Having successfully refined the Purple Firmament Spiritual Hammer, Li Mu did not stop Artifact Refining immediately but continued to refine Five-Rank Spiritual Artifacts.
This time, Li Mu learned a lesson. In his battle with the Nine Nether Demon Lord, the opponent used only one Five-Rank Demonic Spear to severely damage his five Top-Grade Spiritual Swords, causing their Spiritual Nature to be harmed.
From this, it was clear that his current Five-Rank Spiritual Swords were somewhat insufficient against a Late Stage Soul Transformation Realm Cultivator, and he needed to refine more to keep as spares.
In this Spiritual Artifact transaction, Lei Sect Master was very generous, almost using all the power of his Sect to provide him with a large number of Five-Rank and Six-Rank Five Elements Artifact Refining Materials, plus the spoils of war from over a dozen Nascent Soul Demon Lords from the Nine Demon Sect.
These high-Rank Five Elements Materials were enough for Li Mu to refine a batch of Five Elements Spirit Swords!
Relying on the efficiency of the Skyfire Refining Furnace, Li Mu immersed himself wholeheartedly in Artifact Refining. Almost every hour, a highly spiritual Five Elements Spirit Sword would fly out of the Skyfire Refining Furnace.
Soon, twelve Five-Rank Spiritual Swords materialized and gathered, with various young Yao Beast Artifact Spirits circling Li Mu, playing and chasing, sometimes leaning on him, sometimes landing on him. The Five Elements Sword Spirits felt the Dao charm of the Five Elements Dao Body and greatly enjoyed being close to him.
Li Mu waved his hand, sending out twelve streams of Spiritual Qi, using his mind for multiple tasks, and refined and collected them all.
There were still quite a few high-Rank Five Elements Artifact Refining Materials left, enough to refine twenty-odd more, however, the number of high-Rank Five Elements Yao Beast essence souls was limited. Li Mu only refined twelve Five Elements Spirit Swords, four of which were of the Metal element, and only one of the Water element.
Yu Ling Sect was not near the sea or a lake, so high-Rank Water element Yao Beast essence souls were particularly rare.
That's enough!
It's almost time to leave! It's time to find a suitable place to plant both Yin and Yang plants, to Cultivate Yin Soul Fruit and Purple Yang Spiritual Mushroom.
Li Mu put away the Extreme Yang Heavenly Fire, and his figure flickered, disappearing from the Painting World Treasure Mansion.
After making up his mind, Li Mu appeared in Lingyun Pavilion and immediately sent a message to Venerable Lei Hong.
Upon receiving the message Flying Sword, Venerable Lei Hong transformed into a lightning shadow and, with a “whoosh,” appeared before Li Mu.
During this time, Venerable Lei Hong had been unable to eat or sleep, unable to handle Sect affairs, and had been waiting for news from Li Mu. However, after more than ten days, he still hadn't emerged. Fearing that something might have happened to him, he wanted to use his Divine Thought to investigate, but his Divine Thought was blocked by a Formation.
“Dao Friend Li, how are the Artifact Refining results?” Venerable Lei Hong asked nervously, appearing before Li Mu.
“I did not disappoint!” Li Mu smiled slightly, summoned the Purple Firmament Spiritual Hammer, and simultaneously unsealed the Artifact Spirit.
The Purple Firmament Spiritual Hammer transformed into a winged Thunder Tiger. With a spread of its Thunder Wings, a “zzzt” sound, it became a purple lightning shadow and rushed out of Lingyun Pavilion.
“You want to run? No way!” Venerable Lei Hong's eyes lit up, and his figure also transformed into a lightning shadow, chasing after it.
“Hahahaha! What a treasure, what a treasure!”
In a short while, Venerable Lei Hong returned, laughing heartily, holding a purple thunder hammer in his hand, his entire body enveloped in thunderous essence, majestic and extraordinary.
“Sect Master Lei, quickly test if this artifact is compatible with the other two Formation artifacts,” Li Mu smiled slightly, reminding him.
“Mm! Thank you, Dao Friend Li!” Venerable Lei Hong smiled happily, quickly injected a stream of thunderous essence Spiritual Qi to refine the Purple Firmament Spiritual Hammer, and then flew into the sky, releasing the Purple Firmament Spiritual Hammer, and activated the other two Formation artifacts of the Thunder Prison Grand Formation.
“Zzzzzzt!” A heaven-shaking roar!
The Thunder Suppressing Stele suddenly released a large amount of thunder, empowering the Purple Firmament Spiritual Hammer. The Thunder Essence Formation Plate suddenly expanded. The three thunder artifacts resonated in the heavens and earth, and vast thunderous spirits circulated among them.
A Heaven and Earth Thunder Net suddenly condensed, encompassing all the important spiritual mountains of the Yu Ling Sect. The thick lightning was incredibly dense, changing the color of the heavens and earth.
“What's happening? Is the Nine Demon Sect attacking again?”
“The Sect Protecting Thunder Formation has been activated again! Prepare for battle!”
“What's going on? What is Sect Master doing?”
“Wow! The power of the Sect Protecting Thunder Formation has increased so much! Which thunder hammer caused this?”
“Where are the enemies! Where are those demon brats?”
…
The sudden appearance of the thunder net in the sky caused the Yu Ling Sect Disciples to all change their expressions. Like startled birds, they quickly flew up on their swords, preparing to meet the attacking enemy. Then, they noticed the abnormality of the mountain-protecting thunder Formation; the enemy was nowhere to be seen, and they immediately began to discuss in small groups.
“This Sect is testing the Sect Protecting Formation Artifacts. There is no enemy attack. Go about your business!” Venerable Lei Hong instructed with a voice like thunder.
“Yes!”
“It really is that thunder hammer! It has strengthened the power of the Sect Protecting Thunder Formation!”
“I heard that Sect Master Lei commissioned Great Master Li to refine the Formation artifact!”
“Elder Tianhong's Heavenly Fire was really worth it! Now, the Sect no longer needs to fear the Demonic Sect's invasion.”
“Yes! If Elder Tianhong had given up the Heavenly Fire earlier, this Formation artifact would have been refined sooner, and so many fellow Disciples wouldn't have died!”
“Shh! Is that something you can say? Criticizing Elder Tianhong, do you want to die?!”
…
The Yu Ling Sect Disciples all breathed a sigh of relief and descended back down. However, they did not leave, but looked up to watch the excitement, and various whispers quickly spread.
True Lord Tianhong, hidden among the crowd, heard the negative comments and discussions about him from the Sect Disciples behind his back, and his cheek twitched slightly. Then, he thought of something else, sighed slightly, his face complex, unsure if it was regret or remorse.
After about a quarter of an hour, the compatibility test of the Purple Firmament Spiritual Hammer ended, and the thunder net dissipated in the sky. Venerable Lei Hong's figure appeared before Li Mu.
Venerable Lei Hong held the spiritual hammer, his face flushed with excitement, and he solemnly thanked Li Mu: “Dao Friend Li, your Artifact Refining Skill is excellent, thank you very much! With this Spiritual Artifact, the Thunder Prison Grand Formation will be completely perfected. From now on, when activating the Thunder Prison Grand Formation, there will be no need to use Top-Grade Spirit Stones to fill the deficit. This artifact can also be used independently, and its power is extremely extraordinary, …”
Venerable Lei Hong was inexplicably excited, endlessly introducing the power of the Purple Firmament Spiritual Hammer to Li Mu. Although it was only a Five-Rank Top-Grade Acquired Spirit Treasure, it was very compatible with the Thunder Prison Grand Formation, possessing power not inferior to a six-tier spirit treasure, making it quite outstanding.
Hearing this, Li Mu breathed a sigh of relief and nodded with a smile: “As long as Sect Master Lei is satisfied, I have successfully completed my task!”
Venerable Lei Hong took out a storage ring from his embrace and enthusiastically pushed it into Li Mu's hand, saying irresistibly: “Dao Friend Li, there are still some Five Elements Artifact Refining Materials here, as compensation for refining the spiritual hammer. Please be sure to accept them.”
“Uh!” Li Mu reluctantly accepted it. With a sweep of his Divine Thought, he immediately discovered that the storage ring contained a large amount of Five-Rank and a few Six-Rank Materials. To thank him, Sect Master Lei had probably given everything he had!
Looking up at the enthusiastic Venerable Lei Hong, Li Mu knew his intentions well and cupped his fists, saying: “Then I will shamelessly accept them. Thank you, Sect Master Lei!”
“Haha! It's nothing! If it weren't for your daring rescue, the entire Yu Ling Sect would no longer exist. A little bit of Artifact Refining Materials is nothing!” Venerable Lei Hong smiled happily and waved his hand.
“Sect Master Lei, I have disturbed your esteemed Sect for quite some time, and I am preparing to bid farewell. I plan to go to a spiritual land to find some Cultivation resources. Do you happen to know of any spiritual land that can simultaneously contain dense Yin and Yang Qi?” Li Mu smiled as he inquired about a piece of information from Venerable Lei Hong, also taking the opportunity to bid farewell.
“A place with dense Yin and Yang Qi?” Venerable Lei Hong frowned in thought. If it was a place with dense Spiritual Qi, he knew some, but if it was dense Yin and Yang Qi, it was usually found separately. He had never encountered a place where they coexisted.
Venerable Lei Hong frowned deeply, pondering for a long time, and finally shook his head, saying: “I am truly sorry. A place where Yin and Yang Qi are simultaneously dense and coexistent is extremely rare. I have traveled for hundreds of Years and have never seen such a place. Such a rare spiritual land is known to very few. If you need it, I suggest you inquire at intelligence organizations like Tianji Pavilion.”
Li Mu nodded and cupped his hands to Venerable Lei Hong, bidding farewell: “Mm, if that's the case, I will go to Tianji Pavilion. I will take my leave now!”
“Dao Friend Li, if you have any needs in the future, just crush this token, and within ten thousand li, I, Lei, will surely sense it.” Venerable Lei Hong knew that Li Mu had made up his mind to leave, so he no longer tried to persuade him to stay, and took out a silver token, handing it to him as a gesture.
Li Mu looked at the silver token in surprise, confirmed there was nothing amiss, and also knew that Venerable Lei Hong wanted to repay his kindness, so he gladly accepted it.
Soon, under Venerable Lei Hong's respectful send-off, Li Mu summoned his Thunder Wings, transformed into a streak of light, and flew out of the Yu Ling Sect. Then, he transferred to the Celestial Shuttle Spirit Ship and flew towards Heavenly Luo City.
