Painting World Treasure Mansion, Artifact Refining Room.
Li Mu sat cross-legged and successively summoned the three Heavenly Fires.
The three Heavenly Fires—Yin Yang Lightning Fire, Extreme Yang Heavenly Fire, and Earth Vein Heavenly Fire—successively appeared around Li Mu.
The Heavenly Fire flames varied in color, emitting unique light and intense heat, vying for brilliance and instantly raising the temperature of the Artifact Refining Room to a new high.
The fire spirit form of Yin Yang Lightning Fire was a blue and green flood dragon, the fire spirit form of Extreme Yang Heavenly Fire was a Purple-Gold Fire Phoenix, and the fire spirit form of Earth Vein Heavenly Fire was a crimson fire Dragon.
Under Li Mu's control, these originally incompatible different fires were now able to coexist peacefully.
Li Mu formed hand seals, circulated the Eightfold Heavenly Fire Tempering Method, and with the vast True Qi of his Void Refining Middle Stage cultivation surging forth, he suddenly declared in a deep voice, “Heavenly Fire as Furnace!”
As soon as his voice fell, the three Heavenly Fires rapidly converged, gradually forming a giant three-colored Heavenly Fire Furnace in front of Li Mu.
The furnace body was condensed from Heavenly Fire, with raging flames, and the appearance of the Skyfire Refining Furnace was profoundly awe-inspiring.
The entire Skyfire Refining Furnace was nearly ten feet tall, floating in the air, incredibly majestic, like an ancient temple of flames.
The furnace body was interwoven with three kinds of Heavenly Fire, displaying the blue and green of Yin Yang Lightning Fire, the purple-gold of Extreme Yang Heavenly Fire, and the crimson of Earth Vein Heavenly Fire.
The three colors intertwined, and their brilliant light illuminated the entire Artifact Refining Room, dazzling beyond compare.
On the surface of the furnace body, flames danced as if countless small fire spirits were playing within them.
The fire spirits occasionally transformed into fire pythons, Fire Phoenix, and fire Dragons, appearing agile and mighty to the extreme.
The furnace lid, condensed from three-colored flames, was wreathed in fire, forming a blazing flame barrier that sealed the heat and light within the furnace.
The three-colored Skyfire Refining Furnace emitted intense heat waves and light, as if a giant fireball was burning fiercely within the Artifact Refining Room.
The surrounding space was distorted by this heat wave, forming ripples of heat waves, emitting a terrifying high temperature.
Li Mu gazed at the three-colored Skyfire Refining Furnace before him, his heart filled with excitement.
This was his first Artifact Refining session after gathering the three Heavenly Fires, elevating the Eightfold Heavenly Fire Tempering Method to Perfection Realm, and advancing to the Void Refining Realm.
If nothing unexpected happened, it should be an exhilarating Artifact Refining experience.
Li Mu took a deep breath, calmed his excitement, formed hand seals, and began to guide the flames within the Skyfire Refining Furnace.
Under his control, the flames in the three-colored Skyfire Refining Furnace began to churn rhythmically, forming a three-colored flame vortex inside, like a tornado, drawing the spiritual energy from the Artifact Refining Room into it, further increasing the temperature of the Skyfire Refining Furnace, turning it into a massive high-temperature melting pot.
With a thought from Li Mu's Divine Thought, the storage ring on his finger automatically ejected various seventh-tier Artifact Refining spiritual materials: meteorite crystal nucleus, Heavenly Crystal Grand Stone, Scarlet Crystal Essence, and so on.
As each seventh-tier Artifact Refining spiritual material was thrown in, the three-colored Skyfire Refining Furnace instantly boiled, emitting a “hissing” sound as it was devoured by the three-colored Heavenly Fire, rapidly melting.
However, this was just the beginning.
Under the melting of the three-colored Heavenly Fire, the spiritual materials rapidly melted, forming sticky liquids.
These liquids, agitated by Li Mu's Divine Thought, continuously rotated, becoming purer and purer, with Impurities and flaws quickly removed.
Li Mu's Divine Thought continuously adjusted the fire temperature of the Skyfire Refining Furnace, controlling the uniform heating and melting of the spiritual material molten liquid.
At the same time, he unleashed the Artifact Refining Divine Ability - Tempering Heaven and Earth, and began to temper the artifact embryo, arranging artifact arrays within its core.
Li Mu's Divine Thought, like fine threads, precisely controlled every wisp of flame, employing the Eightfold Heavenly Fire Tempering Method, as well as the Artifact Refining Divine Ability - Heavenly Fire Spirit Casting, to fuse the essence of the spiritual materials into one through the power of Heavenly Fire, imparting a new form to them.
Soon, under Li Mu's manipulation, a circular artifact embryo gradually formed within the Skyfire Refining Furnace.
This circular artifact embryo glowed with brilliant light on its surface, containing endless power.
As the artifact embryo took shape, Li Mu once again unleashed the Artifact Refining Divine Ability — Divine Refining Spirit Melting, using Divine Thought as a brush and spiritual energy as ink, he began to engrave complex artifact arrays into the circular artifact embryo.
This artifact array was based on the “Yin Yang Star Array,” intertwined and nested with the Gold Sharp Artifact Array and the Blazing Flame Artifact Array, forming a profound mother-child knot, creating an extremely complex Three Powers Artifact Array that could draw upon the power of Heaven and Earth, bestowing powerful might upon the Dao Artifact.
Time flowed by, bit by bit.
Li Mu circulated the Yin Yang Five Elements Scripture, his spiritual energy and True Qi surging endlessly, performing Artifact Refining with ease and grace.
Various Artifact Refining Divine Abilities: Artifact Pattern Formation, Artifact Power Spirit Imbuing, Artifact Control Dao Imbuing, etc., were all at his fingertips.
Having successfully advanced to the Void Refining Middle Stage, Li Mu's True Qi was as vast as the ocean, surging powerfully, and his Divine Thought was even more condensed, like solidified fine threads, precise and powerful, capable of easily controlling and perceiving every subtle change during the Artifact Refining process.
As the Artifact Refining Divine Abilities were continuously unleashed, Li Mu seemed to merge with the Skyfire Refining Furnace, forming a deep resonance with it.
As the Artifact Refining deepened, the crafting of this Dao Artifact quickly reached a critical moment.
Li Mu unleashed the Artifact Refining Divine Ability — Divine Refinement Weapon Pattern, injecting powerful spiritual energy and True Qi into the artifact embryo in the furnace, beginning to assist the artifact embryo in condensing Yin Yang attribute artifact patterns.
First, the Yin-attribute artifact pattern—Profound Yin—was condensed on the artifact embryo, guiding the True Qi to outline a divine artifact pattern on the artifact embryo, symbolizing the profoundness and mystery of the Yin attribute.
As the Profound Yin artifact pattern took shape, the artifact embryo emitted a chilling light that captivated the soul.
Next, the Yang-attribute artifact pattern—Blazing Yang—was condensed.
True Qi burned on the artifact embryo, forming blazing golden patterns, symbolizing the brightness and intense heat of the Yang attribute.
The Blazing Yang artifact pattern caused the artifact embryo to shine with dazzling light, as hot and brilliant as the sun.
Continuing, the Yin Yang attribute artifact pattern - Two Forms, was condensed.
The Two Forms artifact pattern represents the intersection and Fusion of Yin and Yang, being the most core part of the Sun Moon Essence Wheel.
The next artifact pattern — Primordial Chaos,
…
Soon, within the Skyfire Refining Furnace, on the surface of the circular artifact embryo, artifact patterns appeared one after another.
28 artifact patterns shimmered with spiritual light, emitting a light intertwined with Yin and Yang, like interwoven Yin Yang diagrams tightly enveloping the artifact embryo, gradually nurturing an Inborn Artifact Spirit Yin Yang formation.
The ‘Sun Moon Essence Wheel’ that Li Mu had designed and refined beforehand had birthed a powerful spirituality within the Artifact Refining furnace.
A force of Yin and Yang gradually took shape within the furnace, its momentum vast, as if it would tear through the Void Realm and shake Heaven and Earth.
At this moment, in the Artifact Refining Room, a circular wheel, alternating between sun and moon, leaped out of the Skyfire Refining Furnace and floated before Li Mu.
It shone with brilliant light, Yin and Yang intertwined, illuminating the entire Artifact Refining Room with a mysterious aura.
However, at the very moment the ‘Sun Moon Essence Wheel’ was born, an invisible and powerful force penetrated the Treasure Mansion Space and locked onto it, exuding an aura of majesty and terror.
Li Mu clearly sensed this aura and knew that this was the artifact tribulation that Dao Artifacts needed to undergo upon their birth.
He couldn't help but show a wry smile, not expecting that this casual Artifact Refining would actually trigger an artifact tribulation.
The quality of the Yin-Yang Essence Wheel was even higher than he had anticipated.
Li Mu sighed helplessly, put away the ‘Sun Moon Essence Wheel,’ and his figure vanished from the Painting World Treasure Mansion, reappearing on the Tribulation Transcending Platform in the Seven Profound Sect’s back mountain.
Soon, the Lightning Tribulation, like a hound sniffing out a bone, quickly arrived upon hearing the news.
The sky above the Tribulation Transcending Platform quickly became overcast, with lightning flashing and thunder rumbling, and terrifying forces of Heaven and Earth began to gather.
At this moment, the Elders of the Seven Profound Sect also noticed the unusual phenomenon in Heaven and Earth, and successively rushed over from the seven main peaks on their swords.
“Which fellow disciple is Undergoing Tribulation? They didn’t notify us beforehand!”
“This Lightning Tribulation is not simple!”
“Sect Master, who is Undergoing Tribulation? No, this isn’t a Soul Transformation Lightning Tribulation… This, this is actually an artifact tribulation! Sect Master, you’ve refined a Dao Artifact that requires Undergoing Tribulation!”
“Wonderful! This is the first time this old man has seen a Dao Artifact Undergoing Tribulation.”
…
Several Elders of the Seven Profound Sect, Fang Shixin, Qin Wentong, and Zhong Zilin, appeared one after another beside Li Mu, staring intently at the ‘Sun Moon Essence Wheel’ above the Tribulation Transcending Platform, their excitement beyond words, discussing animatedly.
“You’ve arrived! Observe the tribulation!”
Li Mu gave a helpless smile to everyone, indicating.
As soon as Li Mu’s voice fell, the power of the Lightning Tribulation in the sky intensified by several points, as if in response to his understated attitude.
The Heaven and Earth power around the Tribulation Transcending Platform became even more violent, and between flashes of lightning and rolls of thunder, it seemed as if even space was being torn apart.
“This Lightning Tribulation is indeed extraordinary!”
Qin Wentong’s eyes sparkled with excitement.
As an Artifact Refining Great Master within the Sect, he naturally knew that a Dao Artifact capable of triggering such a powerful artifact tribulation must be of extraordinary quality and potential.
“Sect Master, is this Dao Artifact something you just refined?”
Fang Shixin asked in surprise, full of admiration for Li Mu's Artifact Refining abilities and never doubting them, but he never expected the Sect Master to have reached such a high level, having refined a top-grade Dao Artifact.
Dao Artifacts that require Undergoing Tribulation and Dao Artifacts that do not require Undergoing Tribulation are two different levels of existence.
And Dao Artifacts that need to undergo an artifact tribulation are another level of existence.
They incorporate the power of Heaven and Earth during the refining process, establishing a subtle connection with Heaven and Earth, thus capable of triggering the test of a Lightning Tribulation.
Such Dao Artifacts are not only of excellent quality but also possess infinite potential, capable of unleashing unimaginable power in the hands of a Cultivator.
At this moment, the ‘Sun Moon Essence Wheel’ floating above the Tribulation Transcending Platform was a top-grade Dao Artifact that required Undergoing Tribulation.
Its surface shimmered with the light of the sun and moon, and the power of Yin and Yang intertwined within it.
Each strike of the tribulation lightning was insufficient to cause fatal damage to it, as if it inherently possessed the ability to control the Dao of lightning, and had the potential to continue to advance in rank.
In contrast, Dao Artifacts that do not require Undergoing Tribulation appear much inferior.
Although they are also at the Dao Artifact level, they lack a connection with the power of Heaven and Earth, and their quality and potential naturally cannot be compared to the ‘Sun Moon Essence Wheel,’ nor can they continue to advance in rank.
“Just luck.”
Li Mu smiled faintly, controlling the ‘Sun Moon Essence Wheel’ with his Divine Thought to help it overcome this artifact tribulation.
Above the Tribulation Transcending Platform, thick bolts of lightning, like giant Dragons, roared as they struck towards the ‘Sun Moon Essence Wheel.’
However, the ‘Sun Moon Essence Wheel’ seemed to possess spiritual intelligence, constantly rotating and flashing under the lightning attacks, deflecting the power of the lightning one by one.
“Good!”
Elder Zhong Zilin couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration, “This ‘Sun Moon Essence Wheel’ is indeed extraordinary; it can so easily resolve the power of the Lightning Tribulation!”
Li Mu's mind was completely immersed in the confrontation with the Lightning Tribulation.
Now was not the time to relax; only when the Lightning Tribulation completely ended could this Dao Artifact be considered truly successfully refined.
Under Li Mu's Divine Thought control, the ‘Sun Moon Essence Wheel’ displayed its Divine Ability amidst the tribulation lightning.
Its surface's sun and moon light rapidly flowed, and the Yin and Yang forces continuously inverted and transformed between the wheel plates.
The Yin Yang power of the ‘Sun Moon Essence Wheel’ was stimulated to its extreme.
When the lightning struck the wheel, the violent lightning power was drawn by an invisible force, instantly decomposed into tiny lightning particles, and under the effect of Yin Yang power, it was quickly absorbed and transformed into the power of the ‘Sun Moon Essence Wheel’.
Not only that, the ‘Sun Moon Essence Wheel’ exerted the power of Two Forms, transforming the violent and destructive intent within the lightning force into gentleness and vitality.
Each strike of the lightning seemed to be skillfully guided by the ‘Sun Moon Essence Wheel,’ transforming into nourishment for its own growth.
The Lightning Tribulation in the sky also seemed to sense the tenacity of the ‘Sun Moon Essence Wheel,’ and bolts of lightning struck down one after another.
However, the ‘Sun Moon Essence Wheel,’ under Li Mu's control, always maintained a stable rotation, deflecting the power of the lightning one by one.
As time passed, the power of the Lightning Tribulation gradually weakened, while the light of the ‘Sun Moon Essence Wheel’ became even more brilliant, becoming an existence that could not be destroyed by lightning.
Finally, when the last bolt of lightning dissipated in the air, the ‘Sun Moon Essence Wheel’ successfully passed the artifact tribulation.
It flew down from above the Tribulation Transcending Platform in a flash, appearing before Li Mu, its Yin Yang wheel gracefully turning, showcasing its power and splendor to everyone.
“Sect Master, congratulations on successfully refining such a powerful Dao Artifact!”
Fang Shixin was the first to step forward, cupping his hands in congratulations, his eyes filled with admiration: “This Dao Artifact is not only of excellent quality but also possesses such a Divine Ability.
Its advancement to an eighth-tier Dao Artifact is just around the corner!”
“Indeed! Sect Master, your Artifact Refining technique has advanced further, reaching the pinnacle of Perfection! This is truly a cause for celebration!”
Qin Wentong looked at Li Mu with admiration, his eyes full of reverence.
As a fellow Artifact Refining Great Master, having received Li Mu's guidance several times, Qin Wentong, however, was still unable to take that final crucial step, only able to watch Li Mu go further and further.
At this moment, his feelings were inexplicably complex.
“Elder Qin, the Dao of Artifact Refining emphasizes state of mind and comprehension.”
Li Mu smiled gently, seeing Qin Wentong's state of mind, and quickly reminded him: “Your skill has already reached a high level.
You just need to calm your mind and continue to delve into it, and you will surely Breakthrough the Bottleneck.”
Upon hearing this, a hint of understanding flashed in Qin Wentong's eyes.
He bowed deeply to Li Mu and said gratefully, “Thank you for your guidance, Sect Master!”
At this time, the other Elders also gathered around, full of praise for Li Mu's Artifact Refining achievements.
Li Mu responded to each, modest yet graceful, then put away the ‘Sun Moon Essence Wheel,’ bid farewell to the Elders, and with a flash of his figure, disappeared from the spot.
Li Mu intended to keep the ‘Sun Moon Essence Wheel’ Dao Artifact for his own use, meaning he would have to start over on the three Dao Artifacts commissioned by the Wanbao Pavilion.
For the subsequent Artifact Refining, Li Mu planned to hold back a bit, no longer pursuing the ultimate Breakthrough in the Dao of Artifacts, but rather focusing on the practicality of the Dao Artifacts, simplifying the complex. (End of this chapter)
