Chapter 55 : The Forge of Six Harmonies

"Then follow me."

Freya Willow revealed a slight smile and led the two of them into the Earthfire Chamber [a specialized chamber harnessing geothermal energy for crafting purposes] of the third-rank middle-grade.

Upon entering the Earthfire Chamber, Eldrin Chen looked up and saw that in the Central area of the Third-Rank Earthfire [a potent, controlled source of geothermal fire suitable for high-level crafting] chamber stood an ancient and unadorned Great Cauldron [a massive, enchanted vessel used for high-level forging and alchemy]. Directly beneath it was a fiery vent sealed by an array formation.

Gazing at this Great Cauldron, Freya Willow said with a smile, "My master says that using a furnace for alchemy is to embrace unity and return to the source, thus subtly aligning with the Heavenly Path [the fundamental laws and principles governing the cosmos]. But using a furnace for artifact forging seems too constrained."

"Instead, a Great Cauldron that Heaven-Bearing [symbolizing immense capacity and stability] carries the earth is more suited for forging peerless, grand artifacts. This 'Six Harmonies and Eight Desolations Cauldron' is the treasure my master often uses to craft magical implements."

As an artifact forger, Eternal Profound Chen could not resist caressing this Six Harmonies and Eight Desolations Cauldron with loving hands, unable to contain his excitement as he said, "Senior Exquisite Jiang's cultivation is profound, having glimpsed the profound mysteries of the Heavenly Path. Her astonishing attainments span Alchemy, Formations, Artifacts, Talismans [the four major auxiliary arts of cultivation: pill refining, array formation, artifact forging, and talisman crafting]—this junior is far from matching her."

"Indeed," replied Freya Willow, her tone filled with deep admiration. "My master once said that the Hundred Crafts of Cultivation [the myriad auxiliary arts and skills practiced by cultivators] all subtly resonate with the Great Path [the ultimate truth and principle underlying all existence]."

"Delving deeply into the art of pill refining can help a cultivator comprehend the Minor Cosmos [the intricate internal energy system and microcosm within a cultivator's own body]. The art of array formations, even more so, contains the profound mechanisms of heaven and earth. If one can cultivate it to its ultimate extent, one might even directly perceive the grand momentum of the vast cosmos and the principles of Creation [the act of bringing something into existence, often associated with divine or cosmic power]."

Eldrin Chen listened quietly, a flicker of astonishment passing through his eyes.

He had originally thought that Exquisite Jiang was merely a bit more profound in cultivation, excessively beautiful in appearance, and perfectly proportioned in figure. He never imagined such vast depth and wisdom resided within her. This novel is serialized on audio-novel.com. Visit for updates.

Both were highly satisfied with this Artifact Forging Chamber and the Refining Cauldron, so they decided to rent this Third-Rank Earthfire chamber for two months at a price of three hundred Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy] per month.

After Freya Willow departed, the two wasted no time and immediately began the process of forging the Solar Fire Returning Abyss Sword.

Eternal Profound Chen activated the formation, allowing the Third-Rank Earthfire to merge with the cauldron. As he placed the sword embryo inside, he began his explanation.

"To forge the Solar Fire Returning Abyss Sword, pure Millennial Crimson Iron is the best material."

"So-called Millennial Crimson Iron originates as the essence of myriad irons, known as Mystic Iron. It then falls into an Underground Fire Vein where it is tempered by earthfire for a millennium, absorbing the power of the Fire Vein [a subterranean channel of concentrated fire energy]."

"Although called crimson iron, after prolonged tempering by earthfire and absorbing too much Fire Vein power, it actually takes on a pale blue hue."

"The higher the quality of the Millennial Crimson Iron, the purer and more translucent its color tends to be. I see your sword embryo has a clear, luminous color—its material is a rare, superior-grade specimen."

"Such a top-tier natural treasure contains very few impurities. Furthermore, since no other materials were fused with it, simply re-smelting it will yield high-quality Millennial Crimson Iron."

The Old Patriarch slowed his movements, patiently explaining the profound mysteries of artifact forging to Eldrin Chen.

Smelting the Millennial Crimson Iron was a tedious process. Even with the aid of earthfire, the Old Patriarch spent a full seven days before he finally melted the Millennial Crimson Iron into a mass of pure, Glazed liquid essence.

This was merely the beginning. Next, he retrieved the Solar Fire Crystal and, with a grave expression, placed it within the cauldron.

Compared to the Millennial Crimson Iron, refining the Solar Fire Crystal proved far more arduous. This substance was the concentrated essence of an earthly Fire Vein [a subterranean channel of concentrated fire energy], containing a wisp of the Fire Vein's Creation [the primordial, life-giving force of the universe] power.

This was a wondrous manifestation of heaven and earth's Creation, capable of crafting high-grade Precious Pill [elixirs of exceptional quality and power] or aiding a Foundation Establishment Cultivator [a cultivator who has solidified their foundation for the path ahead] in opening their Violet Sanctum [the third major cultivation realm, where true essence transforms into mana] and converting their True Essence [the refined, foundational energy of a cultivator] into magical power.

If this material were to be fused into a Life-Bound Magical Artifact [a magical treasure bound to a cultivator's life force, growing with them], it would naturally and greatly enhance the artifact's potency and latent potential.

However, such a supreme fire-attribute treasure was no simple matter to refine. Eternal Profound Chen proceeded with utmost caution and concentration, using the Eight Desolations Cauldron to melt it down, fearing any damage to this precious treasure.

The Eight Desolations Cauldron proved itself worthy of its status as a Third Rank Superior Grade Violet Sanctum treasure cauldron, amplifying the power of the earthfire severalfold. After the labor of over half a month, it finally, bit by bit, melted the Solar Fire Crystal into a mass of Solar Fire [a divine ability or essence related to solar flames] essence.

Then, the Old Patriarch channeled his True Essence, merging the crimson iron essence with the Solar Fire essence. He repeatedly tempered the mixture with his True Flame [a cultivator's purified, spiritual flame], ultimately refining it into a radiant, deep-blue liquid substance.

At this critical juncture, the Old Patriarch, heedless of the sweat drenching his brow, reduced the earthfire's intensity by ninety percent. He maintained a gentle flame to temper the substance while simultaneously shaping the mass of azure liquid into the form of a sword.

"Now!"

Just as the sword form solidified, the Old Patriarch suddenly shouted.

Eldrin Chen [the protagonist, a cultivator from the Chen family], who had long been prepared, immediately stepped forward. He continuously activated his hand seals, engraving the Lifebound Formation Runes [the core mystical patterns that bind a magical weapon to its master's soul] into the Solar Fire Returning Abyss Sword [a legendary sword forged from solar fire and abyssal essence].

These Lifebound Formation Runes were the closely guarded secret of the Solar Fire Returning Abyss Sword and the most crucial mechanism for controlling a Lifebound Immortal Sword [an immortal-grade sword bound to its wielder's life force]. They had to be personally inscribed by the sword's destined master.

Fortunately, Eldrin Chen had long memorized the intricate patterns. With guidance on the arcane formations from the Old Patriarch [the venerable elder of the Chen family] and having practiced the inscription process many times beforehand, he managed to complete the task without error.

After a full quarter of an hour [one Ke-time equals fifteen minutes], the runes were finally inscribed. Both men let out a sigh of relief.

The Old Patriarch wiped the sweat from his brow, a trace of a gratified smile appearing on his face. "The sword is complete!"

At this stage of the forging, the major hurdles for this Lifebound Immortal Sword had been overcome. What remained was the process of infusing it with Five Elements Essence [refined spiritual essence containing the power of the five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth] and tempering it continuously until the blade took its final form. Official source: @udio-novel.com. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.

This final step required Eldrin Chen's personal attention. He took out three thousand strands of Solar Fire Essence [the purified spiritual essence of solar fire] and Essence of Metallic Gold [the purified spiritual essence of metallic gold], beginning to meticulously fuse them into the nascent blade.

Five Elements Essence was a byproduct naturally generated when cultivators absorbed and refined spiritual energy [the vital energy that flows through all living things and the world].

During cultivation, as a practitioner drew in and processed spiritual energy, they would naturally separate out the elemental affinities they did not require. This process yielded the various types of Five Elements Essence.

For example, a cultivator with a Fire Spiritual Root [an innate affinity for the fire element] absorbing metal-attributed spiritual energy would separate out the Essence of Metallic Gold. Conversely, a cultivator with a Metal Spiritual Root [an innate affinity for the metal element] absorbing fire-attributed energy would separate out the Solar Fire Essence.

The separated Five Elements Essence [a refined spiritual essence containing the power of the five elements] represents the purest quintessence of heaven and earth, a treasure highly sought after even by high-ranking cultivators.

Whether refining ordinary magical treasures or Life-Bound Magical Artifact [a cultivator's personal artifact bound to their life force], or cultivating divine abilities, this substance is often essential. For instance, the Chen Clan's divine ability, Blazing Heaven Sword [a sword technique harnessing celestial fire], requires absorbing vast quantities of Essence of Metallic Gold [the purified essence of metallic energy] and Solar Fire Essence [the purified essence of solar flame] to master.

Thus, these five types of spiritual essence, much like Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy], function as a universal currency. The higher a cultivator's realm, the greater their demand for these essences becomes.

For certain great powers cultivating supreme Great God Ability [a pinnacle-level divine technique] or high-grade Lifebound Magical Treasure [a cultivator's personal artifact bound to their life force], this essence is often considered even more precious than an equivalent value in spirit stones.

Eldrin Chen possessed Five Spiritual Roots [a spiritual root affinity encompassing all five elements] and fundamentally could not refine Five Elements Essence [a refined spiritual essence containing the power of the five elements]. He had never profited from this trade, yet now he had reached the stage where he needed to purchase Five Elements Essence to refine his Lifebound Immortal Sword [an immortal-grade sword bound to a cultivator's life force].

Tempering a Lifebound Immortal Sword [an immortal-grade sword bound to a cultivator's life force] was a time-consuming endeavor. Eldrin Chen meticulously infused it, thread by thread, with Solar Fire Essence [the purified essence of solar flame] and Essence of Metallic Gold [the purified essence of metallic energy]. In what felt like a blink, seven times seven days—forty-nine days in total—had passed.

By the time he finished integrating the Five Elements Essence [a refined spiritual essence containing the power of the five elements], the sword embryo was on the verge of complete formation.

Watching from the side, the Old Patriarch stroked his long beard in excitement. "It is finally about to succeed," he declared. This chapter is part of a larger work available at audio—novel.com.