Chapter 104 Refining the Bell of 9 Echoes (Magic Treasure)

Eldrin knew all too well that his clan was not as secure as it appeared on the surface. If word of the Chen Family possessing a Heaven and Earth Spiritual Root were to spread, the entire Chen Clan would likely face immediate and utter annihilation.

This treasure was far too precious; even Golden Core cultivators would covet it. The Chen family simply lacked the strength to protect it.

Fortunately, within the clan, fewer than 10 cultivators were qualified to go to Spirit Isle Lake (Location), and only a few Foundation Establishment cultivators knew the secrets of the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Root (Spiritual Root).

However, in the future when Eldrin would elevate the Spiritual Apricot Tree of Celestial Ruins Mountain into a Heaven and Earth Spiritual Root, the clan’s cultivators would inevitably notice the anomaly sooner or later. Should another individual like Chen Nianxu emerge then, it could potentially bring catastrophic disaster upon the family.

Therefore, Eldrin had to employ thunderous methods to make the family's cultivators understand the price of betrayal, so that all would take it as a stern warning.

"Only after reaching the Purple Mansion Realm and breaking through to the next stage can the Spirit Apricot Tree advance further."

Eldrin gazed at the heavens, his heart echoing with these thoughts.

Upon the vast lands of the Chu Kingdom, 3 great sects stood as true hegemons, while only the Violet Mansion Immortal Clan possessed the qualification to reign as the paramount power governing an entire prefecture.

The relationships among the Violet Mansion immortal clans were exceedingly delicate—they competed fiercely yet clung together for warmth. The 2 major Violet Mansion clans of Bianzhou had joined forces, collectively safeguarding the spirit stone mines of Bianzhou.

Only by breaking through to the Violet Mansion realm and elevating the Chen Immortal Clan (Organization) to a Violet Mansion immortal clan, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the other 2 great Violet Mansion clans of Border Province, could the Chen Family truly possess some measure of self-preservation strength.

By that time, even if the Qingyang Sect wished to move against the Chen Family, they would have to carefully weigh the collective influence of the several Violet Mansion immortal clans in Bianzhou.

After much deliberation, Eldrin finally suppressed his thoughts and turned to Lior, saying, "Since the Weis won't intervene, there shouldn't be any significant danger in Dark Iron Mountain."

"I shall return to Spirit Isle Lake (Location) to hold command. We must also request the clan leader to reforge the Bell of 9 Echoes (Magic Treasure). Henceforth, we'll need to trouble you, Uncle Lior (Person Name), to guard Dark Iron Mountain (Location)."

"Very well." Lior nodded with a gentle smile. "Set your mind at ease. With me overseeing operations and the Verdant Wood Earth Matrix in place, not even ordinary Foundation Establishment, Late Stage cultivators could pose any threat to Dark Iron Mountain."

"Then I can rest easy."

Eldrin (Person Name) soared through the skies on his sword, heading toward Pingyang City. With no 1 to hold him back this time, he covered the distance in just over a single day.

Upon arriving in Pingyang City, he informed the Old Patriarch about the events at Dark Iron Mountain (Location). The elder sighed deeply after hearing the account.

"You did nothing wrong. I would have done the same in your position."

"You have established order this time. I fear that as long as you remain with us, these young rascals in our clan wouldn't dare act recklessly."

However, Changming had died young, falling in battle during the chaos of the demon beasts. Most of his children had also met untimely ends, leaving Chen Nianxu as the sole remaining direct descendant of his bloodline.

"Sigh…"

Observing the elder clan leader’s expression, Eldrin nodded, yet spoke candidly, “I have long since devised a solution for this matter.”

After they are exiled to the Great Wilderness, I will rescue the underage children and arrange for them to be settled in the mortal cities of the Meng Family.

"Their branch still has over 3,000 family merit points remaining. Convert them into spirit stones and deliver them to the Meng family. Should any cultivators emerge from their lineage, let them inherit these resources."

"This is just as well. It can be considered leaving an heir for Brother Changming."

The old clan leader smiled as he spoke, "Though your nature is sharp and decisive, you still possess a human touch. For our Chen Family to have a child like you is truly a blessing accumulated over countless lifetimes."

Only through thunderous means can 1 reveal a heart of mercy. For once, Eldrin lowered his gaze, this thought flashing through his mind.

Recalling the purpose of his journey, he retrieved the Bell of 9 Echoes (Magic Treasure) and the core of the Metal-Devouring Beast (Demon Beast).

"Today, I've come to ask Uncle Master to help me refine the Bell of 9 Echoes (Magic Treasure) once more."

"What a fine treasure."

The old clan leader took the monster core and the Bell of 9 Echoes (Magic Treasure), caressing them with delight for a moment before speaking thoughtfully, "With my mid-second-tier artifact forging skills, the chance of successfully refining the Bell of 9 Echoes (Magic Treasure) to high-second-tier is merely 30 percent."

"No problem. If it gets ruined, we can simply reforge it. We just obtained a considerable amount of Mysterious Iron this time, and it'll also help improve your Artifact Crafting skill."

Eldrin smiled faintly and said, "The Bell of 9 Echoes is forged from Dark Iron. Even if the refinement fails, this material can be remelted to recover the Dark Iron. Although a portion of the Dark Iron is lost during the melting process, approximately 70-80% of the consumed materials can be reclaimed."

For the reforging of the Bell of 9 Echoes (Magic Treasure), Eldrin (Person Name) had even brought the crude meteorite iron rod. Once smelted, the materials extracted from this rod would be sufficient for the old clan leader to perform the reforging 7 or 8 times over.

"Good." The Old Clan Leader took the Black Iron Staff and nodded in satisfaction. "With over a dozen pieces of black iron, it shall suffice for this elder to break through to a Grade 2 High-Rank Artifact Smith."

After making his decision, the old clan chief began smelting the profound iron, while Eldrin observed and assisted from the side, hoping to enhance his skills in both formations and artifact-crafting.

The old clan chief first smelted the crude iron rod, spending a full 7 days to obtain 7 fist-sized lumps of dark iron. He then took 1 lump and fused it into the Bell of 9 Echoes (Magic Treasure).

The process did not require excessive effort—it was successfully completed in merely 2 days, after which the Old Clan Leader began refining the demon beast core.

Within the core of this Metal-Devouring Beast (Demon Beast) lay vast quantities of Mysterious Iron Essence, its material composition having undergone a remarkable transformation that rendered the smelting process exceedingly challenging.

Even with the 2 of them taking turns refining it with True Flame, it still took a full half a month before the material finally melted into a liquid substance.

This Mysterious Iron Essence was truly extraordinary. Just a small piece could greatly enhance the quality of a magic treasure. It could even serve as a key supplementary material when forging third-tier magical artifacts.

At this moment, Chen Changxuan took only 1-third of the Mystic Iron Essence and infused it into the Bell of 9 Echoes (Magic Treasure). Instantly, the bell radiated a brilliant glow, its material quality elevated by a significant margin.

Unfortunately, this attempt at forging still ended in failure. While the old clan leader was inscribing the second-tier, superior-grade defensive array patterns, the Bell of 9 Echoes (Magic Treasure) could not withstand the strain and shattered, resulting in an unsuccessful refinement.

"It's not an issue with the material, but rather the fire control wasn't properly managed."

The old clan leader concluded that prolonged use of True Flame for refinement had drained their spiritual energy, leading to a momentary lapse in concentration.

Eldrin pondered for a moment before saying, "Adding some more Mystic Iron Essence should reinforce the Bell of 9 Echoes, giving us a bit more margin for error."

"Indeed, I've grown so accustomed to conserving materials over the years that I instinctively try to preserve every precious ingredient I see."

The old clan leader shook his head with a wry smile. During the second refinement attempt, he incorporated all the Profound Iron Essence into the process. As expected, no further anomalies occurred—the formation patterns were successfully inscribed in a single attempt.

At this stage, the foundation was considered complete. The 2 then extracted the essence of the 5 Elements and fused it into the bell, spending half a month before seamlessly refining the Bell of 9 Echoes (Magic Treasure).

Having broken through to become a high-rank Tier-2 Artificer, the Old Patriarch was in excellent spirits. He retrieved the Bell of 9 Echoes (Magic Treasure) and handed it to Eldrin (Person Name).

"The material of this Bell of 9 Echoes (Magic Treasure) likely approaches the quality of a third-tier magical instrument, and its defensive capabilities rank among the pinnacle even within second-tier artifacts."

Eldrin accepted the Bell of 9 Echoes with uncontainable delight. With this treasure in his possession, alongside the Violet Sun Crucible and the Violet Luminescence Mirror, he now wielded a complete triad of second-tier, superior-grade artifacts—offense, support, and defense all impeccably covered.

Once the Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss (Magic Treasure) advanced to the second-tier upper grade, he would truly be capable of dominating the Foundation Establishment realm. Even if he couldn’t be called invincible among Foundation Establishment cultivators, he would undoubtedly rank among the very best in the Borderlands.