207: Clothes make the man

When Gao De arrived, he saw a small pool of deep blue cold spring at the center of a depressed area formed by the eruption. At the spring's source, a bowl-sized, crystal-clear lotus flower, carved as if from jade, quietly bloomed, emitting a pure, icy cold Qi that completely isolated the heat within a ten-foot radius, even condensing into flakes of ice crystals and snow.

Surrounding the lotus was a faint layer of blue Cold Baleful Energy. When touched by Divine Sense, one felt a slight sensation of stinging and freezing.

"The profound ice jade lotus, born from a point of extreme cold Origin in a land of extreme heat, contains pure Ice Spirit and the Vitality of Creation. It can cure all poisons, suppress the Heart Demon, temper the Physical Body and Divine Soul, and is an excellent main Material for refining ice-type Magic Treasures or life-saving Spirit Pills," Gao De recognized the item's Origin.

Although this Cold Baleful Energy was formidable, it was not insurmountable for Gao De, who possessed a fourth-tier cultivation base, especially given his Dragon Clan's powerful Physical Body and his Protective Thunder-Fire Aura.

He circulated his Cultivation Technique, and a layer of purplish-gold light appeared around him as he slowly stepped into the range of the Cold Baleful Energy.

The biting cold struck, fiercely clashing with his protective Dragon Essence, emitting sizzling sounds.

Gao De remained unmoved, steadily advancing, reaching out toward the jade lotus.

Just as his finger was about to touch the lotus stem, an anomaly suddenly occurred!

From the bottom of the cold spring, an almost transparent, slender shadow suddenly shot out, stabbing straight toward Gao De's wrist!

It was actually an [Ice Soul Cold Chi] that had been lurking deep within the cold spring, almost completely fused with the Cold Baleful Energy!

Although it was only at the third-tier Late Stage, its timing for the sneak attack was cunning, and its Cold Poison was fierce; even an ordinary fourth-tier Cultivator could be hit if careless!

"I was ready for you!" Gao De sneered, his other hand already pointed like a sword. Striking later but arriving first, a strand of Thunder-Flame Sword Qi, as thin as hair, precisely struck the Ice Chi's vital spot.

Screech—!

The Ice Soul Cold Chi let out a sharp hiss, its body instantly stiffened, and, invaded by the power of thunder and fire, it turned into an ice sculpture before immediately shattering.

Only then did Gao De successfully pluck the profound ice jade lotus and carefully put it away.

With this, the three top-tier Heaven And Earth Treasures that had erupted were all secured in his possession.

At this time, the Terrestrial Fire eruption had gradually weakened, but the resulting disturbance and Treasure Light still attracted more powerful Yao Beasts. Demonic Clouds rolled in the distant sky, and the ground trembled, clearly indicating that more than one faction of fourth-tier Yao Beasts was approaching.

"This place is unsuitable for a prolonged stay. Retreat!" Gao De decisively ordered.

He quickly led the Demon Soldiers away from the Lava Abyss and only stopped for a brief rest after entering a relatively safe, dense ancient forest.

Upon counting the spoils, besides the three main Materials, he had also conveniently collected several other fire-attributed Spirit Ores and Crystal Stones brought up by the eruption along the way, which was quite a generous haul.

"Master, this acquisition of great treasures is cause for celebration! However, the Dragon Palace is imminent, and our armor and weapons are rudimentary, which might cause Master to lose face," Iron Profound respectfully said. Although he was a newly promoted Commander, his intelligence had awakened after his enlightenment, and he was capable of thought.

Hearing this, Gao De looked at the slightly plain robe he wore, then looked at the "primitive" equipment of the Demon Soldiers behind him. It was indeed quite shabby.

As the dignified Lord of Qianjiao Cliff and a future True Dragon, attending the Dragon Palace Birthday Banquet with attendants who didn't even have decent standard armor and weapons was truly inappropriate.

"Indeed, what you said makes sense." Gao De mused, his gaze sweeping over the three top-tier Materials he had just acquired and the other Materials collected along the way. A thought sprang into his mind.

"Perfect. I shall take this opportunity to personally refine new armor and weapons for all of you!"

He found a secluded mountain valley and set up concealing and defensive Formations.

Then, under the awestruck gaze of the Demon Soldiers, Gao De sat cross-legged, opened his mouth, and spat out a stream of purplish-gold Demonic Fire, which hovered before him.

This Demonic Fire was formed by the Fusion of his Dragon Essence and the Origin of Thunder-Flame after he advanced to the fourth tier. Its quality was extremely high, sufficient to melt most rare Materials.

He first took out the largest piece of [Purple Dragon Thunder Fire Jade Marrow] and slowly burned and tempered it with the Demonic Fire, removing Impurities and refining it into liquid purplish-gold jade marrow essence.

Subsequently, he tossed in the earth core fire pattern gold mother. This item was extremely difficult to melt, but under Gao De's continuous activation of the Demonic Fire, supplemented by a trace of his Essence Blood as a catalyst, it gradually transformed into a flowing reddish-gold metallic liquid.

Other auxiliary Materials, such as the collected Scarlet Refined Fire Copper, Terrestrial Fire Profound Iron, and Cold Iron Elite, were also successively thrown in, undergoing Fusion and purification in the Demonic Fire.

Gao De formed hand seals, dividing his Divine Sense into dozens of strands to precisely control the Fusion and shaping of the Materials.

Combining some Artifact Refining methods for Demon Soldier armor included in his Bloodline Legacy, along with his own understanding of Dragon Clan Runes and Battle Formations, he began custom-crafting armor and weapons for his Demon Soldiers.

The first items refined were the [Black Crocodile Sea-Covering Armor] and the [Wave-Splitting Water Spear] for Iron Profound and the nine core Mysterious Crocodile Guards.

The armor used Terrestrial Fire Profound Iron and Cold Iron Elite as its base, integrating a small amount of Purple Dragon Thunder Fire Jade Marrow essence and sturdy back-scale fragments shed by the Jade Black Crocodile itself. The overall color was black and gold, heavy and solid. The edges of the scales bore faint purple thunder Runes, and the chest mirror featured a miniature Dragon Head relief. Injecting Demonic Power could activate a faint Dragon Might and Thunder-Fire protection.

The spear's main body was forged from Scarlet Refined Fire Copper, and the tip incorporated a trace of the sharp Qi from the earth core fire pattern gold mother. It was dark red with bloody fire patterns, possessing extremely strong armor-piercing capabilities and an extra penetrating effect against the protective Demonic Light of aquatic creatures.

Next were the [Shadow Scale Stealth Leather Armor] and the [Shadowless poison fang Daggers], refined for the five Shadow Scale Water Snakes.

The main Material for the leather armor was taken from the shed snake skins that possessed Stealth Talent, supplemented by special Yin-attributed Ore powder and a trace of the extreme cold Qi from the profound ice jade lotus. It was light and thin as if nothing was there. Not only did it perfectly conform to the body, but it also greatly enhanced the stealth effect, even capable of temporarily blurring light and Divine Sense detection.

The poison fang daggers used their own most venomous pair of fangs as a base, incorporating the essence of the tail hook poison sac of the Terrestrial Fire Poison Scorpion and a small amount of the sharp Qi from the earth core fire pattern gold mother. The resulting short daggers were as fine as ox hair, pitch-black and dull, extremely poisonous, and specialized in breaking through protective Protective Aura, making them Sharp Weapons ideal for sneak attacks and assassination.

For the two Green Feather Thunder Sparrows, he refined the [Azure Thunder Wind-Controlling Plumes] and the [Sky-Rending Claw Gauntlets].

The plumes primarily used their own toughest and most magnificent tail feathers, infused with wind-attributed Spirit Stone powder and a trace of the Thunder Essence Qi from the Purple Dragon Thunder Fire Jade Marrow. After refining, they could not only significantly increase flight speed and flexibility but also draw upon the power of wind and thunder to form a protective Wind-Thunder Barrier or release small thunder strikes.

The claw gauntlets were forged from Cold Iron Elite mixed with a small amount of earth core fire pattern gold mother. Worn over their already sharp claws, they doubled their tearing ability and carried armor-piercing and burning effects.

Finally, Gao De did not forget the Treasure-Seeking Jade Carp. He refined a small [Spirit-Nourishing Treasure Jade Talisman] for it, using fragments of the profound ice jade lotus petals as the main body, integrating Soul-Calming Runes. Wearing it could nourish its spirituality, enhance its detection range and accuracy for Heaven And Earth Treasure, and also provide minor protection and calming effects.

The refining process lasted for three days and three nights.

When the final claw gauntlet took shape in the Demonic Fire, Gao De cast the Treasure-Retrieving Seal. All the armor and weapons hummed, their Treasure Light retracted, and they floated in the air.

Every piece of armor and weaponry emitted Spiritual Qi fluctuations that matched its user's attribute but were clearly a grade higher, and they were subtly connected to the user's Bloodline, all custom-made.

"All of you, warm and nourish them well!" Gao De waved his hand, and the armor and weapons flew toward their respective Demon Soldiers.

Iron Profound excitedly put on the Sea-Covering Armor and held the Wave-Splitting Spear. He felt power surging through his body, and his Demonic Qi circulated more smoothly. An aura that was deep, heavy, and imbued with the might of Thunder-Fire naturally emanated from him. The nine Mysterious Crocodile Guards behind him were the same. Standing in Formation, their black armor gleamed coldly, their spear tips like a forest, and an air of elite, orderly Military Formation Qi spontaneously arose!

The Shadow Guards put on their leather armor, their figures almost blending into the surrounding shadows, completely devoid of aura. Only the Shadowless poison fang Daggers in their hands occasionally flashed with a faint, dark glow.

The Green Feather Thunder Sparrows put on the claw gauntlets and inserted the Wind-Controlling Plumes into their tails. With a clear cry, they flapped their wings and took flight. Their speed was nearly double what it had been before, leaving behind faint azure-purple wind and thunder trails in the air.

The Treasure-Seeking Jade Carp hung the Spirit-Nourishing Treasure Jade Talisman beneath its fin, happily wagging its tail, conveying feelings of comfort and clear information regarding enhanced perception.

"We thank Master for the generous gift! We pledge to serve Master until death!" Feeling the power of their newly acquired armor and weapons, all the Demon Soldiers were deeply grateful, bowing and thanking him in unison. Their loyalty and cohesion rose another step.

Gao De looked at the refreshed, well-equipped, and high-spirited team before him and nodded in satisfaction.

Although the numbers were few, their strength lay in their elite nature, loyalty, standardized equipment, and complementary functions; they already possessed the rudimentary form of a powerful army.

"Very good." Gao De himself also changed into a [Purple Heavens Dragon Pattern Robe], refined using scraps of Purple Dragon Thunder Fire Jade Marrow mixed with other Spiritual Silk. It was luxurious in its subtlety, perfectly complementing his Dragon Horns and Dragon Might.