151: Spiritual Artifact Advancement
Gu Yuchuan spent three days forging two High Grade Spiritual Artifacts, officially becoming a Rank Two High Grade Artifact Refiner. These two High Grade Spiritual Artifacts could now be listed at Linlang Pavilion, and they were sure to sell well; after all, given their grade, any Late Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator without a High Grade Spiritual Artifact would certainly want to buy one.
Next came the true highlight: advancing his own Spiritual Artifact. This was much harder than refining a standard High Grade Spiritual Artifact. Those had diagrams to follow, allowing one to refine step-by-step according to someone else's design. Even if a mistake was made, one could simply start over without major issues. However, advancing his own Long Spear was different.
First of all, he only had one Long Spear, and there was only one chance for advancement. If it failed, his Long Spear would be destroyed, so he had to be extremely cautious. Furthermore, how to advance it and what Materials to use had to be analyzed by him alone; no one could offer any advice.
He was currently analyzing it. The Long Spear actually possessed three attributes. The first was Water, which was its core attribute. The second was Lightning. However, these were additional; Gu Yuchuan himself was not particularly skilled with lightning, but it had gained some lightning attributes when it advanced from a Serpent. Finally, there was the aura of the Dragon Kin.
To advance this Long Spear, all three attributes needed to be strengthened. Logically, the most difficult should be the Dragon Kin attribute, but for Gu Yuchuan, it was the simplest. He had previously asked his second brother, the Ink Scale Demon General, for some blood and three drops of Essence Blood. The other was a Horned Dragon, just one step away from becoming an exotic beast, and his Bloodline was even more powerful than Gu Yuchuan's. Adding it would certainly suffice. What he lacked now were spiritual items of the water and lightning attributes.
Ultimately, he chose a treasure called Chao Yuan Purple Treasure Water. This was a Tier 3 spiritual item capable of refining Magic Treasures. It was incredibly precious, formed when lightning struck water during a Cultivator's Undergoing Tribulation; the lightning would be stored in the water without dissipating, slowly transforming into this Chao Yuan Purple Treasure Water. It was suitable even for refining Magic Treasures.
Carrying both water and lightning attributes, it was the most compatible item for Gu Yuchuan. If he used it, he would only need this one spiritual item, which was why he chose it. Using only one spiritual item would certainly make the process easier and minimize the chance of unexpected accidents. He could not afford to gamble; otherwise, if he failed and lost his Long Spear, it would significantly impact his combat strength.
Finally, he began the refining process. The first step was still melting the Materials. However, the grade of the Chao Yuan Purple Treasure Water was very high, and melting it with Earth Fire was extremely slow. Although it was water, it contained solid components; this step was to completely transform it into a pure liquid.
Just to melt this material, Gu Yuchuan spent a full twelve watches. Tier 3 Materials were indeed difficult to process. Finally, it turned into a pool of purple liquid. The next step was the Fusion of Materials. He slowly heated the Long Spear as well, ensuring its temperature was similar to the Materials so they could merge more effectively.
Once the temperature of the Long Spear rose, he poured the Ink Scale Demon General's blood onto it. Instantly, a burst of dragon might manifested, the force of it blowing his hair loose and making him look quite disheveled, yet he was extremely happy. This indicated that the power was becoming immense.
Finally, the time came to combine the most important Materials. He slowly fused them together, and thick white smoke began to rise from the Long Spear. This caused Gu Yuchuan's heart to leap into his throat; this was the moment when failure was most likely. If it failed, his Spiritual Artifact would be ruined, so he couldn't help but be worried.
At last, a flash of white light occurred, and the Long Spear slowly underwent a transformation. Upon the shaft of the spear, some Divine Dragon carvings actually emerged, and its aura also changed. His eyes brightened considerably; the Long Spear had actually advanced to a top-grade spiritual artifact. This was truly an unexpected surprise.
The Long Spear was now renamed the Divine Dragon Glazed Spear. Though the name was a bit grand—perhaps even slightly over the top—he certainly liked it very much.
The current Divine Dragon Glazed Spear had received a powerful enhancement to all its original abilities. In this way, Gu Yuchuan's combat strength had also increased significantly, giving him great confidence for the upcoming action by the Human Race. That Ning Zhi woman had killed him twice in the simulator and was still alive today. This time, he would finally settle their Karma.
He ended his seclusion, overall very satisfied. As soon as he came out, he found several subordinates had united to request an audience. Although he already knew what it was about from the Simulation, he still had to go through the proper procedures.
He sat upon his throne as several people entered, performed their salutations, and took their seats one by one. The first person Gu Yuchuan looked at was Pei Yu, whom he hadn't seen in a long time. The current Pei Yu was now a Qi Refining Great Perfection Cultivator. If she were willing to leave, she could even become a local king, just like when he first arrived.
"This subordinate has not failed the King's nurturing; I have now become a Qi Refining Great Perfection Cultivator."
Gu Yuchuan nodded: "Not bad. When I first came out to establish the Flood Dragon Palace, I was also at this level of cultivation. Your cultivation is now enough to start making a name for yourself in the outskirts of the Cloud Sea Marsh."
This was actually a warning to Pei Yu. Pei Yu immediately knelt down: "King, I have never had such thoughts. I know that I only have this day because of the King's nurturing. I am loyal to the King and will never have any second thoughts."
Gu Yuchuan released a strand of spiritual power to help her up: "Alright, I was just reflecting on your cultivation, not accusing you of anything. You don't need to be so cautious. I said that whoever advanced to Qi Refining Great Perfection first, I would help them with Foundation Establishment. That promise still stands. However, there are some things I want to remind you of. It will be beneficial for you, and even for your future path of the Dao."
Everyone began to listen intently to Gu Yuchuan's words.
"Dao Foundations are also divided into Ranks. The lowest is the ordinary Dao Foundation, which is only a last resort. If possible, I hope you all achieve a Purple Mansion Dao Foundation. Only then can your future potential be guaranteed, allowing me to continue nurturing you. Otherwise, your future status will be different. Consider this yourselves. Pei Yu, ponder over the spiritual items I give you. Your Aptitude is good; I hope you must achieve a Purple Mansion Dao Foundation."
Pei Yu knelt again: "This subordinate will certainly not fail the King's trust and will become a Foundation Establishment Cultivator with a Purple Mansion Dao Foundation." She reached out to take the spiritual items and went straight out. Now, only Yu Linglong and Bai Li remained.
Gu Yuchuan first turned his gaze toward Yu Linglong. This was also a completely good thing, something very worth being happy about: a Rank One Medium Grade Alchemist. That was an existence revered by many.