Hunyuan as One, A High-Grade Cauldron Forged

Those who excel in a craft must possess true sincerity of heart! In plain terms, anyone capable of reaching the height of founding their own school or style in a craft must love it from the depths of their soul. Even if they had taken up the craft in the beginning merely to make a living or for some other reason, as their hands grew ever more practiced, a genuine affection for their art would inevitably bloom within them. Luo Chen was like this, Min Longyu was like this, and Huyan Zhuo was the same. Tianyezi, who had enjoyed the status and treatment of a Nascent Soul expert for hundreds of years, was even more so. No matter how miserable his recent past had been, no matter how immense the psychological plunge he had suffered, the moment he truly began forging, his entire demeanor transformed. Solemn and dignified! It was as though he were carrying out an act of supreme sanctity. In the past, Luo Chen had personally watched Duan Feng forge artifacts—a dazzling array of tricks, complicated tools, and an endless barrage of secret techniques and secret elixirs. Yet Tianyezi's forging seemed utterly unremarkable at first glance. From lowest-grade dark iron, ink lead, and copper essence to second-tier quicksand fine gold and dark silk gold... From lowest to highest, he proceeded in an orderly, measured fashion, taking his time. His methods appeared thoroughly ordinary: merely using his natal true fire to slowly calcine the materials, burn off impurities, and tune each to a certain state for later use. Yet it was precisely within these seemingly ordinary actions that the extraordinary depth of his forging craft shone through! "That soft thunder sand is a third-tier mineral. Though named 'soft,' it is exceptionally hard and usually requires the urine of a specialized spiritual beast to treat. Yet in Tianyezi's hands, it was prepared in no time!" Luo Chen had heard Duan Feng and Mount Bailian's Gongsun Qian speak of treating soft thunder sand before, and it was invariably an intricate, tedious chore. For Tianyezi to process it so effortlessly was truly a marvel. *He truly lives up to his name as a grandmaster smith of his generation!* Amid Luo Chen's marveling, Tianyezi's preparatory work progressed steadily without a hitch. Time drifted by. In the blink of an eye, half a month had passed. "Next comes the five primary materials. First is the Geng Gold," Tianyezi spoke up as his source true fire wrapped around a fist-sized ore of Geng Gold. "The five elemental primary materials must be treated using the cycle of elemental overcoming, and finally merged one by one through the concept of elemental generation. Only in this manner can the most fundamental meaning of Hunyuan be achieved." Halfway through the processing, Tianyezi suddenly tossed his hand. "Finish the rest yourself!" Luo Chen started, then hurriedly caught the half-processed Geng Gold with his magic power, summoning his Wither-Bloom Fire to calcine it slowly. Taking out the black sunk wood, Tianyezi remarked, "During the forging of a natal magic treasure, having its master take part in the refinement offers immense benefits for subsequent bonding and nourishment. I will say no more; you will experience it for yourself in the future!" Luo Chen gave an acknowledging nod. "Thank you for the guidance, Senior." After the black sunk wood came the cold marrow, followed immediately by the Fire Spirit Diamond. The Origin-Tracing Clay required little preparation, as it had already been processed by Mount Ailao before being put up for sale, effectively making it a finished good. Refining the Fire Spirit Diamond was not a difficult task for Tianyezi either. Yet ten days later, he stared in astonishment at a deep-red diamond in his hand. "Strange! Truly strange!" Luo Chen looked over inquisitively. It was indeed that deep-red Fire Spirit Diamond he had retrieved from Mount Cangwu's treasury, containing within it a drop of liquid blood from some unknown creature. "Senior, what is wrong? Is this Fire Spirit Diamond of poor quality?" Tianyezi shook his head, bewilderment in his eyes. "No, far from it. Its quality is exquisite, the finest I have seen in many years. What puzzles me is... how should I put it?" The more he pondered, the deeper the confusion grew in his eyes, yet his grip on the Fire Spirit Diamond only tightened. "What is this sensation?" "Why can I not grasp that flash of inspiration that just emerged?" "Where on earth has something gone wrong?" Murmurs tumbled ceaselessly from his lips. Before long, it turned almost to a low roar, and a manic gleam even crept into his eyes. Luo Chen grew somewhat alarmed. "Senior, if it is not working, forget this Fire Spirit Diamond and use another one instead!" "No!" Tianyezi jerked his head up, eyes bloodshot. "How could I not use it? I can feel that incorporating this Fire Spirit Diamond into the treasure will produce an unimaginable effect! But what on earth is it? Why can I no longer feel it?" Surges of magic power continuously welled up from him, spilling outward out of control. These were unmistakable signs of qi deviation! Luo Chen was horrified! Just what was that drop of blood to make even a Nascent Soul cultivator lose his composure and fail to govern his own cultivation state? The next instant, a cold, detached voice drifted over. "Calm yourself." Along with the command came a slender, fair finger, tapping Tianyezi right between the brows from across the air. A hand then took the Fire Spirit Diamond and casually swept across it. Instantly! Its aura was completely sealed off from the outside, and Tianyezi regained his senses. "Pant! Pant! Pant!" The old man heaved heavy, ragged breaths, staring at the Fire Spirit Diamond with lingering dread. He could not help raising his head to look at the newcomer. "Qingshuang, do you know the origin of that drop of blood?" "No," Qingshuang replied flatly, flicking the Fire Spirit Diamond back into Tianyezi's hands. "Focus on forging. Do not let your mind wander." Tianyezi lowered his head and gazed intently at the Fire Spirit Diamond, which was now sealed by spatial power, a trace of regret surfacing on his face. He knew he might well have missed the greatest opportunity of his lifetime. That opportunity had not been the blood itself, but rather the elusive, ephemeral flash of inspiration that had flickered through his mind. Because of this interruption, Tianyezi's mood dampened noticeably. He lacked much spirit during the subsequent material integration. Only after finally fusing that Fire Spirit Diamond into his personal grand furnace did he completely cast off the gloom of previous days. "Some things, once passed, are gone. Clinging stubbornly to them is merely asking for grief." Standing by, Luo Chen nodded, agreeing completely. Tianyezi turned to Qingshuang. "Could you temporarily return my natal magic treasure, the Wind-Thunder Hammer? I need it for the forging." Qingshuang nodded. She had no fear of him playing any tricks. Not only did the restrictions inside him remain intact, but even at his absolute peak, Tianyezi had been incapable of lasting a single bout against her, let alone now. With the Wind-Thunder Hammer in hand, Tianyezi began working on the large batch of Tongxuan Heavenly Crystals that Luo Chen had produced. *Bang!* With wind and thunder wrapped around it, a hammer blow slammed directly onto the precious Tongxuan Heavenly Crystal. "The Tongxuan Heavenly Crystal is the most common among heavenly treasures, boasting diverse uses. Circulating qi, melting substances, accommodating spiritual energy, purifying impurities... it can harmonize materials of differing attributes into one whole and even imparts a touch of growth potential. Virtually any Golden Core cultivator forging a natal magic treasure uses it. It is the most foundational and indispensable primary material." At this point, satisfaction showed in Tianyezi's eyes. "You prepared an ample supply—more than enough for a natal magic treasure. The only pity is the lack of an earthly treasure." Luo Chen felt helpless. Where could one easily obtain literal heavenly and earthly treasures? This batch of materials had already exhausted all his personal resources and the collective might of the Luotian Sect just to scrape together. "If you could have obtained a piece of Living Earth to add to it, it would have been absolute perfection." "Living Earth?" Luo Chen asked in surprise. Tianyezi nodded as he shattered the Tongxuan Heavenly Crystal and fed the powder into the grand furnace enveloped in blazing flames. "Indeed. It is an exceedingly precious material hailed as the Mother of the Earth. If you trace the Origin-Tracing Clay you provided back to its source, it is merely a distant scion of Living Earth." Living Earth! Luo Chen committed the name to memory. If he ever had the chance to come across it in the future, he would obtain it at all costs. "Now then, what follows is the critical phase where the magic treasure embryo takes shape. Ensure that no one disturbs me for the next three months." Luo Chen asked, confused, "Aren't you going to add the millennium thunder essence and Ice Soul Marrow I prepared?" Tianyezi burst out laughing. "The Grand Hunyuan Formation hasn't even been engraved yet! How could external items like that be added so early? Just be patient!" Luo Chen understood. He took his leave for the time being. Three months was an amount of time he could easily afford to wait. ... Inside his immortal's cave, Luo Chen stared intently at his attribute panel. [Realm: Golden Core Second Layer 80/100] Only twenty percent remained on the progress bar before breaking through to the third layer of Golden Core. At his current cultivation speed, he estimated it would take at most half a year to achieve complete success. And that was without popping pills, relying purely on his own diligent cultivation! "A top-grade third-tier spiritual land combined with the *Heavenly Phoenix Nirvana Scripture*—the resulting cultivation speed would leave even Heavenly Spiritual Root cultivators of this world eating my dust. In my entire life, I, Luo Chen, have never enjoyed such conditions." For a time, Luo Chen found himself slightly intoxicated by an environment where worldly chores were ignored and only single-minded cultivation mattered. Yet he knew full well this was merely the generous compensation Youquan offered him as a useful tool. Though both were tools, Tianyezi enjoyed no such treatment. The difference lay simply in the fact that Tianyezi was difficult to control, whereas Luo Chen, with his weaker strength, was far easier to keep in check. *Why dwell on all that?* *Even if I truly have to carve out a future here among the demon race, I must still become one of those who stand above others. My personal cultivation must never fall behind.* Mocking himself with a quiet chuckle, Luo Chen channeled the *Heavenly Phoenix Nirvana Scripture*. In an instant, spiritual energy surged through the cave, wrapped and refined by blazing Wither-Bloom Fire the moment it entered his body. Without realizing it, Luo Chen's mindset had undergone a profound shift. From initial defiance to eventual adjustment and acceptance, and then, guided by the words of Tianyezi and Han Zhan, he had gained complete clarity regarding his circumstances. Now, he had even prepared himself for the long haul among the demons. Cultivate, research the Transformation Pill recipe, and refine Emperor Flowing Liquid. Three months slipped by in a flash. During this time, Luo Chen would visit Tianyezi in the depths of the dungeon now and then. The elder remained motionless, pouring every ounce of his mind and spirit into that grand furnace dedicated to crafting. Shrunk in size, the Wind-Thunder Hammer hammered away ceaselessly within the furnace. Three months later, Luo Chen returned, accompanied by Qingshuang. Tianyezi nodded to them both, then lifted the furnace lid. Accompanied by a hazy, dreamlike spiritual light, a small cauldron with three legs and two loop handles floated out. Its plump, rounded belly looked capable of encompassing all things between heaven and earth. Seeing this, Tianyezi looked thoroughly pleased. "A fine embryo. Once the formations are inscribed and the other materials added, it will be complete." He made it sound simple, but this step was actually the most difficult of all. Tianyezi suddenly asked, "In the past when I forged artifacts, I was always assisted by formation grandmasters of my sect. Do either of you understand formations?" Luo Chen went blank. He did understand formations, but only at an introductory level. Over the years, he had occasionally practiced basic Five Elements formations, but he was light-years away from a formation master. Qingshuang also frowned slightly. "I know nothing of formations." Tianyezi gave an "Oh" and said casually, "In that case, why not invite Fellow Daoist Han Zhan over to lend a hand?" "Han Zhan?" "Indeed. He has deep ties with my Tianfan City. Whether his sword formation puppets or his Nascent Soul puppet incarnation, I forged them all for him. He is well-versed in formations himself and is perfect for assisting me." Luo Chen was put in a difficult spot and instinctively looked at Qingshuang. Her delicate brows knitted slightly, and then she gestured with her hand. The next moment, a three-inch miniature figure appeared in the prison. Having just arrived, Han Zhan was momentarily bewildered. Upon hearing the request, however, he nodded in comprehension. Tianyezi winked at Luo Chen. "Junior, your natal magic treasure is being personally forged by two Nascent Soul True Persons. Don't let it gather dust in the future!" "Let us finish crafting it first!" Though he said this, the anticipation in Luo Chen's eyes was impossible to fake. Under the joint efforts of Tianyezi and Han Zhan, the formations required for the Hunyuan Cauldron were carefully laid out upon it. The process was extensive, yet their speed was swift. The most foundational Ruyi Formation, followed by the Five Elements Mutual Generation Formation, and the three major spiritual formations: Spirit Gathering, Spirit Nurturing, and Spirit Solidifying... Array after array descended, intricately woven. Finally, Tianyezi and Han Zhan exchanged a glance. "Reverse!" The grand formation suddenly inverted, shifting from Five Elements mutual generation to overcoming, before reconverging under the three spiritual formations into the true essence of Hunyuan. Qingshuang watched intently from the side, a contemplative look in her eyes. Seeing Luo Chen's bewilderment, she remarked softly, "Forging can also be viewed as an aspect of cultivation. Though I am a mere bystander, even I can discern principles of cultivation within it. The five qis disperse, then gather toward the origin; the three spirits unite, mirroring the three blossoms gathering at the crown. This is clearly a doctrine that mirrors the path of cultivation." Luo Chen saw the light. He had never imagined the Dao of artifact crafting held such profound mysteries. True enough, he had often experienced similar epiphanies during alchemy. Just then, Tianyezi's expression changed drastically. "Something is wrong!" "That drop of blood!" An eerie power slowly seeped out from the small cauldron. As this power diffused, the fully formed embryo actually showed signs of melting! The formations meticulously engraved upon it began blurring. Luo Chen said anxiously, "Did something go wrong?" Tianyezi's thoughts raced, and he abruptly grasped the situation. "Materials! Take out all the materials you gathered before, in matching proportions! Fast!" Hearing this, Luo Chen acted without delay. Instantly, piece after piece of material appeared in the empty dungeon cell. This time, Tianyezi had no time to process them beforehand, hurling them directly into the Hunyuan Cauldron hovering above the furnace. One portion! Two portions! Three portions! ... By the end, Luo Chen's storage pouch was nearly scraped clean. Tianyezi's expression turned both manic and ecstatic. "Not enough, still not enough! Ice Soul Marrow, give it here! Millennium thunder essence, give it here! Do you have more? Regular thunder essence works too, it's still not enough!" Gritting his teeth, Luo Chen ignored the astonished stares around him and pulled out two more blooms of millennium thunder essence from his storage pouch. With three blooms of millennium thunder essence bolstering it, the turmoil within the furnace finally subsided. Seeing this, Tianyezi moistened his dry lips. "Since things have come this far, I too wish to see what heights this treasure can reach." As he spoke, he patted his storage ring, and a gust of nether wind appeared in his grasp. Luo Chen's eyelids twitched. Green Duckweed Nether Wind! Wasn't this the very killer move Diwu Qi excelled at? However, Diwu Qi had only possessed two wisps, whereas Tianyezi had brought out an entire current! Divided, it amounted to at least ten wisps. Tianyezi was truly parting with a fortune here. As the Green Duckweed Nether Wind plunged within, wind and thunder raged violently inside the furnace, five-colored radiance blooming incessantly. Flames blazed fiercely beneath, while the Ice Soul Marrow above surrendered every last drop of its freezing essence. Vaguely, a streak of blood vanished completely into the three-legged cauldron. Yet Tianyezi still seemed unsatisfied. He jerked his head up, fixing an ardent gaze on Qingshuang. "I implore Fellow Daoist to lend a hand!" Qingshuang asked, puzzled, "Why should I help?" Tianyezi smiled bitterly. "Everyone knows well what fate awaits this old man. I have no desires left now, save to leave behind a masterpiece before my life ends. Because of the bizarre nature of that blood, this Hunyuan Cauldron has swallowed far too many unprocessed raw materials, leaving it with too many impurities. It has power in abundance, but lacks purity. Therefore, I hope Fellow Daoist can impart a touch of your comprehended spatial law upon it. In doing so, you will grant the Hunyuan Cauldron sufficient space to merge." Using space to trade for space! Qingshuang still hesitated slightly. Gritting his teeth, Luo Chen withdrew two more blooms of millennium thunder essence from his storage ring. "I implore Lady Qingshuang to assist me." Qingshuang's brows arched slightly as she glanced at the storage ring on Luo Chen's finger. With a sweep of her sleeve, the two blooms of thunder essence landed in her grasp. "Speak. What must I do?" Delighted, Tianyezi detailed the requirements one by one. Qingshuang listened with care. After deliberate preparation, she began striking streams of demon power into the cauldron according to Tianyezi's instructions. With every injection of demon power, the bloated, overstuffed cauldron shrank by a fraction. Gradually, it grew smaller and smaller, finally condensing to roughly three inches in size. Throughout the process, Tianyezi and Han Zhan simultaneously re-engraved the previous formations, burning them indelibly into the interior and exterior of the cauldron body. Time slipped past uncounted. Then, on a certain day. *Clang!* A clear chime rang out, reverberating through Mount Cangwu. The three Nascent Soul cultivators withdrew their hands together. A brand-new five-colored cauldron floated in the air above the dungeon cell, spiritual energy from all directions rushing toward it as it radiated a palpable aura of thirst. Luo Chen looked closely. The lines crisscrossing the cauldron's body interwove into an inexplicable Dao charm. Though devoid of depictions of flowers, birds, insects, fish, mountains, or ravines, that mysterious Dao charm made anyone who laid eyes upon the cauldron instantly perceive its extraordinary nature. "Hunyuan as one, a high-grade cauldron forged!" "Hahaha..." "Truly worthy of this old man! Truly worthy of me!" In the dungeon, Tianyezi let out wild laughter, yet as he laughed, tears rolled down from the corners of his eyes. "Congratulations, Senior! And thank you, Senior!" Luo Chen bowed respectfully, his words earnest and heartfelt. Tianyezi waved a broad hand. "Come! Claim it as your master and refine it. From this day forward, you possess a natal magic treasure that belongs to you alone." Swallowing hard, Luo Chen stepped forward. He squeezed out a drop of his natal essence blood and let it fall onto the cauldron. Stained by the blood, the cauldron's five-colored brilliance gradually fused together, finally turning into a hazy layer of grey. Exhaustion plain on his face, Han Zhan looked upon this sight, envy shining in his eyes. "To possess a high-grade magic treasure as a natal treasure while merely in the early Golden Core stage—what incredible fortune! If you can attain the Nascent Soul realm in the future, this treasure will likely advance naturally to the rank of a true artifact." Tianyezi smiled proudly. "Only thus could it be worthy of my final, crowning work!" Han Zhan nodded, stealing a glance at the silent woman beside them. Three Nascent Soul True Persons had joined hands, complemented by countless precious materials—even using three full blooms of a treasure like millennium thunder essence. For such a treasure to emerge as a high-grade artifact was only natural! Indeed, its potential had barely begun to reveal itself; high grade was merely the starting point. Seeming to sense Han Zhan's gaze, Qingshuang waved her hand, instantly causing his figure to vanish from the spot and return to where he belonged. Seeing this, Tianyezi understood her meaning completely. Now, everything was about to return to its original course. He sighed, gazing wistfully at the small grey cauldron. "Though the treasure is complete, the sheer quantity of materials added, combined with that bizarre drop of blood and Fellow Daoist Qingshuang's thread of spatial law, has made its efficacy completely different from the Hunyuan Cauldron of Azure Pill Valley. If you have free time in the future, come seek me out so we can explore it together." Luo Chen nodded firmly and agreed. Then, after Qingshuang reapplied the restrictions upon Tianyezi, Luo Chen exited the dungeon. The moment the daylight hit his eyes, Qingshuang's voice sounded by his ear. "Take out three more blooms of millennium thunder essence. Youquan requires them." Luo Chen had known this was inevitable. In truth, he had already prepared himself to surrender them all. That she only asked for three was already showing him immense consideration. Thus, he retrieved three more blooms of millennium thunder essence from his storage ring right then and there. In this way, out of his eighteen blooms of thunder essence in total, three had been used in his natal magic treasure, two had been given to Qingshuang, and three more were given to Youquan, leaving him with only ten. *Still, it was all worth it!* Luo Chen touched his lower abdomen. Inside that boundless sea of fire, a small grey cauldron with three legs and two loop handles rested quietly. A crimson Golden Core wheeled joyfully around the grey cauldron, like a child who had received a cherished toy.