Chapter 81

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Chapter 81: Precious Artifact Mystique

“Do you have any ice-attribute exotic treasures, Senior? The defensive power of this precious artifact heavy armor seems a bit underutilized. I can add a precious artifact mystique to it,” Xu Fan said.

Since you’re being so generous, I can’t be stingy either. Reciprocating kindness is Xu Fan’s way.

“Precious artifact mystique?!” Shan Chen exclaimed in shock. A mystique was something only the top-tier precious artifacts could possess. An artifact master capable of adding a mystique was clearly on the verge of becoming a master craftsman.

“If you don’t have any, then never mind.”

As Xu Fan spoke, he used his spiritual energy to refine the heavy armor in the blue flames.

“I do! Will these work?”

Shan Chen quickly pulled out several exotic treasures emitting a bone-chilling aura.

“These are all the ice-attribute exotic treasures I could gather. Take a look, Master Xu,” Shan Chen said, his tone now more respectful. A soon-to-be master craftsman deserved equal treatment.

Xu Fan glanced at the ice-attribute treasures and casually picked up an inner pill. The pill’s surface was encircled by a swirling frost dragon’s phantom.

“This is the inner pill of an ice dragon I defeated at the Void Refinement stage. I’m curious, Master, what kind of mystique can you add to my heavy armor?” Shan Chen asked eagerly.

In the cultivation world, once one reached the Void Refinement stage, it was essential to prepare a Taoist instrument—whether by buying one, gathering materials, or commissioning a master craftsman. Without one, they’d be at a severe disadvantage against peers who had one.

That’s why Void Refinement stage cultivators often looked at master craftsmen with such fervor, much like how Shan Chen was gazing at Xu Fan now.

“Realm of Extreme Ice: when you activate the armor’s power, the surrounding area will transform into an ice domain. Additionally, the dragon soul will merge with your Spirit Fire, taking the form of a dragon to aid you in battle,” Xu Fan explained.

Over the years, as Xu Fan mastered more runes, formations that once seemed daunting now felt almost effortless.

“Perfect, perfect! Thank you for your hard work, Master,” Shan Chen said warmly.

“It’s my duty,” Xu Fan replied, thinking of the rewards he’d receive.

As the heavy armor softened in the blue flames, Xu Fan began reshaping its form, gradually merging it with the liquidized Iron Mother Cloud Crystal.

He took out his rune pen, using Tian Lin Stone powder as ink, and started inscribing runes onto the armor. Just before finalizing the shape, he embedded the dragon spirit inner pill into the chest plate.

Three days later, as Xu Fan carved the final rune, a dragon’s roar echoed through the camp—a sign of a treasure’s birth.

“Don’t be alarmed; this is just the phenomenon of my treasure,” Shan Chen’s voice boomed from above.

After completing the heavy armor, Xu Fan felt drained. Three straight days of rune carving had taken their toll.

He swallowed a spirit-refreshing pill and felt somewhat rejuvenated.

“Thank you for your hard work, Master,” Shan Chen said, handing Xu Fan a storage bag containing the promised Starfall Iron and two hundred thousand spirit stones.

Xu Fan accepted the pill and handed Shan Chen a jade slip containing detailed information about the precious artifact heavy armor.

“I’ll take my leave now; my mind and spirit are exhausted.”

“Oh, and please keep the crafting of this heavy armor confidential,” Xu Fan added, bowing respectfully.

“Understood, Master Xu. Rest well,” Shan Chen nodded, knowing many artifact masters preferred to keep a low profile.

Xu Fan took the storage bag from Shan Chen and returned to his small hut.

After setting up a rune barrier, he collapsed onto the bed and fell into a deep sleep.

Meanwhile, Shan Chen, now clad in the new precious artifact heavy armor, strode confidently toward the entrance of the Forbidden Ground.

“Rip apart the mountain bear, do you dare to come out and fight me again?”

The voice thundered across the Forbidden Ground.

“Roar!!”

The earth trembled as a giant bear, measuring five zhang in length, emerged.

“Oh, so it’s this new armor that gave you the courage,” its voice boomed, tinged with a hint of cruelty.

“Cut the nonsense. Did you bring the Frost Thousand Grass?”

“Did you bring your spirit stones?” The giant bear produced a frost-covered little grass.

Shan Chen waved his hand, and two hundred thousand spirit stones floated in the air before he pulled them back.

“Good, the rules are still the same: admit defeat or die.” The bear’s voice started to grow excited; killing human cultivators would earn it rewards from its respected elder.

“Fine.”

Once Shan Chen spoke, an extreme chill instantly enveloped the battlefield as a dragon made of spirit fire circled around him.

“Today, you will die.” Shan Chen’s eyes were filled with killing intent; these beasts had come to the Human Realm and slaughtered the people of sixteen nations, leaving devastation in their wake. They all deserved to die.

“I never boast. I can’t kill you, but you think you can kill me? Do you believe you’re a Core Formation great being?” the giant bear mocked.

“Let’s see if that’s true.”

A law form ten zhang tall appeared behind Shan Chen, transforming into ten towering ice giants infused with the extreme cold, charging towards the giant bear.

…………………………….

When Xu Fan woke up, it was already noon the next day. He got up and went to the living room to find a meal prepared for him by Xu Yuexian, kept warm and fresh under a Fire Spirit Shield.

“Not bad, Yuexian’s cooking has improved,” Xu Fan praised as he took a sip of porridge.

At that moment, Xu Yuexian was hidden in a corner, unnoticed, wielding a two-meter-long sniper cannon, sniping beasts in the battlefield.

Since Shan Chen had slain a Void Refinement stage great beast a day ago, the Forbidden Ground Defense Line overseen by Que Tian Gate had been thrown into chaos by a beast uprising.

Countless beasts below the Nascent Soul stage began to attack the positions at Que Tian Gate.

‘Bang!’

Xu Yuexian gently squeezed the trigger; an artifact-level bullet crossed ten thousand meters and shot straight through the skull of a Foundation Establishment stage iron-armored beast.

‘Bang!’

Another shot eliminated a death vulture swooping down from the sky.

This was Xu Yuexian’s first time handling a gun; after killing a Foundation Establishment stage beast from ten thousand meters away, she fell in love with the feeling, convinced that this gun was made for her.

Once she mastered the sniper cannon, Xu Yuexian switched to an artifact-level bullet magazine.

This time, she set her sights on a Golden Core stage beast.

On the front lines, Xu Gang quickly formed hand seals with both hands, unleashing an astonishing amount of spiritual energy that caught the attention of the nearby Foundation Establishment stage cultivators.

“Looks like a newbie, jumping in with an ultimate move. What if there’s danger behind?”

“It’s fine; if he runs out of spiritual energy, he can back off. There’s an expert guarding the place, and if he dies for real, he can only blame himself.”

‘Lava Waterfall’

Magma clouds appeared in the sky, and lava poured down like a waterfall, inundating hundreds of Foundation Establishment stage beasts and creating a lava zone.

‘Lava Tsunami’

Xu Gang formed hand seals again, sending a massive wave of lava crashing toward the beasts behind.

At that moment, the flying bird beasts in the sky sensed something was amiss, as if guided, all of them swooped toward Xu Gang’s position, launching various talented spells at him, including one Golden Core stage beast.

Just then, an artifact-level bullet traversed ten thousand meters and shot through the eye socket of the Golden Core stage giant bird beast, exploding its head.

Xu Gang’s hand was adorned with a bracelet, and one of the blue beads began to glow as he pointed towards the direction of the attacking flying beasts and activated a spell.

‘Great Wind Cannon’

An air cannon, compressed to the extreme, exploded among the flock of flying beasts.

All the flying beasts were stunned and plummeted to the ground.