Volume 4 Chapter 32

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Volume 4 Chapter 32: Emergence

Even among all Jiuhua elders, Xu Qingfan cannot be considered lacking in magical artifacts. Especially compared to the other newly appointed Jiuhua elders, the artifacts Xu Qingfan possesses are enough to make many envious.

Just look at the artifact placed before Xu Qingfan now, the "Five Spirit Bell," a high-level Earth-ranked defensive artifact. With it, Xu Qingfan can practically ignore attacks from most cultivators of the same level until the Spirit Qi inside the "Five Spirit Bell" is exhausted during battle.

The "Rainbow Ruler," an earth-level mid-class offensive artifact, is the most versatile offensive means Xu Qingfan has seen so far. It can transform into seven forms, change between illusion and reality during attacks, and its rainbow light can dazzle opponents, enough to throw most enemies into disarray.

The "Earth Mirror," a low-level Earth-ranked auxiliary artifact, allows the user to view reflections within a fifty-mile radius and transmit their voice and image over long distances, making it a highly practical auxiliary tool.

Among the artifacts Xu Qingfan previously owned, most are no longer suitable as his power has grown. However, the "Evil Exorcising Pearl," which can dispel illusions and see the natural and supernatural world, remains useful to him despite being just a high-level Human artifact.

Additionally, Xu Qingfan obtained an "Oshine Jade Pendant" from the second layer of the Jiuhua’s secret vault. It aids in cultivation and is more like a material than an artifact, so it doesn’t require special refinement—just wearing it is enough.

As a result, it seems Xu Qingfan only has four artifacts, but whether it’s offense, defense, or auxiliary investigation, he has relevant artifacts to assist him. In terms of functionality and performance, they are top-notch, which is more than enough for Xu Qingfan.

For a cultivator, quality in artifacts is more important than quantity. Having a few diverse and personally suitable artifacts is best, and without disciples to pass them on to, more would be wasteful.

Moreover, Xu Qingfan now possesses a "Starry Stone," which can be integrated into artifacts to enhance their level and power. This "Starry Stone" would be housed on the third level of Jiuhua Mountain’s secret vault, accessible only to the Sect Master.

The only small flaw now is that Xu Qingfan still lacks a magical tool to trap his enemies. However, Xu Qingfan is content, knowing that his current opportunities are rare, and he believes he can slowly find the missing tool without rushing.

Refining an Earth-level magical tool is quite different from the Human-level tools Xu Qingfan refined before. Due to the increased power and rich functionality, not only does the process consume a lot more mental and Spiritual Qi, but it also requires great caution to avoid damaging the tool’s original functions and power.

Xu Qingfan naturally understands this, so before refining the tool, he meditated for ten days. He did this to calm his mind and replenish the Withered Qi that Little Black had absorbed. Then, when his Spirit Qi and mind were full, he started refining the tool he had high hopes for, the "Five Spirit Bell."

As Xu Qingfan infused his Spirit Qi, a very strong aura began to emanate from him and the "Five Spirit Bell." The Spirit Qi within the wooden house also began to stir, with spiritual light spreading everywhere. Faintly, solemn and ancient bell tones started to emerge.

Meanwhile, Xu Qingfan’s spirit beast, the Dark Crow Little Black, stood on a nearby bookshelf, curiously observing everything. Yet, its small black eyes remained cold and indifferent.

…

Time passed unnoticed in the mountains, where the cycles of day and night, and the seasons, shifted continuously while Xu Qingfan refined his tool. Unaware of how many cycles had passed, Xu Qingfan found that about an inch of dust had accumulated on the chairs and floor of his once spotless house.

Over the years, Xu Qingfan refined the "Five Spirit Bell," "Earth Mirror," and "Rainbow Ruler" one by one. However, the Spirit Qi and mental energy required to refine Earth-level magical tools far exceeded Xu Qingfan’s expectations. Initially, Xu Qingfan planned to refine all three tools in one go, but the immense need for Spirit Qi and mental energy left him exhausted and unable to continue, even after just refining the "Five Spirit Bell." He spent several months restoring his Spirit Qi before moving on to the next tool.

Although refining the "Rainbow Ruler" and "Earth Mirror" required less Spirit Qi than the "Five Spirit Bell," it was still far beyond what Xu Qingfan had imagined. During the process of refining these three tools, merely recovering his Spirit Qi and mental energy took Xu Qingfan two to three years.

Surprisingly, amid the repeated depletion and recovery of Spirit Qi, Xu Qingfan’s Spirit Qi has grown by more than ten percent over these days, almost as effective as dedicated meditation practice. His ability to control Spirit Qi has significantly improved as well.

Thus, during this secluded period of refining magical items, Xu Qingfan has gained a great deal.

When sunlight once again poured into Xu Qingfan’s room and shone upon his face, his body moved slightly, and finally, Xu Qingfan awoke from his Spirit Qi recuperative meditation, slowly opening his eyes.

Although his Spirit Qi and spirit have fully recovered, after countless days of monotonous refining, Xu Qingfan’s eyes still showed deep-seated exhaustion, a tiredness rooted deep within his mind.

Looking at the dust in the room, Xu Qingfan sighed softly, realizing that his seclusion this time had lasted at least ten years.

However, when Xu Qingfan’s gaze shifted to the three diverse-looking magical items before him, a glimmer of satisfaction and comfort passed through his eyes.

Despite the exhausting retreat, the rewards were plentiful.

Especially after this refining, Xu Qingfan has not only achieved a unity of mind and objects with these three magical items but also experienced a slight increase in his internal Spirit Qi. His methods of controlling Spirit Qi have become more skillful and precise, and most importantly, his understanding of these three magical items has greatly deepened.

Through this refining, Xu Qingfan realized that his previous knowledge based on introductions was inaccurate. These three magical items are indeed worthy of being classified as Earth level magic tools, far surpassing Human Level magic tools in both power and function. Many of their capabilities, which Xu Qingfan had severely underestimated, were much more potent than he previously thought.

Especially the "Five Spirit Bell," the information gathered after refining it made Xu Qingfan extremely delighted.

This magical tool, crafted by five Mahayana Stage masters from Jiuhua Mountain, though it ultimately failed, still retains functions that are quite impressive.

Previously, Xu Qingfan only knew that the "Five Spirit Bell" had astonishing defensive power, comparable to heavenly-level artifacts, and additionally, it could disrupt the five elements of Spirit Qi and shake one’s mental state through its sound.

However, the function of disrupting the five elements of Spirit Qi and shaking mental states through its sound, which Xu Qingfan had previously overlooked, revealed a truly impressive power during Xu Qingfan’s refining process. Xu Qingfan estimated that if he exerted all his strength to strike the "Five Spirit Bell," the resulting sound waves could severely injure an opponent of equal strength instantly.

More importantly, if used at the right moment, the "Five Spirit Bell" could seriously injure opponents even stronger than Xu Qingfan. For instance, if Xu Qingfan suddenly rang the "Five Spirit Bell" at the critical moment when the opponent cast a spell, the chaotic Spirit Qi and mental disturbance would force the opponent into a backlash, causing Qi deviation. Of course, this requires Xu Qingfan to have a keen observational skill and timing, which he is admittedly not fully capable of at this stage.

In the cultivation world, there are always stories of low-level cultivators defeating high-level ones. According to Xu Qingfan, these stories are not entirely made up, with at least ten percent being true.

In these true accounts, those low-level cultivators could only achieve such feats because they had a peculiar magical tool or practiced some extraordinary technique, allowing them to unexpectedly injure the high-level cultivators.

Xu Qingfan once had the "Wutong branch" and now possesses Withered Qi, both means to challenge cultivators stronger than himself, but both have side effects. Using the "Wutong branch" requires Xu Qingfan to spit blood essence, and using Withered Qi greatly harms the body, so Xu Qingfan won’t use them unless absolutely necessary.

Now, however, Xu Qingfan finally possesses a means to excel without harming himself, and how could that not make him happy?

However, the drawback of the "Five Spirit Bell" is quite apparent. It was originally crafted as the treasured artifact of Jiuhua Mountain, and whether used for defense or offense, it consumes an immense amount of Spirit Qi. Once activated, it requires a swift conclusion, or else it becomes impossible to continue fighting.

Other magical tools also have clear weaknesses. For example, the "Rainbow Ruler" has countless attack variations, yet its power is not as satisfying. Perhaps integrating some "Starry Stone" into it, elevating it to a high Earth level, would improve the situation significantly.

There’s also the "Earth Mirror" and the "Evil Exorcising Pearl," both used for exploration but in different ways. Xu Qingfan often thought while refining the "Earth Mirror" that it would be better if the two tools could be combined, as controlling both simultaneously is excessively draining on one’s spirit.

Reflecting on the various shortcomings of his magical tools, Xu Qingfan sighed softly and couldn’t help but recall an old beggar-like figure, who had previously helped him craft items like the "Nimbus Cloud" and "Evil Exorcising Pearl." Thinking back, it has been decades since they last met, and Xu Qingfan wonders if that old man still assists people in refining magical objects at the cultivator market.

"It seems that soon I should descend the mountain, first to fulfill the last wishes given by Martial Uncle Liu, and also to find the old man to help me improve my magical tools."

Xu Qingfan’s eyes were unfocused as he stared blankly at the peak of Jiuhua Mountain, where Liu Huaxiang had mentioned the secret passage used to leave the mountain.

At this moment, Xu Qingfan unexpectedly thought of Liu Huaxiang’s passing, causing a sense of desolate sorrow to rise within him.

After a moment, Xu Qingfan shook his head, casting aside the sadness in his heart, and softly called, "Little Black."

At Xu Qingfan’s voice, the Dark Crow Little Black, who had stood quietly on the bookshelf for years without much movement, suddenly sprang to life like a black lightning bolt, instantly perching on Xu Qingfan’s shoulder.

Xu Qingfan laughed and said, "The retreat is over, let’s go out and get some fresh air."

Saying this, Xu Qingfan walked to the door and pushed it open. Outside, the long-blocked sunlight suddenly rushed inside, instantly filling every corner of Xu Qingfan’s cabin.