Chapter 206 - 121: The Magic Jade is Born, the Fire Dragon Refines the Demon

Xuzhuang patrolled the Fire Vein for several days but found no trace of the Red-haired Daoist. He did, however, manage to collect a few Crystal Essences rich with fire energy.

These Crystal Essences weren't inherently precious, but having formed deep within the earth and absorbed fire qi for millennia, they had become decent fire-attribute treasures. If Zhou Jun could get his hands on one or two of these Earth-Fire Crystal Essences and use an External Refining Method to enhance his Fire Divine Light, he might have had a chance to contend with Fei Fan Yan. Unfortunately, Fei Fan Yan had already become a True Disciple, while Zhou Jun, in Xuzhuang's eyes, still lacked what it took.

Figuring enough time had passed, Xuzhuang tucked away his unexpected gains and headed back the way he came. In a moment, he arrived outside the refining chamber he had carved out. Peering through the stone wall, he saw that inside the Fire Chamber, in addition to the jade charcoal, there was now a type of black and white sand. Under the searing heat of the Earth Fire, it released wisps of yin and yang qi, which mixed with the Earth Fire and were drawn away by the chamber.

This was Yin Yang True Sand, a type of Superior Spiritual Truth. Its benefits to cultivation were similar to the Five Elements True Sand, but when used in Artifact Refining, it had the miraculous effect of scouring away impure qi and purifying materials. The moment Xuzhuang saw it, he knew the refinement of the treasures inside the chamber had reached a critical point. He decided against entering, instead using the Five Elements Escape Technique to hollow out a space for himself, where he settled down to meditate and wait.

His wait lasted for ten days. When he finally saw the yin and yang qi within the Fire Chamber fade away, he rose to his feet. Using an Escape Technique, he passed through the stone wall and into the chamber. Just as he expected, a thick, pure, silvery liquid hung in the air, its contents so refined that the auras of the individual treasures within were no longer distinguishable. At Xuzhuang's command, a thin stream separated from the mass and poured downward.

The Primordial Jade Gui was suspended directly beneath the mass of silver liquid. As the liquid poured over it and flowed down its jade body, it naturally seeped into the densely packed restriction runes on its surface. With the infusion of the liquid, the runes lit up with a silver glow, section by section, until every last one was filled.

Xuzhuang did not stop there. He channeled a steady stream of Magical Power and exhaled it upward, where it transformed into a shroud of misty clouds that firmly enveloped the jade.

Within the misty clouds, Magical Power interwove as runes manifested one by one and settled into the jade's body. He was seizing the moment of the artifact's creation to refine restrictions into it. This process took another twelve days. Finally, the Jade Gui trembled slightly and solidified completely, now imbued with sixteen layers of Celestial Spirit restrictions refined in a single, continuous process.

Xuzhuang beckoned with his hand, and the freshly forged Magical Artifact landed in his palm. The Primordial Jade Gui had always been pure and translucent, but with its runes now shimmering with a silver light, it was even more resplendent and exquisite. Most importantly, its function perfectly suited his needs.

Although the artifact currently only possessed sixteen layers of Celestial Spirit restrictions, its intrinsic quality was superb. The treasures used in its forging were all top-grade, and Xuzhuang himself had personally devised the restrictions. Upgrading it into a Perfect Magical Artifact would be no trouble at all. As for whether it could ascend to the level of a Dharma Treasure, that would depend on fate.

But even with only sixteen layers of restrictions, it was more than enough to aid Xuzhuang in casting his Daoist Skills.

This artifact was fundamentally different from other Magical Artifacts. Xuzhuang's initial idea was merely to use a certain elemental treasure to refine a Divine Talisman that was part Half Daoist Skill and part Half-Magical Artifact, intended to serve as a vessel for his Five-Clawed Flame Dragon Divine Technique. It only evolved into its present form as Xuzhuang progressed in creating the Daoist Skill itself. He had, however, designed it with two functions.

The first was to provide the ability to give form and substance. This was the primary reason Xuzhuang had specially refined the Magical Artifact—to bring out the potential of his Void Shape Xuan Creation Dragon Dao Skill. This spared him from performing the complex gestures normally required to cast the skill. Consequently, the strength of the Magical Artifact's restrictions only affected its efficiency, not the power of the Daoist Skill itself, as the skill's power was determined by the strength of Xuzhuang's own Magical Power and his level of mastery.

This was quite similar to another of Xuzhuang's treasures, the Purple Qi Xiaoyi. The strength of the Xiaoyi was entirely dependent on the wielder's Magical Power. In Xuzhuang's hands, it was naturally formidable, but in the hands of an ordinary cultivator, it would likely be less useful than a common Magical Artifact.

The second function, however, needed to be used in coordination with the Void Shape Xuan Creation Dragon Dao Skill. Its effectiveness was directly related to the power of the Magical Artifact itself. With only sixteen layers of restrictions, it was not yet something Xuzhuang could utilize.

Gently stroking the Jade Gui, a smile touched his lips as he thought, 'Although I have grander ambitions for you, those are still a long way off. Since you were refined based on the Void Shape Xuan Creation Dragon Dao Skill, I'll call you the Dragon Transformation Dharma Jade.'

The Dragon Transformation Dharma Jade was still far from developing a Spiritual Sense, so naturally, it did not respond. Xuzhuang stored it away with a flip of his palm, then rose to his feet. Both of them left the refining chamber. With a swipe of his hand at the entrance to the Fire Chamber, he didn't destroy the place, but simply shut off the Earth Fire intake and resealed the stone wall.

Everything returned to its original state. Xuzhuang pinched his fingers to make a quick calculation and realized nearly a month had passed since he left his sect. This entire trip had been for Artifact Refining, and now, with his work complete, he had no desire to linger. He rose and began to ascend.

On his way in, Xuzhuang had to pay close attention to the winding paths of the Fire Vein. The return trip along the same route was much faster. In just a few moments, he was back in the mountain cave, the daylight from the entrance now visible.

Just as he was about to fly out of the cave and into the heavens, Xuzhuang's Spiritual Sense suddenly flared with a warning. He detected something amiss and came to an abrupt halt.

'Oh? Could someone with ill intent be lying in wait?' As the thought crossed Xuzhuang's mind, the image of the Red Eyebrow Taoist from the fire cavern surfaced. A look of disdain crossed his face. He gave his other body a meaningful glance, which was understood instantly. The clone formed a spell seal and used Earth Escape to disappear into the cave wall.

When his bodies were together, their minds were naturally linked, but the connection would sever once they were far apart. Xuzhuang himself didn't fully understand the mechanics of it, but the two had already agreed on a plan, so he felt no concern. He waited calmly for a moment. Judging the time to be right, he let out a cold sneer and, with a flick of his sleeve, transformed into a streak of white light and shot out of the cave entrance.