Chapter 1125: Nine-Spirit Marshal

As Chen Mobai finished speaking, Reverend Jingchi and Chen Lingming's faces lit up with excitement, and they immediately followed him.

Yuwen Baozhi, however, remained calm, his eyes showing no change in expression. As a descendant of the Heavenly Emperor, he had witnessed the process of refining a fifth-tier magical artifact three times before, but all three attempts had failed. One of those failures even involved a Soul Transformation cultivator. Therefore, while he still had expectations for Chen Mobai's attempt to refine a fifth-tier artifact this time, he no longer harbored the same eager anticipation he had felt the first time.

Chen Mobai led them to the center of the artifact refining area, where a specially designed workbench was set up, already laden with the materials needed for the refinement. Yuwen Baozhi's gaze first fell upon two large, complete furs. One was smooth and lustrous, imbued with a rich earth elemental aura, while the other was covered in golden fur, resembling a blazing fire, making one feel hot and sweaty upon approach. Recalling the previous blueprint briefing, Yuwen Baozhi knew these were the hides of two True Spirits: the Li Li and the Golden Flame Suanni. Beside these, there was a bronze stand holding various tools and two snow-white, crescent-shaped tusks. However, the tuition paid this time only covered the Five-Spirit Robe, so they had not seen the blueprints for the refinement of these two tusk flying swords.

"I'll start by refining the Earth Spirit Robe; this one is a bit simpler," Chen Mobai said. "Observe carefully, listen to my instructions, and note down any questions you have. You can ask me after it's completed."

Chen Mobai's voice was calm, and his demeanor was relaxed, as if refining a fifth-tier robe was an effortless task for him. Upon hearing this, Yuwen Baozhi couldn't help but hold his breath, joining the other two beside him in watching Chen Mobai's movements intently.

The key to refining a magical robe lay in the tanning of the materials. If this step wasn't handled properly, even if the robe was successfully made, it wouldn't be durable. Chen Mobai instructed Yuwen Baozhi to fetch the tanning agents from the workbench. These agents had been prepared by Chen Mobai using materials from Dongzhou, primarily composed of the sap of the Longevity Tree mixed with other spiritual plant essences. As one magical seal after another was imprinted onto the Li Li fur, the tanning agents were taken out and slowly dissolved into it. Immediately, this lower fifth-tier material began to become subdued; the previously unrestrained earth elemental aura was now locked within the fur. This process would normally take a long time, but Chen Mobai had already pre-processed it once; this time, it was merely a demonstration.

After tanning, Chen Mobai took the pen offered by Reverend Jingchi and drew lines on the fur according to the pattern laid out in the blueprint. After drawing the lines, Chen Mobai took a pair of scissors from Chen Lingming. These scissors, crafted by Chen Mobai from fifth-tier profound gold, were incredibly sharp. With a series of clean cuts, all the necessary components from the blueprint were precisely trimmed.

Finally came the assembly. Under the command of Chen Mobai's spiritual sense, all the fur components slowly began to merge on the workbench, transforming into streams of light. Gradually, the outline of a magical robe began to appear. Following this, Chen Mobai gestured to the three people beside him, instructing them to hand him various materials from the table. He then began to embroider patterns onto the Earth Spirit Robe, simultaneously imbuing it with restrictions and attaching divine abilities and spells.

His aesthetic sense undoubtedly surpassed that of the Heavenly River Realm, so after the robe fully took shape, everyone present was filled with admiration. However, many, including Yuwen Baozhi, showed expressions of disappointment. This was because they couldn't sense any spiritual fluctuations emanating from the Earth Spirit Robe. In other words, it appeared to be merely a peak fourth-tier defensive artifact. It seemed to have failed.

Just as Yuwen Baozhi was thinking that Chen Mobai was all talk and no substance, the latter extended a finger and lightly touched the newly formed Earth Spirit Robe. With the activation of the Can Tong Qi, the robe suddenly seemed to undergo thousands of years of temporal refinement, beginning to emit a faint earthy yellow spiritual glow. This spirituality was inherently present in the Li Li's fur. Having attained enlightenment over millennia, the Li Li's every part had absorbed the essence of heaven and earth. Under the influence of the Can Tong Qi, this essence manifested within the robe, as if the fur itself had gained sentience. As the spirit of the robe emerged, an earthy yellow spiritual light began to emanate from every part, illuminating all the previously embroidered patterns, glowing brightly as if imbued with life.

This scene greatly astonished everyone present, especially Yuwen Baozhi. All three of the fifth-tier artifact refining processes he had witnessed had failed at this very step of spiritual awakening. Yet, for every other artifact refiner, the spiritual awakening process was always a solemn affair, involving various altars, formations, and even offerings. Some even spent forty-nine days with no reaction, ultimately leading to an awkward conclusion. However, the Eastern Barrens Azure Emperor before them had merely pointed a finger, effortlessly causing the Earth Spirit Robe to develop rich spirituality and ascend to the fifth-tier. This situation, while making them marvel at the wonders of artifact refining, also made them acutely aware of the vast gap between themselves and Chen Mobai.

"That's roughly how it's done. Did you all remember?" At this moment, Chen Mobai withdrew his finger and asked the three beside him. The Earth Spirit Robe remained suspended in mid-air, continuously radiating spirituality, activating all the hidden True Spirit characteristics within its materials. Earth elemental spiritual energy from heaven and earth surged towards it, urging the already lower fifth-tier robe to ascend once more.

"May I ask, Senior Azure Emperor, why is the spiritual awakening of this robe so simple in your hands?" Yuwen Baozhi couldn't help but be the first to speak. If he could master this spiritual awakening technique, he felt he too could attempt to refine fifth-tier artifacts. Upon hearing this, Chen Lingming and Reverend Jingchi also pricked up their ears; this was their most pressing question as well.

"All things possess a spirit, especially fifth-tier materials like furs, which come from True Spirits. They have, at minimum, absorbed the essence of heaven and earth, sunlight, moonlight, and starlight for thousands of years. We merely need to subtly activate and awaken their dormant spirituality. Therefore, the key to spiritual awakening in artifacts can be imbuing, but more often, it's awakening. The former is exemplified by natal artifacts, which grow with the cultivator. However, most fifth-tier artifacts we refine cannot be meticulously nurtured and imbued like natal artifacts, as our energy is limited, making awakening a simpler approach. The higher the tier of the material, the more abundant the hidden spirituality, and thus the easier it is to awaken. It is precisely for this reason that high-tier artifacts require spirituality."

Chen Mobai simplified the knowledge he had learned during his university days and explained it to Yuwen Baozhi and the other two. As the ancestral ground of immortal sect artifact refining, the Wuqi Dao Academy's research into artifact crafting had essentially reached its pinnacle. Courses on artifact spirituality were taught from the very beginning, aiming to establish a comprehensive framework for all artifact refiners' understanding of spirituality. However, while it sounded easy, achieving it still required the appropriate tier of artifact refining technique.

Of course, Chen Mobai's effortless execution of this was entirely due to the Can Tong Qi. This was also arguably the cultivation method with the lowest threshold for Soul Transformation among the immortal sects. One only needed to find a high-tier artifact that perfectly matched the cultivator's aptitude and disposition to practice with it. For instance, Ancestor Yun Ya, Cheng Xuan, and even Xuan Wu and Bai Guang, all had the Can Tong Qi as their foundational practice from the start. Chen Mobai had refined the Dao Fruit within the Dan Ding Jade Tree, which consequently elevated his Can Tong Qi to the Soul Transformation level, and he even glimpsed the mysteries of the sixth-tier Void Refinement. It was precisely because of this that his current success rate in refining fifth-tier artifacts was practically guaranteed.

"Thank you for your guidance, Senior Azure Emperor. For the grace of imparting this knowledge, please accept my bow!" After listening to Chen Mobai's explanation regarding artifact spirituality, Yuwen Baozhi suddenly saw the light. He truly had a talent for artifact refining; in that instant, he felt his refining realm greatly advance. His face solemn, he immediately performed a deep bow to Chen Mobai.

"Thank you, Sect Master, for imparting this knowledge!" Reverend Jingchi and Chen Lingming, standing nearby, also realized the significance and followed Yuwen Baozhi in performing a deep bow.

"You paid the tuition, and I taught you. This is a straightforward transaction, nothing more. No need for such formality." Chen Mobai, however, waved his hand, stopping them. Such a bow might create another obligation, and it was better for them to be clear with each other.

Yuwen Baozhi rose with a look of regret, while Chen Lingming was already pondering excuses to stay longer in the Eastern Barrens and seek more profound knowledge of artifact refining from the Sect Master. Only Reverend Jingchi felt regret, realizing that a treasure mountain lay before him, yet he could only extract superficial gains. At that moment, he greatly envied Chen Lingming for being a member of the Five Elements Sect, able to seek advice at any time.

"Senior Azure Emperor, the robe's tier seems a bit unstable." At this point, Yuwen Baozhi pointed to the Earth Spirit Robe suspended in mid-air. He noticed that the rich spirituality, after being awakened and forcibly ascending to mid-fifth tier by absorbing a massive amount of earth elemental spiritual energy, was now flickering erratically, showing a tendency to drop in tier.

Chen Mobai smiled faintly, extended his finger once more, and enveloped the Earth Spirit Robe with the power of the Pure Yang Grand Dao, quickly stabilizing it at the mid-fifth tier. The flickering spirituality of the robe, augmented by the power of the Grand Dao, coalesced into a chubby, white piglet. Standing on its hind legs, it bowed continuously to Chen Mobai with its front hooves.

"Mid-fifth tier, barely acceptable," Chen Mobai commented. He took the Earth Spirit Robe into his hands, and after inspecting its appearance, restrictions, and divine abilities, he uttered a remark that left everyone present speechless. One must know that even some ephemeral holy lands possessed fifth-tier artifacts as their most treasured inheritances. If this Earth Spirit Robe were put up for sale, it would likely cause all Nascent Soul cultivators in Dongzhou to fight fiercely over it. After all, defensive artifacts consistently commanded much higher prices than offensive ones. Even True Monarch Wuchen felt a stir of desire.

"Truly worthy of being the successor of True Monarch Yiyuan; this artifact refining technique is simply miraculous!" Ao Yuxia exclaimed with admiration, gazing at the Earth Spirit Robe in her son's hands.

"I feel that True Monarch Yiyuan's artifact refining technique, when he was at Young Friend Chen's current realm, was not as proficient," True Monarch Wuchen remarked. True Monarch Wuchen, however, made this statement because the Daoist Sect of Morality and the Yiyuan Dao Palace had been neighbors in the Eastern Lands for over six millennia, giving him a thorough understanding of the Yiyuan Dao Palace's proud artifact refining heritage. He could confidently say that the Yiyuan Dao Palace's refining techniques were not comparable to Chen Mobai's.

"Is that so?" Upon hearing this, Ao Yuxia's eyes gleamed, and her desire to have Yuwen Baozhi become Chen Mobai's disciple intensified.

At this point, the Earth Spirit Robe was passed among the seven participants of the refining process. Eventually, Xuan De, being more astute, brought the robe back to Chen Mobai. Chen Mobai took it, suspended it directly above the workbench, and without dismissing Xuan De, began the refinement of the second artifact, the Fire Spirit Robe. As this robe was for his own use, Chen Mobai made its design slightly more elaborate and his demeanor more relaxed, yet his technique remained steady and precise, executing every step with effortless skill. Under his direction, Yuwen Baozhi and the three others beside him busied themselves, circling around and handing him items one by one.

Not far away, seeing Xuan De subtly position himself near Chen Mobai to listen in, Yuan Yanhuo and Xiao Yuli only then realized what was happening and felt great regret. If only they had known, they would have shamelessly approached earlier. Now that the Fire Spirit Robe was already being refined, they could only watch from afar, occasionally manipulating the fire veins to guide spiritual energy towards it.

Soon after, the Fire Spirit Robe took shape. Under the Can Tong Qi, a ball of flame ignited on the robe, from which a Golden Flame Suanni emerged, its eyes fierce and its spirit volatile. Chen Mobai's face lit up with joy at the sight. The stronger the spirituality, the greater the robe's potential. Under the Can Tong Qi, the Fire Spirit of the robe could only obediently unleash the full True Spirit power contained within its materials. As the flames blazed, the Golden Flame Suanni, in its artifact spirit form, surprisingly grew a second head.

"The ancestral True Spirit of the Golden Lion Royal Court was a nine-headed, five-colored lion, possessing immense divine power, capable of giving even Heavenly Venerates trouble," True Monarch Wuchen recalled, thinking of records in his sect's ancient texts. "That nine-headed, five-colored lion proclaimed itself the Nine Spirits Grand Marshal. When our human race first arrived in Dongzhou, it would come every month to devour a hundred pairs of young boys and girls. The most arduous battle our sect's founder faced, in assisting the Human Emperor to establish the Eastern Land Imperial Court, was precisely the conflict with that Golden Lion Royal Court." True Monarch Wuchen couldn't help but exclaim with emotion upon seeing the artifact spirit form of the Fire Spirit Robe and recalling the contents recorded in his sect's ancient texts.

Since the Eastern Land Imperial Court established its rule in Dongzhou, it had engaged in major wars with the Golden Lion Royal Court almost periodically. It was precisely for this reason that after the human race grew powerful, they consistently targeted the Golden Lion Royal Court, eventually leading to its complete annihilation in a battle against the Nine-Headed Great Saint. Only the Golden Flame Suanni lineage escaped, becoming remnants deep within the barren ruins. However, even then, they were still pursued and exterminated by the Daoist Sect of Morality, leading the righteous path of Dongzhou, who cleared new territories through conquest.

"The bloodline of the nine-headed, five-colored lion has been extinguished by your righteous path of Dongzhou," Ao Yuxia noted. "The True Spirit bloodline concentration of this Golden Flame Suanni is probably less than fifty percent." Ao Yuxia had already sensed the True Spirit aura contained within the Golden Flame Suanni's untreated fur earlier. Though potent, it wasn't particularly pure.

"But it is, after all, the bloodline of the Nine Spirits Grand Marshal. It's still better to wipe it out completely," True Monarch Wuchen said calmly. True Monarch Wuchen's calm statement caused Ao Yuxia's eyes to narrow slightly. She, too, was a True Spirit. However, she was also keenly aware of how difficult it had been for the Eastern Land Imperial Court to establish its rule in Dongzhou, and that the Daoist Ancestor had contributed immensely, even being revered as the National Preceptor. It was precisely for this reason that the hatred for the Golden Lion Royal Court was deeply ingrained in every generation of the Daoist Sect of Morality.