HPDBC Chapter 358 Artifact Refining
Chapter 358 Artifact Refining
Under the concerted efforts of Wan Liugui, Ling Ruogu, Chi Yu, Qi Sha, and others, Southern Capital had restored its original order in just one month.
The city defense formation that had enveloped the city for over a dozen days was shut down.
The high-pressure state within the city was lifted.
A large number of previously closed shops reopened for business.
Countless merchants and families from all over the Southern Region freely entered and exited Southern Capital, bringing personnel circulation and trade goods.
This metropolis, home to thirty million Cultivators and occupying nearly one-fifteenth of the entire Southern Region's population, gradually displayed its deserved prosperity and constantly provided abundant tax revenue to the Territory Lord's Mansion.
However, compared to the gradual restoration of order in Southern Capital, what truly delighted Alkaid was the arrival of personnel, led by Li Hanqiu, from the Nine Cauldrons Sect.
...
Outside the private skyport of the Territory Lord's Mansion.
As the Void Disk descended, figures began stepping out from it.
Alkaid, Wan Liugui, and others had already been waiting there.
Seeing Li Hanqiu, Li Qingshan, Huang Tianhao, Lou Yuyu, Shen Qinglian, Tang Fenghua, and others stepping down from the Void Disk, Alkaid, even as a Void Refinement expert, personally greeted them, "Welcome to the Southern Region! From now on, this will be the true standing ground and safe haven for the Nine Cauldrons Sect!"
"Good, good, good!"
Li Hanqiu had witnessed the prosperity of Southern Capital all the way here on the Void Disk.
A large city with thirty million Cultivators was unthinkable in the impoverished and backward lands of Yun Province.
Especially since among these thirty million Cultivators, the majority were in the Nascent Soul Realm, with those in the Unity Realm and Foundation Establishment Realm being exceedingly rare.
The prospect that the Nine Cauldrons Sect could develop in such a prosperous area was unfathomable.
"Powers coming from outside Northern Sea Star have been trying by every means to find a base to establish themselves securely, but Northern Sea Star has long been divided up by the great Dao Lords and systems, making the core areas inaccessible, and the marginal areas not only lack resources but are also rife with exploitation, slaughter, and chaos. Living there, people are unsure if they will survive the day, let alone having the time or energy to Cultivate and grow,"
Li Qingshan said with a sigh.
He looked at Alkaid, his eyes shining brightly: "But since our Nine Cauldrons Sect arrived at Northern Sea Star, we have been largely able to keep to ourselves after some initial strife and warfare. And before the people from the Dashang Immortal Dynasty could target us, Supreme Alkaid, you rose rapidly, ensuring that even the Dashang Immortal Dynasty dared not overstep with us. Now, you have brought us to the Heavenly Dao Sect's Southern Region..."
"The true end of suffering for the Nine Cauldrons Sect, we've finally come through,"
Huang Tianhao continued with emotion.
"Haha, with Supreme Alkaid protecting and escorting us, what hardships have we really faced? It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say it's been smooth sailing all along,"
Lou Yuyu laughed heartily: "Following Supreme Alkaid to Northern Sea Star was the best decision of our lives. Otherwise, how could all of us in the Nine Cauldrons Sect have achieved what we have today?"
Shen Qinglian, Tang Fenghua, and others nodded in agreement.
All of them now, even the weakest, had cultivated the Sunburst Golden Core.
The most exceptional few had, with the help of vast resources, reached the standards of the Blazing White Golden Core.
If they could continue to pile up resources, in a few decades, it's likely they could reach the realm of the Deep Blue Golden Core.
And from Cangwu Great World to Northern Sea Star, it had been just thirty years.
Thirty years, from the Nascent Soul Realm, or even the Unity Realm, spanning four or five realms to cultivate into the Sunburst Golden Core...
All this was thanks to Alkaid's contributions.
"Now that you have arrived, the personnel shortage issue on my side will be greatly alleviated,"
Alkaid said, looking at Li Qingshan: "Especially Sect Leader Li, as the Southern Region needs development, we must draft a new round of policies and support, areas which are not my expertise. I need Sect Leader Li to help me formulate a plan."
"Development policies... The policies of Northern Sea Star are actually not very useful. A slight mishap could render meticulously planned schemes ineffective. Precisely... in an environment like Northern Sea Star, unexpected mishaps always occur in various forms,"
Li Qingshan said with a wry smile.
Alkaid understood his meaning.
Northern Sea Star is a place where rules don't matter, only strength does.
The world's rules have always been top-down.
And at the very top are undoubtedly the Dao Lords. What are their thoughts?
Coming to Northern Sea Star is for the Gate of the Immortal Realm, for ascension to immortality.
Figures like Zong Wenxian, the Sect Master of Heavenly Dao Sect, and Zhen Xuanyuan, the Chief Supreme Elder, might possibly have Superior Dao Artifacts.
Yes, Superior Dao Artifacts.
Top-tier Dao Artifacts?
Those were items possessed by Dao Lords.
He now wanted to create a top-tier Dao Artifact in one go...
It indeed required a lot of time and effort.
However...
"Time, I will have next, and financial resources... I also have. Thus, spending extra time and effort to try forging a top-tier Dao Artifact shouldn't be a problem, as long as I can create it. Even being just a 'small' Void Refinement practitioner, I might very well have the power to kill a Shattered Void opponent,"
Alkaid looked at the yet unfinished Limitless Sword and steadied his resolve.
If he was to refine artifacts, he would do it thoroughly.
Moving his gaze from the Limitless Sword, he once again looked at the You Long Sword, the Two Realms Ruler, and the Heaven-Sealing Stele.
Under the Spirit Nurturing Art, top-tier materials containing Dao Artifacts were being refined more rapidly by these three Dao Artifacts.
This process...
Essentially did not require much of his energy.
As a qualified Dao Artifact, growing and cultivating itself was basic, right?
What he really needed to devote his time and energy to were three other treasures.
A Void Sword of the Void Category Dao Artifacts.
An Annihilation Sword.
And a warship he named "Nine Cauldrons Vessel," a Dao Artifact.
The Void Sword needs no further explanation, a Void Category Dao Artifact.
And since the Great Void Path was one of the most practiced among cultivators, selling the Void Sword would suit the "Dao seed" profile of over half the practitioners in the Northern Sea, be it in Hollow Void or Void Refinement.
The Annihilation Sword was custom-made for Qi Sha by Alkaid, with the foundation of the Great Annihilation Sword Qi as its Dao Artifact.
For his diligent follower by his side, he naturally would not skimp.
The last one, the Nine Cauldrons Vessel...
Unlike the Void Disk or the Dragon Steed Flying Boat, this was a genuine Dao Artifact level warship.
With his current status as Vice Sect Leader, a Dao Artifact level warship could best display his facade.
And with this Dao Artifact level warship, coupled with the Annihilation Sword, the Heavenly Casualty War Hall led by Qi Sha would undoubtedly sweep through the entire Southern Region.
Even Jing Zhengyang and Wu Changfeng, two Void Refinement practitioners, would find this lineup headache-inducing.
"Even though I have Spirit Nurturing Art and Treasure Refining Art, simultaneously refining three artifacts... and preparing a top-tier Dao Artifact, I have still reached my limit... after all, all Dao Artifact materials must pass through my hands for Spirit Nurturing to allow these Artifact Spirits to assimilate, a process which indeed affects my cultivation," Alkaid remarked.
Refining three Dao Artifacts simultaneously, his schedule was too packed.
Fortunately...
It was only temporary.
Next, he would lower the frequency of refining Dao Artifacts.
Or perhaps...
"Elevate my Artifact Refining level another notch? To level sixteen?"
A level fifteen Artifact Refiner could already forge top-tier Dao Artifacts.
What would a level sixteen Artifact Refiner forge?
Immortal Artifacts?
In just a moment, Alkaid dismissed this idea.
In Northern Sea Star, where order was chaotic and strength was supreme,
While sharpening the axe does not hinder chopping wood, elevating the Artifact Refining level to sixteen could potentially increase the manpower costs; thus, he decided to first enhance his strength and raise his realm to Integrate Dao before thinking further.