A World Worth Protecting

With this in mind, Wang Baole couldn’t help but feel moved. He quickly opened the jade slip of the Technique of Infinite Armament Transformation. After reviewing it, he took out the materials and tried manufacturing and refining Numinous Treasures for the first time.

Let me choose an easy one first!

Wang Baole’s eyes showed anticipation. Using the Dharmic Armament guidebook from the Dharmic Armament Pavilion, he found a Numinous Treasure known as a Water Droplet Separator. It was considered an easy to refine among the third-grade Numinous Treasures. However, it required one hundred thousand Inscriptions.

Looking at the requirements for the Inscriptions, Wang Baole was quite speechless, but after regulating his own breathing, he decided to give it a shot.

Time passed, and after five days, Wang Baole let out a long sigh. He was forced to give up on this attempt. Spirit Kernels for Numinous Treasures usually required at least a hundred Spirit Stones to condense.

Since too many Inscriptions were required, and almost all of them required advanced variations of the study of Inscriptions, it was strenuous even for Wang Baole. A single mistake could lead to the Spirit Stones’ collapse, resulting in the failure of the refinement process. After studying the recipe, he realized that the second stage of refinement was way harder than Dharmic Artifacts.

More importantly, Wang Baole discovered that though the Inscriptions of the Numinous Treasures looked the same as Dharmic Artifacts, he had a nagging feeling that they were somewhat different. Yet, he was unable to figure it out exactly.

I was too complacent in the past. The knowledge required for making Dharmic Armaments is too vast. I still need to continue learning and studying!

Wang Baole took a deep breath. He knew that his biggest issue was not craftsmanship but that he had not mastered the knowledge of Upper Academy Island’s Dharmic Armaments. As such, for the days ahead, he frequently went to the various halls in the Dharmic Armament Pavilion to learn the knowledge in the Technique of Infinite Armament Transformation and searched for videos and information on the Spirit Intranet. Occasionally, he also consulted Chen Yutong.

Like a sponge, he kept absorbing the more advanced knowledge of Dharmic Armaments, as well as studied the recipe for the third-grade Numinous Treasure.

Just like that, time passed. Gradually, Wang Baole started to have a better understanding of the differences between Dharmic Artifacts and Numinous Treasures.

Regardless of whether it is the seniors in the halls or Chen Yutong, they all tell me that the linchpin of refining Numinous Treasures is the temperature and the changes of the Inscriptions. However, for the specifics, I will still need to figure them out and understand them all by myself.

The requirement for perceptivity and aptitude is high for Dharmic Armaments. Many of the principles explained by others are just the basics. Only with my own understanding can I master it.

After trying, Wang Baole realized that even though he knew the principles, when it came to actual work, it seemed virtually impossible to complete because of a lack of understanding.

This made him quite worried, but he knew that he could not rush the matter. Unless there were other opportunities, he could only accumulate knowledge and wait for the fruits of success to ripen when the conditions were right. As such, he had no other choice but to settle down and treat the refinement of the third-grade Numinous Treasures as a mid to long term goal.

But I cannot waste this period of time. Can I start refining using the recipe given by Little Missy? Wang Baole took a deep breath. He felt that making Dharmic Armaments would only become harder. However, he did not give up. Instead, he became more spirited and pumped.

In the following days, he simultaneously learned and studied the Numinous Treasure recipe, as well as attempting to refine the scabbard.

Since Wang Baole was already extremely familiar with making perfect second-grade Dharmic Artifacts, the past difficulties of refining the scabbard were no longer challenging to him, regardless of whether it was sword-shaped Spirit Stones or the extremely complex Inscriptions that became Spirit Kernels. Although he didn’t succeed at once, after failing multiple times, he finally…

After ten days, Wang Baole completely refined the scabbard Spirit Kernel.

Furthermore, in terms of quality, it was considered perfect!

Looking at the colorful scabbard-shaped Spirit Kernel that seemed to be circulated with light, Wang Baole was a little excited. It had been quite some time since he first obtained the recipe for the scabbard, but only then had he managed to complete the first phase.

The difficulty level of scabbards is second only to Numinous Treasures. Wang Baole sighed and settled down. He proceeded to the materials stage, by infusing the Spirit Kernels into various materials, which could be used to refine artifacts at the end.

But at that step, Wang Baole knew that there was a difficulty that had to be overcome; otherwise, the material forging stage might not be successful.

“It requires one hundred grains of Armament Sand!” Wang Baole muttered. He had seen this material when he studied the recipe earlier and had gone on the Spirit Intranet to search. Nevertheless, he could not find the Armament Sand on either the Spirit Intranet or the material list of the Dharmic Armament Pavilion.

He had even gone to ask Xie Haiyang, but he had not heard of such a thing. At this stage, Wang Baole understood that this Armament Sand was one of the materials that had not been found by the Federation. In order to obtain it, the only solution was to ask Little Missy.

Coming to this conclusion, he took out his Hallucination Pillow and plunged straight into his dream to start asking.

This time round, Little Missy—wearing a black mask—did not pose difficulties for Wang Baole. After Wang Baole completed his question, she immediately gave the answer, as if she already knew that he would come and ask.

But after Wang Baole took a look, he started to be suspicious.

“Recipe for Armament Sand? Is this Armament Sand not a material but a Dharmic Artifact?” Wang Baole scrutinized it while still puzzled. Slowly, he became astonished. The Armament Sand was indeed a material, but it required refinement processes. As for the materials required for these processes, they were mostly ordinary. The main component required was even simpler—Rainbow Spirit Stones.

“Why do I feel that this seems to be specially prepared for me?” Wang Baole hesitated for a while and looked at the black mask suspiciously. Then, he continued to look down and study the recipe for making Armament Sand.

According to the method mentioned, Armament Sand was an extremely special spirit material. Once successfully refined, it contained many magical powers.

Its effect was to activate all the potential that was contained within the Dharmic Artifact, reaching the stage of transforming a rotten object to having mystical effects. However, it carried the risk of failure and required precise control during the fusion process.

As for the method of refining Armament Sand, it required the materials to first be melted to a molten state. Immediately after this, the Rainbow Spirit Stones should be immersed, allowing the materials to absorb and cool. Then, Inscriptions found in the recipe would be carved on the Spirit Stones. These Inscriptions were so unique that Wang Baole had never seen them before.

According to the method written, the Inscriptions would cause the Spirit Stones to shrink, forming a grain of sand at last.

The result was Armament Sand.

Although he still had some hesitation, but Wang Baole decided to try after giving it some thought. As such, after leaving the Hallucination realm, he immediately bought large amounts of materials required to make and refine Armament Sand. He then begun the process.

To Wang Baole, if he did not consider its consumption, refining Armament Sand was not really difficult. Both the melting and engraving processes proceeded smoothly. Very quickly, he successfully refined the first grain of Armament Sand.

Placing the Armament Sand on his hand, Wang Baole raised his hand up to his eyes and examined it closely for a long while. This grain of Armament Sand was completely black and did not seem to be in any way intriguing. Most others would simply think that it was an ordinary sand grain.

“Is this thing as magical as the Little Missy said?” Wang Baole muttered and put away the grain of Armament Sand before proceeding to refining more Armament Sand.

When he gradually completed the refinement of all one hundred grains of Armament Sand, Wang Baole was shocked by the amount of materials consumed by making the Armament Sand. These were actually Rainbow Spirit Stones. If the Armament Sand was refined by others, the consumption level would be unimaginable. Even for Wang Baole himself, the period in which he refined both the Spirit Stones and the Armament Sand exhausted him so much that he had no time for other activities.

These are actually one hundred Rainbow Spirit Stones. I hope they really have magical powers.

Seeing that he was about to complete the refinement of the Armament Sand, his eyes gleamed. He took out his scabbard Spirit Kernel and started to fuse it with the materials according to the recipe’s instructions.

As precious materials were fused one-by-one by Wang Baole, within a short time span, a blue scabbard gradually formed on the smelting furnace in front of him.

Furthermore, a suppressive force—far exceeding a first-grade Dharmic Artifact—exuded from the scabbard. After experiencing it, Wang Baole’s eyes lit up.

It already has such a spiritual force before completely becoming an artifact!

With anticipation, Wang Baole focused on putting in all the materials, other than the Armament Sand. In a flash, the scabbard was immediately formed. He suddenly waved his right hand, fusing all one hundred grains of Armament Sand into it.

The instant that it touched the scabbard, the Armament Sand melted, forming black lines in a bid to fuse with the scabbard.

Wang Baole was shaken. Unleashing his cultivation, he dispersed his spirit energy, his mind and body completely immersed in the process. He controlled the black lines formed by the Armament Sand, allowing them to fuse into the scabbard bit by bit. The whole process was slow, and Wang Baole did not dare allow himself to get distracted.

Six hours quickly passed. Wang Baole’s forehead was already coated in sweat. With his cautiousness, the black lines formed by the Armament Sand has completely fused with the scabbard. In fact, under his observation, the black lines penetrated the material that covered the scabbard, touching the Spirit Kernel.

But the moment when they touched the Spirit Kernel, the Inscriptions carved on the Spirit Kernel by Wang Baole shone brightly, seemingly coming alive, and even swam on the Spirit Kernel on its own accord. Rushing to the fore, they seemed like they wanted to touch the one hundred black lines.

Even among themselves, they contested and started to devour and fuse with each other!

This sight made Wang Baole open his eyes widely and exclaim in shock.

“What’s happening!”

Wang Baole’s body shook, shocked by whatever had unfolded before his eyes. The hundred black lines shattered in unison and fused together with the scabbard.

Jumping to his feet, Wang Baole rubbed his eyes. He recalled his memory many times to ensure that his eyes were not playing tricks. Slowly, he breathed heavily, and his eyes lit up.

It really works!

He became high-spirited and immediately refined the scabbard Spirit Kernel and the Armament Sand. After ten days of no rest, he finally used the preparatory materials to restart the refinement of scabbards. Just like ten days ago, before the scabbard was in shape, the Armament Sand was thrown in. Wang Baole used all his might to control the process.

He was mentally prepared this time around. When he once again saw that the Inscriptions appeared to be alive, fighting for the right to be fused with the black lines, he was calmer than before despite still being somewhat shaken. Under his careful observation, the Inscriptions continuously fused and devoured each other, forming one hundred Inscriptions that Wang Baole had never seen before.

They leaped and absorbed the hundred black lines. Then, the scabbard shone intensely, shaking the whole smelting furnace. Wang Baole was so shocked that he took a few steps back. He raised his right hand and grabbed at the air.

Immediately, a beam of blue light sparkled. The scabbard flew out of the smelting furnace and floated before Wang Baole. The scabbard shook, emanating a suppressive force that exceeded the first grade and, to a certain extent, even the perfect second grade!