Bu Qin carefully scrutinized the Ancient Jade Slip of Purple Jade several times, focusing on the detailed records within regarding the refining techniques required for each of the Five Elements Sword primordial spirit artifacts.
In the cultivation worlds of the Central Lands and the Eastern Sea, the Five Elements Artifact Refining Technique was the most fundamental discipline of artifact forging.
Different types of Five Elements raw materials often needed to be refined using the corresponding elemental refining techniques to successfully forge Five Elements artifacts.
Among all artifact refining arts, the Fire Element Refining Technique and the Water Element Refining Technique were the two most common major systems.
The Fire Element Refining Technique was primarily used to refine ore-based raw materials dominated by Metal and Earth elements, such as "gold, stone, clay, and sand," removing slag from the ores and forging them into Metal, Fire, or Earth element artifacts.
The Water Element Refining Technique was mainly employed to refine non-ore raw materials dominated by Wood and Water elements, such as "silk, wood, vines, flowers, and liquid resins," removing impurities from these non-ore materials to forge Wood or Water element artifacts.
Naturally, it could not be absolutely stated that a specific raw material must be processed using only its corresponding refining method.
Because Metal and Earth element raw materials could be refined using water techniques, and Wood element raw materials could also undergo fire refinement. However, artifacts refined by different techniques would possess drastically different performance characteristics and utility.
Moreover, the Metal Element, Earth Element, and Wood Element refining techniques were much rarer; few cultivators bothered to study these specific disciplines.
The strongmen of the Earth Clan, conversely, excelled in Metal and Earth element refining techniques. The vast majority of weapons they forged were created using these two specialized methods. They would use divine strength to violently impact Metal and Earth ores against each other, undergoing thousands of cycles of hammering to purify the slag, resulting in incredibly tough weaponry whose destructive power was no less than that of a cultivator's magical artifact.
As for the refining techniques of Wind, Ice, and Thunder elements, these were rare to the point of near-myth; only a minuscule number of refining cultivators possessing spiritual roots in these three elements might ever master them.
This difference wasn't exclusive to artifact forging; alchemists also employed distinct methods like Fire Element Alchemy and Water Element Alchemy. Pills refined with fire often possessed a warm and nurturing quality, while those made via water refinement frequently yielded elixirs that were cold and Yin in nature.
For raw materials existing outside the Five Elements—such as "wings, skeletons, claws, and pelts of demonic beasts"—these absolutely required refinement using Yin Fire to forge specialized Ghost Artifacts.
The Bat King Wing Spirit Artifact that Ye Qin once possessed was forged using Yin Fire. The Golden Core Skeleton Demon he later crafted personally was made using the Bone Refining Art of the Yin Profound Sect. Ghost Artifacts were exceedingly rare in the cultivation world, largely because so few cultivators could control Yin Fire or master the intricacies of the Bone Refining Art.
Furthermore, certain extremely rare raw materials, like "Mithril" or "Secret Gold," demanded refining methods that were virtually unheard of, often proprietary secret arts. It could be said that the artifact refining arts of the cultivation world were myriad and encompassed everything.
The method recorded in the Ancient Jade Slip of Purple Jade for forging the "Heavenly Unity Gloomy Water Sword" utilized a refining technique known as the "Water-Fire Mixed Corruption Art."
This specific refining technique was also considered relatively rare in the cultivation world; very few cultivators bothered to learn such an esoteric method.
The Ancient Jade Slip of Purple Jade also noted that several auxiliary materials were required for the refining process, among which "Ink Pine Charcoal" and "Qiong Whale Liquid" were the most precious and uncommon.
Ye Qin knew very little about artifact refining; he could only follow the instructions recorded in the Ancient Jade Slip of Purple Jade step-by-step, like copying a pattern from a gourd.
First, he had to prepare all the main artifact raw materials and auxiliary refining materials before commencing the forging.
The two primary refining raw materials were Heavenly Unity Gloomy Water and Water Element Primal Essence.
He had sufficient Heavenly Unity Gloomy Water, only lacking the Water Element Primal Essence.
Ye Qin found a pristine, undamaged Seventh-Grade Ghost Shrimp Demon Core within the coral forests beneath the sea—perfect for the secret art of extracting Primal Essence. He spent several days meticulously extracting the Primal Essence contained within the demon core.
With the main refining materials secured, Ye Qin turned to gathering the auxiliary materials.
Though Lin Hai City was small, it contained numerous rare raw materials, brought back from adventures in the Sea of Blood by the Golden Core and Nascent Soul cultivators who dared to venture there. The supply of materials here was ample, and the prices were even slightly lower than those in Xian Que City or Bai Fu City.
Ye Qin did not need to search other Eastern Sea Immortal Cities for materials. Within Lin Hai City's market—amongst street stalls, commercial pavilions, and guild halls—he spent two days finding the few auxiliary refining materials he required, including Ten-Thousand-Year Ink Pine Charcoal and Seventh-Grade Qiong Whale Liquid.
To refine the Heavenly Unity Gloomy Water Sword, he needed to consume at least one thousand high-quality pieces of Ink Pine Charcoal and one thousand drops of Seventh-Grade Qiong Whale Liquid.
As for the Ink Pine, rumor had it this spirit tree only grew on a few isolated islands in the Eastern Sea, and only those over ten thousand years old were viable. Its wood was incredibly hard; a Golden Core cultivator using a top-tier flying sword would need several days of continuous chopping just to fell a single Ink Pine branch as thick as a human arm.
Taking its wood, it was burned using Samadhi True Fire for three days to produce Ink Pine Charcoal. A small piece of Ten-Thousand-Year Ink Pine Charcoal, about three inches square, was valued at over ten medium-grade spirit stones.
And Qiong Whale Liquid required hunting Golden Core-level Qiong Whale sea beasts and painstakingly boiling down their blubber. Qiong Whales surfaced in the deep seas, and the higher the Whale's rank, the better the quality of the resulting liquid. A single drop of Seventh-Grade Qiong Whale Liquid fetched six or seven medium-grade spirit stones.
Such exorbitant prices, coupled with the sheer quantity needed, left Ye Qin momentarily stunned.
For a Golden Core cultivator, assembling the auxiliary refining materials required to forge even one primordial spirit artifact was a considerably arduous task. Top-grade primary materials were even more elusive.
Ye Qin hadn't brought many spirit stones with him; his only recourse was to refine pills to exchange for the stones needed to purchase these refining components.
Fortunately, his Grandmaster-level alchemy skill allowed him to concoct Eighth and Ninth-Grade spirit pills. These high-level elixirs were exorbitantly priced and always in high demand in the Lin Hai City market, ensuring he had no trouble selling them and making money relatively easily.
In Lin Hai City, Ye Qin spent the better part of half a month solely devoted to alchemy to earn the spirit stones required to buy the diverse materials for artifact refining.
Once all the raw materials were assembled, Ye Qin finally entered the refining chamber of his rented courtyard and entered secluded cultivation to begin forging.
Lin Hai City was overseen by several Nascent Soul cultivators, and the order was maintained by patrol guards composed of Golden Core cultivators. The courtyard Ye Qin rented also had Golden Core-level guards posted outside; no one dared cause trouble within the city. Security was not a concern.
Suppressing the joy bubbling in his heart, Ye Qin hurried into the spacious, bare-walled refining chamber, sealed the heavy stone doors, and deployed defensive formations using flag markers.
Then, sitting cross-legged, he carefully retrieved everything from his storage pouch: the Silver Armored Guard, along with the Heavenly Unity Gloomy Water and the Ghost Shrimp Primal Essence it contained, the Ink Pine Charcoal, the Qiong Whale Liquid, and various jars and vials—including fast-acting elixirs for his (Bigu) diet, spirit wine to replenish his magic power, and the small silver vial containing the trace amounts of Mithril.
"This is the last primordial spirit artifact needed to complete the Great Five Elements Sword Array. Once this sword is forged, the Five Swords will be unified, greatly enhancing both offensive and defensive power! In the Ancient Jade Slip of Purple Jade, the Purple Sword Divine Monarch boasted that the Great Five Elements Sword Array he developed was invincible among Golden Core cultivators. I wonder if that's true?" Ye Qin murmured, his expression stirred.
"Regardless of whether the Purple Sword Divine Monarch was boasting, the immense power of the Great Five Elements Sword Array is undeniable! Next time I face simultaneous attacks from several Golden Core cultivators, I won't have to fear them in the slightest."
He quickly settled his mind, focusing all his attention on the refining process.
"Whoosh!"
Ye Qin slapped his right hand forward, unleashing a stream of magical power. Inside the Silver Armored Guard, a single drop of Heavenly Unity Gloomy Water was immediately drawn out, hovering a foot away in mid-air.
This drop of Heavenly Unity Gloomy Water, only the size of a bead, possessed a faint, murky black hue, seemingly absorbing all outwardly projected light. It emitted a faint aura of absolute annihilation, rapidly consuming the magical power Ye Qin exerted to sustain it, eroding his control.
In just a short while, Ye Qin began to feel strained, requiring him to continuously pour in magical power just to keep it suspended. Within a few hours, his internal reserves would be completely depleted.
Though Ye Qin was already familiar with its nature, he still felt a pang of alarm.
With his current cultivation base at the first layer of the Golden Core stage, he could pilot a high-tier flying sword and travel continuously for a month without rest. If he drank spirit wine mid-journey to replenish his power, he could fly for a year or more.
Yet, when simultaneously controlling his four primordial spirit artifacts—the Southern Bright Fire Sword, the Golden Crow Radiance Sword, the Heavenly Silk Sound Sword, and the Yellow Heaven Deep Earth Sword—he could maintain the battle for about an hour.
Controlling this tiny drop of Heavenly Unity Gloomy Water, however, he could only sustain it for a few short hours. A shadow of worry crossed Ye Qin's face.
Even if the Heavenly Unity Gloomy Water Sword were successfully forged, he couldn't imagine how vast and terrifying the magical power required to wield it would be!
If he exerted all his power and still couldn't drive the Heavenly Unity Gloomy Water Sword, then even completing the final flying sword would render it unusable for him, similar to the Crimson Flood Dragon Sword or the Whirlwind Thunder Ancient Mirror, requiring the expenditure of vital essence to activate.
"Never mind that now, I must forge it first! Since the Purple Sword Divine Monarch stated that the Great Five Elements Sword Array is unrivaled among Golden Core cultivators once completed, then a Golden Core cultivator must be able to use this sword!"
Ye Qin muttered a few words to himself.
Putting aside further concerns, he then gestured with his left hand, causing a three-inch piece of Ink Pine Charcoal lying on the ground to hover in the air.
The Heavenly Unity Gloomy Water and the Ink Pine Charcoal refused to blend when brought together.
Under the intense pressure of his magical force, the drop of Heavenly Unity Gloomy Water slowly seeped into the piece of Ink Pine Charcoal.
Ye Qin then summoned a drop of Qiong Whale Liquid and flicked it with his middle finger.
That amber-colored drop of Qiong Whale Liquid arced through the air, quickly enveloping the Ink Pine Charcoal. Immediately following this, he unleashed a small ball of Samadhi True Fire, igniting both the Qiong Whale Liquid and the Ink Pine Charcoal simultaneously.
"Bang!"
The Ink Pine Charcoal immediately blazed up fiercely, but the drop of Qiong Whale Liquid acted like pouring oil onto the fire; its flame was even more ferocious than the Samadhi True Fire and possessed a greater tenacity. The entire refining chamber felt as if it had been plunged into a subterranean magma chamber.
Amidst the chaotic intermingling of water and fire, the drop of Heavenly Unity Gloomy Water began to vaporize.
The flames burned intensely for the time it takes an incense stick to burn completely before finally extinguishing. The Ink Pine Charcoal and Qiong Whale Liquid were entirely consumed, vanishing completely.
Under the intense, scorching heat, most of the Heavenly Unity Gloomy Water vaporized, dissipating into the air. Only a thread of gloomy water, thinner than a strand of hair—the portion that resisted refinement—remained suspended in the air, its luster even deeper and more obscure, shining with a brilliance akin to a priceless treasure.