The crimson scales of the Qilin floated suspended in the pale-green Diyan (Earth Flame), enduring the searing burn of the flames, sparks flying in every direction. Yet, the scales remained utterly unmoving.

Gu Xichen held his chin in his hands, his brow furrowed in deep thought, staring blankly at the Qilin scales within the inferno.

The Crimson Flame Qilin. A Qilin of innate fire attribute, inherently capable of manipulating nearly all flames between heaven and earth; its scales were immune to all forms of intense heat. Although the Diyan could melt metal and dissolve iron, it could not touch these Qilin scales. Gu Xichen had been trying to scorch this piece of scale for seven days and seven nights, but every time he withdrew the scale from the Diyan, it felt only tepid to the touch, its temperature not having risen even a single degree.

Frowning, he gazed at the large pile of scales beside him in frustration.

Qilin scales and Qilin hide were certainly materials for artifact refinement; otherwise, no legends about them would have survived. However, the sheer power possessed by ancient cultivators was far beyond what contemporary cultivators could muster. They could process and dismantle Qilin hide, something modern cultivators could not achieve.

This Diyan was nearly the strongest flame controlled by the current cultivation world; even the Natal True Fires of figures like the Corpse Emperor were not necessarily stronger than this Diyan. Since even this flame could not affect the Qilin scale, Gu Xichen's plan to refine it into a magic treasure was dashed.

Contemplation, contemplation. Gu Xichen sank into arduous thought.

How could he possibly process these scales?

Time slipped by, minute by minute, until a full three days and three nights had passed. Within Gu Xichen’s Zifu (Purple Mansion), a faint, dim golden light suddenly flashed from a certain golden particle rapidly revolving around the immense Taiji vortex. A fragmented consciousness surged out of the golden light and was instantly absorbed by the twenty-four-layered pagoda. The mixed energies within the consciousness were dissolved into nothingness by the pagoda. Only a thread of pure information flowed into the core of Gu Xichen’s soul.

A secret method for artifact refinement suddenly surged from the depths of Gu Xichen’s heart.

Materials of innate fire attribute could be smelted using energy of innate ultimate Yin. Innate ultimate Yin energy could steadily counter innate fire essence, easily "melting" all kinds of innate fire attribute materials. Artifacts forged this way would harbor ultimate Yin hidden within ultimate Yang, and a sliver of pure Yang arising within the ultimate Yin. This was the principle of Yin and Yang mutually generating each other, the two primal forces transforming unpredictably, yielding artifacts with above-average power.

The secret method meticulously detailed all the required materials and the precautions necessary during refinement, the most critical point being that the forging had to be completed in one continuous effort—the energy of innate ultimate Yin must absolutely not cease for even a second. Should there be the slightest pause during refinement, the Yin and Yang energies would immediately clash violently, instantly rendering all materials scrap.

Recalling the wondrous methods within this secret art, Gu Xichen couldn't help but draw a sharp breath. With his current cultivation, he could only barely summon the Taiyin Xuan Yan (Ultimate Yin Profound Blaze) for under half an hour, but half an hour was definitely not enough time to process this quantity of Qilin scales. To refine the artifact he envisioned, his strength fell drastically short.

After meditating and thinking hard for another long while, Xin Jia’s voice suddenly echoed in Gu Xichen’s Sea of Consciousness.

“Exalted One. Proceed without worry. All the magical power of this subordinate and the others can be utilized by the Exalted One. Our primordial spirit origins spring from the Exalted One; the seeds of our power spring from the Exalted One. Our magical power is the Exalted One’s power.”

Without needing Xin Jia to elaborate, Gu Xichen suddenly understood the underlying principle. Xin Jia and the others were all summoned by him; their soul essence was a fragment of his own soul origin that had split off. The source of all their power was also a refined essence of true qi from within his own body. In other words, the entirety of Xin Jia’s vital essence, spirit, and energy stemmed from the same source as Gu Xichen; Gu Xichen could completely borrow their power for his own use!

A wave of relief washed over him, and Gu Xichen smiled, sending a message back to Xin Jia. Faintly, five hundred and five spiritual fluctuations linked with Gu Xichen’s soul, five hundred and five vast reservoirs of power poised to surge into Gu Xichen’s body at any moment. These five hundred and five streams of power were distributed across the Five Elements: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. These Five Elements generated and restrained each other, nurturing infinite power.

Gu Xichen laughed up at the sky, clapped his hands together, and a pillar of grayish-white flame, barely a meter high but only two fingers thick, rose gracefully from his palm.

The thirty-six thousand Qilin scales ascended into the air. The grayish-white Taiyin Xuan Yan spread outwards, enveloping the scales completely.

The innate ultimate Yin energy surged upwards, instantly permeating the scales. The crimson scales suddenly turned grayish-white, finally transforming into a magnificent, transparent texture resembling ice shards.

“Let’s take a gamble! If it succeeds, it will be a supreme treasure! If it fails…”

Eh, Master still has plenty of materials, hehehe, what does it matter if some are wasted?

With this thought, Gu Xichen’s mind cleared, and he channeled all his power into his palm, transforming it into the Taiyin Xuan Yan to refine these Qilin scales. He felt no concern about the consequences of failure; after all, he didn't treat these Qilin scales as treasures of unimaginable worth—much like an unenlightened primitive man wouldn't know the value of a cubic meter of US dollars—Gu Xichen held the same mindset!

This fellow still couldn't truly grasp the preciousness of innate-level materials in the cultivation world; he treated this stuff like common alloy found everywhere on the street!

Just as the secret method described, the moment the Taiyin Xuan Yan appeared, the Qilin scales instantly melted into flawless, white tokens. Next, trickles of liquid essence, cool as water, began to drip from the edges of the scales. With every drop that fell, the scale’s volume diminished slightly. But with every drop, Gu Xichen’s true qi was depleted by about fifteen percent.

Gu Xichen gasped in alarm and immediately summoned Xin Jia and the others.

Thus, five hundred and five streams of immense true essence poured into Gu Xichen’s body from afar. Following the principles of generation and restraint among the Five Elements, these five streams—colored white, black, cyan, red, and yellow—formed a massive, five-colored vortex within Gu Xichen. His five internal organs were precisely situated at the center of this gigantic vortex. The Heart, Liver, Spleen, Lungs, and Kidneys greedily devoured the external five-colored airflow, secreting copious amounts of shimmering, five-colored vapor that streamed through the twelve-layered tower and into the Zifu Sea of Consciousness.

Gu Xichen fully circulated the Hanyuan and Yun Shen (Containing Origin and Nurturing Spirit) incantations, entering a profound and mysterious state, as if transcending this heaven and earth, stepping into some kind of primordial chaos.

In this state, Gu Xichen merely acted on instinct according to his prior plan, continuously activating the Taiyin Xuan Yan to scorch the scales suspended before him.

Thus, a month quietly passed. The thirty-six thousand scales had melted into a mass of clear fluid several meters in diameter. One side of the mass was a faint golden-red, the other a soft, grayish-white. The two colors swirled rapidly, vaguely taking the shape of the Yin-Yang Taiji symbol.

Reminder: Mid-chapter break.

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