Eternal Swordmaster
Chapter 71: Magic Artifact - Part 1

Chapter 71: Chapter 71: Magic Artifact - Part 1

By the white waterfall, quietness enveloped the brownish-yellow Law Transmission Loft.

The few disciples coming in and out tried their best to refrain from making any noise. They entered quietly and left without a trace.

On the right side of the loft, a small flower field had been set up unknowingly, where a young girl in green was peacefully watering the vibrant flowers with a watering can.

Lin Xin walked under the loft’s archway, lifted his head to glance at the eaves, but the mysterious elder in black who often visited wasn’t there today.

He strode into the loft, and the sister responsible for collecting the fees peeked out from the small room by the entrance, smiled at him when she saw it was him, and said nothing.

Lin Xin always paid the full reading fee with each visit, so there was nothing to worry about.

But unlike many of his previous visits, this time as soon as he entered, something felt wrong.

The dozen or so disciples reading books all looked up at him in unison, sizing him up carefully, while some of those who were familiar with him whispered to each other.

Lin Xin was well-acquainted with the Formation Hall of the Law Transmission Forest; a glance around confirmed the same familiar faces, with no newcomers joining their ranks.

Without a word, he directly ascended to the second floor.

The old predecessor was still seated by the window on the right, appearing half-asleep and half-awake. Her entirely dark attire made her seem no different from the common elderly napping on the streets outside.

"Predecessor," Lin Xin approached and respectfully said. He knew she wasn’t sleeping but maintained this state out of habit.

"Have you reached the Innate stage?" Upon hearing his voice, the old lady first opened her eyes, then her gaze flashed with surprise as she looked at him intently.

"Yes," Lin Xin nodded, standing respectfully before her. Without her guidance, his Luminous Formation would probably still be at the stage of fumbling attempts, and it would have taken much longer to chance upon success even once. Much of the foundational knowledge in the Formation Path he owed to her helpful pointers, which kept him from straying off the path.

The subsequent assistance of the Luminous Talisman Stone and Luminous Talisman Sword was immensely significant, and for this, much of the credit went to the elder before him.

"Well, after obtaining that item, your haste to consume it is understandable," the old lady said, as something seemed to come to her mind. "My surname is Yu, with the given name Yun. You can simply call me Granny Yu."

"Granny Yu... last time your guidance on my Luminous Formation was invaluable. Without it, I might still be stumbling in the dark, hitting on success by mere accident," Lin Xin expressed his sincere thanks.

"That’s nothing. I’ve guided many people, but few could have completed a Luminous Formation in such a short time like you," Granny Yu said with a hint of a grim smile.

"Are you here this time for a new formation? Or perhaps for the way of magic artifacts?"

Lin Xin’s expression became slightly serious, then relaxed again.

"Predecessor, your insight is keen; it is indeed for the way of magic artifacts," he replied.

"The way of magic artifacts, each sect has their special Sacrificial Refinement Decrees. Our sect’s elder Xue Yuanzi once established the thirty-six-layer Blood Sacrifice Method based on the Return to Origin Arts. Although it’s not considered the very top echelon, it is unique in its own right," Granny Yu began explaining slowly. "This path involves the sacrificial refinement of magic artifacts to absorb external spiritual energy and refine it into one’s body to enhance themselves.

"In addition to this, magic artifacts require various materials and must be forged into shape. You need to have a basic understanding of casting techniques, and of course, the most difficult part is the talisman arrays on the artifacts. Even if you ask an Array Master to inscribe them, you must understand the principles and be able to maintain and care for them. The way of magic artifacts... indeed powerful, but not without considerable cost," she said, her gaze on Lin Xin was half-mocking, half-smiling.

"Disciple... wishes to give it a try," Lin Xin responded, thinking of the over ten thousand Jade Money in his account, giving him some confidence.

"Your heart’s blood binds... my method of magic artifacts significantly surpasses those of the same level in power, its formation speed is faster, and it is unpredictable, much stronger than those rigid-minded sword cultivators. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be the mainstream in the cultivation world today," she laughed grimly again. "Good lad, your talent for formations is not bad. Choosing this path will surely not be a mistake, believe me!"

"Predecessor is too kind," Lin Xin said, feeling somewhat uncomfortable at her unsettling laughter.

"According to the sect’s rule, the Heart Blood Sacrificial Refinement Decree, the Return to Origin Arts, is the first layer." Granny Yu chuckled, then pointed a finger in front of Lin Xin.

Immediately, a pale-yellow booklet appeared at his feet.

"Take it and read it. If you don’t understand, feel free to ask questions." Granny Yu’s impression of Lin Xin grew more favorable the more she looked at him. His cultivation talent might be average, but his talent in formations was excellent. How long had it been since the Formation Hall saw such a promising seed? Over the years, watching from the Law Transmission Forest, each batch of name-bearing disciples that came in seemed more impetuous and lackluster than the last, causing her expectations for potential inheritors to drop again and again.

What started as demanding ninety points fell to eighty and then to sixty, and she had not expected the sudden appearance of a seventy-five pointer like Lin Xin, which indeed brightened her spirits.

That’s why she had openly hinted in the Formation Hall that she had taken some notice of Lin Xin.

Lin Xin picked up the booklet and flipped through it. Inside was a series of details on the refinement process, incorporating various hand seals in coordination with breath and heartbeat.

Different materials required different combinations of hand seals, described in great detail.

"This is the basic decree and does not cost anything. Only the layers that can enhance cultivation using the Sacrificial Refinement Decree will be charged." Just as he was about to inquire about the cost, Lin Xin heard these words and his heart leaped with joy.

"The road ahead is long; do not disappoint those who have expectations for you, for it will make you disappointed in yourself as well..." Granny Yu casually remarked.

Once more, with a wave of his hand, three small items appeared in front of Lin Xin.

A small white sword, a palm-sized black shield token, and a brass bell.

"Yang Charm Sword, Spiritual Light Shield, Soul-Wrapping Bell. These three are the most basic and inexpensive magic artifacts in the way of magic artifacts, valued at over thirty thousand, but I have too many of these things here. Those who don’t know Formation Path can’t use them, and those who do already have their own magic artifacts. You can take one for ten thousand Jade Money."

"Three magic artifacts?" Lin Xin’s eyes lit up. This was the first time he’d seen magic artifacts; legend had it that they could only be activated by consuming Spiritual Energy or Innate Qi and were very powerful.

"Yes, three magic artifacts, they are for offense, defense, and concealment, respectively. Which one will you choose? This is the standard equipment for every Innate disciple in the Formation Hall. It also serves as your main means of offense and defense. The more thoroughly you perform sacrificial refinement, the more fully you can bring out the power of the magic artifact. The more powerful the magic artifact is, the higher-level Sacrifical Refinement Decree it requires."

Lin Xin nodded, indicating his understanding.

Yet his gaze was fixed firmly on the three basic magic artifacts on the ground.

"The power of the magic artifacts is at the level of the Eighth Layer of Innate, you need to initiate them with a Sacrifical Refinement Decree, and input a sufficient amount of Inner Qi. With your current capability and realm, the consumption is too great, so don’t use them lightly," Granny Yu advised.

"So, which one will you choose?"

Lin Xin thought for a moment, then pointed to the small shield token.

"I choose this one."

A flash of admiration crossed Granny Yu’s face.

"All Innate disciples in the Formation Hall, as long as they are still in the Sect, will gather near Huang Hua Forest every morning at the fifth hour for exchanging insights and sparring. After you’re done with sacrificial refinement, you can join them." She paused, "As cultivators, we all need to have a clear mind and courage to make progress. Some people, some things, should not always be approached timidly or hesitantly. Resources are limited, no matter what attitude you take, in the end, isn’t it all about the fist talking, Lin Xin, you’re a smart person, isn’t that the case..."

"Yes."

Lin Xin slowly agreed, a thoughtful look flitting across his eyes.

This was a veiled reminder—she’d given him a bargain on the magic artifact, he had some backbone now, she had his back, and if he brought disgrace upon her... heh heh.

"The disciple understands what to do..." he replied respectfully.

Lin Xin left behind the Jade Token worth over ten thousand Jade Money, and picked up the palm-sized black shield token.

When he left the Law Transmission Loft, he could clearly feel the envious gazes of many male and female disciples in the loft. He had entered Granny Yu’s good graces and was evidently no longer on the same level as them.

Clenching the small shield token in his sleeve, Lin Xin finally felt a sense of relief.

He knew that he had successfully latched onto a powerful supporter this time. Even if Huang Songzi and the others were to free up their hands, they probably wouldn’t confront him directly, risking offending Granny Yu.

**********************

Within the stone house, Lin Xin sat cross-legged on the bed, eyes closed, breathing slowly and nearly imperceptibly through his nose and mouth.

After an unknown period of time, he slowly opened his eyes; in the darkness, his eyes seemed to carry a faint white light.

He casually checked his attributes.

’Offense——3, Defense——3, Evasion——1, Physique——1. Free Attributes 1 point’

’Return to Origin Decree—Fourth Layer. (Completion 99%) (Offense +4, Physique +4)’

"I’ve captured another thread of Innate Qi. As long as I’m familiar with its properties, it’s easy to capture, but only one thread appears overnight... it’s too slow. I wonder how long it will take to break through to the Fifth Layer."

He carefully sensed the ball of Innate Qi in his lower abdomen, yet still couldn’t discern its attributes; it seemed he would have to wait to determine the properties of his Innate Qi.

After his daily set Qi Cultivation time, he took out the small shield token.

Pulling out a small booklet, he carefully flipped through it.

After the time it took an incense stick to burn, he put away the booklet and picked up the shield token.

"The preliminary methods of sacrificial refinement are quite simple for me. This shield token is a refined magic artifact with an innate Defense Spiritual Light Shield. It can form a layer of Spiritual Light Protective Shield to fend off any external assault, lasting for two hours. Consumption is about half of my total Inner Qi... But once activated, I can leave it on its own, which is convenient."

He carefully recalled the First Layer of the sacrificial refinement method. Lin Xin lit an oil lamp and began to practice and attempt sacrificial refinement in the dim light, channeling Innate Qi to his index finger, drawing on the shield just as if he were casting a Formation.

Quickly, after more than twenty attempts, a point of white light suddenly flashed at his fingertip, and a point of Spiritual Light sprayed onto the surface of the shield token from the tip of his finger.

"Done."

Looking at the skill bar where the First Layer of sacrificial refinement method was slowly forming, once the skill icon formed, he knew there would be no mistakes.