Chapter 336: The Profound Secrets of Morning Star Artifacts |
It was also because he held the position of a Star Seed; otherwise, he probably wouldn't have clashed with Qin Tianlin.
"Hmm... It's hard to say..." Su Chen thought for a moment, "That guy's personality didn't seem very good."
One gathering made Su Chen feel that his popularity had recovered quite a bit. Perhaps because he had drunk a lot of wine, his mind was exceptionally active, and he thought of many things.
On the surface, the Ancient King was indeed extremely biased towards him. Although the Resources mobilized were billed to Qing Cang, in reality, the Core Members of the Sect all knew what was going on.
There was also the unrestricted right to use the Fortune Bronze Core. Even those in the Top 100 of the Saint Rankings had to use it with Meticulous Planning. If they didn't encounter requirements that demanded a huge amount of time and effort to complete, they wouldn't waste their usage chances.
Yet, he could squander them at will.
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Others didn't know that this was all exchanged through Purifying Mist Cinders.
And not long ago, he had suddenly undergone Metamorphosis into a Dual Divine Dawn. The outside world didn't know the specific reasons and naturally made various speculations. There was no shortage of jealous people within the Sect.
But the vast majority of them could hardly pose any threat to him. Only people at the level of Shen Yi'an could impact him.
"This Shen Yi'an only said he wouldn't overstep the rules, but he probably won't easily give up his thoughts on the Ancient Throne." Su Chen didn't feel much about this; after all, it was the Ancient Throne, who wouldn't desire it?
As long as he didn't use underhanded tricks, anything was fine.
"It's a pity Old Wei has no chance to gain the recognition of the Ancient King Monument..." On second thought, if the Crimson Flame Responding Thunder Great Exalted underwent Metamorphosis to the Bright Moon Tier, he wouldn't mind giving up this Ancient King Profession. Compared to Shen Yi'an, he still preferred Wei Zhenghong to receive the inheritance.
But he couldn't control who the Professional Spirituality chose.
"Forget about all that. As long as it doesn't delay my development, it's fine." Su Chen shook his head. His gaze fell on his Status Panel. The Development Progress of the World-Reflecting Thunder Ember had already reached 67%.
"The 7th-Tier is right before my eyes; I need to start preparing."
Seeing his Floating Island getting closer, Su Chen's thoughts scattered even more. Once he underwent Molten Casting Eternal Physique and advanced to the 7th-Tier, with the Enhanced Secret Tool equipped, that feeling... must be really exhilarating.
When the time comes, I wonder if I can try upgrading the Mystic Tool to the Morning Star Tier...
"No..." Su Chen shook his head again. "Above the 8th-Tier is the 9th-Tier, not the Morning Star Tier. Upgrading the Mystic Tool can probably only reach the 9th-Tier."
Morning Star Artifacts should be different from ordinary 9th-Tier weapons, similar to the difference between a 9th-Tier Class-User and a Morning Star Tier Class-User.
Su Chen couldn't help but think of the mountain-sized Colossal Tripod on the Crimson Thunder Planet. It was obviously not an ordinary 9th-Tier weapon, and he wondered what profound secrets lay within.
"Also, this The Unsullied. After researching it for so long, hasn't it been fully analyzed yet?" Su Chen flipped through his Status Panel and saw The Unsullied still undergoing analysis, inevitably muttering a few words.
Calculating the time, almost five months had passed.
"Is it because the Divine Blood is too mixed, or because the difficulty of analysis is too high? Perhaps both..."
As Su Chen was thinking, the Flight Vehicle had already docked at the Port.
Luo Shuhang and the others were still nervously busy, and there were four new, unfamiliar faces on the scene. Some were tall, some short; there was a muscular brute nearly two meters tall, and a withered old man with gray hair who looked like a tree trunk.
"These are all Forge Grandmasters," Luo Shuhang hurried over to introduce them to him. "Jiao Beiluo, Grandmaster Jiao..."
"Star Seed Su, I've long heard of your great name." The withered old man had a white goatee. He stroked the end of his beard and greeted with a smile.
"Grandmaster Artisan Guan Lin," he pointed to the brute, who nodded in acknowledgment.
"Grandmaster Jin, Grandmaster Wang..."
"Thank you all for coming," Su Chen also showed ample respect.
At the level of a Forge Grandmaster, their status was not low. Each of them possessed the ability to independently forge 8th-Tier weapons.
8th-Tier weapons were very difficult to produce on an assembly line. To be able to shape and forge 8th-Tier Materials, the strength of the Materials must inherently be a tier higher, which meant the entire assembly line would need to be at a 9th-Tier level of strength.
Even the Royal Court wasn't Wealthy and Overbearing enough to reach this level; they were basically all hand-forged.
Therefore, the importance of blacksmiths at this level also experienced Rising Tide Lifts All Boats.
"No worries. We've long heard of your reputation and wanted to meet such a young Dual Divine Dawn Star Seed," Jiao Beiluo waved his hand, quite satisfied with Su Chen's attitude.
Their own value lay right here. A lifetime of wealth and glory was not a problem. Their attitude toward Su Chen was more about building a good relationship rather than desperately trying to cling to him.
Jiao Beiluo took the initiative to ask, "Star Seed Su, have you finished collecting the Materials for the Forging Ritual? We'd like to familiarize ourselves with them beforehand to better control the heat."
"They're all collected." Su Chen took out several Metal Cases from his Storage Space and handed them over.
"Heart of the Earth Core, Starfall Meteoric Iron, and... Desolate Dragon Heart? This is a biological material. Old Wang, this is for you."
Jiao Beiluo opened a box, saw the black heart the size of a millstone, and handed it to the somewhat short man beside him.
The three quickly distributed the Materials, while the burly Guan Lin walked up to Su Chen: "The three of them will be responsible for the Materials later, and I will harmonize from the center. Therefore, I need to confirm your physical strength."
"No problem, go ahead," Su Chen nodded.
"Pardon me." Guan Lin nodded, reached out a large hand, pressed on Su Chen's shoulder, and gave a sudden jolt.
Instantly, Su Chen only felt a peculiar fluctuation transmit through his shoulder and echo throughout his entire body, causing his muscles to tense involuntarily.
"What high physical strength." Guan Lin's eyes shone with a strange light. "Based on physical strength alone, it is no weaker than a typical 7th-Tier Class-User. It should meet the requirements of the Forging Ritual."
The Forging Ritual was not simple; it involved playing with a person as if they were a weapon. If their physical strength was insufficient, injuries could easily occur.
Su Chen's identity was also quite special. If something went wrong, he wouldn't be able to bear the responsibility.
Hearing Guan Lin's words, Jiao Beiluo and the others exchanged glances without much surprise. Su Chen had been hanging at the top of the Preliminary Rankings for half a year; who would be Making a Fuss over this minor detail?
After exchanging a few pleasantries, A Slight Stir in One's Heart occurred, and Su Chen asked about Morning Star Artifacts.
"Morning Star Artifacts?"
Jiao Beiluo was holding a small silver hammer, constantly tapping the Starfall Meteoric Iron in his hand. Hearing this, he couldn't help but look up: "The gap between Morning Star Artifacts and 9th-Tier weapons is far too large."
Su Chen invited the few of them to sit in a Pavilion nearby. "Similar to the gap between a 9th-Tier Class-User and a Morning Star tier Class-User?"
Jiao Beiluo nodded, then shook his head. "Yes and no. The magnitude of the gap far exceeds that between a 9th-Tier Class-User and a Morning Star Class-User."
"Ordinary Class-Users can still bridge the gap through methods like Dual Ninth-Rank and Molten Casting Sacred Profession, such as a Divine Dawn Dual Ninth-Rank undergoing Molten Casting for two or three Holy Classes."
"Setting aside defeating a Morning Star, contending against one for a bit is still achievable. But a weapon is not human; it cannot undergo Molten Casting Sacred Profession, nor can it advance to Dual Ninth-Rank, so the gap is immense."
Su Chen looked thoughtful, and Jiao Beiluo explained further: "Additionally, the material consumption for a Morning Star Artifact is tens of times that of an ordinary 9th-Tier weapon. Simple stacking cannot unleash the full Might of these Materials. The most crucial part requires 'Spirit Attunement'."
Su Chen's expression shifted as he heard a familiar term. The Bronze Ancient King had mentioned 'Spirit Attunement' before; Professional Spirituality could provide some help to a Class-User through Spirit Attunement.
"When Professional Spirituality attaches to a weapon, it becomes a Morning Star Artifact?" Su Chen guessed.
"Pretty much." Jiao Beiluo nodded, continuing, "Only after Advancing to Morning Star can one forge a Morning Star Artifact. Because at that time, a Class-User gains the ability to influence Spirituality, allowing it to undergo 'Spirit Attunement' on a weapon, transforming it into a Morning Star Artifact."
Jiao Beiluo stroked his goatee, sighing with emotion: "This is the current common method for forging Morning Star Artifacts, but its strength falls far short of the Ancient Method."
"The Ancient Method?" Su Chen was somewhat astonished and couldn't help but press further.
Jiao Beiluo set down the Starfall Meteoric Iron and nodded: "Indeed. Spirit Attunement is merely a partial bestowal of Spirituality. The Ancient Method is not Spirit Attunement, but Spirit Fusion—merging the Morning Star Spirituality entirely into the artifact."
Spirituality can actually merge into objects? Su Chen was surprised. No wonder the Bronze Ancient King didn't pursue the matter of him devouring the Crimson Flame Responding Thunder Great Exalted too much.
But... Su Chen asked doubtfully: "If Spirituality merges into an artifact, what if an accident occurs? Wouldn't it be irretrievable?"
Jiao Beiluo nodded, sighing: "Precisely for this reason, the Ancient Method was gradually abandoned. The loss is too great. Once the weapon is damaged or someone is ambushed and killed, it equates to completely losing that Morning Star Spirituality."
One of the most important Foundations of the Five Great Sects and the Royal Court was these Morning Star Spiritualities. Even if a Morning Star died, they could just select another Star Seed, and another Morning Star could still be born.
But if the Spirituality was lost, it would truly be gone.
"You should know the last person in our Sect to forge a Morning Star Artifact using the Ancient Method," Jiao Beiluo looked over.
Su Chen's heart stirred slightly, and he couldn't help but say: "Was it Venerable Crimson Sun?"
"Indeed, it was him."
"No wonder..." Su Chen suddenly understood, finally realizing why the Spirituality of the Crimson Flame Responding Thunder Great Exalted shattered and how it was lost on the Crimson Thunder Planet.
That Colossal Tripod was indeed extraordinary; it had completely bonded with the Spirituality of the Crimson Flame Responding Thunder Great Exalted.
Thinking of this, Su Chen couldn't help but ask: "How high is the strength of a Morning Star Artifact forged according to the Ancient Method?"
Jiao Beiluo stroked his goatee and said Unhurried, "A tailor-made Morning Star Artifact perfectly attuned to oneself, with Spirituality bound to it, is enough to allow a Morning Star to unleash several times their own strength."
Several times their strength? Su Chen clicked his tongue secretly.
Unfortunately, while the Ancient Method was strong, the price was too high, and no one was willing to take the risk.
After speaking, Jiao Beiluo seemed somewhat emotional: "In terms of weapon forging in the Dust Star Sea, the True Martial Sect is the most prosperous. The Morning Star Artifacts they forge, even if only through Spirit Attunement, can reach nearly 70% of the strength of Spirit Fusion."
"Other Factions are far from reaching this level."
Su Chen thought to himself. This Morning Star Artifact was equivalent to the exclusive weapon of a Morning Star tier, and it was also another aspect where a Morning Star was stronger than an ordinary 9th-Tier.
An ordinary 9th-Tier could not further strengthen themselves through this method.
Having gained a rough understanding, Su Chen arranged guest rooms for the few of them and returned to the Training Room himself.
The next day, within the Qin Family Compound in the Bronze Core, the steward led Qing Cang with a tense expression to the door of Qin Yun's room.
Before he could speak, a voice came from inside the room: "It's Junior Brother, come in."
The heavy doors opened silently, and Qing Cang looked inside expressionlessly.
Qin Yun stood by the window with her hands behind her back, looking up at the Starfire in the sky. Her words carried a trace of unspeakable emotion, "It seems Teacher still can't get away."
As her words fell, specks of green fluorescence lit up around her, formed by symbols of "0" and "1" intertwining. They gradually landed on Qin Yun's body and submerged into it.
Qin Yun's Aura instantly withered. The steward standing behind Qing Cang looked nervous but didn't dare to speak.
"Teacher can't get away, but I can." Qing Cang remained expressionless as he finally spoke. He walked straight forward and unceremoniously pressed down on Qin Yun's shoulder. Qin Yun's expression turned slightly cold, and she glanced at Qing Cang's hand.
Qing Cang said indifferently, "Let's go. King Peng and the others are still waiting."
In an instant, the two transformed into a gust of wind and departed from the window.
At the Starport, King Peng had long been waiting there. In his hand, he held a green cube in which a purple light shone—it was exactly Hao Ri.
Not long after, his expression shifted, and he saw a cyan wind gathering before him, revealing the figures of Qing Cang and Qin Yun.
"King Peng is also coming along. Such a grand lineup," Qin Yun's gaze fell on Hao Ri in King Peng's hand, seeming somewhat surprised.
"The Emperor and the Ancient Kings are paying extreme attention to this matter. There cannot be the slightest mishap; no lineup is too grand." King Peng shook his head, glancing at Qin Yun, already noticing that her strength had been suppressed.
With the aged and weakened Black Tortoise King here, there wouldn't be any major danger inside the Bronze Sect. He needed to follow Qing Cang to escort Qin Yun and Hao Ri to the agreed gathering point.
No one would feel at ease if Qing Cang escorted them alone.
"True, it is the Spirit of the Vast Sun after all." Qin Yun nodded, sighing, "It's a pity Teacher cannot go. If any unexpected changes occur, I fear we might lose the initiative."
"It's just transferring the fire. What's this about initiative or no initiative?" Qing Cang's expression turned cold.
King Peng Remain Noncommittal, looking towards the spaceship that had been prepared long ago: "You two, let's go."
"Is this the base needed for the Forging Ritual?"
Su Chen looked at the circular metal base before him, etched with dense symbols that faintly flickered with a dim light.
The center was slightly depressed, extending outward with three quicksilver-like Light Trails, each ending at the edge of the base, contracting into smaller rings. Above these suspended metal platforms about a meter long, dividing the entire base into three sections.
"Indeed. Later, you will need to stand in the center. The other three will each hold the forging Materials and stand in the three locations. Grandmaster Artisan Guan Lin will harmonize from the center and assist you in completing the entire process," Luo Shuhang gave a rough explanation.
Hearing this, Su Chen looked at the four Grandmaster Artisans: "I will be troubling you all next."
"It is only right." Jiao Beiluo waved his hand, already holding the Starfall Meteoric Iron as he stepped onto one of the positions. The other two also took their places.
Su Chen walked towards the central depression. Guan Lin reached out a hand, and a black metal hammer taller than himself silently coalesced from the void, dark patterns flowing on its handle. He then followed suit.
Su Chen glanced at it, his mouth twitching slightly. Even the hammer head was larger than his upper body.
Wait a minute, he's not going to just smash that directly onto my body, is he? he couldn't help but think.
"Star Seed Su, the three of us have already discussed. Since you want to forge a Tripod Foundation, we will roughly use the Desolate Dragon Heart as the base, the Heart of the Earth Core as the supplement, and the Starfall Meteoric Iron as the bone." After Jiao Beiluo spoke, he reminded again, "If there is any discomfort during the process, remember you absolutely must speak up. It's fine if the Materials are wasted; keeping the person safe is the most crucial part."
This Forging Ritual was not without its dangers. It was hard to guarantee that a One in Ten Thousand mishap wouldn't occur.
