Elian was acutely aware that the family was not as secure as it appeared. If news of the Chen family possessing a natural spiritual root (Spirit Peach tree) were to spread, it could bring about their complete annihilation.
Such a treasure was too valuable—so coveted that even Golden Core cultivators would be tempted. The Chen family simply did not have the power to protect it.
Fortunately, within the family, there were fewer than ten cultivators eligible to visit Linghu Isle, and only a handful of Foundation Establishment cultivators knew the secret of the natural spiritual root.
However, once Elian advanced the Spirit Apricot Tree on Qingyuan Mountain to become a natural spiritual root, the family's cultivators would eventually notice the abnormality. If someone like Chen Niansu emerged again, it could spell disaster for the family.
Thus, Elian had to take decisive measures to ensure that the family's cultivators understood the price of betraying the family, thereby setting an example to deter others.
"Purple Mansion Stage—at the very least, I need to break through to the Purple Mansion Stage to advance the Spirit Apricot Tree again," Elian thought as he gazed at the heavens.
In the land of Chu Kingdom, the three great sects were the true overlords, and only a Purple Mansion Immortal Clan had the right to dominate a county as a top-tier force.
Relationships between Purple Mansion Immortal Clans were intricate—they competed while also supporting each other. In the Bianzhou region, two Purple Mansion Immortal Clans had formed an alliance, jointly securing the region's spiritual stone mines.
Only by breaking through to the Purple Mansion Stage and elevating the Chen family to a Purple Mansion Immortal Clan, aligned with the other two Purple Mansion Immortal Clans in the region, could the Chen family truly possess a semblance of self-preservation.
At that point, even if the Qingyang Sect wanted to act against the Chen family, they would have to carefully weigh the combined strength of the region's Purple Mansion Immortal Clans.
After much deliberation, Elian suppressed his thoughts and turned to Chen Qinghao, saying, "Since the Wei Clan won't take action, there shouldn't be too much danger at the Black Iron Mountain."
"I'll return to Linghu Isle to oversee matters, and I'll need the clan leader to reforge the Nine Deflection Bell. In the meantime, I'll rely on you, Uncle Qinghao, to guard Black Iron Mountain."
"Alright," Chen Qinghao nodded, smiling.
"Don't worry. With me overseeing it and the Greenwood Earth Formation in place, even late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators will find it hard to do anything to Black Iron Mountain."
"That puts my mind at ease," Elian replied, flying his sword toward Pingyang City. With no one holding him back this time, he reached Pingyang City in just over a day.
Upon arriving in Pingyang City, he reported the situation at Black Iron Mountain to the clan patriarch. The elderly patriarch sighed after hearing the details.
"You've done well. I just didn't expect Brother Changming, so wise in life, to have such a disappointing grandson."
"Now that you've set the rules, I doubt these young scoundrels in the clan will dare act out as long as you're around."
"Brother Changming died young, perishing in the beast tide. Most of his children also died young, leaving Chen Niansu's branch as his only direct descendants. Keeping him alive can be considered a final gesture to Brother Changming."
Seeing the patriarch's expression, Elian nodded and added, "To deter others, I've publicly declared that his branch will be exiled to the wilderness and permanently removed from the family register."
"After their exile, I'll arrange for them to be rescued and settled in a mortal city controlled by the Meng Clan."
"This matter might be challenging for me to handle alone, so I'll need your help to cover it up," Elian requested.
"This is simple enough. With me covering for you, it'll be easy to hide this from the family. But it's best not to even tell Qinghao or Qingwan about it," the patriarch said with a smile.
"Though you're resolute and decisive, you still have a compassionate side. It's truly a blessing for the Chen family to have a child like you."
Left hand holding a flower, right hand wielding a sword.
Elian rarely lowered his gaze, but such thoughts flashed through his mind.
His gentleness was reserved for the family that raised him, the family he loved deeply. His sharpness was for protecting those he cherished, wielded like a blade cutting through obstacles.
Remembering the purpose of his visit, he took out the Nine Deflection Bell and the Golden-Eater Beast's inner core.
"I'm here today to ask for your help in reforging the Nine Deflection Bell," Elian said.
The patriarch accepted the inner core and the bell, inspecting them with delight. After a moment's thought, he said, "With my mid-tier second-rank artifact refining skills, I only have a 30% chance of reforging the bell into a high-tier second-rank artifact."
"It doesn't matter if it fails. We can reforge it again. We gathered a lot of black iron this time, which will also improve your artifact-refining skills," Elian replied with a smile.
The Nine Deflection Bell was forged from black iron. Even if the reforging failed, the materials could be re-melted, recovering seven to eight parts of the original amount despite some loss.
To ensure success, Elian even brought along the black iron crude staff. The materials from this staff alone were enough for the patriarch to attempt the reforging seven or eight times.
"Good," the patriarch nodded with satisfaction, holding the black iron staff.
"With this much black iron, it's enough for me to break through to a high-tier second-rank artifact refiner."
Once decided, the patriarch began refining the black iron. Elian assisted, hoping to improve his own skills in arrays and artifact crafting.
After seven days of effort, the patriarch melted down the black iron crude staff, producing seven fist-sized black iron masses. He then integrated one of them into the Nine Deflection Bell, completing this step in two days.
Next, they melted the Golden-Eater Beast's inner core, a process that took over half a month even with both of them taking turns using true fire. The inner core, containing a substantial amount of black iron essence, had undergone an astonishing transformation, making it highly challenging to refine.
A small amount of this black iron essence could significantly enhance the quality of an artifact and was even a vital auxiliary material for crafting third-tier artifacts.
The patriarch used only one-third of the black iron essence to infuse the Nine Deflection Bell, greatly enhancing its material. However, the reforging failed when he attempted to inscribe high-tier second-rank defensive array patterns, causing the bell to collapse.
"It wasn't the material; it was the fire control," the patriarch concluded, blaming the extended period of true fire use for their mental fatigue and slight errors.
Elian suggested, "Adding more black iron essence could reinforce the bell and increase tolerance for mistakes."
"True. I've been too frugal over the years, always saving rare materials," the patriarch chuckled.
For the second attempt, the patriarch used all the black iron essence. This time, the reforging succeeded in one go. They spent another half month integrating the Five Elements Spiritual Qi, completing the Nine Deflection Bell.
Having advanced to a high-tier second-rank artifact refiner, the patriarch was in great spirits. Handing the bell to Elian, he remarked, "This Nine Deflection Bell is close to the level of a third-tier artifact. Its defensive capabilities are among the best in the second tier."
Elian accepted the bell with delight. With this artifact, along with the Purple Sun Furnace and Purple Light Mirror, his offensive, supportive, and defensive capabilities were all top-notch in the second tier.
Once the Fiery Void Sword advanced to high-tier second rank, Elian believed he could dominate the Foundation Establishment realm. While he wouldn't claim invincibility, he would undoubtedly be among the top-tier in the region's Foundation Establishment cultivators.
...
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I need POWAAA! Gimme Power Stones :D