C16 World Artifact Refining Total Manual
If anyone reaped the most from their visit to Chen Village, it was undoubtedly Yang Huang. He marveled at the picturesque landscape before him, the towering tree wreathed in Spiritual Energy, and the peculiar mound of earth that had risen where Chen Village once stood, covered in unnamed purple plants.
This mound was a grave, its sudden presence both odd and jarring. The grave bore the marks of age, yet it lacked a headstone or any adornments, radiating a tranquil aura.
As Yang Huang studied the grave intently, three items unexpectedly materialized before it, taking him by surprise. "In life, my greatest passion was forging weapons, particularly swords. Yet, in moments of leisure, I crafted small trinkets of little consequence. Since fate has brought us together, I shall bestow upon you a few keepsakes," an elderly voice reached Yang Huang's ears, clearly emanating from within the grave.
"May I inquire about the elder's name?" Yang Huang was far from haughty. Given the use of the term "in life," it was impossible to guess the speaker's age, so he bowed respectfully towards the grave and posed his question.
"A name is not retained after death. A millennium passes like a fleeting cloud; the world has long forgotten me," the aged voice returned, now tinged with a profound sense of nostalgia.
Yang Huang remained silent, approaching the grave to inspect the three items that had appeared from nowhere: a mask, a bead, and a jade slip. He stooped to collect each item, starting with the jade slip, which he promptly crushed. Instantly, a lengthy text imprinted itself indelibly in his mind.
"The World Artifact Refining Total Manual!"
The title of the text echoed in his thoughts. Yang Huang could never have anticipated finding a cultivation manual in such a place. The words were etched into his consciousness, allowing him to grasp the content as if it were second nature. He recognized that this was no ordinary manual; it encompassed the entirety of the world's knowledge on artifact refining.
Yang Huang could no longer contain his excitement. He swiftly knelt before the grave and bowed three times in reverence.
"The teaching grace of the elder will forever be etched in my heart. I vow to diligently cultivate throughout my life and never betray the elder's good intentions," Yang Huang proclaimed earnestly.
"I am merely a spirit; I cannot accept such a grand gesture. Should you find a place called Red Plant Mountain in this world, use the Brilliance King Bead to enter, and you may encounter a great opportunity. Now, I shall rest. Leave this place," the aged voice spoke for the last time, referring to the bead Yang Huang had found.
The voice fell silent, leaving Yang Huang profoundly moved.
"Did he mention Red Plant Mountain? Legend has it that it was the site where the ancient swordsmithing master Ou Yezi crafted his swords. The mountain is shrouded in mystery, having only revealed itself twice in history, remaining hidden at all other times."
"Does that mean the person buried here is the legendary Weapon Refining Master Ou Yezi?"
...
Yang Huang pondered the blood stone in his hand, debating whether to ascend Dragon Tiger Mountain and make a pilgrimage to the Taoism Ancestral Court.
Truth be told, who would have guessed that beyond the fortune of Dragon Tiger Mountain, there lay an immense opportunity before this humble grave? Yang Huang was thoroughly pleased with his acquisitions. The art of weapon refining is a formidable Dao Art, its worth certainly rivaling the fortunes atop Dragon Tiger Mountain.
"With that in mind, I shall return home. Now that I possess the key to unlocking this fortune, those at the mountain's peak will clash in vain, only to discover that their sought-after fortune is but an illusion," Yang Huang resolved to depart. With the blood-red stone in his possession, the fortunes of Dragon Tiger Mountain were beyond anyone else's reach.
Indeed, this initial foray into Dragon Tiger Mountain was merely a minor ploy for him. He had always maintained that before overwhelming power, all strategies crumble like clay dogs against iron.
Fortunately, at this stage, he faced only the feeble.
He had the audacity to show up in Chen Village because he anticipated that the place would be filled with either inexperienced juniors or Evolvers of lesser strength.
The part played by Ding Yuhuan was nothing more than bait he cast out to conceal his true identity.
Should anyone eventually detect traces of Chen Village within the formation, they would likely conclude that Ding Yuhuan's powers had greatly increased, leading her to become haughty and recklessly slaughter the innocent, thus sparking this tragedy.
No one would suspect Yang Huang's involvement.
A week prior, when Ding Yuhuan regained consciousness, she discovered that her ability to control the minds of others had vanished. In its place, she found her Qi and blood to be more than tenfold stronger than before, along with a new, more fearsome ability: Undying. Her powers were still in their nascent stage, with further evolution expected. Nevertheless, she was already capable of regenerating her flesh and reattaching severed limbs.
Yang Huang fully exploited her capabilities, sending her to wreak havoc in Chen Village, orchestrating her own "death" at the hands of the local Evolvers, while also keeping a covert watch over her own actions.
In fact, Ding Yuhuan had met with Yang Huang upon her arrival in Chen Village. He had given her a talisman, crafted from the residual materials of the Mustard Storage Talisman, known as the 'Truth Appearance Talisman.' Its purpose was to inscribe and store a formation that could be activated and utilized when necessary.
In her final moments, the "deceased" Ding Yuhuan activated the Void Breaking Mist Becoming Array inscribed on the Truth Appearance Talisman, vanishing as if by teleportation.
The Void Breaking Mist Becoming Array, an elementary Teleportation Array documented in the Void Step Array Dao Talisman Divination Record, was a formation Yang Huang had meticulously inscribed using special materials.
Array Dao, akin to talisman crafting, is a branch of Dao Arts.
The ranks of these formations span from Rank One to Rank Nine. Rank One, the Void Array, is a basic formation. Ranks Two through Five are known as Dao Arrays, Rank Six is the Spirit Array, and Rank Seven is the fabled Immortal Array.
An array can be inscribed using its own energy, or it can be established with Celestial Materials and Earthly Treasures alongside an Array Pattern.
Currently, Yang Huang, who possesses Genuine Qi, is only capable of inscribing a Void Array. With the aid of materials, there's a slim chance he could establish a Rank Two Dao Array.
"After returning, I'll need to stay put in the Hidden Corpse Hall for some time—perhaps three to five months, or it might be three to five years," Yang Huang mused. If the world remained unchanged, he might have been able to conceal himself and lay low for decades. But the world had undergone a transformation, and everything was different now. At times, he was compelled to take action, for in such a world, stagnation meant death was looming.
Truth be told, his actions had always been driven by the instinct to survive.
In times of peace, resorting to frenzied murder was a last resort. Knowing that a cataclysmic change was imminent, should he merely sit and await death, forsaking a prime opportunity?
The prospect of eternal life lay before him. Wouldn't it be justifiable for mortals to pursue it with fervor?
Since the day Yang Huang fortuitously came into possession of the gossip, he embarked on an irreversible path—a relentless pursuit of immortality, by any means necessary.
