A few days later, Yang Kai’s aura calmed down and he opened his eyes.
Zha Gu stepped forward and cupped his fists like a human race, “Brother Yang has worked hard.”
Yang Kai smiled lightly, “It’s only right. Since Brother Zha Gu trusts me so much, I naturally won’t disappoint Brother Zha Gu.”
Zha Gu asked in confusion, “In the past, I also saw my Black Ink Disciple refining artifacts, but it seems to be different from what Brother Yang did before?”
Yang Kai smiled, “The Human Race’s Artifact Refining Technique is like the blooming of a hundred flowers, with different schools of thought. Naturally, the Artifact Refining Techniques are different. I don’t know which school your Black Ink Disciple came from, but my Artifact Refining Technique is called Thousand Tempering and a Hundred Refining Technique. It can be considered an extremely ancient school of the Human Race and has been tested over the years.”
Zha Gu suddenly understood, “I see.”
This wasn’t some random nonsense Yang Kai was spouting. The Artifact Refining Technique he had used just now was indeed called Thousand Tempering and a Hundred Refining. This technique was especially suitable for refining offensive and defensive artifacts. Even in Divine Cauldron Heaven, one needed a certain status to be qualified to cultivate it.
Yang Kai had followed Chai Hao to cultivate Artifact Refining, so with Dongguo Anping and Zhong Liang’s permission, he naturally wouldn’t hide this technique.
“Brother Zha Gu, you don’t need to worry too much. When the day comes, everything will be clear,” Yang Kai comforted.
Zha Gu nodded repeatedly, “I naturally trust Brother Yang.”
“Then I’ll continue,” Yang Kai said as he stood up, picked up the hammer, and summoned his own strength to draw upon the power of the Earth Fire, hammering it repeatedly.
What Zha Gu saw was just the surface. With each strike, not only did he activate all of his strength, drawing out the Earth Fire, but he also tempered the great halberd’s internal structure. With each swing of the great hammer, a series of restriction were smashed into the halberd, cleansing it from the inside out.
Day after day, deafening sounds rang out from the underground cave.
Yang Kai’s movements were also alternating between fast and slow. Every now and then, he would strike with his hammer, his movements slow, as if he was gently striking something. Occasionally, his strikes would be as heavy as a mountain, and at other times, they would be as fast as lightning.
Every once in a while, Yang Kai would need to rest and recover.
Initially, Zha Gu was still eagerly waiting, but after a while, he lost his patience, not to mention that he had also been injured in the last great battle and had yet to fully recover.
As such, every ten days or half a month, he would come down to investigate, and every time he did so, he could clearly feel the changes in the Great Halberd.
A full three months later, when Zha Gu came down to investigate the situation again, he saw Yang Kai sitting cross-legged on the ground with a bright halberd in front of him.
Compared to the original great halberd, this thing in front of him was much thinner and its length had not changed much, but Zha Gu could clearly feel that this great halberd was constantly emitting a fierce aura.
If the first great halberd was a dusty pearl, now it had been wiped clean and was emitting a dazzling light.
Zha Gu’s breathing couldn’t help becoming rapid.
Slowly stepping forward, he grabbed the halberd, lifted it up, and casually waved it. He felt that whether it was its weight, length, or thickness, they were all extremely compatible with him, as if they were made for him.
On the body of the halberd, there were also many complicated lines which urge the Ink Force into it. The halberd hummed as if it was being awakened by a fierce beast, and these complicated spiraling lines actually enhanced the power of his Ink Force.
Zha Gu couldn’t help smiling.
The Black Ink Clan had suffered a great deal. Although they had the Ink Force to rely on and their bodies were larger and stronger than the Human Race’s, they had never been proficient in Artifact Refining since ancient times. During the war between the two races, they had suffered many losses from the Human Race’s artifacts, but the Human Race had many different kinds of artifacts, making it impossible to guard against them. In the great war between the two races, countless Black Ink Clans had died under the might of the Human Race’s artifacts.
If the Black Ink Clan also had the ability to refine artifacts, the Human Race would have long collapsed.
However, even for a Feudal Lord like him, it wasn’t easy for him to obtain an Artifact that belonged to him. The Artifact he had snatched from the Human Race wasn’t suitable for him to use. It was rare for his Black Ink Disciple subordinate, to know a thing or two about Artifact Refining, but the things he refined weren’t anything special.
He had never expected to obtain one today.
With this artifact in hand, Zha Gu felt that his strength had increased by at least twenty percent. Although twenty percent increase in strength wasn’t much, it was enough to turn defeat into victory at a critical moment and save his life. What’s more, with such a great halberd in hand, even if he didn’t use its full power, it would still be able to easily kill.
Zha Gu could already foresee the scene of him sweeping through the battlefield in the future.
“It seems Brother Zha Gu is quite satisfied with this treasure?” Yang Kai suddenly asked.
Zha Gu turned his head and saw that Yang Kai had woken up from his meditation and was smiling at him.
“Satisfied! Very satisfied!” Zha Gu laughed loudly, “Is this thing considered finished?”
Yang Kai said, “The one who refined this artifact was your Black Ink Disciple. I only upgrade it, but with my current skill, I can only do so much.”
“Is this a Mid Rank artifact?” Zha Gu asked.
“Naturally,” Yang Kai nodded slightly. With his eyesight, he could tell that this halberd had just barely entered the ranks of Mid Rank artifacts and couldn’t be considered a High Rank artifact. However, for Zha Gu, it was already an excellent item, otherwise he wouldn’t be so happy.
“Brother Yang’s Artifact Refining skill is truly amazing,” Zha Gu praised. Being able to upgrade this great halberd showed that Yang Kai’s Artifact Refining skill was much higher than his Black Ink Disciple's. After all, his Black Ink Disciple had spent a great deal of time and materials to refine this embryonic form.
“Brother Zha Gu is too kind,” Yang Kai said humbly.
Zha Gu looked at the halberd in his hand for a moment before putting it away solemnly. Looking at Yang Kai, he said, “I’ve said before that if Brother Yang can satisfy my request, I will reward you greatly. If Brother Yang wants anything, just tell me and I’ll try my best to satisfy you.”
Yang Kai couldn’t help laughing, “Does Brother Zha Gu not know what I want now?”
Hearing this, Zha Gu was stunned for a moment before quickly understanding, “I understand, but a single Profound Female Spirit Fruit is worth a lot. Even if I pay with all my assets, I may not be able to afford it.”
Yang Kai said, “If Brother Zha Gu can help me purchase a Profound Female Spirit Fruit, I can refine a Treasure Armor for you that will not be inferior to this halberd.”
Zha Gu pondered for a moment before recalling the scene of him wearing a Treasure Armor and wielding a Great Halberd on the battlefield in the future. He couldn’t help feeling excited and immediately nodded, “Deal!”
Yang Kai added, “The materials needed to refine the Treasure Armor need to be produced by yourself.”
“Naturally.”
“When can I obtain the Profound Female Spirit Fruit?”
“In less than three days, I will definitely find it for you.” Saying so, Zha Gu turned around and left, obviously thinking of a way to purchase the Profound Female Spirit Fruit.
Although he was just a Black Ink Clan Feudal Lord, after many years of accumulation, he still had some capital, so buying a Profound Female Spirit Fruit shouldn’t be difficult.
After he left, Yang Kai breathed a sigh of relief. Now that the matter of the Profound Female Spirit Fruit had been resolved, Yang Kai’s urgent need had been resolved. Moreover, after helping Zha Gu refine artifact this time, he could use this opportunity to spread his Artifact Refining techniques. This way, when Black Abyss finished healing his injuries and came out of seclusion, perhaps he could proceed with his next step.
Zha Gu was a man of his word. In less than three days, he returned to the underground cave and brought a wooden box to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai reached out to take it and opened the box. Inside was indeed a Profound Female Spirit Fruit.
“Many thanks, Brother Zha Gu,” Yang Kai cupped his fists.
Zha Gu waved his hand and said, “There’s no need to thank me, this is also a transaction between us. Quickly refine this Profound Female Spirit Fruit and repair your Small Universe.”
“I had the same idea.”
“Then I won’t disturb you for now. When everything is settled here, just inform me.”
Yang Kai nodded.
Zha Gu turned around and left.
After he left, Yang Kai took out the Profound Female Spirit Fruit. Although the World Tree Subtree had been repairing his Small Universe and now had some results, its progress was still slow.
Yang Kai didn’t have much time to waste. With the help of the Profound Female Spirit Fruit, his Small Universe should be able to recover faster.
Without hesitation, Yang Kai swallowed the Profound Female Spirit Fruit and began refining it.
Soon, a stream of heat rose from his abdomen and flowed into his Small Universe. As the Profound Female Spirit Fruit’s medicinal efficacy took effect, the damage to the Small Universe’s body began to heal at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Normally, even if a cultivator consumed this Spirit Fruit, its effects would not be so fast. Yang Kai also had the help of the World Tree’s Subtree, which was why the Small Universe’s repair was so obvious.
Even so, it still took him nearly three months. When the Small Universe was completely whole, Yang Kai’s aura surged and an indescribable joy filled his heart.
The Small Universe’s damage had always given him a feeling that he was missing something. Whether it was his own strength or his daily cultivation, both of them had been greatly affected. Now that the Small Universe was finally whole again, that uncomfortable feeling had also disappeared.
The last time he had fought with Liu Zian, although he had gained the upper hand, he had also fought with him for a long time. Now, if he were to fight with Liu Zian again, Yang Kai was confident he would be able to finish him off in a few punches.
Although the Small Universe’s damage had been repaired, the loss of his foundation caused by Yang Kai cutting off the Small Universe’s territory was something he needed to slowly cultivate to repair. This matter was not urgent, after all, the cultivation of the Open Heaven Stage was a long accumulation of time.
The speed at which he refined these resources was much faster than an ordinary Seventh Order cultivator, and the reproduction of the living creatures in his Small Universe was constantly increasing his foundation. As long as he had enough time in the future, he would be able to reach the Eighth Order at an unimaginable speed.
Only those who had reached the Eighth Order could be considered the pillars in the Black Ink Battlefield, while the Ninth Order master was the stabilizing force guarding the Mountain Passes.
After checking himself and making sure there was nothing wrong, Yang Kai’s Divine Sense surged.
A short while later, Zha Gu’s massive figure appeared in front of him and stared at him in surprise, “You’ve recovered?”
At this moment, the feeling Yang Kai gave him was clearly different from before. Previously, Yang Kai had always given off a kind of faltering feeling, but now it was gone. This was undoubtedly because his Small Universe has been repaired.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Martial Peak