After handling everything, Elian and the old patriarch took out spirit stones to recover their spiritual energy. By the next morning, they had regained seventy to eighty percent of their power. Breathing a sigh of relief, they began inventorying their spoils.
"Although Old Devil Hong escaped, we managed to kill Old Devil Zhang, two Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Zuo family, and Lin Taihe. This vengeance for our past grievances is truly satisfying," said the old patriarch, his face brightening with a rare smile as he examined the magical tools before him.
Elian smiled faintly and handed over the Crimson Flame Spirit Blade.
"With this, Uncle, your strength will become even greater."
"Hahaha!"
The old patriarch laughed heartily and took the Crimson Flame Spirit Blade.
This natal artifact was just a step away from becoming a second-tier high-grade magical tool. With enough Five Elements Essence, specifically Metal and Fire energy, it could soon be upgraded.
Most importantly, natal artifacts were thirty percent stronger than other magical tools of the same grade, while consuming only a third of the spiritual energy.
This combination of increased power and reduced cost made natal artifacts far more effective in battle, boosting the old patriarch's strength by an additional thirty to forty percent.
"Once it's refined into a second-tier high-grade tool, with the Blazing Fire Divine Flags, the Heavenly Flame Sword, and this natal artifact, I should be able to hold my own against two or three average late-Foundation Establishment cultivators."
The old patriarch couldn't hide his joy as he caressed the blade, but his expression darkened as he muttered, "Still, that Lin family…"
Noticing his uncle's shift in mood, Elian handed him the Bronze tower and the Purple Radiance Mirror, saying with a smile, "With these two defensive and support tools, Uncle's strength will be nearly unrivaled in our realm."
"There's always someone stronger out there, child. Don't overestimate me."
Realizing that this wasn't the place to discuss the Lin family, the old patriarch composed himself. Taking the bronze tower, he remarked with a smile, "With this defensive artifact, I can charge straight into enemy lines without concern for my safety."
"But the Purple Radiance Mirror is better left with you."
Elian frowned.
"Why?"
"While the Blazing Fire Divine Flags are powerful, maintaining the formation requires immense focus and energy," the old patriarch explained.
"Under such conditions, using two second-tier high-grade tools is already my limit."
"Your true essence is sharp and abundant, making your strength comparable to a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator. You should be able to wield the Purple Radiance Mirror at seventy percent of its capacity."
"Giving it to you would maximize its effectiveness."
Hearing this, Elian accepted the Purple Radiance Mirror, appreciating its fine craftsmanship.
They then divided the remaining spoils. The Mingxu Sword, a powerful weapon, went to Elian since the patriarch had no shortage of tools.
Zuo Zhouqi's defensive artifact, a small golden shield, was slightly inferior to the Nine Deflection Bell but still impressive. They decided to save it for the First Elder.
Lin Taihe had left behind three second-tier low-grade tools: a defensive artifact made of black iron, an earth-attribute flying sword, and a net-shaped magical tool. While these tools were unremarkable, the black iron's quality stood out.
The patriarch decided to melt down the defensive artifact at Tianxu Mountain and incorporate the black iron into the Nine Deflection Bell, enhancing its power.
As for Old Devil Zhang's belongings, they were rather meager. Eight years ago, the old patriarch's Heavenly Flame Sword Art had destroyed three or four of his second-tier demonic treasures.
His only remaining tool, a second-tier low-grade demonic banner, was poorly crafted and hastily refined. Dismissing its value, the patriarch destroyed it, salvaging a small amount of material for use in refining the Fiery Sun Heavenly Fire Flags.
With the spoils divided, the caravan continued its journey through the vast wilderness.
Time flew by, and after another month of travel, they finally reached Tianxu Mountain.
"There's the market at Tianxu Mountain," the old patriarch said, stroking his beard with a smile.
Elian looked up, sharing the sentiment. After more than four months of travel, they could finally rest.
During the journey, the old patriarch used the Five Elements Essence they had acquired to refine the Crimson Flame Spirit Blade. He infused it with 1,000 strands of Metal essence and 1,200 strands of Fire essence. After extensive refining, the natal artifact was successfully upgraded to a second-tier high-grade tool.
Additionally, they examined the storage bags they had seized, uncovering considerable wealth.
Of the four storage bags, Old Devil Zhang's contained mostly items for demonic cultivators, with only 300 spirit stones usable by the two of them. For a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator, this was a paltry amount. However, demonic cultivators primarily used blood crystals for cultivation, so the lack of spirit stones wasn't surprising.
Lin Taihe's storage bag yielded over 900 spirit stones, along with a wood-attribute cultivation manual titled Clear River Technique. The discovery pleased them, as the Chen family previously lacked a wood-attribute technique for Foundation Establishment cultivators.
This manual would provide future wood-attribute cultivators with a viable path to mid-Foundation Establishment.
Zuo Zhouqi and Zuo Mingxu's storage bags contained the most wealth. As members of a Foundation Establishment clan, their resources far exceeded the others. After careful counting, they found over 4,000 spirit stones.
They also discovered several bottles of pills for restoring spiritual energy and healing injuries. Among them was a bottle of Vitality Pills, a second-tier mid-grade pill capable of restoring fifty percent of a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator's true essence. Unfortunately, only three pills remained.
It seemed the two Zuo cultivators had prepared for injuries, but their lack of strength meant they were overwhelmed before they could even use the pills.
In Zuo Mingxu's storage bag, they also found a cultivation manual titled Bright Origin Dao Technique.
This advanced manual allowed cultivation up to the late Foundation Establishment stage. While it didn't rival the Chen family's Blazing Sun Void Ascension Technique or the Heavenly Flame Sword art, it was still a valuable find.
The manual also described the creation of a natal artifact called the Origin Phantom Sword, which was essentially the Mingxu Sword.
Although inferior to the Fiery Fire Void Sword, its quality was comparable to the patriarch's Crimson Flame Spirit Blade.
The Crimson Flame Spirit Blade itself wasn't extraordinary, but its creation cost the Chen family over 20,000 spirit stones at an auction during the family's peak 80 years ago.
Natal artifacts like these, which grew with their wielder's cultivation, retained their value even if the owner reached the Nascent Soul stage.
...
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