After finishing his explanation, the old patriarch flipped through the Void-Returning Flame Manual that Chen Nianzhi had handed over. A hint of delight appeared in his eyes.
"This cultivation method does overlap somewhat with our clan's Blazing Sun Soaring Void Art, but the life-bound magic treasure it records is of an extremely high grade."
He stroked his beard, then added slowly:
"In my opinion, this Void-Returning Flame Sword is likely extraordinary. Within the entire Chu Kingdom, it might only be comparable to Old Ancestor Jiang's Heaven-Ruining Immortal-Slaying Sword. The pity is… it's very difficult to forge."
"You have this piece of Thousand-Year Scarlet Iron. Once you break through to the Foundation Establishment realm, you can attempt to cast this sword."
Chen Nianzhi listened quietly, then pondered for a moment. After that, he held out the Scarlet Iron blade embryo.
"My cultivation is still lacking. I don't know how long it will be before I can truly make use of this."
"Uncle-Grandfather, your life-bound magic treasure was sold off a few years ago. Why don't we use this Thousand-Year Scarlet Iron to forge the Void-Returning Flame Sword for you instead?"
"If you can refine a high-grade second-tier life-bound flying sword, the crisis we're facing right now might be resolved much more easily."
The old patriarch couldn't help but laugh, shaking his head again and again.
"Do you think forging a life-bound magic treasure is that easy?"
"In my current state, even if I were to refine the Void-Returning Flame Sword, I'm afraid it would take many years just to temper it to the high-grade second tier. And even then, warming and nourishing a life-bound treasure would drag down the pace of my own cultivation."
"Rather than that, it's better to give up on a life-bound magic treasure altogether, save that effort, and improve my cultivation three-tenths faster. Only then might there be the slightest hope of breaking through to the Purple Mansion realm."
Hearing this, Chen Nianzhi nodded and put the blade embryo away. Then he asked:
"What exactly is this Emberheart Crystal? And where can it be found?"
At the mention of the Emberheart Crystal, the old patriarch's expression shifted slightly, and a trace of sighing emotion crossed his face.
"The Emberheart Crystal is a heavenly treasure born from underground fire veins."
"Its wondrous uses are innumerable. It can be used in pill refinement, in artifact forging, and most importantly, it can help fire-root cultivators break through to the Purple Mansion realm."
"The problem is that it's far too precious and sought after, and it only appears in small quantities within third-tier and above fire veins. So in practice, it's basically monopolized by Purple Mansion–level immortal clans."
"It's said that within the underground fire vein controlled by the Qingyang Sect, an Emberheart Crystal is born once every ten years."
"There's also a superior third-tier fire vein in the Heaven Ruins Mountain. They say an Emberheart Crystal is born there once every thirty years. But that one almost never goes on the market."
By the time the old patriarch finished, disappointment had already settled over Chen Nianzhi's face.
No wonder Yang Yuanqing, back in the day, had possessed such an outstanding method to forge a life-bound flying sword, yet still perished in a Demon Tribulation.
Without even thinking, one could guess he never managed to refine the Void-Returning Flame Sword at all.
Whether it was the Thousand-Year Scarlet Iron or the Emberheart Crystal, both were treasures among treasures.
The Thousand-Year Scarlet Iron was the slightly "less outrageous" one. Though rare, iron veins could be cultivated and developed by great sects with thousand-year inheritances. For an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator with enough wealth and luck, obtaining some Scarlet Iron wasn't impossible.
But the Emberheart Crystal… was simply too precious.
As a treasure that could assist in breaking through to Purple Mansion, if you didn't have enough backing and fortune, you might as well not even think about it.
"You don't need to lose heart."
Seeing Chen Nianzhi so deflated, the old patriarch comforted him:
"For a life-bound sword of such astonishing power, the requirements being harsh is only natural."
"But rest assured—if, in the future, we really come across a chance to purchase an Emberheart Crystal, our Chen Clan will stake the entire clan's strength to buy it for you."
For some reason, those calm words stirred something deep in Chen Nianzhi's heart.
He had to admit, even in this world where immortal clans were everywhere, a clan like the Chen Family—with this much human warmth—was rare.
Sixty years ago, the Chen Clan had spent the savings of several centuries just to buy an incomparably precious Purple Sun Jade for a single patriarch.
A few years ago, they had practically smashed their pots and sold their iron, traveling ten thousand li to buy a single Foundation Establishment Pill—just to raise one more Foundation Establishment cultivator for the clan.
Both attempts had ended badly.
If it had been any other clan, after two such brutal setbacks, the people's hearts would have scattered long ago.
But the Chen Clan… was still standing.
Still gritting their teeth and carrying on.
Looking at the old patriarch before him, a warmth rose in Chen Nianzhi's chest. A deep sense of belonging—to this family—took root again in his heart.
There were some words that didn't need to be spoken aloud. It was enough to keep them in one's heart.
Chen Nianzhi didn't say anything more. Instead, he took out the Fiend-Burning Flame Array Flags.
"This set of array flags is extremely powerful. I want to hand it over to the clan."
"When the time comes, we can use it as leverage with the Lin Clan and see if we can redeem your life-bound magic treasure, Patriarch."
Chen Nianzhi spoke in a calm tone.
Three years ago, in order to scrape together enough spirit stones to pay off their debts, the Chen Clan had sold the old patriarch's life-bound artifact— the Crimson Flame Spirit Blade—to the Lin Clan in Yu County.
It had been a terrible deal.
With the patriarch's current late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation, as long as he collected enough five-element essences, it wouldn't take long to raise the Crimson Flame Spirit Blade to a high-grade second-tier artifact.
A high-grade second-tier magic artifact was usually worth more than four thousand spirit stones.
Yet, back then, they had sold it for only two thousand.
They had been well and truly fleeced.
Aside from his clan's signature divine ability, Blazing Fire Heavenly Sword, the old patriarch's greatest strength lay in that Crimson Flame Spirit Blade.
Now that it was gone, nearly half of his offensive power had disappeared overnight. His overall strength had taken a huge hit.
That was why Chen Nianzhi wanted so badly to buy it back.
"Once we sold the Crimson Flame Spirit Blade, I already understood—most likely, they would never allow me to redeem it."
Chen Changxuan shook his head and sighed.
"If that blade could be reclaimed, I'd have it at high-grade second tier before long. At that point, I, Chen Changxuan, would be like a tiger given wings. I might even be able to threaten the position of number one in Yu County."
"The Lin Clan is the strongest immortal clan in Yu County, and half a competitor to our Chen Clan. You think they can't see this clearly? You think they'd just sit by and watch me get what I want?"
As he spoke, his gaze shifted to the Fiend-Burning Flame Flags.
This time, joy clearly flickered in his eyes.
"I can probably forget about the Crimson Flame Spirit Blade. But this set of flags… this really is an unexpected surprise."
"Once I've re-refined them, I can recast them into a set of artifact–grade treasures."
"Artifact–grade… treasures?"
Chen Nianzhi's expression shifted slightly. He couldn't help but ask:
"What does that mean?"
Seeing his confusion, the old patriarch proudly stroked his beard and smiled.
"An artifact–grade treasure is what you get when you refine an array into a set of magic treasures."
"I don't know much about alchemy or talisman crafting. But I am the only high-grade second-tier array master in all of Yu County. In terms of arrays, I dare say my attainments surpass that of Old Ancestor Yang Yuanqing from a hundred years ago."
"These flags, in the hands of Old Yang, could only be used as a fixed, immobile formation."
"But in my hands, I can transform them into a set of flying magic tools."
"Their power is extraordinary. They can trap enemies, burn enemies. Once fully refined into magic treasures, they'll be an offensive and defensive set of top-grade artifacts."
The old patriarch's mood was excellent.
In his eyes, this set of array flags was even more useful than the Crimson Flame Spirit Blade would have been.
Chen Nianzhi couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy.
This array-treasure set really was incredible—but it had one fatal flaw:
It required a high-grade second-tier array master to activate.
If such a treasure fell into the hands of an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator, they simply wouldn't be able to drive it at all—and in that case, it wouldn't even be as practical as an ordinary low-grade second-tier artifact.