Chapter Twelve: Forging, Demonic Fox

The Dream Ring, specially crafted by Lei Wei and named after his homeland, Dream Star, was still only a spiritual artifact, yet its internal storage space spanned more than ten thousand meters in length, width, and height. Such a vast space could easily contain even a mountain. Within the Dream Ring were several hundred mid-grade spirit crystals, a dozen high-grade crystals, and a bottle of healing elixirs known as Azure Vermilion Pills.

After donning the ring, Qian Kun easily dispelled the restrictions placed upon the supreme-grade crystals in the storage room, selected a few, and then made his way to the study. There, he pored over the books on the art of crafting artifacts before heading to the artifact workshop to attempt forging for himself.

The foundational methods of artifact refinement were not overly complex: using true fire to temper the spirit crystals into the desired weapons, occasionally inscribing simple offensive or defensive formations during the process. Lei Wei had already set up numerous defensive and auxiliary formations within the workshop, making the crafting process even more convenient.

At the center of the workshop stood a supreme-grade spiritual artifact, the Eight Trigrams Furnace, used solely for refining. Intricate and mysterious formations adorned its surface. After briefly studying the furnace and understanding how to activate it, Qian Kun sent forth a plume of purple celestial fire from within, which settled into the furnace. With a casual wave, he produced a mid-grade spirit crystal and cast it into the heart of the flames.

"Heaven's Gate, Eight Trigrams, Align!" With a flick of his hand, several streams of pure, searing stellar energy shot into the small apertures on the furnace, instantly illuminating it. Rays of light burst forth, forming profound talismanic symbols, while the purple celestial fire surged, blazing fiercely and quickly melting and condensing the crystal within.

Qian Kun's cultivation was lofty, his soul powerful, and his mastery of space profound; his control over fire was exceptional. Thus, though this was his first attempt at artifact forging, he found it effortless and smooth. In less than half a day, he had forged a flying sword.

The sword was just over a foot long—its shape ancient, its hue a deep gold. When urged, it shone with dazzling golden light, sword energy radiating with fierce power. A single gold-attributed mid-grade crystal, thoroughly refined, had been transformed by Qian Kun into a high-grade spiritual flying sword. He inscribed nine interlocking offensive formations upon it, so that when fully activated, its might would approach that of a supreme spiritual artifact.

There is always a sense of novelty in a first attempt. Qian Kun used up more than a dozen mid-grade and several supreme-grade spirit crystals, forging some twenty-odd assorted spiritual implements. His skills improved greatly before he finally ceased.

Next, Qian Kun returned to the study to review other cultivation methods, alchemical recipes, formation arts, and secret techniques left by Lei Wei, swiftly absorbing the essence of these foundational immortal arts.

Alchemy, however, required medicinal herbs, and Lei Shan Pavilion had none in storage. Thus, Qian Kun resolved to depart and seek precious spiritual herbs in the boundless wilderness to refine pills.

After traversing deep into the wilderness and collecting some high-quality spiritual herbs, Qian Kun divided his focus between studying alchemy and journeying westward, intending to leave the endless wilds and enter the mortal world of the west.

Since he had arrived in the world of Stellar Transformations, how could he not seek out the protagonist, Qin Yu? One day, as Qian Kun traveled leisurely, he noticed a beautiful peach grove ahead and decided to stop and rest.

Upon entering the grove, Qian Kun drifted down gracefully and discovered a charming pavilion built from peach tree trunks, suggesting an inhabitant. "Interesting," he mused, arching an eyebrow with a knowing smile.

Qian Kun made no effort to conceal his arrival, and the inhabitant, clearly not weak, perceived his presence from the sound of his descent.

"Who goes there?" came a deep, angry shout, as a phantom shot from the pavilion’s gaping doorway, transforming into a muscular man clad in a black leopard-skin robe, exuding a wild and formidable aura.

With a burst of fragrance, three more phantoms appeared—three beautiful women, scantily clad and flushed with peachy hues. One, dressed in black, appeared around thirty, emanating a mature allure; another, about twenty, possessed a seductive charm; the last, a violet-clad maiden, was coquettish with a hint of playful innocence.

"One man with three women? Truly, a beast will always be a beast—how absurd," Qian Kun muttered, shaking his head as he prepared to leave. He had no interest in meddling with a few fiendish beasts of Core Formation stage, but having stumbled upon their tryst, it was awkward to remain.

But some insist on courting death. As Qian Kun was about to depart, the burly man in the leopard robe transformed into a massive Blackwind Panther and lunged at him.

Frowning slightly, Qian Kun waved his hand, sending an invisible gust that flung the Blackwind Panther far away.

The beast crashed to the ground, coughing blood, its roar filled with rage and pain.

"Attack!" cried the mature woman in black at the pavilion's entrance. She was first to dart toward Qian Kun, a beam of white light shooting from her to form a vast net descending upon him.

A streak of golden light shot from Qian Kun's body, manifesting as a sword radiance that effortlessly shredded the white net.

"A high-grade spiritual artifact! Sisters, we have no choice!" the woman in black blanched, sending a spiritual message to her two companions.

All three charged at Qian Kun. The eldest stripped off her sash, her black robe falling away to reveal a voluptuous ivory body that momentarily stunned Qian Kun. As the sash straightened into a soft sword and thrust at him, he regained his senses just in time. With a flick of his finger, scorching stellar energy shot forth, shattering the soft sword with a clang.

The blazing finger-light did not abate, piercing the woman’s chest and sending her collapsing to the ground, transformed into a black fox.

"Elder Sister!" the other two wailed with grief and rage, launching themselves madly at Qian Kun—only to be decapitated by his golden flying sword, their bodies reverting to headless foxes.

Having effortlessly dealt with the three fox demons, Qian Kun glanced up to see the Blackwind Panther fleeing like a gust into the distance.

He could not be bothered to give chase. With a wave, he collected the three fox demons’ Core Formation golden cores, then departed.

Of course, these minor demon cores were not for his cultivation. Such items contained pure energy, and Qian Kun simply wished to study whether these cores could be refined into elixirs that would replenish his spiritual power or enhance his cultivation.

He had already mastered Lei Wei’s alchemical methods and now sought to innovate, crafting new recipes and refining techniques to further perfect his own skills.

Ordinary cultivators might balk at using demon cores or nascent souls in alchemy, considering it a demonic path. Qian Kun, however, had no such scruples.