Chapter 158: The Fleeting Life Mirror
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“Ah Jue…”
“Eldest Senior Brother, just wait for me a few more days. Once I recover, we can leave together, alright?”
“…Alright.”
Fang Cheng Lang was finally convinced by Cui Jue.
Closing the door, he stood outside Cui Jue’s room, gazing at the empty courtyard. It felt as though he were standing at a crossroads, unable to find the right direction.
Initially, his goal was to apologize to Yu Zhao and earn her forgiveness, then figure out a way to bring her back to Lone Moon Peak. But now, not only had he failed to mend their relationship, but he had also caused Cui Jue, a once-brilliant alchemist, to lose his ability to refine pills.
What was he even doing?
…
Inside Alchemy Room 39, Yu Zhao opened her eyes, a sharp gleam flashing within.
“Stabilized. Time for the next step.”
Instead of retrieving the materials required for artifact crafting, she produced a transparent jade containing a single drop of milky-white liquid.
This was Millennium Jade Essence, a rare treasure gifted by an elder from the merfolk tribe, known for its ability to enhance cultivation.
To ensure absolute success in crafting, she decided to use it to raise her cultivation level first.
Wrapping the jade essence with her spiritual energy, the transparent exterior melted like snow. An overwhelming surge of spiritual energy poured out, engulfing her.
Carefully, Yu Zhao consumed the drop of jade essence.
Boom!
A torrent of dense spiritual energy surged into her body like a tidal wave.
Her golden core within her dantian began spinning rapidly. Without needing to meditate or guide the energy, her cultivation level soared at an incredible pace.
In no time, Yu Zhao advanced from the early Golden Core stage to the mid-stage.
Yet the influx of spiritual energy showed no signs of slowing. Her meridians strained under the pressure, giving her the sensation of being on the brink of bursting apart.
“This isn’t good,” Yu Zhao realized. She hadn’t anticipated the jade essence’s effects to be so intense.
If she didn’t find a way to release some of this energy, her body might suffer severe damage from being overwhelmed.
She had no choice but to take a gamble.
Determination gleamed in her eyes as she arranged the prepared crafting materials in front of her. Placing her right hand on the array controlling the fire vein, she resolved to start crafting immediately.
This was her first time crafting an artifact. Saying she wasn’t nervous would be a lie.
However, during her inheritance of Bright Moon Hermit’s memories, she had witnessed her master crafting numerous times.
Moreover, the life-bonded artifact she intended to forge wasn’t overly complicated.
She was confident of succeeding on her first attempt.
A pale blue flame danced before her as she took a deep breath and threw the first material into the fire.
Seconds later, the material turned to ash with a faint puff.
“Sss…” Yu Zhao hissed, drawing a sharp breath.
Her first material had failed.
Thankfully, the initial materials were common in the cultivation world, and she had dozens of backups.
Still, the failure served as a wake-up call, making her realize crafting wasn’t as straightforward as she had assumed, particularly in controlling the fire’s intensity.
Ignoring the rampaging energy within her, she focused deeply, her gaze thoughtful.
How could she precisely control the fire?
Using mere experience wouldn’t suffice. What if she tried using her divine sense?
Her idea spurred her into action. She tentatively guided her divine sense toward the flame and found no resistance.
Encouraged, she merged her divine sense with the flame.
Apart from an initial sensation of heat, she encountered no discomfort.
It was feasible!
Yu Zhao swiftly tossed the second batch of artifact-crafting materials into the flames. Under the watchful gaze of her divine sense, she adjusted the temperature precisely as the material began to melt, ensuring stability. Before long, the material transformed into a small golden orb.
“Success!” she exclaimed, her heart swelling with joy. Without hesitation, she pressed forward, adding the next set of materials to the flames. Then another, and another…
As time passed, more materials were consumed by the fire, fusing seamlessly. Eventually, a black-golden liquid began to flow within the flames. By this point, only three materials remained in front of her: Supreme Essence Water, Heavenly Fairy Herb, and the Mystic Magnetite, a substance uniquely effective against metallic artifacts.
“Next comes the second step—shaping,” Yu Zhao murmured. Her right hand maintained control over the fire vein array, while her left hand lifted, channeling her spiritual energy to mold the liquid within the fire.
It was only during this intricate process that she discovered her innate desire for aesthetics. No matter how many times the liquid took shape, she found flaws, forcing herself to start over. She couldn’t bear the thought of her life-bonded artifact being anything but beautiful.
After countless attempts, she finally nodded in satisfaction. Suspended in the flames was a piece with eight petal-shaped edges, its inner circle adorned with intricate phoenix and floral carvings. The center was hollow, and the artifact, with its black-gold hue, appeared both peculiar and ancient. It was only a half-finished product, but it held promise.
Glancing at the three remaining materials, Yu Zhao decisively cast them into the flames together. The Heavenly Fairy Herb immediately dissolved into smoke, which the Supreme Essence Water and Mystic Magnetite absorbed as if alive, merging seamlessly with the black-golden artifact.
Beads of sweat formed on Yu Zhao’s forehead, trickling down as she stared unblinkingly at the flames. This was the most critical phase—finalizing the shape. The Supreme Essence Water and Mystic Magnetite gradually melted under the fire’s heat, bonding perfectly with the edges of the artifact’s inner circle.
Viewed from the front, the black Mystic Magnetite resembled a mirror, blending harmoniously with the artifact’s black-golden body. From the back, the Supreme Essence Water formed a circular, liquid-like surface nestled at the center. From afar, it looked like a watery mirror framed in black-gold.
One side was dark, the other light—representing both malevolence and benevolence.
As the black-golden water mirror solidified, Yu Zhao felt a faint yet profound connection with it. She smiled softly. “From now on, your name is Fleeting Life Mirror.”
The Fleeting Life Mirror trembled gently, emanating an aura of joy as if responding to its name. Yu Zhao lifted her right hand, extinguishing the flames. The mirror floated effortlessly into her palm. She traced its edge with her fingertips, her expression a mix of wonder and satisfaction.
After years of planning and effort, she finally had a life-bonded artifact crafted by her own hands.
She left her divine sense imprint on the mirror, her reluctance to part with it evident. Only after admiring it for a long moment did she remember to check her cultivation state.
What she saw left her stunned.
During the crafting process, she had unknowingly broken through another stage, reaching the late Golden Core stage. In less than three years, she had advanced from Foundation Establishment late stage through three realms. The news would undoubtedly shock many.
But Yu Zhao knew the truth: her progress had not come easily. Her swift advancements were partly due to fortunate opportunities in this life and largely due to the foundation she had built in her previous one. In her past life, limited by her physical condition, she had struggled for results no matter how hard she worked. Now, those years of preparation bore fruit.
With her life-bonded artifact complete, it was time to return to the Five Elements Dao Sect and prepare for the grand cultivation competition of the cultivation world.