Chapter 117: The Near-Immortal Artifact
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The center of the giant pit was even more crystallized, with the ground barren, uneven, and pockmarked. It was clear that no imagined immortal medicine could possibly take root and grow here.
Everything in this place was laid bare. Qin Ming’s eyes burned with anticipation as he stood near the near-immortal artifact, now within arm’s reach.
It was a severely damaged furnace. Its surface was riddled with holes, and yet, despite its condition, it exuded celestial light and was surrounded by auspicious mist. White fog curled around its opening, giving it an ethereal appearance.
Even more remarkably, the furnace radiated unusual phenomena. In the luminous mist, the sight of forming pills would occasionally appear—dragons and tigers intertwining as pill vapor soared upward, as though miraculous medicines were about to emerge from within.
This was the reason Chen Shu Hang and Jiang Cong Yun had attacked Qin Ming so suddenly. Seeing the expanding pill vapor and the dragons and tigers leaping within, they had lost their senses, convinced that remnants of an immortal medicine lay inside.
From these miraculous scenes alone, it was clear that the furnace was extraordinary. Even after a thousand years, its ability to manifest such phenomena was beyond imagination.
The furnace was small, only about the height of a palm, and was inscribed with numerous symbols. Its lid, half broken, lay off to the side.
“No wonder the old masters left this for later generations. It’s too damaged to use properly—this thing is practically falling apart.”
Qin Ming counted the flaws. The small furnace had nine holes and several cracks, not including the missing piece of the lid.
“How could something this small refine weapons?” He frowned, puzzled, for within the radiant light surrounding it, faint images of weapon forging also appeared.
A look of astonishment crossed his face. This near-immortal artifact clearly had other mysterious uses.
The furnace’s design was ancient and unadorned, yet the auspicious mist coiling around it gave it a profound aura. Qin Ming refrained from touching it directly. Drawing his white jade alloy blade, he probed the artifact. Only after ensuring it didn’t react did he cautiously tap it with a fingertip.
The furnace emitted a crisp metallic ring, like the sound of a bell being struck. After confirming no danger, Qin Ming lifted it from the ground and held it in his palm for closer inspection.
“It’s made of several types of mysterious metal, each one seemingly rarer than white jade alloy,” Qin Ming muttered, feeling his treasured blade pale in comparison.
The surface of the furnace bore a variety of characters, some carved, others inlaid. Certain characters seemed to be made of materials distinct from the furnace itself.
Some inscriptions were white and lustrous, yet subdued in their glow. Qin Ming instinctively felt these were more extraordinary than white jade alloy.
Others were embedded with mysterious metal, their natural patterns exuding faint purple energy.
“I’d love to pry these out and forge a weapon with them,” Qin Ming mused, though he quickly dismissed the thought. A near-immortal artifact was too valuable to dismantle for a weapon.
He knew that weapons forged from white jade alloy already possessed extraordinary properties, such as the ability to harm unseen, inexplicable creatures. Moreover, such weapons could recover damage through celestial light.
This furnace’s materials were far superior. Despite the nine holes and its extensive damage, a disciple of the Beyond could likely restore it fully with careful nurturing.
However, the artifact’s damage had been inflicted by an unimaginable force. Even after a thousand years, it had not healed on its own. Restoring it would likely take countless years of meticulous care.
“That’s probably why this ended up in the hands of a core disciple,” Qin Ming thought, recalling something Li Qing Yue had once mentioned.
Even in its damaged state, a near-immortal artifact held immense value for disciples of the Beyond, as it could receive heavenly essence.
The great figures of the Beyond were capable of consuming mist and dew, but what they consumed wasn’t ordinary sunlight and vapor. Instead, it was rare, spiritually infused substances from sacred springs and the mysterious heavenly essence from the depths of the night sky. For disciples to partake in heavenly essence during their training offered unparalleled benefits.
This was why everyone, even someone as aloof as Cui Chong He, had disregarded the rules to enter the pit.
As Qin Ming examined the furnace, he noted its unusual design. It wasn’t perfectly rounded but had eight distinct sides, each engraved with a clear Eight Trigrams symbol.
“This is… an Eight-Trigram Furnace,” he realized. Its shape alone hinted at an extraordinary origin.
He tapped the furnace wall again, listening carefully. The echo carried a faint, enigmatic resonance that seemed to ripple through his mind, leaving him calm and clear-headed.
“What a treasure,” he marveled. “I wonder if hitting someone with it would also carry some celestial resonance. Would it be overwhelmingly powerful?”
If any disciple of the Beyond had heard such a comment, they would undoubtedly curse him as a brute.
Qin Ming placed the furnace back down and fitted the broken lid onto it. His gaze then shifted to another object—a sheet of metallic paper. It stirred even greater excitement in him.
Though the furnace had drawn his attention because of its legend, this piece of paper seemed even more intriguing. Its size had been severely reduced, with only a corner remaining—less than a quarter of its original form.
Picking it up, Qin Ming noted the dense script and illustrations etched into its surface. It felt unusually heavy in his hands, its value likely comparable to the Eight-Trigram Furnace itself.
The metallic page, forged from a blend of mysterious metals, had twelve holes. Already incomplete, its missing sections left gaps in both the text and illustrations.
For most, this fragment of a scripture was useless. Attempting to train with it would likely result in catastrophic errors. Qin Ming set it down and rubbed his hands together, hoping for some miraculous fortune.
“Near-immortal artifact, bless me with some celestial luck!” he murmured, lifting the Eight-Trigram Furnace once more.
Though he coveted the fragment of scripture more, he decided to first attempt resonance with the furnace.
Focusing his spirit, Qin Ming tried to attune himself to the artifact, seeking any remnants of insight or energy it might hold.
Then, his gaze went blank.
Clang! He dropped the Eight-Trigram Furnace, falling to his knees and gasping for air. The celestial mist burned his lungs, leaving a sharp ache, but it couldn’t compare to the turmoil in his mind.
For the first time, Qin Ming encountered a situation where “reading” an ancient artifact’s residual emotions had nearly cost him his life.
“How powerful was the old master connected to this?” he muttered, shaken. Amid the lingering emotions within the furnace, he had focused on the strongest one.
The experience nearly shattered his consciousness. This was no mere emotional residue—it was imbued with Dao resonance. Even the faintest trace felt like facing a vast ocean wave. A single surge could have overwhelmed him entirely.
“Are all the great figures of the Beyond this terrifying?” Qin Ming mused, still dazed.
His thoughts turned to the elder who had casually shattered an unmatched jade artifact.
The presence he had just encountered through spiritual resonance wasn’t Li Qing Xu’s master but was undoubtedly another towering figure of the Beyond.
“Step by step, I’ve made my way forward, relying on my body’s transformations. Seems like the road ahead is still long!”
Qin Ming took a long time to recover. His spirit had been pushed to its limit.
This time, he was more cautious. He carefully picked up the Eight-Trigram Furnace, his mind focused, and deliberately avoided the dangerous resonance with the ancient figure whose presence carried the unmistakable weight of Dao resonance.
After a moment, he set the near-immortal artifact down and rested before attempting to connect with it again. Qin Ming repeated this process over and over, each time attempting to draw insight from the furnace. Eventually, he even dared to approach the most dangerous emotion once more.
His body was drenched in sweat. His head felt like it might explode, and his spirit seemed ready to ignite. This was far more exhausting than his battle with Jiang Cong Yun and Chen Shu Hang. But despite the strain, Qin Ming was elated—his eyes sparkled with satisfaction.
If anyone else had been present, they might have thought he looked ridiculous, grinning ear to ear without a care for his appearance.
Qin Ming’s efforts had paid off tremendously. Through resonance with the near-immortal artifact, he had uncovered a mysterious incantation. It detailed the Six Ding Divine Fire, a legendary flame required to fully activate the Eight-Trigram Furnace for refining both medicines and weapons.
Qin Ming had, of course, heard of the Six Ding Divine Fire. It was renowned, associated with the deep reaches of the Night Fog World and entities such as near-immortal creatures and quasi-divine beings.
This fire was something one might only witness during the great Era of Exploration, an ancient time of boundless discovery.
“Could it be that the Eight-Trigram Furnace wasn’t even crafted by disciples of the Beyond?” Qin Ming speculated. “It might have been obtained during the Era of Exploration, taken from near-immortal creatures or quasi-divine beings.”
The Separation Flame Sutra Qin Ming practiced was already considered an extraordinary skill. However, the fire it produced paled in comparison to the Six Ding Divine Fire.
Unless one could cultivate an even more advanced flame, such as the Southern Bright Separation Flame, said to be wielded by quasi-divine beings, there was no comparing the two.
“Amazing,” Qin Ming murmured, patting the furnace like it was a prized instrument. “You really know how to surprise me!”
He let his mind wander, whispering to himself, “The Night Fog World is vast and endless, filled with untold secrets. Near-immortal creatures, quasi-divine beings… even the tiniest fragment of these lands holds immeasurable value.”
Soon, he snapped out of his reverie. Such musings were too far removed from his current reality. Even the artifacts before him presented challenges he couldn’t fully grasp. The Six Ding Divine Fire was far beyond his current reach; even with the incantation, he couldn’t cultivate it now.
Even the Separation Flame Sutra—a prized technique—had only been partially cultivated to its second level by Qin Ming. It was only thanks to the foundation he had built in the Mountain and River Spirit Nest that he had reached even a part of the Outer Saint Domain.
“I’m guarding a treasure mountain without the key to unlock it,” Qin Ming muttered, before shaking his head and laughing softly. “But it’s not all bad. I’ll save it for the future and dig into it bit by bit.”
There was no doubt that the Six Ding Divine Fire was extraordinary. Just the mention of it would be enough to elevate the reputation of any sect.
“I wonder if the Beyond still has this incantation. Maybe I’ve just brought it back into the world.”
Qin Ming ran his hand over the near-immortal artifact, then set it aside. Turning his attention to the fragment of the metallic scripture, he steadied his breathing and began to resonate with it.
As expected, the fragment also carried the overwhelming presence of the ancient figure, infused with Dao resonance. Qin Ming avoided it, focusing instead on the other residual emotions within.
One attempt, then another—he repeatedly engaged with the fragment, each time pushing himself further. Toward the end, he deliberately approached the old master’s presence to ensure the accuracy of the scripture he had uncovered.
When he finally finished, he dropped the fragment to the ground and collapsed onto his back, gasping for air. The dense celestial mist burned his lungs and nose, but it couldn’t compare to the exhaustion in his spirit.
“Li Qing Yue’s luck isn’t small,” Qin Ming muttered to himself. “This is undoubtedly a true legacy recorded on this single sheet of scripture!”
Indeed, the fragment carried tremendous significance. It was the only piece of “scripture” on-site, stored alongside the Eight-Trigram Furnace, and it bore the weight of profound secret techniques.
“This is big,” Qin Ming said, studying the metallic page. It was made of a material similar to the furnace. “I wonder if, once my cultivation reaches a high enough level, I’ll be able to practice this technique.”
Running his fingers over the fragment, Qin Ming noticed a warning etched into it by the ancient master. It advised that no disciple should even touch the page before reaching the third tier of cultivation, as doing so could result in grave consequences—or death.
“No point worrying about that now,” Qin Ming said, pulling himself to his feet. “The road ahead is long, and there’s plenty of work to be done. For now, I just need to keep moving forward.”
He began searching the area for anything else of value.
“Wait!” Qin Ming exclaimed, spotting something unusual. Acting on a hunch, he dug several feet into the crystallized ground and was shocked to uncover a few metallic fragments.
His heart raced as he examined the pieces.
The materials were extraordinary—some resembled purple gold, but they were clearly different, covered in intricate patterns brimming with mystical energy. Others were pure white, more subdued than white jade alloy, yet imbued with an inexplicable spiritual resonance.
Patiently, Qin Ming continued sifting through the area, uncovering more fragments. By the end, he had gathered a handful of metallic pieces, though their combined volume was smaller than a single fist.
Careful examination revealed their origins. These fragments had once belonged to incredible artifacts. One purple-gold piece retained the faint outline of a sword blade, while a reddish piece appeared to be the tip of a spear.
It was clear that extraordinary weapons had been utterly destroyed here, leaving only these remnants of their core essence.
Qin Ming’s expression shifted. The pieces in his hands might well be worth a fortune. Luo Fu Immortal Mountain, once one of the Beyond’s greatest Blessed Lands, had been a foundation of unimaginable strength. No wonder the disciples had tried to transform it into a Spiritual Cave.
The remnants here were truly astonishing.
Qin Ming stuffed the metallic fragments into his robe and searched the area several more times, but there was nothing else to be found.
“It’s time to go,” he said to himself, preparing to face whatever challenges awaited him outside.
Carefully, he stowed the broken furnace lid and the fragment of scripture to avoid losing them in the battles to come. Then, gripping one of the Eight-Trigram Furnace’s legs, he began walking through the dense celestial mist, heading toward the exit.