An invasion from the Abyss? I, a demonic cultivator, laughed.

Chapter 268 Overall Enhancement
Two months later.

In an inconspicuous cave three thousand kilometers away from Kyoto, Chu Xiu was sitting cross-legged.

His eyes were closed, and a rare layer of sweat appeared on his forehead.

In front of him floated a bronze cauldron, as tall as two people, engraved with ancient patterns.

What's amazing is that around the magnificent cauldron are lifelike statues of the four mythical creatures: the Azure Dragon, the Black Tortoise, the White Tiger, and the Vermilion Bird, as if these four ancient divine beasts have reappeared.

As the Xuanhuo (mysterious fire) continued to refine the cauldron, the details of its body became clearer and clearer, and the vast, ocean-like power on the cauldron became more and more powerful.

Finally, as if reaching a certain critical point, with Chu Xiu's soft shout, a vast power rippled out from the cauldron!

"It's finally done."

Chu Xiu breathed a sigh of relief, looked at the cauldron, and soon a look of surprise appeared on his face!
Top three grades!
With the blessing of perfect refinement and the materials that Chu Xiu collected at great expense, the quality of the Four Symbols Yin-Yang Furnace in front of us has reached the level of superior grade!
Although it is only the third grade among the top three grades, it is a qualitative leap compared to the middle grade!

"With this third-grade Four Symbols Yin-Yang Furnace, the success rate of refining any kind of magic weapon will increase dramatically! And the quality will be better, with even stronger Four Symbols power added!"

Chu Xiu could no longer hide the joy on his face.

He then cast a series of spells, and eight dark blue array flags floated around the Four Symbols Yin-Yang Furnace.

In the past two months, he not only refined the Four Symbols Yin-Yang Furnace, but also upgraded the level of the Eight Desolate Netherfire Array.

To Chu Xiu's great joy, this piece of equipment was also extremely fortunate to have reached the third grade!

The top-tier [Eight Desolate Netherfire Array], according to the records of the inheritance, was only able to be refined by Golden Core and Nascent Soul experts by collecting countless rare and precious materials.

The vast majority of Foundation Establishment demonic cultivators use lower-grade materials to refine magical artifacts and spiritual weapons in exchange for cultivation resources. Only a very small number of inner disciples with powerful backgrounds can refine middle-grade materials.

However, this was actually expected. With the bug-level SSS talent of "Perfect Refinement", he was like a top-level weapon refiner whose divine sense could cover an entire continent and whose computing power was stronger than a super calculator.

As long as the materials are of good quality, a perfect result can be achieved!

"However, it will be very difficult to continue to improve the grade to the second grade, or even the first grade."

"It's not just about upgrading the materials; it's also about spending time nurturing the spirit."

Both the [Eight Desolate Netherfire Array] and the [Four Symbols Yin-Yang Furnace] will gradually develop spirituality through long-term refinement and use.

The tradition records that a master craftsman at the Core Formation stage did not upgrade the Four Symbols Yin-Yang Furnace for five hundred years. He simply nurtured and refined it day after day. One day, after refining a magic weapon, the Four Symbols Yin-Yang Furnace underwent a transformation, upgrading from the third grade to the second grade.

"It sounds like how Awakened Ones level up by consuming experience points, and crafting magical artifacts is the upgrade method for the [Four Symbols Yin Yang Furnace] and the [Eight Desolate Netherfire Array]."

Thinking of this, Chu Xiu immediately began to experiment.

Although he didn't have the materials to forge magic weapons, he had gathered enough materials to forge three [Legendary] equipment pieces!
Soon, materials were thrown into the [Four Symbols Yin Yang Furnace], and as the [Legendary Equipment Blueprint] flew into the furnace, the shape of a pair of gloves gradually took shape.

In the data-driven world of the Abyss, blueprints are no longer "knowledge" but merely one-time "consumables." Of course, the advantage is that they can be crafted without the need for a crafting profession.

Of course, without the crafting profession and related crafting equipment, relying solely on the power of the blueprints would result in an incredibly low success rate. Even if Chu Xiu possessed the [Perfect Crafting] skill, he could probably only barely craft a defective product.

The role of the weapon refiner is to increase the success rate of weapon refinement and add additional enhancement attributes!
Under Chu Xiu's expectant gaze, in less than two days, a brand new piece of equipment appeared in front of him.

[Mithril Spider Mother Gloves: Legendary Rank, Energy Level +240. Greatly increases the spell power of the caster and provides a magic shield with a value of 1500. It is also imbued with Enchanted and Vermilion Bird Power.]

[Demonic Transformation: Shield value increased by an additional 500, self-damage from demonic corruption increased by 5.5.]

[Suzaku: Casting any spell will release three additional firebirds. The power of the firebirds depends on the mana consumed.]

Chu Xiu could barely use this legendary item for the mage class. The shield was somewhat useful, but its stats were too weak, making it a useless accessory, and it was only a general-level item at that.

In reality, all three [Legendary Equipment Blueprints] that were revealed were of the General rank. There was no way around it; although the difficulty of the trial Chu Xiu participated in was almost approaching that of the Heroic Spirit rank, the rank was still General rank, so the extra rewards given would only be of the General rank.

Fortunately, the rank of that [Mythical] equipment is Heroic Spirit, because even the weakest Mythical equipment is of the Heroic Spirit rank.

Another piece of good news is that the other two pieces of equipment are more or less useful, which is why Chu Xiu used this most useless one to test the waters.

After gaining a general understanding of the methods used by the Demon Lord Duobao, he immediately began refining the artifacts.

Three days later, the other two legends were also revealed.

[Skywalker's Boots: Legendary Rank, +55 to all attributes, allows the user to hover and provides additional thrust. Enchanting further enhances thrust. Infused with the power of the Azure Dragon, it can control wind and thunder to increase speed.]

[Meteor Greatsword: Legendary General Rank, Constitution +200, with additional 'Armor Penetration' and 'Great Strength' traits. After demonization, it gains the 'Explosive' trait and is imbued with Xuanwu Power, further enhancing the greatsword's base attributes.]

These two pieces of equipment, the [Skywalker's Boots], are somewhat similar to Chu Xiu's Lost Steps inheritance when he was at the mortal level, but they are much stronger. When fully activated, they are like Iron Man's thrusters, allowing him to move quickly in the air.

The combination of [Garuda Wings] was able to somewhat compensate for Chu Xiu's lack of movement speed, which was his biggest gain from this trip.

Of course, it's only a slight improvement. Trying to catch up with the speed of a Heroic Spirit with just two Legendary General-level items is simply wishful thinking.

As for the other item, although it wasn't of much use to Chu Xiu, it was a main weapon, so it could fetch a high price.

And that's not all!
"The top-tier [Four Symbols Yin-Yang Furnace] and [Eight Desolate Netherfire Array] can already add special attributes to legendary equipment!"

Without further hesitation, Chu Xiu continued to focus on strengthening his character!
Another half month passed, and when even Chu Xiu, with his strong mental fortitude, felt a bit tired, he finally added [Demonization] and [Four Symbols Power] to all his equipment!
The increase from each item wasn't particularly large, but when all of them were combined, it raised his strength to a whole new level!
Furthermore, these enhanced equipment can be sold for billions more in the future.

Furthermore, the [Mysterious Glazed Armor] and the [Great Sun Guardian Shield] were successfully repaired.

"Now I'm truly decked out in legendary gear," Chu Xiu couldn't help but exclaim.

He is now truly armed to the teeth with legendary equipment, possessing more than ten pieces of legendary gear. It's likely that no other general-ranked player is as extravagant as him.

With a satisfied pat on his body, Chu Xiu let out a long breath, sat down cross-legged on the spot, and began to recover his depleted mana and spirit.

At the same time, he also began to consider his next course of action.

The most important goal right now is naturally to kill that enormous ghost.

Once Chu Xiu devours this colossal creature that has accumulated a soul body for two thousand years, his ghost army will expand and grow to an unbelievable level; it wouldn't be surprising if a ghost king were to be born.

However, although Chu Xiu's strength has improved again, it has not undergone a fundamental qualitative change, and he probably still has little chance of winning against that ghost.

Thinking of this, he turned on his communication bracelet, intending to contact Jiang Miaoyin, only to find that she had already sent him a long message.

This includes the movements of the Hundred Demons' Forge world during this period, various new information, and the analysis of the colossal demons by their family's staff.

The information wasn't anything noteworthy, just updates from other teams, but one thing caught Chu Xiu's attention.

"Senior, Senior Wang said he has discovered a clue leading to the bottom of the furnace, and it's possible to find a passage directly to the lowest level!"

"However, he doesn't dare to explore alone, so I've come to ask for your thoughts."

This news surprised Chu Xiu. The bottom of the furnace was where the strongest warrior of the Exorcist civilization and the three heroic spirits fought to the death.

There, there are the corpses of four heroic spirits, as well as over a hundred king-level warriors!

Of course, there is also the strongest demon king born from it, the strongest demon king in the entire world of the Hundred Demon Furnace.

Chu Xiu naturally wouldn't risk going to such a place, no matter how great the benefits, and directly refused.

He then scrolled down the messages and found the analysis section of the Jiang family's advisory group:

"Senior, the staff said that if we join forces with the other two Heroic Spirits, we should have a kill probability of more than 50%, but this is based on the premise that we all use our trump cards and fight desperately."

"Otherwise, the most likely scenario is that after severely injuring that ghost, you can only watch it leave, or you will use the local yin energy to repair your body."

"And if we join forces with other King-level beings, the probability can be further increased to over 70%."

"So, senior, should I contact someone else?"

Chu Xiu pondered for a moment, then gave Jiang Miaoyin a negative answer: "No rush."

Chu Xiu's strength improved rapidly, and he preferred to keep this big fish alive for a while longer rather than share it with others.

Putting everything else aside, as long as he passes the King-level Trial, his strength will rise to another level.

"it is good."

After receiving Chu Xiu's reply, the other party responded almost instantly, indicating that the young girl had already returned to Blue Star to rest.

She also gained a lot of benefits, and the other party's strength should have improved by the next time they meet.

"Then, we must prioritize other directions."

Without giving it any further thought, Chu Xiu began to consider other ways to improve his strength.

He quickly devised four plans: First, continue selling off his assets to see if he could gather enough materials to forge a magic weapon or a mythical equipment; second, the Blood Arena; third, the King-level Trial; and fourth, continue to refine his demonic energy and perfect his demonic weapon-condensing technique, while also expanding his ghost army and repairing his Blood Demon Avatar.

"Hmm, among the newly unlocked inheritances, there are a few magical artifacts that are very suitable for dealing with super-large ghosts. Unfortunately, the resources required to refine them are too great, even more terrifying than mythical equipment!"

"I can put aside the crafting of magic weapons and mythical equipment for now. Firstly, I don't have many items worth trading right now, and secondly, due to my own level, even if I manage to craft them, the improvement won't be that significant."

"Prioritize accumulating strength, then enter the arena to rack up points and improve further, finally entering the King-level Trial in 100% condition!"

Chu Xiu made a decision quickly.

In fact, even if he were to directly start the King-level trial now, even at the highest difficulty, his chances of passing would be very high. However, Chu Xiu still has weaknesses, such as movement speed and reconnaissance ability, so he doesn't want to take any risks.

However, just as Chu Xiu was about to enter the Hundred Ghosts Furnace world to continue his sedimentation, he suddenly sensed that someone was looking for him in Yuan City.

Upon closer inspection, he discovered that Ya Zi had already sent him over a hundred messages!

He had retrieved the divine soul that Yuancheng had separated during the refining process to achieve the best results, and only now did he realize this.

This made Chu Xiu chuckle: "It seems I have indeed been 'missing' for too long."

With a thought, his consciousness began to traverse, and when he opened his eyes again a short while later, what he saw was a wall, street, pedestrians, and everything else composed entirely of data streams.
She stood in front of him with her arms crossed, her face as sour as could be.

"You're still alive, kid?"

The moment he saw Chu Xiu enter Yuan City, he said in an annoyed tone.

"Hehe." Knowing he was in the wrong, Chu Xiu chuckled dryly and touched his nose, changing the subject: "May I ask what business you have with me, senior?"

"What else could it be for? Naturally, it's for your civilization," Ya Zi sighed, no longer pursuing the matter. He simply waved his hand, and streams of information were transmitted directly over.

It contains a large number of pictures, videos and explanatory texts, which almost completely show the current situation of the Chu Xiu civilization.

In just over six months, his civilization has undergone tremendous changes.

Wooden houses have replaced the simple greenhouses, and the dense jungle has disappeared, replaced by well-planned agricultural and industrial areas. As seen in the video, many of Taoyuan's original farmers have started to return to their old ways. They have reclaimed a large amount of wasteland and are currently working on the crops. The first batch of crops is about to ripen, and the lush green vegetables look quite pleasing.

Modern facilities were also developed. Utilizing a large waterfall with a drop of over fifty meters near the camp, Liang Zhan and others successfully built the first power station under the guidance of the Chinese government, and developed a series of supporting facilities in the vicinity.

This was all thanks to Guan Ke. As a rare mechanic, she was immediately retained by the government with extremely high compensation to help with development.

This girl has really caught a lucky break. With the help of the government, she took off in one fell swoop and officially entered the rank of general just two weeks ago.

She no longer concealed her S-class talent; thousands of mechanical creations unleashed astonishing potential, producing a large number of weapons and production tools, which greatly enhanced the army's combat power and development speed.

The machinery used for clearing wasteland and logging in the camp, as well as the enhanced exoskeletons used for patrolling and guarding the area, is almost entirely made by this woman.

It can be said that this woman deserves the most credit for the camp's current size.

It is worth mentioning that Liang Zhan also successfully passed the trial and entered the general rank, and is now the leader of these 20,000 people.

After reviewing everything, Chu Xiu said, "Everything seems to be going smoothly, but I wonder why you summoned me here, senior? Is it because you are short of development funds?"

Ya Zi shook his head: "No, that's not the case. Four hundred and sixty billion yuan in development funds a year is more than enough to maintain the current pace of development."

Chu Xiu asked in confusion, "What exactly is it?"

“It’s a security issue,” Ya Zi sighed.

Chu Xiu was even more puzzled: "With Senior Qin guarding the area, there shouldn't be any need to worry about the abyssal creatures below the level of Heroic Spirits. Could it be that a Heroic Spirit has come to the vicinity?"

He couldn't believe it.

According to his own speculation, those resurrected blood demons should be busy developing and recovering their strength, and it's not time for them to start a war so early.

The closer Chu Xiu got to this realm, the more he could feel the energy intensity of beings above the Heroic Spirit level. Such enormous energy would take even a Blood Demon time to recover.

The Boundless Blood Pool merely initiates this process, allowing the entire world to begin its revival and providing some initial assistance; it does not mean that this stage can be skipped.

In fact, even the government's staff analyzed that it would take at least a year, or even two to three years, for the blood demons to have consumed most of the creatures they could eat before a large-scale conflict would occur.

Even if it happened, the world of Shiki is so big that finding a hidden camp in the mountains wouldn't be easy. Is my luck really that bad?

Under his questioning gaze, Ya Zi shook his head.

"No heroic spirits appeared."

"Instead, Qin Xiang died."

(End of this chapter)