I'm in Yellow Maple Valley, and I have one equipment slot!

"Alright! Alright! Senior, please follow me to the weapon-refining room in the backyard. We'll observe and discuss as we go!"

Old man Xu couldn't wait to get up and carefully put away the materials on the table one by one.

It was as if they were holding a priceless treasure.

He led Zhou Yuan towards the backyard.

The backyard was much more spacious than the front hall, with the ground paved with fire-resistant bluestone. In the center was a black cauldron about half a person's height, with an ancient and simple design.

Beside the furnace were an anvil, a water trough, hammers of various sizes, pliers, and many other strange tools that Zhou Yuan couldn't name.

Old Man Xu first placed the materials on a specially made jade platform to the side, and then patted the spirit beast bag.

A strange bird, comparable in size to a hawk, with dark red feathers and sharp eyes, appeared here.

This strange bird was none other than the Fire Crow, a low-level, second-tier demonic beast that the Xu family had raised for generations.

The old man took out several pieces of unidentified dark red meat and fed them to the fire crow.

After swallowing the food, the fire crow appeared energetic and made a "cooing" sound in its throat.

"Little Black, start the furnace and prepare the 'Earth Lung Essence Charcoal'!"

Old Man Xu gave instructions to the burly apprentice following behind him.

Xiao Hei responded and skillfully filled dozens of pieces of jet-black, shiny charcoal with a faint red glow into a special hole at the bottom of the furnace.

Then, make a hand gesture.

The charcoal ignites spontaneously without fire, rising with a stable pale red flame. The furnace begins to slowly preheat. This "earth lung charcoal" burns for a long time and has a stable temperature, making it a commonly used basic fire source.

But Old Man Xu was clearly not satisfied with this. He opened the iron cage and let out a few peculiar whistles at the fire crow. The fire crow, sensing his presence, flapped its wings and flew out, landing on a ring-shaped support made of fine steel above the furnace, its beak slightly open.

"Croak—!"

With a slightly hoarse cry, a blazing flame, as thick as an arm and golden with a reddish hue, spewed from the fire crow's beak.

Pour it precisely into the furnace!

boom!

The fire inside the furnace suddenly surged, and the temperature soared. Even Zhou Yuan, who was standing several feet away, could feel the heat wave hitting him.

It is far superior to the flames of the earth's lung charcoal.

This Fire Crow Demon Flame is indeed intense and pure, surpassing ordinary Foundation Establishment stage innate true fire!

Old man Xu had a solemn expression.

He first took the black dragon's claw, but instead of throwing it directly into the furnace, he picked up a specially made silver-white knife engraved with frost runes and began to carefully remove the remaining tendons and keratin on the claw.

The technique is delicate and precise.

After finishing, he used specially made fire-resistant tongs to pick up a sharp claw and throw it into the center of the furnace where the demonic fire was at its strongest.

"laugh……"

When the claws came into contact with the demonic fire, they made a slight burning sound. The color of the surface began to change gradually, transitioning from snow white to dark gold, but instead of melting, it became more condensed.

Old Xu was completely focused, constantly adjusting the angle and intensity of the fire crow's fire-breathing, occasionally adding some powdered additives, and gently probing it with a long black iron probe.

Strike specific parts of the claws.

It guides its internal structure to change in the direction most ideal for the elderly under high temperature.

Zhou Yuan stood a few feet away, his eyes fixed on the scene.

His divine sense was powerful, allowing him to clearly perceive changes in the furnace temperature, the flow and convergence of spiritual energy within the materials, and the material reactions triggered by every subtle movement of Elder Xu.

This was an extremely valuable, hands-on learning experience for him. Although he didn't intend to delve into weapon crafting at this time, this observation of the handling of top-grade materials and spiritual guidance would have some subtle benefits for his understanding of the essence of objects and even his future mastery of magical treasures.

Time passed slowly amidst the clanging and banging of the hammers and the roar of the fire.

The crafting process is complex and tedious, involving multiple stages such as forging, hammering, shaping, quenching, spirit activation, and inscription.

The elderly Mr. Xu demonstrated exceptional skill and patience, handling different parts of the material in drastically different ways:

The dragon claw was forged into a sharp, curved, barbed prototype of a strange weapon, emphasizing its original sharpness and armor-piercing properties.

The dragon's skin and scales, after being repeatedly calcined and tanned, become extremely tough and elastic, and are used as the main body of defensive magical artifacts;

The dragon's eye and the few remaining traces of strange elixir within it were carefully separated and refined.

It is fused with several kinds of poisonous spiritual materials, in preparation for refining them into a special artifact;

The fins and tail of the dragon are forged to be thin and strong, emphasizing their natural affinity and guiding properties for wind and water energy.

The most precious black dragon horn was reserved for last, and Elder Xu was extremely cautious about it, even taking out a treasured mid-grade spirit stone to embed into the furnace to assist the formation.

Zhou Yuan, like a most patient student, accompanied the old man almost the entire time. During this time, he also exchanged some thoughts with the old man.

It mainly concerns the specific form and functional orientation of the refining of magical artifacts.

half a month later.

In the backyard of Xu's weapon-refining workshop, the furnace fire gradually died down.

Old Mr. Xu looked exhausted with heavy bags under his eyes, but his spirits were unusually high.

Five magical artifacts, each with a faint, shimmering light, were placed before him.

"Senior, I have not failed you!"

The old man's voice was hoarse, yet filled with barely suppressed pride, "Senior, please look. These five magical artifacts are all made primarily from the best parts of the Ink Dragon's body. They are all top-tier magical artifacts, and two of them are even considered supreme!"

The old man's voice was hoarse, yet filled with barely suppressed pride, "Senior, please look. These five magical artifacts are all made primarily from the best parts of the Ink Dragon's body. They are all top-tier magical artifacts, and two of them are even considered supreme!"

Zhou Yuan's gaze swept over them.

A sense of joy welled up in my heart.

The first item was a pair of bizarre weapons with a ferocious appearance. They were about a foot and a half long, dark gold in color, and resembled enlarged dragon claws, curved like hooks, with a cold, piercing light at the tips.

It is an offensive magic weapon made primarily from the pair of sharp claws of the black dragon—the Black Dragon Snatch.

The old man Xu explained that this claw is not only incredibly sharp, capable of easily tearing through defenses of the same level, but also carries the immense power of a dragon when wielded.

The second item was a fist-sized, light blue brocade pouch that resembled neither cloth nor gauze, with a faint red glow flowing across its surface.

This is a special magical artifact, Azure Flame Miasma, made by combining the eyes of the Ink Dragon and the remaining elixir with poisonous substances such as "Miasma Cloud Silk" and "Corrosive Poison Wood Heart".

When activated, it can instantly release a large area of ​​dense, blue-red poisonous mist, which not only contains potent toxins but can also corrode magical artifacts and dissolve spiritual energy.

The poisonous fog also has the effect of confusing the mind and concealing one's form, making it a combination of attack, defense, and support, insidious and practical.

The third item was a small, round shield about the size of a palm, pure white with clear scale patterns. In the center of the shield was a slightly raised dragon scale, radiating spiritual light.

This is a magical artifact—the White Scale Shield—made from the toughest back scales on the body of the Ink Dragon.

Once activated, it can release layers upon layers of defensive light screens, providing excellent defense and additional resistance to water and ice spells.

The fourth item is a small white boat, about an inch long, with a smooth and streamlined shape, and the fin-like patterns of a dragon can be faintly seen on its hull.

This is a flying magical artifact called the Divine Wind Boat, made primarily from the fins and tail of a black dragon, with the addition of "ethereal wood" and "wind-breathing stone".

After being infused with magic power, it can grow to about ten feet in size and its flight speed far exceeds that of ordinary flying magical artifacts.

The last one.

It is a three-inch-long, jet-black, unicorn-shaped object with a sharp tip.

It was the form of the black dragon's single horn after it was refined, which Old Man Xu placed separately in a jade box, its aura more subtle than the other four items.

It exudes a violent and unstable fluctuation.

"Senior, this item... I don't know whether to consider it a success or a regret."

Old Man Xu pointed to the black horn and sighed, "The dragon essence contained in this horn is far too domineering and violent."

I exerted all my strength, but could only barely stabilize its form and refine it into this piece...

"Ink Dragon Cone!"

He paused, then smiled wryly, "This object has an extremely unstable structure; it's more like a one-time 'self-destruct artifact.' Once activated, regardless of whether it hits its target, it will instantly release the terrifying energy compressed within it..."

Zhou Yuan picked up the section of the Ink Dragon Cone. It felt heavy and cold to the touch. He probed it with his divine sense and could feel the suppressed, violent power within, like a volcano.

A one-time self-destructing magical artifact?

Its power rivals that of a magical talisman?

This is exactly what Zhou Yuan wanted. This thing is powerful enough to instantly destroy the defense of a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator wearing a high-quality defensive magic weapon armor, and it can turn the tide of battle in critical moments!

"Thank you for your hard work, Shopkeeper Xu. I am very satisfied with these five ritual implements."

Zhou Yuan inspected the five magical artifacts one by one and put them away, a smile appearing on his face.

In particular, the Black Dragon Snatcher, the Azure Fire Mist, the Divine Wind Boat, and this Ink Dragon Cone each have their own unique characteristics, greatly compensating for the shortcomings of his existing methods.

The White Scale Shield can also serve as an additional layer of defense alongside the Yellow Silk Umbrella and the Bright Light Armor.

He readily paid the agreed-upon refining fee (including the observation fee) and gave Old Man Xu an extra small bag of spirit stones as a token of his gratitude.

Old Xu couldn't refuse, and gratefully accepted the gift, repeatedly saying, "Senior, if you ever need materials to craft magical artifacts again, or if your friends have any needs, please be sure to come and support my shop again!"