Living In Another World With A Farm Chapter 8510 8510: Refining (1)

Laura and her companions gazed at Zhao Hai with deep concern. He sat cross-legged beneath the Hundred Spirit Tree, utterly motionless, his aura tightly suppressed. Yet, his spiritual power surged with intense fluctuations. Actually, this stemmed from Laura and the others, who had severely underestimated the complexity of the refinement procedure.

Even though Laura and her group had performed numerous calculations and considered the transformation of the bronze men carefully, they never anticipated that once the blood lotus absorbed the yin spirits within the bronze men and gained better command over them, an issue would arise during the second phase of refinement. This phase demanded immense mental energy to simultaneously inscribe the yin-yang Lightning Pool, the heaven and earth runes onto the bronze men, and integrate the blood lotus. Consequently, Zhao Hai was forced to withdraw all his strength and direct it toward managing his spiritual power. Should he triumph this time, he would acquire a life-bound dharmic artifact akin to the blood lotus, essentially an extension of his own body. On the flip side, failure would strike a blow to his spiritual power. While it might not lead to demonic possession or idiocy, recovery could drag on for ages. Worse, it could inflict lasting internal damage, utterly ruining him.

This was merely the second stage of the artifact refining. Countless hurdles awaited in the steps ahead. Failure to conquer them all would doom the entire refinement to collapse. Now, Laura and the others plunged into profound self-reproach. They had chased after flawless power with unwavering focus, yet overlooked the perilous nature of the refining journey.

Neither the heaven and earth talismans, nor the yin-yang Thunder Pond, nor the blood lotus were commonplace items. Ordinary folks could scarcely wield them, much less fuse them in refinement. Combining these three elements posed an extraordinarily hazardous endeavor.

Zhao Hai had remained seated for three full days. His eyes stayed shut throughout. The bronze statue had morphed into a sphere of molten bronze, hovering before him. It bubbled persistently, resembling simmering water. This phenomenon had persisted for the entire three days.

Suddenly, a loud bang erupted. The molten bronze sphere appeared to burst open. A flicker of agony crossed Zhao Hai's features, vanishing almost instantly. The azure liquid gradually calmed, with fewer bubbles rising.

At that instant, the unclaimed Hundred Spirit Fruits drifting in the sky, along with superfluous Hundred Spirit Fruits kept in the interspace, natural energy crystals, and select premium materials from the interspace, all surged frantically toward the molten bronze mass. They plunged straight into it, yet oddly, the mass did not expand in size.

Following multiple enhancements, every Hundred Spirit Fruit had evolved into a Hundred Spirit Fruit Star. But upon contact with the azure liquid, these stars vanished without a trace, as if utterly unaffected.

Witnessing this, Laura and her companions felt no alarm but rather delight. They understood precisely what it signified. Zhao Hai had seized full command of the process. He was advancing to the subsequent phase. This marked the third step: incorporating various materials and refining them in unison to maximize their potential. The final phase involved etching all the runes, the most crucial and challenging part.

Right as Laura and the others celebrated inwardly, Zhao Hai abruptly released the Yin Wind Ghost Flag, the black flexible sword, and the Killing God Blade. These three artifacts clearly originated from hell. Upon emergence, they were instantly cast into the liquid bronze.

Upon seeing this, Laura and her companions froze in confusion. They couldn't fathom Zhao Hai's intent. Both the God-Slaying Saber and the Cold Wind Ghost Flag ranked as supreme artifacts. Their initial scheme involved deploying the Cold Wind Ghost Flag and the black flexible sword upon transforming into bronze statues. They hadn't even planned to incorporate the God-Slaying Saber. Why then was Zhao Hai employing all three? Each vanished into the liquid bronze.

As bewilderment gripped them, a droplet of blood abruptly seeped from Zhao Hai's fingertip and merged with the liquid bronze. The instant it entered, the liquid bronze erupted into a frenzy once more. Simultaneously, a crimson hue tinged the liquid bronze, rendering it all the more eerie and fearsome. Boundless killing intent, death qi, and yin qi burst forth from it abruptly, amplifying the liquid bronze's terrifying aura.

Laura and the others grew even more anxious. They clustered around Zhao Hai. Though not overwhelmingly powerful, they possessed considerable strength. Having cultivated within the realm for extended periods, their bond with it was intimate. They had reaped substantial gains from the realm's repeated upgrades. Thus, their current prowess was formidable. Their worry for Zhao Hai intensified. Should any crisis befall him, they stood ready to assist immediately. They would even shield him from a mental energy backlash without a second thought.

Mental power wielded tremendous force. Intervening to deflect such an assault on Zhao Hai's behalf would spell doom for them. They might survive but end up brain-dead. Despite this, they embraced the risk willingly. They preferred enduring injury themselves over allowing harm to reach Zhao Hai.

Fortunately, conditions did not deteriorate further. Though the molten bronze still churned vigorously, it avoided explosion. Gradually, it settled into stability. Meanwhile, the bloody tint faded away. The molten bronze's shade deepened into obscurity. This somber tone evoked a profound sense of weight.

Next, intricate golden patterns materialized gradually across the liquid sphere. These motifs resembled spreading vines, extending ceaselessly. Before long, the golden patterns enveloped the entire sphere, transforming it into a gleaming golden orb.

Immediately afterward, the golden orb tumbled and shifted forms repeatedly—human, vessel, carriage, banner, blade, sword, and even a limb. Ultimately, it settled into a lotus bloom, its petals adorned with elaborate designs resembling intact runes. At the lotus's heart lay a diminutive yin-yang fish in constant rotation. Hovering above the spinning fish, myriad electric serpents danced wildly. They formed what appeared to be a pistil of lightning, exuding a perilously captivating allure.

Subsequently, the lotus faded from view, and the golden orb ceased its motion. In the end, the golden orb reshaped itself into a boat. It resembled a modest black-awning boat. At its prow stood a prominent flag bearing a skull emblem. The dark banner paired with the pale skull created an unmistakably bizarre and grave impression.

Finally, Zhao Hai's eyes fluttered open. He promptly spotted the anxious looks on Laura and the others' faces. Startled briefly, he then grinned and remarked, “What’s wrong? Are you all worried?” Zhao Hai fully recognized that the unexpected developments had alarmed Laura and her companions. But now, the ordeal had concluded.

Tears welled up in the eyes of Laura and the others. Laura spoke to Zhao Hai with a choked voice, “I’m sorry, Brother Hai. It’s our fault. We never imagined it would be this risky. Otherwise, we absolutely wouldn’t have let you proceed with the refinement. We promise it won’t happen again.” She gazed at him with remorse. The rest mirrored her sentiment.

Observing their expressions, Zhao Hai couldn't suppress a smile. He extended his arms to draw Laura close, then beckoned the others and embraced them in turn. Smiling warmly, he added, “Come on, what’s there to fret over? Don’t you have faith in me? With my present capabilities, it’s no simple matter to harm me. Remember, I’m within the medium, so everything turns out fine. Truthfully, your blueprint was impeccable, particularly that final adjustment. Without the blood lotus, success would have eluded us relying solely on the soul in the bronze statue. That soul would have dissipated under the overwhelming force without my intervention.” He paused, then continued, “This time was a success. No need to agonize. I’ve truly profited immensely from this, especially by incorporating those three artifacts at the close. The artifact’s transformations have expanded dramatically. It can now harness the chilly wind ghost flag’s might alongside the killing god saber’s power. Essentially, it fully assimilates the deathly essence and slaughter aura from the Bloody Massacre Sect. It’s utterly flawless now.”

Upon hearing Zhao Hai’s reassurance, Laura and the others exhaled in relief. She turned to him and asked, “Brother Hai, how potent is this artifact? Could we see it?” The others nodded eagerly, their curiosity about the artifact’s capabilities piqued.

Zhao Hai chuckled. “Of course, let’s examine it. For this creation, we drew from an vast array of interspace resources. Beyond me, few could gather such materials.” With a casual gesture, the petite black-awning boat dropped into his palm. Another wave, and it descended to the ground, swiftly enlarging. It reached the dimensions of a standard black-awning boat—roughly ten meters in length and two meters across. Yet, its low clearance meant one had to stoop to board. Such a compact vessel seemed diminutive indeed.

Nevertheless, the boat’s hue was strikingly attractive: a rich bronze tone. It absorbed light rather than reflecting it, lending an air of depth and solemnity. It possessed an timeless elegance. Ornate patterns graced its hull, enhancing its visual appeal. Laura and the others took an instant liking to it. The boat aligned perfectly with their sense of beauty.