Translator: AnubisTL
Boom!
Within Li Qing's cave abode, innate true fire blazed fiercely, gradually forging a piece of spirit gold into the rough shape of an arm.
He was refining a prosthetic limb for Zhang Da, choosing to use his own innate true fire due to the unique properties of the Netherworld Cold Fire.
Since the prosthetic limb would need to be connected to Zhang Da's body, he would need to establish a connection through divine sense, mimicking the function of nerves in flesh and blood.
However, the Netherworld Cold Fire possessed a strong suppressive effect on divine sense. If Zhang Da couldn't establish a connection when wearing the limb, it would create significant problems.
Another consideration was that magic artifacts refined with the Netherworld Cold Fire carried traces of Profound Yin Qi. While this was acceptable for combat artifacts, having Profound Yin Qi in a prosthetic limb meant for personal use felt somewhat unsettling.
"A prosthetic limb crafted from spirit gold... I wonder if this counts as a magic artifact?" Li Qing muttered to himself, then intensified the innate true fire.
Now in the late foundation establishment realm, his crimson true essence had grown significantly denser. He no longer needed to conserve it as he had when he first entered the early foundation establishment realm.
Activating his innate true fire, Li Qing found it burned with greater endurance than before.
As the fire control gradually narrowed, a section of the prosthetic hand began to take shape.
"Fine, I'll just refine this prosthetic limb as a magic artifact!"
With that, Li Qing resumed carving the prosthetic with the Wandering Dragon Dagger. He crafted the joints with meticulous precision, and the metal components representing the arm bones were fused with strands of Moon Gilt Gold, mimicking tendons and ligaments.
Except for its color, the structure was virtually identical to a normal human arm!
This wasn't due to Li Qing's mastery of human engineering, but rather his formidable divine sense. By simply using his divine sense to observe his own arm's structure, he could easily replicate it into an identical spirit gold mechanical arm!
With the final carving completed, the initial shaping of the prosthetic limb was finished.
"Hmm... Next comes spirit quenching, followed by engraving spirit patterns. This right-hand mechanical arm has excellent material quality and abundant spirituality. I should consider engraving some potent spirit patterns!"
With this thought, Li Qing began brainstorming.
What spirit patterns would be best to engrave on this mechanical arm?
His first idea was to use metal attribute spirit patterns. These patterns often granted magic artifacts extreme sharpness, making them virtually indestructible and capable of penetrating any defense.
Imagine Zhang Da facing a powerful body cultivator who managed to close the distance unexpectedly. While it might be too late to use a magic artifact, Zhang Da could still surprise his opponent with a swift, razor-sharp hand strike!
"Excellent! I'll refine it according to this plan. As for the leg prosthetic, I can engrave spirit patterns that enhance agility and speed!"
Without hesitation, Li Qing immediately began imbuing the prosthetic limb with spiritual energy. Once the imbuing process was complete, he immediately started engraving the spirit patterns.
Approximately three days passed in a blur.
Whoosh!
A sharp golden flash streaked through Li Qing's cave abode. Immediately afterward, a deep gash appeared in the cave wall.
[Refined a high-grade prosthetic limb: Reward: 35 years of lifespan!]
The lifespan reward was slightly lower than what he would have received for refining a normal high-grade magical artifact, but Li Qing wasn't particularly bothered by this. Instead, he gazed at the mark on the wall, lost in thought.
"Its power can't match that of a true high-grade magical artifact. After all, compatibility with the fleshly body must be considered. It's impossible to refine it as a genuine magic artifact."
"However, with enough practice and regular nourishing by Zhang Da, it should function almost like a normal arm—a normal arm, but enhanced!"
Li Qing nodded in satisfaction, preparing to let Zhang Da experience the prosthetic limb firsthand.
If there were no issues, he planned to assess Zhang Da's performance before deciding whether to refine prosthetic limbs for other parts of his body.
"In the future, I should consider refining a magic artifact prosthetic limb for myself too, or perhaps a simple exoskeleton type that can be operated solely with mana!"
With that, Li Qing stored the magic artifact prosthetic limb and, after a long absence, finally stepped out of his cave abode.
Nanyang Spirit Peak remained clear and bright, a gentle breeze caressing Li Qing's cheeks and ruffling his hair.
Having firmly established himself in the late foundation establishment realm, Li Qing was in remarkably good spirits.
His gaze now turned toward the next realm: core formation!
When he first entered the world of cultivation, the term "core formation realm" had seemed impossibly distant.
Yet now, he stood only a single step away from reaching it.
Of course, this seemingly small step was, for the vast majority of cultivators, a Heavenly Chasm—an insurmountable barrier.
Li Qing was no exception.
"Core formation... Throughout history, countless have been halted here. Only those who can cross this divide truly deserve to be called heroes!"
Failure meant becoming nothing more than a pile of withered bones.
One step to heaven, one step to hell—this phrase perfectly captured the gravity of the situation.
During his breakthrough to foundation establishment, he had the foundation establishment pill as a final lifeline. Even if he failed, he could still preserve his life.
But core formation was different. Even in the Great Wilderness Domain, he had never heard of any pills that could preserve one's body intact after a failed core formation attempt.
At most, there were rare pills that could slightly increase the success rate of core formation, but failure still meant death and the dissipation of one's cultivation.
"I'll have to take things one step at a time. First, I need to reach the peak of the late foundation establishment realm and enter the so-called pseudo core formation stage. Then, I'll gather as many core formation spiritual materials as possible."
There were various core formation spiritual materials in the world.
Among them, Purple Mansion Spirit Liquid and yin-yang spirit liquid were the most renowned and widely recognized for their effectiveness.
Besides these two, other core formation spiritual materials existed, such as Profound Fire Treasure Liquid and Azure Jade Spirit Water.
While these alternatives were less potent, they weren't as rare and precious as Purple Mansion Spirit Liquid and yin-yang spirit liquid. With some effort, they could be acquired through various channels.
Many wealthy late foundation establishment realm cultivators favored these slightly less effective materials when attempting core formation.
"Now that I have a substantial number of spirit stones, combined with the steady income from the black market, I can start purchasing some of the less potent core formation spiritual materials."
"Multiple core formation spiritual materials can be taken simultaneously. If I gather enough and combine them with the soul core method, my chances should be significantly improved."
"..."
After muttering to himself, Li Qing soared into the air, stepping onto his flying magic artifact and streaking toward Sunward City.
Having secluded himself for two years, it was time to visit the black market and gather information about the current state of the Great Wilderness Domain.
(End of the Chapter)
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