Chapter 797 The Celestial Forgecraft Codex
“The ring contains one thousand sets of ingredients for refining Immortal Spirit Liquid,” the Machine Patriarch said. “Once you’ve used them all, shout toward the sky, and I will send you more.
“For every ten drops you refine, you may keep five. I require only the other five. I am treating you generously, Kael. I’m providing all the ingredients, yet I’m still giving you half of the finished product. No one could claim that I’m taking advantage of you.”
“Then I suppose I should thank you.”
Kael’s sarcasm was unmistakable.
“That’s enough. Whatever your feelings about the arrangement, remain here and focus on refining the Immortal Spirit Liquid.”
The Machine Patriarch turned to Arno, his voice becoming stern.
“Take good care of Kael and treat him with proper respect. If he tells me that you have shown him even the slightest disrespect, I will punish you personally.”
“Yes.”
Arno’s mouth tightened, but he bowed his head.
The air vibrated.
The Machine Patriarch and the other Eternal Realm cultivators disappeared from the Inner Cosmos.
Arno immediately approached Kael and bowed.
“Kael, shall we begin refining the Immortal Spirit Liquid? Is there anything you need me to prepare?”
Kael’s mood couldn’t have been worse.
Then he suddenly smiled.
“Use your Origin Flame to refine that rock into Stone Essence.”
Kael pointed toward a large rock nearby.
“Oh? Are you planning to use the Stone Essence to construct an alchemy chamber?”
“Just do as I say.”
Kael clasped his hands behind his back.
“All right.”
Arno immediately spat out his Origin Flame and began refining the rock.
He purified it repeatedly, burning away layer after layer of impurities until only a small piece of Stone Essence remained.
“The Stone Essence is ready. What else do you need?”
An almost feverish excitement shone in Arno’s eyes.
Being allowed to participate in the refinement of Immortal Spirit Liquid was an extraordinary honor.
“Now use your Origin Flame to refine that iron into Iron Essence.”
Kael pointed toward a decorative iron bull standing nearby.
“Stone Essence and Iron Essence... I think I’m beginning to understand.”
The iron bull was far more difficult to refine than Arno had expected. He struggled for an entire day before finally reducing the statue to a single piece of Iron Essence.
“The Stone Essence and Iron Essence are ready. Can we begin now?”
“There’s no hurry.”
Kael had already settled comfortably into a reclining chair.
“Do you see that lumber? Use your Origin Flame to turn all of it into charcoal.”
“Oh?”
Arno wiped the sweat from his forehead.
None of the tasks Kael had assigned him were easy, especially since Kael insisted that he use his Origin Flame.
Ordinary True Fire could also refine Stone Essence and Iron Essence. But Kael had specifically demanded an Origin Flame, and Arno didn’t dare cut corners. If he mishandled even one step and ruined so much as a single drop of Immortal Spirit Liquid, the Patriarch would hold him responsible.
“I understand. You intend to use the charcoal to refine the Immortal Spirit Liquid.”
“Then hurry up and do it.”
Kael waved dismissively before slowly closing his eyes.
“Fine.”
Seven days later, Arno’s Origin Flame was on the verge of extinguishing.
Only then did he finish reducing the Black Ironwood to a large mound of charcoal.
He swallowed several pills, followed by a mouthful of some unknown liquid. A trace of vitality gradually returned to his eyes.
“The charcoal is ready. Where should I put it?”
“Good. Now throw the Stone Essence, Iron Essence, and charcoal into the river.”
“The river?”
Arno’s mind went blank for several seconds.
“Why would I throw them into the river?”
“Because I want you to.”
“You...”
Understanding finally dawned on Arno.
“You’ve been toying with me?”
“Wrong. I’m not toying with you. Consider it training.”
Kael sat up and regarded him calmly.
“This is outrageous!”
Arno flew into a rage and lunged at him.
Before he came within two feet of Kael, his body froze in midair.
“Arno, mind your manners.”
The Machine Patriarch’s voice came from the sky.
A moment later, Arno was hurled more than a hundred yards away. He struck the ground and rolled over a dozen times before finally coming to a stop.
It took him some time to recover.
Over the past several days, Arno had repeatedly used his Origin Flame to refine Stone Essence, Iron Essence, and charcoal. By now, he was almost completely exhausted.
“Are you all right?”
Kael looked over at him.
Arno scoffed.
“If you’re unhurt, go forge an alchemy furnace for me. I’ll need it shortly. I imagine a furnace created by the Machine Race will allow me to refine several additional drops of Immortal Spirit Liquid in each batch.”
“You claim to be a top alchemist, yet you don’t even have your own alchemy furnace?”
“If you refuse to provide one, then I simply won’t refine the Immortal Spirit Liquid. When the time comes, we’ll see who your Patriarch chooses to blame.”
“You... Fine. I’ll prepare one.”
Arno forced down his anger and began searching the Inner Cosmos for suitable materials.
Kael and Arno were now the only two living people inside the Machine Patriarch’s Inner Cosmos.
Several powerful cultivators had once been imprisoned there as well, but the Patriarch had removed them before Kael arrived to ensure that no one disturbed his work.
The objects they had left behind, however, remained.
Several ancient flying vessels stood throughout the Inner Cosmos. No one knew how many epochs they had been there. There were also extraordinarily durable materials the Machine Patriarch had forged during his earlier years.
Kael approached a long spear and tightened his fingers around its shaft.
Not even the slightest dent appeared.
His physical strength had already surpassed the limits of other cultivators at the same realm, yet he still couldn’t leave a mark on the weapon. It was one of the finest and most durable artifacts he had ever encountered.
After a moment’s hesitation, Kael released the Astral Mountain.
Its layers opened one after another and swallowed the spear. The Eternal Flame within then began slowly refining it.
Kael was certain that the mass contained within this single spear was comparable to that of a small asteroid.
He walked over to an iron cooking pot and briefly tested its weight and durability before feeding it to the Astral Mountain as well.
Over the next several hours, Kael searched the surrounding area and had the Astral Mountain devour every object with substantial mass he could find.
None of these actions could escape the Machine Patriarch’s notice.
This was his Inner Cosmos, after all.
The only reason he hadn’t intervened was likely because he believed Kael had no possibility of escaping.
“Kael, I’ve prepared the alchemy furnace you requested.”
Arno flew over from the distance, carrying a furnace in one hand.
“I don’t want an alchemy furnace. I asked for a refinement furnace.”
“You—argh! Don’t push me, Kael!”
Arno trembled with fury.
“I should warn you that if I suffer even the slightest injury and it delays the production of Immortal Spirit Liquid, you already know what the consequences will be.”
Kael spoke without the slightest urgency.
“Fine! But if I bring you a refinement furnace and you still refuse to produce the Immortal Spirit Liquid, I’m certain the Patriarch will no longer indulge you.”
With his temper barely contained, Arno left to search elsewhere for the necessary materials.
Once he was gone, Kael retrieved his own refinement furnace from his Inner Cosmos and set it on the ground.
Metallic light flashed across his right hand, and the Celestial Forgecraft Codex appeared in his palm.
Kael sat cross-legged and began studying the extraordinary artifact-forging manual.
As expected, the opening pages alone contained an astonishing breadth of knowledge. Many of its principles closely resembled those behind Kael’s Supreme Divine Craftsmanship.
The farther he read, the more astonished he became.
The codex described methods for refining artifact spirits into physical objects—and even transforming living beings into artifacts.
“Kael, do you truly have no intention of refining the Immortal Spirit Liquid?” the Machine Patriarch’s voice suddenly thundered from the sky. “If that is the case, I may as well kill you inside my Inner Cosmos.”