Wang Xiu nodded. "This disciple stumbled upon a manual which recorded a forging art named the Primordial God Refining Technique! It can turn the worthless into the miraculous!"
Primordial God Refining Technique?
Gongshu Wumao’s expression turned peculiar. "I have studied this path for centuries and read all the great classics. I’ve even heard of many long-lost secret techniques. Even if I can’t perform them, I should at least be aware of their existence! But this... Primordial God Refining Technique... I have never heard of it!"
[Bragging detected nearby. Congratulations, Host, you have obtained Mana +666!]
Gongshu Wumao was indeed widely experienced. After all, the Artificer Technique was not as simple as merely manipulating puppets. It required knowledge in material science, Artifact Refining, Formations, and more. The further one progressed, the greater the mastery needed in these fields.
As the First Seat of the Manipulation Sect, it was of course impossible for him to have read every book in existence. Still, it was no exaggeration to say he was incredibly knowledgeable. At the very least, he had borrowed and read all the famous classics from the major Cave Heavens and Blessed Lands. Even for lost arts, a secret technique like the Primordial God Refining Technique, capable of turning the worthless into the miraculous, should have left some legends behind.
Gongshu Wumao couldn’t help but furrow his brow. Is this kid trying to trick me? Bragging right to my face?
When Wang Xiu first claimed the materials weren’t valuable and were instead created by fusing even cheaper ones, Gongshu Wumao had been surprised. He hadn’t believed it, but he wasn’t angry either. He assumed Wang Xiu had only said it to make him feel more comfortable about accepting the materials. He had even been a little touched. Read complete versıon only at 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝⁂𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚⁂𝔫𝔢𝔱
This kid has potential. He knows how to speak and deal with people, unlike his half-dead master. He’s on a completely different level!
But now, the more Wang Xiu spoke, the more absurd it became. Claiming to possess such a secret technique was simply preposterous! The bragging was getting out of hand.
Such a mentality... he’s still too impetuous! No, I have to set him straight.
Gongshu Wumao greatly admired Wang Xiu’s talent on the Artificer Path. With no one to teach him, he had created such exquisitely ingenious constructs through self-study alone. Even Gongshu Wumao had to admit his own inferiority in that regard. Although they were only the most basic Puppets, which didn’t necessarily prove Wang Xiu’s Artificer Technique was at a high level, Gongshu Wumao was certain of one thing. The boy’s talent in this area was no less than that of his own star disciple, Mo Wuwei.
If properly nurtured, it wouldn’t be hard for him to become a divine craftsman for the ages, his name echoing through eternity. In that instant, Gongshu Wumao even had a fleeting thought. Should I make an exception and take on another Closed-door Disciple? He did not want to see such a promising young man go astray.
However, just as Gongshu Wumao’s expression hardened and he was about to reprimand Wang Xiu, he saw the boy flip his hand over, revealing a pile of ordinary wrought iron. Then, right before his eyes, Wang Xiu began to work.
Gongshu Wumao was taken aback. This kid... he can’t be for real, can he? Impossible! Absolutely impossible!
His conviction was firm, born from his confidence in his own professional knowledge and expertise. There is no way such a freakish, heaven-defying secret technique could exist in this world.
But gradually, as flashes of light pulsed and the crisp, pleasant sound of a hammer rang out continuously, his resolve began to waver. The impurities in the wrought iron dwindled, and its aura shifted from coarse and dull to bright and clear. It began to emit a cold gleam, as if transforming into Dark Iron and Cold Iron.
Gongshu Wumao subconsciously adjusted his monocle, twisting the hinges on the lens. He constantly changed the angle, making sure to see every minute detail within the dazzling light with perfect clarity.
Finally, all the light dissipated. A piece of Dark Iron, glowing with a cold light and surrounded by faint Spiritual Energy, lay quietly in Wang Xiu’s palm.
Instantly, Gongshu Wumao froze. It was as if the sky itself had gone dark, and his heart was thrown into violent turmoil.
He snatched the Dark Iron from Wang Xiu’s hand and began to scrutinize it. First, he infused it with his Mana. The structure was dense and perfectly formed. Next, he took out a small golden hammer and tapped it a few times. CLANG! CLANG!
The hardness was up to standard, and the sound of the taps was as deep as a bell. This proved that it was not only genuine Dark Iron, but a piece of superior quality at that.
Finally, he went so far as to stick a corner of the Dark Iron into his mouth and bite down. CRACK. Fissures spread across the metal, but it did not completely shatter.
Gongshu Wumao was utterly stupefied. His eyes were vacant, yet it was the calm before a storm, a sign of the endless emotions brewing in the depths of his soul.
"It’s real... It’s actually real..." he murmured, his eyes blazing with an intense light. "To think such a miraculous forging technique truly exists in this world..." His face was flushed, and his aged body began to tremble.
The scene before him had completely overturned his entire understanding of the world.
He raised the piece of Dark Iron and howled at the sky, "Hahaha! The Heavens are watching! The Great Dao is watching! My... my Manipulation Sect... it’s saved!"
He was so overcome with emotion that tears welled up in his eyes.
Why had the Manipulation Sect been so strong in its heyday? It was because the Sanqing Immortal Sect was powerful, and the Three Great Caves, Twelve Blessed Lands, and Seventy-two Secret Realms had provided them with a virtually inexhaustible supply of materials.
Back then, they were undoubtedly one of the main forces resisting the Demon Race. Although they were not skilled in direct combat, it was standard practice for every Nascent Soul Stage Disciple of the Manipulation Sect to carry three Puppets, each with the power of a Nascent Soul cultivator. As for the even higher-Realm masters of the Manipulation Sect...