At Saint 5-dan Leaving Aperture realm, one would have to undergo the Leaving Aperture Ordeal in order to raise their Primordial Spirit.
Even though a weapon had reached Leaving Aperture realm, it was still unable to form a Primordial Spirit and break free from its shackles. However, it was still able to grow legs and walk like a human, making it much more agile than before.
The cauldron before him had already reached Half-Leaving Aperture realm, and after fusing with the Black Goldcrystal Ore, it had indeed overcome its bottleneck and triggered the Leaving Aperture Ordeal.
The ominous clouds grew larger and larger, tearing apart the roof, revealing the sky outside.
This was the first time that the blacksmiths in the room had seen a weapon reaching Leaving Aperture realm, and they trembled in agitation.
Kacha!
Countless blue streaks of lightning intertwined together, threatening to tear the air apart.
"How did this cauldron trigger the Leaving Aperture Ordeal without even tempering it?"
Guild Leader Qin couldn't believe his eyes.
There were three steps to smithing a weapon. The first step was to melt the metal and ores. The second step was to temper the weapon. The third step was to temper the weapon.
Quenching! The first two steps weren't too difficult for a skilled blacksmith, but the third step was the hardest to master.
For many weapons, whether the materials could be fused together perfectly or not depended on the blacksmith's ability to temper the weapon.
He hadn't been able to understand most of the earlier moves, so he thought that the final tempering would be an eye-opener for him. Yet, who could have thought that before he could even temper the weapon, he would have already triggered the Leaving Aperture Ordeal?
"It's not that he hasn't tempered the weapon, but … he's intending to temper it!"
Master Lin Jie said with a dry throat.
"He's intending to temper it? Master Lin Jie is intending to temper the weapon with lightning? "
Guild Leader Qin narrowed his eyes in realization, and his body stiffened.
"Indeed. He's intending to temper the weapon with lightning," Master Lin Jie replied.
"The Leaving Aperture Ordeal is extremely ferocious and violent. Even a true Leaving Aperture realm cultivator would find it difficult to withstand it. Yet, he's intending to use it on a weapon that has just reached Leaving Aperture realm …"
Guild Leader Qin felt that it wasn't him who had gone mad but that Zhang Shi.
The Leaving Aperture Ordeal was formed by lightning, and it was incomparably ferocious. Even Leaving Aperture realm cultivators feared it, not daring to face it head-on! Hall Leader Gou of the Mingshi Tang Sect had long broken through to the next realm, but he didn't even dare to withstand a single strike of the Thunder Tribulation because he was old and weak. He felt that he couldn't withstand it, and the slightest carelessness would cause his soul to dissipate.
Such a ferocious weapon was something that most people would avoid at all costs. Yet, that fellow … was actually using it to temper his weapon. In other words, he was absorbing the energy of lightning into his weapon …
He was too bold!
The slightest carelessness could cause all of his previous efforts to go to waste, and that was nothing much … More importantly, there was a good chance that he would be unable to withstand the pressure and explode on the spot.
The explosion of a Leaving Aperture realm artifact was equivalent to the self-destruction of a Leaving Aperture realm expert. If things went wrong, their entire branch could very well be wiped out!
He would be completely erased from the Master Teacher Continent.
"Everyone, retreat quickly and lead everyone away …"
Unable to hold it in any longer, he hurriedly ordered.
All of the Seven Star Weapon Refiners in Qingyuan City had gathered here to listen to Master Lin Jie's lecture. If they were all killed by the explosion, it would really be over for them.
"Yes!"
"Run …"
"Hurry up and go to the Mingshi Tang Factory to ask for help … If we can't control the situation, it's very likely that all lives will be lost!"
Many of the weapon refiners also realized the danger they were in, and their faces paled as they hurriedly fled the area.
Soon, the only ones left in the room were Zhang Xuan, Master Lin Jie, Guild Leader Qin, and Chu Xiang.
At this moment, Chu Xiang's face had also paled in fright, and his body was trembling uncontrollably. He hurriedly turned his gaze to Zhang Shi, only to see the latter standing there with his hands behind his back. Not only was there not the slightest hint of fear in his eyes, there was even a hint of excitement in his eyes.
"Zhang Shi!"
Gulping down a mouthful of saliva, Chu Xiang called out.
"There's no need to worry. It's just the Leaving Aperture Ordeal. Jin Yuan Ding should be able to survive it!"
Knowing what Chu Xiang was worried about, Zhang Xuan chuckled softly.
While normal tempering could still draw out the power of the Black Goldcrystal Ore, its prowess would definitely be far inferior to tempering it with lightning. By doing so, not only would he be able to fuse all of the materials together perfectly, more importantly, he would be able to infuse the entire cauldron with the power of lightning. This would give him a huge advantage over other Leaving Aperture realm experts!
Kacha!
While everyone was still recovering from their shock, the first bolt of lightning struck down.
It landed on Jin Yuan Ding's body, and it was absorbed effortlessly without causing the slightest ripple. Instead, its luster became even more dazzling, and it seemed to have become even more resilient.
"This …" Master Lin Jie couldn't believe what he was seeing. "This cauldron is a Saint intermediate-tier artifact, and it has been fused with the Black Goldcrystal Ore as well. It's not surprising that it was able to withstand the first bolt of lightning, but why is the spirit within it completely fine?"
Just like souls, spirits were of the yin attribute, and they feared lightning the most!
If one were to absorb the lightning into one's weapon to temper it, one's spirit would naturally be attacked, and it could very well be reduced to ashes!
Yet, the spirit within the cauldron was actually completely fine. Instead, it was wriggling around in the air, as if it was a little too proud of itself …
What in the world was going on?
"Jin Yuan Ding's spirit has undergone a transformation after going through the lightning tribulation once. While the lightning tribulation isn't weak, it's still unable to harm him!"
Seeing that Master Lin Jie was on the verge of going insane, Zhang Xuan shook his head and explained.
In order to save Zhang Xuan, Jin Yuan Ding's spirit had fallen into a deep sleep due to the lightning tribulation. What he had gone through back then was far more powerful than what he had just experienced!
Even if there was no one controlling a grade-8 formation, its might was still far beyond that of the Leaving Aperture Ordeal.
It was due to this experience that Zhang Xuan dared to use the lightning tribulation to temper the cauldron.
"He went through the lightning tribulation?" Master Lin Jie heaved a sigh of relief. However, a worried look soon surfaced on his face. "Leaving Aperture realm is also divided into primary stage, intermediate stage, advanced stage, and pinnacle stages, and each of them corresponds to the four lightning tribulations. May I know what level Jin Yuan Ding has reached?"
Normally, when a Leaving Aperture realm cultivator reached primary stage, they would only have to face a single bolt of lightning. While it was difficult for them to withstand, as long as they could withstand it, their Primordial Spirit would be able to recover from its injuries and grow stronger. As such, it would be much easier for them to face the Second Tribulation in the future.
From primary stage to intermediate stage, most cultivators would have to cultivate for several decades to a hundred years. As such, they would have sufficient time to heal the injuries inflicted by the lightning tribulation.
However, weapons were different.
If one were to advance too much all of a sudden, reaching Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle, one would have to face four lightning tribulations — primary, intermediate, advanced, and pinnacle. If one were to face four lightning tribulations simultaneously, one's spirit would not be able to recover, and there was a good chance that one's body would crumble apart.
"Chu Xiang's smithing skills are still a little lacking. Even though his coordination with the cauldron is decent, he still hasn't reached Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle yet.
Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before coming to a conclusion.
While the Black Goldcrystal Ore was extremely rare, and it was highly beneficial to the forging of weapons, Jin Yuan Ding's materials were simply too weak. On top of that, Chu Xiang's smithing skills were slightly lacking as well. Even though Chu Xiang's guidance had not made any mistakes, reaching Leaving Aperture realm advanced stage was already his limit.
Nevertheless, this realm was not to be underestimated.
Upon reaching Saint 5-dan, every single small breakthrough was as difficult as ascending to the heavens. Who knew how many people had been trapped in this realm?
With the strength of a Leaving Aperture realm advanced stage cultivator tempered by the lightning tribulation, even a Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle cultivator might not necessarily be a match for him. Putting aside the Qingyuan Conferred Empire, such a person could be considered one of the top experts even in the Qianchong Conferred Empire.
"Leaving Aperture realm advanced stage? To undergo three lightning tribulations … I fear that it won't be easy! "
Master Lin Jie's lips twitched in worry.
To reach Leaving Aperture realm advanced stage all of a sudden, one would have to undergo the primary, intermediate, and advanced lightning tribulations. Each of the three lightning tribulations was more fearsome than the previous, making it extremely difficult to overcome them.
"I know!"
Zhang Xuan nodded. "However, I believe that Jin Yuan Ding will be able to succeed!"
Overcoming three lightning tribulations at once was no easy feat, but … only by overcoming it would one's cultivation be considered to have succeeded, and one's fighting prowess would soar.
Without experiencing the storm, how could one see the rainbow?
As unreliable as Jin Yuan Ding might seem, he was still a sentient being who had lived for innumerable years, and he had been nourished by innumerable people in the Master Teacher Academy. Possessing the will and spirit of a master teacher, he should be able to survive the ordeal.
Otherwise, he would have died in the sea of lightning instead of falling into a deep slumber.
Boom!
Amidst their conversation, the second lightning tribulation descended.
This time, it was even more ferocious than before. Even before it reached Zhang Xuan, the air around him was already charred black, threatening to shatter at any moment.
Kacha!
The lightning tribulation struck Jin Yuan Ding's body, causing him to shudder. Unable to maintain his balance in the air, he fell to the ground, creating a huge crater.
Even though he was in a terrible state, he still managed to hold on.
Hong long long!
At the end of the second lightning tribulation, before the other party could react, the third lightning tribulation descended.
This lightning tribulation was even more powerful than the previous one. It was a deep blue lightning bolt as thick as a water jar, and it struck down on Jin Yuan Ding.
"This is bad! It's much stronger than I thought, I might not be able to withstand it! "
Seeing the might of the lightning tribulation, Zhang Xuan couldn't remain as composed as before, and his face tightened.
Even though he trusted Jin Yuan Ding deeply, the lightning tribulation before him was simply too fearsome. If it really struck him, he could very well lose his soul and spirit on the spot.
"Jin Yuan Ding, devour the earth flames and face the lightning tribulation with fire …"
Knowing that the other party wouldn't be able to withstand the lightning tribulation alone, Zhang Xuan hurriedly shouted. At the same time, he flicked his wrist, and a pile of formation flags appeared in his palm.
He flicked them out.
Sou sou sou sou!
The formation flags fell around Jin Yuan Ding, forming a formation to draw in the earth flames.
Given the size of the lightning tribulation, it was impossible for him to withstand it head-on. Since that was the case, he would have to face it head-on!
Using the earth flames to face the lightning tribulation.
Xiong xiong!
The formation activated, and the earth flames were immediately drawn in by the formation, forming a deep purple flame.
Jin Yuan Ding also knew that this was a matter of life and death. He struggled to climb out of the pit, opened the lid of the cauldron, and sucked in the flames.
Huala!
The flames immediately entered the cauldron, forming a massive fire dragon.
The fire dragon gushed out and collided with the third bolt of lightning in the sky.
Boom!
The earth shook, and the shockwaves from the collision of the two powerful forces scattered in all directions. In the blink of an eye, all of the blacksmith buildings in the Blacksmith Guild collapsed.
"My guild …"
Guild Leader Qin's eyes twitched, and he burst into tears.
You said that you wouldn't crash the Blacksmith Guild, and yet, you chose to forge a weapon … How am I supposed to answer to my ancestors in the future?
(Later on, there's an update)
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