In the depths of the cave dwelling, Xiao Qi did not rush to begin the next round of alchemy or cultivation. Instead, he turned his gaze toward the Xuantie iron frying pan that had accompanied him the longest—the one that appeared plain and unadorned.
The body of the pan remained pitch-black, bearing traces of years of smoke and fire, as well as faint white marks and dents left from countless clashes with demon beasts and demonic cultivators. It rested quietly in the corner of the wall, appearing like nothing more than an ordinary kitchen utensil. But Xiao Qi knew well that this pan was by no means ordinary. Its indestructible nature, its strange effect of shaking one's spiritual mind, and its exceptional performance in conducting heat evenly during alchemy—all testified to its extraordinary qualities.
"Old friend," Xiao Qi said softly, gently stroking the cool surface of the pan and feeling that familiar, substantial weight, "Following me has been hard on you."
Of the two items brought out from the Xu Lan Villa, the jade pendant had already displayed earth-shaking purifying power, while this frying pan, which his mother had often used, remained covered in dust, its true potential seemingly not yet fully awakened. Now, having reached the Foundation Establishment stage in his cultivation, his control over flame had advanced by leaps and bounds compared to the past. Moreover, having gained some inspiration from the ancient artifact refinement concepts in the secret realm, it was time to attempt to "upgrade" it.
He recalled a type of ancient artifact refinement method called "Heart Refining" mentioned in the jade slip recording miscellaneous ancient knowledge that he had obtained in the Heritage Hall of the secret realm. This method did not rely on complex formations or elaborate hammering. Instead, it emphasized using the artifact refiner's own spiritual mind and essence blood as a guide, using a compatible flame as a medium, and engaging in deep communication and fusion with the artifact blank, guiding the internal material's transformation and the awakening of its spirituality. This was a method of crafting that approached "nurturing," placing extremely high demands on the refiner's state of mind, spiritual consciousness, and the quality of their flame. But once successful, the magical artifact crafted would often resonate with its master's heart and mind, possessing immense potential.
Xiao Qi felt that this "Heart Refining" method seemed perfectly suited for this frying pan of mysterious origin, with which he shared such a deep bond.
He sat in meditation, adjusting his own state to its best. As the Heart-Nurturing Calm Art circulated, his sea of consciousness became clear and luminous. Then, he forced out three drops of heart's essence blood—crimson red with a faint golden sheen, suspended in midair, emitting a rich aura of life essence and spiritual power fluctuations.
Next, he did not summon the Southern Ming Li Fire but instead turned his gaze toward the Crimson Flame Sword floating nearby. The flame power contained within the Crimson Flame Sword, while not as tyrannical and scorching as the Southern Ming Li Fire, was more moderate and peaceful, carrying a righteous, noble energy and a protective sword intent. Its nature seemed more compatible with the steady, protective characteristics of the frying pan.
With a single thought from him, the Crimson Flame Sword let out a soft hum. A wisp of condensed crimson flame separated from the tip of the sword. This flame was not the explosive kind used when attacking—rather, it appeared exceptionally gentle and pure, like the light of a warm morning dawn. This was the Crimson Flame Sword's primordial heart fire.
With his spiritual consciousness, Xiao Qi carefully guided those three drops of essence blood, merging them into that wisp of Crimson Flame heart fire. With a soft hiss, the essence blood and the flame blended together, transforming into a crimson-golden liquid sphere that emitted strange life fluctuations and a warm glow.
With both hands supporting it from below, he placed that Xuantie iron frying pan before him. His gaze fixed upon the body of the pan, and countless memories related to this pan surfaced in his mind: the warm scene of his mother cooking dishes with it in the kitchen; the embarrassment of secretly using it to cook extra meals when he first entered Qingxu Temple; the peril of using it to strike with all his might when encountering demon beasts; the reliability of its steady heat conduction when refining medicinal pills...
A feeling of indescribable intimacy and trust welled up spontaneously. He no longer regarded this pan as a dead object, but saw it instead as a comrade in arms—silent, yet never abandoning him.
"With my blood, I open the door of spirituality for you;
With my heart, I forge a symbiotic bond with you;
With the Crimson Flame fire, I temper your body and cleanse away the dust;
With the intent to protect, I forge your true form to accompany me on my Daoist path."
Xiao Qi silently chanted the sacrificial text that came from his heart, his spiritual consciousness like the gentlest of tentacles, wrapping around the entire frying pan, attempting to establish contact with that faint, weak spirituality hidden deep within the Xuantie iron.
At first, there was no response whatsoever; the frying pan remained silent. Xiao Qi did not become discouraged. Maintaining a calm and focused state of mind, he continued to call out with his spiritual mind, and slowly guided that crimson-golden liquid sphere, which had merged his own essence blood and the Crimson Flame heart fire, to spread over the frying pan.
The moment the crimson-golden liquid sphere touched the surface of the pan—
"Hum!!"
A hum far clearer and more resonant than any previous time rang out from within the body of the pan! The entire frying pan shook violently. Those traces of smoke and fire, as well as the white marks left by battles on its surface, under the scorching of the crimson-golden flame, actually began to squirm and flake off as if they were alive!
Xiao Qi held his breath, operating his spiritual consciousness with full force, guiding the power of the Crimson Flame heart fire to permeate evenly into every tiny structure of the frying pan. Following the "Heart Refining" method, he did not forcibly reshape it. Instead, acting as a guide, he helped the frying pan's own power awaken and, according to its innate nature and his own expectations, undergo a transformation from the inside out.
In his spiritual perception, the pitch-black material of the frying pan, under the combined action of the Crimson Flame heart fire and his own essence blood, was undergoing wondrous changes. Deeper impurities were refined out, dissipating as wisps of green smoke. Meanwhile, the main material constituting the pan body became denser and tougher, its color gradually shifting from pure pitch-black to a dark, restrained dark golden hue. On the surface, extremely faint, silvery light points flickered like stars.
At the same time, he sensed a weak but resilient spiritual consciousness slowly awakening from deep within the pan body, like a newborn baby, carrying a hint of innocence and unconditional intimacy and dependence upon him. This spirituality was tightly linked with his own spiritual consciousness and essence blood, as if it had become an extension of him.
His intent to protect grew even firmer. He also integrated that newly mastered trace of protective sword intent into the tempering process. Within the light of the Crimson Flame heart fire, there was faintly an inconspicuous implication of stabilizing space.
The tempering process lasted an entire day and night.
When the crimson-golden flame finally slowly withdrew and completely merged into the pan body, the frying pan presented before Xiao Qi had already undergone a complete transformation.
Its size and shape had not changed; it remained a standard round-bottomed wok. But its entire body now displayed a dark golden metallic luster, appearing heavy and steady. The surface of the pan was as smooth as a mirror; no flaws could be seen anywhere. Those pale silvery light points, like stars in the night sky, faintly formed some mysterious patterns. The connection between the handle and the pan body was even more seamless. Holding it in his hand, a feeling of being connected by blood and vessels—like an arm extending a finger—arose spontaneously.
With a single thought, the frying pan floated effortlessly, light as nothing, and deftly flipped in midair according to his will. He could even clearly perceive that newly born fire-attributed energy within the pan, which shared the same source as his own, as well as that trace of steady protective implication.
He tried injecting spiritual power into it.
"Hum—" The dark golden pan body radiated light that was restrained internally, yet emitted an invisible force field. The surrounding space seemed to become slightly more viscous and stable. This was the manifestation of the protective implication!
He then summoned a wisp of Southern Ming Li Fire and let it fall upon the bottom of the pan. The frying pan was no longer simply conducting heat; instead, it actively absorbed and harmonized the power of the flame, making it more even and stable. It even imparted the pan's own "steadiness" characteristic to the flame. The fire control effect far surpassed the past.
Xiao Qi held the sublimated frying pan, and a sense of unprecedented security filled his heart. He sensed that the grade of this pan had already transcended ordinary magical artifacts. Although it had not yet birthed a complete artifact spirit, it possessed a solid foundation for growing into a precious treasure, or even a higher-tier divine weapon. Its defensive power, its affinity and control over flame, and that contained protective characteristic—all had undergone a qualitative leap.
More importantly, his connection with this pan had become closer than ever before. It was no longer merely a magical artifact; it had truly become an extension of his body and will, one of the most reliable companions on his Daoist path.
"Henceforth, I shall call you the 'Mysterious Golden Guardian Pan.'" Xiao Qi gently stroked the warm pan body, a genuine smile appearing on his face.
This successful "Heart Refining" not only completed the sublimation of the frying pan but also gave him a preliminary understanding of the path of artifact refinement, especially this method of fusing spiritual mind and artifact. This would bring immeasurable benefits for his future refinement of other magical artifacts, as well as for nurturing the Crimson Flame Sword.
He reduced the Mysterious Golden Guardian Pan to the size of a palm, transforming it into a small pan model, and carefully and reverently stored it close to his body. Feeling the heavy warmth and connection within his embrace, Xiao Qi knew that his combat power and foundation had thereby gained another solid cornerstone.
The road ahead was long, but with this pan as his companion, his heart was more at ease.