CHAPTER 103: CHAPTER 103: DRAGON SPARROW SWORD, A MIDDLE-GRADE MAGIC ARTIFACT_1

"Next, I must plan carefully how to spend this huge sum of money."

Shen Mo was not a miser; he would not let these Spirit Stones accumulate dust in his Universe Bag. However, he had to spend them wisely. After all, this so-called large windfall was only "huge" relative to Shen Mo’s previously tight financial state. He had not reached the point where he could squander freely. If he were to truly splurge, even those scions of top immortal clans, blessed with an unlimited supply of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, might not consider their resources sufficient for cultivation. The path of cultivation required a nearly infinite amount of various resources.

Shen Mo did not have the advantages of a second-generation scion of an immortal clan. Every Spirit Stone he earned was the result of blood and sweat, so he naturally needed to consider his expenditures carefully.

I can start by purchasing the various ores needed for upgrading magic artifacts in the Market.

It’s also time to upgrade the Dragon Sparrow Sword to a middle-grade profound level!

Shen Mo believed this to be the top priority, because he already possessed the main ore for upgrading the Dragon Sparrow Sword. He had obtained a total of ten pounds of Profound Gold Stone from the secret room and had not sold all of it. He had kept five pounds for himself, which was enough to help upgrade the Dragon Sparrow Sword. With the main ore on hand, the auxiliary ores for the upgrade could be obtained for about three hundred Spirit Stones, which should be enough for over ten forging attempts.

Besides upgrading the Dragon Sparrow Sword... where should I spend the remaining Spirit Stones...

Shen Mo considered this for a good while, feeling somewhat undecided.

In terms of magic artifacts, he only possessed one piece of inner armor and a single weapon. Typically, cultivators with sufficient resources would acquire several additional magic artifacts, especially special defensive magic treasures, which could be crucial for saving one’s life in critical moments. However, this kind of enhancement had too low a cost-benefit ratio for Shen Mo at this stage.

Regarding cultivation methods, the most resource-consuming was undoubtedly the *Bloody Dragon-shaped Body*. If he could feed this gold-devouring beast until it was full and allow the experience value to reach the level of Dragon Body Perfection, his combat power would take another great leap forward. However, Shen Mo had just broken through to the Dragon Body phase, and his foundation was not yet stable. In addition, upon reaching the Dragon Body stage, the Vitality and blood Qi cost to condense Bloody Fiend Pearls was tremendous. His Spirit Stones might not be enough to cover it. Moreover, the Body Tempering method he had obtained for the *Dragon Elephant Blood Fiend Body* was an incomplete fragment. Even if he cultivated the Dragon Body to Perfection, without the cultivation insights for the Bloody Fiend Body, he would not be able to advance to the next level.

Or perhaps... I should use these Spirit Stones to enhance my skills in the Talisman Path and Alchemy Path.

After much hesitation, Shen Mo decided to develop his auxiliary professions first. After all, the expense for these auxiliary professions was an investment, not a pure waste. Increasing his mastery in the Talisman Path and Alchemy Path would also significantly speed up his rate of earning Spirit Stones in the future.

「...」

Having made his plans, Shen Mo first went to the Market to purchase Cold Crystal Stone, Tiangeng Mine, and Qiling Iron, which were needed to upgrade the Dragon Sparrow Sword.

After that, he arrived at the Forge Hall of Stars Peak.

The forging area within the peak really isn’t bad.

This was his first time entering a Forge Room of Stars Peak, enjoying the benefits afforded to a Stars Peak disciple. Not only was the room spacious, but it was also equipped with all the tools necessary for forging.

Most importantly...

Shen Mo glanced at the pale blue flame burning vigorously underneath the Earthfire Cauldron.

With this Earthly Fire for the furnace, my success rate in forging will greatly improve.

Shen Mo first activated the Earthly Fire to melt the Profound Gold Stone into a molten state. Despite the extremely high temperature of the Earthly Fire, the Profound Gold Stone, being a high-class forging material, was not easy to smelt. After a full two Shichen, the Profound Gold Stone in the Earthfire Cauldron gradually dissolved.

SLOSH!

When he saw the Profound Gold Stone completely transform into a pale golden Spiritual Liquid, Shen Mo used his Mana to extract it from the cauldron, setting it aside for later use.

Next, the other auxiliary forging ores, like Cold Crystal Stone, Tiangeng Mine, and Qiling Iron, were also smelted by him in the same manner, sequentially transforming them into molten liquids.

Let’s begin the forging!

After melting all the ores, Shen Mo’s expression turned solemn. He formed a forging seal with his hands.

SIZZLE!

As Shen Mo changed his hand seals, the Dragon Sparrow Sword was suspended above the Earthfire Cauldron and gradually heated until it glowed fiery red. At this moment, Shen Mo took out the previously smelted Profound Gold Stone Spiritual Liquid and began to fuse it onto the sword. The Profound Gold Stone Spiritual Liquid quickly enveloped the Dragon Sparrow Sword, as if plating it with a layer of golden radiance.

Cold Crystal Stone!

After the fusion of the Profound Gold Stone was complete, Shen Mo once again took out the Cold Crystal Stone liquid, applying it to the sword’s hilt. The next step was to use the Tiengeng Mine to sharpen the edge of the Dragon Sparrow Sword, and then use the Qiling Iron liquid for the final step: to try and awaken the nascent spirit within the magic artifact.

If the nascent spirit was successfully enhanced, it would indicate that the Dragon Sparrow Sword’s upgrade was successful. If the Dragon Sparrow Sword’s nascent spirit was not enhanced, then this forging attempt to upgrade it would be considered a failure.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

The Longsword was suspended above the Earthfire Cauldron, continuously heated and baked, allowing the various molten ore liquids to fuse. This, combined with Shen Mo’s series of artifact refining hand seals, helped it to further take shape.

[You attempted to use Profound Gold Stone, Tiangeng Mine, Cold Crystal Stone, and Qiling Iron to upgrade the Dragon Sparrow Sword, but failed.]

Shen Mo was meticulously performing the final steps of opening the furnace when he noticed a panel notification appearing.

It failed?

He hurriedly opened the furnace.

Indeed! On the Dragon Sparrow Sword, the various molten ore liquids had not truly fused into the sword body. Instead, they had produced a rejection reaction, transforming into dark, rusty impurities clinging to the blade.

It seems I’ll need to try a few more times.

After the first attempt failed, Shen Mo was not disheartened. Compared to the Talisman Path and the Alchemy Path, Shen Mo’s experience and ability in forging were the weakest, simply because he lacked practice. Therefore, he had prepared more than one set of materials for this upgrade, enough to withstand multiple failures.

SPLASH!

Walking over to the Sword Washing Pool in the Forge Hall, Shen Mo spent considerable effort to clean off all the corrosive rust. The Dragon Sparrow Sword was restored to its original appearance. For an upgrade like this, the worst-case scenario was merely losing the ores used in the attempt; the magic artifact itself would not be damaged. Even if it was tarnished by the corrosive impurities, it could be cleaned with specially prepared Heavenly Water.

That previous failure gave me a lot of forging experience.

[Destinied Lord: Shen Mo]

[Cultivation: Qi Gathering Realm Layer I]

[Talisman Path: Grade I 978/1000]

[Alchemy Path: Grade I 962/1000]

[Forging: Grade I 605/1000]

Opening the Destiny System interface to view the experience bars for the Alchemy Path and other auxiliary skills, Shen Mo clearly saw that his Forging experience points had increased.

I remember the last time I checked, my Forging experience was 575 points. This means that although I failed this time, I still gained 30 experience points.

Seeing the increase in experience points, Shen Mo’s frustration over the failed forging attempt lessened considerably. With the Destiny System’s experience bar, he gained something regardless of success or failure. No need to rush, I’ll take it slow.

「...」

Throughout the entire next day, Shen Mo remained in the Forge Hall on Stars Peak, dedicated to forging.

After four consecutive failures, Shen Mo finally succeeded on his fifth attempt.

VMMMM!

As he opened the furnace after his fifth attempt, the Dragon Sparrow Sword emitted a cry that sounded like a dragon’s roar. Then, an overwhelming sword intent surged straight up towards the heavens.

The brilliant, dazzling light gradually subsided. Shen Mo gazed at the Dragon Sparrow Sword, now successfully upgraded to a middle-grade profound level magic artifact, and his heart filled with joy.

After the enhancement, the nascent spirit within the Dragon Sparrow Sword seems to be even stronger.

Holding the reborn Dragon Sparrow Sword, he immediately felt a seamless connection, as if the sword were an extension of his own arm. The Dragon Sparrow Sword’s upgrade had not only enhanced its sharpness and the hardness of its blade but also the nascent spirit within it. This nascent spirit referred to a faint trace of awareness inherent in the artifact. This awareness was faint, far from that of a true Artifact Spirit capable of communicating with its owner. However, it still possessed a special kind of spiritual connection, allowing it to respond to the owner’s thoughts and intentions.

This seamless control, like an extension of his arm, was the effect brought about by the enhancement of the sword’s nascent spirit. The enhanced nascent spirit instinctively knew how to adjust the sword’s orientation and movement. This allowed Shen Mo to minimize resistance whenever he wielded the sword.