Ascended Without Me: Cultivating with a Genius Son | Chapter 112 | The Five Elements Shuttle | Novela.app

There was also the Condensation Method, a technique that placed significantly higher demands on the practitioner. Only those at the Nascent Soul stage or above could employ it, as it required exceptionally powerful Divine Sense. The quality of a treasure forged through condensation was determined by the strength of the cultivator’s cultivation and Divine Sense. This method was most commonly used by high-level cultivators who had reached the rank of Grandmaster Smith. Beyond these three primary methods, there were more esoteric techniques, such as the Heart Refining Method and the Soul Refining Method. Some of these secret arts had long been lost to time, while others required such specific conditions that they never became widespread in the cultivation world. "Jingxue, what form do you require?" Yu Nanqing shouted. It was clear the treasure was nearing completion. "A flying shuttle!" Li Xue answered without a moment's hesitation. The Five Elements Shuttle had accompanied her for many years; she had grown accustomed to using it in battle. "Good! Take form!" Yu Nanqing’s eyes widened as he let out a thunderous roar. Five-colored radiance flared amidst swirling mists. With a sharp, resonant hum, a flying shuttle appeared in Yu Nanqing’s hand. Li Xue’s eyes sparkled with excitement. Her Five Elements Shuttle was finished—it was now a mid-grade treasure, and it could be upgraded even further in the future! Bugui Sanren swept the item into his hand, turning it over to inspect it. He nodded and said, "Not bad. The ancient refining methods are indeed extraordinary." He looked up at Li Xue. "Little girl, for the sake of young Lin, I shall carve an array onto this for you!" Li Xue was overjoyed. Her original Five Elements Shuttle had possessed a Five Elements Illusionary Killing Array, but after being modified, its power had been greatly diminished. Now, with a Soul Transformation cultivator carving the array, its might would be formidable. To ensure his two disciples could see clearly, Bugui Sanren carved the array slowly. The Five Elements Shuttle hovered in mid-air, shimmering with iridescent light. Bugui Sanren’s hands moved in a blur of incantations, performing the fundamental hand seals of the Five Elements Illusionary Killing Array. Spiritual fluctuations of the array manifested in the air. With a sharp glare from the Daoist, the fluctuations shrank smaller and smaller until they were the size of a water droplet. They merged into the Five Elements Shuttle, and he used his techniques to etch the array permanently onto the vessel. With that, the Five Elements Shuttle was complete. Li Xue took the shuttle with trembling hands. After thanking Bugui Sanren and Yu Nanqing, she hurried back to her cave dwelling, unable to wait another moment to begin the refinement process. Ten days later, within the Dream Realm, Li Xue manifested the Five Elements Shuttle against Li Lin. As the five-colored light flashed, the mid-grade treasure appeared even more dazzling than before. Li Xue channeled her spiritual power, and with a shimmer of radiance, five sword-rays instantly shot forth, lunging toward Li Lin. Li Lin’s eyes brightened. "Good!" he cried. The Hidden Gloom Shield automatically rose to protect him, blocking the first wave of the shuttle's attack. Li Xue smiled faintly. "Lin, I’m going to test the Illusionary Killing Array. Watch out!" She performed a hand seal, and a five-colored ring of shadows descended toward Li Lin. Li Lin dared not be careless. He summoned the Purple Yang Cauldron to shield his entire body. He figured that the defense of two treasures should be sufficient. Just as the thought crossed his mind, the light within the array shifted. The illusionary formation transformed into a killing formation, and silk-like sword rays appeared everywhere. Startled, Li Lin pushed the Hidden Gloom Shield’s defense to its limit. The Purple Yang Cauldron expanded in size, further strengthening his protection. Li Xue changed her hand seals again. The sword rays within the array transformed into countless tornadoes that swept toward Li Lin, followed closely by bolts of blue lightning. Watching this familiar scene, Li Lin’s lips twitched. He couldn't help but admire Bugui Sanren. The array the Daoist had carved maintained the inherent characteristics of the Five Elements Shuttle, bringing out the elemental properties of the various materials to their absolute peak. He truly lived up to the title of Grandmaster Smith! Li Xue recalled the shuttle, thoroughly satisfied. "Congratulations, Mistress! This treasure is truly powerful!" Zi Huang said enviously. "Yes, yes! It’s so pretty!" Ling Xiaoyin chimed in from the side. Li Xue was in high spirits. "Xiaoyin, once you reach the third rank, I’ll have Lin refine one for you too!" Ling Xiaoyin was delighted. "I want one that’s very, very beautiful!" she clamored. Zi Feng, however, countered, "What’s the use of being pretty? One with great power is better!" "Of course it has to be pretty! We’re girls, aren't we, Xiaoyin?" Zi Huang agreed wholeheartedly. Li Xue could see that Zi Huang and Ling Xiaoyin had become inseparable sisters. This was for the best; otherwise, Xiaoyin would surely be bored in the Dream Realm. With the lively and active Zi Huang around, she would be much happier. For now, Li Xue could not take Ling Xiaoyin outside. With that little face that looked exactly like her own, anyone who saw her would become suspicious. Li Xue wasn't afraid of misunderstandings, but rather that someone might see through Ling Xiaoyin’s nature. If someone harbored ill intentions, it would be impossible to guard against everything. Since Ling Xiaoyin had chosen to take human form, Li Xue hoped she could live happily like a true human cultivator. There were too many high-level cultivators on Planet Golden Star. While they might not be able to see her original form due to the transformation being born of the Divine Scripture, they would inevitably notice something was amiss. Seeing the longing for treasures in the eyes of the spirit beasts, Li Lin also resolved to refine items for them. Zi Feng and Zi Huang were already at the third rank and could use treasures; once Ling Xiaoyin reached the third rank, she would be able to use them as well. Ling Xiaoyin currently looked to be about two years old. If she advanced to the third rank, she would likely grow to the size of an eleven or twelve-year-old. Striving to grow up was one of the driving forces behind her cultivation. After hearing about the brilliance of the Nascent Soul spell tournament at the Primordial Gate, Li Xue and Li Lin couldn't help but feel a sense of longing. However, their cultivation was too low; they could only be spectators when the time came. Li Xue resolved to enter secluded cultivation, striving to reach the Nascent Soul stage as soon as possible so she might have the chance to participate in such grand events herself. Li Lin continued to study smithing under Bugui Sanren and Yu Nanqing. Both smithing and alchemy could improve one's cultivation, serving as valid paths of practice. As he pondered what kind of treasures to refine for Zi Huang and Xiaoyin, Li Xue offered a suggestion: "While the power of a treasure is paramount, Xiaoyin and Huang are both girls. It wouldn't be right for a ten-year-old girl to be lugging around a massive spear!" Li Lin was speechless for a moment before finally saying, "Then I'll refine whatever Mother suggests." "For instance, pearl ornaments, silk ribbons, jade cups, flower baskets, soft swords, flutes, whips, and so on!" Li Xue listed everything she could think of. Li Lin could only agree. He went off to collect materials and consider the designs. Li Xue returned to the Snow Whisper Pavilion and opened her storage room. The collection here had all been moved from Chonghua Hall. She looked around. There were quite a few treasures and tools, but only two were high-grade: the wood-attributed Cloud-Perching Hooks and the water-attributed Thousand Feather Darts. At this moment, Li Xue felt that having such a large household was quite a headache—there simply weren't enough treasures to go around. Fortunately, her son had begun learning to smith; otherwise, she would have had to go out and buy them. Li Xue called the spirit beasts inside and let them choose treasures that suited them. Even Hei Yan and Chi Ze couldn't hold back. One could never have too many treasures, and spirit beasts lacked them most of all. Most relied on their powerful bodies and innate spells to fight; with treasures, their strength would be vastly increased.