Shrouded Sky

Steward Liu and his men lay on the street, barely alive, beaten half to death like stray dogs. They had gone too far for too long, and their actions had long stirred public anger. If it hadn't been for a few level-headed elders stepping in, they likely would have been beaten to death. In the end, the mob dragged their broken bodies and dumped them at their respective doorsteps. The whole ordeal was deeply satisfying to the townsfolk.

At noon, laughter filled the little inn. Little Tingting wore the brightest smile, no longer afraid or anxious. Grandpa Jiang's pent-up frustration had been completely released. His face looked visibly younger, the wrinkles seemed to have smoothed out. He whipped up several dishes: red-braised rabbit, clear rabbit meatball soup, sweet and sour rabbit ribs, fragrant chicken rolls with green leaves, and spicy diced chicken. There were also vegetable dishes and wild fruit-based sides.

The meal lasted a long time, peppered with joy and laughter. The harmonious atmosphere made Ye Fan feel like he had returned home.

After lunch, Ye Fan went deep into the mountains. He began practicing control over his godrunes, which was critical for future cultivation.

Each godrune resembled a chain of divine iron, floating above the golden Bitter Sea. They were primitive forms condensed from life essence.

Cultivators could refine these godrunes into various shapes, flying knives, daggers, etc., and release them for combat, far more effective than raw godrunes. Some spent great time and effort refining their runes into flying swords, small shields, or divine spears to improve control and enhance their battle power.

A rare few, unafraid of complexity, forged their godrunes into even more intricate forms like cauldrons, bells, or towers. These could unleash mysterious powers.

It was said that in extremely rare cases, a cultivator's refined "artifact" could evolve in later stages, intertwining with the path of the Dao within, producing unimaginable power.

Of course, the odds were infinitesimal. Only supremely gifted and powerful cultivators might ever reach that kind of opportunity.

Based on past experiences, the more intricate and arcane the form forged from primitive godrunes, the greater the potential power. Among them, cauldrons, bells, and towers were slightly more likely to carry traces of the Dao.

Naturally, the more complex the form, the harder it was to craft. One could spend endless time and energy without even forming an outline, wasting precious years.

And even if one succeeded, the chances of reaping that reward in later stages were slim. To most cultivators, it was a legendary goal meant only for a few extraordinary individuals.

Forging godrunes into an artifact was crucial. Every cultivator took this process seriously, as it formed the foundation for object manipulation later in their path.

For example, Han Feiyu wielded the Green Wood Seal, Elder Han controlled twelve greenwood swords, and the rogue Daoist used multiple sentient weapons, all because they had refined their godrunes into "artifacts," allowing them to control spiritual weapons.

Most cultivators selected spiritual treasures that matched the shape of their artifact to maximize power.

Using mismatched weapons was possible, but performance would suffer.

Some chose to endlessly refine their own artifact instead of relying on external weapons, the artifact became their spiritual weapon.

Accorcauldron to the Dao Scripture: Oceanic Wheel Chapter, the four major cultivation realms, Bitter Sea, Life Spring, Celestial Bridge, and Other Shore, each allowed a cultivator to forge one artifact.

Ye Fan was now a cultivator of the Bitter Sea realm. He was about to forge his very first artifact, a momentous decision, because once shaped, it would be nearly irreversible.

Moreover, the first artifact would form the foundation for all that followed. It mattered more than those created in later realms.

Since he had chosen this path, Ye Fan had to think long-term. He immediately ruled out common weapons like flying swords, shields, and spears.

Though he knew the chance was slim, he hoped his artifact would one day weave the trajectory of the Dao within. Thus, he chose to aim for something intricate and arcane.

"What exactly should I choose…" Ye Fan thought deeply and carefully for a long time. Finally, his eyes lit up.

He had made his decision: he would refine his godrunes into a cauldron.

This wasn't impulsive. It was a decision made after thoughtful deliberation. Not only did Ye Fan have a personal affinity for the cauldron, but more importantly, it was one of the most mysterious artifacts in ancient Chinese civilization.

The cauldron ran through all of ancient China's history, mountains crumbling, dynasties rising and falling, lords rising, unification of the Nine Provinces, all were tied to the cauldron. It was a sacred artifact of the Nine Provinces, a national treasure.

Phrases like "Contend for the cauldron in Central Plains", "Flourishing Spring and Autumn cauldron", countless idioms were related to it, all grand and profound. The cauldron was an ancient and sacred national symbol in China, perhaps even representative of all ancient Chinese civilization.

China's history was so ancient that much of it remained undocumented. Many truths had not been passed down. Ye Fan thought of many such mysteries, and thus chose the cauldron.

In the pre-Qin era of China, many sages and ancient emperors had performed sacrificial rites on Mount Tai, including Fuxi, Shennong, and the Yellow Emperor, seventy-two ancient rulers in total. To Ye Fan, it all now seemed cloaked in mystery. Based on his own experiences, it was easy to sense the ancient Chinese past was shrouded in endless fog.

It was as if there had been a lost era in ancient China, one so mysterious it was buried in the vast river of history. Scattered traces hinted that the ancestors once wielded incredible power.

And the cauldron, as the most enigmatic artifact passed down from that era, was naturally given special importance by Ye Fan. As the sacred item that ran through all of ancient Chinese history, it made perfect sense for him to choose it as his very first godrune artifact.

He was filled with confidence in this choice. It was a crystallization of ancient China's essence, perfect for his first artifact, his root.

There were many forms of a cauldron. The most famous were the three-legged round cauldron and the four-legged square cauldron. But which one should he choose? Ye Fan pondered again.

"The three-legged round cauldron appeared earlier in history…" he thought, and slowly arrived at a decision.

Beyond historical precedence, he also had practical reasons. From the perspective of a cultivator, he believed the three-legged round cauldron contained deeper symbolic truths.

Three legs offered more stability than four, it was the most stable structure. And the circle contained broader, deeper meanings than the square.

Three legs, steady, firm, stable, grounded.

The circle, represents heaven, the universe, the stars. Legend says Pangu split open a sphere to create the heavens and earth, roundness symbolized the beginning of primal-chaos, the evolution of the cosmos. It represented creation itself.

"That's it. I'll choose the three-legged round cauldron." After deep contemplation, Ye Fan made this important decision.

Refining primitive godrunes into an artifact was no easy feat. It was a long, arduous journey that couldn't be rushed.

First, he had to lock the form of the artifact firmly in his mind. It had to be carved into his sea of consciousness and used as the mold during the forging process. Not a single flaw was allowed.

Ye Fan held the bodhi seed and entered a tranquil, ethereal state. He visualized the shape in his mind, used his divine sense to simulate the nineteen godrunes, and began refining them, first shaping them mentally.

After persistent effort, the nineteen godrunes melted and finally condensed into a bean-sized golden cauldron, radiant and flawless.

Yet Ye Fan wasn't fully satisfied. He felt something was missing. The form was perfect, but it lacked Dao Resonance.

"That's it, it's missing the cauldron's ears."

He resumed refining. The bean-sized golden cauldron was slowly hammered into shape with a pair of ears.

The moment this golden cauldron was completed in his mind, Ye Fan felt a natural, harmonious resonance. He was quite pleased and couldn't help but murmur:

"One cauldron, two ears, three legs. Yes, The Dao gives birth to One. One gives birth to Two. Two gives birth to Three. Three gives birth to all things. All things carry yin and embrace yang, blending their energies in harmony…"

The more Ye Fan examined it, the more mysterious it became. The bean-sized golden cauldron grew more profound in his vision, until it fully filled his sea of consciousness, ancient, majestic, and primordial.

"Yes. This is the one!"

The shape was now fixed. The three-legged round cauldron was forever engraved in Ye Fan's heart. From now on, he would begin forging a real version of it within his Bitter Sea.

"The most mysterious artifact across all of ancient Chinese history…" Ye Fan was filled with anticipation.