[The Weapon Nurturer has refined the classes of Master Craftsman, Artifact Forger, Heavenly Forging Spirit, Holy Relic Collector, and Elemental Enchantment Master from the Morning Star Embers. Fusion and Metamorphosis complete.]
[Discovered Holy Class—Sky-Scar Forger: Can be acquired after fulfilling the Profession Requirements.]
[Profession Requirement One: Be a 7th-Tier Class-User, and all acquired classes must be of the top grade. (Completed)]
[Profession Requirement Two: Spend three years before a forge without the use of any external assistance, relying solely on your own two hands and the most basic hammer and anvil, to forge ten thousand different types of artifacts. (Completed)]
[Profession Requirement Three: Collect Stellar Gold Essence, the Main Trunk of the World Tree, the Core of Still Water, Nirvana Cinders, and the Soil of the Heart Vein, and fuse them into the body using a Forging Ritual. (Completed)]
[Profession Requirement Five: Personally destroy a creation you consider your life's blood, and experience the resulting pain and emptiness. (Completed)]
[Profession Requirement Four: Forcibly extract the attached Spirituality from a Morning Star Artifact. (Completing the Profession Requirements and acquiring the class will grant an additional Reward.)]
It actually turned into a Holy Class? And a forging-type one at that?
Su Chen was surprised. The vast majority of the Profession Requirements for this [Sky-Scar Forger] were listed as completed. This was likely the contribution of the Morning Star Embers, leaving only one requirement unfulfilled.
"The Morning Star Embers actually have the effect of substituting for the completion of Profession Requirements..." Su Chen was quite surprised. As for a forging-type Holy Class, he had truly never heard of one.
What could it do? Forge Morning Star Artifacts?
Su Chen had no desire to strike iron, but there was no guarantee it didn't have other marvelous uses. Even if it was purely just striking iron, it could still stack his Class Development Efficiency. After all, it was a six-in-one fusion.
"Extract the fused Spirituality from a Morning Star Artifact."
Although only one requirement remained, the difficulty was not low. A Morning Star Artifact was the lifeblood of a Morning Star Tier powerhouse. Extracting the attached Spirituality from it was tantamount to crippling the Morning Star Artifact.
The first thing he thought of was the Crimson Thunder Cauldron on Crimson Thunder Planet. However, that cauldron's Spirituality was the Crimson Flame Responding Thunder Great Exalted himself, and its materials had even been used by the Ancient King to create a protective barrier.
A Morning Star Artifact... He thought in a circle. There were currently only two Morning Star powerhouses within The Order. There was no need to mention Chu Lingyuan. As for Qin Yun's Morning Star Artifact, it seemed...
Hmm? Suddenly, his eyelids twitched. Qin Yun's Morning Star Artifact hadn't been brought back, right? Could it have been left behind in the Flare Realm?
It wasn't just him; there were other Morning Star Tier powerhouses who had died inside. Their weapons should all still be in there as well.
If one wanted to forge a Morning Star Artifact, the materials consumed would be far from small. But those fellows who entered the Flare Realm were all mainstays of the several major sects, so they naturally had the ability to forge them.
Extracting the Spirituality of a Morning Star Artifact... a damaged Morning Star Artifact should work too. After all, the focus of the requirement was on the Spirituality, not the Morning Star Artifact itself.
Su Chen was already gradually able to distinguish where the focus of the requirements lay.
However, he had roughly explored the Flare Realm previously and had not found any wreckage of Morning Star Artifacts.
Su Chen thought back and forth. To fulfill this requirement, it seemed he had to figure out exactly where the Morning Star Artifacts of Qin Yun and the others were.
Going straight in to look for them was definitely impossible. Right now, it seemed there was only one fellow who knew.
The Void Remnant Spirit had been constantly tortured by the Great Exalted. Su Chen hadn't bothered to check on it during this period of time, so now was a good time to ask.
With a slight stir in Su Chen's heart, the anguished wails of the Void Remnant Spirit immediately echoed in his ears before gradually fading away, evolving into harsh, heavy panting.
He didn't know why Spirit Shards could still pant...
"Taixu," Su Chen called out again.
"Stop!" Hearing his voice, the Remnant Spirit immediately responded, shouting harshly, "Make him stop!"
Torture aimed at Spirit Shards was the most terrifying kind; it was an intense pain that touched the very soul.
Moreover, the Space he was in was unknown, possessing no concept of time or Space, and it seemed as though it would continue on forever.
"I have some questions I want to ask," Su Chen said, his voice flat.
"Ask..." the Void Remnant Spirit said hoarsely.
This kid was ruthless and vicious, completely denying him any opportunity to make a deal. Although he was a prisoner, he was equally curious about the secrets of Su Chen's origins. Perhaps he could glean some clues during their conversation.
If it was some inconsequential information, he was willing to answer to avoid suffering pointless torture.
Seeing that the Remnant Spirit was finally willing to cooperate, Su Chen didn't immediately ask any questions that might expose his own motives. He started with the same question as before: "What did you mean when you said you are both Taixu and Hao Ri?"
After a moment of silence, Taixu finally responded, "You can just understand it literally. It involves many things, including the origins of the Solar Flame."
"Oh? Let's hear it." Su Chen remained noncommittal.
Since this information wasn't considered a secret, the Remnant Spirit continued, "The master of this Solar Flame was named Taixuan Ye. The reason he fell here was because he was schemed against by someone from The Final Ruin, who intended to corrupt him."
"The two sides were entangled for many years, ultimately perishing together. And I was formed from the corrupted portion of Taixuan Ye."
So that was how it was. No wonder it knew so much about the Flare Realm and possessed so many Methods.
Su Chen came to a sudden realization and continued to ask, "According to what you said, why would the Spirit of the Vast Sun be left behind here? Under normal circumstances, shouldn't it be kept safe by Taixuan Ye's Faction?"
"That is only the case for Spirituality below the Radiant Moon rank. At the Blazing Sun Tier, one's Spirituality fuses completely with their body and cannot possibly be separated," the Remnant Spirit explained.
Spirituality fusing with the body—was this the defining characteristic of the Blazing Sun Tier? Su Chen grew thoughtful and continued his questioning, "The Faction Taixuan Ye belonged to is located in the Abyssal Domain?"
The Remnant Spirit responded, "That is correct. However, I am only a portion of his Spirit Shards. Much of my information regarding the Abyssal Domain is highly fragmented, so I don't know much."
Although Su Chen was curious about the Abyssal Domain, it wasn't urgent, so he didn't press the issue further. Instead, he asked:
"When you were in the Flare Realm earlier, you told Qin Yun and the others that there was a Method to allow those who didn't meet the qualifications to gain Recognition. Was that true or false?"
This question could already be considered on the level of a secret.
The Remnant Spirit remained silent for a noticeably longer time, seemingly hesitating. But after a long while, it still spoke, "I was lying to them. To gain Recognition without meeting the qualifications, one must first deceive the Spirituality. The Spirit of the Vast Sun is not an ordinary Spirituality; it's not so easily deceived."
"The Method I taught them was merely a method to help me escape."
It voluntarily revealed more. "Time is not counted within the Solar Flame. After Taixuan Ye's death, I don't know how long it took for me to awaken, but I was sealed away by the Spirit of the Vast Sun. It wasn't until they entered that I began to deceive them."
"Deceiving them?" Su Chen didn't know whether to believe it or not. "There's one more thing. Where are the weapons of those Morning Stars who died in the Flare Realm?"
"Weapons?" The Remnant Spirit was somewhat taken aback. Clearly, it hadn't expected Su Chen to ask such a question. It quickly responded, "The weapons were all swallowed into the belly of the Spirit of the Vast Sun."
"Swallowed into its belly?" Su Chen was astonished.
"That's right," the Remnant Spirit explained. "The Spirit of the Vast Sun can slowly absorb the portion of the Morning Star Spirit's Spirituality attached to those Morning Star Artifacts."
No wonder he hadn't seen those Morning Star Artifacts... Su Chen couldn't help but furrow his brow.
In that case, he still had to yank the Morning Star Artifacts out of the Spirit of the Vast Sun's mouth?
He asked casually, "Do you have any method to take those weapons out of the Spirit of the Vast Sun's mouth?"
The Remnant Spirit hesitated slightly. "Even if I did have a method, it would have to be used within the Flare Realm. But right now..."
This old fox seemed to want to regain the initiative. Su Chen acutely realized this and didn't bother acting in a secretive or evasive manner with it. He said straightforwardly, "I was just about to ask if you had a way for me to enter the Flare Realm again, silently and stealthily."
As expected... The Remnant Spirit felt a wave of certainty. At the time, the Morning Star Tier power on Su Chen's body could have completely snuffed it out. Yet Su Chen had kept this Spirit Shard alive. He definitely had some scheme in mind, and it was likely because of its familiarity with the Flare Realm.
"If I cooperate, can you let me out of here?" the Remnant Spirit asked cautiously.
Su Chen thought for a moment before saying, "If you cooperate, I can stop torturing you."
The Remnant Spirit felt a flash of annoyance in its heart but suppressed it. Naturally, it was unwilling to be forever held in Su Chen's grasp, but things had to be taken one step at a time. It had to earn Su Chen's trust step by step.
This was just the beginning; it didn't mind cooperating with the other party for now.
"Alright." Without To Think for too long, the Remnant Spirit agreed. "Since you have already gained Recognition, entering the Flare Realm silently and stealthily is still relatively simple. You will need approximately fifty drops of Divine Blood, as well as ten portions of pure Evil God Power of Faith."
This was considered simple? Su Chen's brow twitched.
Right now, if he tried to requisition even five drops of Divine Blood, Qing Cang would come charging over directly. Let alone fifty drops; it was simply impossible for them to give him that much.
And what was this pure Power of Faith? He had hardly even heard of that stuff.
"Is this the only method?" Su Chen sighed, feeling somewhat disappointed. "And here I thought you were so impressive."
Hearing Su Chen's goading words, the Remnant Spirit felt a slight stir in its heart. This might be an opportunity to seize the initiative.
It feigned hesitation and said, "Besides this method, there is indeed one other. However, I'm afraid it's impossible to accomplish."
Su Chen remained noncommittal. "Let's hear it."
The Remnant Spirit said, "The primary condition is that you need Ignition Cinders."
"Ignition Cinders?" Su Chen's expression turned strange.
"That's right." The Remnant Spirit couldn't see Su Chen's expression and even considerately explained, "This is an extremely precious item. As long as you have a wisp of Solar Flame along with Ignition Cinders, you will be able to freely enter and exit the Flare Realm."
"However, one can only obtain Ignition Cinders after attaining the qualifications for the Recognition of the Three Dragons."
It estimated that with Su Chen's situation, he could probably attain the Twin-Dragon Recognition. He was only one step away from three dragons, but that one step was an insurmountable chasm.
"Recognition of the Three Dragons..." Su Chen murmured. "That seems very difficult."
The Remnant Spirit was deeply convinced. "It is extremely difficult. Unless you possess the True Brilliance Talent, it is impossible to attain."
Su Chen narrowed his eyes and continued, "Is this Ignition Cinders all that's needed?"
The Remnant Spirit sighed. "The Ignition Cinders are merely the first layer of difficulty. There is also a second layer of difficulty, known as the Cultivation Sanctum."
"Cultivation Sanctum?" Su Chen's expression grew even stranger as he took the initiative to ask, "And what is this now?"
"It's rather complicated to explain," the Remnant Spirit mused. "The Flare Realm left behind by Taixuan Ye is actually a relatively common method of selecting an heir over in the Abyssal Domain."
"There are numerous Trials within it. The high temperatures of the Flare Realm are unbearable; even Morning Star Tier experts would find it difficult to endure. The Cultivation Sanctum is akin to a type of Access Level that allows Low-Tier Practitioners to survive within it as well."
"Is that so?" Su Chen said in amazement. "To think there's actually such a thing."
"However..." the Remnant Spirit added, "One must pass the Great Sun Trials to be qualified to obtain a Cultivation Sanctum, which are the third and sixth levels of the Spiritual Tower. Even with a True Brilliance Talent, it would still take some effort to pass."
"Ignition Cinders, Cultivation Sanctum," Su Chen muttered. "Besides these two requirements, is anything else needed?"
"Nothing else is needed," the Remnant Spirit offered proactively. "You should have already attained the Two-Dragon Recognition; you are only a single step away from the Three Dragon Phantoms. I have a method that can help you increase your Recognition Level."
The Remnant Spirit finally revealed its true intentions, listing the numerous benefits that could only be obtained with the Recognition of the Three Dragons and the True Brilliance Talent, before claiming that it had a method.
Su Chen remained noncommittal, merely asking, "Then do these Ignition Cinders and the Cultivation Sanctum have any other uses?"
Seemingly in an attempt to increase the appeal of its own words, the Remnant Spirit said repeatedly, "The uses of the Ignition Cinders are extremely numerous; it's difficult to explain them all clearly in a short amount of time. If you possess these Ignition Cinders, the cost of the Methods you execute within the Flare Realm will be drastically reduced."
"For example, regarding the matter of extracting a Morning Star Artifact from the mouth of the Spirit of the Vast Sun, with the Ignition Cinders present, pulling out one or two would require almost no effort at all."
"And this Cultivation Sanctum is even more crucial. To give a very simple example, you can use the Cultivation Sanctum to manifest a Mimicry avatar and walk about within the Flare Realm."
"It actually has this kind of function?" Su Chen was somewhat surprised. He hadn't discovered this when he was researching it earlier.
"How about it? If you and I join forces, we can certainly push you to the position of The Chosen," the Remnant Spirit coaxed patiently.
"The Chosen..." Su Chen asked leisurely. "How do we do it?"
"The method is rather complicated. Right now, the most important thing is to collect Divine Blood and pure Power of Faith."
The Remnant Spirit's voice was inevitably a bit rushed, seemingly believing that it was gradually seizing the initiative.
However, Su Chen shook his head. "There's no need to go through so much trouble."
The Remnant Spirit froze, not yet understanding what he meant. But then it saw Su Chen extend his hand. Firelight surged around him, obscuring the surroundings, as a wisp of fiery cinders resembling golden sand floated up in his palm.
"This is... Ignition Cinders!" The Remnant Spirit's voice abruptly pitched high, finding it Unimaginable. "You... you actually attained the Recognition of the Three Dragons. But you clearly don't possess the True Brilliance Talent."
It was truly shocked. The Recognition of the Three Dragons was extraordinary; it was only one step away from becoming The Chosen. It knew the difficulty involved very well, yet Su Chen clearly only possessed Dual Divine Dawn talents.
However, the Remnant Spirit also realized how incredibly foolish it had just been. This kid had clearly been tricking it into talking. And in order to tempt Su Chen by inflating the value of the Ignition Cinders and the Cultivation Sanctum, it had actually revealed quite a few of their functions.
After a moment, it finally said unwillingly, "There is still the Cultivation Sanctum..."
"I have already opened it." Su Chen glossed over it.
This time, the Void Remnant Spirit actually didn't feel all that surprised.
"So, do you choose to proceed according to what you just said, or are you going to swallow your words back down?" Su Chen's voice was calm.
The Remnant Spirit felt a struggle within its heart. Entering the Flare Realm was just a matter of moderate importance. If it were to fall out with Su Chen at this point in time...
So what if the other party couldn't enter the Flare Realm? What it stood to lose was its very 'life'.
After a moment, the Void Remnant Spirit's voice rang out: "Since the words have already been spoken, how can I swallow them back? By igniting the Ignition Cinders and coordinating it with the Cultivation Sanctum, you will be able to sink into it silently and stealthily."