In myths and legends, most celestial gods possess their own Divine Artifacts of incomparable power.
In the mortal realm, practitioners of Martial Arts and Artifact Refining wielded immense power, using Magical Treasure Secret Artifacts to grasp the rudiments of creation itself.
The most powerful among them could fly through the sky at lightning speed.
And the strongest could shake the heavens, shatter mountains, and cleave rivers.
The appearance of many powerful Magical Treasures would incite fierce competition among Empires and Sects, leading to countless bloodbaths.
Magical Treasure Secret Artifacts are categorized into nine Levels, including Ordinary Weapons, Spiritual Artifacts, and Profound Artifacts. Each Level is further divided into First through Fifth Grade.
Similarly, Artifact Refiners are divided into nine levels—Ordinary Refiners, Spirit Level Refiners, Profound Level Refiners, and so on—with each level further divided from First to Fifth Grade.
Wooden Zither was currently a High Tier Ordinary Artifact Refiner. If she passed this assessment, she would be promoted to a Spirit Level First Grade Refiner.
'How could she possibly let some worthless, bottom-of-the-barrel student who did nothing but sleep all day criticize her work?'
The thought had barely crossed Wooden Zither's mind when Shen Lang spoke again...
"Nine formulas? Are you trying to make this as difficult as possible for yourself? Refining a Purple Thunder Golden Halberd into a Spiritual Artifact is simple. The materials are already adequate. Just use these three formulas, and then inscribe the Spirit Array Map based on the result. That's all you need."
With a yawn, Shen Lang picked up a pen from the desk and scribbled a few formulas onto a piece of paper as he started walking toward the classroom door.
"You stop right there!" Seeing him saunter nonchalantly toward the exit, Wooden Zither flew into a rage. "Do you think you can just spout a bunch of nonsense and walk away? It took me half a month to calculate those nine formulas, and you have the gall to tell me it only takes three? Do you think I'm an Artifact Refiner for nothing?!"
"The Tutor is right! We can't let this waste get away with spouting nonsense! What a joke! Daring to talk such rubbish in front of Wooden Zither Tutor... we can't let him off that easily!"
"That's right! A waste is a waste. Spouting nonsense and then trying to run for it... the nerve!"
Many students began to clamor, their eyes filled with mockery and malicious glee.
Shen Lang shrugged and spread his hands. "Adding Crimson Sky Demon Root to Demon-Slaying Rock was already scary enough, but then you had to go and add Soul-Burning Ghost Wood for no good reason! Under the heat of the Earth Fire... look." He gestured. "The flames outside the Furnace Cauldron are already turning cyan-red. In thirty seconds, tops, this cauldron is going to blow. I'm not leaving? You want me to stick around and watch the fireworks?"
"Ex... explosion?" Wooden Zither froze, her eyes instinctively darting to the Furnace Cauldron still being heated by the Earth Fire.
Everything inside the Furnace Cauldron seemed to be proceeding exactly as she had predicted, without any sign of abnormality.
"Wooden Zither Tutor, that kid Shen Lang is just trying to scare you! He's spouting nonsense! You have to punish him!"
"Exactly! If you don't, everyone will start spouting nonsense like this. What will be left of the tutor's authority?"
"I suggest we throw him off Profound Ice Cliff to be battered by the Gang Feng for three days and nights!"
The students of Martial Arts Class One cried out in righteous indignation. Wooden Zither frowned, her gaze fixed on Shen Lang's back as he was about to step out of the classroom. Then she heard him muttering, "Ten, nine... four, three..."
For no apparent reason, the corner of Wooden Zither's eye twitched violently. She whirled around to look at the Furnace Cauldron, her expression changing in an instant!
The Furnace Cauldron, which had seemed perfectly normal just a moment ago, suddenly began to release a wild surge of Energy...
Moreover, that Energy was still rising rapidly. The flames surrounding the Furnace Cauldron, seemingly influenced by the power within, had turned completely cyan!
"Oh no!"
Wooden Zither was utterly horrified.
With no time to think, she acted decisively, thrusting both palms toward the Furnace Cauldron.
"Thunderous Palm—Furious Waves Hitting the Shore!"
A ripple instantly appeared in the air, as if a colossal wave from the ocean was about to crash down!
Everyone felt as if they were on a small boat being tossed violently on the crest of a massive wave.
With a muted THUD, her palm strike sent the waist-high cauldron flying out of the classroom and down toward the river below.
A moment later, a tremendous BOOM erupted. The small river surged with a massive wave, and countless fish and shrimp rained down from the sky. It was a spectacular sight.