Under the combined efforts of many grandmasters, the progress of this endeavor was fairly smooth.

In about seven days, they had designed a rough blueprint and began forging the initial parts based on it.

The only difficulty arose when deciding on the main material for the body of the artifact—it was extremely difficult to find a material that could withstand such overwhelming spiritual energy.

The scarcity was secondary; the key was finding the right material, which made the criteria even stricter.

“Use the Nine Heavens Meteorite,” Tang Zifeng suggested.

Because they were forging a divine artifact, he had moved into the crafting hall, participating in every aspect of the process—though it was hard to tell whether he was overseeing things.

“The Nine Heavens Meteorite is indeed suitable,” Master Minghua hesitated for a moment, “But meteorite iron is already rare, and the Nine Heavens Meteorite is even rarer. If we use it all to forge the artifact, it would almost deplete the entire stock of the cultivation world.”

“But we don’t have a better choice at the moment, do we?” Tang Zifeng replied, his expression indifferent. “Moreover, this concerns the Sixth Domain… no matter how precious it is, it’s worth it.”

In the end, Master Minghua and the other grandmasters agreed to Tang Zifeng’s proposal.

However, in Minghua’s opinion, whether Tang Zifeng chose to use such a valuable material for the sake of the “Sixth Domain” or for someone else, the truth remained unclear.

During this forging process, Tang Zifeng completely abandoned his “junior” status and uncharacteristically displayed a strong demeanor.

He even pointed out some grandmasters’ oversights and issues with their forging techniques for certain details, often leaving them in awkward positions.

These grandmasters had long stood at the pinnacle of the current cultivation world’s crafting path.

They were used to a life of respect, receiving flattery and mentoring juniors—rarely had they ever been “taught” like this, and they were immediately red-faced and fuming.

But the crafting path doesn’t rank its members by seniority, but by skill.

Skill in crafting may not always be straightforward, but it’s easily tested.

If you say your theory is correct, and your forging method is superior, then let’s test it—though the path may be abstract, the result is always tangible.

Any empty theory will eventually manifest in the artifact itself.

Tang Zifeng used “objective facts” to silence those grandmasters.

Previously, he could be considered the leader of this effort, but this leadership had been granted by Qin Ruqing’s authority.

He alone had earned Qin Ruqing’s trust.

But now, he had truly become the leader of these proud grandmasters.

This time, he relied on his own indisputable forging skill.

Tang Zifeng even began to teach these grandmasters.

He lectured on the theory of “Using the Body as the Tool.”

“This is the core teaching bestowed upon me by Immortal Venerable Minglu when I received his inheritance,” Tang Zifeng said.

With just this one sentence, the experienced grandmasters immediately sat up straight.

—This was a legacy from the ancient crafting path!

They couldn’t help but lean forward, ears pricked.

Unknowingly, Tang Zifeng had been surrounded, giving a lecture to the grandmasters.

As he spoke with passion, someone revealed a look of yearning, “So that’s it! The body is the tool, and crafting is cultivating oneself. No wonder ancient tool cultivators were the main battle force, each one a heroic figure.”

Master Minghua also looked at Tang Zifeng with complex emotions, “Zifeng, for you to share the core of this inheritance with us so openly… you’re truly admirable.”

Such a high-level inheritance would typically only be passed down to disciples or close family.

For Tang Zifeng to reveal it in this setting, regardless of his intentions, everyone had to appreciate his generosity.

Upon hearing Minghua’s words, the other Grandmasters also looked at Tang Zifeng with admiration and respect.

Even the Grandmaster who had previously clashed with Tang Zifeng after being “taught” by him now bowed deeply to Tang Zifeng.

“Tang Zifeng is truly a one-day teacher for us all!” he said excitedly.

Tang Zifeng replied solemnly, “I have received training and nurturing from the Artifact Organization. I should reciprocate and contribute to its development. Besides, such an important heritage can elevate the current standard of artifact crafting in the cultivation world. How could I keep it to myself?”

The elderly Grandmasters were moved to tears by Tang Zifeng’s noble spirit.

However, Tang Zifeng remained calm inside.

He quietly observed these people and recalled what Qingqing had once told him:

“Some things are better leaked a little than hidden away. This time, when you face them, some old-timers will certainly try to play the senior card. These old folks aren’t bad; they’re just used to their ways. And you, you need to pull them out of their comfort zone. With the heritage you acquired from the Abyss, just reveal a bit of the core theory, but never share the practical details.”

“In the end, you’ll see—with bait in your hand, you’ll have them hooked. How much real stuff you reveal is entirely up to us. Even if you end up saying nothing, your position will be unshakable, and those old folks won’t dare make a fuss. They’ll be counting on you to keep leaking knowledge to them!”

Qin Ruqing laid out these “strategies” effortlessly, her full lips moving as she spilled out a stream of reasoning.

Tang Zifeng had asked her then, “Are there many people secretly cursing you for knowing so much?”

Qin Ruqing raised an eyebrow proudly, “Of course! In the current cultivation world, at least half the people probably curse me in their hearts. The remaining half? They love me and hate me—they gnash their teeth just thinking about me!”

Qin Ruqing spoke without a trace of shame.

At the time, Tang Zifeng couldn’t quite grasp the joy and pride in her eyes, but now, looking at the expressions of the Grandmasters, he suddenly understood.

Sometimes, tricking people is truly delightful.

While the others were busy forging artifacts, Qin Ruqing was also not idle.

She had two tasks: continuously sensing the Sixth Domain and practicing mind-meld techniques with Tang Zifeng.

Yes, these were two separate tasks.

For the first task, Qin Ruqing hadn’t made much progress.

If she could find it alone, they wouldn’t have to go through the trouble of forging artifacts.

However, the second task was going well—Qin Ruqing had now mastered the technique of controlling which thoughts Tang Zifeng could detect during their mind meld and which needed to be hidden.

After all, she couldn’t be entirely “transparent,” could she?

Such proficiency, of course, came at a price.

The price was that Qin Ruqing, who had never considered controlling her thoughts during a mind meld, accidentally let Tang Zifeng see something she shouldn’t have.

From that moment, she learned the importance of controlling and diverting her thoughts, leading to her current mastery.

That particular “inappropriate content” wasn’t particularly damaging.

It was just socially mortifying.

Tang Zifeng finally discovered the secret she had been hiding—a fantasy of a hundred years!

That day, which Qin Ruqing thought would be ordinary, was anything but.

She followed her usual routine: cultivating, understanding the “Power of the Source,” mulling over her schemes, attempting to locate the Sixth Domain, and finally, practicing mind-meld techniques with Xiao Tang, who had returned from the Artifact Society to Jiri Island.

The standard practice should have been Qin Ruqing conveying her comprehension of the Five Elements’ elemental laws to Tang Zifeng.

The five elemental forces were the foundation, yet they were critically important.

The related laws ranged from low to high levels, from simple to complex, all-encompassing.

Qin Ruqing even planned to try more advanced techniques like the Domain of Creation or the Realm of Absolute after mastering all the five elements with Xiao Tang (Tang Zifeng).

However, an unexpected event occurred that day.

The surprise came from Tang Zifeng, who, for some unknown reason, gave Qin Ruqing a small handmade gift: a jade sculpture of her, carved from glowing jade.

When Qin Ruqing received it, she curiously played with it in her hand, “What’s this material? It’s cool to the touch and seems to glow? Is this carving of me? Oh, it must be me, standing on a lotus flower.”

Tang Zifeng: “…You could have recognized it was you from the face alone.”

With slender fingers, Tang Zifeng gently took the jade back from Qin Ruqing and said warmly, “This is glowing jade, a rare material that may not be very useful. I found a piece in the crafting hall’s storage, and it was just the right size for a small sculpture, so I carved it into your likeness.”

“Oh? You’re giving me something that’s not useful?” Qin Ruqing responded with surprise.

“…,” Tang Zifeng sighed, slightly helpless, “I just wanted to show you something novel.”