Artifacts came in many varieties, and Formation Artifacts were one of them. As the name implied, these were Artifacts specifically refined for use in grand formations.
Under normal circumstances, any Artifact could serve as a Formation Artifact—so long as the grand formation was designed and arranged properly, integrating the Artifact into the formation would produce a synergistic effect.
However, Formation Artifacts required the assistance of a grand formation to be activated, because the power consumed by each one upon activation was staggeringly vast. A single cultivator would find it nearly impossible to bear the burden alone; the support of a grand formation was essential.
As a result, the destructive power that Formation Artifacts could unleash was generally far greater than that of ordinary Artifacts. Correspondingly, the resources required to forge one were also considerably more.
Trouble Master glanced leisurely at the Landlady. "You want to forge a Formation Artifact?"
The Landlady nodded.
"No problem. As long as you can gather all the necessary materials, this old man would be happy to lend a hand. But back then, you did three favors for me, and I promised to forge three Artifacts in return. You've already used two of those chances, so only one remains. Tell me—what type of Artifact do you want forged?"
The Landlady smiled. "Old Master, I'd like to forge one offensive Artifact and one defensive Artifact."
Trouble Master slowly shook his head. "You know my rules, little girl. Don't be greedy."
"I certainly know your rules, sir. My one chance can be exchanged for one Artifact, but..." She suddenly trailed off, her red lips moving as she transmitted a silent message.
Trouble Master's expression shifted from indifference to shock. He looked Yang Kai up and down, a hesitant look crossing his face.
After a long pause, he finally gave a slight nod. "Fine. I'll grant your request. But, boy—remember that you owe this old man a favor. Someday I may ask you to do something for me, and when that time comes, don't you dare refuse!"
Upon hearing this, Yang Kai immediately understood that the Landlady must have struck some sort of deal with Trouble Master—one that undoubtedly concerned him. He trusted the Landlady completely, so he clasped his fists and said, "Rest assured, Master. This junior will keep it firmly in mind and will never refuse when the time comes."
"Heh heh heh." Trouble Master chuckled. "Let's hope you still have that confidence when the time comes."
With that, he strode forward, and before long the three of them arrived inside a great hall. At its center stood a colossal furnace that rose at least a hundred zhang into the air. Surrounding the furnace were all manner of equipment and arrangements for refining Artifacts, so elaborate that Yang Kai's eyes could hardly take it all in.
Standing at the base of the furnace, the three of them were as small as ants. The furnace's surface was etched with countless intricate patterns and designs, as if nurturing the supreme principles of the Heavenly Dao.
The Landlady looked up and sighed in admiration. "Though it's not my first time seeing it, this Cosmos Furnace is truly wondrous beyond words."
"The Cosmos Furnace?" Yang Kai exclaimed. "This is the Cosmos Furnace?"
The Landlady smiled. "This isn't the real Cosmos Furnace, of course. Strictly speaking, it's a Miniature Cosmos Furnace. The true Cosmos Furnace was born naturally by heaven and earth, containing all things within it—what manner of divine treasure it must be! Trouble Master's ancestors were fortunate enough to have once laid eyes on the real Cosmos Furnace, and they used it as a blueprint, expending immeasurable time and effort to forge this Miniature Cosmos Furnace. Even so, it can unleash a fraction of the true Cosmos Furnace's power."
"Less than one percent," Trouble Master snorted coldly. "If those ancestors of mine hadn't exhausted themselves over this Cosmos Furnace, how would the villains have found an opening to strike!"
From the sound of it, it seemed that the creation of this Miniature Cosmos Furnace was precisely what had led to this blessed land's decline. That must have been a very long time ago, though.
"But thanks to this Miniature Cosmos Furnace, our ancestors were able to preserve this legacy. It was the Miniature Cosmos Furnace that built us up, and the Miniature Cosmos Furnace that brought us low!"
As he spoke, Trouble Master tossed a jade slip to Yang Kai. "My sect possesses records of one thousand and thirty-five types of Formation Artifacts. Take a look and decide which one you'd like forged."
Yang Kai caught the jade slip and sent his divine sense probing into it. In moments, he was utterly awestruck.
The jade slip contained a dazzling array of Formation Artifacts—so many that his head began to spin. Each Formation Artifact had its own name, properties, and classification, no two alike.
What an incredible depth of knowledge! The information alone contained within this jade slip was wealth beyond imagination.
Yang Kai found himself thinking once more of Divine Furnace Heaven. Among the Thirty-Six Great Heavens and Seventy-Two Blessed Lands, Divine Furnace Heaven was renowned throughout the world for refining Artifacts. Yang Kai's own Divine Magnetic Gourd had been crafted by the plump youth Xu Zhen. He wondered how Divine Furnace Heaven's accumulated knowledge compared to this blessed land—which was truly superior.
Selecting one offensive Artifact and one defensive Artifact from over a thousand options was no easy task.
Yang Kai looked at this one, thought it impressive, then glanced at another and found it equally appealing. Before long, he found himself unable to decide.
Trouble Master didn't rush him, simply standing to the side and waiting in silence. In the end, it was the Landlady who could bear it no longer. She snatched the jade slip away, examined it briefly, and said, "The Heavenly Net Umbrella and the Heaven-Executing Sword."
Yang Kai nodded. "Those two, then."
Trouble Master let out a raspy laugh. "Forging those two will require quite a hefty sum of resources."
Yang Kai clasped his fists. "Please list all the resources needed, Master."
Trouble Master grunted in acknowledgment, then produced another jade slip. He poured his divine sense into it for a moment before tossing it to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai caught it and looked inside, only for his brows to furrow deeply. It wasn't that the required resources were too many—though they were—but that he didn't recognize many of them. Even among the fortunes he had plundered from the Great Ruins Boundary, there were countless items he couldn't identify.
That was rather awkward. In other words, even if he possessed some of these resources, he had no way of knowing it.