The Treasure Thunder Tribulation targets only natal artifacts. Ordinary artifacts, even those refined to the level of demon-slaying treasures, do not experience tribulation.
This is because natal artifacts have immense growth potential, whereas ordinary artifacts have inherent limitations. Moreover, the Treasure Thunder Tribulation not only has immense power but must also be faced solely by the artifact itself.
Any intervention from its owner using various techniques will provoke an even more devastating tribulation. As such, Elian could only watch solemnly, waiting for the tribulation to arrive.
In the sky, dark clouds swirled while the Fiery Void Sword circled mid-air, awaiting the mighty thunderstorm.
"Boom—"
After half an hour, a thunderous roar echoed as a dazzling bolt of lightning descended, striking directly at the Fiery Void Sword.
At that moment, the natal sword was in its prime and showed no fear. With a radiant sword aura, it cleaved straight into the lightning.
The power of this strike was astounding, equivalent to a full-strength attack from an early-stage Golden Core cultivator, successfully dispersing the first strike of the tribulation.
However, the encounter dimmed the Fiery Void Sword's brilliance considerably, clearly taking a toll on its strength.
"This is troublesome," Elian muttered, a trace of worry in his eyes. The Treasure Thunder Tribulation had three strikes, each comparable to a full-force attack of an early-stage Golden Core cultivator.
Now, without Elian's ability to infuse energy into the Fiery Void Sword to assist, its survival through the tribulation was uncertain.
"Boom—"
As he spoke, another bolt of lightning roared down from the heavens.
This second strike was overwhelming, almost extinguishing the light of the Fiery Void Sword, significantly depleting its energy.
"This is bad," Elian said with a grave expression. The Fiery Void Sword was nearly out of power, and the next strike would test the resilience of its very structure.
The sword, crafted with robust materials and imbued with abundant elemental energies, was formidable but not yet made of materials of the fourth rank. Elian feared that even if it survived the final blow, it would sustain severe damage.
At that moment, the heavens delivered the final, most ferocious strike of the Treasure Thunder Tribulation.
The Fiery Void Sword endured the bolt head-on, suffering catastrophic damage. Its once-lustrous surface now bore fine cracks, a testament to its struggle against the tribulation.
"Fiery Void Sword..." Elian winced at the sight of his cherished artifact's suffering.
Then, a miraculous change occurred. A gentle rain poured from the heavens, soaking into the natal sword.
The Fiery Void Sword absorbed this heavenly balm, quickly mending its fissures, and its brilliance returned, even more radiant than before.
"Hum—"
With an invigorated hum, the sword soared toward Elian, exuding joy.
Elian's heart was a mix of relief and elation.
The sword had incorporated materials such as the Crystal of Blazing Flame and refined Western Extreme Metal, and it had undergone tempering in the sword-washing pool, giving it extraordinary toughness and resilience.
Even so, it had barely survived the Treasure Thunder Tribulation, showing Elian just how dangerous the ordeal had been.
"Had it been an ordinary natal artifact, it likely would have shattered under the tribulation," he muttered.
"This proves that to confidently face a Treasure Thunder Tribulation, the artifact must incorporate materials of the fourth rank," Elian thought to himself, deciding to hold off on upgrading the Heavenly River Deep Water Sword, Magnetic Treasure Mirror, and Pure Water Green Lotus Platform.
The risks were simply too high. These artifacts lacked the innate qualities of fourth-rank materials, and their periods of refinement were shorter than the Fiery Void Sword's. Attempting to upgrade them now might lead to irreparable damage.
The Pure Water Green Lotus Platform was especially vulnerable, being naturally countered by lightning. To enhance its power and durability, he would need a fourth-rank Water Elemental Pearl.
"A fourth-rank treasure costs at least fifty thousand spirit stones. Items like a Water Elemental Pearl start at two hundred thousand spirit stones and are extremely rare," Elian mused, shelving his plans for artifact upgrades.
After issuing a family-wide order to seek out fourth-rank treasures, Elian turned his attention to crafting a fifth natal artifact.
Years ago, when he derived the Sovereign Earth Scripture, he also devised the method to forge an earth-attribute artifact called the Earth Sovereign Bell.
Now that he had reached the late stage of the Purple Mansion, Elian decided to use this time, before pursuing the Golden Core realm, to craft the artifact and refine his spiritual power further.
Though starting fresh with a new natal artifact would cost him ten years of dedicated cultivation and slightly slow future progress, the benefits in terms of enhanced battle power and spiritual refinement far outweighed the drawbacks.
Purified spiritual power greatly improved the chances of breaking through to the Golden Core realm, even boosting the quality of the core itself.
After locating an exceptional Earth Primordial Stone in the family vault, Elian felt a surge of joy.
The Earth Primordial Stone was a high-grade earth-attribute treasure, typically used to forge top-tier defensive artifacts, valued at over ten thousand spirit stones.
This particular piece had been acquired ten years prior when the Patriarch traded a life-extending spirit fruit during the annual trade fair.
Shaking his head with a smile, Elian acknowledged the Patriarch's foresight.
He also found a Gold Essence Crystal set aside explicitly for him, further confirming his patriarch's thoughtful preparations.
"Patriarch, you're always one step ahead," he said with a laugh, claiming the Gold Essence Crystal.
Although the Earth Sovereign Bell could be forged with an Earth Primordial Stone as the primary material, Elian opted for the Gold Essence Crystal to bolster the artifact's resilience and offensive power.
With all necessary materials in hand, Elian traveled to Qingyuan Mountain to utilize the fourth-rank geothermal vein for crafting.
Harnessing his immense spiritual power and the geothermal vein's energy, Elian completed the Earth Sovereign Bell's forging within a month.
The artifact reached the peak of the third rank.
Infusing it with a wisp of Primordial Purple Qi, its upper limit increased further.
"Success," Elian whispered with satisfaction.
...
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