# Chapter 1622: Refining an Imperial Artifact
Lin Feng left the Mu Estate once. When he returned with the materials he had purchased, Mu Linxue's artifact refining chamber was filled with an intensely scorching heat. Beneath the artifact refining furnace, a dazzling multicolored flame blazed, radiating terrifying temperatures. The person controlling the flame was none other than Mu Linxue.
Lin Feng watched as Mu Linxue's ten fingers danced, causing the flame to constantly shift in shape and position. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes. Mu Linxue had clearly trained in flame control techniques. As for the flame itself, it seemed to be a powerful type of beast flame, wild and untamed, yet under Mu Linxue's control, it appeared somewhat docile, continuously raising the temperature of the furnace.
On the furnace rested a massive piece of profound iron, now glowing red-hot like magma, seemingly on the verge of turning into liquid.
"Are all the materials ready?" Mu Linxue asked calmly without turning around.
"All ready." Lin Feng tossed a storage ring toward Mu Linxue. She caught it behind her back, and with a thought, the contents of the ring appeared before her.
"Pay close attention to this formation. Once I forge the artifact embryo, I'll have you inscribe it. Don't disappoint me too much, or you won't get a second chance." Mu Linxue's voice remained calm. Forging a weapon required considerable effort and many precious materials. If there were a mistake in the formation, it could lower the weapon's quality by several grades or even turn it into scrap. Mu Linxue couldn't afford to give Lin Feng multiple attempts—only one, and he had to seize it. After speaking, she tossed him a jade slip.
"I will." Lin Feng nodded in acknowledgment, took the jade slip, and first extended his divine sense into it to memorize the formation. Then he simulated the inscription process in his mind. Opening his eyes, he stood to the side, observing Mu Linxue's artifact refining. After a while, the profound iron had completely turned into fiery magma. Mu Linxue added some of the materials Lin Feng had purchased into the furnace for refinement, continuously adjusting the proportions according to her requirements.
*How exquisite.* Artifact refining had its own techniques, and Mu Linxue had certainly trained in them. The type of weapon being forged could be based on existing designs or entirely on one's imagination to create a unique artifact. However, the latter was far more difficult because there was no mature refining formula. What materials to use and how to combine them required constant experimentation. Most artifact refiners wouldn't do this, at most making minor modifications. After all, such experimentation was too costly. Refiners from large families could manage it, but ordinary people couldn't afford to try.
Only when one reached a certain level as an artifact refiner, gaining a steady stream of wealth to trade for various refining materials, could such a feat be achieved.
"Sword!" Lin Feng saw the artifact embryo beginning to take the shape of a sword. It was far from complete, but already carried a hint of sharpness.
"Inscribe the formation!" Mu Linxue's eyes suddenly flashed with sharpness. Hearing her command, Lin Feng's body trembled, and he descended above the furnace. Scorching heat rushed toward him, but since Lin Feng was skilled with flames, it barely affected him.
"Chi..." Lin Feng used the power of Earth Essence to inscribe a pattern in the air. The pattern was exceptionally clear, as if alive, constantly flickering.
"Earth Essence power. I might need to adjust the shape—it could become a heavy sword." Seeing Lin Feng's Earth Essence power, Mu Linxue thought to herself. Lin Feng had deliberately used Earth Essence to inscribe the formation, guiding Mu Linxue to forge a heavy sword to see what level it could reach.
Lin Feng's palms trembled continuously. With each tremor, a clear pattern appeared on the artifact embryo. Gradually, a sense of heaviness spread out, and Mu Linxue's expression tightened slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.
"He modified the formation I gave him, using his own method to inscribe it." Mu Linxue glanced at Lin Feng, who was suspended upside down in the void. She wondered whether this formation was one Lin Feng already knew or if he had improvised on the spot. Logically, the latter was more likely, since it was based on the formation she had given him but seemed more complex. If that were the case, Lin Feng's ability in the Array Dao could indeed help her.
The formation grew increasingly intricate. Besides the sense of heaviness, there was also a destructive force—both heavy and sharp. This made Mu Linxue ponder what kind of weapon she should forge to complement the formation Lin Feng was inscribing.
Mu Linxue's original plan was to forge a Supreme Sacred Artifact while giving Lin Feng a chance to try. But now she felt the need to revise the plan. Once Lin Feng's formation was complete, she could modify the entire refining process, perhaps even producing an Imperial Artifact.
Lin Feng's inscription process continued for a while. Finally, with the last stroke, the artifact embryo radiated terrifying power. Even just inscribed on the formation talisman, it could threaten weaker Martial Emperor-level warriors. With Mu Linxue forging it into a weapon, its power would increase further, likely resulting in an Imperial Artifact.
After Lin Feng completed the formation, Mu Linxue nodded slightly at him. A faint smile even appeared in her eyes, clearly acknowledging Lin Feng's skill in the Array Dao. Seeing how effortlessly he handled it, she realized his ability might rival her own. This allowed her to focus entirely on the artifact refining.
Mu Linxue added some more materials to the sword, perfectly fusing them in. Then she picked up the massive hammer and began to swing it through the air.
"Ding!" A sharp sound echoed through the chamber. Lin Feng watched the beautiful woman wielding the hammer in the void and couldn't help but pause. A woman like her swinging a hammer seemed somewhat incongruous, yet her movements were incredibly graceful, like a dance in the air.
"Let me help you," Lin Feng said to Mu Linxue.
"Lin Feng, this is the Wind-Dancing Hammer Technique. It's not suitable for you. I'll teach you another hammer technique later. But regardless of the technique, the goal is to perfectly fuse the materials together—evenly, seamlessly, and to embed the formation within. Watch carefully how I do it this time. Next time, you'll swing the hammer."
Mu Qingying continued hammering the artifact embryo as she spoke to Lin Feng. Lin Feng nodded slightly. Without experience, he wasn't suited for it, so he simply observed Mu Linxue's hammering closely.
"So exquisite." The more Lin Feng watched, the more absorbed he became. He didn't even have time to appreciate the beauty of the woman's movements. Every step of the artifact refining process was incredibly precise. Not a single step could be wrong, or the result might be scrap. Moreover, the failure rate for artifact refiners was very high. A mid-level first-grade refiner had only about a thirty percent success rate for forging a first-grade Imperial Artifact—three successes out of ten attempts.
"She's even controlling the flame while refining, gradually evolving the artifact embryo into a true weapon." Lin Feng noticed the changes in the flame and was inwardly surprised. No wonder strong soul control was necessary. The heat level could also determine success or failure.
After eighty-one hammer strikes, a light breeze passed by, and Mu Qingying landed beside Lin Feng. But she paid him no attention, immediately continuing to control the refining process. The earlier steps had been perfect, and she couldn't afford any mistakes now.
"Next comes the final shaping of the weapon," Mu Qingying said to Lin Feng. The flames raged violently. Lin Feng watched Mu Linxue, completely absorbed. Sweat had broken out on her forehead and face, and even her clothes were damp. But she had no time to care about such things.
"Forging a weapon is even harder than refining a pill. But artifact refining can be done collaboratively, complementing each other's strengths." Lin Feng was quite surprised. Mu Qingying had chosen Mu Xiao to assist her in refining. As for Mu Yi sending Lin Feng to get close to Mu Linxue, Lin Feng now understood the purpose: to assist Mu Linxue in artifact refining. His Array Dao could make the weapons she forged even stronger.
Time passed slowly. The sword on the furnace was now trembling continuously, but Mu Linxue dared not relax. Only the final moment remained.
The sword's trembling grew more intense, and a piercing hum filled the entire chamber.
"Rise!" Mu Linxue shouted softly. The sword shot upward, as if trying to break through the air.
"Solidify!" Mu Linxue's palm trembled violently. Flames flowed along the blade's edge in patterns, their perfect radiance mesmerizing, like a rare treasure. This was Lin Feng's first time witnessing the moment a weapon was completed—it was magnificent. The humming sword finally burst forth, piercing through the chamber and soaring into the sky. The sword's cry didn't stop, radiating brilliant light—heavy, destructive, unstoppable, and unbreakable.
"We succeeded." A radiant smile appeared in Mu Linxue's eyes. She turned to Lin Feng and said, "We did it. We forged a first-grade Imperial Artifact."
Lin Feng was momentarily stunned by Mu Linxue's bright smile. He hadn't expected the proud woman to show such a girlish side. The undisguised joy in her beautiful eyes was so dazzling it made one lose focus.
"Shouldn't you wipe off your sweat?" Lin Feng's gaze swept over Mu Linxue's body, causing her smile to freeze. She looked down at herself—her clothes were completely soaked. She was already wearing little, and now the sweat had drenched her body, perfectly outlining her graceful curves, exuding an alluring charm.
"Ah..." Mu Linxue was instantly mortified. When she refined artifacts alone, she never paid attention to such things. But now, a man was standing right in front of her.
"I'll go change clothes." Mu Linxue quickly ran off, even forgetting the Imperial Artifact she had just forged. Outside, in the void, several figures rose into the air, staring at the humming Imperial Artifact sword with surprise.
"Lin Xue has forged another Imperial Artifact." An old man's eyes showed a hint of joy. Although Mu Linxue was a first-grade artifact refiner, forging an Imperial Artifact wasn't easy. It required top-grade materials and careful preparation. While not unheard of, it was enough to make younger generations envious.
At that moment, Mu Qingying was also in the void, looking at the trembling Imperial Artifact. She thought to herself, *I wonder when I'll be able to forge an Imperial Artifact. Lin Xue is too skilled—she can succeed even on her own.*