Zhang Yuanqing pressed his palm against the embossed patterns on the furnace's belly, silently murmuring: "Upgrade!" Then he repeated again and again: "I hope it upgrades to the Master stage. I hope it upgrades to the Master stage." After conveying his wishes to the Hundred-Refined Furnace, he withdrew his hand and did not immediately begin the refining process. Instead, he pondered: "I only have twenty fire stones, and twenty chances. If this doesn't succeed, it will be troublesome..." As a Master-level scholar, Lian San-yue might not be willing to sacrifice his reputation and principles for a divine-tier rule-item. But a Master-level rule-item is a different matter. Even after the Purple Thunder Hammer reached Master-level, it still carried the quality of level 7—counting as a Master-level rule-item. No one, except the peak-level Master, could ignore such a rule-item. Once Lian San-yue saw the potential for profit, he would surely feel uneasy. Zhang Yuanqing didn't want to go through the firestone competition incident again—it had truly been a source of mental strain. So, it's best to have one successful attempt and then walk out with the child. Of course, if even in March truly insists on monopolizing his rule-related items, Zhang Yuanqing won't hesitate—by all means, he can simply sacrifice the flag. Currently, with half-divine and sovereign-tier items at his disposal, plus the Five Elements Spiritual Power Experience Cards in hand, a mere Level 7 metallurgy master holds no special significance to him. In his mind, he retrieved a high-quality Saint-tier material and picked up a hot, coarse piece of fire stone, then tossed both into the furnace. Based on his prior experience, he believed that before strengthening the weapon, he needed to first offer several lower-tier materials to accumulate merit. Soon, the furnace began radiating intense heat, and the vents on the lid released streams of purple smoke, while inside the furnace, a chaotic series of clanging sounds echoed—like someone forging metal within. After a few seconds, the sounds ceased, the purple smoke faded, and the furnace settled into stillness. Zhang Yuanqing immediately approached, placing his palm against the furnace to check the energy accumulation: [Note 2: 1%] Only 1%? Oh no, it's off to a bad start... Zhang Yuanqing muttered under his breath, then pulled out another piece of material corresponding to level six, and lifted a piece of fire stone into the furnace. With a series of chaotic "clinks," the Hundred-Refining Furnace settled back into calm: [Note 2: 3%] Only 3% energy from a level-six material? Zhang Yuanqing shook his head, hesitated only briefly, and then tossed in a third piece of level-six material. After five consecutive refurnaces, he had expended three level-six materials and two level-four materials, accumulating energy to 8%. "These materials together are worth two to three million, yet only 8%—simply disappointing. Phew, I'll just count this as building goodwill, building goodwill..." Zhang Yuanqing nervously rubbed his hands, and then added a piece of Dominant-level material. Following the "clinks," the purple smoke dispersed, and the Hundred-Refining Furnace ceased its vibrations. Zhang Yuanqing immediately pressed his palm against the furnace: [Note 2: 21%] Awesome! Zhang Yuanqing mentally danced with excitement. One piece of Dominant-level He just received four master-tier materials from the headquarters, one compensated by Tianfa, and five allocated from the Qin Feng Academy's underground palace. Having ten master-tier materials at such a young age—can you imagine that? At a conversion rate of 13% per master-tier material, ten materials are sufficient for an upgrade. Zhang Yuanqing, energized, poured in the second master-tier material. The Hundred-Refined Furnace trembled slightly, and the energy display read: [Note 2: 25%]. This time, the master-tier item only boosted energy by 4%. ??? As he stared at the numbers in the attribute information, a string of question marks drifted through his mind. "I have a bad feeling about this..." He steadied himself, took several deep breaths, and then added three more master-tier items. [Note 2: 30%] [Note 2: 34%] [Note 2: 39%] With five sage-tier materials and five master-tier materials, the energy accumulation reached only 39%. He still had ten upgrade opportunities, but only five master-tier materials remained. Zhang Yuanqing stood motionless before the furnace, finally recalling the fear he had once felt under Kelly's dominance, and the humiliation of being trapped at the anvil, watching his equipment shatter helplessly. After a long silence, he picked up the long-handled hammer without a word. "Phew... phew... phew..." He pounded the furnace with tears streaming down his face, his expression fierce as though he were avenging the loss of his wife and father. After venting his emotions, Zhang Yuanqing carefully analyzed his situation based on past experience. Given his current poor reputation, it would now be unwise to continue investing in master-tier materials. Instead, he should begin accumulating reputation by investing in materials from the Saint-tier stage. With that thought, he immediately selected three materials of level 5 and two of level 6, and fed them into the hundred-refining furnace. The furnace's energy had accumulated to 【Note 2: 47%】. Zhang Yuanqing silently removed his sacrificial attire and donned it, then drew out the Saint Spirit Moon, affixing the Thunder God seal. With a wave of flame, he formed a robe, and with molten rock, he forged armor, lifting his long-handled iron hammer: "47%? For heaven's sake, only 47%? Let me die! Let me die! Let me die!" Only five upgrade opportunities remained, and only five master-tier materials were left. Worn out, Zhang Yuanqing set the hammer aside, trembling as he retrieved the Fumagong Staff and the Tiger Seal. "There's no way out now. I'll melt these two—half-divine and master-tier items. I'm certain they can be refined. I'm certain they can be refined..." Calm, calm—melt the Tiger Seal, and the Five Elements Alliance will hunt me down; melt the Fumagong Staff, and Old Banging will pursue me. With neither reality nor the quest realm offering me a place to stand. Zhang Yuanqing took several deep breaths, pushing his bold thoughts from his mind. "If all else fails, I'll melt the Form-and-Spirit-Annihilating blade or the matchbox—should that still fail, I'll have no choice but to kill Lian San Yue to vent my frustration..." Zhang Yuanqing felt as if the broken furnace was driving him mad. With a firm bite of his teeth and a steady heart, he sequentially added the subsequent master-tier materials into the furnace. Apparently, after fifteen prior attempts, his accumulated merit had been sufficient, and this time the energy buildup was notably smooth—four materials collectively achieved 89% energy. "One last chance, one last chance..." Zhang Yuanqing first rubbed his hands, then bowed in four directions, murmuring under his breath, "May the Buddha protect us," "May the Almighty protect us," "May the Jade Emperor protect us," before finally inserting the last master-tier material into the furnace: [Note 2: 100%]. The entire furnace shook violently, as if a roaring washing machine, with its three legs frequently slipping and sliding across the floor. From the vents on the furnace lid, a powerful stream of purple smoke surged forth, much like steam escaping from a high-pressure pot. The entire process lasted exactly three minutes. The hundred-refining furnace gradually calmed down, and the purple smoke rising from its pores drifted gently, slowly fading away. It was accomplished—a dominion-level rule-type item. As soon as the purple smoke ceased to rise from the furnace lid's pores, Zhang Yuanqing felt an surge of excitement and immediately leapt onto the furnace to lift the lid. Inside the furnace lay a small hammer of purple-gold hue, a hand-cannon with a gun barrel-length shaft, and a circular shield. "Hmm, why three items instead of one?" Zhang Yuanqing picked up the Purple Thunder Hammer to check its attributes. The hammer's function remained unchanged, but it had advanced from the Saint-level to the Dominion-level. The description had evolved from "a lucky gambler with red eyes, who crafted this hammer using sixteen items" to "a gambler who, after betting on a dog, upgraded this hammer using twenty top-tier materials." Zhang Yuanqing felt mocked by the spiritual realm. Additionally, a new note was appended after the five-minute usage time: "Items at the Dominion level or below can only be used for two minutes." After more than two minutes, the user will be reversed by the resonant force and reduced to fine powder. Note 3's switchable form becomes: "One of the Purple Thunder Sets." At this point, Zhang Yuanqing immediately understands—hence the reason a single item split into three—because it has become a set. He then checks the attributes of the "Thunderstorm Cannon" and the "Purple Thunder Shield." Aside from the strength upgrade reaching the dominant stage, there are no functional changes. However, the cost of the "Thunderbolt" ability of the Thunderstorm Cannon is nearly sufficient to kill him outright—this is the price of a dominant-tier item. "Then the Thunderstorm Cannon may no longer be usable, even if I've previously injected the Life Primordial Liquid or applied protective measures to reduce the damage from the Thunderbolt attack. I would still suffer severe injuries and lose my combat capability—this is no different from licking my own toxic blade..." Zhang Yuanqing's initial enthusiasm slightly wanes. "Let's first examine the set's functions." He eagerly activates the set's special effects. Instantly, the purple lightning shield melted into a liquid and swiftly enveloped Zhang Yuanqing's body, solidifying into a set of armor resembling Iron Man, completely encasing him with brilliant purple light. Then, the thunderstorm cannon integrated into his left arm, expanding into a hollow gun barrel at the palm. The purple lightning mallet fused into his right arm, forming a small pumpkin pattern on the right palm, and his rounded fingers transformed into alloy nails. — The tip of the purple lightning mallet's handle is a triangular spike, providing penetration and bleeding effects. This function has now been transferred to the nails. This is merely the combat form of the set, not its full functionality. With the original attributes of the three items unchanged, the purple-gold set adds three additional functions: First, Armor: Immunity to physical and mental attacks during stages below Dominance. Attacks at Stage 7 Dominance are weakened by 40%, and at Stage 8 by 20%. At Stage 9 Dominance, the armor is completely shattered and no longer provides any weakening effect. Second, Steel Body: Immunity to one purple lightning cannon shot, with the usage time of the purple lightning mallet increased by two minutes. Three: Unshakable resolve, maintaining composure even after the loss of the Purple Lightning Shield. The set has a usage limitation—each wear session lasts only five minutes; beyond that, the effects automatically deactivate without any adverse consequences, an exceptionally gentle and mild response. After experiencing the full effect, Zhang Yuanqing's breathing immediately became rapid. This was a piece of equipment capable of withstanding direct assaults from a Level 7 Sovereign, though its attack methods were relatively straightforward—limited to lightning barrage and close-quarters combat. Within the five-minute duration of wear, a Level 7 Sovereign would find it impossible to defeat him. Essentially, a reusable, weaker version of a "Five-Element Spiritual Energy" experience card. "Unfortunately, this set cannot be upgraded any further. Ah, contentment is the key—contentment is the key…" After interacting with the set's effects and placing the three items aside, Zhang Yuanqing left the room. As he grasped the door handle, he turned to gaze at the still-standing, silent furnace of refined steel. I will never touch it again. If I do, I shall be nothing but a dog. He silently vowed to himself. "Crack!" "Turned the door handle, and there stood the owner, dressed in a black bodysuit and black leather coat. Li San Yue, her face darkened, fingers holding a lady's cigarette, gritted her teeth: 'You again—disguising yourself to pick up bargains at my shop!' As a master artisan, she had sensed the 'vibe' of the finished items and immediately recognized the Purple Thunder Hammer, confirming the identity of the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign. 'Thank you, madam, thank you, madam!' Zhang Yuanqing said humbly, 'I've crafted a master-tier rule-based artifact.' Li San Yue's expression grew even darker. Watching others produce top-tier items while herself losing one felt even more painful than the loss itself. 'Pay up and get out!' Li San Yue snapped. Zhang Yuanqing smiled warmly, producing the little red hat, counting out fifteen stacks of U.S. dollars—each stack amounting to one hundred thousand—'No change, the rest is my tip.' He was in high spirits. Unable to contain herself, Li San Yue asked, 'How many master-tier materials did you use?' "She didn't mention any props, since there weren't many props that embodied the essence of the qualities, and the headquarters' ten elders hadn't been this extravagant. 'Ten pieces!' 'Ten pieces...' Even Li San-yue's mouth twitched. 'You've suddenly become wealthy—did you become the favorite of the Marshal, or did the Palace Master of the Water Deity Palace take a fancy to you?' 'Nonsense! All of it was earned by myself.' Zhang Yuanqing glanced back at the furnace. 'In fact, the success rate of this method is 100%. As long as you prepare enough materials, why haven't the Five Elements Alliance or the Zhao family used it to craft props?' Li San-yue sneered. 'How many materials and props did you invest from Saint to Master? Calculate their worth. Even the peak-level Masters don't care, and ordinary Masters simply can't afford it. 'Besides, I've set a rule for myself—my hundred-refining furnace doesn't handle business for the Masters.' 'Why?' Zhang Yuan清 was puzzled. 'I'm afraid of being killed.'" "The way this furnace is driving people crazy is truly outstanding... Zhang Yuanqing thought back to his own near-tempestuous mood, eager to kill her in a fit of frustration, and deeply agreed: 'Madam, you've certainly maintained a steady and solid business presence.'... Late at night. In the apartment building of the Crab Market, Liang Chen sat up, extinguished the lamp, and lay down. He sat at the head of the bed, pulling out a silver plate adorned with yellow paper talismans. Carved into the plate were twisting, tadpole-like incantations. This item, known as the 'Dream Compass,' is a unique tool possessed only by the southern-style Dream Masters. While illusionists also have a similar item, it is of a slightly lower grade, crafted from brass. The Void Sect's base isn't located in the physical world, but rather within the realm of dreams. The elders have established numerous stable dream worlds, which serve as their bases. Members of the organization can use the Dream Compass to travel between these bases, exchanging information, trading items and materials, and receiving assignments." To enter the Dreaming Outpost, one not only needs a compass but also must channel the arcane energy and secret techniques of a Sorcerer. Even a lawful profession, despite possessing a compass, cannot gain access. This is precisely why Sorcerers are elusive and difficult to capture—they operate within a localized network. The plump young man slipped into bed, placing the Dreaming Compass against his chest, channeling his inner energy while silently reciting incantations. As the incantations flowed, the silver compass burst into brilliant light, then gradually faded. The young man fell into deep sleep. His consciousness passed through a shimmering, hazy expanse, and arrived at a spacious hall. The hall covered an area of approximately three thousand square meters, featuring sofas, lounge seating, and individuals sitting on the floor, each offering goods woven into tangible forms by magic. The sounds of bustling activity washed over him.