Rat in Yellow Wind Ridge, rising from plundering entries - Chapter 8

Chapter 8 The Path to Apprenticeship, Learning New Traits—Artifact Refining and Formation Techniques!

The Yellow Wind King was wary that the Golden-Winged Great Peng might have left behind some hidden measures, so he remained in his cave, practicing the Moon Devouring Art daily.

Although called Moon Devouring Art, it was essentially a method developed by the Moon Devouring Rat lineage to absorb and refine moonlight to temper the body. It wasn’t particularly advanced.

However, with Moon’s Favored Spirit, the efficiency of the Moon Devouring Art increased greatly, allowing him to cultivate even underground.

In his spare time, the Yellow Wind King worked on solving an irregular magic cube. Two months passed in the blink of an eye.

Click!

“I solved it!”

The Yellow Wind King was thrilled as he examined the magic cube, where twelve zodiac beast heads had aligned perfectly in their respective places.

Creak…

A mechanical sound came from within. The Yellow Wind King grew alert and stepped back.

With a “Boom!”, the magic cube burst apart, revealing a small token that emitted radiant light, illuminating the Yellow Wind King.

Within the light, a message was transmitted to him.

[Whoever holds this token, seek the Square Inch Land, where a great opportunity awaits!].

“Hmm?”

The Yellow Wind King was astonished.

What did this mean?

An opportunity?

Once the message was delivered, the glow dimmed. The token floated into the Yellow Wind King’s hand. He probed it with his divine sense, and the token shone with spiritual light. Inside, it contained three postnatal restrictions—this was a magical artifact.

His parents, who were skilled in artifact refinement, had documented the classification of objects into mortal artifacts, magical artifacts, spiritual artifacts, and spiritual treasures. Another category was ritual artifacts, which were worshiped and sustained by incense offerings, also known as merit artifacts.

Except for the innate and acquired distinctions in spiritual treasures, the other categories did not have strict ranks—each had unique applications. The key was the restrictions embedded in the artifact.

Different restrictions provided different functions.

In theory, the more restrictions an artifact had, the higher its tier. However, some artifacts, nurtured by nature, possessed innate restrictions, making them extraordinarily valuable.

For demons—whether great or small—magical artifacts were the most accessible and practical treasures. Having picked up a magical artifact, the Yellow Wind King was overjoyed and immediately began refining it with his demon energy.

The artifact contained three restrictions.

Spirit Gathering – When activated, it gathered heaven and earth’s spiritual energy to aid cultivation.

Amplification – When activated, it enhanced the power of spells and demonic arts.

Soul Protection – When activated, it safeguarded the spirit and soul, providing resistance against illusions and charm techniques.

“What a treasure!”

The Yellow Wind King was thrilled—these three restrictions provided offense, defense, and support all in one. If he could study and understand them, that alone would be immensely valuable.

“An opportunity in the Square Inch Land?”

The Yellow Wind King examined the restrictions closely. Each stroke was meticulously inscribed, aligning with the natural order—clearly the work of a trained expert.

The refinement of artifacts, talismans, and pills required formal instruction—self-taught individuals rarely succeeded.

“In the world of Journey to the West, the major powers are well-known.”

“Square Inch… Could it be Spirit Platform Square Inch Mountain, the Oblique Moon Three Stars Cave? Was the magic cube actually selecting a disciple?”

“Western Ox Continent… Square Inch Mountain… Sun Wukong!”

The Yellow Wind King’s heart pounded. If there was truly an opportunity to become a disciple, who would want to remain in the wilderness?

“Should I take the gamble?”

The Yellow Wind King gritted his teeth and frowned, contemplating, But where exactly is Square Inch Mountain?

He glanced at the scattered wooden blocks on the ground and suddenly noticed that their grain patterns resembled mountain formations and contour lines.

“Could it be…?”

The Yellow Wind King gathered all the wooden blocks and arranged them in different ways, eventually piecing together a map based on the twelve zodiac signs.

“This is the Sand Country… Flowing Sand River… Heading further west, bypassing Longevity Mountain and continuing south, adjacent to the Western Sea, lies the Spirit Platform of the Western Ox Continent.”

Inside his cave, the Yellow Wind King lay on the ground, studying the map formed by the wooden blocks. Using the edge of a block as a one-unit measure, he compared it against known locations like Sand Country and U-Tsang Kingdom, calculating that one unit equaled a specific distance. Then, he counted the grid spaces to Spirit Platform Square Inch Mountain.

This task required a fair amount of intelligence and knowledge—it was designed to eliminate those who lacked the ability to learn and study.

However, for someone who had reincarnated from another world, basic knowledge was not an issue. The real challenge was patience, meticulousness, and determination.

“This journey is approximately ten thousand miles.”

“Let’s do it!”

The Yellow Wind King clenched his teeth and made up his mind. Having witnessed the overwhelming power of the Golden-Winged Great Peng, he felt both fearful and envious.

A true Demon King should be like that!

“Even though I have cheats, staying in Yellow Wind Ridge means I’ll never encounter truly powerful beings or acquire better traits.”

“I can’t just sit around waiting for a windfall… or hoping for some miraculous robbery opportunity. I have to step out and travel ten thousand miles!”

Moreover, The Yellow Wind King wasn’t sure if the Golden-Winged Great Peng would return. With its divine abilities, if it found him…

“Yellow Wind Ridge is no longer safe. Leaving temporarily will also help me avoid danger.”

With this in mind, the Yellow Wind King stopped hesitating. He gathered his bone bow, spear, long knife, minerals, and other supplies before returning to the Rat Cave.

At home, he made preparations for the long journey. Most importantly—he needed proper equipment. The Yellow Wind King fired up a forge, refining iron to craft arrows. His parents, skilled in artifact refinement, had made magical tools like the Child-Mother Copper Mirror and Bone Bow, selling them to demons.

Being exposed to this craft from a young age, he had picked up some skills. Though he couldn’t make complex artifacts, he was capable of forging arrows.

Furthermore, the Gold-Consuming Breath trait greatly enhanced his sensitivity to metallic substances. While forging, he could subtly sense and harmonize different metals, creating optimal alloys. Even better, during the process, the golden energy released by the metals was absorbed by him, boosting his cultivation.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

For over ten days, the Yellow Wind King wielded his hammer, forging more than a hundred iron arrows. He also used the gray eagle’s feathers for fletching.

[Through forging and study, you have acquired a new trait: Artifact Refining Apprentice (White)!].

[Artifact Refining Apprentice (White): You can forge numerous mortal artifacts and have a 10% chance of creating magical artifacts.].

“Hmm? A new trait?”

“I have a chance to forge magical artifacts?!”

The Yellow Wind King was ecstatic.

“Let’s test it!”

He retrieved his artifact refinement handbooks and carefully studied them. The books contained not only forging techniques and insights but also a list of rare stones and woods used in crafting.

Additionally, they detailed five magical artifact restrictions: Sharpness, Armor Penetration, Water Mirror, Bewitching, and Durability—all highly valuable. Over the next ten days, he painstakingly forged an arrow inscribed with the Sharpness restriction.