Carson Flores’s screams, like those of a pig being slaughtered, reverberated throughout the room, one after another.
It wasn’t that Carson couldn’t bear the pain or that his willpower was faltering, but that the pain was genuinely too much to handle.
Under Delaney Hunter’s explanations and personal demonstrations, Carson finally understood what refining Sword Bone truly meant.
Put simply, it was turning every bone into a magical treasure, into swords!
Using a living person’s bones as the main material, complemented by substances like Dark Iron Raven Essence, and applying Artifact Refining techniques directly to the body, aimed to turn the bones into indestructible Sword Bone treasures. How could that not be painful?
Carson was oscillating between life and death, barely alive, before he completed just a little bit, and he nearly fainted from the ordeal.
"It is indeed hard to bear at the beginning, but once you have more Sword Bones in your body, and you’re used to the pain, it will get better," Delaney encouraged.
Carson lay in the wooden tub like a puddle of mud, the medicine inside it—a concoction of unknown ingredients—constantly assailing him while also infusing life force into his body to prevent him from dying suddenly during this "Artifact Refining" process.
"You rest for half an hour now, then we will continue."
Delaney, too, sweaty from both operating and explaining, went outside to lie down on a recliner and cool off.
Carson leaned weakly in the bath, feeling the essence of the medicine penetrate through his pores, healing his body, especially the first joint of his left index finger, which seemed almost beyond saving, having been tormented to the verge of complete destruction.
An idea suddenly flashed through Carson’s mind. If the role of this medicated bath was to inject life force and repair the damage and fragmentation of the bones during "Artifact Refining," then didn’t he possess the Life Essence Pearl?
Could the medicine compare to the Life Essence Pearl?
The more Carson thought about it, the more energized he became. He sneakily took out the Life Essence Pearl and pressed it against his nearly shattered left index finger, then channeled Spiritual Energy into it.
No sooner had he injected the Spiritual Energy than the Life Essence Pearl began to react, and the damage on his finger bone swiftly healed. In about ten minutes, the damaged area was repaired.
Energized, Carson recalled Delaney’s warning that the greatest fear in refining Sword Bone was encountering unexpected mishaps that led to irreversible consequences, such as failure in refining and bone shattering. But now that he had the Life Essence Pearl, what was there to fear?
Soon, the half-hour passed. Delaney came in and asked, "How do you feel now?"
Carson replied with a smile, "No problem, let’s continue."
Delaney examined Carson’s finger bone and was shocked to find that all the previous injuries had disappeared, the bone was whole and flawless!
Delaney gave Carson a deep look, understanding that this was not something an ordinary Cultivator could achieve. Clearly, Carson had his own special method.
Feeling a bit uneasy under Delaney’s piercing gaze, Carson knew she had sensed something was amiss.
A normal person couldn’t possibly recover so fast, right?
Considering that Delaney stood up for him, bestowed upon him various Talisman Amulets, taught him the ultimate Three-Foot Sword Veil, and provided him with expensive materials, Carson decided in that brief moment to reveal the truth to her.
With a top-grade Magical Treasure like the Water-Fire Mirror, which everyone coveted, she never even questioned or seemed interested in it.
Delaney deserved his trust.
"Senior Sister, actually I have a magical treasure, which I found while exploring the cave heaven in Mount Liangchang..."
Delaney interrupted Carson, "Every Cultivator has their own unique destiny and trump cards. You don’t have to tell me about your most crucial methods, nor should you tell anyone else. As long as you have a way to heal the injuries from refining Sword Bones, it can not only reduce the risk of refining Sword Bones but also make the refining process easier, sparing you from enduring so much pain."
Stunned for a couple of seconds, Carson slowly nodded, "Okay."
Delaney said with a smile, "The human heart is the most unpredictable thing. Even though I have no ulterior motives and am sincere with you now, what if I became tempted once you told me?"
Carson chuckled, "Senior Sister, you jest... I haven’t told a soul about this except my wife."
Delaney poked Carson’s forehead with her finger, speaking in an advisory tone, "The heart is hidden behind flesh. In the face of eternal life, many truths don’t stand the test, and a good magical treasure can lead many to betray their own morals, driving them to commit sordid deeds. Like with your Water-Fire Mirror, if you didn’t have the protection of the Cave Master’s status, by now many would have probably tried to seize it. Even at this moment, I’m sure there are many with designs on it in secret. Until you’re strong enough, you must always be cautious and vigilant..."
Feeling warm inside, Carson readily agreed, "Okay!"
Delaney continued with amusement in her voice, "Having this ability is a great advantage for refining Sword Bone, especially in the later stages. The importance of the spinal cord is self-evident. Refining an entire spine not only requires a massive amount of resources, but it’s also incredibly difficult and prone to complications. Once I’ve gathered the resources, perhaps you could use your method to assist me, which I think would increase the chance of success considerably."
Without hesitation, Carson promised, "No problem."
Standing up, Delaney declared, "Since your wounds have healed, we can speed up the process now..."