Shen Xian narrowed his eyes, pushing his Soul Formation-level Divine Sense to its limit. He dissected every arc of the violet-black storm, analyzing the chaotic energy structure down to its smallest particle.

Ordinary heavenly tribulation was a blunt instrument—mindless, violent, and solely destructive.

But this… this violet-black lightning was different. Beneath the roaring violence lay a rhythm. Each bolt contained energy of terrifying purity, dense and profound.

It wasn’t trying to destroy. It was trying to temper.

A sharp glint of realization flashed in Shen Xian’s eyes.

As a Tier-5 Artifact Refiner, the conclusion was instant: while this tribulation could easily reduce a man to ash, if controlled, it was a massive Fated Chance.

“Burning Heaven Cauldron… seize it!”

Shen Xian’s hands formed a sudden seal. The massive cauldron hovering above him groaned and inverted, its gaping maw aiming directly at the descending storm.

The dragon patterns etched into the crimson metal flared to life, generating a vortex that actively swallowed the violet-black lightning!

This cauldron was his primary tool for the craft. If he could temper it here, pushing it to a higher tier, the quality of every artifact he forged in the future would skyrocket. It might even gain dual attributes of Fire and Lightning.

He briefly considered his other treasures—the [Heavenly Secret Disk] and the [Mountain-Suppressing Chaotic Sky Bell]. The former was a gift for someone else, and the latter was a trump card best kept hidden.

Focus on the Cauldron, he decided. If the storm lasts, I’ll worry about the rest later.

Refining begins!

Shen Xian’s hands became a blur. Ten fingers danced in complex rhythms, striking seal after ancient seal into the vibrating metal.

Inside the cauldron, chaos erupted. The violet-black lightning rampaged like a trapped beast, colliding violently with the cauldron’s native Crimson Li Fire.

Boom! Boom!

Every collision sent blinding shockwaves of spiritual light pulsing through the bronze walls, illuminating the interior like a miniature sun.

At this moment, Shen Xian’s prowess as a Tier-5 Artifact Refiner was on full display.

Just as I thought.

Through his connection to the artifact, Shen Xian could feel the microscopic changes. The lightning wasn’t damaging the cauldron; it was purifying it.

Tiny, microscopic flaws in the metal structure were being forcefully realigned by the lightning patterns. Impurities were vaporized. Sections of the alloy that hadn’t perfectly fused during its original creation were now melting together under the extreme stress, achieving a state of flawless unity.

Even more astonishingly, the dragon carvings began to move.

Originally mere decoration, the dragons now seemed possessed by spirits, stretching their metallic bodies and swimming through the sea of lightning. Their eyes glowed with violet electricity, reflecting the roaring flames within.

Nearby, a bolt of violet lightning slammed into Lei Yingjie.

Crack!

A fissure appeared on his beloved purple-gold gourd.

Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. He was about to curse the heavens when a flash of movement caught his eye. He froze, dumbfounded.

Shen Xian… was refining an artifact?!

The madman! We are fighting for our lives, and he treats the Heavenly Tribulation like a forge?!

Not far away, Qiu Ruoli was trembling. Five of her defensive white lotuses had already withered, and she was barely holding on. When she saw Shen Xian’s composed figure amidst the apocalypse, her cold pupils contracted violently.

Using tribulation lightning to refine… does he have a death wish? One slip and his soul will be erased!

Zhou Fengxing was in even worse shape. His rune brush was fractured, and he was dodging bolts like a frightened rat. Seeing Shen Xian not only standing his ground but inviting the lightning in, his jaw dropped.

Is his skill in the Dao of Artifacts truly this terrifying?

Pfft!

Another cultivator failed to dodge. A bolt struck him square in the chest, and he disintegrated into drifting ash without a sound.

Panic surged through the survivors. They poured every ounce of remaining spiritual power into their shields, praying for the end.

And Shen Xian?

He hovered in mid-air, the [Burning Heaven Cauldron] spinning before him. The interweaving lightning and fire cast his face in stark relief—shadow and light dancing across features that showed no fear, only intense concentration.

His fingers wove complex seals with fluid grace. To him, this world-ending storm was nothing more than high-quality fuel.

Boom!

A bolt of violet-black lightning as thick as a water bucket crashed toward Shen Xian.

Instead of blocking, he flicked his wrist. The lightning was caught by an invisible force and guided gently into the cauldron’s mouth, like wine being poured into a cup.

Under his supreme control, the destructive energy became obedient nourishment.

Lei Yingjie watched, his eye twitching uncontrollably. My Wind Thunder Sect is famous for lightning manipulation, yet even our Elders wouldn’t dare be this arrogant! Just who is this person?

Shen Xian seemed to sense the gaze. He turned his head slightly, sweeping a calm look over the struggling prodigies.

His eyes were tranquil, deep pools of water. The message was clear without words: The tribulation you fear as a tiger… is merely a toy in my palm.

Hummm—

A clear, resonant dragon roar erupted from the [Burning Heaven Cauldron].

Crimson fire and violet lightning fused into a new, terrifying aura. The pressure radiating from the artifact was so intense that for a heartbeat, the descending lightning actually stagnated in the air.

The crowd was stupefied.

In this life-or-death crisis, some were bleeding, some were running, some were dying.

And Shen Xian was using the apocalypse to upgrade his gear.

Rumble…

The thunderclouds churned heavily. The end was near. The aura of destruction concentrated, preparing for a final bombardment.

Shen Xian’s lips curled into a faint smile.

Boom!

As the final volley of violet lightning descended, Shen Xian’s eyes snapped open, blazing with light.

“Since we are refining,” he whispered, “let’s refine it thoroughly!”

He formed a massive, ancient seal and slammed his palm against the cauldron.

“Suck!”

The [Burning Heaven Cauldron] spun violently, generating a terrifying gravitational force.

It was like a black hole opening in the sky.

Lightning that was arcing toward other cultivators suddenly twisted in mid-air. Like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea, the bolts were forcibly dragged off course and sucked into the cauldron’s voracious maw.

“My tribulation… it’s gone?”

A cultivator, charred black and on his knees, stared blankly at the sky.

He had given up hope. He was ready to die. But suddenly, the pressure vanished. The bolt meant for his head had been stolen.

He looked at Shen Xian, his eyes filling with awe and gratitude.

At this moment, no one cared about identity. Demonic cultivator? Rogue? It didn’t matter. The man who saves your life is a god.

It wasn’t just one person. As the cauldron’s suction increased, the pressure on everyone plummeted.

Cultivators who had previously looked at Shen Xian with disdain now watched him with worshipful eyes.

Shen Xian ignored them. His entire being was immersed in the craft.

Inside the cauldron, the fusion reached critical mass.

“Merge!”

With a clear shout, a blinding pillar of light erupted from the cauldron, piercing the dark clouds.

Crimson and violet energies achieved perfect equilibrium. The dragon patterns roared, detaching from the surface to swim through the air around the artifact, their eyes crackling with lightning.

Inside the vessel, space warped and expanded by thirty percent, hinting at the formation of a self-contained dimensional world.

“A step higher!”

Shen Xian’s eyes shone with satisfaction.

The [Burning Heaven Cauldron] hadn’t jumped a full grade, but its power had increased exponentially. It now possessed a solid foundation to eventually become a mid-grade True Spirit Treasure.

Above them, the thunderclouds stagnated. Deprived of their energy, the violet-black masses began to dissolve.

The tribulation was over.

Golden sunlight pierced the gloom, illuminating the shattered bronze floor.

The survivors looked at each other, unable to process the silence.

“Is… is it over?”

“We survived?”

“Thank you, Fellow Daoist, for your grace!”

“If not for Senior’s action, we would be ash!”

Several cultivators rushed toward Shen Xian, bowing deeply. Their gratitude was genuine; they knew exactly how close to death they had been.

Qiu Ruoli stood apart, her expression a mix of relief and bitterness.

The tribulation hadn’t just failed to kill him; it had made him stronger. The gap between them felt like it was widening, and she hated it.

It’s not over yet.

Shen Xian barely acknowledged the thanks. He offered a polite, distant smile and waved his hand. The massive [Burning Heaven Cauldron] shrank instantly, falling gently into his palm.

It felt warm to the touch, humming with balanced power.

Perfect.

Boom!

Before anyone could rest, a blinding white light enveloped the chamber.

The survivors vanished. The next trial had begun.