Chapter 334: Master Artificer

As Chen Xiao was lost in his thoughts, he suddenly heard Xi Xi speak up.
“Mm, sister, you’re so beautiful. Xi Xi really, really likes you,” Xi Xi said, lifting her little head from the black-clothed woman’s arms and blinking her eyes.
Chen Xiao: “…”
Normally, Xi Xi acted arrogantly, always referring to herself as “Lord Xi Xi” and acting domineeringly. But in front of this black-clothed woman, she seemed like a naive and well-behaved child.
Chen Xiao couldn’t help but admire her—typical of someone who adjusted her behavior depending on who she was with. Yet now, her appearance made her irresistible to all female beings, even this extremely powerful ruler, who couldn’t resist her either.
“Your name is Xi Xi, right?”
The black-clothed woman laughed and said, “My name is Jing Ning. You can call me Sister Jing Ning.”
“Mm…”
Chen Xiao felt helpless again. In fact, he also wanted to know this woman’s name to figure out which ruler she belonged to, but he hadn’t dared to ask rashly.
Yet unexpectedly, Xi Xi’s coquettish behavior helped him get her name out of her.
“Jing Ning… Is there any supreme god named Jing Ning in the Netherworld?”
Chen Xiao’s mind raced. He quickly recalled various books in the Book World about the supreme gods and rulers of the Netherworld, but found no records of this Jing Ning. Those books provided extremely detailed accounts of the supreme gods, even including their growth experiences.
No one knew who had left those books in the Book World.
But after searching carefully, Chen Xiao still found no records of this black-clothed woman, Jing Ning, which left him deeply puzzled.
He had already found records of the God of Death, the Netherfire Lord mentioned by Qiu Er earlier, and other supreme rulers of the Netherworld. Yet none of them matched the appearance of this black-clothed woman.
Chen Xiao shook his head slightly. It was better not to think about it anymore. For now, although Jing Ning couldn’t help him, she posed no immediate threat either.
Judging from how she had released Man Ka and killed Qiu Er, she was a self-willed person. As long as he followed her wishes and didn’t defy them, there would be no danger.
The cave was simply furnished, with only a stone table and two stone stools. The supreme goddess bowed to Jing Ning once more before continuing to prepare the food in her hands.
Xi Xi stuck out her little nose, sniffed the air, and drooled immediately. The dishes prepared by a supreme goddess were far beyond what ordinary chefs in the mortal world could create.
Jing Ning noticed Xi Xi’s greedy expression and smiled slightly. She released Xi Xi from her arms, and the child rushed to the shoulder of the supreme goddess’s servant, drooling as she stared at the ingredients in the pot.

At this moment, Chen Xiao was somewhat at a loss. After all, facing such a mysteriously powerful being, he had no idea why Jing Ning had brought him here—was it to keep him by her side forever? Chen Xiao frowned slightly, not knowing what to do. If he were taken away by an ordinary God Lord or even a Dominator—such beings with vast powers—placing him within their realm would ensure attention, but Chen Xiao would still have some space to move around. With his skills, investigating information about the Dead Dominator and Hu Zi Xuan within the domain of a God Lord didn’t seem too complicated. He could even leave at any time. But Jing Ning seemed to be a wandering God Lord, forcing Chen Xiao to stay by her side constantly, preventing him from doing many things. Being closely watched by a Dominator wasn’t fun at all. “Don’t worry, I won’t keep you by my side. The reason I brought you here is simply because I’m curious about you,” Jing Ning said with a smile, sitting on a stone bench and looking at Chen Xiao. At this moment, she could understand Chen Xiao’s thoughts. Earlier, he had told her that his purpose for coming to the Netherworld was to find a friend. “The Innate Nether Body is a physique unique to the Netherworld. How come you, a being from the Yangworld—or rather, a deity—have such a physique?” Jing Ning’s tone was filled with curiosity. “I also want to know why I’m a man and not a woman,” Chen Xiao replied, not answering her question but murmuring softly. At this point, Chen Xiao still appeared as that cold middle-aged man, and his words sounded rather absurd. Hearing his reply, Jing Ning covered her mouth and laughed, not taking his words seriously. She simply said, “Indeed, the wonders of the universe’s creation—who can truly explain them?” Then, she stopped dwelling on the topic. “You may go now.” “Hm?” Chen Xiao blinked, unsure of what he heard. “Me and Xi Xi represent six God Lords. Will you really let me go?” Chen Xiao looked at Jing Ning with disbelief. “Heh, are God Lords that rare?” Jing Ning smiled, then stretched out her hand and tossed a black light sphere to Chen Xiao. “I’ve studied this thing for hundreds of millions of years yet still can’t figure out what it is. But I sensed its presence in you as well. Since we’ve met, it must be fate. Have some fun with it.” Chen Xiao was stunned. He took the black light sphere and found a black fragment floating inside—it was actually a piece of the Yinming Heaven map. He quietly stored the fragment within his body, showing no reaction. This map was of great importance, but he couldn’t let the woman before him know. “Thank you, senior, for giving this to me. Um, this seems familiar. Maybe it’s related to my Innate Nether Body.”

Chen Xiao said awkwardly that he hadn’t immediately refined that fragment of the Sky Map. If the aura of the Sky Map were to leak out during refinement, Jing Ning would likely, on behalf of the gods of the universe, slay him with a single blow.
“Hmm.”
Jing Ning also kept an eye on Chen Xiao’s expression. Noticing nothing unusual, she nodded reluctantly.
“Since the senior agrees to let me go, then I’ll take my leave.”
Chen Xiao bowed slightly to the woman, turned around, and left the cave. He didn’t even bother with Gu Xi Xi, fleeing as if in panic, fearing Jing Ning might change her mind.
Xi Xi noticed Chen Xiao leaving, so she chomped on a fish in her mouth, murmuring goodbye to Jing Ning and the high-ranking goddess’s servant before chasing after him.
“My lady, shall we just let them go?”
Only after the two left did the servant stop what she was doing and look at Jing Ning in confusion.
“Hehe, they caused such a fuss—what does it matter to me? As long as the Netherworld remains intact, that’s enough. Those idiots in the Divine Realm insisted on going to war with those people, and in the end, the entire Divine Realm was taken over by them. I’m not an idiot.”
A mischievous glint appeared in Jing Ning’s eyes.
“My lady Jing Ning, is that low-level kid really a descendant of those people?” It seemed the servant wasn’t in a master-slave relationship with Jing Ning.
“Whether it’s true or not has nothing to do with me. My duty is to protect the Netherworld. I’m not like those idiots in the Divine Realm.”
Jing Ning smiled slightly. “If that kid is indeed a descendant of those so-called heavenspeople, I can’t wait to see what he’ll be like once he grows up. He can already deceive my senses now—I wonder what he’ll be like when he matures. I really want to see the expressions of those idiots in the Divine Realm on the Source Continent right now.”
The servant was speechless after hearing Jing Ning’s words.
……
“Huh… I actually got a fragment of the Nether Sky…”
Once outside, Chen Xiao flew millions of miles in one go before stopping. But at this moment, he didn’t refine the fragment. He wasn’t sure if Jing Ning had done anything to it. If he carelessly integrated it into the full Sky Map, any problems would be too late to fix.
For now, Chen Xiao didn’t plan to touch the fragment. Suddenly, he thought of the existence within the spatial seal, which seemed to share the same origin as the Primordial Spirit Fire and the Sky Map. Only after confirming it could he refine it with confidence.
By now, Chen Xiao’s appearance had changed again—he now looked like an elderly man in white robes, with white beard and hair, exuding an otherworldly aura. He had also returned to his true form, possessing the power of the Seventh Layer of the Primordial Spirit God.
His goal now was clearly the depths of this continent, within the domain ruled by the Death Lord.

Now, after encountering Jing Ning, who might be a powerful sovereign, he grew even more confident in his hidden skills. The fact that such a formidable sovereign failed to detect the falsehood of his innate Dark Body proved that he had enough strength to conceal his true nature from the Death Sovereign. As long as he kept the other party from knowing he was Chen Xiao, everything would be manageable.

Chen Xiao, now in the guise of an old man at the Seventh Layer Yuanling Divine level, was racing swiftly toward the interior of this so-called Death Continent.

“Roar!”

Suddenly, a thunderous roar echoed. A Dark Beast at the True Spirit Divine level, resembling a legendary Western dragon—the unique Dark Dragon of the Netherworld—soared into the air, opening its maw to bite at Chen Xiao’s body.

This was the depths of the Death Continent, the domain of the Supreme God Sovereign. It was not surprising to find a True Spirit Divine-level Dark Dragon here. It was just like in the misty forests deep within the Source Continent, where a group of True Spirit Divine-level ferocious beasts could appear suddenly.

Chen Xiao, without any disguise, flew boldly through the Netherworld, and any being there could spot him.

“A True Spirit Divine-level Dark Beast…”

Chen Xiao felt a slight stir in his heart. “Xi Xi, it’s not appropriate for me to intervene. It’s up to you now.”

Xi Xi, perched on Chen Xiao’s shoulder, yawned lazily. In his divine realm, the maid of the higher-ranking Supreme God level had left countless delicious foods, and Xi Xi was currently eating leisurely. Hearing Chen Xiao’s words, he reluctantly put down the food in his hand, leaped onto the head of the Dark Dragon, and with a swipe of his claw, killed the beast, which possessed only primary True Spirit Divine strength, before seizing its divine essence.

With Jing Ning’s help, Xi Xi’s strength had now reached the peak of True Spirit Divine level, on par with Hei Yu. Killing a primary True Spirit Divine-level Dark Dragon required no effort.

Xi Xi then yawned, as if it had done something trivial, before flying back into Chen Xiao’s body.

Chen Xiao took the divine essence and stored it within himself, using the Water-Fire Diagram in his dantian to slowly refine the True Spirit Divine laws within it. Although a primary True Spirit Divine law held little value for Chen Xiao, even a mosquito has flesh, no matter how few legs it has.

Chen Xiao urgently needed to enhance the power of the Two Elements Water-Fire Diagram by refining the remaining Fire Origin Spiritual Flames in the Supreme God Space. Leaving those flames unrefined in the space would only cause trouble, as anomalies would eventually arise.

“Keep moving forward,” Chen Xiao thought, carrying Xi Xi as they continued flying.

Around them, other hidden powerful Dark Beasts, after seeing Xi Xi slay a Dark Dragon with a single swipe, chose to remain silent and stop paying attention to Chen Xiao.

After what seemed like an eternity, Chen Xiao slowly exhaled in relief as his body descended.

They had reached the core of the continent, the realm ruled by the Death Sovereign. There stood a vast city covering millions of miles, surrounded by no city walls.

“Fengdu.”

This is the lair of the Death Overlord—a city ruled by a sovereign who doesn’t even need city walls. And if any daring intruders were to attack, even walls would be of no use.
“Fengdu… Hmph.”
Chen Xiao arrived outside the city, a cold smirk playing on his lips. The power of the Two Principles within him surged violently, suppressing everything within him. Now, he was nothing but that nameless old man with white hair and beard—everything related to Chen Xiao had vanished.
Shaking himself slightly, Chen Xiao stepped into Fengdu City.
This city was beyond comparison to any city outside this continent. Even the lowest-ranking residents here were True Gods, while Void Gods were nowhere to be seen.
Above True Gods, Primordial Spirit Gods, even the Ninth-Level Primordial Spirit Gods, were common here and hardly remarkable at all.
In this city, the true ruler, the ultimate dominator, was only the True Spirit God—only they held status here.
“Zixuan, I’m here. Wait for me.”
Chen Xiao softly called out in his heart. Immediately, a divine artifact resembling a furnace appeared in his hand.
Chen Xiao intended to disguise himself as a master alchemist to draw the attention of the higher-ups. Now, he fully utilized the power of the Two Principles to suppress all traces of Yang energy within him.
At first, he had ignored this issue, which was why Ningjing had seen through his disguise. Now, with the power of the Two Principles, he had transformed even the last trace of Yang energy into pure Yin energy.
Even if the Death Overlord stood before him, he wouldn’t be able to detect any Yang energy within him.
Chen Xiao smiled slightly, found an open space, laid down his belongings, and carelessly threw various rare materials from the Netherworld into the furnace to begin refining them.
“Old man, you’ve got guts, huh? Pay protection money—two high-quality Nether Spirit Stone veins.”
At that moment, two thuggish-looking men approached Chen Xiao. Yet both of them were gods, each possessing the power of the Fifth-Level Primordial Spirit God.
Although they could see that the old man before them was a Seventh-Level Primordial Spirit God, they still dismissed him and spoke rudely.
Nether Spirit Stones, like the spirit stones of the Homogeneous Continent, contained the power of laws and were extremely beneficial to gods.
Here, the common currency wasn’t mere pieces of Nether Stone or Nether Spirit Stones, but entire veins—either one or two veins.
“Hehe, young man, I haven’t started business yet today and don’t have any veins on me. How about you two wait here for a while? Once I’ve made a sale and earned some money, I’ll pay you, okay?”
Chen Xiao didn’t get angry at these scoundrels but replied with a smile.
“You old man are sensible. Well, my time is precious too. Waiting here might delay our important business. How about this: when you make money, give us one more Nether Spirit Stone vein.”
One of the men in brown clothes didn’t forget to extort more money.
Chen Xiao simply nodded with a smile, without getting angry.

Immediately, a plaque appeared in his hands, standing right in front of him. On the plaque were simply four large characters: “Crafting Divine Artefacts.” Seeing these four characters, the two ruffians were stunned. All the gods in the universe knew that divine artefacts were born from the gods themselves. They were called divine artefacts because the gods nurtured them with their own divine laws, endowing them with the power of those laws. Without those divine laws, a divine artefact would be nothing but scrap metal. “Old man, are you planning to use your own divine laws to craft divine artefacts for others?” one of the ruffians asked curiously. “Not at all,” Chen Xiao laughed heartily. Then, stroking his beard with one hand, he said contentedly, “The divine artefacts I craft do not contain divine laws.” “No divine laws?” The two ruffians exchanged a glance before bursting into laughter. “Hahaha, old man, you must be going mad. Without divine laws, how can it be called a divine artefact?” one of them laughed uproariously. “Hehe, you’ll know once the artefact is ready.” Chen Xiao wasn’t worried; he was confident about everything. At that moment, some gods also gathered around, drawn by the commotion and eager to see this so-called divine artefact without divine laws. Chen Xiao’s hands continuously formed various seals in midair, with strange runes flowing into the furnace. This furnace was part of the treasure trove left by the Supreme God Kamerillas—a truly powerful divine artefact. Chen Xiao had only slightly refined it before taking it out. After half a day, a beam of light emerged from the furnace, and a battle axe-shaped divine artefact slowly rose, flying into Chen Xiao’s hands. “Gentlemen, how does this divine artefact look?” Chen Xiao laughed and handed the battle axe to one of the ruffians, then watched quietly. By now, more and more gods had gathered, including several high-ranking Primordial Spirit Gods. “This…” One of the ruffians took the battle axe. The laws of his Primordial Spirit God within him shifted slightly and instantly merged perfectly with the axe. In an instant, the axe transformed into a Primordial Spirit Divine Artefact. “How is this possible!?” the ruffian exclaimed. After all, it took at least tens of thousands of years for a Primordial Spirit God to refine itself into a Primordial Spirit Divine Artefact by carefully nurturing it with its own laws. Moreover, after refinement, the god’s own laws would be weakened, putting it in a weakened state. Yet, this ruffian’s Primordial Spirit God had turned the axe into a Primordial Spirit Divine Artefact in just an instant, without any damage to its own laws! At that moment, everyone around saw the transformation of the divine artefact, and their gazes toward Chen Xiao changed completely—from mockery and disdain to respect. Such a person was certainly not someone to be trifled with. Even if a True Spirit God King came, he would have to treat him with respect.

“The two of us failed to recognize a true master and were rude to you. Please forgive us!” The two ruffians immediately changed their tone to one of respect.

“Hehe, I wonder if this battle axe is worth three veins of Nether Spirit Stones?” Chen Xiao asked with a smile.

“Not just three—hundred would be worth it!” someone blurted out.

To create a Primordial Spirit artifact without sacrificing one’s own divine laws was nothing short of a miracle; even hundreds of veins of Nether Spirit Stones couldn’t compare.

“Hehe, this is my first time in Fengdu, and it’s my first time doing business here. I don’t need a hundred veins—fifty will suffice. Today, I’ll craft only ten artifacts, each costing fifty veins of Nether Spirit Stones. Nine are left now. Of course, this one is a gift from me to you two as a welcome gift.”

Chen Xiao’s voice was loud enough to reach the outskirts of Fengdu City.

Immediately, everyone’s eyes lit up. However, since they were in the outskirts of Fengdu City, few could afford fifty high-quality veins of Nether Spirit Stones.

“Esteemed sir, you’re quite generous. Aside from achieving the ninth level of Primordial Spirit God, my cultivation has been unstable, and I haven’t had the chance to craft a suitable Primordial Spirit artifact. Now, fortunate enough to meet you, I’m willing to offer fifty veins of Nether Spirit Stones in exchange for one.”

At that moment, a brown-haired giant spoke up first. With a wave of his hand, a space stone appeared in his hand, which he then respectfully placed in front of Chen Xiao.

Inside the space stone floated fifty veins of high-quality Nether Spirit Stones.

“Hehe.” Chen Xiao smiled, waved his hand to take the space stone, and then asked, “May I ask what shape of weapon this sir would like?”

“A mountain axe—a heavily weighted one,” the giant replied.

“Wait a moment.”

Chen Xiao nodded and took out a piece of ore from his bag, throwing it into the furnace to begin the crafting process.

In the Netherworld, precious materials were not rare. To create an artifact, ordinary materials were sufficient, as the true essence of an artifact lay in divine laws. If the divine laws were strong, the artifact would be powerful, and its material would be strengthened by those laws.

Conversely, even if an artifact was forged from top-quality materials, if its divine laws were weak, it would be worthless.

Chen Xiao’s crafting technique came from the World of Books, from a scripture at the level of a True Spirit God—likely invented by a supreme deity.

Chen Xiao’s hands moved swiftly, continuously casting seals into the furnace. Outsiders couldn’t see these seals or gestures, as they were merely external manifestations; the real key lay in the coordination with cultivation techniques.

Boom!

After half an hour, a huge axe—completely black, three meters wide, and two palms thick—flew out of the furnace.

“Esteemed sir, please take a look at this artifact to see if it suits your needs,” Chen Xiao said with a smile as he handed over the axe.

The giant took the axe and poured his own Primordial Spirit God laws into it.

Boom!

With a single swing of the axe, the surrounding space began to tremble slightly. The next moment, a destructive force radiated from the axe.
“Great!”
The giant roared with laughter.
“Thank you, master!” The giant bowed to Chen Xiao before striding away.
“You brat Wood, last time you hurt me without a proper weapon and left me seriously injured. Now I’m going to get revenge—prepare to die!”
……
Seeing the giant obtain the axe, several other powerful primordial spirits hidden in the vicinity could no longer hold back. They took out fifty top-quality Nether Spirit Stone veins each, asking Chen Xiao to craft divine artifacts for them. Chen Xiao didn’t refuse and began working on them.
The first day in Fengdu City passed quickly.
This Netherworld, like the Yangworld, also had days that resembled sunsets. However, the sun in this Netherworld rotated around it, with the Netherworld as its center.
That sun emitted a pale light from a space between the Netherworld and the Chaos Layer, illuminating the Netherworld.
That sun was nothing compared to the one outside Earth; the power it emitted made even the rulers fear to approach it.
In the blink of an eye, three days passed for Chen Xiao in Fengdu. Aside from the first day, he crafted three divine artifacts each of the other two days, taking a hundred Nether Spirit Stone veins for each artifact.
Finally, on the evening of the third day, someone else came to find Chen Xiao.