Xu Qing had already taken out the thirty-six materials needed for refining the Tier Sixteen Daoist Soldier Talisman. With a wave of his right hand, one of the materials, Falling Spirit Water, flew through the air and landed in the Profound Weapon Refining Heaven Array. The cyan flame began to smelt and refine it, and after an hour, the Falling Spirit Water was successfully refined.

"Continue."

HUM! HUM!

「Time flew by.」

Xu Qing manipulated the Profound Weapon Refining Heaven Array, using the first-level cyan flame to refine the materials. Each type of material required one hour.

Furthermore, among the thirty-six materials were six of a higher quality: Daoxuan Talisman Paper, Measles Spirit Water, Nine Profound Stone, Moon Yin Dew, Thousand-Year Stone Milk, and Ghost Flower. These materials were of a higher grade and contained more potent Energy, requiring the second-level Purple Flame to refine. Each of these took nine hours to process.

In the end, Xu Qing spent a total of eighty-four hours completely refining all thirty-six materials needed for the Tier Sixteen Daoist Soldier Talisman.

"It’s done."

Xu Qing gazed at the thirty-six liquid essences within the Profound Weapon Refining Heaven Array, a satisfied smile gracing his lips. Forming hand seals, he refined and fused eighteen of the essences, ultimately creating a purple Dao Talisman. This was the Tier Sixteen Daoist Soldier Dao Talisman.

After that, the remaining eighteen liquid essences were blended together to create a Daoist Ink. This concoction was the Tier Sixteen Daoist Soldier Daoist Ink.

SWOOSH!

With a wave of his right hand, Xu Qing took out his Level 20 Wolf Hair Talisman Brush. It absorbed all of the Tier Sixteen Daoist Soldier Daoist Ink, and, focusing his mind, he began to draw the Tier Sixteen Daoist Soldier Talisman onto the Tier Sixteen Daoist Soldier Dao Talisman.

HUM! HUM! HUM!!!

Xu Qing’s brush moved stroke by stroke, flowing across the Dao Talisman like moving clouds and flowing water. He infused it with his own spirit and consciousness, gradually completing the Tier Sixteen Daoist Soldier Talisman.

BOOM!

The moment the Tier Sixteen Daoist Soldier Talisman was complete, it generated a powerful wave of Energy, even triggering a reaction from the Tier Sixteen Daoist Soldier Main Body.

"Good."

A smile appeared on Xu Qing’s face as he gazed at the Tier Sixteen Daoist Soldier Talisman floating before him. It shone with a purplish-gold light, and a powerful Dao Rhyme flowed around it.

Clearly, the Tier Sixteen Daoist Soldier Talisman was complete.

All in all, the process had taken seven days.

"Let’s continue."

SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH!

Immediately after, Xu Qing took out more materials, set after set. In total, he had eight more sets of refining materials, enough to create another eight Tier Sixteen Daoist Soldier Talismans.

HUM!

Xu Qing focused his mind, formed hand seals, and once again manipulated the Profound Weapon Refining Heaven Array. Cyan and purple flames flickered to life in succession as he began refining and drawing the Tier Sixteen Daoist Soldier Talismans.

「Time flew by.」

「Fifty-six days later, which was nearly two months.」

"Success."

SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH!!!

Xu Qing murmured softly, his face showing a hint of fatigue. He gazed at the nine Tier Sixteen Daoist Soldier Talismans floating before him, a deeply satisfied smile spreading across his face.

"Now for the third step."

Xu Qing’s expression was contemplative, his voice calm. "I’ll embed the Tier Sixteen Daoist Soldier Talisman into the Tier Sixteen Daoist Soldier Main Body to fuse them. Then, with the addition of the nine remaining precious materials, the three will merge into a single entity. That’s how a Tier Sixteen Daoist Soldier is completely refined."

"Profound Weapon Refining Heaven Array!"

Xu Qing formed hand seals and let out a soft cry. He pointed forward with his right hand, and a Magic Seal Finger Beam shot through the air, activating the Profound Weapon Refining Heaven Array.

The Profound Weapon Refining Heaven Array immediately entered its third level, producing blackish-purple flames. The terrifying heat of the flames seemed to warp space itself.

"Go."

With a wave of his right hand, a Tier Sixteen Daoist Soldier Main Body flew through the air and landed directly in the center of the Profound Weapon Refining Heaven Array.

The third-level blackish-purple flames began to smelt and refine the Tier Sixteen Daoist Soldier Main Body, drawing out wisps of scorched, black smoke.

Before long, the Tier Sixteen Daoist Soldier Main Body grew increasingly translucent until it was refined into a transparent crystal puppet before Xu Qing’s eyes.

’Now is the time.’

A glint appeared in Xu Qing’s eyes. With a single thought, he produced a Tier Sixteen Daoist Soldier Talisman, holding it between the index and middle fingers of his right hand.

"Go."

With a flick of his right wrist, the Tier Sixteen Daoist Soldier Talisman in his hand transformed into a streak of light, shooting with incredible speed toward the Tier Sixteen Daoist Soldier Main Body, which now resembled a transparent crystal puppet.

The Tier Sixteen Daoist Soldier Talisman pressed itself firmly to the spot between the brows of the Tier Sixteen Daoist Soldier Main Body as the surrounding blackish-purple flames continued to slowly smelt and refine them.

Slowly, the Tier Sixteen Daoist Soldier Talisman and the Tier Sixteen Daoist Soldier Main Body began to merge.

However, their fusion was met with resistance.

Therefore, Xu Qing quickly brought out the last nine materials. Using the third-level blackish-purple flame, he smelted them down to their essences and slowly infused them into the Tier Sixteen Daoist Soldier Talisman and Tier Sixteen Daoist Soldier Main Body, gradually eliminating the resistance between them.

"Tier Sixteen Daoist Soldier! Form!"

Xu Qing gave a low cry as the Tier Sixteen Daoist Soldier Talisman and the Tier Sixteen Daoist Soldier Main Body truly merged into one within the blackish-purple flames.

The Tier Sixteen Daoist Soldier was Refined.

HUM! HUM!

A powerful aura began to spread.

SWOOSH!

Then, the first Tier Sixteen Daoist Soldier Xu Qing had refined opened its eyes. It awoke within the blackish-purple flames, gaining new life as it bathed in them.

"Go!"

A glint flashed in Xu Qing’s eyes. He formed a sword finger with his right hand and drew a line across the space between his brows, forcing out a single drop of bright red blood. The drop transformed into a beam of blood-red light and merged into the first Tier Sixteen Daoist Soldier.

HUM! HUM!

Soon, Xu Qing had taken control of this first Tier Sixteen Daoist Soldier.

"Master!"

SWOOSH!

The first Tier Sixteen Daoist Soldier took a single step, clearing the bounds of the Profound Weapon Refining Heaven Array. It came to a stop before Xu Qing and knelt before his eyes.

"Good."

Xu Qing observed the first Tier Sixteen Daoist Soldier he had refined. It had the appearance of a young man with a black buzz cut, looking to be no older than thirty.

He calculated the time. It had taken nine days to fuse the Tier Sixteen Daoist Soldier Talisman with the Tier Sixteen Daoist Soldier Main Body to successfully refine the first Tier Sixteen Daoist Soldier.

The first Tier Sixteen Daoist Soldier stood aside while Xu Qing continued his work. He still had eight Tier Sixteen Daoist Soldier Main Bodies and eight Tier Sixteen Daoist Soldier Talismans left.

He could still refine eight more Tier Sixteen Daoist Soldiers.

「Time flew by.」

「In the blink of an eye, two months had passed.」

"Done!"

BOOM!

With a soft cry, Xu Qing successfully refined the ninth Tier Sixteen Daoist Soldier. It took the form of a beautiful and enchanting woman with almond-shaped phoenix eyes, a small cherry mouth, and an oval face. Her skin was fair, and she wore a fiery red cheongsam.

HUM!

Once again, Xu Qing drew a line across the space between his brows, forcing out another drop of blood. He then merged the blood into the body of the ninth Tier Sixteen Daoist Soldier, taking control of it.

"Master."

SWOOSH!

The ninth Tier Sixteen Daoist Soldier also took a single step out from the Profound Weapon Refining Heaven Array’s range. It stood before Xu Qing and bowed respectfully.

"Mm."

Though his expression was weary, Xu Qing’s face broke into a deeply satisfied smile as he looked at the nine Tier Sixteen Daoist Soldiers before him. "Not bad. Not bad at all."

All in all, the entire process had taken more than half a year.

Only then had Xu Qing finally refined the Nine Tier Sixteen Daoist Soldiers.

Although all Nine Tier Sixteen Daoist Soldiers were refined from the exact same materials, the Dao Patterns, Tao Arrays, and Dao Realms they developed upon their creation were all different.

For instance, the first Tier Sixteen Daoist Soldier, which Xu Qing named "Number One," developed Geng Metal Dao Patterns upon its creation. These, in turn, formed a Geng Metal Dao Array, which ultimately evolved into a Sixth Layer Geng Metal Dao Realm.

It must be understood that three Geng Metal Dao Patterns could form one layer of a Geng Metal Dao Array, and the Mighty Power unleashed by a single layer of a Geng Metal Dao Array was equivalent to the First Level of Geng Metal Realm.

Ultimately, twenty-seven Geng Metal Dao Patterns could form nine layers of a Geng Metal Dao Array, equivalent to the Nine Layers of Geng Metal Realm. The further fusion of these nine layers of the Geng Metal Dao Array could then evolve into a First Layer Geng Metal Dao Realm.

Thus, a First Layer Geng Metal Dao Realm was equivalent to a One-layered Geng Metal True Intent.

Number One was a Tier Sixteen Daoist Soldier whose body contained a Sixth Layer Geng Metal Dao Realm, which was formed from the fusion and layering of a total of fifty-four layers of the Geng Metal Dao Array.

The power it could unleash was equivalent to the Sixth Level of True Realm, also known as the Second Realm: Extraordinary Extreme. However, it had only mastered a single True Intent: the Geng Metal True Intent.

The second Tier Sixteen Daoist Soldier, which Xu Qing named "Number Two," developed Slaughter Dao Patterns, which formed a Slaughter Dao Array, and ultimately evolved into the Sixth Layer of Slaughter Dao Realm.

The third Tier Sixteen Daoist Soldier, which Xu Qing named "Number Three," mastered the Sixth Layer of Guardian Dao Realm.

The fourth, "Number Four," mastered the Sixth Layer of Thunder Dao Realm.

The fifth, "Number Five," mastered the Sixth Layer of Earth Dao Realm.

The sixth, "Number Six," mastered the Sixth Layer of Life Dao Realm.

The seventh, "Number Seven," mastered the Sixth Layer of Illusion Dao Realm.

The eighth, "Number Eight," mastered the Sixth Layer of Death Dao Realm.

The ninth, "Number Nine," mastered the Sixth Layer of Sword Dao Realm.

Xu Qing’s expression was contemplative. ’It seems that in the end, each of the nine Tier Sixteen Daoist Soldiers developed and mastered a different Sixth Layer Dao Realm.’